There is no doubt that the Warriors have outplayed their opponents in the first three preseason games. The entire starting lineup has been dazzling to say the least. In Thursday’s game against the Lakers, Andre Iguodala got some run with the second-string as Coach Steve Kerr experimented and swapped Harrison Barnes into the starting five.
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A noticeable change has been the play of the Warriors’ big men. They have flourished in Kerr’s new offensive system which involves a lot of pick and roll situations and ball movement. Andrew Bogut and David Lee’s high-quality interior passing has led to many easy baskets at the rim.
Draymond Green has come off the bench and looked decent in the stretch four position, knocking down jumpers and looking confident shooting the ball. The biggest question mark continues to be the Warriors’ bench. Festus Ezeli still hasn’t participated in a game since 2012-13 NBA season and his injury woes continue to hinder the Warriors’ maximum potential. After sitting out nearly two weeks, Ezeli has seen progress and began practicing with a brace.
According to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, Ezeli returned to practice and ran well during the sprints:
Festus Ezeli (shin) participated in practice and is flying on wind sprints right now.
— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) October 14, 2014
Coach Kerr went on to comment on Ezeli’s status for the next three games on the road:
Steve Kerr said Festus Ezeli won’t play on this three-game road trip, but he’s progressing.
— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) October 14, 2014
After an extended amount of time away from the court, an Ezeli appearance in the last two games of the preseason would be interesting. After playing away from the Bay for the first three games, the last two games will be played back at home at Oracle Arena. With Ezeli in the mix, the front court will finally see some much needed depth with the departure of NBA veteran Jermaine O’Neal.
Festus has been festering for too long. How long does it take for someone to heal? He really wasn’t that great when he did play.
And let’s see how slippery his butter hands are this year, if he ever plays.