The 15th roster spot on this Warriors team seems to be the one that is really up for grabs amongst these training camp invitees.
14 players currently have fully guaranteed contracts for the 2016-2017 season, and there’s 20 players participating in training camp for the Warriors.
6 guys only partially guaranteed contracts, which essentially pits them against one another for that final spot.
Those 6 players are JaVale McGee, Elliot Williams, Phil Pressey, Elgin Cook, Cameron Jones, and Scott Wood.
I’ve been predicting that the last roster spot is probably going to go to either McGee or Williams, but maybe one of those other guys puts on a training camp performance that secures that slot for themselves.
Still, I’d be very surprised if it ends up being a guy other than McGee or Williams. McGee has by far the most impressive NBA credentials of any of those 6 players.
Williams is guaranteed $250,000 in his contract, which is a heftier sum than most training camp invitees get.
It hints that the Warriors think very highly of him, and their reasoning isn’t flawed, given how well he has played for their D-League affiliate.
He has excelled for the Santa Cruz Warriors, winning the D-League Finals MVP Award in 2015, making the All-NBA D-League Second Team in 2015, and being selected as a D-League All Star in both 2015 and 2016.
$250,000 isn’t a tremendous amount of money for a team to have to eat, but that greater value instantly gives him the advantage over guys like Pressey, Cook, Jones, and Wood.
It’s a meritocracy to an extent, but surely the front office wants to avoid wasting money as much as possible.
I’m still leaning towards McGee making this squad, though, not just because of the talent he has shown in the NBA, but based on team need.
There’s no proven shot blocker on the roster right now for the Warriors, and McGee is an ultra athletic rim protector.
Damian Jones was a nice shot blocker in college, but he’s injured and expected to miss at least part of the regular season.
With Jones being inactive, it makes it increasingly more likely that McGee ends up getting that final roster spot.
McGee has had a nice training camp so far, and he seems like the safe pick to end up making this team.
It’s a shame that a player as talented as him has become a punch-line in this league, but it still cracks me up to watch his numerous goofs.
He’s not a troublemaker, but just seems to possess a ridiculously low basketball IQ. The main hope is that being around such a brilliant collection of coaches and players is able to minimize his debacles.
McGee was born in Flint, Michigan, and played high school ball at Detroit Country Day High School in Detroit, Providence Christian High School in Fremont, Michigan, and Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago.
McGee was versatile enough to play both forward positions as well as center, and decided to play college ball at the University of Nevada.
He spent two seasons at Nevada. During his sophomore year, he averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
He left school early to declare for the 2008 NBA draft, where he was selected 18th overall by the Washington Wizards.
Not only did he soon gain exposure for his bizarre antics on the court, but also his ridiculous athleticism for somebody 7 feet tall and 270 LBS.
He participated in the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest, finishing 2nd to Blake Griffin. McGee’s highlight dunk was the one where he dunked 3 balls in a single attempt.
In March of 2011, McGee blocked a remarkable 12 shots in one game, also managing to score 11 points and grab 12 rebounds in a triple-double effort.
As a starter with the Wizards, he was usually good for about 10-12 points, 8-9 rebounds, and 2-3 blocks per game.
His playing time has decreased in the years since he has left Washington, spending time with the Nuggets, 76ers, and Mavericks.
Beyond his hilarious shenanigans out on the court, McGee is one of the most unique players in the league.
Before Rudy Gobert came into the league, McGee had the longest recorded wingspan among active NBA players.
His wingspan is an incredible 7’6.5’’, which combined with his leaping ability makes him one of the most intimidating rim protectors in the NBA.
McGee also comes from an impressive basketball family. His mom, dad, and sister are all basketball players.
His dad George Montgomery never played in the NBA, but was drafted in the second round by the Trail Blazers in 1985. He followed that with a long career in overseas professional leagues.
His mom is Pamela McGee, who won a gold medal for the USA Women’s Basketball Team in the 1984 Olympics.
She was an All-American at USC and played alongside legends like Cynthia Cooper and Cheryl Miller.
She also spent two seasons in the WNBA with the Sacramento Monarchs and the Los Angeles Sparks.
His sister is Imani Boyette, who was drafted 10th overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2016 WNBA Draft after playing college ball at Texas.
The lineage shows a player who should possess a lot more basketball instincts than he appears to have, which is amusing for fans but frustrating for coaches.
The risk for the Warriors seems very minimal if they do decide to keep him on the roster, though. It’s not like they’re asking him to carry a heavy responsibility on the court or lead an impressionable locker room.
If he proves capable, that playing time can always increase, which would be a promising development, just because of how talented he is.
Theoretically, if he becomes a dependable rotation player, their shot blocking worries get instantly evaporated.
McGee has a career Block Percentage of 6.9%, which is absolutely absurd. For some perspective, Serge Ibaka has a career rate of 6.6%, DeAndre Jordan has one of 5.3%, Roy Hibbert has a 5.3%, and Dwight Howard has a 4.4%.
McGee is an elite shot blocker when he’s out on the court. If they can limit his mental lapses during the course of the game, they’re going to acquire one of the best rim protectors in basketball through a training camp invitation.