The Golden State Warriors have a lot of work to do but still have to finish their 2019-20 NBA campaign. There are open roster spots at the moment and head coach Steve Kerr plans to fill them up with players amenable to a short-term contract. It could be a great opportunity as well for free agents to see if they can be a long-term fit for the rebuilding dubs.
The Warriors find themselves undermanned after trading away some players. Other than that, they have not been spared by the injury bug. Just recently, they tried out Zach Norvell Jr. and Jeremy Pargo to 10-day contracts. Unfortunately, it appears both will not be getting a second 10-day contract for their troubles, The Athletic reported.
Something noticeable about Pargo and Norvell is that both had a decent percentage from beyond the arc. Knowing how the Dubs live are known to rely heavily on shooters, both just failed to produce the numbers to get Kerr's good graces. Parge, a 33-year-old veteran who has played mostly overseas, turned in better numbers. In three games, he averaged 8.3 points in 14.7 minutes, shooting 42.9-percent from rainbow country.
Of course, this does not mean that Kerr intends to fill up the open roster spots with shooters. The Warriors need to address other positions, possibly a gateway as well to long-term deals. Moving forward, the Warriors need to get reliable backups as they try to pick up the pieces. One can just look at how Marquese Chriss was given a new lease of life. He was in and out of the roster this season but it appears he has earned the trust of the Warriors coaching staff.
Golden State has been known to take in players with careers who have not gone on so well. Shaun Livingston is one of them but ended up being one of Kerr's reliable backups. He won several NBA rings with the Dubs. Iguodala took a different NBA career turn but that too rewarded him with NBA titles. It all depends on how a player would fit into the Dubs system.
Though it remains to be seen who will get the nod to fill up the Golden State roster, Dragan Bender seems to be one of them. According to Bobby Marks, Bender will sign a 10-day contract. He previously played for the Milwaukee Bucks but was waived last Feb. 10. Bender is another former top pick like Chriss. If he pans out, there is a chance that he could get a longer lease in Dub City.
