Charles Bassey has given the Warriors something they badly needed early in preseason: a center who looks comfortable, physical and a little more versatile than the version they had last year.
Golden State’s bigger issue is obvious. The team can’t afford to simply tread water while waiting on Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to return from the injuries that ended their 2024-25 seasons.
The start of this regular season needs to show more cohesion and more two-way growth than that. And with no concrete update yet on Kristaps Porzingis, the frontcourt picture only gets thinner.
That’s why the Warriors brought in Bassey and Graham Ike on minor deals, hoping one of them could help cover minutes if Porzingis had to sit. The ideal scenario was never for Bassey to be thrust into a heavy role right away. But that’s looking more like the reality as Golden State moves through the back half of preseason.
So far, Bassey has handled it.
In five regular-season appearances with the Warriors last year, he gave them exactly what a traditional big can offer: effort, size and some real punch around the rim. He averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and one assists while shooting 67.7% from the field.
The limits were clear, too. He didn’t offer much away from the basket, and he wasn’t yet a dependable fit as a playmaking piece in Golden State’s offense.
This preseason has shown a different layer.
Through three games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, Bassey is averaging 9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 70% from the field. The numbers are solid.
The more interesting part is how he’s getting there. He’s shown touch on short floaters on the move, and the Warriors have used him more often in perimeter actions, asking him to roll hard and, at times, drag a defender with him while the halfcourt set unfolds.
That’s not a small detail for a player trying to carve out a role. It suggests a center who can do more than just stand near the rim and finish what’s handed to him.
Stephen Curry said last season that it felt like he had been playing with Bassey for a long time when the center arrived with the team. That chemistry, along with Bassey’s continued growth, could become one of the more important early-season stories for Golden State.
There still aren’t major minutes waiting for him. But through three preseason games, Bassey has made a strong case that he can handle whatever the Warriors need from him right now.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Kept Podziemski Without Closing Off A Bigger Move
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The details matter here because the Warriors did more than simply reward Podziemski. The structure of the deal was built to preserve some financial room as they keep sorting through future roster plans, leaving the door open for bigger moves rather than shutting it. That balance, between keeping a homegrown guard and maintaining flexibility, may end up being the most important part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Gets An Early Shot To Haunt The Warriors
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For Golden State, the matchup adds another layer to a game already being watched closely because Simmons has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2024-25 season. There is intrigue both in how the Kings plan to use him positionally and in how the Warriors will look back on their decision to pass, especially with a player of Simmons' profile now returning to action in a uniform that is not theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Just Put Pressure On The Warriors Front Office
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Currys comments about the state of the roster landed with extra weight because he is no longer speaking like a star simply enjoying the ride. By signing on again, he effectively doubled down on Golden States direction, but his remarks also underscored the pressure on the front office to keep pace with the realities of an aging core and a thin margin for error. However the season starts, the Warriors are carrying more than familiar championship expectations now, and Curry made sure that point is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]