Warriors big man Marquese Chriss received an honor Monday morning.
He was one of nine NBA players who ESPN's Zach Lowe included in this season's "Luke Walton All-Stars."
What does that mean exactly? As Lowe writes:
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"(It's) our annual roster of journeymen and role players thriving in unexpected ways. One or two players have bristled at earning Walton status, but it is meant to be an honor. Not everyone can be a star.
A Walton is a shape-shifter who tailors his game to fit the context of a particular team, and revels in the grunt work. He makes everyone's life easier.
So how did Chriss make the cut?
Here is part of Lowe's explanation:
Golden State Warriors
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When the Warriors took a training camp flier on Chriss, they expected a shot-blocking menace with limited feel on offense. They had heard rumblings he could pout, and lose his temper. "What we got," Kerr said, "was the opposite of all that."
Golden State often plays through its big men, and it took one practice for Chriss to show he had more passing chops than Warriors brass knew. "We couldn't believe it," Kerr said.
Chriss has dished 3.4 dimes per 36 minutes, more than double his prior average. He is a canny handoff artist, flipping screens back and forth as his recipient -- Damion Lee is a favorite -- bobs behind him. He picks out cutters, and whips passes to corner shooters out of the pick-and-roll.
"I've always known I can pass," Chriss said.
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Chriss -- the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft -- arrived at Golden State training camp in September on a non-guaranteed contract.
He earned a spot on the Opening Night roster and played well off the bench the first couple months of the season.
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But because of financial restrictions, he was waived in early January before his contract became fully guaranteed. After clearing waivers, he returned to the Warriors on a two-way deal -- which was converted to a standard minimum NBA contract shortly after the trade deadline in early February.
Over the Warriors' last 12 games (all starts for Chriss) before the season was suspended, the 22-year-old averaged 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 61 percent overall and 80 percent from the free throw line.
The Sacramento native has resurrected his career with the Warriors, and it's very possible that he is the team's starting center next season.