LAS VEGAS — Summer season league is lots like free company. The primary few days are an important, and the remainder is about giving extra missed gamers alternatives.
In that sense, the Golden State Warriors have already gleaned what they want from summer time league. Here’s a have a look at the 5 largest takeaways from Las Vegas:
James Wiseman just isn’t far off from the place he was as a rookie: It is vital to contemplate context when evaluating Wiseman’s first two summer-league video games. Not solely had he missed virtually 15 months with a slow-healing knee damage, however he’s sharing the ground with fringe gamers who may be extra focused on padding their stats than complementing a former No. 2 decide.
On quite a few events, Wiseman has been vast open close to the rim, just for a guard to hoist a shot or assault a crowded lane. However this a lot is obvious: Wiseman is identical inconsistent large man followers noticed from his rookie season two years in the past.
Over the course of a sport, he tends to oscillate between encouraging sequences and vexing ones. In his summer-league debut Sunday towards the Spurs, he had 5 factors and a block within the first 4 minutes. However in his different 16 minutes on the ground, Wiseman struggled, posting six factors, two turnovers and 7 fouls.
General, he has dedicated 12 fouls in simply 41 summer-league minutes. Far too usually, Wiseman compromises the Warriors inside, chasing blocks as a substitute of taking part in positional protection.
However given how a lot time he missed, Golden State is happy with how he appears.
Jonathan Kuminga
has the upper upside, however
Moses Moody
is extra prepared for a daily rotation function:
As an NBA champion recent off some significant playoff minutes, Kuminga is likely one of the extra completed gamers in Las Vegas. However there he was in his first summer-league sport Friday, toiling by means of a four-point, two-rebound, five-turnover, three-foul dud.
This spoke to one of many larger pre-draft considerations about Kuminga: Generally, he seems to coast by means of video games. Although he responded with higher performances in his subsequent two outings, he nonetheless had loads of room for enchancment.
Along with averaging 3.7 turnovers per sport, Kuminga has shot 3-for-18 from 3-point vary and 12-for-30 from the foul line. The pattern measurement is tiny, however he is aware of he have to be far more dependable within the common season. A rash of free-agency defects has pushed each Kuminga and Moody into larger roles.
The latter has solely strengthened why the Warriors have been clever to let Damion Lee signal with the Suns. In two video games, Moody has averaged 27.5 factors, 4 rebounds, two assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. His knack his for locating his spots his, working off screens and guarding a number of positions ought to make him a high-level “3-and-D” wing within the mould of the Clippers ‘Robert Covington.
Quinndary Weatherspoon deserves a 15-man roster spot: Weatherspoon has but to just accept the two-way qualifying supply the Warriors prolonged him a few weeks in the past, which looks as if the prudent transfer. Assuming Andre Iguodala retires and it indicators second-round decide Ryan Rollins to a assured contract, Golden State has 12 gamers on its 15-man roster.
Given how picked over the free-agent market has change into, the Warriors may not have many higher choices on a minimal deal than Weatherspoon. Although most of his stats his in Las Vegas wo n’t wow, he has shot 57.9 % from the sphere (40 % from 3-point vary) — vital contemplating that his jumper his is probably his largest query mark his.
Odds are that if he cannot get a assured contract with the Warriors he’ll attempt to discover one elsewhere. As he defined to The Chronicle this week, he does not like the thought of turning into the primary participant in NBA historical past to be on a two-way deal for components of 4 straight seasons.
If Golden State has proved something this summer time, it is that it will go to nice lengths to restrict its luxury-tax invoice. But when one other crew provides Weatherspoon a minimal, the Warriors can match and put him on the 15-man roster.
Mac McClung is an intriguing training-camp possibility:
McClung left the Lakers for the Warriors’ summer-league crew for a easy cause: With out a confirmed level guard on the Las Vegas roster, he would have an opportunity at large minutes. Although he in all probability hasn’t finished sufficient to earn a 15-man roster spot anyplace, he has put himself within the combine for a two-way contract or, at worst, a training-camp invite.
If Weatherspoon comes again to the Warriors on a two-way contract, each of these such offers might be occupied. However ought to one change into obtainable, Golden State would possibly give McClung a protracted look. Actually, it ought to even take into account
chopping two-way-contract participant Lester Quiñones
so it could possibly put McClung on that deal.
Quiñones was introduced in for his capturing, however his shot hasn’t been falling in Las Vegas and he has struggled to make his presence felt. That actually
hasn’t been the case for McClung
. He has averaged 16 factors on 48.8% capturing (66.7% from 3-point vary), 4.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds in three summer-league video games.
It solely helps that he performs a place of want. Although Rollins, Jordan Poole and others can fill in as secondary ballhandlers, the Warriors haven’t got a real backup level guard on the roster. Referred to as a scorer in school, McClung excelled as a facilitator in his first professional season with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 7.5 assists on his approach to G League Rookie of the Yr honors.
The Warriors nonetheless have must fill: The Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton conditions have appeared to stall free company, with the Warriors among the many groups that have not signed anybody shortly. However someday within the coming days, Golden State is predicted to spherical out its 15-man roster with a longtime participant or two.
It’s out there for ballhandlers and versatile defenders. Will the Warriors signal somebody like DJ Augustin, Facundo Campazzo or Michael-Carter Williams to a minimal deal?
Whoever is introduced in will not be requested to play a serious function. The Warriors have their first 9 or 10 rotation spots cemented, with the remainder of the roster simply wanted to eat up minutes.
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle employees author. E mail: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron