The Golden State Warriors faced a tight salary cap situation after signing Andre Iguodala for $48 million over four years. Due to their lack of salary cap flexibility, the Warriors lost big man Carl Landry to the Sacramento Kings. To fill the void left behind by Landry, they were able to add power forward/center Marreese Speights to their roster.
Speights doesn’t measure up to Carl Landry – even though at 6-foot-10 and 245-pounds, he’s bigger physically (Landry is 6’9” and 248 pounds), his presence on the court isn’t as strong.
Speights averaged 8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 0.7 bpg last season, and Landry put up 10.8 ppg, 6rpg, and 0.4 bpg. Although his stats don’t measure up to Landry’s, Speights brings an edge to the Warriors that they’ve never had—he’s an aggressive player. He’ll be able to provide the “innocent” Warriors with a mean streak.
Much like David Lee, Speights’ offense is best outside of the key. He is known to be a clutch shooter when it comes to midrange jumpers. Speights will also be able to help the Warriors on the offensive glass. He may only average 4.9 rebounds per game—partially due to his lack of minutes—but he averages 1.6 offensive rebounds per game, which is an area the Warriors need help in. Speights is a versatile player, able to play both power forward and center.
Speights is too undersized to spend much time playing center, but if any of the centers get injured, Speights will likely rotate in as a backup. He’s an offensive minded center, and what he lacks in defense he makes up for in offense. Last season Speights averaged 8.3 points per game in just over 16 minutes per game. With Landry gone and Ezeli out for several months due to his recent surgery, Speights isn’t a bad pickup for the Warriors thanks to his versatility.
Do you want to "get to know" more of the new Warriors? Follow the links below:
Get to know your Warriors: Andre Iguodala
Get to know your Warriors: Seth Curry
Get to know your Warriors: Toney Douglas
Get to know your Warriors: Jermaine O'Neal
Get to know your Warriors: Nemanja Nedovic
Get to know your Warriors: Ognjen Kuzmic
Get to know your Warriors: Dewayne Dedmon
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