McGee's back

[KevinMcreynolds]

You guys are arguing about who would be the best 11th guy in the rotation, just be thankful for that. 10 years ago we'd been fighting over whether players like Young or Clark should be the starting two-guard.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

In one way McGee is the replacement for Ezeli but in another way as a fan enjoying a bench player he replaces Speights. He seems a little goofy in a good way an fans had early doubts him.

[turk3d]

In one way McGee is the replacement for Ezeli but in another way as a fan enjoying a bench player he replaces Speights. He seems a little goofy in a good way an fans had early doubts him.

He actually replaces Bogut too with his shot blocking and rim protection.

[Chris Porter's Hair]

In one way McGee is the replacement for Ezeli but in another way as a fan enjoying a bench player he replaces Speights. He seems a little goofy in a good way an fans had early doubts him.

He actually replaces Bogut too with his shot blocking and rim protection.

Now you're getting carried away. His defense and picks are nowhere near as good as Bogut. On the bright side, he's also healthy much more often than Bogut.

[turk3d]

In one way McGee is the replacement for Ezeli but in another way as a fan enjoying a bench player he replaces Speights. He seems a little goofy in a good way an fans had early doubts him.

He actually replaces Bogut too with his shot blocking and rim protection.

Now you're getting carried away. His defense and picks are nowhere near as good as Bogut. On the bright side, he's also healthy much more often than Bogut.

Didn't say anything about picks and passing. I also didn't say better when it comes to blocks and rim protection.

[East Bay Sports]

Watch on YouTube

[turk3d]

WTF? Shaqin' a fool my arse. A lot of highlights for a guy who just plays 9 minutes per game. Amazing that so many don't see what he brings to the team. So glad they were able to corral him. He definitely should be getting more minutes this coming season.

[East Bay Sports]

I don't see him at more than 12-14 minutes per game. And its for the better. He is best in short bursts + he isn't match up proof by any means.

Certain nights though he can look like the best player on the floor for stretches of games which is saying something. He really thrives with the simplified role and the lack of attention he is paid when out there with the studs. He's a great role player because he does 2 things at a super high level and neither thing is something we have a ton of. Plus he runs the floor like a damn gazelle.

[turk3d]

I'm not saying how many "more" minutes he should get, I'm just saying it should be more. If it turns out to be 12-14, that's fine. There may be some days where he shouldn't even play (due to matchup or him just having a "bad game"). The thing is, I'm not convinced that he couldn't play more minutes and still be effective and would like to see it based more on his productivity. I posted a chart showing his production on games where he played 15 minutes or better and it was slightly better than his overall.

I believe that he could easily play 25 but on although I think 20 might be stretching it a little but I think he's more than capable of doing it, easily 10 minutes a half. I realize that on this team, minutes are going to be hard to come by, even more so this year with the additions that have been made.

[East Bay Sports]

Two major factors lead me to believe we want nothing to do with him over 15 a game. 1 asthma. 2 fouls.

Fouls is sort of a double whammy. We don't really want him to play more cautious, we want him flying around at 120 MPH. If he played more he would be asked to foul less and it would change his style of play to some degree.

I'll take 12 minutes of balls to the wall Javale over 25 minutes of cautious Javale any day. Plus he just tends to seem more focused in short bursts. Its a win/win. Props to Kerr for figuring this out. It's crazy to think that Javale was getting paid 12m a year (back when that was a lot) on the Denver team we upset in 2013. Javale on his good nights is a starting caliber center talent wise, no doubt. For me he's just a 1000 HP engine that gets 3 miles to the gallon.

[turk3d]

Well, again, I'm not convinced of all that. And who cares about fouls anyways on this team, especially at Center? We must have around 6 if you count Durant. He'd really have to do some serious fouling to foul out in 15 minutes (especially when his per for fouling is 5.3, and that's for 36 minutes. And if you're really that concerned, just take him out if he gets 2 or 3 early on. Then I can see him playing only 10 or less minutes. We are very deep at Center this coming season, a rarity for this team for quite a few seasons.

[FrigginFalcon]

I like McGee and his contributions, but agree that both endurance and fouls are a problem. The fouls are not so much an issue because he might foul out -- we have plenty of other roster options -- but because those fouls put us in the penalty faster. The Warriors have a few "loss modes," and one of them involves losing by double digits at the foul line. I like McGee's wide-open style of play, bit I think that coaching can improve his ability to play good defense without accumulating fouls at such a prodigious rate. Endurance is a separate issue, and it may not have a solution. I think it is worth trying McGee at 15 or 20 minutes per game on nights when match-ups are favorable and he's playing well. Playing 4 or 5 minutes per quarter ought to be doable in the course of a game that typically stretches over two hours from tip-off to final buzzer. If he can maintain his pace over those minutes, I'd love to see him out there.

