The Golden State Warriors are grappling with a slew of challenges, but none looms larger than their glaring deficiency in offensive production beyond Stephen Curry. To truly grasp the severity of this issue, let’s stack Curry’s supporting cast against those of the other top 10 NBA players
For context, I relied on Dunks and Threes’ Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) to select these top performers, applying two filters: excluding anyone who’s played in fewer than half their team’s games, and swapping out Chet Holmgren for Tyrese Maxey (who trailed by just 0.1) to avoid duplicating teammates in the rankings.
The elite group includes Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Curry himself, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey.
Scoring Output from Each Top 10 Player’s No. 2 Scorer
As the data reveals, Jimmy Butler’s points per game (PPG) falls short compared to the sidekicks of these other stars:
| Top 10 Player | Top 10 Player’s Sidekick | Sidekick’s PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Jalen Brunson | 28.8 |
| Luka Doncic | Austin Reaves | 27.8 |
| Nikola Jokic | Jamal Murray | 24.9 |
| Victor Wembanyama | De’Aaron Fox | 23.9 |
| Tyrese Maxey | Joel Embiid | 20.5 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Kevin Porter Jr. | 19.3 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Evan Mobley | 19.1 |
| Stephen Curry | Jimmy Butler | 19.1 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Chet Holmgren | 18.7 |
| Cade Cunningham | Jalen Duren | 18.0 |
Butler isn’t dead last, but it’s worth noting that many view Jalen Brunson as the Knicks’ true alpha. If we flipped the script and labeled Towns as the sidekick, his 22.4 PPG would pull the average for non-Butler No. 2 scorers down to 21.6—leaving Butler 2.5 points below the mean. Not catastrophic, but far from optimal.
Butler could amp up his aggression, yet his well-rounded skill set means he’s not the root cause of Golden State’s offensive woes—or their broader struggles.
The Third Scoring Option: Where the Crisis Deepens
This is where the Warriors’ predicament turns dire, and it’s only trending downward.
| Top 10 Player | Sidekick | Team’s Third Option | Third Option’s PPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | Jamal Murray | Aaron Gordon | 18.8 |
| Victor Wembanyama | De’Aaron Fox | Stephon Castle | 18.4 |
| Luka Doncic | Austin Reaves | LeBron James | 17.6 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Chet Holmgren | Jalen Williams | 17.3 |
| Tyrese Maxey | Joel Embiid | Paul George | 17.1 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Kevin Porter Jr. | Ryan Rollins | 17.0 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Jalen Brunson | Mikal Bridges | 16.4 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Evan Mobley | Darius Garland | 15.5 |
| Cade Cunningham | Jalen Duren | Tobias Harris | 14.3 |
| Stephen Curry | Jimmy Butler | Jonathan Kuminga | 12.4 |
Golden State lags far behind, and if Kuminga’s role shrinks to a limited bench contributor, his PPG could dip even further, exacerbating the gap.
The average third-option PPG for the other nine teams? A robust 16.9. That’s a staggering 4.5-point deficit for the Warriors—a massive hurdle in today’s NBA.
It gets even more alarming: Golden State is the lone NBA squad with only two players averaging over 12.4 PPG. The closest comparison is the Utah Jazz, who, with Walker Kessler (14.4 PPG) sidelined for the year, lack a healthy third scorer above 10.0 PPG.
Time for a Trade: Warriors Must Land a Reliable Third Scorer
While a defensive stalwart like Herb Jones or a rim protector like Myles Turner would be ideal, the priority must be a bona fide third scoring threat—preferably one who attacks the paint effectively.
These players don’t come cheap. Prime candidates include Michael Porter Jr., Trey Murphy III, Ivica Zubac, and Andrew Wiggins.
- Porter’s breakout year makes him a hot commodity; the Nets might demand two first-rounders if he’s on the block.
- Murphy’s locked in for three-plus seasons, so the Pelicans could seek two firsts in any deal.
- Zubac’s bargain contract and two-way dominance have the Clippers eyeing at least two firsts.
- Wiggins might be more attainable. A straight Kuminga-for-Wiggins swap may not entice the Heat, but if Miami lands Giannis in a blockbuster, a three-team deal could net the Bucks Kuminga while sending Wiggins to Golden State—potentially still costing the Warriors a first.
Curry’s delivering 29.6 PPG on elite efficiency; he’s maxed out. The onus is on the front office to deliver reinforcements before this offensive drought becomes terminal.