Warriors’ Anderson Varejao already fitting in with new team
ATLANTA — About five minutes after the Warriors’ 102-92 victory over the Hawks on Monday night, Draymond Green made his way to the visitors’ locker room.
Varejao just kept standing at the door, waiting another 10 minutes as his new teammates mocked the seemingly curious act.
When Stephen Curry finally arrived at the locker room, Varejao was still at the door and ready with a similar greeting for the point guard.
Varejao hasn’t played a second for the Warriors yet, and he’s already had a positive impact on the league’s best team.
The 33-year-old is expected to play as soon as Wednesday, when the Warriors face Miami in the fourth game of a six-game road trip.
Varejao was traded by Cleveland, the only team he had ever known in 11½ NBA seasons, to Portland in a three-team deal Thursday.
The center cleared waivers Saturday and considered offers from a series of playoff-bound teams in the Western Conference.
Varejao averaged 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in 25 minutes per game with the Cavaliers and made NBA Finals runs with the team in 2007 and 2015.
Varejao sat out the 2015 NBA Finals after having surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon.
[...] with backup center Festus Ezeli expected to be recovering from left knee surgery until at least mid-March and starting center Andrew Bogut dealing with an achy Achilles, the Warriors see a good fit in Varejao.
Varejao expends more energy during pregame layup lines than some players do in 48 minutes of game action.