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Which Summer Leaguers Could Make Dubs Roster?

By Owen Dillon

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The Summer League-Warriors, coached by Assistant Coach Luke Walton, have played four games at the writing of this article, and they are an even 2-2.

The roster features multiple players from the Warriors D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, including point guard Aaron Craft, forward James Michael McAdoo and center Ognjen Kuzmic, the latter two who spent significant time on the Golden State Warriors’ roster but also played for Santa Cruz on multiple occasions. The roster also includes a splash of local college talent, namely Stanford guard Chasson Randle, Stanford forward/center Stefan Nastic, and Cal Berkeley forward/center David Kravish. First round draft pick Kevon Looney rounds out the notable names who are playing in Vegas for the Dubs.

The real question, however, is this: Can any of these players crack the Golden State Warriors’ regular season roster or get a larger role in the rotation?

The real question, however, is this: Can any of these players crack the Golden State Warriors regular season roster, or get a larger role in the rotation?

Aaron Craft, a true point guard, has often been described by his coaches as a true leader. During his days at Ohio State, Craft was the starting point guard and on-court coach for the Buckeyes, as they made multiple deep NCAA tournament runs.

Craft was well-known as a respected teammate and competitor and, no pun intended, his crafty play. Craft seemed to be in the right place at the right time always, and was possibly the best defender in the NCAA during his college days. Craft would famously pick the opposing point guard up at half-court and hound them into passing the ball well in front of the three point line.

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Craft has had a solid Summer League campaign, averaging 4.0 rebounds a game, 4.75 assists a game, and 1.5 steals a game. Those stats will blow no one away, but his contributions to the team can not be counted by the stats, as he is such a natural leader on the court, and directs all of his teammates on the court. As a true point guard, Craft is more than happy to make two passes a possession, even if his passes don’t end up in an assist. Due to this attitude on the court, his stats will never make you do a double take, but the coaches at the Summer League are surely noticing his leadership and team-first play style.

It is unlikely that he will make the Warriors roster this year, however, but if he ends up in Santa Cruz for another year, I could easily see him suiting up for the big league Warriors once in a while, á la James Michael McAdoo.

Apr 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward James Michael McAdoo (20) reacts after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 133-126. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Next, is James Michael McAdoo himself. McAdoo manned the end of the bench last season, along with Justin Holiday, now of the Atlanta Hawks, and Kuzmic. McAdoo would often be working on his long-range shot after practices at the Warriors’ facility, and it was obvious that he wanted to make his game a bit more versatile, much like Draymond Green, so that he could fit into the Warriors system better, and deliver when he was asked to enter the game. His hard work seems to be paying off so far, as McAdoo’s Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is 21.45 during this Summer League, up from 6.58 last year. McAdoo has looked like the best player on the Summer League roster at almost all times, even better than first-round pick Kevon Looney.

McAdoo’s experience would presumably help his cause to make the Warriors roster, as he was a part of the roster throughout most of the season, and all of the playoffs. McAdoo, however, is looking for a larger role on the team this upcoming season. McAdoo plays the power forward position, which is relatively crowded on the Dubs’ roster this year. Draymond Green starts at the 4, and is backed up by Marreese Speights. David Lee played behind Speights last year, but with Lee now in Boston and Gerald Wallace, who was on the other end of the trade, will presumably be moved to another team before the season starts. That leaves the spot behind Speights open. As it looks right now, McAdoo is the favorite for the spot, but Kevon Looney has shown flashes of potential that can not be counted out.

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kevon Looney (UCLA) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number thirty overall pick to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kevon Looney was the 30th overall selection in the NBA draft in early July, and seems to fit the Warriors’ system perfectly. He is a lengthy player who can stretch the floor from the 4, as he has a sweet shooting stroke, and he can defend multiple positions. The only thing holding him back, however, is polish. He has the potential to develop into a very good player for the Dubs, but as of right now, all he has is potential.

He hasn’t looked like the best player on the Warriors’ team, but has had multiple flashes of talent, defense, and shooting. In a recent game against the Kings, Looney seemed to always be in the right place at the right time, and had a very good knack for the ball. Looney nabbed multiple offensive rebounds, and whenever there was a scrum for a loose ball, he seemed to always come out of it with the ball looking to pass the ball up the court.

At other times, however, he seemed a bit confused and out of place. While Looney will certainly develop into a good player, he really needs playing time to develop, but the Warriors have very little playing time to offer him at this point. I would not be surprised if Looney started the season in the D-League, where he would be able to hone his skills, and learn the system better, so that when his number is called, he will be ready.

The local college players: Randle, Nastic, and Kravish all have much lower chances to make the Warriors roster. Randle, Stanford’s best player for a few seasons now, was a very good scorer in college, but he has yet to prove that he can transition that scoring into the NBA. His court vision is lacking and he still has not developed much of a passing game. Randle could end up in Santa Cruz, for the D-League Warriors, but it is much more likely that he will be playing on a different D-League team, as Craft is holding down the point guard position in Santa Cruz at this point.

Stefan Nastic is another player that will most likely not end up in the Warriors’ organization. Nastic is a very good shooter for his size (6’11), but he does not rebound well for his position, or defend very well. The same goes for David Kravish, as both of the players simply have not looked good enough for a spot on the Santa Cruz roster yet, but could be signed by another D-League team. I expect both players to play overseas, where their shooting as big men could be more appreciated.

Where do you think these players will end up? Could Aaron Craft replace Justin Holiday on the Warriors’ roster? Let me know in the comments below.

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