Warriors Summer League Playoff Scenarios; is this the best SL team in franchise history; Plus live reactions to Game 4, 5 and 6

a fun summer league so far

The master Summer League post index has links to all the game previews and reports, and the full Summer League schedule.

We Gonna Be Summer League Championship?

For the first time in a long while, we have to consider the possibility that the 2024 GSW Summer League team will make the SL playoffs. A win next time will almost surely clinch a semifinals spot. Here is the NBA on the SL Playoff rules:

Playoffs: After each team plays four games, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs. The two semifinal games will take place on July 21. The two winning teams from the semifinal games will meet in the championship game on July 22. The four playoff teams will be determined by winning percentage in each team’s first four games, with tiebreak criteria set forth below.

Consolation Games: The 26 teams that do not advance to the four-team playoff will play a fifth game on either July 20 or July 21.

Tiebreak Criteria

1. Two Teams Tied: If two teams have the same record after the first four games, the following criteria (in order) will be used:

• Head-to-head matchup: The team that won the game between the two teams, if applicable, will receive the higher seed.

• Point differential: The team with the greater point differential will receive the higher seed.

• Total Points: The team with the most total points will receive the higher seed.

• Random drawing: If necessary, the higher seed will be determined by a “coin flip.”

2. More Than Two Teams Tied: If more than two teams have the same record after the first four games, the following criteria (in order) will be used:

• Point differential: The team with the greater point differential will receive the higher seed.

• Total Points: The team with the most total points will receive the higher seed.

• Random drawing: If necessary, the higher seed will be determined by a coin flip.

Playoff Scenarios

Currently, GSW is tied with MIA, MEM, LAC and SAS at 3-0. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 4 of these teams played pre-Las Vegas summer league games. I bet there will be more and more regional CA Classic type tournaments. There’s an audience, the basketball isn’t bad, and the crowds are WAY more fun.

GSW plays OKC (0-3) in the finale. A win will clinch the playoffs as GSW has a 33 points higher point differential than SAS, unless SAS wins by 33 plus GSW’s winning differential or something crazy.

If GSW loses, they will need help. The other teams have opponents MIA v TOR (2-1), MEM v NOP (0-3), LAC v UTA (2-1) and SAS v PHI (2-1) and one of them will have to lose. Then there will be a lot of teams tied at 3-1 and GSW will need to have the best point differential.

The best GSW Summer League team in history?

2024 GSW SL is the best recent SL team for sure. Last year’s team managed to go 0-5 despite having four NBA players on it: Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Lester Quinones and Gui Santos.

The only GSW SL to win the championship was the 2013 GSW SL team, which went 7-0 to cruise to the first official Las Vegas Summer League championship over PHX (who had the Morris twins and a young PJ Tucker.)

The 2013 team boasted 2nd year pros Draymond Green and Kent Bazemore, along with some undrafted kid named Ian Clark.

However, as to whether 2013 or 2024 is the best GSW SL team in history, we also have to consider the 2012 team. The 2012 team not only had rookies Draymond Green and Kent Bazemore but also rookie Harrison Barnes, and as an extra bonus, rookie Festus Ezeli, second year pro Charles Jenkins and Chris Wright. This would already be overpowered, but I didn’t even mention their leading scorer Klay Thompson, entering his second year and sitting in for two games after playing on the USA Select team (sound familiar?) to power out a line of 20.5 / 6.0 / 4.5 / 1.5 / 1.5. This team went 5-0, but there was no Summer League playoff in that year.

That announcer sounds familiar… I wonder who that is?

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Apricot’s Live Comments

Apricot’s Game 4 Live Comments

• Olympics basketball starts around Jul 27, so there is plenty of time for Gui Santos to play GSW SL. However, BRA may play exhibition matches like USA MBB is doing, so I don’t really know whether Gui is playing SL or not. He’s on the official roster.

  • I assume and hope someone will ask Coach Vereen about Gui at the pre-game press availability….

• Don’t worry, you won’t have to watch… I’m sure everyone will post an overreaction the minute Gui or Quinten plays.

