Golden State Warriors: Cory Joseph comparison to disastrous former player is totally unfair
After a quiet opening few days to begin free agency, there was finally movement on the Golden State Warriors front with the signing of veteran point-guard Cory Joseph to a one-year, minimum contract.
The acquisition of the 31-year-old solves the Warriors’ need for a third-string point-guard behind veterans Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, leaving three available roster spots likely to be used on a backup big and forward depth.
The Golden State Warriors’ signing of Cory Joseph has brought back memories of a former player who had a tumultuous and brief career at the franchise.
There was both positive and negative fan reaction to Joseph’s signing, with many still left unenthusiastic on Golden State’s start to free agency — it was the Warriors’ second move after re-signing franchise legend Draymond Green on Friday.
Bringing in Joseph brought some fan flashbacks of another point-guard Golden State signed a couple of years ago — Brad Wanamaker. The now 33-year-old had a forgettable career with the Warriors, traded mid-way through his first season after 39 games.
Cory Joseph all you have to do is not be Brad Wanamaker, I think you can do that
— randy dumalig (@RanDumProd) July 3, 2023
I like bringing Cory Joseph in as the third pg for the simple fact that he’s a vet, champion, and the safe play here.
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) July 3, 2023
I also vividly remember being pretty confident about Wanamaker, so there’s that.
Joseph is fine. But im having Wanamaker flash backs
— Ian Morgan (@IanMorgan2415) July 3, 2023
Any comparison between Wanamaker and Joseph is totally unfair to what the latter has achieved in the NBA across an 11-year career. Not only that, but this Warrior roster is in a much different position now to when Wanamaker was signed.
At that point, Wanamaker had only two seasons of NBA experience with the Boston Celtics, having previously played extensively in Europe. Golden State signed the 6’3″ point-guard after a 2019-20 season where he averaged 6.9 points, two rebounds and 2.5 assists in 19.3 minutes across 71 regular season games.
Wanamaker is now out of the league after 191 career games. In comparison, Joseph joins the Warriors with 790 games under his belt, and over 80 games of playoff experience including the 2014 championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Even as ages further towards the end of his career, Joseph’s last two NBA seasons have been better than anything Wanamaker ever produced.
Furthermore, Joseph comes in as the Warriors’ third point-guard on the roster behind Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. The expectations on him won’t be at the level of Wanamaker who was brought in as the backup to Curry in 2020.
Next. Free Agency: Golden State Warriors’ best remaining targets sign elsewhere on Day 4. dark
Sure, Joseph may not be the most exciting free agent Golden State could have acquired, but comparing him to Wanamaker is simply bordering on disrespectful. At the very least he’s a great locker room presence with real playoff experience, and solid insurance for Curry and Paul when they sit during the regular season.