Warriors’ offseason additions remind Steph and Draymond of 2021 moves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Even though the Warriors failed to achieve any of their major offseason goals, first Paul George and then Lauri Markkanenneither Stephen Curry neither Draymon Green He seems dissatisfied with the team’s backup plan.
The moves made by the Golden State front office: adding veterans Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton – remember the movements made in the summer of 2021.
“I think the new additions were the real reason we won a championship in 2022,” Green said Monday at Media Day. “The signing of Otto Porter, the signing of Nemanja Bjelica, the signing of Gary Payton II, those new additions are what took us from a borderline Play-in team to a championship team.”
The year before Porter, Bjelica and Payton arrived, the Warriors endured a subpar season, finishing ninth in the Western Conference with a 39-33 record. With those three on board and making significant contributions, Golden State earned a No. 3 seed with a 53-29 record before moving on to the postseason, defeating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
The average age of Porter, Bjelica and Payton when they became Warriors: 29.7 years old. The average age of Anderson, Hield and Melton: 29.4 years.
“It’s similar for sure,” Curry said. “That’s a good comparison, guys who have been in the league in different situations. I think they fit the style we try to play, although we need to evolve and have a different vision in attack and defense.”
Bjelica was a stretched five who satisfied the wishes of coach Steve Kerr. Porter was a four who could play center and offered a strong rebounding alternative to Kevon Looney, then the team’s starting center. GP2 is a game-changer on defense, using his energy and disruptive tendencies to tilt the floor in the Warriors’ favor.
His presence dramatically improved the quality of Golden State’s bench, with Porter and Payton playing essential roles in the postseason.
“I always tell people. . . championships are won by 6 to 10,” Green said, referring to the crucial non-starters. “Championships aren’t won from 1 to 5. We see great players from 1 to 5 all the time, and everyone in the world says, ‘Uh-oh, watch out for that team, the starting five.’ How are you going to beat that team?
“You go against that team, they lose in the first round and you realize they’re not that good. That’s because they were 1 to 5 dominant. The teams that you see that have a very good 1 to 5 but their 6 to 10 are strong, those are the teams that are going to compete for championships.”
To illustrate his argument about the quality of the supporting cast, Green cited examples from the defending champion Boston Celtics. Derrick White and Al Horford were acquired to be rotation players, but ended up as indispensable members. White entered the starting lineup last season and became a fixture. Horford replaced the injured Kristaps Porzingis and started the final 15 games of the postseason.
Kerr has made it clear that training camp in Hawaii will be competitive, with only Curry and Green locked in as starters. Andrew Wiggins is practically a certainty, but he needs a good preseason to keep him.
After that, each man finds his place. The four young center backs (Bradin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody) and the new veterans will have a chance to make their mark.
“When I look at the new additions to this team, they’re proven guys, guys that are respected in this league, guys that you know what they’re going to bring every night,” Green said. “The last time we brought in guys like that, we did what we love to do.”
Which means the new veterans won’t know their projected game day status this week and probably not next, but all three have plenty of experience as starters and reserves.
What Anderson, Hield and Melton know for sure is that they are needed. That Golden State’s roster, as currently constituted, cannot be considered a stealth contender without them.