Getty/Ezra Shaw Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers walks past Stephen Curry in Oracle Arena in Oakland.
With how inconsistent the Warriors have looked at times the past couple of weeks, much of it can be attributed to the lack of defensive intensity. Many critics have pointed to how undersized the team has been. Every center Golden State have used this season has been 6-foot-9 and smaller.
Well, some good news could be on the horizon. Warriors’ general manager Bob Myers was on 95.7 The Game this morning, and offered some encouraging news for James Wiseman’s rehab.
“I think he’s going to scrimmage 5-on-5 today. That’ll be good.”
This is more promising news for Wiseman after he was able to get through some 3-on-3 contact practice last week. It was only a few weeks ago, when head coach Steve Kerr was pessimistic with the whole situation and decided to stop providing updates. Up to that point, Wiseman’s rehab progress was not going as planned, with several delays throughout the season.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater confirmed what Myers said about Wiseman’s workout in San Francisco.
Can confirm that James Wiseman will advance to 5-on-5 scrimmaging today for the first time since his injury. It’ll consist of a mix of some of the Warriors’ young players, coaches, staffers at the SF facility. Bob Myers first told @MorningRoast957 of the plan this morning.
James Wiseman’s Impact on Roster
The former second overall pick will immediately provide a cushion for fellow big man Kevon Looney around the paint. So far this season, Looney has held his own, and played in every game this season.
In 39 games last season, Wiseman averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.9 block in just 21.4 minutes. His return will provide another dimension to the Warriors roster, and give the team the ability to match up better against traditional centers.
With how small the teams’ rotations have been, the Warriors have been bullied by opposing big men recently. Just last game, Ivica Zubac of the LA Clippers dominated the Warriors around the rim in his first 19 minutes, as he scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. At 7 feet, Wiseman’s presence will alter how opposing teams decide to attack the Warriors in the interior.
Bob Myers Talks Warriors Approach to Buyout Market
After the trade deadline came and went, some fans have been wondering if this was going to be the team heading into the postseason. During his appearance on 95.7, ‘The Morning Roast,’ Myers talked about the due diligence the team would do in scouring the buyout market to see if there was a fit.
“We’re going to look at it. I don’t know how you rate the buyout market. The buyout market is interesting. We’ve done it before, and we may do it again. It’s probably perceived to be a greater benefit than it is. Doesn’t mean we won’t. Even in the years we have, or you look at the history of the league, it’s somewhat rare that a player comes in and moves the needle, either way. It doesn’t mean it hasn’t worked for us in the past. I love the fans’ energy. I love the enthusiasm. We talk about it more than they can imagine. It’s our job to do it.”
Myers continues and talks about how there was not an obvious fit on the buyout market for the team at this point.
“Because it’s not just taking any big guy and saying he’s going to rebound and block shots. Our offense is intricate and complicated. Our coaches like going small. We’ve gone small in the past and done well.”
The ingenuity of the Warriors offense has always been free flowing. A lot of actions that are run when the center holds the ball at the wing area have been run since Kerr joined the team in 2014. Merely, adding a big at the deadline is not an ideal fit, especially with the dearth of bigs that can play make and rim protect.
For what it’s worth, Myers did sound like the team was ready to go to battle with the current roster right now. As long as much of the roster stays relatively healthy, the team should be in contention come late May.
“When Draymond is back, or Wiseman, now you’ve got, between those two, Bjelica and Looney, that’s four centers, and we’ve even been playing Kuminga there. So that’s five centers. We think and hope that that should suffice going into the rest of the season.”