Getty James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being injured during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Golden State Warriors survived a pair of hard hits from Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic in Games 1 and 2, but their lack of size in the center could be costly.
Of course, the overwhelming favorite to win NBA MVP is playing without injured ballers Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, Jr. If Jokic’s teammates were healthy, the trio of Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, and Nemanja Bjelica’s inability to contain him would be more obvious.
That gap might come back to bother the Warriors if they end up facing any of the other best big men still available in the playoffs.
With that in mind, several armchair general managers believe the team should add more heft this offseason, regardless of how the current series plays out. For that reason, former No. 2 pick James Wiseman has been considered as trade bait on numerous occasions, and his injury issue has simply added fuel to the fire.
If the Dubs do decide to dangle the blue-chipper in their search for a more seasoned center with a win-now skill set, one basketball expert believes a viable replacement could be found among their West rivals.
B/R: A Jakob Poeltl trade would benefit the Warriors
Greg Swartz of the Blacher Report documented his latest foray into trade-machine hacking on Monday. His goal was to figure out which deal each playoff team “wishes it could make” to fix a current vulnerability.
In terms of the Warriors, he proposed the following trade scenario:
- Golden State Warriors receive: C Jakob Poeltl, 2022 second-round pick (via LA Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs receive: C James Wiseman
In this version of the trade, the Warriors receive a less attractive choice, but the essential principle stays the same. Golden State chooses a proven commodity in Poeltl, as well as a draft asset, over a potential superstar who may never blossom as the team expects.
Swartz wrote:
Poeltl would be an upgrade in the starting lineup over Kevon Looney and provide the Warriors with some additional size and defense should they be forced to play against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets again next postseason.
Poeltl Isn’t Flashy, But He Has a Lot to Offer
Poeltl was built to compete head-to-head with Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Deandre Ayton, Steven Adams, and others at 7-foot-1 and 245 pounds. But he’s more than just a huge guy with a large body. On both sides of the floor, the 26-year-old has the ability to make life difficult for the aforementioned.
Poeltl led the league in contested shots per game (14.2) during the regular season. As a result, when the Spurs big man was the closest defender, opponents had a field-goal percentage difference of minus-8.3 percent on tries within six feet of the rim.
On the other hand, he’s a low-key offensive game-changer. In addition to averaging 13.5 points per game on 61.8 percent shooting — including 74.7 percent within three feet of the hoop — Poeltl tied for second in the NBA with 5.5 screen assists per game in 2021-22. He’s also a deceptive good passer who can find teammates from the low post.
Image Credit: Getty
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