Damien Lee is back...signs the 2 way

[Mylie10]

Love Damion Lee for the way he competes. He tries defensively, hustles for loose balls, and can knock down open threes. Not a lot more you can ask for from a 2-way / end of the bench type guy.

I hope, but I'm not entirely sure that the following 2/3's will be clearly better than him this year:

Evans III
Robinson III
Poole
McKinnie
Burks
Lee

These guys will need to compete for minutes.

I added Lee because I feel he and Evans have the inside track for rotational minutes right away.

Some of the other guys have a lot of catching up to do in regards to what we do on both ends. No chemistry built up with any of them yet as well. Takes a bit of time. So I think Lee will play plenty early on.

[cpower]

I feel one of the three will start:

GR3: 6'6", 223 lbs.
McKinnie: 6'8", 215 lbs.
Burks: 6'6", 214 lbs

GR3/McKinnie is more defensive and Burks is more like a scorer off the bench to me. neither option is promising..we really have the thinnest SF lineup in the entire league..

[Mylie10]

I feel one of the three will start:

GR3: 6'6", 223 lbs.
McKinnie: 6'8", 215 lbs.
Burks: 6'6", 214 lbs

GR3/McKinnie is more defensive and Burks is more like a scorer off the bench to me. neither option is promising..we really have the thinnest SF lineup in the entire league..

I think McKinnie will start at the 3.

Evans and Lee will play, lots at the beginning of the year.

Paschall will help out at small forward some as well.

Robinson and Burks have a ton of crap to learn. They will play in training camp, but to start the regular season I'm not so sure how much they'll play.

Poole is a wild card. Kerr might fall in love with him, or be really tough on him and force him into the Santa Cruz train.

[GQ Hot Dog]

I wonder how Kerr is going to use him considering he gets only 45 days with the big club and we have very little ability to sign him to a regular roster spot being hard-capped. If we use him later in the season and he settles into a niche getting regular minutes then we lose his contributions going into the playoffs. If we use him early and he excels the only way we can continue to use him once his 45 days are up is if we cut McKinnie before his contract is guaranteed or we find someone to take another player, probably having to add a 2nd rounder to make it happen. Being hard-capped is awkward.

It would be quite possible to convert Lee's two-way to a minimum salary, regular NBA contract at the end of the season, if they wanted him for the playoffs (assuming they have a roster spot.) Rest of season minimum contracts are pro-rated from the beginning of the season, so at the very end it would only cost a few days salary, which they could fit under the hard cap. Of course by then, everything may look very different.

So we could sign him to our 15th roster spot as long as it's done close enough to the end of the season that his game checks don't add up to more than the amount we are currently below the apron?

[xdrta+]

I wonder how Kerr is going to use him considering he gets only 45 days with the big club and we have very little ability to sign him to a regular roster spot being hard-capped. If we use him later in the season and he settles into a niche getting regular minutes then we lose his contributions going into the playoffs. If we use him early and he excels the only way we can continue to use him once his 45 days are up is if we cut McKinnie before his contract is guaranteed or we find someone to take another player, probably having to add a 2nd rounder to make it happen. Being hard-capped is awkward.

It would be quite possible to convert Lee's two-way to a minimum salary, regular NBA contract at the end of the season, if they wanted him for the playoffs (assuming they have a roster spot.) Rest of season minimum contracts are pro-rated from the beginning of the season, so at the very end it would only cost a few days salary, which they could fit under the hard cap. Of course by then, everything may look very different.

So we could sign him to our 15th roster spot as long as it's done close enough to the end of the season that his game checks don't add up to more than the amount we are currently below the apron?

Yep. They can convert a two-way contract to a regular NBA contract anytime up until the last day of the season and he's eligible for the playoffs. His salary would be pro-rated for the remaining days in the season.

[Scoots1994]

I feel one of the three will start:

GR3: 6'6", 223 lbs.
McKinnie: 6'8", 215 lbs.
Burks: 6'6", 214 lbs

GR3/McKinnie is more defensive and Burks is more like a scorer off the bench to me. neither option is promising..we really have the thinnest SF lineup in the entire league..

Really? Have you looked at the Lakers? They have Jared Dudley and Jared Dudley. (Assuming they were not lying that LeBron is going to play PG).

But yeah, the Warriors SF position is a big wad of questions. I actually wonder if they did it on purpose to avoid comparisons to KD.

