The Whiteboard: 5 big questions for the Warriors, Hector Banana-Bread and more

The Whiteboard is FanSided's daily NBA email newsletter with each daily edition written by a different member of our team — Matt Moore, Wes Goldberg, Chris Kline, Lior Lampert, Quinn Everts and Ian Levy. On Saturday, we all get together for one big roundtable to answer the biggest questions of the week.

Here's what we're talking about today:

What’s the scariest five-man defensive unit in the NBA right now?

Matt Moore: I always want to come up with an interesting answer. There isn’t one, but it’s also one we haven’t seen yet. I tend to veer on the side that you need reps but with OKC, they defy that logic. So I’ll go with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2nd in steals per game, leads in on-court defensive rating among qualified minutes), Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein. It allows you to attack ballhandlers with backline protection. You can have Holmgren roam free safety. You can switch, you can blitz. You force turnovers and misses. Smallball units would still struggle against them. 

Christopher Kline: It has to be OKC. There are plenty of fruitful combos to pick from, but my gut would lean toward Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Jalen WIlliams, Cason Wallace, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The length, versatility, and activity of that group is extremely compelling on paper. We haven’t seen Hartenstein and Holmgren on the court together yet, and OKC is not terribly familiar with two-big looks. That said, Holmgren as free safety while Hartenstein anchors the paint? Like Matt said, it’s a doozy. 

Wes Goldberg: Heck, throw Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Caruso, Matt Moore and Christopher Kline out there and it would still be the scariest five-man defensive unit in the game.

Ian Levy: The answer is probably some permutation of Oklahoma City's freakishly elite defenders but I can't help but point out that the best-performing five-man defensive unit (min. 200 minutes) is Myles Turner–Pascal Siakam–Bennedict Mathruin–Andrew Nembhard–Tyrese Haliburton and by a pretty big margin.

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Hector Banana-Bread (Victor Wembanyama) is already a pantheon-level NBA nickname, unlocking a new nickname formula — a made-up first name that kind of sounds like the real first name and a type of food that kind of sounds like the real last name. Applying this formula to other players in the league, what’s the best nickname you can come up with?

Matt Moore: For Bam Adebayo, Pow! Jumbalaya. Which sounds like something Emeril would cook up in mass-marketed frozen dinners like in “Ratatouille.” 

Christopher Kline: Asking me to come up with a clever nickname or play on words is like asking Shaq to hit 10 free throws in a row. Not my strength. The first that came to mind was Cole Chickpea for Joel Embiid, which is awful. I am aware. Maybe Kevin Garnett could be Devin Omelet or something … 

Wes Goldberg: Unlike Christopher, this is my sweet spot. It’s like asking Paolo Banchero to hit 10 free throws in a row — I’ll make six or seven, but take all the shots. Let’s go. Blazin Taters (Jayson Tatum), Take Reservations at Alexanders (SGA), Made Cutting Ham (Cade Cunningham), Ringus Apple Compote (Giannis Antetokounmpo), Normal Pow-Chicken (Norman Powell) and Denny’s Bad Idea (Deni Avdija).

Ian Levy: Simi Nutbar (Jimmy Butler), Jack Lo Mein (Zach LaVine), Steve Curry (Stephen Curry), Matt Charcuterie (Pat Connaughton), Donald Short-ribs (Dennis Schroder).

Steph Curry said the Warriors shouldn’t make a “desperate” move. What’s a non-desperate move they can make that would actually make a difference?

Matt Moore: I really don’t think anything that isn’t drastic helps, but if forced to answer I’ll go with Moses Moody and a second-rounder for Day’ron Sharpe. Sharpe fills the center minutes, giving you another option to actually go big and gives you some offense on that end. The real answer for what helps? Giving up on either the past or the future and trading one of Kuminga or Draymond Green. Yeah, I said it. 

Christopher Kline: Golden State does not have a great young core, so this hand-wringing about mortgaging the future falls a bit flat to me. I would not consider, for example, trading Jonathan Kuminga and bad money for Cam Johnson a “desperate” move. That said, all the buzz around Nikola Vucevic has caught my attention. They can probably get Vooch on the cheap, and he would meaningfully elevate the Golden State offense. 

Wes Goldberg: Would it be desperate to trade for Nikola Vucevic? The Warriors’ biggest limitation (besides not having a No. 2 scoring option) is that they can’t play Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga with another center because it kills their spacing. Green and Kuminga need to play more, but Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis don’t. Finding a stretch 5 could open up the floor, but also unlock Golden State’s best combinations. If not Vucevic, John Collins.

Ian Levy: I really, really want to find something better than Nikola Vucevic ... but I can't. Which speaks to how dire things have really gotten in Golden State.

Forget standings, records and seedings — right now, who is the second-best team in the West?

Matt Moore: Dallas Mavericks. I want it to be Memphis, their profile is excellent. But Dallas absolutely screams like a contender fully healthy. Rim protection, pick and roll threats, shooting, versatility, cutters, finishers, and two stars who can take over the game offensively. Their formula is the same as last year with better talent. They’re a sleeping giant. 

Christopher Kline: Tend to agree with Dallas. If Jamal Murray levels up and Aaron Gordon stays healthy, we can never discount Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Memphis is very good, and Houston would take off with a major trade at the deadline (of all the potential Jimmy Butler landing spots …). That said, we know the Mavs are built for the moment, and injuries to Luka and Kyrie shouldn’t distract from what that team can accomplish at full strength. 

Wes Goldberg: The Mavericks winning 14 of 17 games before Luka’s injury need to be taken seriously. They looked every bit the Finals team they were last season. But I’ll go with Memphis for now. Only team in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating, multiple ways to beat you on both ends. Ja Morant is a star and Jaren Jackson Jr. seems to be making a mini-leap.

Ian Levy: The Denver Nuggets have plenty of issues but they have the advantage of not being coached by Jason Kidd and not having to rely on Ja Morant — whose ongoing injury problems are a real concern. They're not a satifsying answer, but they're my answer.

Channing Frye is not impressed with Deandre Ayton right now (nor is anyone else). His numbers are solid but there are precious few signs of meaningful growth. What does his career look like in two years when his current contract has expired?

Matt Moore: Here’s the key with Ayton: much like another “Dre,” Ayton continues to do just enough to stay in rotation concepts and soak up minutes and experience while never living up to potential. Much like Andre Drummond, he’s got moments where he looks great and that’s why he nabbed his contract. But Andre has carved out a 13-year NBA career by being a) very large and b) experienced by sheer volume. He’s a perfectly serviceable big and that’s where Ayton will end up. 

Christopher Kline: My mind also went straight to Andre Drummond, although it may feel a bit unfair to compare Drummond’s effort level to Ayton’s. At least one was a historically prolific rebounder at one point. That said, Drummond is a major talent who has settled nicely into a bench role. Ayton’s transition may come more reluctantly, but at a certain point, teams just aren’t going to hold out hope for a leap that’s never coming. 

Wes Goldberg: Drummond is a good comp. Maybe Mo Bamba, if things don’t go as well. The size and talent are there, and NBA front offices when faced with unrealized potential are a lot like Tobias from Arrested Development.

Ian Levy: When this contract ends there is inevitably going to be an enormous chasm between how he sees his value and how teams see it. Something like the three-year, $30 million deal Jonas Valanciunas signed seems like it would be a best-case scenario for him financially and it's inevitably going to come from a team that's fine bottoming out in the standings and playing for draft position.