The Warriors are still lacking a proven rim protector on their roster, but it appears like they have a candidate in mind.
According to Marc Stein, the Warriors are going to invite JaVale McGee to training camp. The Warriors will sign McGee to a make-good contract for the chance to make their 15 man roster for next season.
The Warriors are signing veteran center JaVale McGee to a make-good deal for a chance to make the team in training camp, league sources say.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 29, 2016
The talent has always been there for McGee, but he has a hilariously low basketball IQ. Whenever he’s on the court, strange antics seem to occur.
The counter argument is that McGee would be playing what’s likely to amount to a minor role on this team, competing for minutes as a backup center with guys like Anderson Varejao and Damian Jones.
He’s normally the type of player to skeptically avoid due to his on-court shenanigans, but the Warriors find themselves in the rare category of being a stable enough franchise to confidently take on risky players like McGee.
As a shot blocker, McGee is extremely talented. His wingspan is 7’6.5’’, and he would certainly make opponents think twice about attacking the interior when he’s on the court.
It’s interesting that this team has supposedly passed on signing Larry Sanders but is open to giving McGee a chance.
It’s a slightly different situation, but both players have elite shot-blocking ability yet bring baggage that arguably outweighs that talent.
McGee isn’t returning from a premature retirement due to anxiety issues like Sanders is, but being a two-time Shaqtin’ a Fool MVP raises way more red flags to me than what Sanders brings.
If Sanders feels emotionally ready to continue his career and vows not to self-medicate through substances banned by the league, there’s no reason that he couldn’t return to being a great rim protector.
The Warriors showing more faith in McGee than Sanders is odd in some respects, but McGee has a skill that the Warriors desperately need. And he can provide some laughs by running back on defense when Stephen Curry still has the ball.
Disagree with the part about McGee raising more red flags than Sanders. While Sanders is certainly the more talented player, he clearly lacks a passion for the game. A less apparent part of the Warriors success has been a universal love for the game and a cohesive team–Sanders doesn’t fit that culture. He represents a threat to the locker room, and that’s likely the reason the Warriors didn’t pick him up.
Javale will probably never live up to his potential, but he’s capable of being a highly productive player in limited minutes. If his boneheadedness becomes a problem, the Warriors can always lean on the less talented, high-IQ Varejao. Much like Speights (who was never known for having a high IQ), the Warriors have a goldmine if McGee can play within himself.
He can make some silly plays but you have to watch the first couple f games with curry lobbing the ball to him. He’s a dunking competition all by himself. People will be watching the Warriors even more this year. If they can get him to focus on shot blocking he could really be a major part of the warrior bench. Now that bogus d is gone, he seems way more important then verajo. Go Warriors !