We've got to that point of the offseason where rosters are near completion and fans should be talking themselves into the upside their team possesses. Only that's difficult to do when it comes to the Golden State Warriors.
Take a recent article from Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, for example, who explained why Malevy Leons could carve out meaningful minutes on the Warrior roster next season. The feedback to it was largely negative, pointing to a quiet roster mistake Golden State are making by bringing Leons back for a second year.
Warriors are making quiet roster mistake by persisting with Malevy Leons
Having Leons on a two-way contract or off the roster isn't going to dictate the outcome of Golden State's season, but fans are rightfully frustrated that we're having this conversation in August after what we saw at the end of last season.
Leons is intruiging. He's a long 6'9" forward who can theoretically do a bit of everything and compete on both ends of the floor. But put simply, the Warriors are in trouble if he's getting consistent minutes early in the season.
Golden State held a 4-14 record when the Dutchman played more than four minutes last season after he joined on a two-way contract in December. That's not his fault given the team's spate of injuries, but earning minutes early next season would be indicative of the Warriors finding themselves in a similarly rough spot again.
Leons was fine during summer league where he helped the Warriors to the championship, but he wasn't necessarily a standout in a way Yaxel Lendeborg was, nor fellow two-way contracted player LJ Cryer.
Warriors should be taking higher upside swing with two-way spot
The problem with this is that Leons actually has to play next season to really justify being on a two-way contract. He's going to be 27-years-old by opening night, meaning this isn't really a player Golden State are gambling on for the long-term.
Even accounting for the team's injury issues, it would be difficult to see a pair of two-way contracted players earning regular minutes through the first-half of the season. There's no doubt Cryer deserves to be above Leons in the pecking order, both through his own play and the shot-making needs of the team.
The Warriors should be taking a higher upside swing than a 27-year-old on a two-way deal. Give that spot to a 22-year-old Lajae Jones. If you want to fill a need, sign Graham Ike for some insurance behind the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. Leons being on a two-way contract isn't the end of the world, but it's reflective of an underwhelming offseason where the front office has been adverse to trying something new.
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