Meet the new faces of the Golden State Warriors
Less than a week ago, the Golden State Warriors seemed to have a fairly set starting lineup. The Splash Brothers would return to the backcourt together, along with Andrew Wiggins on the wing, Draymond Green at power forward and Marquese Chriss at center. The draft, and any other offseason moves, would be designed to increase depth and bolster a somewhat shaky bench.
But on Nov. 18, just a few hours before the Warriors were set to use the second pick in the NBA Draft, news broke that Klay Thompson had apparently suffered a serious leg injury. Later examination confirmed the ailment to be a torn Achilles. Suddenly, plans changed. In addition to the moves for depth, the starting five would have to be retooled. Whatever transactions the front office made would matter that much more.
In total thus far, the Warriors have added six players and dropped one. The first big changes, unsurprisingly, came in the draft. The Warriors picked in the lottery for the first time since 2012 and took Memphis center James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall selection. Wiseman is in many ways the prototypical modern NBA big man: long and fast with a good vertical and some shooting ability. There are some concerns about his readiness for the pace of NBA basketball, but he is seen as a hard worker who is smart, coachable and good for team chemistry, which fits well with the Warriors. He has some similarities to Marquese Chriss, and the two may very well find themselves competing for the starting center spot. During the season, playing time for the two of them will likely be staggered. This draft choice gives the Warriors more center depth and increases the amount of game time during which they will have a lob threat and rim protector on the floor.
The Dubs had two second-round picks, but only one of them is likely to see NBA action in the coming season. That player is Arizona guard Nico Mannion. He has skill as a finisher, shooter and playmaker, and the Warriors hope he will provide some offense off the bench. He adds point guard depth behind Stephen Curry and will battle the other young guards for minutes. The Warriors, however, felt as though it was getting too crowded at that spot and had to say goodbye to someone — Ky Bowman. He was waived after one season in the Bay Area, during which he gradually found his footing despite some occasional struggles. Although I had previously thought that Bowman and Mannion might have a training camp competition for minutes, it now looks like Mannion will instead be going up against guys like Jordan Poole to make his impact.
The third draft pick is another guard, Boise State’s Justinian Jessup, but he won’t be around at the start of the season, and maybe for much longer. He has signed with a team in Australia while the Warriors will continue to hold his rights. His catch-and-shoot style has drawn comparisons to Duncan Robinson, but he needs more development and Golden State will monitor him as he gets professional experience in another league.
When Thompson went down, it became clear that the Warriors needed to acquire someone who would be a starter for the upcoming season. They found their player by trading for Phoenix Suns wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who was technically a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder at the time of the deal (as a result of Chris Paul being traded to Phoenix). Oubre is a good slasher and finisher, can knock down threes on occasion and is a highly capable defender. Although he doesn’t come near Thompson’s shooting stroke, Oubre does provide some of the same floor spacing and perimeter defense that Thompson offered. It’s clear that the Warriors went after him to fill Thompson’s spot. Now Oubre and Andrew Wiggins are likely to start at shooting guard and small forward, although it’s currently unclear who will take which position.
The other, smaller moves were done in the name of filling out the roster and adding depth as previously mentioned. First came Brad Wanamaker, a backup point guard who spent the last two seasons with the Boston Celtics after seven years mostly in Europe. He’ll provide some relief for Curry as a high-IQ player with ballhandling skill and solid defense. He also led the NBA in free-throw percentage this past season, meaning Warriors fans might see him a fair amount at the end of close games.
The latest move sees the return of a familiar face. After six and a half seasons with four teams, Kent Bazemore returns to the club where he played the first two years of his career. He became a fan favorite in Golden State with his bench celebrations, but has evolved into a genuine on-court contributor since then. He is a high-energy, aggressive competitor who is an excellent defender and just enough of an offensive threat to open up the floor. After months of questions about what wing depth might look like for the Warriors, it appears that we have part of our answer. Bazemore could very well be the first perimeter player off the bench in the coming season.
The Warriors’ roster for next season is not complete. They may add another big man, and it’s entirely possible that at least one player currently on the roster won’t be by the time the season tips off in late December. But it is becoming a clearer picture, and the roles for each member of the team are slowly but surely falling into place.