Warriors Summer League Game 2: Performance Breakdown
By Greg Chin
The Golden State Warriors kept their winning streak at Summer League alive with a two-point comeback win against the Phoenix Suns.
In Steve Kerr’s second game of coaching, the Warriors defeated the Suns in a hard-fought win which featured runs from both teams. The Warriors finally won it on a Justin Holiday putback after Nemanja Nedovic missed his 3 point attempt.
Here’s my post-game reaction on a few key players on the Warriors Summer League roster:
Nemanja Nedovic
The “European Derrick Rose” had a trying outing, scoring only nine points on 2-for-9 shooting. He was aggressive from the get go, driving frequently into the lane and getting to the lane five times. While he struggled to shoot the ball well, he was successful in pushing the ball in transition and making sure that the Warriors kept up the tempo.
Nedovic was again the primary ball handler for the Warriors, with Kerr willing to trust the second-year point guard with leading the offense. The Warriors will be hoping for more from Nedovic during the Summer League, as he presents the best prospect to making the NBA team.
James Michael McAdoo
McAdoo had three rebounds and six points on 3-for-11 shooting to go along with five personal fouls. These numbers aren’t great for McAdoo, but he was effective in doing the little things that don’t show up on the box score. McAdoo was active in setting picks for the Warriors, and had a team high two steals to show for his defensive efforts. His active hands and quick footwork helped the Warriors defensively, and has shown a willingness to shoot from around the free throw line in a pick-and-pop situation.
McAdoo also showed defensive hustle as he fought for loose balls and rebounds. He has a penchant for making rash decisions at times, as seen in his five turnovers and shot selection. If he can reel himself in and improve on his decision making, he can be the missing big man the Warriors are currently lacking. Keep an eye on McAdoo, as he has the skills and willingness to be a solid rotation big man in the NBA.
Kuzmic collected 10 rebounds and was active on the defensive end, but faltered offensively. He was rarely given the opportunity in offensive sets, and when he did, wasn’t able to do much with the chance. His footwork is slow, which is almost a given for 7-foot centers. Kuzmic set some pretty mean screens on unsuspecting guards, but apart from that, he was very quiet on the offensive end.
Justin Holiday
Holiday was the pick of the bunch from the Warriors second game, with 29 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He was active on the glass, collecting 13 rebounds in total, with seven coming on the offensive glass. He was the only Warrior to score from the 3-point line, making 2 threes in total.
Holiday heated up in the second quarter, where he scored nine points straight. His athleticism was on show, as he scored on an impressive array of dunks. Holiday was quiet on the defensive end, but committed no glaring mistakes.
One note of concern was that Holiday tends to have tunnel vision at times. There were occasions where he would put his head down and force his way into the paint, while his teammates were left standing wide open. While this could be a product of Summer League, teams interested might be put off by his selfish nature.
Aside from that, Holiday had a good game and showed GMs and coaches sitting in the stands his well-rounded skill set.
Aaron Craft
The undrafted Ohio State guard played the most minutes of anyone on the bench (22:56) and was also part of the lineup that finished the game. He scored eight points on 2-for-3 shooting, but it was on the defensive end where he really shined.
Craft stuck to his assignment and chased his player around screens. It’s not often you see defensive hustle in Summer League games, but Craft took it to a whole new level — even picking up his man in a full court press. Craft had some hustle plays that drew the cheers of the crowd and showed Kerr what he could expect from him if he is added to the team roster.
Craft’s passing ability and court vision was also on display, as he zipped passes to his teammates. Kerr trusted Craft with the ball in the final possession, and that shows a lot, especially when you have a two-year NBA guard in Nedovic. Craft led the offense with a calm head, and was interested in getting teammates shot attempts.
However, the criticisms surrounding Craft’s lack of shooting really showed this game. Craft gave up multiple shot attempts, preferring to pass up open shots. He had a team low in shot attempts, but showed his worth as a slasher. He got to the basket a few times, but due to his small stature, had to give his shot a lot of air.
His defense may win games in Summer League, but in the NBA, where teams are not shy from leaving non-shooters open, he may struggle.