• [[ #Warriors' Trayce Jackson-Davis spoke to @Sportskeeda on: US Select Team, training w/ Brandin Podziemski, Draymond's defensive advice, Klay's departure, dunk on Wemby/block on Jaylen Brown & why he's "very comfortable" with a bigger role next season. ]]

  • Good interview, but the site does have the vibe that you are catching a new virus with every paragraph

• At Coach Vereen’s availability yesterday, he sounded like both Post and Beekman would NOT play today, due to Ramping Up™

• Hey Quinndary Weatherspoon! Back in the G-League with PHX after playing in China.

• TJD is working on his defensive communication. He navigated that play nicely where Quinndary set a back screen on him to force a switch and then on a handoff, TJD scram switched with another defender to avoid being ISOed.

  • [Is his communication bad?] Hard to tell as a fan, but he, Podz and others have said the vocal communication is what he’s working on and that it’s already better…

• Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro looking good on defense as advertised, a rough matchup for Collins and Podz at point. Ryan and Oso looking really rough on offense, also as advertised.

• Gorgeous semi-no-look pass from Podz to baseline backdoor cutter

• I’m not sure this is a hot take, but I don’t think people should take charges or play zone in Summer League.

• I imagine some team will offer Plowden a two way, so I think it would have to be a GSW offering him a two way. But Post and Beekman will have two ways. I assume that Pat Spencer is holding on to his, but I don’t have confirmation. In any case, it is easy for a team to waive a two way, so it is possible Plowden is playing his way into Spencer or Beekman’s two way.

  • [Can Post have a roster spot to free up a two-way for Plowden?] I don’t see how that can happen unless there is a trade, as GSW has 14 players without Post and they are about 700k under the hard cap first apron level, so they can’t offer a full season minimum.

• Yuri has looked bad, but to be fair, he is trying to take Ryan Dunn off the dribble, who I must emphasize is considered the best defender of this draft class.

  • Yuri has been on SCW and played okay. He’s short so I don’t consider him a serious candidate to make the NBA. (Officially 6-0.)

• I know summer league wins don’t mean anything and people are just working on their game, but it is WAY more fun to watch SL when the team is playing well.

Apricot’s Game 5 Live Comments

• Beekman was held out after Game 2, possibly because of minor injury and that he played a back to back. Pat Spencer had some minor injury in Game 1 and he's been held out. Post is Ramping Up™ Bolden, I have seen no updates on his injury.

• The interviews where they shrink the screen are idiotic. I don't see how that appeals to casuals, and hardcore fans will be annoyed Doris and Mark mostly took it seriously, but yes it was horrible the way they were rooting for the game to end for the last five minutes of game time.

• On the two-ways, I imagine they have to give Post a two-way since that was likely the agreement at draft time. I am guessing they may have given Beekman a quiet guarantee of a two-way since he probably had multiple suitors. But that is just a guess. Spencer is 28 and played most of two seasons in the G-League without anyone else picking him up on a two-way or ten-day. So he seems the most likely to be replaced if GSW wants to clear a spot for Plowden.

  • I think Beekman probably had multiple suitors for his two-way, so I am guessing (GUESS) that GSW will keep him, as it would be a very bad look with agents for GSW to dump him from his two-way after he chose them, after two summer league games.

• [Will the two-ways get any minutes?] Maybe not, but Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb played a lot of minutes as two-ways. So Kerr's not afraid to use two-ways...

• [On Quinones getting his two-way pulled] Aha, I forgot that happened. We’ll see, I’m only guessing. However, my vague memory is feeling like they informally signed Quinones a few days after the draft (as opposed to Beekman being informally signed right after the draft). To me this suggests a different level of competition to sign Beekman. With Lester, I remember thinking (perhaps unfairly) he was signed because he was friends with Wiseman from Memphis.

  • [belilaugh found a tweet indicating it was the same as Beekman]

• Plowden is working hard on the offensive boards. I think trying to show off nonscoring dimensions of his game

• Sorkin getting some extra time due to Bolden's injury. But CHI is going right at him, not respecting his rim protection.

• Really glad that Podz is hitting his open threes.

• [Plowden] My heart says he's fun to watch. My brain says that Plowden had two years in the G-League for every team in the league to scout, and he still hasn't gotten a two-way contract. So he still has something to prove.

• Coach Vereen throwing down the challenge to keep his star Podz happy

• Interesting play Q2.6.57. PNR coverage confused. Sorkin switched to Buzelis, Scott stayed with Buzelis, so the screener had a clean roll to the basket. Podz huddles together with them right after to straighten it out.

