Survival of the fittest: Juan Toscano-Anderson thrives in Warriors ecosystem
The Warriors host the Thunder as season winds to an energetic close
It wasn’t so long ago that my coworker was literally laughing me for talking up the importance of Kevon Looney and the contract he signed back before the 2019 season.
But a role player that plays an important enough role, and does it well, can be just as critical to a team’s success as a star - and there’s only so many stars one team can afford. Nowhere is this more true than with the Golden State Warriors, a team that has punched their way into the playoffs on a threadbare lineup featuring the wizardry of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, with the valuable contributions from a handful of trusted players.
Juan Toscano-Anderson was one of the best of those handful of trusted players, so getting inked to a deal here was long overdue. For now, he will help the Warriors finish out a homestand that is hugely important to their postseason fate - along with (reportedly) a familiar face in Jordan Bell.
GAME DETAILS
WHO: Golden State Warriors (34-33) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-46)
WHEN: Saturday, May 8th, 2021 // 7:00 pm PST
WATCH: NBCSBA
Juan Toscano-Anderson’s fit and the Warriors ecosystem
When people talk about Darwin’s famous “survival of the fittest” quote, they often get the wrong sense of ‘fitness.’ Darwin wasn’t talking about lifting weights (or being the fastest, strongest animal), but rather how well a niche is filled. The Warriors’ ecosystem isn’t built for everyone. But there are certain players that just look more at home here naturally, running the complicated Kerr motion offense and being able to keep up with the team’s demanding defensive rotations.
It’s been clear from pretty early on that Juan Toscano-Anderson (JTA) is one of those guys that just gets it. Like famous Warriors bench players, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston that came before him, there’s a heady veteran vibe to his game.
But more important than vibes are the impacts.
JTA is currently second in points scored per shot attempt (and only because Curry is having a crazy enough season that he’s in the 100th percentile), second in assist percentage, tied for second in assist-to-usage ratio, and 2nd in turnover percentage. In other words, this man is having one hell of a season:
This move has been a long time coming. JTA had spent time playing professionally in Venezuela, Mexico, and the NBA G League before landing a two-way deal with Golden State. Interestingly, this opportunity here wouldn’t have opened up if it wasn’t for all the injuries - but then again, that’s how Draymond Green landed his starting gig as well.
One of the aspects of the table above that bears a second look is how JTA will fit into the roster moving forward, As a low usage/high impact player, he will join the cadre of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney as Golden State’s “do everything but score” crew that pairs so well with the splash brothers. Additionally, those Points Scored per Attempt (PSA) would seem to indicate that JTA can shoulder more of a scoring load than he currently carries, and it’s not hard to imagine him helping steady the bench unit alongside Andrew Wiggins.
It’s no coincidence that JTA is in two of the top three lineups used by the Warriors, and it’s no coincidence that the team decided to use one of their few available salary slots on him. He is elite in a few ways that will fit in well as ancillary support for the team’s apex predators, and unlike some of the younger prospects, there’s an assured maturity in JTA’s game that transcends basic basketball IQ.
Back when I was at University of Arizona, there was a local attraction called the Biosphere. An experimental enclosed living space, kind of like a human terrarium, it had failed by the time I came around and was offering tours. One part that still stands out is the way they talked about growing their biomes. You see, they had a list of suitable plants, but the final plan was to throw a bunch of stuff in to the new environment and see what thrived. In a season where so much hasn’t worked for the Warriors, JTA stands out because of how he thrives in this system. It’s not hard to imagine him doing so for years.
Looking around the league update
Taking stock, the Western Conference playoff bracket is even more wacky than expected. As it stands now, the Warriors would be slotted to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been plummeting without LeBron James. Our good friend Ivan Bettger made this sweet graphic showing remaining strength of schedules, but I found this one to be just as useful for explaining how the play-in tournament will work.
Because of the tiered barriers for entry, the Warriors would do well to fight as high up in the standings as possible… which brings us to tonight’s opponent, the OKC Thunder.
How bad are the Thunder, we’ll answer that in a moment. First, let’s take a look at the Warriors ongoing surge. Via Kirk Goldsbury, the Warriors have the 5th best Net Rating over the past 15 games.
Anyone watching this team can explain exactly what’s happening in Golden State. The offensive explosion between Curry and Green is still an elite threat that teams have no answer for. Perhaps even more encouraging is that Curry is executing offense this efficiently while facing more defensive scrutiny than he has at any other point in his career. And yet, remember the scoring table at the top of this article. Curry is scoring in the 100th percentile of players at his position. He’s a basketball prodigy that just keeps publishing new papers on how no one can stop him.
And today’s opponent, the Thunder?
Squint real close and you can find them, off the edge of the map.
Predictions
These team series sweeps have been difficult all season, but between the Thunder being what they are now, and the Warriors smelling some blood in the water as they look to climb higher in the seeding, today could be the day.
Dubs smash, 132-117.
And remember friends, it’s Mother’s Day tomorrow, so plan accordingly!
The postgame thread is now available. Enjoy!
https://www.letsgowarriors.com/p/35-33-warriors-stomp-okc-steph-drops
Blazers will beat the Spurs.