[KevinMcreynolds]

McKinnie needs to be shooting 200 corner 3's a day for the entire summer. If he can be reliable out there (38% or so) he'll be fine as our starter. We just need rebounding (which he's already good at), solid D, and 10 ppg.

[xdrta+]

McKinnie needs to be shooting 200 corner 3's a day for the entire summer. If he can be reliable out there (38% or so) he'll be fine as our starter. We just need rebounding (which he's already good at), solid D, and 10 ppg.

It's a stretch to say McKinnie has solid D. I think Robinson will contend for starter.

[KevinMcreynolds]

McKinnie needs to be shooting 200 corner 3's a day for the entire summer. If he can be reliable out there (38% or so) he'll be fine as our starter. We just need rebounding (which he's already good at), solid D, and 10 ppg.

It's a stretch to say McKinnie has solid D. I think Robinson will contend for starter.

He seemed like a solid defender during the regular season, but in the playoffs he was pretty bad. I'm hoping it was just first time in the playoffs jitters.

[Scoots1994]

He seemed like a solid defender during the regular season, but in the playoffs he was pretty bad. I'm hoping it was just first time in the playoffs jitters.

The regular season is going to be all about developing the other guys.

[Thugleavy34]

I think Lee gets his chance to start a couple different parts of the season before Klay comes back. Up to him to make the most of the opportunity when he does. Really like McKinnie as starter beginning of season due to familiarity and chemistry and Lee over Robinson backing McKinnie up for the same reason. But all guys will get their chances.

Starting Lineup:
1. Curry
2. Russell
3. McKinnie
4. Green
5. Looney

2nd 5:
1. DLo/Steph
2. Burks/Poole
3. Lee/Robinson
4. Pachall
5. WCS

We may not win 73 games but we'll be fine

[wco81]

Hope Steph hooked him up with his personal trainer.

Lee could use about 10-20 pounds more of overall muscle. Like Curry, he doesn’t look like an explosive athlete but could still improve/optimize his quickness and increase core strength.

That goes for Poole too.

[likemycurryhot]

I'm glad he's back and, honestly, surprised that he wasn't signed earlier. He's solid off the bench and gives us what we need: consistent shooting. He may be a liability on defense next year but I'm betting we're going to just try to outscore teams simply because we don't have the defensive talent until Klay comes back. Even then, it won't be the old lock-down Warriors any more.

[Samurai]

I think Lee gets his chance to start a couple different parts of the season before Klay comes back. Up to him to make the most of the opportunity when he does. Really like McKinnie as starter beginning of season due to familiarity and chemistry and Lee over Robinson backing McKinnie up for the same reason. But all guys will get their chances.

Starting Lineup:
1. Curry
2. Russell
3. McKinnie
4. Green
5. Looney

2nd 5:
1. DLo/Steph
2. Burks/Poole
3. Lee/Robinson
4. Pachall
5. WCS

We may not win 73 games but we'll be fine

I would guess that WCS will start more games than Looney; one because of his size against other starting centers and two because I think Kerr likes Looney as the energizer guy off the bench, a role he excelled in last year in the playoffs.

I am hoping McKinnie can take a step forward on defense this season. I like him to start at the beginning of the year because of his familiarity as you point out but also because he is our best rebounding option at the 3 and pounding the boards has been an area where we have been vulnerable. I don't recall if Lee has ever played SF before, but at 6-6, 210 pounds he should be able to handle it.

[Thugleavy34]

I think Lee gets his chance to start a couple different parts of the season before Klay comes back. Up to him to make the most of the opportunity when he does. Really like McKinnie as starter beginning of season due to familiarity and chemistry and Lee over Robinson backing McKinnie up for the same reason. But all guys will get their chances.

Starting Lineup:
1. Curry
2. Russell
3. McKinnie
4. Green
5. Looney

2nd 5:
1. DLo/Steph
2. Burks/Poole
3. Lee/Robinson
4. Pachall
5. WCS

We may not win 73 games but we'll be fine

I would guess that WCS will start more games than Looney; one because of his size against other starting centers and two because I think Kerr likes Looney as the energizer guy off the bench, a role he excelled in last year in the playoffs.

I am hoping McKinnie can take a step forward on defense this season. I like him to start at the beginning of the year because of his familiarity as you point out but also because he is our best rebounding option at the 3 and pounding the boards has been an area where we have been vulnerable. I don't recall if Lee has ever played SF before, but at 6-6, 210 pounds he should be able to handle it.

