Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that center JaVale McGee has a good chance to earn final spot in the team roster. McGee shows he is able to adapt the Warriors rotation in the preseason games.
Kerr said in an interview with SF Gate, that McGee has a good chance to earn the final spot in the 15-player roster ahead the 2016-17 regular season. McGee has shown that he can be the strong force in the low-post when he can focus his strength and concentration to the game.
"I think he's got a good chance. We'll see what happens, but I think he's had a good camp," Kerr said Monday after the Warriors practice session at UC San Diego.
In the preseason game against LA Lakers on Saturday in Las Vegas, McGee made 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. He also showed that he is able to be the rotation player over other Warriors centers Anderson Varejao and Zaza Pachulia.
McGee even exhibited that he is able to contribute in the Warriors low-post defense according to CBS Sports. As coach Kerr extended his playing time, a 10-15 minutes per game will be enough for McGee to make at least one block.
During his college career, McGee played for University of Nevada Wolf Pack in 2006-2008. He averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. As a center, he has a unique ability to shoot from the perimeter, with 33 percent accuracy in scoring three-point.
He entered the NBA in 2008 and drafted as 18th pick by Washington Wizards. During his three seasons with the Wizards he averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 blocks and 6.2 rebounds per game. In his 8-year career in the NBA, he has played for Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks before he joined the Warriors in September 2016.
In Warriors, coach Kerr expects McGee to be able to overcome his inconsistencies which disturbed his game. McGee has shown that when he focus on his strength, he can contribute substanstially in the Warriors.
Watch the full highlights of JaVale McGee in his first preseason game against Toronto Raptors, which he made 5 points and 3 blocks for the Golden State Warriors below: