Golden State Warriors: The James Michael McAdoo Effect
By Jamie Faue
The Golden State Warriors have been nothing less than incredible this season, going 34-6 for the first time in franchise history. Head coach Steve Kerr has taken the Warriors to a whole new level that no one saw coming. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been paving the way for Golden State, with massive contributions on both ends of the floor. There has also been tremendous help from Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Marreese Speights, and the big man Andrew Bogut. All of these player have been having career years, and continue to grow exponentially every game.
Not only have the Warriors had success with their starters, the bench has been outstanding as well, with Speights, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Justin Holiday, Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa, and most recently James Michael McAdoo. On Monday, the Warriors bench scored 67 points, which is an impressive feat in itself, but is an incredible improvement from a bench that averaged about 24 points last season. Based on season averages alone, when added together, the Warriors everyday bench players average 46 points a game.
January 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward
James Michael McAdoo(20) grabs a rebound against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 122-79. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Just when people thought the Warriors could not get any better, they did just that, by signing McAdoo to a 10-day contract on Sunday. In the D-League, McAdoo was averaging 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game for the Santa Cruz Warriors. In his debut on Monday, McAdoo had 11 points on 80 percent shooting (4-of-5 from from the field) and also collected five rebounds, and one block in 13 minutes played.
McAdoo’s play electrified the Warriors and the sellout crowd at Oracle Arena Monday with his aggressive style, and high basketball IQ. McAdoo might only be 6-9, but he plays like a seven-footer on both ends of the court. McAdoo is exactly what the Warriors need right now, without their back-up centers Festus Ezeli and Ognjen Kuzmic on the bench. McAdoo can score, rebound, set screens and move up and down the court with ease. Those are all qualities that Ezeli and Kuzmic contain.
Oct 16, 2014; Des Moines, IA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward James
Michael McAdoo(20) dribbles past Denver Nuggets center
Jusuf Nurkic(23) at Wells Fargo Arena. The Warriors beat the Nuggets 104-101. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
For someone of McAdoo’s size he is surprisingly fast. McAdoo runs about 4.5 miles per hour according to the STATS Sports VU system which is about 0.6 miles an hour faster than most power-forwards in the league. Speed is something that is lacking in the Warriors centers. With speed comes energy, and McAdoo brings high versatility and energy to a Warriors squad that loves to feed off energy from each other and their fans.
McAdoo may only be on a ten-day contract, but the Warriors next six games are all against teams below .500, which are prime games to get McAdoo some minutes. If McAdoo can bring the same level of play he brought against Denver, the Warriors could be lethal. A proven defender like McAdoo deserves to play in games where paint defense is important. On Friday, the Warriors play the Sacramento Kings, who have DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay in their front court. If Cousins and Gay are not guarded well, they will make you pay. If McAdoo can play tag team with Speights or Bogut on them, then it should be an even easier win for the Warriors.
McAdoo may not be with the Warriors at a pro-level for the rest of the season, but has already shown that he deserves to be on the team. Should the Warriors need help regarding size later on down the road, then McAdoo is the guy to call up from the D-League.