As the Warriors inch closer to the beginning of the 2020-21 NBA season, so much of the focus has been centered on the starters, and rightfully so.
Steph Curry and Draymond Green are the usual suspects. The three-time champions will be counted on more than ever, especially with so many new faces brought on board. Then there are the (relative) newcomers -- Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr. and James Wiseman -- who offer enormous potential, but not necessarily a ton of certainty.
Those five individuals surely will shoulder the load in determining whether or not the Warriors can return to title contender status. But there's another newcomer who NBC Sports Bay Area's Dorell Wright believes will play a major role despite flying under the radar.
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"I think Brad Wanamaker was definitely an underrated signing, just because the experience," Wright said on the "Dubs Talk" podcast. "He's a champion. He played on the same team I played on in Germany for a lot of years and won championships. Coming from the [Boston] Celtics and being coached by Brad [Stevens]. The thing I can take from his game is he's always under control. He knows how to run the offense, he knows how to defend at a high level on the other end.
"So, I feel like he's going to be a great backup to Steph, and another guy they can piece up with Steph and him taking the challenge on the defensive end and letting Steph take a break so he can get more on the offensive end. I think Brad definitely is going to be that guy."
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Wanamaker, 31, signed a one-year contract with the Warriors in free agency. He spent the last two seasons with the Celtics, but previously played for seven different teams in four different countries, including a stretch in which he was Wright's teammate on the Brose Baskets of Germany's BBL. A dogged defender and career 37.6 percent 3-point shooter, Wanamaker offers the size and skill set to both be Curry's backup and potentially play alongside him.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors know that they'll need to be a top-tier defensive team if they're going to contend. They'll also need to take care of the ball, and take some of the pressure off of Curry. Wanamaker should be able to help with all of that, and if he does, he won't be flying under the radar much longer.