When looking at the
Warriors in the 2020 season we hope to see the team that was last successful in
reaching the NBA Finals in 2019. But alas that team is gone KD took his talents
to Brooklyn and Klay Thompson missed the entirety of the 2020 season and was
hoping to return for 2020-21 season (but we will get to that in a min.).
Overall last season was a forgettable one with Steph being out most of the year
and the Warriors only winning 15 games and winding up with the #2 pick in the
NBA Draft. This offseason looking like it would be one for the ages the Warriors
owing 3 1st round picks in 2020 & 2021 and them also have the
TPE ($17+M) to allow Bob Myers to work his magic and put a team around Steph,
Draymond and Klay and then it happened again and he had to change course and
quickly, lets start out with why he had to change course…
Klay
Thompson Goes Down with ANOTHER Achilles injury
The reason that the
great mind that is Bob Myers had to change course was because he got news that no
one wanted. While practicing out in Southern California Klay had done the unthinkable
and had torn his right Achilles tendon. Immediately after making a full
recovery from tearing his left Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals against the
Toronto Raptors. Which caused him to miss the entire 2019-20 season and now it
looks as if the other half of the Splash Brothers will be missing a 2 season in
a row. The next big question after finding this out was what the Warriors were
going to do with their top pick in the draft? Were they going to trade it for another
top caliber player or were they going to use it to help secure their future
with a young stud that may be able to contribute right away…?
Warriors
draft C James Weisman with #2 pick in 2020 NBA Draft
Moments
before the draft was to kick off Myers and Co. found out the severity of the Klay
Thompson injury, they were going to be without the services of their #2 splash
brother for yet another season. Everyone wondered how the news was going to affect
what the Warriors did with their #2 pick in the draft, but to everyone’s
surprise they stayed the course and took the player according to Warriors brass
that they wanted the whole time. C James Weisman from Memphis (even though he
only played 3 games in his whole college career) is the piece that the Warriors
are planning on building their future around, with a 7’5” wingspan the kid
looks like he has the potential to become a Top 5 center in the league. In the meantime,
he can learn from some great examples in Looney, Chriss and Draymond. This was
the perfect spot for Weisman now all he must do is live up to the lofty expectations
that are laid out in front of him. I personally think he can but only time will
tell. Now lets take a look at the other things the Warriors did in free agency
to help ease the loss of one of their most important players…
Warriors
trade for F Kelly Oubre Jr from the Thunder to help ease the loss of Klay
The
Warriors then turned to free agency and trade in order to fill out the rest of
the roster, they needed more wing depth when Klay was healthy and they seemed
to understand that they needed someone that could defend and shoot to really
help replace Klays production. They addressed the need with the help of the
Thunder, who had just acquired F Kelly Oubre Jr from the Suns in the Chris Paul
trade. The Warriors were able to take on his $14.4M because they had the $17M
traded player exemption they received for trading Igoudala to the Grizzlies,
bringing him in with his 18PPG and 6RPG to help with defense and scoring was a
two birds, one stone type scenario. Then with the minimal amount of cap
contract they had left they brought back a fan favorite and stout backup from
the east coast to also help ease the pain.
Warriors
sign Guards Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker in Free Agency
The
moment that free agency started everyone knew it was going to be a tough sell
for the Warriors to nab any of the big-name free agents, so the Warriors were
forced to wait. Wait and watch guys like Serge Ibaka (Clippers) and Montrez
Harrell (Lakers) and Marc Gasol (Lakers), go to teams within their own division
and make their road back to prosperity even harder. But they knew that they
needed to add depth on the bench and the only pickups that they made do exactly
that. Bazemore has played with the Warriors in the past and returns to a squad
in desperate need of a backup SG, Bazemore gives them that. On the other hand Wannamaker
gives them a good option at the PG position to not only spell their star Steph
Curry but the guys a decent defender, this gives the Warriors two more combo
guards on the depth chart that can help the Warriors keep their most important pieces
healthy during this shortened season.
If you want to listen to the Double K’s Classroom Podcast
tune in at
www.Spreaker.com/fouracespresentsradio
every other Friday Night on the 4ACES Presents Radio
Network…
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