There was significant anticipation among fans for Alex Toohey's debut with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at Chase Center, but things didn't quite go according to plan for the Australian forward or his teammates for that matter.
After a hard-fought 90-88 loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, the Warriors suffered their second-straight defeat to end their California Classic campaign, falling 93-79 to the Miami Heat.
Alex Toohey endured a tough start in his Warrior debut
Toohey displayed his intriguing blend of size, ball-handling and defensive versatility in the first-quarter, recording four points and three rebounds in eight minutes which included going 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Unfortunately there weren't too many positives to point to beyond that, with the 52nd overall pick finishing with six points and six rebounds in his 24 minutes. Toohey did get his first field-goal in a Warrior jersey with a layup in the final minutes, but otherwise finished just 1-of-5 shooting from the floor which included missing all three of his 3-point attempts.
Perhaps most concerning were his four turnovers, including an early one where he was stripped dribbling in transition which led to a Heat layup. An underwhelming debut was typified by Toohey finishing a game-worst -34, with the Golden State starters easily outplayed by their Miami counterparts.
Full sequence of Alex Toohey’s first made basket with the Warriors pic.twitter.com/JRGytmTR5l
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) July 9, 2025
The Warriors' other recent pick in last month's NBA Draft, Will Richard, followed his 16-point performance on Sunday with 12 points and five rebounds in just over 20 minutes. The 56th overall pick shot just 6-of-15 in the process though, and is now 2-of-11 from beyond the arc over his first two games.
Expected two-way contracted guard Taran Armstrong continued to show his playmaking prowess with seven assists and just two turnovers, but the ability to create for himself remains a question after only five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the floor. Armstrong also committed seven fouls and was a -33 in his 25 minutes.
Jackson Rowe was again Golden State's best player, going for 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting while adding two rebounds, two assists and three steals as the 28-year-old forward continues to push for another two-way contract with the franchise.
While not a great start for Toohey, there's certainly a grace period for him to acclimatize and a whole Las Vegas stint of Summer League ahead in which he has the opportunity to impress. The Warriors will play their first game in Vegas against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.