Warriors unleash their next sharpshooter after quiet offseason signing

The Golden State Warriors have unleashed their next sharpshooter at Summer League on Sunday, with undrafted guard LJ Cryer exploding with four first-half threes against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center.

Cryer lit up the building in an explosive first-half, but didn't take another field-goal attempt until nearly halfway through the fourth-quarter as the Warriors fell 90-88 in their second outing at the California Classic.

LJ Cryer could prove the Warriors' next sharpshooter

Cryer finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range in a little under 23 minutes. It comes after the 23-year-old had eight points on 2-of-3 from distance in Sunday's 89-84 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, having only played 15 minutes in a bench role.

The absence of Australian point guard Taran Armstrong on Sunday allowed Cryer to step into a starting role, forcing Golden State fans to sit up and take notice with some exquisite shot-making that had become a staple of his time at Baylor and Houston across a five-year college career.

Cryer averaged 15.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in his 32.7 minutes per game with the Cougars last season, shooting 42.4% from 3-point range on over seven attempts per game.

In fact, the 6'1" guard shot a blistering 41.3% from beyond the arc across his collegiate career, demonstrating his shot-making ability that included doing it on the big stage with a team-high 19 points and four threes in the NCAA Championship game against Will Richard's Florida Tigers.

Yet despite these 3-point numbers, Cryer went undrafted in the second-round last month. While there was much fanfare over Golden State selecting Richard and Australian forward Alex Toohey late in the draft, the post-draft signing of Cryer went far more under the radar.

There's certainly question marks on Cryer's ability to hold up defensively given his smaller frame, but the fact he was a +14 on Sunday is another reiteration of the fact the Warriors were much better when he was on the floor.

He may not remain at the scorching 70% (7-of-10) he's shot from distance over the first two games in a Golden State jersey, yet the college numbers suggests this is no flash in the pan. Cryer will be hoping to continue his hot start over the remainder of Summer League, with the hope that he'll be invited to training camp with the Warriors and even push for a two-way contract.

For a team that revolutionized 3-point shooting with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Cryer may now be the latest sharpshooter to join Golden State's ranks and make an impact.