After nearly running the table in the NBA Playoffs last season en route to their second NBA title in three years, the Golden State Warriors might somehow be better in 2017-18.
General manager Bob Myers managed to add three talented contributors to Golden State’s already stacked lineup this offseason, including second-round pick Jordan Bell, who already looks miles ahead of previous Warriors’ draft picks Kevon Looney and Damian Jones. The uber athletic Bell looked like Draymond Green light in Summer League, and seems to have the unique defensive dynamism to guard all five positions on the court
Warriors defensive guru Ron Adams joined Murph & Mac on Friday, and said he expects the athletic big man out of Oregon to have a role on the league’s best team in his first NBA season.
“I think he’ll play a role,” Adams said. “He’s got great defensive aptitude. He’s a very good athlete, very dynamic. He’s learning how to shoot the ball — it was not his strength in college — but a really willing learner. He’s the kind’ve body that could help us off the bench without question. We like what we see so far. Wonderful young man, just great to work with. Great personality. He has a lot of good physical ability and he’s got a good mind on him in terms of playing the game so, I’m excited about him.”
Another new addition is Nick Young, who the Warriors elected to give $5.2 million this season, the full tax-payer exception, after he had a bounce back year with the Lakers and Luke Walton last season. The Warriors hope Young will be a dynamic scorer off the bench, and Adams says that while Young still is still learning how to fit in, can also contribute defensively.
“I think he’s in a learning mode,” Adams said. “I think he’s an important player for us this year. Great offensive player, I think he’ll really bolster the second unit. I think defensively he’s not as bad as people think. I think he does some good things defensively but he’s got to get better, as with all of our new guys. I think he’s just on that learning curve plane at the moment.
“He’s done some good things for us. I think he’s finding out what we expect of him. I think with any new player who enters the program, one of the big things is getting up to the speed of how we play the game, and that’s both defensively and offensively, and I think just this adjustment of turning the volume up, so to speak, is a part of any new players’ adjustment here.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Adams’ comments on Jordan Bell, skip to 6:15.
