Scott Horlbeck
Summer League wrapped up last week and the Spurs made out like Breaking Bad at the Emmys. Kyle Anderson took home MVP, the Spurs won the actual Summer League championship and Becky Hammon simultaneously won “Best Story From Summer League” and “Story Most Likely To Get Rural Radio Hosts In Trouble.”
-== 8 Moves That Paved Way for Warriors’ NBA Title ==-
But enough about the Spurs. Let’s talk Warriors. Kevon Looney played in six games in Summer League, averaging 9-7 and shooting 41% from the field. What did you see from him you liked and didn’t like, and how do you see him contributing to the team next year.
Screw it – did you see that step-back jumper against New York? I think there’s some Kevin Durant in him. 6-9 with than handle? Just say the word and I’ll start pumping out “Looney-KD” propaganda like I’m Skip Bayless talking Lebron.
Sam Esfandiari
Honesty; while the Spurs will be formidable and in the mix, I think people are crowning them prematurely. They have some real questions (just like everyone else). But let’s get into that later.
I really liked the Kevon Looney pick. Maybe it’s my general west coast homer-ism but I saw a decent chunk of him down the Pac-12 home stretch.
Let’s make this clear, he’s 19. He likely won’t contribute much next year.
Mar 21, 2015; Louisville, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Kevon Looney (5) shoots the ball against the UAB Blazers during the first half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
I expect him to spend large chunks of the season in Santa Cruz. That said, no rookie at #30 was going to alter Golden State’s trajectory next season. What he has going for him is legitimate lottery level talent. He fell due to medical red flags (back more than the hip).
While I generally would prefer to avoid players with medical concerns, at 30 without a clear need, it seems like a gamble worth making.
Just on the macro, he has all the tools to be an impact player, size, length, shooting touch (needs to get his form more consistent), feel, defensive awareness and supposedly is a hard worker. His college coach, Steve Alford, highlighted how he led freshman in minutes and his shot improved all year.
He does need to put on weight, but what 19 year old doesn’t!?
Point being he could easily never put it all together, the medical stuff could severely hamper him, but at 30 without a clear option on the table it was a risk with taking. If he hits just 70% of his ceiling he’ll be a nice rotation player who fits GSW’s system. And that late in the draft you couldn’t ask for more
Sam Esfandiari:
What I’m more curious about is McAdoo. He had a nice summer league but can he contribute next year?
Lee wasn’t a big part of last season but he still contributed 904 minutes and was a reliable option if needed. Can mcadoo help pick up some of those minutes? A few games of mop up duty and a decent summer league=/= ready to be in an NBA rotation. Especially for a team looking to defend its crown
Scott Horlbeck
Looney absolutely has lottery talent, and until those back/hip concerns made their way to Chad Ford and his deadly-accurate Big Board (wink wink), Looney was a consensus lottery guy.
But you’re totally right. Taking a guy at 30 with medical concerns is waaaaaaaaaaaay different than taking a guy at 3 with medical concerns (Embiid nods and agrees).
I read recently that Ron Adams has been working with Looney on his defensive footwork, which got me excited because Ron Adams is a Jedi and Looney has really long arms.
But let’s talk about McAdoo. On paper, he fits what the Warriors want to do. He’s athletic, can defend multiple possessions (important with all the defensive switching), is long enough to be an effective rebounder (7-2 wingspan) and will rim-run like his head is on fire.
With Lee gone and his 904 minutes up for grabs – I think you start with Ezeli and Speights. Each of those guys should pick up a few extra minutes per night – especially when you remember how Ezeli played in the Finals (putting Bogut on the bench in Game 6). Did he make the jump? I mean, at the very least he made everyone watching the Finals say, “holy shit that guy is a monster.”
I think we’ll see McAdoo in a few more “blowout” games, assuming the Warriors maintain their blowout rate (BOR) from last year. Kerr showed with Justin Holiday that’s he’s willing to roll the dice with young guys, so I wouldn’t be shocked if McAdoo got some burn early in the season (maybe in some experimental small-ball lineups).
How do you seem him fitting in this season? Is my Justin Holiday example a bit generous, or do you think McAdoo can carve out a small role for himself?
