Marreese Speights Visits Warriors Summer League Practice (Photo: Lets Go Warriors Instagram)
Las Vegas, NV – Marreese Speights met Steve Kerr and the rest of the Golden State Warriors new coaching staff for the first time Monday morning, visiting Summer League practice and playing in a short pick-up game between media, management staff, and players.
“This is my first time really being around them,” Speights said. “I got a feeling they’re good coaches and they know what they’re doing. They’ve got coaches on the staff that have been head coaches before, so that’s always good.”
Mo also made clear his intention to come into training camp in the fall in better shape than he did last season. “Last year I really started late and that was my fault,” Speights said.
“This summer I just know everyday I can do a little something to keep me in game shape.” The Warriors big-man said he wasn’t happy with his performance in much of the 2013-14 season.
“I feel like last year I started off bad. I didn’t like the taste (it left) in my mouth,” Speights said. “I feel like I ended the season (well) and I’m going to take the momentum to next season.”
When asked if he could be the stretch four the Warriors were looking for, Mo said Draymond Green was more likely to get minutes as a stretch four, but that’d he’d be happy with a role as a stretch five.
Kerr said he’d likely be using Mo as a platoon backup center with Festus Ezeli, and has stated previously he’d use Green and Harrison Barnes in the stretch four role.
“We’ll have different combinations depending on who we’re playing,” Kerr said. “If we’re playing a smaller team that doesn’t have a dominant center and we need a shooter, then Mo would be the guy to step in there (at center).”
Neither Kerr nor Speights expect that he’ll be shooting a ton of threes this coming season, though Kerr said stranger things have happened.
“I’ve seen Channing Frye in Phoenix, he was a 20-foot jump shooter his first three years in the league,” Kerr said. “We signed him thinking he’d be a 20-foot jump shooter and all the sudden he’s shooting threes… but it’s got to be a consistent shot.”
Speights said he still feels most comfortable shooting mid-range jumpers, even though he did have some nights where it looked like shooting from a longer distance came natural.
“I feel like my 15-footer and my 18-footer are straight so that’s all that matters,” Speights said. “Three-pointers are just a bonus.”
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
