Spellman gets an opportunity to display his talents at center
SAN FRANCISCO » As the Warriors deal with early injuries to the team’s top two centers, Omari Spellman is expected to start at center in the first preseason game against the Lakers on Saturday. Marquese Chriss will be the backup.
“I believe those are our
only two options,” Coach Steve Kerr said after practice Thursday.
Rookie Eric Paschall could also get some run at the position.
“We can throw Eric at 5. He’d be the shortest 5 in the history of the NBA,” Kerr said. “But the thing I love about Eric is his strength and athleticism and length with his wingspan to play bigger than he is. A little bit like Draymond — I’m not comparing him to Draymond defensively but, physically, he can stand up against anybody. So we may throw him out there.”
The top two centers on the depth chart have already been ruled out for an uncertain length of time. Willie Cauley- Stein suffered a left foot sprain during a summer scrimmage and is expected to miss all of training camp and the preseason before being reevaluated at the end of the month.
Kevon Looney suffered a hamstring sprain at practice Wednesday and has already been ruled out for Saturday.
He will be reevaluated next week.
Last summer, the Warriors traded center Damian Jones and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Spellman. Chriss, meanwhile, was signed to a training camp deal earlier in the week.
Chriss has played for three teams since being drafted No. 8 overall in the 2016 draft. With the early injuries to the center position, he has an opportunity to earn a spot on the roster. However, it would likely have to come at the expense of Alfonzo McKinnie, the only player expected to make the regular-season roster who is on an unguaranteed contract. For now, that seems like a longshot.
Alen Smailagic, who exited Wednesday’s practice early with an ankle injury, underwent an MRI Thursday.
• Damion Lee wants to set the record straight.
“Going into this year, I just want to set the table,” Lee said. “I love my family and I respect my family, but I don’t want that to be no crutch that’s leaned on for me, saying that I’m here because whatever my family situation is. I just want that to be known.”
Lee’s comments are in reference to his marriage to Sydel Curry-Lee, Stephen Curry’s sister. Damion and Sydel married in July 2018, several months prior to Lee signing a two-way deal with Golden State.
This past offseason, Lee and the Warriors agreed to another two-way deal after the guard averaged 4.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 32 games.
“I feel like that last year, me coming into the season hurt, that whole situation, people taking a story and just running with it,” said Lee, who went undrafted out of Louisville in 2016. “At the end of the day, my name is Damion Lee. It doesn’t matter who I’m married to. I played basketball before I’ve been married to who I am in the family that I am in. I want people to respect that for me. I work hard for this. At the end of the day, I’ve battled, I’ve battled. I’m battle-tested. Going through a broken hand, two ACLs.
“I’ve gone through a lot of [expletive] during my career to get me to this point and I don’t want anyone in the media, whether it’s here, whether it’s across the country, across the world, to disrespect me, disrespect my family, disrespect the front office here in Golden State for believing in me for knowing my abilities, knowing what I can do. I just want to lay that out on the line right now that going forward this year, there’s no family questions, there’s no ‘ what’s this, what’s that?’”