Although the label “garbage time star” might sound passive aggressive, I use it as a term of endearment.
It’s the player who comes into the game when there’s absolutely no question about what the final outcome and exhibits some nice production.
With a team that has been as great as the Warriors have been these last couple seasons, it’s hard to remember them being on the wrong end of garbage time.
Usually the Warriors are the ones evoking garbage time by dismantling their opponents handily through the first 3 quarters of the game.
To give their hard working starters a rest, the reserves admirably come in for mop up duty to entertain the crowd with some low anxiety basketball for the final 12 minutes.