Warriors latest signing makes exciting debut that should have fans intrigued

Two-way contracted forward Malevy Leons has made an exciting debut for the Santa Cruz Warriors, dropping 19 points despite a 112-103 loss to the San Diego Clippers on Saturday night.

Leons signed a two-way deal with the Warriors earlier in the week, having replaced 52nd overall pick Alex Toohey who was waived after revelations of the Australian forward needing season-ending knee surgery.

Malevy Leons already has Warriors fans intrigued after G League debut

Leons got the start and showcased a versatile skillset in his first G League outing with Santa Cruz, finishing with 19 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block while shooting 8-of-12 from the floor.

The Dutch forward has joined Golden State with the reputation as a defensive-first player, while also being a credible catch-and-shoot threat. However, Leons was determined to showcase more than that in his first game with the franchise, finishing on the roll occasionally and finding Ja'Vier Francis with a beautiful behind the back dime during the third-quarter.

Unfortunately the addition of Leons didn't do much to halt a rough start to the season for Santa Cruz, with a familiar face ruining their winning hopes after holding a two-point lead at half-time.

Former Golden State first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. dropped a team-high 21 points for the Clippers on 8-of-15 shooting from the floor, while also adding five rebounds, two assists and three steals as the 23-year-old looks to work his way back into the league after being waived by Los Angeles prior to the season.

Young guard LJ Cryer continues to be a beacon of light for the Warriors in an otherwise dark G League season to date, having gone for another game-high 24 points and six assists on 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.

After proving a standout in preseason before being waived, Cryer's impressive G League form has already seen the 24-year-old work his way up to a two-way contract in favor of Jackson Rowe who was waived at the start of the month.

Starting center Marques Bolden had 20 points and 14 rebounds for Santa Cruz on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, while Taevion Kinsey added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting as the fourth Warrior in double figures.

With Cryer and now Leons, there is at least some level of intrigue to a Santa Cruz team that are now 1-12 on the season. Leons will continue to be an interesting player to monitor, having averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds on 43.8% shooting from 3-point range in 12 games with the Oklahoma City Blue this season prior to his arrival at the Warriors.

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