Against the 76ers of Eastern Conference powerhouse Philadelphia, the Warriors were caught in a bitter battle and eventually lost to their opponents. So the Warriors lost one more game than the Suns, even if they took the initiative to give up the top seat of the West and the league, falling to the second position. Although the Warriors management and coaching staff have made it clear that they tend to retain the main lineup framework and will not carry out heavy reinforcements, considering the increasingly cruel competitive situation in the league, coupled with the Warriors' internal line is really weak, it is certainly not possible to stand still.
Even when James Wiseman returns, we don't know how long it will take him to find his form or whether the former star will grow quickly. Not to mention that even with Wiseman, the Warriors' real number five position is only him and Kevin Looney, which seems to be insufficient in terms of individual ability and depth. So the US media also published an article listing three inside players that the Warriors could consider pursuing before the deadline, including Rockets' Christian Wood and the Pacers' two players, Sabonis Jr. and Miles Turner.
Wood has been rumored with the Warriors for a long time, and don't look at his performance after joining the Rockets, but he has also been caught in the rumors. Wood averaged 20+10 per game last season, which is the core of the Rockets' interior line, and although the basic data has declined slightly this season, he still averaged 16.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. With Thales removed the starter, returned Wood to the fifth position, and the Backcourt Twins were unable to play, Wood was more comfortable.
However, according to the famous Tim McMahon report, the only non-sale product for the Rockets now is Jaylen Green, not that Wood will be actively peddled, but if a team makes a good offer, the Rockets will naturally consider sending Wood away. For the Warriors, Wood's immediate strength at this stage is much better than both Looney and Wiseman, and Stephen Curry may be the most selfless and easy-going core player in the league today, and Wood will get more opportunities to score easily around him. Pairing up with Draymond Green can also effectively cover up the problem that Wood is not good at confrontation and defense in general, and in theory, among the players who are possible, Wood should be the most suitable for the current Warriors.
In terms of personal ability and fame, Sabonis Jr. is better than Wood, he has been selected as an All-Star for the past two years, and last season Sabonis Jr. replaced Kevin Durant, who was absent due to injury, for the second consecutive year, and he also won the All-Star Weekend Skills Competition. Although Sabonis Jr.'s regular stats have slipped slightly this season, he is still averaging 18.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, and in the past five games, Sabonis Jr. has been in a good state, and he has scored 20+ points in four of them.
However, the Pacers, despite their recovery during this time, are still only in the third-to-last position in the East, and the team has not broken through the first round of the playoffs since the 13-14 season. The Pacers' roster depth is not lacking, but it is not as big as the year of playing, which naturally restricts the team's ceiling, and Sabonis Jr.'s talent is not the top in the league. So for the Pacers, regrouping is also a viable option. Sabonis Jr. is clearly not short of suitors, the Warriors' several interior players lack attacking power, and Sabonis Jr. can make up for this problem, while he is also in the league with Draymond Green, which is expected to become the most passing and coordinating interior combination in the league.
As Sabonis Jr.'s teammate, Center Miles Turner, also from the Pacers, is also on the list. Compared with Sabonis Jr., Turner has been caught in the rumor of leaving the team for a longer time, after all, the pacers' tacit understanding of the inner twin towers is really average, and sabonis Jr.'s potential and performance are better, and you can't let Turner be a substitute for a long time, so if you really choose one of the two, Turner is naturally more likely to be abandoned. Of course, in terms of personal performance, Miles Turner is still trustworthy, simply not very suitable for today's pacers. This season, he averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and a staggering 2.8 blocks per game, making him the league's top interior blue-collar worker.
Keep in mind that Miles Turner has been elected league cap king twice before this season, and if this momentum continues, he is expected to be crowned the award for the third time this season. Turner's offensive end can not only complete the finish under the basket, but also has a certain mid-range jump shot ability, which can make the Warriors have more changes. And the defensive end Miles Turner is simply everywhere, whether it is the protective frame, assist defense or even the outside players who change the defense of the other side, Turner is quite good at it, if you can get him, the Warriors' inside defense and rebounding protection ability is bound to go to a higher level.