SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors appeared to finalize their opening night roster shortly after Friday night’s preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets.
Guard Ty Jerome and forward Jeremy Lamb will fill the pair of two-way spots recently vacated by Quinndary Weatherspoon and Lester Quinones, who were both waived Thursday. Golden State also waived Pat Spencer and Jerome Robinson Friday, meaning the Warriors will go with a 14-man roster to save money, barring a last-minute move before Tuesday’s opener.
When addressing the team Thursday about waiving Weatherspoon and Quinones, both shooting guards, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the decision came down to roster fit.
“I think both guys can really play, but for us it was a positional decision,” Kerr said.
Though the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Jerome is listed as a shooting guard, Kerr views him as a point guard.
“I think for our roster, we needed more of a pass-first guy,” Kerr said last week. “Ty is a very intriguing player because of his size and his ability to see over the top of the defense, his pick-and-roll play. So it’s a great opportunity for us to get a look at him to play with our guys.”
Lamb, listed at 6-foot-6, 227 pounds, is more of a traditional small forward.
Considering Andre Iguodala won’t be available for the season opener and could be eased into action, in an effort to keep him fresh for the second half and the playoffs, the Warriors will essentially be rolling into the regular season with a 13-man roster. It’s worth noting that rookies Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins will likely spend a bulk of their seasons developing in the G League, too.
Still, this rotation is one of the deepest that Kerr has had during his tenure at Golden State, especially considering most are entering the season healthy. We'll have to keep an eye on Moses Moody (right calf) and JaMychal Green (ankle), as both players sat Friday, but neither injury is believed to be serious.
It’s not often you add a 7-footer like James Wiseman essentially out of thin air after he missed all last season. Jonathan Kuminga and Moody have shown great development from 2021 draft day to Year 2. Jordan Poole looks on the verge of stardom. Then there’s the championship starting five of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney, who all shared the floor Friday night. Free-agent signees Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green look like great fits.
Remember, Wiggins and Wiseman are still relatively new to playing with Klay and the gang. This core group only got 22 games together during the playoffs.
“Frankly, we’re still learning about some of these different combinations,” Kerr said before Friday's game. “I think that’ll continue the first few weeks of the season, at least.”
In other words, the reigning champs could – and should – be even better this year, once they get more familiar with each other on the floor.
When you factor in all the luxury taxes and repeater penalties, Golden State will enter the season with a salary cap figure of $359.7 million, according to @GSWCBA. With their depth, it makes more sense for the Warriors to keep the 15th spot vacant, while also giving them flexibility in case of injury.
2022-23 WARRIORS ROSTER
1. Steph Curry
2. Klay Thompson
3. Draymond Green
4. Andrew Wiggins
5. Kevon Looney
6. Jordan Poole
7. Donte DiVincenzo
8. JaMychal Green
9. Jonathan Kuminga
10. Moses Moody
11. James Wiseman
12. Patrick Baldwin Jr. (rookie)
13. Ryan Rollins (rookie)
14. Andre Iguodala
OPEN
15. Ty Jerome (two-way)
16. Anthony Lamb (two-way)
