Golden State's new big man Willie Cauley-Stein will be stepping into a major roll with the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors roster that ushers in the Chase Center era will look a lot different than the team that closed the book on Oracle Arena.

The class of incoming players is headlined by D’Angelo Russell--an electric guard coming off an All-Star season, acquired in a sign-and-trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets--but another player, Willie Cauley-Stein, will also be stepping into a major role.

Though the Warriors just re-signed Kevon Looney for three years this past summer, Cauley-Stein will likely begin the season as the starting center.

As Klay Thompson works his back from the torn ACL that disrupted his brilliant 2019 NBA Finals, the post-Durant Warriors are reportedly planning on operating differently on offense with a new dedication to pick-and-roll play.

That’s where Cauley-Stein will get the majority of his opportunities to produce.

Last season as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Cauley-Stein averaged 3.6 points per game as the roll man in the P&R, good for 18th in the league above players like Anthony Davis (3.4 PPG), DeAndre Jordan (3.0 PPG), Nikola Jokic (2.9 PPG), and Andre Drummond (2.9 PPG).

As a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Russell turned into one of the league’s premier pick-and-roll ballhandlers. With a frequency of 49.9% (5th in the NBA), Russell scored 10.1 points per game as the P&R ballhandler.

With his limitless range and crafty handles, Stephen Curry is one of basketball history’s elite P&R players despite Golden State’s hesitation to turn to it in recent years.

Cauley-Stein is going to have a lot of space to flash his athleticism and finish plays at the rim with two high-level pick-and-roll guards and Draymond Green, another top-notch playmaker who looks to attack slow-footed bigs.

Though the pick-and-roll is his bread and butter, Cauley-Stein can also contribute in other ways offensively.

As a scorer, he’s most comfortable around the rim, but he’s not afraid of taking short jumpers.

Per NBA.com, he took 84 midrange shots, knocking down 36.9% of them. For comparison, Zaza Pachulia went 14-41 (34.1%) in his final year with Golden State.

While the Warriors won’t run many plays to set up catch-and-shoot opportunities for Cauley-Stein (he shot 36.7% on those types of attempts), he will certainly get looks, both at the rim and in the midrange, just playing off of the All-Star backcourt.

Though the Warriors will be turning to more P&R this year, they’ll continue to run the motion offense that has terrorized the NBA for the last half-decade. That offense has featured passing centers like Andrew Bogut and Zaza Pachulia, allowing them to direct traffic from the high post and look for cutting teammates for open shots.

Cauley-Stein has averaged 2.4 assists per game two years in a row. Last season, he was 12th in the league amongst centers in assists, a feat that should excite Steve Kerr as he tries to fit the pieces together for his new-look team.

Offensively, the Cauley-Stein acquisition looks like it’ll pay dividends almost immediately, given the natural fit with the Warriors’ pick-and-roll playmakers. The concern for the 26-year-old comes on the other end of the floor, where he hasn’t played up to the potential that his athleticism and wingspan offer.

With slow rotations and bad timing, he averaged just 0.6 blocks per game last season.

His lack of production as a rim protector and defender is glaring. He averaged just 0.6 blocks per game, a low number given his leaping ability.

His effort on that end leaves a lot to be desired. Per NBA.com, opponents actually shot three percent better when “met” by Cauley-Stein, by far the worst in the NBA. 

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Damian Jones was second at 0.9%. They were the only two players above zero.

Cauley-Stein had a defended field goal percentage of 50.1%, another harrowing mark for subpar defensive performances.

The Warriors are not going to be the defensive juggernaut they have been for the past five years.

Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Durant will no longer be hounding opponents with length and crisp switching. Thompson won’t be available for about half the year, a huge blow to the Warriors’ already-thin defense.

While Green is an all-time defender who can control the game, he isn’t a miracle worker.

He’ll need to work harder than ever this season to make up for holes at other positions meaning Cauley-Stein has to contribute if Golden State is going to be a legitimate contender once again.

Possessing good quickness, athleticism, and strength, Cauley-Stein needs to put forth a consistent effort towards sharp rotations and disciplined rim protection every night.

He’s increased his rebounding numbers over the last three years, hauling in a career-high 8.4 rebounds per game last season. He ranked 29th in the league in offensive rebounding with 2.2 boards per game and his 6.1 defensive rebounds per game placed him at 25th in the NBA.

His rebounding percentage, 14.2%, placed him right between, JaMychal Green and Russell Westbrook, below the league’s top centers.

Though his rebounding numbers are solid, securing the ball off misses has been another area in which his effort can fade over the course of a game as well. With limited defensive versatility and a lower margin for error, winning the rebound battle and ending opponent possessions will be more important than ever.

Cauley-Stein has the potential to be an improved JaVale McGee, a flawed big man who can jump out of the gym.

McGee was a productive player in short bursts. Kerr never gave him too much responsibility, allowing him to focus on the things he does best: finish off lobs and block a shot or two with his superior vertical and length despite poor defensive decision-making.

With good touch on his passes and a decent midrange shot, Cauley-Stein has a more refined offensive game. Defensively, he’ll need to learn how to use his tools to be a productive player on that end, especially since he’ll have less help than McGee did during his tenure.

Though he will be the likely starter, Looney will probably be the center in closing lineups during the most important moments.

Cauley-Stein is raw, but, in the right role, can grow and help the Warriors win a lot of games.