It may seem out of place to focus on two-way contract players at this point in the preseason, especially considering the fact that there's still, at least nominally, a battle being waged for the Golden State Warriors' 14th and 15th roster spots. But this team is going to need everyone on its roster to be capable of contributing by the end of the season, and as such, they need to choose each of their contract spots carefully.
As of now, their three two-way spots are designated to LJ Cryer, Malevy Leons, and Graham Ike. Cryer and Ike are likely both locks to hang onto those spots. Cryer presents a perimeter-shooting skill set that could be very useful by season's end, and with Kristaps Porzinigis still missing from practice, the Warriors simply don't have the flexibility in their big man rotation to move on from Ike.
If any of those pieces isn't fully safe, then, it's Leons. Former second-round pick Alex Toohey received an invite to training camp, and he showed some flashes against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night that finally showed what Golden State saw in him when they made that selection. If Golden State feels as though Toohey can develop into a rotation-ready player this season, they may be willing to take a flyer on him over Leons.
But after a rough stint with the Warriors last season, Leons is back at full health, and his performance on Sunday against Los Angeles was a solid start to his defense of his two-way spot with the team.
Malevy Leons isn't going to have a major role this season—but he's quietly proving he's worthy of his opportunity
As long as Georges Niang remains on the roster, the Warriors aren't going to have an immediate need for Leons—even with Jimmy Butler out until at least mid-season. Leons simply doesn't have the floor-spacing abilities nor the potential offensive impact to displace Niang in terms of the Warriors' rotational flexibility.
If we're going purely based off of last season's sample size, moreover, Leons likely shouldn't even be on the roster. Across 25 games in the Warriors' depleted rotation, Leons averaged just 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 44.4% from the floor. He looked ineffective with the ball in his hands and timid working his way to the basket for much of his stint with the team.
But Leons also suffered a wrist injury last season that forced him even to take free throws with his non-shooting hand. He likely shouldn't have been playing through that ailment, but Golden state was at the point where they had no other options.
In his first preseason matchup with the team, we saw a glimpse of what Leons can be. He was active over the course of the game, cutting to the basket and working his way into the structure of the offense as a whole, and he was even playing some solid perimeter defense when the opportunity presented itself. In just under 10 minutes on the court, Leons posted eight points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
That alone is more activity than we saw from him at any point last season.
He also built up some momentum in Summer League, which is notable considering how ineffective he was for much of last season. Across nine games between Las Vegas and the California Classic, Leons averaged 9.6 points on 56.5% shooting from the field.
Leons' ability to hang onto his two-way spot is going to hinge on acclimating himself to Golden State's new offensive structure, serving as an outlet along the baseline and remaining active as a rebounder and an at-rim finisher. He accomplished that goal on Sunday, and that's already a major first step toward fending off Toohey's bid for a two-way spot.
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