Now that the season is over, it's time for the best free agent process in all of sports. Give credit to the NBA, they know how to turn the page quicker than any other sports league. Finals are over? Great, in one week, we will have the draft, then July 1st free agency begins then the week after that, we fire up Summer League. No pussy-footing around like the NFL does, the NBA gets rocking and rolling. So with that, Warriors fans will ask themselves, who do the Warriors want/can get besides Kevin Durant?
So a brief word (again) on KD: I DO NOT think the Warriors can/will get this guy. I may have many people thinking otherwise but I just can't see Durant bringing his game to the Bay. I don't care if the Warriors "secured a meeting" with KD and his agents/entourage. Of all the teams to have reported interest/chance in signing Durant (Thunder, Spurs, Warriors, Heat, Knicks, Boston, Washington), I'd put the Warriors dead last. I blogged about this earlier in 2015, and my position still hasn't changed. There's too much shuffling and too many changes that would need to be made in order to get KD in a Dubs jersey. Now, would you make those changes and/or shufflings to get KD? Absolutely. However the Warriors won't spill over themselves and completely over-haul a championship, record-breaking roster unless Durant was completely in love with becoming a Warrior (which he probably isn't). Keep in mind that the Warriors don't have a ton of cap space so they can only spend high amounts of money on just one player and look for team-friendly contracts to fill out the roster. The biggest hole that needs to be filled is at Center, where Bogut did his typical "I'm over-paid and always injured dance" and Festus showed no pop in a moment when he was most needed. Here's who the Warriors should target and have a much better chance of signing..
The Big Fish
Hassan Whiteside (C)- Averages of 14points, almost 12 rebounds and 4 blocks per game?? Yes please! This guy can be the breath of fresh air in the Warriors starting line-up. Whiteside and Green would gobble up rebounds by the tens and allow Curry, Thompson and even Green to run the floor more on fast-breaks. Green and Whiteside kind-of don't like each other, but becoming teammates and pulling for a championship can bond two people together real-quick.
Positives: Fantastic motor, garbage-lover (rebounds/points), length, tenacious shot-blocking
Negatives: Character-flaws (suspension-history), Foul-prone, limited post-up game
Back-Up Plan Players: Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Miles Plumblee, Timofy Mozgov, Roy Hibbert
Hassan Whiteside (C)- Averages of 14points, almost 12 rebounds and 4 blocks per game?? Yes please! This guy can be the breath of fresh air in the Warriors starting line-up. Whiteside and Green would gobble up rebounds by the tens and allow Curry, Thompson and even Green to run the floor more on fast-breaks. Green and Whiteside kind-of don't like each other, but becoming teammates and pulling for a championship can bond two people together real-quick.
Positives: Fantastic motor, garbage-lover (rebounds/points), length, tenacious shot-blocking
Negatives: Character-flaws (suspension-history), Foul-prone, limited post-up game
Back-Up Plan Players: Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Miles Plumblee, Timofy Mozgov, Roy Hibbert
Point Guard off the Bench
Jeremy Lin- Don't tab Lin as a guy who only had a few good games for the Knicks, Lin can ball. He's not gonna blow you away with his Linsanity-days scoring but he is a capable scorer off the bench and a good teammate to have. Lin would jump at the opportunity to come home (Palo Alto native) and let's face it, only Lin and El Mijo can pull off that hair...
Jeremy Lin- Don't tab Lin as a guy who only had a few good games for the Knicks, Lin can ball. He's not gonna blow you away with his Linsanity-days scoring but he is a capable scorer off the bench and a good teammate to have. Lin would jump at the opportunity to come home (Palo Alto native) and let's face it, only Lin and El Mijo can pull off that hair...
Back Up Plan Players: Aaron Brooks, Norris Cole, Austin Rivers
Affordable Wing Player
Hollis Thompson- Not only does Thompson average a steady/affordable game of 9.8PPG, 1.3APG & 3.5RPG, he's also victim of one of the biggest brats/bitches to ever roam Dublin High School. El Mijo has a wicked Homecoming story from back in 2008 when Thompson was three weeks away from playing for Dublin High School but we can save that for another time. Bottom-line, this guy is solid player off the bench and someone the Warriors can afford to bring in with a solid bang for the buck (And I'll 100% buy his jersey).
Back-Up Plan Players: Courtney Lee, OJ Mayo, Gerald Green, Gary Neal
Hollis Thompson- Not only does Thompson average a steady/affordable game of 9.8PPG, 1.3APG & 3.5RPG, he's also victim of one of the biggest brats/bitches to ever roam Dublin High School. El Mijo has a wicked Homecoming story from back in 2008 when Thompson was three weeks away from playing for Dublin High School but we can save that for another time. Bottom-line, this guy is solid player off the bench and someone the Warriors can afford to bring in with a solid bang for the buck (And I'll 100% buy his jersey).
Back-Up Plan Players: Courtney Lee, OJ Mayo, Gerald Green, Gary Neal
Don't get distracted by all the KD nonsense, the Warriors were one win away from being repeat champs so huge changes aren't needed. Take the SF Giants approach and fill the roster for need, not want.
By: El Mijo
By: El Mijo