Who is Briante Weber?

The Golden State Warriors signed explosive point guard Briante Weber to a 10-day contract. What can he do to help the league’s best team?

Golden State Warriors fans rejoiced as the news that Anderson Varejao had been waived broke. While he was a well-liked presence in the locker room, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan that wanted him on the team. To be fair, he doesn’t have much to offer anymore and his Game 7 performance very well could have cost the team a title.

The Warriors didn’t just waive Varejao, they also added to their team. They signed Briante Weber to a 10-day contract. Unless you’re a hardcore basketball fan, you probably don’t know much about Weber or what he can bring to the table.

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The 6’2 guard played his college basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). As a VCU Ram, he established himself as a top notch defender. He was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year three years in a row. He is third all-time in steals in NCAA history, finishing 12 steals short after an MCL and ACL tear ended his senior year short.

Weber went undrafted in 2015 and signed with the Miami Heat. He was waived and then he joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He continued to recover from his knee injuries until he eventually got an opportunity with the Memphis Grizzlies.

He played six games for them, starting four of them. Weber averaged 4.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His 10-day contract ran up and he went back to the D-League. The Miami Heat called him up, but he played just one game.

Weber has been absolutely tearing it up in the D-League though. He’s scoring 16.5 points, grabbing 7.5 rebounds, an dishing out 7.4 assists per game. He’s coming away with 3.3 steals per contest. He was named the D-League Player of the Month for January. Yahoo Sports’ Devin Gray called him “the best NBA free agent up for grabs.”

So what can he offer? Why can he bring to the best team in the league? How will he justify getting rid of someone the coach and the team liked?

Briante Weber is drawing comparisons to a few NBA players. His teammates have started calling him “Baby Russ” because he is a jack-of-all-trades that resembles Russell Westbrook. Weber was recently just one steal away from a quadruple-double.

But he actually plays defense, unlike the OKC star. Steve Kerr said that he more closely resembles Patrick Beverly. He’s tenacious on the defensive end and will do the dirty work. BlueManHoop’s Angelo Mendoza, who covers the Santa Cruz Warriors, noted that while Weber is 6’2, he plays bigger than that.

The Warriors aren’t going to be looking for Weber to do a lot. But they needed some guard depth because Shaun Livingston would be playing unnecessary minutes in garbage time. The team carries a lot of big men and this provides a little more balance to the lineup. They could afford letting Varejao go.

He’s shooting about 36 percent from three. That number could go up playing with some of the greatest shooters ever in a system that gets guys wide open looks. He’ll have chances to knock down shots.

Weber’s athleticism will be a welcomed addition. He can rebound and pass the ball well, which will help this up-tempo team. He’ll fill in however Kerr wants and needs him to.

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Weber is in a great situation. He can learn from the best and contribute to a championship team. He told media that the Warriors were the team he played with on 2K.

Getting rid of Varejao wasn’t an easy decision so it’s clear that the Warriors are high on Weber. He’ll get his chance to contribute at some point, especially with the way Golden State has been blowing teams out. Once again, the Warriors found themselves a gem.