Warriors need backup plan at center

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Well after the Warriors' 102-88 victory Saturday night, two of the team's top decision-makers stood deep inside Oracle Arena and discussed how to replace injured Jermaine O'Neal.

The conversation got so extreme that they entertained asking assistant coach Brian Scalabrine to come out of retirement to fill the void.

It's not that the Warriors don't have options to take the backup center's place. It's just that it's nearly impossible for a single player to do everything the 35-year-old was doing for the team.

O'Neal, who was initially diagnosed with a sprained right knee and strained right groin before additional tests late Sunday afternoon, has been a steady defensive anchor on the second unit and the team's most proven scorer from the low post. More importantly, since signing a free-agent deal in the summer and arriving in Oakland before his 18th NBA season, the six-time All-Star's voice and experience have provided his younger teammates with a different focus level, toughness and mind-set than they've ever known.

When his right leg buckled on a noncontact play away from the ball Saturday night and he didn't immediately get up at the 11:26 mark of the fourth quarter, O'Neal's teammates were obviously shaken.

"I took a full timeout because Jermaine means a lot to this basketball team - and he's a voice in the locker room - so we had to regroup," head coach Mark Jackson said.

Though the Warriors could sign NBA Development Leaguer Dewayne Dedmon, who was with the team during training camp, they can't issue 10-day contracts until Jan. 6. It was fitting that Draymond Green and Ognjen Kuzmic acted as O'Neal's crutches as he was helped to the locker room, because those two probably will receive an increase in minutes.

Starting power forward David Lee will play some backup-center minutes, and backup power forward Marreese Speights can bump up a position. Still, the Warriors will need Green and/or Kuzmic to play more depending on matchups.

Jermaine O'Neal, who was hurt Saturday, has contributed to the Warriors' early success. Jermaine O'Neal, who was hurt Saturday, has contributed to the Warriors' early success. Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Warriors need backup plan at center 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

"I know he'll bounce back," shooting guard Klay Thompson said of O'Neal. "He's one of the toughest guys I've ever met."

In the meantime, the Warriors will need to find someone to match O'Neal's production. Having found a comfort zone, he averaged nine points (on 75 percent shooting), four rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal over the past three games.

In his first seven games, he averaged 2.9 points on 19.2 percent shooting, 3.1 rebounds, one blocked shot and 0.4 of a steal per game.

O'Neal said last week that his mind was going "100 miles per hour" because he was pressing to meet the team's expectations, but after talking with his wife, brother and high school coach, and praying, he found a place of calm.

"I've been playing this thing called basketball for 20-something years," O'Neal said Wednesday. "Nothing really changes. The same shots I could make in the past, I can still make now. There's no difference from when I'm working out in practice and knocking a shot down than when I'm in a game, but I had to tell myself that."

O'Neal said that the day before passing 13,000 career points to become the seventh active player (Elton Brand, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki) with at least that many points, 7,000 rebounds and 1,000 blocked shots.

"Father Time is trying to chase him down, but he's winning the battle," Jackson said.