Golden State Warriors: 3 NBA Playoff lessons from round one

Golden State Warriors: 3 NBA Playoff lessons from Round One

By Tony Pesta | Jun 5, 2021

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 22: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns tries to dribble between Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on October 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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Golden State Warriors (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

Golden State Warriors: The center position is not dead

Look around, for all the fans who have proclaimed the center position is useless and a non-factor in the modern NBA, they have now been proven wrong two seasons in a row.

Prolific big men like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have dominated the first round of the playoffs. The likely MVP, Jokic, just posted 33.0 points and 10.5 rebounds on 53/43/92 shooting splits to knock off the Portland Trail Blazers.

Other bigs such as DeAndre Ayton and Rudy Gobert played a pivotal role in helping their teams advance. The value of protecting the rim and punishing small-ball lineups is still as important as ever. Any team planning on winning a title must account for these star names in the frontcourt.

The Warriors might not have to worry about plugging up the paint if James Wiseman has a breakout sophomore season. The young center had a rough rookie stint but has all of the tools needed to become a dominant rim-runner by next year.

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