“Golden State starts the game scattered, three minutes in. And you know it’s so important to them”
That was a quote from the broadcast of Friday’s Summer League affair between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. In case the words aren’t translating, that sentiment was dripping with sarcasm; or, at least, the second sentence was.
It was the Las Vegas Summer League finale for both teams, and to say that it was feckless would be an understatement. Things started off slowly, and you can’t really blame the teams; no disrespect to the players involved, but they were lacking in talent.
The Warriors were without Jordan Bell, Damian Jones, and Jacob Evans III. The Kings sat Marvin Bagley III, Harry Giles, Justin Jackson, and Frank Mason. As a result, neither team suited a player that had been selected in the last three drafts.
So naturally, it was sloppy as all heck. But after a bad first quarter, the Warriors, led by Kendrick Nunn, started to click in the second, and outscored the Kings 26-13 in the period to take a decent halftime lead.
The third quarter was a return to sloppiness, for both teams. And the fourth quarter was as well!
But if there was some consolation, it was that the game came down to the wire. As the final minutes approached, both teams ramped up the intensity. It didn’t negate the sloppiness, per se, but it did make for some exciting basketball. In fact, the game went back and forth for the final minute of a one possession game, but neither team was able to score in the last 62 seconds. Seems fitting.
The Warriors were led by Nunn and Marcus Derrickson, the two players who seem to be competing for Golden State’s final two-way contract. Neither player shot efficiently, but they both displayed elements of an all-around game that the Warriors will like. Nunn finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, while Derrickson finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds.
That officially ends Summer League for the Warriors. Now we wait for more roster moves, and eventually, the season.