Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has confirmed that Anderson Varejao will make his debut on Wednesday night’s game against the Miami Heat.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors aren’t just the best team in the NBA this season; they’re one of the very best teams (at least by regular season standards so far) in league history. They could finally break the illusive 72-10 record of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that we’ve all heard far too much about now, so it goes without saying that they should have avoided making a deal at the trade deadline last week.
However, due to Festus Ezeli undergoing knee surgery which could still keep him out for a couple more weeks, the Warriors have signed Anderson Varejao after he was dealt by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Portland Trail Blazers before being waived the very same day. Now, he’s ready to make his debut for the champs (per Ethan Strauss of ESPN).
Kerr says Varejao will play tonight
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) February 24, 2016
The Warriors have a better second unit than almost any other team, except for possibly the San Antonio Spurs. Even if All-Defensive Andrew Bogut isn’t on the floor, they have Ezeli (when healthy) to utilize or Draymond Green, who can play with ease as the most versatile and dominant small-ball center a team could hope to have.
With Varejao, the Warriors really just have an insurance player. He should see a small role while Ezeli is out, which gives him a better opportunity to at least get on the court after receiving frequent DNPs recently in Cleveland. Even though he’s out of his prime at 33 years old, he can still contribute in the ways he knows how. He’s a strong rebounder and a capable passer, and along with his solid mid-range game he should be a good fit (albeit in a minimal role) with such a fluid offense in Golden State.
Even though his playing time won’t be the same when Ezeli returns, Warriors fans can still enjoy seeing their newest addition in action as their team should secure its 51st win of the season against the Heat.