• Q2.6.30. Buzelis goes back to attacking Sorkin-Scott in PNR. Scott seems to be getting ready to fight over the screen and Buzelis ball fakes, rejects screen, floats over the heady rotation from Podz.

• The main post describes Post's situation with injury. He will sign a two way unless there is a trade and they need his rookie minimum to sign.

• Yes I think it's time to shut [Podz and TJD] down. Beekman and Post should be ready soon (they've been practicing) so they can take over PG/C.

• Podz with speed turns that break into a 2-on-1 and he saw Plowden all the way. Plowden is very good at cutting off ball. He's got memorable baseline cuts, 45 degree cuts weak side, and of course that sky high tip dunk. I wonder if he's been dinged in past stops as someone who doesn't create shots well.

• Podz, in true Steph disciple fashion, is now going for highlight passes to set up other guys, while Trayce is engaged in hand to hand combat with the bruising big man Sanogo.

Apricot’s Game 6 Live Comments

• [Bonus Olympics Note] Q3.8.20. Steph set a fantastic snowplow screen to drive his man into Bron's. 99% of viewers won't notice that Steph made that play, but Steph knows and he victory fist pumped afterwards.

• Podz and Trayce in street clothes on the bench. Also I think Post in street clothes, or if not him then some other guy much taller than the rest of the SL Warriors.

• Sorkin starting at C. With no Trayce and Post… I’m not sure there are any more centers?

• Sorkin intimidates two shots at the rim. Then with a suave spin move for a layup. Pat Spencer, kind of auditioning to keep his two-way, immediately loses the ball.

• Spencer has been pushing the pace well. He hit two open corner 3s and also hit the swooping hook shot that Podz never got the hang of this season.

• Vescovi with some surprising speed turning the corner on that handoff. On D, Gets walked into the basket for an and-1. Then outfights in the air for a rebound, races down court and passes for an open corner three.

• In-game interview. Podz attempting to trigger a paradox by wearing a t-shirt with two large heads of… Podz.

• Mr. Plow nice pass to Spencer for Hire backdoor cut layup. Then Spencer pass back to Mr. Plow. <fitz> That name again is Mr. PLOW </fitz>

• Yuri almost with the funniest four point play in history. Half court heave at the buzzer — to his credit, none of this “shoot right after the buzzer” crap — and he gets fouled. The shot hits the back of the rim, flies way up in the air and then almost falls in. Actually gets 3 FT after a review.

• The CA Classic team play overall is worse than LV, because of the short time between the draft and the games, but the crowds are so much bigger and so much more fun.

• Sorkin with his most dominant minute. Dribbles all the way down the court, kick out to corner, rebounds the miss with a loud dunk.

• I was distracted because Lacob was getting way out over his skis talking about how he expects Podziemski to be an all-star.

• [On why GSW center draft picks are always injured for summer league] Final Destination: Dub Center Edition

• On a jagged possession (when Emoni Bates almost threw the ball into the backcourt), Mr. Plow kept switching to stay defending the ball handler. Reminded me a bit of JK’s attitude… I like to see that defensive pride of a stopper.

• Jimmy Whitt sighting. Immediately turns the ball over. Next play, Vescovi — with the true spirit of the Steph Warriors — tries to force feed the ball to Whitt and turns it over.

• [Vanwaril wonders why late picks seem to have improved.] There have been a few expected value curves computed for draft picks. They are online though not at my fingertips. I don't think they've studied trends over time. It's a little hard because the data is so noisy already that it's hard to meaningfully compare even a five year stretch to another stretch.

  • I think three big recent contributors to the improvement in talent of the late second round picks are:

    • (1) COVID. Everyone who played in 2020 and 2021 got an extra year of NCAA eligibility. That caused a backlog of players staying in school longer and finally coming out when their five years were up. For instance, the 2024 Draft Tourney is stacked with excellent four and five year players.

    • (2) Name Image Likeness $. Now players can earn a very healthy living as a college player, plus...

    • (3) Easier Transfer Portal. Now transfer players don't have to sit out a year and can leave a bad situation for a better one (or a good one for a more lucrative one).

  • (1) - (3) adds up to a bunch of players staying in school longer and getting better and coming out into a draft where young age is (in my opinion) overrated.