Is James Michael McAdoo A Vital Piece to the Golden State Warriors?
James Michael McAdoo is quickly becoming a vital piece to the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors are rolling, off to a 41-7 record, separating themselves from the rest of the league. This team is led by their all-stars but everyone is contributing to their success including some unlikely sources. Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee have been consistent off the bench but an additional player is really stepping up his game. That man is James Michael McAdoo, quickly becoming a vital piece to this team.
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McAdoo had been nonexistent early due to amount of big men on the roster. Often, McAdoo would be inactive or play sparingly. That all changed when David West broke his left thumb in mid-January against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Most insiders thought that Kevon Looney would get the bulk of West’s minutes since he was ahead of McAdoo on the depth chart. But in the first game after West’s injury against the Houston Rockets, Coach Steve Kerr went to the three-year veteran.
Against the Rockets, McAdoo did not disappoint. He scored eight points on three dunks and played solid defense in a blowout, 125-108. McAdoo looked confident and smooth, something Warriors fans were not accustomed to seeing during his brief tenure. In the past, McAdoo looked robotic in the flow of the offense, often slowing down the Warriors pace. But in this game, McAdoo looked like a completely different player and it would continue on the road trip.
Before the Warriors continued their road trip, a very interesting article from the New York Times came out about McAdoo. The article chronicled his NBA journey and what it was like to be the last man on a championship team. Various teammates and coaches were quoted saying that McAdoo was one of the hardest workers and would be the 7th or 8th guy on another team.
The piece was published right after McAdoo’s best game of the season and had Kevin Durant saying that he was the player of that game. This is high praise coming from a former MVP and may have given McAdoo the jolt he needed for the rest of the season.
McAdoo did not play much in Florida but the former Tar Heel got an opportunity in his home state, North Carolina. The Charlotte matchup was looked at as a homecoming for the prodigal son, Stephen Curry. He already had his high-school jersey retired and had a section named after him at Davidson College, the day before. But this was a homecoming for McAdoo as well because he played three years at the University of North Carolina.
Neither player disappointed in Charlotte in a 113-103 win over the Hornets. Curry had his typical game, scoring 28 points, hitting six threes and dishing out six assists. McAdoo might have had his best game this season, scoring eight points, grabbing seven boards, blocking two shots and contributing one steal. Once again, he looked smooth, giving the Warriors organization and fans confidence that he could contribute when West returns.
Much like when Patrick McCaw went down with an injury and Ian Clark stepped up his game. McAdoo has done the same with West suffering an injury. Will this continue when West returns to the rotation? It is possible. Warriors fans should be thrilled with McAdoo’s performance on the road trip because of the future possibilities. He no longer looks like an unsure player that slows down the flow but rather a confident player that can contribute and makes the right play.