[turk3d]

I like McGee and his contributions, but agree that both endurance and fouls are a problem. The fouls are not so much an issue because he might foul out -- we have plenty of other roster options -- but because those fouls put us in the penalty faster. The Warriors have a few "loss modes," and one of them involves losing by double digits at the foul line. I like McGee's wide-open style of play, bit I think that coaching can improve his ability to play good defense without accumulating fouls at such a prodigious rate. Endurance is a separate issue, and it may not have a solution. I think it is worth trying McGee at 15 or 20 minutes per game on nights when match-ups are favorable and he's playing well. Playing 4 or 5 minutes per quarter ought to be doable in the course of a game that typically stretches over two hours from tip-off to final buzzer. If he can maintain his pace over those minutes, I'd love to see him out there.

How's 5.3 fouls per 36 minutes "prodigious", especially since he'll never get close to that number minutes wise?

[FrigginFalcon]

I like McGee and his contributions, but agree that both endurance and fouls are a problem. The fouls are not so much an issue because he might foul out -- we have plenty of other roster options -- but because those fouls put us in the penalty faster. The Warriors have a few "loss modes," and one of them involves losing by double digits at the foul line. I like McGee's wide-open style of play, bit I think that coaching can improve his ability to play good defense without accumulating fouls at such a prodigious rate. Endurance is a separate issue, and it may not have a solution. I think it is worth trying McGee at 15 or 20 minutes per game on nights when match-ups are favorable and he's playing well. Playing 4 or 5 minutes per quarter ought to be doable in the course of a game that typically stretches over two hours from tip-off to final buzzer. If he can maintain his pace over those minutes, I'd love to see him out there.

How's 5.3 fouls per 36 minutes "prodigious", especially since he'll never get close to that number minutes wise?

Well, it was third highest on the team, exceeded only by Verejao and Jones, and very high by NBA standards. Given that West and Pachulia average about 6 fouls per 48, and McGee averages 7.1 fouls per 48, he contributes disproportionately to a rate of fouling at the Center position that is already substantial. With opposing Centers who shoot well from the line, it costs us directly in points, and even if they don't it puts us into the penalty faster, where we lose out when we foul other, better foul shooters.

And if he plays MORE minutes, I think that one of two things is likely to happen; either (1) he gets more fatigued, and that causes him to foul even more; or (2) he compensates by being more cautious on defense, and that limits his contributions.

As I said, I'd like to see him get a shot at longer minutes, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if fouls become an issue.

[and1GS]

Watch on YouTube

ha, such a fun player to watch, That game against the Blazers in round 1 was legendary. Whenever a ball was near the rim you knew he was flushing it.

[Quazza]

Anyone see the footage of him scrimmaging and just raining 3s ? Crazy stuff. Has a really natural looking jumper

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

I don't see him at more than 12-14 minutes per game. And its for the better. He is best in short bursts

Everybody says that. I wasn't in Denver or DC and I trust Kerr but everybody could be repeating what everybody else says because repeating what everybody else says is a normal part of being a human.

I want to see McGee play a 36 minute game in the preseason against a team that he does not match up well with just to see what happens when you try to play him like he is the Warriors star starting center. Let McGee shoot a bunch of hook shots and a a few 3s. Tell him to leed the fast break, dribble the ball between his legs and throw a behind the back pass. Let me see his asthma kick in and see his brain freeze up so that I can stop 2nd guessing Kerr when Kerr takes McGeee out of games in which McGee is playing very well.

[FrigginFalcon]

I don't see him at more than 12-14 minutes per game. And its for the better. He is best in short bursts

Everybody says that. I wasn't in Denver or DC and I trust Kerr but everybody could be repeating what everybody else says because repeating what everybody else says is a normal part of being a human.

I want to see McGee play a 36 minute game in the preseason against a team that he does not match up well with just to see what happens when you try to play him like he is the Warriors star starting center. Let McGee shoot a bunch of hook shots and a a few 3s. Tell him to leed the fast break, dribble the ball between his legs and throw a behind the back pass. Let me see his asthma kick in and see his brain freeze up so that I can stop 2nd guessing Kerr when Kerr takes McGee out of games in which McGee is playing very well.

I agree. I already commented elsewhere that one goal for this year should be to get some clearer picture of the true potential of Looney, Jones, McCaw, Bell, and perhaps even Boucher & Cleveland. We could say the same of McGee, Young, and Casspi. Now, those latter three are all going to get some minutes, but as you point out, we can't really evaluate McGee for a role with significantly more minutes unless we play him that way and see what happens. It may be that Kerr and his staff feel they know all they need to know from practice, but still, I think it's fair to give him a shot.

