The news was not good but it was what was expected: an MRI on Jermaine O’Neal confirmed a bruised right knee and right groin strain. The backup big man is going to miss some time.
For depth, the Warriors signed Dewayne Dedmon from their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, reports CSNBayArea.com.
Dedmon was signed for training camp by the Warriors and was one of the last cuts, then sent to the D-League to develop (which hasn’t really happened as that season doesn’t start until Friday, but they need him now).
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Dedmon was an undrafted 6’11” center out of USC, he has good athleticism and the body of an NBA center but he is raw — he has only been playing basketball for five years — and he needs to develop. He is strong on the glass already. He’s never going to be an offensive force but they hope he can become a strong, defensive-minded backup center who can finish at the rim. Eventually.
Which is to say, don’t put him on your fantasy team. But he is up with the big boys for a while.
