Golden State Warriors

JaVale McGee And His New Role With The Warriors

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:54 p.m. ET

Fansided, Alex Eddy/FanSided via Sir Charles In Charge

With the Golden State Warriors still struggling to get production for the center position, we explore whether JaVale McGee should be starting

With the departures of Andrew Bogut, Fesuts Ezeli, and Marreese Speights, the Golden State Warriors had a deep hole an the center position.

The Warriors signed Zaza Pachulia in hopes that he could take over and fill the gap that they had at the five. Pachulia has been okay at best, averaging 4.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, starting in all 23 contests that he has played in.

Pachulia isn’t a great rim protector, and he doesn’t offer much on offense, aside from a cool dance move here and there. He is a decent passer, he takes up space, and he is physical in the post with other centers. However, it never seemed like he was the true answer. With a recent injury to Pachulia, the gates have opened for JaVale McGee.

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McGee had a relatively successful career in Washington and then in Denver. He was a true rim protector, he was extremely athletic for a 7-footer, and his long and lanky body gave him a presence in the paint.

After injury-plagued seasons in Philadelphia and in Dallas, it seemed as though McGee’s NBA career was over. However, the Warriors ultimately decided to give him a shot. He is still ONLY 28 years of age, and although he may not have the jump in his step that he used to have, he is still very athletic.

In place of Pachulia, McGee has started the past two games for the Warriors. Most notably, he scored 17 points in 16 minutes (8-10 from the field), in a win over the Knicks Thursday night. Saturday, against the Portland Trail Blazers, McGee scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 11 minutes.

It seemed as though his teammates could just throw the ball up in the air near the hoop, and McGee would just tap it in, using his long arms. He is shooting nearly 70 percent from the field in his two starts, and has really added another element to the Warriors offense.

The Golden State Warriors even tried Anderson Varejao and Kevon Looney in place of Pachulia, but they were not nearly as effecitve as McGee. It’s going to be interesting to see how the season continues to play out. Pachulia is back, and even started their last game, but there’s no question that the center position is up for grabs in Golden State.