Warriors’ Patrick McCaw shows aggressiveness in fill-in start

Over the past seven months, as he became the rare second-round draft pick to contribute in his first NBA season, McCaw made good on his new moniker. In the second quarter, after teammates encouraged him during a timeout to be more aggressive, he hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc and drove for a layup. McCaw finished with nine points, five rebounds, no turnovers and a plus-27 in 34 minutes, a stat line reminiscent of his mentor, Sixth Man of the Year candidate Andre Iguodala. Though McCaw can't be expected to replicate the eight-time All-Star's production, he is a more capable fill-in starter than when he spelled Durant in the first unit during the regular season. Added McCaw: For my first (start in the playoffs), it was exciting — just knocking down a few shots, making the right play, playing good defense. The son of a high school basketball coach, McCaw, 21, has an uncanny grasp of the sport's nuances. Two months ago, after Durant sustained a left knee injury at Washington, McCaw — a combo guard — plugged the hole at starting small forward. Instead of making significant strides in an expanded role, McCaw simply ate up minutes for the most part during...