NBA Rumors: Lack Of Depth At Center May Backfire On Warriors In Playoffs

The Golden State Warriors fully believe that there is no need to add a big man as having Kevon Looney is already enough despite their worry about James Wiseman’s future.

In a report by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors are not entirely that worried about their frontcourt depth despite rumors of them looking to add Paul Millsap during the summer and Marc Gasol hinted at returning to the NBA.

The Warriors’ depth chart at center currently lists Looney as their starter with Juan Toscano-Anderson as his backup, while Wiseman remains out after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in December.

Wiseman was selected second overall in the 2020 NBA draft because of his unique blend of athleticism, shot-blocking, and scoring from inside the paint.

However, his rookie season would hit a snag right at the tail-end of last season as he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee against the Houston Rockets.

Slater’s report also reveals that the Warriors’ guaranteed contracts (15 currently) and hefty luxury tax bills all contribute to the front office’s unwillingness to add another player.

Most fans and observers have noted that the lack of a third-string big man will likely cause Golden State problems during the playoffs as their guards can only do so much, especially in the rebounding department.

To their credit, the Warriors are ranked in the Top Five of the NBA’s best rebounding teams with an average of 46.4 per game.

While that is a great sign of their willingness to grab the board as a group, the playoffs are a completely different beast from the regular season.

Teams tend to play harder and with more urgency as they look to secure their team’s chances at making the finals, no matter how small it may be.

The Warriors are also dealing with another injury in the form of Draymond Green, who is dealing with disc issues in his back and us projected to return after All-Star Weekend.

To no one’s surprise, Green is the player who holds everything together on both ends of the floor as his high-level basketball IQ has been integral to the success of the Warriors every season.

Since Green went down with an injury, the Warriors have gone 4-4 in their past eight games, barely picking up the victory against the Rockets and the Utah Jazz in their two most recent games.

Adding a center would have been the ideal play for Golden State as teams will switch up their playbooks come playoff time.

Three-point shooting teams will opt to dive into the paint more and try to score and-1s in order to bait opposing big men to be in foul trouble, which will certainly be the case for whichever team they face in the first round.

If the regular season were to end today, the Minnesota Timberwolves have the best shot at securing the seventh seed if they win both of their play-in games, which puts them on a collision course with the Warriors in the first round.

Granted that the Warriors have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson together again, the combination of Karl Anthony-Towns at center, Anthony Edwards being their two-way dynamo, and D’Angelo Russell directing traffic could be way too much for them to handle.

It may sound blasphemous to count out the Warriors, but the reality is that big men with a presence inside the paint are still a valuable commodity elsewhere.

If the Warriors find success in their current setup for the rest of the season, adding a big man while already paying a high luxury tax is certainly out of the question.

But if they really want an insurance policy in case another big goes down, it might be best for them to explore the buyout market.