The Golden State Warriors continue to struggle. With Jonathan Kuminga sidelined and Draymond Green missing the last two games, Steve Kerr has looked elsewhere for size and strength.

Although he didn’t have his best game in Toronto, Gui Santos has shown in recent games that Kerr may not be able to keep him on the bench for much longer. Santos’ stats speak for themselves and prove he has the potential to move up the Warriors’ rankings.

On Monday evening, the Warriors lost to the weak Toronto Raptors 104:101, with the visitors unable to cope with the size and hustle and bustle of the home team. Stephen Curry did his best to get the Dubs to win, but without Green in the lineup, the Warriors were unable to keep the Raptors out of the game. It turns out that Golden State is the smallest team in the league and is outnumbered by 50:26.

Gui Santos may need to become a starter for the Warriors

Santos’ stats aren’t necessarily great, as the Brazilian forward was given limited opportunities during his two-year NBA career. That being said, he’s starting to make the most of it. He is averaging just 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists on 48.8% from the field and 36.8% from three this season. Keep in mind that this is all at an average of 8.3 minutes per game.

This season, Santos has had a few opportunities to showcase his skills. When Santos plays 10 or more minutes, he is +7 overall and averages 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds. These numbers still aren’t sexy, but the increase shows that with more opportunities comes more production. The Warriors can always utilize size and shooting ability, elements that Santos can bring to the table

Beyond the sheer numbers, Santos is increasingly important to the Warriors because of the energy he brings. With the Warriors hanging on the wrong side of .500, they desperately need the kind of energy and life that Santos brings, especially in a crucial performance against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. The offensive rebounds, the sprinting up and down the floor, the underdog mentality. These are all things the Warriors need to embrace as they continue to try to find an identity.

Santos’ energy, size (on an incredibly small Warriors roster) and shooting prowess make him more and more playable. If other Warriors backups aren’t able to bring similar energy and skill, Kerr really needs to consider adding Santos to the regular rotation.