Flying Under the Radar: Brandan Wright

Brandan Wright was taken by the Golden State Warriors with the 8th overall selection in last June’s draft, and while he wasn’t expected to play early because of Coach Don Nelson’s history of sitting rookies, Wright has been a pleasant surprise as of late for the Warriors, who are vying for a playoff spot in the difficult Western Conference.

Early in the season, the 20-year-old rookie had a difficult time cracking the talented Warriors lineup, but after the NBA trade-deadline, Wright has stepped up in a big way for the Warriors. In Golden State’s past four games, Wright has provided energy, averaging 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

"He's playing well," second-year guard Kelenna Azubuike said. "Hopefully he can continue that and get some more minutes. He's bringing energy. He has a nice game, nice touch around the basket. He's athletic. He does a lot of nice things out there.

Wright is a project player because his size and playing style don’t quite match up. He’s 6’9" but weighs only 205 lbs. and has a hard time stopping opponents in the paint. Wright doesn’t have a refined perimeter game, but he is starting to find his role in the up-tempo offense Golden State runs.

As Azubuike said, Wright does a lot of damage with his athleticism. Wright is very quick and has excellent leaping ability. He has started to alter games with his shot-blocking and presence, and is teaming up nicely with big men, Andres Biedrins and Chris Webber.

Wright can get be a liability in the post at times with his man to man defense, but that is expected to get better with more experience. Wright doesn’t have a polished post game on offense yet either, but he has loads of potential. He has a soft touch around the rim and can elevate above the basket with ease.

The last time Golden State faced Orlando, Wright didn’t play but he will likely see some action on Saturday night as the Warriors will need an array of big men to slow down Dwight Howard. Wright has started two games for the Warriors in the last two weeks and is slowly becoming a force after playing just one year of college ball. If he continues to improve, Wright can become a top tier player in the league, but for the time being, he will have his hands full trying to slow down either Howard or Rashard Lewis on Saturday night, as both players have more polish than the inexperienced Wright and will try to exploit his weaknesses. If Wright gets physical however, he can alter the game, but not many players have been able to do that against Howard this year, and he will struggle to guard the more nimble Lewis.