Throughout the season, Javale McGee has been an afterthought as Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney were ahead of him on the bench. He was fifth on the depth chart at the center position. There was even speculation that McGee would be traded at the deadline due to his reduced role on the team. But due to an injury to Bell and inconsistent play from Zaza Pachulia, McGee’s role has changed dramatically.
After the All-Star break, Steve Kerr replaced Pachulia with McGee in the starting lineup. This decision came as a shock because Pachulia had started every game this season when healthy.