Should the Warriors be concerned with their poor Summer League record?

The Golden State Warriors suffered a 90-82 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, their third defeat in four games at the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Warriors have utilized five members likely to be a part of their roster – lottery picks James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, along with two-way players Quinndary Weatherspoon and Lester Quinones.

Should the Gollden State Warriors be concerned with their poor Las Vegas Summer League record given the high expectations?

The Warriors also added last season’s G-league MVP, Mac McClung, to their roster in the days prior to the tournament.

With a plethora of talent lining up, expectations were high for a roster some were labeling on social media as the ‘Summer League Superteam’.

The Warriors have the second worst net rating in Summer League, with their sole win coming through a comeback one-point win over the San Antonio Spurs.

While the players have individually shown some positive signs, this ultimately looks like a team of players prioritizing their own games over team success.

Take Jonathan Kuminga for example – he’s taking advantage of being the primary offensive option, rather than an ancillary piece on the main squad.

As a result of his high usage rate, the 19-year-old is averaging a productive 19.3 points, yet he’s shooting just 40.6% from the floor and 20% from three-point range.

Moody, the Warriors’ 14th overall pick in 2021, began Summer League with an impressive 34-point performance against the New York Knicks. He’s often played one further game, with Golden State losing both he’s taken part in.

Wiseman, the second overall pick in 2020, has had a positive return in his three games. He’s averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and two blocks in 20 minutes per game.

Questions have been raised about the combination of him and Kuminga together, but this is baby steps for the pair as they take to the floor for the first time. The latter had a great perspective on the long-term outlook of the duo.

This is ultimately what Summer League is about – developing the future rather than team success in a tournament that means very little in that aspect.

The Warriors are about winning NBA championships, not Summer Leagues ones. Of course, ideally, they would have won more games in Las Vegas, but this is hardly a concern in the Warriors’ long-term aspirations.