Also, I need your power rankings on who won the offseason. This is urgent.
Sam Esfandiari
I like the Holiday comparison. Holiday wasn’t special but he did a solid job filling in and helping keep starters minutes down, something the coaching staff believes was important for a playoff run. Asking McAdoo to be a spot/situational guy is a much more realistic ask than to replace Lee.
Which reminds me, In addition to Lee’s minutes, Holiday played 657 minutes. I don’t think we can expect Barbosa to fill in there so where does GSW find those minutes? Wallace? More Barnes/AI together at the wing position? More Klay/Steph/Livingston? Brandon Rush?
Golden State just added Ian Clark. Clark as you’ll remember was on the Warriors 2013 Summer League championship team. He claimed the finals game MVP. Since then he’s bounced around in Utah and Denver playing a total of 364 minutes in 2 seasons. He can shoot but beyond that, can he contribute in an NBA rotation? I’m not sure.
Golden state could still make some back end rotation moves. As Myers has said they’ll be opportunistic when possible. That said, GSW’s depth isn’t a foregone guarantee, especially if they have some injuries
Scott Horlbeck
I’ll go ahead and answer my Offseason Power Rankings question since you stealthy ignored it. (How dare you)
David Lee gets props for the Vegas team party, which he apparently paid for. Barnes gets a shout out for not only drinking for the first time but for probably experiencing a Hall of Fame hangover. I don’t know this for certain but I can guarantee what he was feeling the next morning was the opposite of good. Let’s throw Bogut in there as well because he’s 7 feet tall and Australian and probably drank like 30 beers that night.
But the clear winners here are Draymond and Klay, who, since winning the title have been spotted in Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, and the Bahamas. Klay got some serious TMZ love – which is how you know you’re partying properly – and Dray put his coach in a headlock and called him a “rook” in front of 70 thousand at the Lake Merritt celebration party.
I saw the Ian Clark signing. I’m in for two reasons:
- That Finals MVP back in 2013 – he had 33 points and seven 3s. Emphasis on the seven 3s.
- He went to Belmont, one of my favorite schools to bet on each year in March Madness. They almost had Virginia last year in the 2 vs. 15 game, which I may or may not have been involved with financially.
Can Clark be that second unit shooter the Warriors need? I don’t know? Maybe? I’m not going lie and say I’ve watched a lot of Ian Clark film. He clearly can shoot, and Meyers and the staff they like. So in the words of the Hinkie Army, TRUST THE PROCESS.
Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green waves to the crowd during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Sam Esfandiari
I didn’t think it was possible to like an aspect of Draymond Green more than ‘big play hyped up Dray’ but ‘Parade/Party Dray’ might have topped it. His summer celebration tour has been one big troll of the naysayers, and you have to love it. But before you worry, his contract extension press conference words give you confidence he’ll be the same old Draymond on the court this year, much to Warrior fans delight.
To depth; I think the big questions are big man play and additional shooting. With the big man situation, I’m talking specifically at the 5. When healthy, Bogut does everything GSW needs. Problem is he looked hurt by the time the finals came even after being on low minutes all year. He’s one year older and my confidence in him being able to play at a high level all year is low. So the question is can Festus Ezeli and Mo Speights pick up the slack? Speights is what is he, instant offense who will always be too big a defensive liability to play heavy minutes. In the playoffs Festus showed some signs of being able to play a bigger role but I’m skeptical. To date the most he’s played is 14.9 mpg (his rookie year). Can he give GSW the same production in 20-25 mpg? It’s to be seen.
As for a shooter, maybe Clark can be it. In a dream world, Brandon Rush would re-discover his pre-ACL tear shot. As of now it looks more likely Kerr will just utilize his wing versatility and mix and match. Run Klay or Steph with back ups etc. I’m not as worried about PF because Barnes will likely slide into the primary back up spot, with Iguodala (or Livingston, Klay) at SF. Barnes best play has been at PF. If Rush or Clark can be that wing shooter in the second unit, it’ll allow Kerr to not overly rely on Barbosa. Barbosa was a mainstay in the rotation, particularly 2nd half on, but he is 33 and has had problems staying healthy.