ESPN.com’s Chad Ford (one of my favorite NBA reporters) graded the offseason moves of each NBA team recently and gave the Warriors a B+.
Click here to read Ford’s article. It’s an Insider subscription article, so fair warning.
Here’s an excerpt about the Warriors from Ford’s story:
“The Warriors badly want to start winning and took another step in that direction with a pretty strong draft. (Harrison) Barnes may have been overrated coming out of high school, but he was a value at No. 7 and should be able to step right in and grab the starting small forward spot.
“I’m also a big fan of (Draymond) Green as a versatile role player on a good team. He has a high basketball IQ, is skilled and can come in and contribute right away. (Jarrett) Jack, whom they acquired via trade, gives Golden State some support at the point guard position should Stephen Curry struggle with injuries again.
“If everyone stays healthy and Andrew Bogut can get back to All-Star form, the Warriors could be a sleeper team in the West. Few teams in the NBA have such lethal shooters surrounding a solid low-post presence.”
The nation’s NBA writers, at least those from ESPN, are being kind to the Warriors. Every narrative is the same: the team has a lot of talent and could be a surprise contender for the playoffs … if they stay healthy. But it’s better than what has been written about this team the past few years.
I don’t know about Ford’s take on Green. I know he was high on him before and after the draft, but I thought Green was underwhelming in Las Vegas during summer league. From my vantage point, the only thing he did well was rebound, though he was exceptional at that, averaging 7.6 rebounds in 26 minutes. He didn’t score much (6.4 points) or efficiently (27.8 percent) and fouled at a voluminous rate (5.0 per game). I don’t see him contributing much as a rookie.
That said, I don’t disagree with Ford’s grade. B+ sounds about right. Barnes could prove to be a great selection at No. 7 and Jarrett Jack appears to be an intelligent acquisition. The Warriors came into the offseason needing an upgrade at small forward and depth at point guard and center. Two out of three isn’t bad.
Ford only gave four teams — the Hornets (A+), Celtics (A), Lakers (A) and Heat (A-) — higher offseason grades than the Warriors.
What do you think, readers? How would you grade the Warriors’ offseason?
