In recent weeks, it appears as though Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors entertained the idea of signing Dwight Howard to serve as additional depth for a thin frontcourt. The Dubs even brought Howard in for a workout, leading many to believe that a signing was just around the corner. In the end, however, the Golden State brain trust, led by general manager Mike Dunleavy, decided against doing so. Instead, they preferred to keep the roster spot open entering the season to maintain flexibility.
Beyond maintaining flexibility, though, the Warriors have enough trust in the frontcourt pieces they already have on the roster, making it not quite necessary for them to pluck Howard from the bargain bin.
“I think looking at it going into training camp right now, we have five guys who can give us minutes at the five position,” Dunleavy said in an appearance on The Athletic NBA Show, referencing the recent addition of former first-round pick Usman Garuba on a two-way deal.
Here’s Mike Dunleavy on the Warriors’ reasoning for not signing an extra big.
“We have five guys who can give us minutes at (center)”
Full podcast conversation with Dunleavy on @AthleticNBAShow feed tomorrow with @SamAmick pic.twitter.com/fc2z3grHwN
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 26, 2023
In addition to Garuba, the Warriors, indeed, have five players who can play at center in a pinch. Those players are Kevon Looney, Dario Saric, Draymond Green, and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. However, none of those players stand above 6-foot-9. Even though Looney is an assured presence on the glass, the Warriors may be in need of a bigger presence in the paint when matching up against the likes of Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers, in particular, may be difficult for the Warriors to deal with, as we came to see in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. The Lakers punished the Warriors on the glass and in the paint, leading to many trips to the charity stripe as the Dubs were unable to cope with such physicality.
Nonetheless, Mike Dunleavy is hoping that the pieces they already have on the roster get enough reps in the position come training camp to help for the season that awaits.
“We wanna make sure there's enough reps in camp and early on in the season. We will constantly be evaluating and keeping flexibility open,” Dunleavy added.
Only time will tell if the Warriors end up being in need of a more bruising presence on the interior, such as Dwight Howard, especially as the season progresses.
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