Through a week of preseason games, the situation regarding the Golden State Warriors’ last roster spot is getting more and more clear.
Unfortunately, Bob Myers hasn’t decided to bring back Wilt Kuzmic, so I guess we’re going to have to keep dreaming for that to happen.
Myers has, however, decided to waive Ben Gordon, Tony Mitchell, and Juwan Staten.
I initially saw Gordon as a favorite to make the roster, as he provided a nice outside shooting stroke and veteran leadership. It soon became apparent that the coaching staff and front office didn’t feel the same way. In the Dubs’ preseason game against the Nuggets, Gordon didn’t get any minutes, and was totally healthy. The team obviously had an eye on youth, and they felt as if they could get Gordon’s level of play out of someone much younger, even though Gordon has a much more impressive NBA history than the rest of the camp invites.
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Mitchell was a player that no one, including myself, tabbed to make the roster. Mitchell is a big man with a decent knack for getting boards, but Golden State has plenty of rebounding, even in the second unit. Mitchell’s chances of making the roster would have been improved had he been able to shoot from distance, but, alas, that is not his forte. The frontcourt is very crowded, and Myers and his front office are really looking for someone to spell Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa, or a stretch 3 or 4.
Juwan Staten was an interesting camp invite. In his college years, he was a standout defensive player, and showed that he was able to defend both guard positions very well, much like Aaron Craft, a former Santa Cruz Warrior. Staten only played in one preseason game, against the Rockets, who recently overtook the Clippers as the most annoying team in the NBA. (Congrats, Houston! You finally won something!) Staten recorded two points, a board, a steal, and an assist in 10 minutes.
So, now that the roster has been narrowed down to 17 players, two more players out of the remaining three — Chris Babb, Ian Clark, and Jarrell Eddie — will get cut.
Eddie is a player that I thought had a very good chance to make the team when he was first, and his play in practice and the preseason games have proved that the versatile 6-7 guard/forward. Eddie has previously played with the Spurs D-League team, so his experience in an un-selfish system has certainly served him well. Eddie was also second in the D-League in three-point shooting last year, and his ability to guard multiple positions have helped him as well.
I still see Eddie has a serious candidate to make the team, but he played only five minutes against the Rockets, so he may not appear as valuable to the coaching staff as his stats would suggest.
Babb joined the team during the summer as part of the David Lee trade, and many thought that he would be gone before training camp, but he has stuck with the squad. Babb is a classic 3-and-D player, and got about six minutes of run against Houston. Babb hasn’t exactly played well during the preseason, and has not shot well at all.
I am still surprised that Babb is still with the team. I would imagine that he is just around as another body for practice, as he really hasn’t done much during the exhibition games. If Babb is just here to try to guard Stephen Curry and give the MVP a different look, I would like to see Eddie play more minutes, but maybe the coaching staff sees something in Babb that the rest of us are missing, which is entirely possible.
Apr 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ian Clark (20) dribbles the ball as Golden State Warriors center Marreese Speights (5) chases during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Finally, Ian Clark. To be totally honest, I was pretty harsh on Clark when I first reviewed his signing, but Clark has turned on me. He didn’t exactly stuff the stat sheet, but he certainly did look during the preseason. He seemed to just fit into the flow of the offense, moving around the court with purpose, always looking to run the set to perfection. Clark has looked to pick up on Steve Kerr‘s system quickly, and is currently my favorite to take the last roster spot.
Look to see Ian Clark on the final roster, Dub Nation, but do not be surprised if Eddie takes the spot instead. Clark is probably the better player out of the two, but Eddie fits the Warriors’ needs better, so it really depends on what direction the front office takes.
What do you think? Clark, Eddie, or maybe Babb? Let me know in the comments.