Why McGee vs. AD could be the series’ most important matchup
By Jelani Scott
Yes, you read that correctly: The Golden State Warriors’ willingness to put center JaVale McGee on the 23rd Wonder of the World Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans could give the team its best chance to slow the big man down.
No, wait! Where are you going? Come back!
Just hear me out for a second while I break down why this statement isn’t as “Chris Bridges” as you may think.
Sure, Javale McGee has jumped around more in his career than Cypress Hill, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr, much like the team’s coaching staff has been able to do overall, has seeming tapped into his true potential these last two years.
As an indoctrinated-by-birth Washington Wizards fan, I witnessed the days when the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft was trying to figure it all out. Blessed with an 8’0” wingspan and a level of athleticism that possesses an elasticity only rivaled by string cheese, the Nevada alum appeared to have potential from Day 1.
Fast forward nine years (!), 558 regular season games played, countless Shaqtin-A-Fool appearances and one NBA Championship ring (!) later and you’ll see that maybe McGee has panned out. I mean, the man has his own freaking “Sport Science” segment for crying out loud!
In the Dubs’ second round series-opener against Davis and the Pelicans on Saturday night, McGee was removed from the starting five in favor of Nick Young (for some reason). In very limited action, he contributed two points and two rebounds in six minutes. However, this minor setback should set McGee up for other chances to show his value as the second round series progresses.
The Pels are fresh off a first round series that saw Davis average 33 PPG, which ranks best amongst all players so far, and lead ‘Nawlins to a historic sweep against the Portland Trailblazers.
Meanwhile in Oakland, the Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs fairly easily in five games, save for some close calls in a couple contests. McGee did a great job on the bull that is Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge, whom Kerr declares is the most dangerous low-post scorer in the league, but facing Davis is like dealing with the other part of that analogy: the horns.
During that series, McGee started all five games (he’s started 22 all season) and averaged 8.4 PPG and 5.2 RPG. These are solid numbers but, when it boils down to it, they’re not why McGee could give AD trouble. He’s a dual-threat but not because he could go off for 25 points and 12 boards like say Draymond Green, who we’ll get to shortly; he just knows how to provide end-to-end energy.
His ability to do this has fueled McGee’s staying power in the NBA. He can jump out of the gym and give you three blocks, seven rebounds and several altered shots a night, something every team has to respect.
Now, remember when I mentioned Draymond a second ago? Well, he is the reason why fans need to pay close attention to McGee vs. AD. In an April 27 article, written by ESPN’s Chris Haynes, Green waxes poetic about McGee’s attributes and why Mr. Three-time All-Defensive First Team himself lobbied, along with assistant coach Jarron Collins, for McGee to start following the All-Star Break.
Haynes writes:
"“I just think it was very important for us to get him more time because he offers us a different threat than anyone else on our team,” Green said. “With that lob threat at the rim, that rim protection. When you have a guy like that, it’s tougher to score on the pick-and-roll at the rim because he doesn’t necessarily have to step up and give up a lob. He can just meet guys at the rim."
During his longest stints in the league (a college-length stay with both Washington and Denver), he averaged 2.5 and 2.3 fouls per game respectively. In both of his years with the Dubs, albeit in minutes that are lower in duration (10 MPG) but higher in importance, he has decreased this number to 1.4.
His growth (no pun intended) in this category shows something that all the jokes made at McGee’s expense have failed to acknowledge: he is a smarter player now. He’s always been aggressive both on the break and in the paint but he does so with a little more precision now. He now carries a bit more veteran-savvy when he steps on the floor and those around him see that.
Being that they’re entirely different players overall, comparing the head-to-head numbers won’t do any justice to a McGee vs. Davis battle. What will is what was mentioned in the intro: the Dubs have to be willing to allow McGee to show how far he’s come.
It’s widely believed that the Warriors will stick Green on Davis but, with Stephen Curry’s still up in the air, the Dubs should put McGee on Davis to avoid possibly putting Draymond in foul trouble. Not to say Green can’t guard him because he definitely can but Dray’s strength as a point-forward helps the offense flow at its peak and he needs to be on the floor.
Davis’ game has elevated quite a bit since these teams last met in the playoffs in 2015 and, while the Warriors’ roster and talent obviously has too, AD could very well be the best player on the court at any point this series. McGee has averaged 16 MPG this playoffs and, with all due respect to Kerr and his crew, that number has to go up. Don’t agree with me still? Well, let’s just listen to Dray; I’m sure he has something to say:
"He’s very active, and the activity that he brings, that dive to the rim, it attracts bodies or it’s a lob. Guys can’t really help off as much because you just throw it to the rim. We just knew that he brought something else to this team that no one else does, and it’s something that we need."
Let’s also not forget that from 2010-13, when he averaged 23.7 MPG, McGee finished in the top-10 in blocks per game and field goal pct.
Don’t be surprised if we see him featured on SportsCenter at some point during this battle with the Pelicans and, when we do, please @ me. It’s time for the Dubs to let McGee loose and, when they do, Davis better take it seriously…unless he wants this to happen to him again:
Make no mistake about it: Davis is one of the best players in the league and the only reason why the Pels have a chance. It’s just that when you talk about the players who have the physical tools to make life for him a little more difficult, McGee is that guy and he’s waited almost a decade for this moment.