Warriors Urged to Pursue Elite Shot-Blocker with Vet Minimum

It has been clear from the outset that Joe Lacob and Bob Myers have a strong belief in former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman. Not only has the Golden State Warriors‘ brain trust held onto the oft-injured blue-chipper amid trade rumors, but they have also cleared the deck for him to get minutes next season.

And while he didn’t have a knock-your-socks-off summer league, the 21-year-old did enough to keep Dub Nation hyped for the future.

Over four games in the NBA 2K23 League in Las Vegas, Wiseman averaged 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and a pair of blocks in just 19.9 minutes per contest. He also knocked down a couple of three-pointers, which offers hope he can be more than just a rim-roller for Golden State.

Nevertheless, questions remain about his ability to stay healthy/contributing to a title defense next season. There are also question marks surrounding Looney, who lacks elite size, athleticism and scoring chops.

With all of that being the case, some have suggested that the Warriors need another veteran big to help hold down the frontcourt. To that end, one hoops scribe has an idea about who the team should sign.

B/R: Hassan Whiteside Could Be an Option

Earlier this week, Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley examined potential signees on the free agent market, with a focus on vet minimum options. It was a list that included future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony and former Warriors wing Kent Bazemore, in addition to journeyman big and paint protector Hassan Whiteside.

Regarding the latter, Buckley sees potential for shoring up the pivot with a tried and tested former star who showed last season that he still has something to offer:

If Golden State is at all concerned about Wiseman’s ability to consistently handle his role or simply wants another big body in the middle, then Hassan Whiteside might be worth a phone call.

His numbers sometimes oversell his impact, but the 33-year-old is still a sturdy 7-footer who can block shots, finish lobs and rebound.

A low-minute, hopefully high-energy role could suit Whiteside just fine.

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Whiteside Had an Impactful Season

While he was a borderline All-Star at his height with the Miami Heat, Whiteside’s spot among the big-man hierarchy has dropped in recent years. However, as a member of the Utah Jazz last season, he was ultra-effective in a support role as Rudy Gobert’s backup.

The wily vet averaged 16.5 points, 15.3 rebounds and an impressive 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes with the Jazz. Defensively, he looked every bit the part of a two-time blocks champ and one-time All-Defensive pick. On the other end, he connected on a career-best 65.2% of his shot attempts.

And some of the advanced metrics paint an even prettier portrait of what he was able to do on the court.

For a Jazz squad that finished the regular season with a top-three point differential league-wide (outscoring opponents by 6.2 points/100 possessions), Whiteside actually had the best net rating on the squad at 10.1. Moreover, his offensive rating of 119.2 was the top mark league-wide among players appearing in at least 40 games.

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