The Warriors are finalizing their roster and it’s looking like Anderson Varejao will be a part of it.
The Warriors are nearing agreement on re-signing Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao to a one-year contract, according to league sources.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 14, 2016
The 33-year-old was waived by the Cavaliers last season and then immediately claimed by the Warriors. In 22 games with Golden State, Varejao averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game. His role was to set screens and provide an occasional jolt off the bench.
Varejao saw his role expand in the postseason, and there’s a big debate as to whether the Warriors regret doing so. The big man played eight detrimental minutes in Game 7, committing three fouls in that short time span. Steve Kerr opted to go big instead of small, meaning Varejao saw the court over Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush and Mo Speights. In retrospect, it was a mind-numbing lineup decision.
The Warriors now have a stable of big men, but outside of Zaza Pachulia, they all come with question marks. Damian Jones is a rookie and his injured pectoral muscle will hold him out during training camp. James Michael McAdoo is athletic, but still raw and inexperienced in big moments. David West is coming off the worst season of his career with the Spurs and he’s also more of a power forward at 6-foot-9. And then of course there’s Varejao, who Warriors fans thought they’d seen the last of after his disappointing NBA Finals performance.
It’s hard to question Bob Myers, the masterful GM who is mostly responsible for building this super team. But if the Warriors do have a weakness, it’s depth in the front court. The Cavaliers have Tristan Thompson and signed Chris ‘Birdman’ Anderson to pair with him. Simply put, Cleveland played tougher in the post than Golden State in the NBA Finals, and it’s one of the reasons why the Larry O’Brien trophy went East.
Again, it’s hard to question Myers — Kerr also has a clear soft spot for the Brazilian. But why Varejao? Why put yourself in a position where you might have to play him again in critical NBA Finals minutes? Steph Curry and Klay Thompson’s cold shooting hurt the Warriors’ quest for back-to-back titles, but relying on a flopping big man who’s also a defensive liability was not an ideal situation for the Warriors down the stretch.
Yes, most of the serviceable big men have already been swooped up. But is Chris Kaman really worse than Varejao? What about Nazr Mohammad or Kendrick Perkins or Robert Sacre? Myers’ argument probably is if you’re relying on any of those players, you’re in a sticky situation, regardless. Might as well run with the horse you know.
Still, on paper and judging by last season, re-signing Anderson Varejao feels like a stagnant move to try and help Golden State’s depth issue. The Warriors are a Zaza Pachulia injury away from having to play Varejao serious minutes in the 2016-17 season.
It’s still up in the air if Varejao will receive a championship ring from the Cavaliers next season. Varejao spent his first 12 NBA seasons in Cleveland, crafting his hustling role alongside LeBron James.