Warriors instantly vindicated for latest signing after impressive debut

Charles Bassey only signed a 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday morning, but the 6'11" big man made an instant impact against the Houston Rockets in his debut for the franchise.

Bassey's first game was certainly a secondary headline to the return of superstar guard Stephen Curry from injury, with both players checking into the game at the same time during the first-quarter.

Curry quickly set up Bassey's first basket with the Warriors, drawing two defenders on the perimeter which left the 25-year-old rolling to the rim. With no help defense coming over, Bassey was left to throw down an emphatic dunk to announce himself to Golden State fans.

Warriors instantly vindicated for Charles Bassey signing

Bassey also converted on an and-one layup at the rim in an impressive opening stint where he played just over three minutes. He played just a further two minutes over the next two quarters, and that may have been it if not for starting center Kristaps Porzingis fouling out early in the final period.

With over 10 minutes still left in the game, Steve Kerr had no choice but to return to Bassey for big fourth-quarter minutes just hours after he signed with the team. His little over four minutes in the fourth were largely uneventful for him personally, but he did have a pair of blocks on All-Star big man Alperun Sengun, and Golden State were a +2 during that stretch.

Most Warrior fans were left impressed with Bassey's performance in his less than 10 minutes, so much so that many were wondering why Kerr didn't give him more minutes through the middle portion of the game.

There's certainly a skillset that intrigues not just the Warriors but multiple other teams around the league, with Sunday's game proving Bassey's ninth of the season for no less than four separate franchises.

Charles Bassey offers nice complement to Warrior center rotation

Bassey's athleticism was on display with that opening dunk and with his rim protection in the fourth-quarter, something that's not a big part of Golden State's current center rotation of Porzingis, Al Horford and Quinten Post.

Having a more traditional, rim-running big man who can be an interior presence on both sides offers a nice and necessary complement to the current rotation, while at 6'11" Bassey might have higher upside than what the team used to have with Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Bassey will have to take advantage of every opportunity he possibly gets to stand a chance of remaining with the Warriors beyond this season, but Sunday's game was at least a promising start for him to build upon.