After being forced to unload Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli to create enough cap room to sign Kevin Durant, the Warriors were able to put together a competent center rotation for $4.9MM, writes Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated. Golden State devoted seven roster spots to the center position after adding Durant, with Zaza Pachulia, David West and JaVale McGee earning most of the playing time. All three signed one-year deals last offseason and will be free agents again this summer, as will James Michael McAdoo, who also saw playing time in Game 1.
There’s more this morning from the NBA Finals:
- After six seasons of bouncing around the league on bad teams, Derrick Williams is enjoying his chance to play for a championship, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft, Williams spent a little more than two seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Kings. He played for the Knicks in 2015/16, then signed with the Heat last summer. He joined the Cavaliers after being waived in February. “That’s the thing, you’re learning from other greats, All-Stars on this team,” said Williams, who turned 26 last week. “The difference between this organization and others I’ve played in is we know which direction we’re going in. We know what the goal is each and every year, coming back individually better, playing together as a team, getting better as a team.”
- Even with their convincing win in the opener, the Warriors miss having Steve Kerr on their bench, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Kerr, who is dealing with chronic pain from back surgery in 2015, is considering a return for tonight’s Game 2. “We miss his voice, obviously,” Klay Thompson said. “His knowledge of the game is incredible. Just his demeanour — he has such a calming demeanour. No moment is too big for him. And he just knows how to keep us in line, keep us focused. So does [interim coach] Mike Brown. Mike is doing a great job. But we definitely miss Steve.”
- Adam Silver talked about the need for parity when he took over as commissioner, but he is presiding over his third straight Cavaliers-Warriors Finals matchup, notes Paul Flannery of SB Nation. It’s also the seventh straight year that LeBron James has been in the Finals, which raises questions about the NBA’s long-term popularity if it remains dominated by a few teams. “From a league standpoint, you always want to see great competition,” Silver said. “It’s what our fans want to see. It’s what we provide in this league. But having said that, this is real life. It’s not scripted, and it happens. So, sure, the fan in me would love to see more competition at times, but on the other hand, I’ve said it before, I think we should also celebrate excellence.”
There’s no way Kerr comes back for tonight’s game, even if he’s healthy.
They’re 13-0, he won’t disrupt things. If they lose a couple he might come back to the bench but at this point there’s absolutely no way.
Steve is too unselfish of a guy and puts the team first.
I’m sure he would love to be on the bench but he is a team first, players first, it’s not about me, kind of guy all the way.
Lol you really think Kerr is going to stop their flow ? A monkey could coach this team to a victory tonight , Warriors in 4.
“We know what the goal is each and every year, coming back individually better…”
But you have been there 3 months Derrick. What would you know about their pre season prep?
I anticipated Mccadoo playing in this series, and I was right in game 1. Should be interesting to see if they stick more with a rotation of West, McGee. And Mccadoo moving forward, as the serise goes on…assuming it does go on lol
Why would you have predicted that?