That may well be the case, but WCS' black marks have always been his low IQ and motor and Kerr doesn't have much tolerance for either. I think the motor is fixable with guys like Green around him. IQ on the other hand is tougher

[Samurai]

I think Lee gets his chance to start a couple different parts of the season before Klay comes back. Up to him to make the most of the opportunity when he does. Really like McKinnie as starter beginning of season due to familiarity and chemistry and Lee over Robinson backing McKinnie up for the same reason. But all guys will get their chances.

Starting Lineup:
1. Curry
2. Russell
3. McKinnie
4. Green
5. Looney

2nd 5:
1. DLo/Steph
2. Burks/Poole
3. Lee/Robinson
4. Pachall
5. WCS

We may not win 73 games but we'll be fine

I would guess that WCS will start more games than Looney; one because of his size against other starting centers and two because I think Kerr likes Looney as the energizer guy off the bench, a role he excelled in last year in the playoffs.

I am hoping McKinnie can take a step forward on defense this season. I like him to start at the beginning of the year because of his familiarity as you point out but also because he is our best rebounding option at the 3 and pounding the boards has been an area where we have been vulnerable. I don't recall if Lee has ever played SF before, but at 6-6, 210 pounds he should be able to handle it.

That may well be the case, but WCS' black marks have always been his low IQ and motor and Kerr doesn't have much tolerance for either. I think the motor is fixable with guys like Green around him. IQ on the other hand is tougher

Your points about WCS are valid, but I have to believe that Meyers/Kerr already knew what WCS's pros and cons were before deciding to sign him. His pros are height and length, ability to run the floor, good lob finisher, and perhaps most importantly he can defend the PnR on the perimeter. My guess is that if the front office felt his cons were not fixable/manageable, then they wouldn't have signed him. So I think being the starter is still viable even if his total minutes may or may not be more than Looney's; a lot of it will be driven by match-ups.

[Thugleavy34]

I would guess that WCS will start more games than Looney; one because of his size against other starting centers and two because I think Kerr likes Looney as the energizer guy off the bench, a role he excelled in last year in the playoffs.

I am hoping McKinnie can take a step forward on defense this season. I like him to start at the beginning of the year because of his familiarity as you point out but also because he is our best rebounding option at the 3 and pounding the boards has been an area where we have been vulnerable. I don't recall if Lee has ever played SF before, but at 6-6, 210 pounds he should be able to handle it.

That may well be the case, but WCS' black marks have always been his low IQ and motor and Kerr doesn't have much tolerance for either. I think the motor is fixable with guys like Green around him. IQ on the other hand is tougher

Your points about WCS are valid, but I have to believe that Meyers/Kerr already knew what WCS's pros and cons were before deciding to sign him. His pros are height and length, ability to run the floor, good lob finisher, and perhaps most importantly he can defend the PnR on the perimeter. My guess is that if the front office felt his cons were not fixable/manageable, then they wouldn't have signed him. So I think being the starter is still viable even if his total minutes may or may not be more than Looney's; a lot of it will be driven by match-ups.

That's true. I thought that Kerr would start Javale a lot of games and he didn't. He may want to make WCS prove himself first. We'll see

[Mylie10]

Kerr loves Looney in his current role of big off the bench. They will increase his minutes, but I don't expect him to start unless the Willie experiment tanks.

I think Willie will be fine.

[Scoots1994]

That may well be the case, but WCS' black marks have always been his low IQ and motor and Kerr doesn't have much tolerance for either. I think the motor is fixable with guys like Green around him. IQ on the other hand is tougher

Odd thing about that is that in college WCS had a rep for his motor and his IQ, so I wonder if the issue was Sacto based or just bad habits.

Certainly Kerr will have him on a short leash, but there isn't a lot behind him so he's going to get plenty of chances.

[Scoots1994]

I do wonder about why some high effort high IQ players are "bad" rebounders, and in my experience it's often mostly scheme and teammates, but there is something to players with long arms and a strong base.

In the case of the Warriors, Klay is on his way to offense as soon as a shot goes up on defense by scheme while Curry is deadly coming down with the ball so he stays back and goes for the rebound a little more. WCS has played with some players who want to live on the block so he's not necessarily in position for the bulk of the rebounds. He's also more likely to be defending 15' and out compared to other traditional centers which also reduces his block rate. With the Warriors switching help heavy defense it will be really interesting to see how his game might change.