Bob Ryan, the great Boston Globe beat writer and columnist, once wrote: “If Planet Earth were involved in a winner-take-all one-game basketball playoff against an alien invader, the loser to go into servitude for all eternity, my first pick of anyone who has ever played basketball in our known world would be a healthy Bill Walton. He was the most complete center ever.”
In his prime, Bill Walton was one of the game’s most feared rim protectors and a devastatingly versatile scorer. Possessing one of the highest basketball IQs in NBA history, he is often considered the greatest passing big man of all time. There is no center in today’s NBA with Walton’s unusual skillset — there probably never will be.
The legacy of Ryan’s defender of the planet is not dead. The Warriors’ Andrew Bogut has been strikingly Walton-esque during the team’s hot start. As the anchor to one of the league’s top defenses, he ranks tenth among centers in opponent field goal percentage at the rim and sixth in blocked shots. He has also served as one of the primary facilitators in the Warriors new ball-movement-emphasized offense, ranking fifth among centers in assists per game and third in secondary assists (also known as the hockey assist, but more significantly referred to by Hall of Famer Bill Bradley as the ever so important “pass before the pass that leads to the basket”).
Unfortunately, Bogut’s participation numbers may be the area in which he most resembles the legendary redhead. He’s appeared in just under 47 games in each of the six seasons since his first serious injury, terrifyingly similar to the 36 Walton averaged over his 13 year career many have deemed one of the game’s most disappointing.
For the Warriors to reach their championship aspirations, it is imperative their unique man in the middle continues to resemble Walton in his on-floor production and not in his time on the injured reserve.
The Warriors will have to rest their brittle centerpiece without experiencing a significant dropoff. Enter Steve Kerr’s new favorite player: Marreese Speights. No player has given the Warriors a greater spark off the bench than Speights. The fourth-string power-forward-turned-backup-center has gone from not seeing the floor early in the month against the Clippers to the league’s third highest ranked player efficiency rating. After a terrible first season with the team, expectations were not high for Mo this year. His sporadic minutes and play in the season’s first few games suggested this year would be more of the same.
November 16, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Xavier Henry (7) moves to the basket against the defense of Golden State Warriors forward Marreese Speights (5) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Speights knew this year was different. When asked about his expectations about this year by Warrior’s sideline reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, he responded, ”Start off better than I did last year. I started off bad last year and that was my fault. But this me this how I play. So, I’m glad I got opportunity to come back to this team and show these fans and show this coaching staff that I’m committed to this team and committed to getting better.”
In the Warriors’ much anticipated game with the Spurs, Speights did just that. Although the Warriors would eventually lose, Speights gave the team a shot in the arm when the offense was spurting, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and keeping them in the game at various stretches when the Spurs were on the verge of putting things out of reach. Since then, he has taken his game to a level no one could have expected, averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 64% from the field. He’s also done a good job getting to the free throw line where he is shooting 84% on the season, a phenomenal percentage for a big man.
But the emerging cog in the Warrior rotation has shown his greatest value in maintaining a similar level of production at the center spot while Bogut rests. Bogut controls the glass for the team with the ninth best rebounding rate in the league at 21.1 per 100 possessions. Speights is not far behind at 18.5, good enough for 23rd and ahead of likes of Noah and Davis. Protecting the rim has what has really made the Warriors great. According to NBA.com’s Net Defensive Field Goal Percentage, opponents are shooting 1.5% below the league average inside 6 feet when Mo mans the middle. It’s not Bogut’s gaudy -14.7%, what’s important is Speights is still providing a presence at the rim while Bogut sits.
Like a football coach bringing in a change-of-pace running back or a manager calling to the bullpen for a sidearmer throwing junk, Kerr has masterfully used Speights to take opposing big men out of their comfort zone. After a quarter or so of going at it in the paint with Bogut, they are suddenly faced with the task of defending all the way out to 18-19 feet where Mo loves to knock down his mid-range set shot. The floor spacing alone makes it one of the team’s more dangerous lineups. However, lineups that create mismatches like this often lead to one on the other end and this one is no different. Despite the admiral effort Speights has put forth on the defensive end, the fact remains that he is an undersized center and at his best a mediocre rim protector. Fortunately, there is a viable third option waiting in the wings.
Nov 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli (31) looks towards a referee after a play against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 112-87. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Festus Ezeli has seen limited minutes this season, more than likely due to the rust that builds when away from the game for over a year. When on the floor, Festus has shown flashes of brilliance on both ends of the floor.
His post moves look to have significantly improved and he’s shooting over 65% from the field, much of which has come on his vastly improved jump hook. But it is no secret Ezeli’s real value to this team lies on the defensive end. While the sample size has been small, when he’s on the floor, Warriors’ opponents are shooting their lowest percentage at the rim. The upcoming road trip’s grueling schedule will likely force Kerr to rest Bogut more often. Such a scenario should provide Festus with the necessary playing time to show he is capable of contributing in a more significant role.
In just the first ten games of this young NBA season, the Warriors have shed their role as League Pass darling to become known as a top contender out of the West. Without exception, that title of contender is always accompanied with the same qualifier: “If Bogut stays healthy.”
The burden of maintaining that health will largely rest on the shoulders of Mo Speights and Festus Ezeli. While it’s fair to assume Mo’s recent meteoric rise will level off and Festus is not yet ready to play significant minutes, both have proved to be viable options for Kerr at the center position. It remains to be seen if the duo is up to the task for an entire season. If they can, it could very well prove to be the difference between a fresh Andrew Bogut leading the Warrior defense through a deep postseason run or a broken down one in street clothes. It’s a question that will be asked all season long. So far, Mo and Festus look to be a pretty good answer.