Report Card Grades for Each Golden State Warriors 2016 Free-Agent Signing
The Golden State Warriors are the undisputed victors of free-agency's circus, having landed the biggest prize of this summer's crop: Kevin Durant. The 2014-15 NBA champions took full advantage of the cap boom, strengthening the greatest regular-season team ever with a four-time scoring champion.
The "rich get richer" aphorism has never been truer.
The Warriors are capped out with four All-Stars under contract, but filling the bench with competent cogs is proving to be easier than expected. Any time a superteam is assembled, the floodgates usually open. Seasoned veterans, who are hungry for a championship, tend to flock around such groups, willingly accepting significant pay cuts in return for roster spots.
One roster spot is still available, according to Spotrac, but Golden State has already nailed free agency to perfection.
Kevin Durant
Durant's decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, in favor of the team responsible for his most recent postseason exit, shocked the NBA and its fans. But once the combination of outrage and excitement settles, the immediate implications become obvious—Golden State will field possibly the greatest starting lineup in NBA history, and will be a sight to behold.
The Warriors hardly needed any help on the offensive end. They scored a league-leading 112.5 points per 100 possessions last season, ahead of—ironically—second-place Oklahoma City, according to NBA.com.
Having to feed another volume scorer will likely require an adjustment period, but reigning MVP Stephen Curry is optimistic about his team's ability to adapt, according to CBSSports.com's James Herbert:
"We got a lot of IQ on our team and I know we have a lot of unselfish guys that will figure it out. We might have to change up the roles a little bit, but for the most part, when we have fun doing what we do and relying on each other and playing together, I think that's when the beautiful basketball happens. So we'll be able to hopefully transition to that very quickly.
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It's tempting to compare the current edition of the Warriors to the Miami Heat's 2010 assembly of stars. The trio of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade had to make concessions, and the start was a little shaky.
As Curry suggests, greasing the gears should take significantly less time for the Dubs.
Even though the reining MVP is a volume shooter, he's also an excellent off-ball threat. There isn't a better player in the league when it comes to flying behind screens and popping out to the perimeter for catch-and-shoot threes. With Durant handling the ball and Curry in constant motion, opposing defenses will face impossible predicaments.
Durant's ability to score one-on-one should relieve Curry of a lot of pressure. The forward ranked 16th in points per possession on isolation plays last season among players with at least 50 attempts, per NBA.com.
SBNation's Tom Ziller emphasized just how important that will be in the postseason:
"That’s an aspect the Warriors really haven’t had: a player to put his head down and get to the rim in those rare moments when things aren’t falling from outside. That was a glaring absence during that four-minute stretch in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the drought that cost Golden State a championship. Imagine Durant on the floor in those minutes instead of Barnes. Imagine that and remember that the Warriors only lost the title by four points.
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While everyone is in awe of the Warriors' offensive firepower, the defense should remain relatively unscathed.
Durant has made huge strides on that end, and the Thunder gave up 2.4 fewer points per 100 possessions last season with him on the floor, according to NBA.com. He uses his length well and has sufficient foot speed to hang with quick guards. That should allow head coach Steve Kerr to cross-match and switch every pick-and-roll with Durant and Draymond Green up front.
Signing grade: A+
Zaza Pachulia
To land Durant, the Warriors had to wave goodbye to Andrew Bogut. Golden State has been the leading force in the small-ball movement, but the Australian center was still a major contributor. He protected the rim, facilitated certain offensive sets with his exceptional court vision and made sure bigger lineups didn't exploit the Warriors.
Losing such a smart big hurts, but it didn't take the Warriors long to find a serviceable replacement in Zaza Pachulia. Virtually any NBA starting-caliber center was guaranteed an eight-figure deal in the free-agency frenzy this summer, but Pachulia took a massive pay reduction, signing a one-year, $2.9 million deal with the Dubs.
He may not be particularly flashy or a big name, but Pachulia is a great teammate and an intelligent player. The Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki highlighted those qualities above everything else, per Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle.
"He’s one of the smartest centers I’ve ever played with," Nowitzki said. "He can pass, he can shoot a little bit, he can put it on the floor. He may be undersized some nights, but he’s got a big heart, he fights and he is very, very smart."
Pachulia isn't quite the rim protector Bogut is, but he can fill the gap nonetheless. Even though he isn't athletic or fast, he is still a smart defender who relies on positioning and strength. The Mavs gave up 2.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the court last year, per NBA.com.
Pachulia's 1.7 assists per game last season didn't do his passing ability justice; He can thread the needle to baseline cutters and make excellent split-second decisions with the ball. The Warriors love to attack in transition, and he runs the court better than Bogut.
Golden State couldn't have hoped for a better placeholder at the center position and found a bargain.
Signing grade: A
Even with the addition of Pachulia, Golden State still needed some frontcourt help. David West embarked on a championship hunt last summer, taking an $11 million pay cut to join the San Antonio Spurs. After falling short of that goal, he decided to accept the veteran's minimum from the Warriors this offseason.
West averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season, but he's a grizzled veteran who brings a lot more to the table than those modest numbers.
West has received plenty of credit for his influence and impact on the Spurs' top-ranked defense last year. San Antonio guard Danny Green emphasized just that, singling out his former teammate for his contributions, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News:
"The reason why our defense is so good is because of how focused we are with the vets we’ve brought in, and he’s the main one. He’s very focused defensively, very on top of things, encouraging guys. He talks us through and helps us see different things defensively. He’s a big communicator on the floor.
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With Marreese Speights gone, West will likely fill the available minutes. Just like Speights, West is capable of manufacturing offense close to the basket and from mid-range. He won't get many shots, but he'll have some of the easiest looks of his career when he does get the ball.
West's defensive chops makes him a significant improvement over Speights, and he'll be a great asset in the playoffs. To have a veteran of his caliber step in when the starters are in foul trouble or injured is a luxury, especially when his services come so cheap.
Signing grade: A
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