Notes on Summer League, Kuminga and Moody debuts & Open Thread
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We finished the California Classic!
Next stop is the Las Vegas Summer League.
Monday, August 9, Orlando Magic, 5 p.m, Thomas & Mack Center, NBCSBA, NBATV
Wednesday, August 11, Toronto Raptors, 5 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, ESPN2
Friday, August 13, Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 p.m., Cox Pavilion, ESPN2
Sunday, August 15, New Orleans Pelicans, 6 p.m., Cox Pavilion, ESPN2
This is a shame because Gary Payton II and Jeff Dowtin were two highlights of the California Classic.
Apricot's In-Game Notes from Wed Aug 4
All right! Are you ready to decide if the front office are geniuses or idiots based on a scrimmage?? LET'S GET RRRREADY TO OVERRRRRRRRR-REAAAAAAACT
Can't make too much of small sample +/-. But Kuminga +7, Moody +1, GP2 +7, Jessup -21 feels about right
Jonathan Kuminga
GSW runs their one play, that HORNS set I described. Kuminga drives and kicks into a turnover. But he kicked it out!!
Kuminga drives and tries to draw a foul while flinging up an airball jumper. Blow up the team.
Kuminga with some power moves around the basket. Using strength and leverage really well. I think that's the kind of NBA-ready skill we need to build on. The whole PNR creator is definitely a work in progress.
Kuminga with an ugly pass out of the post behind a cutting Jessup. BUT HE PASSED IT. And then takes an open 3 (correct play I think) which I think beaned a security guard
Kuminga with a very aggressive pass on the fast break which pegged a kid in the front row
I've seen Kuminga multiple times think about hoisting up a shot, pull it back and swing it around.
Enjoying watching Kuminga try to guard Yurtseven. He shoved Kuminga to the ground on the last drive.
Kuminga with a nice find (but cannon-like pass) of #6 and Moody sneaks in for the putback.
Defenders bounce off of him
Kuminga has been wrestling hard with #65 and #77 for boards. He drew a foul on #65 on one play, tossed #77 to the floor on another (hahaha). Feels like he's starting to take it personally and also realizes that on Team Shrimp he is the only one with a prayer of slowing those bigs down. Then the crossover into dunk
Kuminga's defense continues to be good, sturdy and active... I really like how he fought with the MIA bigs who were annoyingly bullies.... maybe a tendency to gamble. He's so solid that when he drives, defenders bounce off him and he has decent touch off the glass. His passes and jumper require a fan waiver from the constant threat he'll toss one off your forehead. He throws passes about twice as hard as optimal. He does have some tunnel vision, but I can see him trying really hard to run the offense and get other players involved.
Kuminga starts on a wing #31 who gets a stagger screen and hits the catch and shoot 3. JK moves over to guard Yurtseven and fights some more. Then YES Kuminga breaks up the lob to him. ALERT ALERT KUMINGA HIT A CORNER 3
[Another of Kuminga’s 6 TOs] At least he was trying to skip pass to Moody in the weak corner. We have to encourage every pass!! What, you want the passes to be CATCHABLE?? Never satisfied
I'm pretty sure Kuminga goaltended that, but he got the f up there to do it
Kuminga back to guarding the center... really battling #72. HA HA, he drew the offensive foul. Nothing against the Heat bigs, but they are beating the crap out of our players
Kuminga had too many dunk options there and forgot to secure the ball
Moses Moody
Moody with a very awkward looking drive which gets free throws. He has that special "draw foul without constant flopping" quality
MOODY HIT AN OPEN CORNER THREE. Unblow up the team!! Then Moody with a nice drive and kick, an unpleasant pass to GP2 who misses the open 3.
MODDY MOOSES CORNER 3 again
haha when Moses drove into that gap, I was sure it would be either a foul or an awkward layup. (was the latter). But then a nice finish on the break. Then draws a charge defending baseline drive.
Moody's drives are interesting... sometimes they work and he has the knack for drawing fouls. But when he's stopped, he picks up his dribble and the entire play has to reset. He's not at the point where the team gets advantage by warping the defense.
Moody could def play a good Oubre role, like pick up loose change points, hit open 3s, move the ball, defend like a terror. And not resent it.
Well, the quite unlikely Moody drive and kick to a GP2 three was fun
Moody's handle and drives have a kind of clunkiness to them. But that was a sweeeet pass to Dowtin
Other Players
Jessup with a good switch. Then no hesitation on a very bricky three. Jaquori cans the open three next.
Jaquori looking calmer and more patient than yesterday. Good find of cutter.
Dowtin can pass too? good find of GP2 on the baseline cut.
Feels like GP2 has had five consecutive steals/deflections. Team trying hard to get Schakel the ball on his spot up shots, but MIA is selfishly overplaying him there.
Gary Payton the Second. If you don't like that, you don't like chaotic Summer League scrimmages!!
Heeyyy, Shackel got an open look and cans the 3. Twice. He is quite a nice shooter. But in this chaotic setting, doesn't feel like he's contributing much if he's not open, and even if he is Dowtin the Closer is in.
[On Dowtin] haha I was just thinking Lou Williams
This Schakel - GP2 - Jaquori - Mawugbe - Dowtin lineup is actually fun. Schakel's open jumper is damn pure.
This is gonna be one of those times when we offer one of Schakel - GP2 - Jaquori - Dowtin a two-way and we'll be called idiots in the future when the others hit it big [Note: GP2 not actually eligible for 2 way]
I'd like to see how Jessup is by the end of Summer League. For now, he can't keep up with the speed and strength of the players. He can't get open, he can't get by players, he can't stick to drivers.
This should be it:
Roster:
Curry, Poole, Iguodala
Thompson, Moody, Lee
Wiggins, Porter, Kuminga
Green, JTA, Bjelica
Looney, Wiseman, Chriss
Two-way:
Nico, Dawtin or Mawugbe
The too many rookie issue ... is not an issue 'cuz you don't have to play them all together at the same time.
Curry-Klay-Wiggs-Dray & Wiseman. 4 vets with a young guy on the floor. Substitute Moody or Kuminga for Wiseman for different looks, still have 4 vets on the floor who can manage things.
A second unit of Poole-Moody-OPJ-Belly-Loon gives you fast maturing Poole, 3 savvy vets & Moody mostly hunting open 3s, tasked to play good team defense.
You can get all the rookies good minutes because (once Klay returns) you will have enough vets to fill out the rotations. In crunch time in big games, JTA, Lee, Looney come to bat.
Point is, there is room for these guys to play and develop so long as you have enough veterans to surround them with. By my count: Steph, Klay, Dray, Wiggs, Loon, Belly, OPJ, & add guys who know the system, Poole, Lee & JTA. That's 10. Could we use 1 more? Absolutely. Would the fans of any other team in the league be complaining that they had 3 lottery picks at the end of their bench? I am not willing to accept last year as a comparison because we lost Klay & Chriss (2 starters by the way) right out of the gate. Covid and a rash of other injuries made the year wonky. So the narrative around winning and developing seems a little too tied up in a weird year, although it is recognized (by GSW FO as well) that Warriors mishandled situations plenty. Looking forward to a little more sanity this year and a much stronger approach to walking and chewing gum at the same time.