Free agency has resulted in a concentration of talent, especially in the West. Houston, Minnesota, and OKC are all potentially better, and the Spurs remain tough. Back East, Boston could be much better, and the Cavs are pretty much as good as before. But almost everyone else got WEAKER, or at least did not get strong enough to be any great threat to the Dubs. As a result, there should be plenty of games where Kerr can try out McGee for longer minutes, or give the younger guys some time with the starters before the game gets to garbage time, in order to figure out their future value to the organization, without putting the game at risk.

Great though the current Dubs roster is, it has almost no long-term guarantee of stability. We will have multiple free agents each of the next 3 years, including KD at least once, plus Green, plus Thompson, and unless my math is off, Steph is the ONLY PLAYER on the roster committed beyond 2019-20. Only Steph, Draymond, Iggy, and Shaun are committed for 2019-20. That's a LOT of potential roster churn in the next 2-3 years, and it will be helpful to how hard to push to retain these non-core players.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Great though the current Dubs roster is, it has almost no long-term guarantee of stability. We will have multiple free agents each of the next 3 years, including KD at least once, plus Green, plus Thompson, and unless my math is off, Steph is the ONLY PLAYER on the roster committed beyond 2019-20. Only Steph, Draymond, Iggy, and Shaun are committed for 2019-20. That's a LOT of potential roster churn in the next 2-3 years, and it will be helpful to how hard to push to retain these non-core players.

I don't like roster churn. The Warriors started winning when the roster stopped churning or did the roster stop churning because the Warriors started winning.

I am glad Zaza and West and the core from the last 3 years is back. Most teams don't have that kind of stability. Durant is back. Last time nothing major changed on the Warriors roster the Warriors got the regular season wins record.

Ian Clark is out and Casspi and young are in.

The other changes are replacing guys that barely played with guys that probably won't play much.
The Warriors are in a good position to be a smooth operating machine this year.

Next year the Warriors can match offerers for McGee and McCaw (also Zaza and West)
If luxury tax really does not matter and McGee and McCAw play well then they should probably become permanent Warriors as long as they don't receive any crazy high offers.

Even if JaVale really can't play extended minutes the Warriors can just keep him in the role he is in until age takes away his leaping ability or until the Warriors find a big leaper that knows how to play NBA basketball. Right now Jones looks more like somebody who will eventually be cut than he looks like JaVale's replacement.

[azwfan]

Great though the current Dubs roster is, it has almost no long-term guarantee of stability. We will have multiple free agents each of the next 3 years, including KD at least once, plus Green, plus Thompson, and unless my math is off, Steph is the ONLY PLAYER on the roster committed beyond 2019-20. Only Steph, Draymond, Iggy, and Shaun are committed for 2019-20. That's a LOT of potential roster churn in the next 2-3 years, and it will be helpful to how hard to push to retain these non-core players.

I don't like roster churn. The Warriors started winning when the roster stopped churning or did the roster stop churning because the Warriors started winning.

I am glad Zaza and West and the core from the last 3 years is back. Most teams don't have that kind of stability. Durant is back. Last time nothing major changed on the Warriors roster the Warriors got the regular season wins record.

Ian Clark is out and Casspi and young are in.

The other changes are replacing guys that barely played with guys that probably won't play much.
The Warriors are in a good position to be a smooth operating machine this year.

Next year the Warriors can match offerers for McGee and McCaw (also Zaza and West)
If luxury tax really does not matter and McGee and McCAw play well then they should probably become permanent Warriors as long as they don't receive any crazy high offers.

Even if JaVale really can't play extended minutes the Warriors can just keep him in the role he is in until age takes away his leaping ability or until the Warriors find a big leaper that knows how to play NBA basketball. Right now Jones looks more like somebody who will eventually be cut than he looks like JaVale's replacement.

I gotta think there will be a limit on the spending.
West retiring.
Zaza, McGee, and McCaw will be FA.
Also Nick Young and Casspi.

I would anticipate Durant getting his max contract. So that would indicate to me, that we would not be willing to break the bank on any of our would be FA.
So while McGee may be able to get a big deal from us, i would not be surprised if we are only offering him a modest contract (4-5m). McCaw we can only match up to the tax payers MLE. Young can be given a 20% raise. My guess is we make a decision between Young and McCaw rather than pay both (there's gotta be a limit to the spending and with Klay max on the horizon, cuts have got to be made). Casspi brought back for the minimum - if he's worth it. Zaza... maybe similar salary to this year.

We need Jones, Bell, or Looney (in the unlikely event his option is picked up) to step up this year and prove worthy of West's role/minutes for 18/19 season. Unfortunately, Bell is the only one i really have hope for.