Golden State Warriors: Ranking every member of the team’s bench
6. Omari Spellman
One of the more intriguing bench options this season will be Omari Spellman who was acquired this past offseason for Damian Jones.
If Jones is the minimum expectation, then Spellman should be perfectly fine this season as long as he doesn’t foul out after two minutes on the floor.
In all seriousness, Spellman could be looking at a bigger opportunity for the Golden State Warriors after being somewhat limited last year in his rookie campaign.
Taken 30th overall, Spellman showed an ability to be a very capable stretch five but was limited thanks to potential weight concerns. He shot 34% from deep last season, posting 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17 minutes per game.
One of the big stories this offseason was that Spellman miraculously shed at least 40 pounds — year, that’s forty pounds — between the summer league and now.
He credits the training staff for getting him in better playing shape. It’s a great sign in terms of his fit with the staff in general and should unlock more of his ability to grow into that role as a stretch five.
Spellman was a guy that the Warriors had their eyes on during the 2018 NBA Draft. They chose to draft Jacob Evans III at the time, but they still ended up pursuing and securing their big man in the end.
He’ll bring an interesting dynamic to the team that will have to find scoring options off of the bench this season. Spellman hit 44 three-pointers last season in 46 games.
light. Related Story. Golden State Warriors: Omari Spellman in-line for an increased role early on
By getting more trimmed, Spellman should be able to give some bursts off the bench that Warriors fans can get excited about.
Coach Steve Kerr, like many others, are excited about what he brings to the team — comparing him to Marreese Speights. Fans will fondly remember Speights’ production off of the bench during his time with the Warriors.
There are still going to be some growing pains that come with taking on this second-year player, but the weight loss and a new system should greatly benefit his development.
He’ll be a good pick-and-pop option to go along with D’Angelo Russell — especially when the Golden State Warriors have to sit Stephen Curry. His ability to spread the floor will be a nice option for Kerr to play with.
He could also give the Warriors some options at the power forward position until Klay Thompson returns.
The biggest concern with Draymond Green being moved to the three on a consistent basis is his streaky three-point shooting. But Spellman’s ability to shoot from long-range negates that, to some extent.
It might be something we see a couple of times throughout the season. Warriors fans should get comfortable with the idea of Spellman in the rotation for seasons to come.