SAN FRANCISCO — Ron Adams, a lifelong basketball savvy, walked down the stairs to the Warriors’ locker room Tuesday night and turned to Steve Kerr to message the Warriors’ coach. These guys can play.
This was my reaction after finishing Warriors’ 131-98 sweeping preseason win Above the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center. It was the concept of a game the Warriors lacked Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney.
“A beautiful night of basketball. Really fun to watch,” Kerr said.
Without an offensive fire engine (Green) and top two playmakers (Curry and Poole), the Warriors continued to show what was evident throughout training camp and the offseason. This is a group full of playmakers and high IQ guys, featuring multiple ball handlers and lots of ball stoppers.
During the regular season and playoffs, the Warriors’ magic number for assists is 30. Against the Blazers, they dished out 33. It was the first time the Warriors had hit his mark with 30 assists this preseason, and unselfishness took the lead. by a newcomer who continues to look perfectly fit.
Donte DiVincenzo started as a point guard alongside Moses Moody, Jonathan Cuminga, Jamaichal Green and James Wiseman. His two points in the Warriors’ first of the game, a nifty finish by Weisman, was assisted by DiVincenzo. So was their third. In the first quarter alone, DiVincenzo recorded his four assists.
He finished the night with a game-high 10 assists. DiVincenzo is entering his fifth year as a professional. In his fourth preseason game, his first start as a Warrior, he had double-digit assists, previously he had never scored that many in his NBA game. was.
“If you look out tonight, you can see Donte DiVincenzo play,” said Kerr, praising the Warriors’ depth.
But the newcomer was not alone. All but two of him, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Anthony Lamb, have recorded assists for the Warriors. Behind DiVincenzo’s dime was his dime distributed by his newcomer Ryan Rollins. Tuesday night was the most runs his second-round pick received in the preseason, and he stepped up with a bigger chance.
Rollins played 16 minutes and went 5-for-7 from the field, scoring 12 points and swiping two steals, in addition to five assists. Plus-minus his plus-15 led the bench.
One of the main reasons the Warriors brought in Ty Jerome after waiving Mac McClung is that Jerome is much more of a point guard and ball mover than McClung’s highlight reel style. , added three assists from the bench in his second preseason game and made two of his five shots from long range.
Franchise favorite Kindary Wetherspoon, who owns one of the Warriors’ two two-way contracts, was plus-14 with three assists total.
“The ball was moving, the players were moving — it was just beautiful basketball,” Kerr said.
Every year it feels like the Warriors are looking for a ball handler behind Curry and a ball handler at the top of the pyramid. Kerr shouldn’t need much cleaning this season.
The Warriors’ system is closest to Villanova’s system, which DiVincenzo was in, and has more responsibility with possession of the ball. Poole, of course, will take on his role as Golden State’s sixth man and become a major playmaker off the bench, but he continues to learn how to play off the ball like Curry. DiVincenzo should complement each other very well with its aggressive versatility.
Before Tuesday night, Rollins looked raw at the opportunity he was given, which is understandable. At that time, he was always considered a long-term player. But with more control, Rollins gave us a glimpse of what he could transform into.
Baldwin, only 19, is far from the bottom of the list when it comes to the Warriors’ basketball intelligence. His attacking game naturally leans toward scoring, but he’s far from being a ball stopper. The Warriors’ biggest culprit in that crime is Kuminga, who turned 20 earlier this month, and his overall skill set is 3-9, even though he’s 1-1 overall. , continuing to be a game-best plus-31 against the Blazers. for-5 on threes.
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Every night, Kerr can attack Curry, Green, Poole, DiVincenzo, or Iguodala. Moody can also find himself in that place. Rollins should one day, and others respect the work.
From top to bottom, from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, the Warriors are surrounded by playmakers, shot creators and altruistic plays. That was shown in the biggest win of the preseason, when the star sat on the sidelines and was able to jump out of his seat for his teammate.
