As the Warriors embark on the quest to win back-to-back NBA titles, we will preview each position prior to opening night.
Group 1: Centers.
Starter: Andrew Bogut (7-foot, 255 pounds)
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Bogut last season was voted NBA All-Defensive second team because he ranked third in overall defensive rating and was the nerve center for the league’s No. 1 defensive team. The Warriors won it all mostly because they played tremendous defense – something never before associated with the franchise – and nobody has been more crucial to the turnaround than Bogut.
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Bogut arrived in great condition, 22 pounds lighter than last season. His goal is to be more productive on offense and to better keep pace with a club designed to play fast. The key with Bogut is, as usual, to remain healthy. The coaching staff will monitor his minutes and, occasionally, sit him for a game.
Reserves: Festus Ezeli (6-11, 255, Marreese Speights (6-10, 255) and Jason Thompson (6-11, 250).
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Ezeli, the only other true center on the roster, generally is the No. 1 backup and generally starts games when Bogut does not or cannot. Ezeli is a strong defender whose offense continues to evolve. His touch has improved and he’s a threat to score in the paint. His challenge will be to see and feel the game in real time.
Speights, a power forward who often masquerades as a center, is as good a shooter as the Warriors have in the frontcourt, last season earning the nickname “Mo Buckets” for his propensity to drain jump shots as far out as the 3-point stripe. When the Warriors want offense from a big man, they summon Speights.
[RELATED: Thompson: Differnece between Warriors, Kings 'night and day']
Thompson, a natural power forward acquired via trade in the offseason, continues to learn where he fits in with his new team. Capable of guarding centers and power forwards, Thompson is a fine athlete and, perhaps, the team’s most hyperactive big man. If he is called, though, it’s probably for defensive reasons.
Overall:
True centers are a vanishing breed in the NBA. The Warriors, however, can offer four players with four different skill sets that pretty much run the gamut. Collectively, this is a strong, deep bunch that can match up with most any group of centers on any other team.