Ahead of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Golden State Warriors will be filling their final roster spot with a player already indoctrinated in their system, converting forward-center Usman Garuba’s two-way contract into a standard NBA contract (per The Athletic insider Shams Charania).
Warriors Add Draymond-Looney Hybrid Ahead of Playoffs
The 21st pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Garuba joined the Warriors as a free agent shortly before the 2023-24 season.
Who is Usman Garuba?
Beginning his career with the Houston Rockets, he became a roster casualty last summer due to Houston’s desire to be the offseason’s big spenders. However, Garuba had stretches in which he played a consistent albeit minor role.
Last season, Garuba averaged 3.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. However, to better highlight his impact, he averaged 8.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes. Perhaps most importantly, Garuba shot 40.7 percent from 3, including 41.4 percent on corner 3s.
Upon being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, the Eastern Conference contender flipped Garuba to the Oklahoma City Thunder for veteran Patty Mills. The Hawks eventually waived Mills, but the Thunder waived Garuba almost immediately.
It was somewhat surprising that both the Hawks and Thunder passed on Garuba. In the case of Atlanta, it was clear they needed a multipositional defender who wouldn’t take scoring opportunities away from his teammates. In the case of OKC, it was their youth and his upside.
For a time, it appeared Garuba was set to return to Spain, his home. After playing for the Spanish national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he would’ve played for the Super Cup. Soon after, he was picked up by the Warriors, who coincidentally employed a player he wants to emulate and was compared to pre-draft: Draymond Green.
Who Is He More Like?
Indeed, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr saw the similarities early on.
6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Garuba is a two-way playmaker who’s effective on the boards. He has a mediocre shooting touch and isn’t much of a vertical threat. Nonetheless, with his ability to essentially guard 1-5, he’s a rare defensive weapon.
With the Warriors, Kerr has implored Garuba to find his niche on offense and to improve his conditioning for the defensive end. With the Warriors converting his contract to a standard deal, he may have fulfilled Kerr’s desires.
Garuba primarily played for the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors this season. In 14 games, he averaged 10.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steal per contest. He shot 65.1 percent from the field, getting the bulk of his points rolling off screens.
Garuba has chosen to play a Kevon Looney-like role this season. Understandably so, as it’s easy for him to make a consistent impact on offense in the pick-and-roll. However, like Green, he’s still capable of creating advantages for his teammates with the ball in his hands.
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