Golden State Warriors: Omari Spellman in-line for an increased role early on
By Justin Fried
Golden State Warriors center Omari Spellman is in-line for a bigger role than expected following numerous injuries to the team’s big men.
The Golden State Warriors haven’t exactly enjoyed a healthy start to training camp. While other teams are looking to build chemistry and develop young talent, the Warriors have been left reeling after multiple injuries to their big men.
But when the injury bug strikes, opportunity tends to rise from the ashes of misfortune.
And that phrase could not be any truer for Warriors big man Omari Spellman who is essentially the last man standing after the team’s frontcourt depth has been decimated by injuries.
First, it was projected starting center Willie Cauley-Stein who suffered a mid-foot sprain in the early days of training camp. Cauley-Stein is expected to miss all of the preseason and likely some regular-season action as well.
Then it was Kevon Looney who went down with a hamstring injury. Fortunately, he is expected to be ready for the season-opener on October 24th, but his absence creates a void for the time being.
Finally, rookie second-round pick Alen Smailagic is expected to be out for the “foreseeable future” as he recovers from what could be a potentially serious ankle injury.
The Warriors signed undrafted center Kavion Pippen, nephew of the legendary Scottie Pippen, to a training camp contract but it’s highly unlikely he manages to find his way on to the roster come the regular season.
And outside of Spellman and the newly-signed Pippen, there isn’t another true healthy center on the roster. Draymond Green can play the position in a pinch and the athletic Marquese Chriss has the height to pull it off, but neither should be considered a viable option.
That leaves Spellman as the man who is set to pick up the slack.
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The Warriors acquired Spellman in a trade this offseason that sent Damian Jones packing to the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-foot-9 center was originally selected by the Hawks with the 30th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, his one season in Atlanta didn’t go quite as planned as he struggled with weight issues and spent around half of the season playing down in the G-League. Spellman would end up playing in 46 games averaging 5.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 17.5 minutes per game.
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The Warriors are particularly high on his upside on offense while he also shined as a proficient rebounder and shot-blocker while at Villanova. However, those two skills have yet to translate to his NBA game just yet.
The encouraging news is that Spellman has reportedly lost over 40 pounds this offseason in an attempt to get into better shape than his rookie season in Atlanta. Spellman is reportedly down to around 275 pounds after his weight ballooned to nearly 315 pounds at one point.
That lost weight will hopefully allow Spellman to be more agile on the floor — a trait that should really help him in head coach Steve Kerr‘s movement-based system.
It wasn’t anticipated that Spellman would see this much playing time early on in the season, but the reality is that he should at least see rotational minutes at least to begin the year.
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As long as Looney is back and healthy, he won’t be asked to start in all likelihood — no matter how much Kerr would like to keep Looney coming off the bench.
But with both Cauley-Strein and Smalagic expected to miss time, Spellman should immediately step in and serve as the Warriors’ primary backup center early in the season.
The injuries may not be welcomed by the Warriors and their fans, but there’s no question that they’ve opened the door for Spellman to receive rotational minutes in Golden State.
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Now, all Spellman will have to do is answer that door and prove himself.