SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr considers this Warriors group probably the deepest workforce he’s ever coached, one-through-13, and the abundance of NBA-caliber expertise confirmed on Sunday.
Even with out Steph Curry, Draymond Inexperienced and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors boat-raced the Pistons to remain undefeated in preseason motion. They by no means trailed after the opening minutes and led by as a lot as 26 factors.
Brandin Podziemski (12 factors, 4 assists, 4 rebounds) paced the offense earlier than he left within the third quarter on account of an damage, and Trayce Jackson-Davis (12 factors, 10 rebounds, three blocks) made an influence on each ends. Within the Warriors’ 111-93 victory to enhance to 4-0 within the preseason, six Warriors scored within the double digits.
“Much better tonight than (Friday) night, just getting into our offensive rhythm and creating better shots for each other,” Kerr stated postgame. “Thought we played with more energy, more bounce, and those things often go hand-in-hand.”
Golden State stayed sizzling from behind the arc even with out Curry, taking pictures 18-for-39 (46.2%) from 3. The Warriors’ benefit in that space, in addition to on the free throw line, negated their 21 turnovers.
Curry and Inexperienced had a scheduled evening off, though Curry’s minor proper index finger damage might knock him out of one other contest out of warning. Wiggins, who has labored again from an sickness, is anticipated to play in Golden State’s closing two preseason video games, on Tuesday and Friday.
Listed below are three takeaways from Sunday’s sport.
Looney’s going to play
Some raised their eyebrows when the Warriors totally assured Kevon Looney’s $8 million deal to maintain him, but it surely seems to be like a prudent resolution now.
Looney misplaced his video games performed streak final yr and fell out of Golden State’s rotation as his productiveness slipped. However he spent the summer time reimagining his physique and conditioning. He took tons of of 3-pointers a day, and even when his vary doesn’t prolong to the perimeter for actual, he has had an incredible camp.
In his first-quarter shift, Looney hit a 15-footer off the brief roll — he has made a jumper in every preseason sport — and was a pressure on each ends. He completed robust over Isaiah Stewart then stoned Stewart within the put up on the opposite finish. He helped key a 17-2 run to shut the primary quarter.
Looney logged eight factors, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 13 minutes. If he produced that precise stat-line constantly, the Warriors could be thrilled.
Slimming down ought to enable Looney to be extra nimble on each ends. With the Warriors dedicated to taking part in an enormous subsequent to Draymond Inexperienced for almost all of his minutes, Looney is definitely going to be within the combine. That wasn’t the case final yr, and didn’t appear apparent heading into coaching camp.
The Kuminga positional query continues
The beginning lineup of Brandin Podziesmki, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis made Kuminga nominally an influence ahead in a small-ball unit. The Warriors have principally performed Kuminga at small ahead this preseason, deploying him in a frontcourt with a pair of non-shooting bigs.
But Kuminga performed identical to a small ahead — the place he has identified his whole life. The previous seventh total choose drained his first two 3-pointers, persevering with a promising development within the preseason.
Coming into Sunday, Kuminga had sank seven of his first 13 3-point makes an attempt (53.8%). Te even drilled one off-the-dribble pull-up triple on the finish of the shot clock on Friday. The Warriors have empowered him to shoot when open, and he has obliged.
“He’s shooting the 3 much more confidently, clearly,” Kerr stated of Kuminga. “There’s no hesitation, looks like he’s getting better balance on his shot. And we want the catch-and-shoot when he’s open. The one thing we don’t want is guys to catch and hold.”
Many of the seems to be Kuminga has taken have been clear alternatives off the catch. Towards the Pistons, he hit a stand-still trey from the wing off a De’Anthony Melton move and one other one off the bounce from the highest of the arc, dribbling into a straightforward one when his defender sagged off. Early within the third quarter, Kuminga didn’t hesitate to fireside in transition from the left wing.
Kuminga went 3-for-5 from deep, ending with 12 factors in 23 minutes.
Kuminga definitely nonetheless has room to enhance. He solely snagged two boards, which is a degree of emphasis. And even the Pistons, one of many worst groups within the league, had success driving by him. However the perimeter shot seems to be improved, and that’s the most important variable for him to play in Golden State’s most popular lineup configurations.
Spotlight of the sport
Trayce Jackson-Davis grew a quarter-inch to 6-foot-10 this summer time, and it confirmed in one of the best play of the evening.
Because the final line of protection in transition for Golden State, the second-year middle stoned Tobias Harris on the rim, then received a finger tip on Jalen Duren’s putback try.
The twin rejections led to a quick break that resulted in a Brandin Podziemski 3-pointer. Detroit promptly referred to as timeout, permitting Podziemski to hype up his understated rookie classmate with a shove within the chest.
“Just make a play on the ball, then try to be reactive,” Jackson-Davis stated postgame. “Saw Duren get it and try to make another player. Then I got hit, and I kind of saw (Podziemski) hit a 3, but I was a little bit out of it, got poked in the eye.”
They mixed for the spotlight reel on the evening by which the Warriors handed out bobbleheads of them high-fiving, no much less.
The 2 additionally created, satirically, the lowlight of the sport. With Jackson-Davis dealing with within the nook, Podziemski tried to dash round him for a handoff however ended up working into his teammate. After just a few moments on the court docket, Podziemski requested to be subbed out. He headed to the tunnel with coaching workers members and was dominated out with a nostril contusion.
Initially Revealed: October 13, 2024 at 7:43 p.m.
