Because they did not select Dwight Howard, the Golden State Warriors will still enter the new season with a huge hole at the center position.

 

 

 

– Dwight Howard had 2 days of work, meetings and workouts with the Golden State Warriors coaching staff. In addition, he also had a private practice session with Draymond Green and Chris Paul right after meeting with the Warriors. In the end, the team decided not to sign the contract.

– Taking advantage of his time in the US, Dwight Howard still hopes to play in the NBA and wait for opportunities to work for other teams. The last time he played football in the US was the 2021-22 season, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

 

Why did the Golden State Warriors turn down Dwight Howard?

Everyone knows Golden State is in need of a center forward and Dwight Howard is one of the options being considered.

Besides the 2020 NBA champion, the Warriors also considered names like Tony Bradley (25 years old, 2m08 tall) and Dewayne Dedmon (34 years old, used to play for Miami Heat, 76ers).

Former Warriors player JaVale McGee was also considered, but before Golden State could “make a move”, this big man landed with the Sacramento Kings.It seemed that the lack of a center forward would lead the Golden State Warriors to choose to sign Dwight Howard. However, pro-Warriors journalist Anthony Slater said the team will change direction and temporarily no longer use a center forward.

Golden State still has 1 open spot on the roster and they just used it to sign Rodney McGruder, a 32-year-old point guard with 9 years of NBA experience.

Journalist Slater added that “adding a center forward will be something Golden State does during the season, but for now the team will use the existing squad to test first.”Without bringing in any other big men, the Golden State Warriors will continue to rely on Kevon Looney, a 2m06 tall center forward who has been with the team since 2015 until now.

In case of rotating the squad to small-ball, Coach Steve Kerr still has Draymond Green or an addition named Dario Šarić, a versatile bigman who once played for the Phoenix Suns.

Another notable name is Usman Garuba, a 21-year-old player signed last week who is expected to bring muscle and fighting ability to the Warriors.

With so many options available, Golden State still lacks a classic center forward with height and muscle. Experts often use NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic as that yardstick and right now, the Warriors have no suitable counterpart.

In return, Coach Steve Kerr and the team’s leadership believe in the flexibility of their squad. The small-ball style of play, which is the Warriors’ strength, will be promoted to try to compensate for the hole in the center position.

In case this test fails, as journalist Anthony Slater shared, Golden State will target another center forward in the middle of the season.