Golden State's Secret Weapon: JaVale McGee

Minutes after getting thoroughly dominated by the Golden State Warriors and having his team's postseason end in a quick four-game sweep, Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts had nothing but high praise for Portland's first-round opponent.

"I think they're better than they were last year," Stotts said.

Stotts's assessment of the Warriors isn't exactly groundbreaking; the Warriors added a superstar in Kevin Durant, after all. But while Durant is without a doubt Golden State's main offseason acquisition, journeyman center JaVale McGee has also been key to the Warriors's success during the season and playoffs.

Yes, that JaVale McGee.

McGee's career of miscues and follies has been well documented. Couple that with his injury past, and McGee seemed an unlikely candidate for force-off-the-bench honors when the season started. Yet McGee has continually proven himself all season and has emerged as a key reserve for Golden State in the playoffs.

Against the Blazers, McGee was quite literally a game changer with averages of 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in just 12.3 minutes per. When McGee was playing against the Blazers, the Warriors averaged 132.5 points per 100 possessions, and allowed just 90.3 points per 100 possessions. While McGee was on the bench, the Warriors were noticeably different as Golden State averaged 108.1 points per 100 possessions and allowed 98.4 points per 100 possessions. These were limited minutes, yes, but McGee's impact can't be denied.

"He has a talent to finish around the basket and if we didn't keep our man in front of us, if we didn't do the right coverage on a pick and roll, if he got out in transition, he was the recipient of some good passes," Stotts said about McGee. "To his credit, he's an athletic big man who can finish around the basket. He complements the other players on the roster really well because you have to account for him around the basket."

Coming off the bench against the Blazers, McGee would throw down one rim-rattling dunk after another and his teammates fed off it, using his energy to propel their own individual play. The seven-footer, who has (according to him) a "33 or 34" inch vertical, also made an impact on defense, altering shots and making it difficult for the Blazers to score in the paint.

Golden State's system and the fact that McGee is playing with players like Green, Curry, and Andre Iguodala has definitely contributed to his impact. However, McGee deserves credit for his play as well. He worked hard in the offseason to lose weight so he could be lighter, which better suits the uber fast pace in which he plays.

"I probably got the fastest 40 in the league for someone over 6-foot-11," McGee boasted.

McGee's humblebrag, while definitely hilarious, is also not wrong. There isn't another big man his size that is as fast as him in the league. His speed is why he's such a perfect fit for the fast-paced Warriors.

McGee can just sprint down the court and be the recipient of easy baskets thanks to the pinpoint-accurate passes of Green and Curry. The same happens when he is involved in pick-and-rolls. McGee can set a screen and then quickly dive to the basket, allowing Green or Curry to hit him with high lobs which, thanks to the aforementioned vertical, the Warriors big man can easily throw down.

McGee has always been quick but he is even more so now, thanks to his offseason training and changed diet. He even went vegan "for like a month," and lost 15 pounds. Add in his non-stop work in the weight room and it is not surprising to see how he has maintained his energy throughout the season.

"I was doing conditioning every day," McGee said. "I was going the hardest I ever went, to tell you the truth. I was lifting, gym, conditioning, weight room, every day, by myself with my trainer."

For now McGee is back to being vegan (he was happily chowing down on some vegan chimichangas after Game 4) and is looking forward to contributing off the bench for the Warriors in the second-round. He's found the perfect situation in Golden State and the Warriors found the ideal backup big in McGee, who is ready to get on with the show.

"It's my first time in the second-round, so you know I'm excited," McGee said after Game 4. "We got a week off so everybody's going to be fresh. It's going to be pretty good."