A wealth of upside for adept defender
When evaluating Patrick McCaw’s second NBA season, it is important not to lose perspective: Any on-court growing pains he endured were trivial given that, less than three months ago, he thought he might never walk again.
As McCaw was strapped to a stretcher March 31 after taking a fall in Sacramento, he couldn’t feel his legs. Now, after playing limited minutes in the Western Conference finals and NBA Finals, he is trying to get his career back on track.
With composure that belies
his age, quick hands and a 7-foot wingspan, McCaw is one of the Warriors’ better perimeter defenders. He is a player who could be a long-term building block if he gets a bit more aggressive offensively.
After following up a productive rookie season with a memorable Las Vegas Summer League showing, McCaw struggled to solidify a rotation spot. Aware that he shares a court with some of the league’s best scorers, he had a tough time deciphering when to pass and when to shoot.
It didn’t help that the offseason additions of Nick Young and Omri Casspi, longtime rotation players on other teams, made the wing rotation more crowded. McCaw began to settle into a rhythm in midFebruary, only to miss fourplus weeks with a wrist injury.
Eleven days after he returned, McCaw was undercut by Kings guard Vince Carter on a layup attempt. McCaw landed hard on his back, screaming as he writhed on the floor. That night, as he underwent a battery of tests at UC Davis Medical Center, McCaw feared that his lower body was paralyzed.
In those initial weeks after the fall, his movement was limited to trips to the bathroom. Unable to leave his Jack London Square apartment, McCaw watched numerous movies, relying on his parents, Jeff and Teresa, to load his fridge with groceries and pick up his prescriptions.
The plan was for McCaw to begin mapping out a return to the court after being evaluated by a spine specialist on May 31. However, his rehab progressed ahead of schedule. After meeting with head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Bob Myers on May 26, he was activated for Golden State’s Game 6 win over the Rockets that night, scoring two points in four late-game minutes.
McCaw didn’t fret when he played only 11 minutes in the Warriors’ NBA Finals sweep of the Cavaliers. Little more than two months removed from thinking his basketball career was over, McCaw was just thankful to be in uniform.
Offseason outlook: McCaw will be a restricted free agent this summer, and Golden State is eager to re-sign him.
Even though he is coming off a disappointing season that included the spine injury, McCaw — based on his age, length, versatility and upside — could be an intriguing option to teams in need of wing depth. The Warriors might have to make a difficult decision should another franchise offer McCaw significantly more than Golden State’s $1.7 million qualifying offer.