Golden State Warriors’ power forward Marreese Speights has been out with a sprained calf since the second round of the playoffs vs. the Memphie Grizzlies. The Warriors were able to take down the Rockets in the Conference Finals despite Speights’ absence, but having him back would certainly help them out in the finals. Luckily for the Warriors, Speights will be able to return vs. the Cavs.
From Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area, head coach Steve Kerr said:
“Mo’s good. He’s good to go,” Steve Kerr declared on Tuesday. “He’s had two good practices. He will more than likely play in this series. Just a question of how the rotations unfold, the matchups, that kind of stuff.”
Golden State is already the favored team in the finals, and the return of Speights further increases their odds. The Warriors boast one of the deepest benches in the NBA, and Speights is a big part of that second unit. Mo Speights is a fantastic rebounder and is automatic from midrange.
Speights may have to compete for playing time more than he is used to, as Festus Ezeli has been playing more in Speights’ absence. Ezeli is a bit bigger than Speights, and may be better-equipped to keep Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov off the glass. However, Speights is a much larger offensive threat than Ezeli, and he’s a far better player all-around than Ezeli(assuming there are no complications with his injury).
