Golden State Warriors: Ranking the team’s center options

(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

7. Kevin Durant

In a vacuum, Durant offers more at center than any traditional Warriors big. He is completely unguardable for opposing 5s, and makes up for his lack of interior muscle with the ability to switch any pick-and-roll.

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However, his presence at center opens up other holes. Durant at the 5 means that Green, the team’s defensive anchor, is off the floor. Sure, you could call the 6’10” Durant the 5 and the 6’7″ Green the 4, but this is semantic. Functionally, Green is the better interior defender, rebounder, rim protector and screen-setter. The same distinction has to be made for the technically-smaller but functionally-bigger David West and Jordan Bell; Durant is a power forward next to either.

Durant at the 5 also means no Durant at the 3 or 4. While the Warriors have great forward depth with Andre Iguodala and Omri Casspi coming off the bench, both are easy covers for opposing wings, whereas Durant is a double-team commanding monster.

It is not what Durant provides at center, but what the Warriors lose elsewhere that makes him the least-preferable option.