The Warriors are a perfect 6-0 in Summer League play.
Fresh off a two-way contract, Daeqwon Plowden continued to star for the Summer Wariors.
Plowden, who entered Wednesday night’s game against Cleveland shooting 62.5% from 3, so he saw his percentage drop as he went 4-for-9 from deep.
“He’s playing even better than I thought,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in an in-game interview from Cox Pavilion.
Plowden scored a game-high 16 points in 25 minutes, pacing the Warriors to yet another blowout win — 96-85 over Cleveland. The Warriors never trailed and led by 25 at one point as Plowden continued to thrive, Pat Spencer returned to the court and Roman Sorkin logged a double-double with other centers Quinten Post, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Marques Bolden inactive.
Including their perfect California Classic, Golden State is 6-0 in Summer League.
Here are three observations from another blowout Warriors win.
The Warriors shut down Brandin Podziemski and Jackson-Davis for the rest of Summer League after three games, rewarding them for their play and willingness to participate as established NBA players.
Golden State didn’t miss a beat without them after the opening tip.
The Warriors started on a 15-4 run, including seven straight points to open the contest.
Jackson Rowe nailed a pair of 3s, Pat Spencer organized the offense, and center Roman Sorkin ran the floor. They hit their first six shots of the game.
The Warriors played quickly and unselfishly — staples of Anthony Vereen’s philosophy. That they were able to maintain such style without Podziemski and Jackson-Davis, despite little time to practice, is a testament to the coaching staff and the players’ buy-in. They know that if they avoid isolation basketball and make the extra pass, everybody eats.
Particularly without Podziemski and Jackson-Davis, the Warriors don’t have the most draft pedigree or hype in the Summer League. But they’ve played the best basketball nonetheless.
When the Warriors signed Daeqwon Plowden to a two-way deal, some fans saw the move as a precursor to waiving Pat Spencer. In Plowden, Spencer and undrafted guard Reece Beekman, the Warriors have all three two-way slots filled, with second-rounder Quinten Post yet to sign. Something’s got to give.
But Spencer, in his return from a three-game absence from a minor shoulder injury, reminded anyone why he belongs on the roster in the first place.
Spencer knows how to play. Sure, he can shoot, and yeah, he’s a smart defender. But more than anything, he just knows how to play.
Multiple times, he threw advance passes in transition that led to buckets or good looks. He initiated half court sets with patience. He timed backdoor cuts with precision. He snuck into passing lanes and knew to re-establish himself before corralling a rebound under the rim. He lobbed a perfect entry pass to Roman Sorkin, who established deep post position early in a possession.
Over and over, Spencer made the right decision. He finished with 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals.
A lot can happen with those two-way spots. It’s still early in the summer. But Spencer has given the Warriors a lot to like over the years, and it’d be premature to write him off now.
Sitting courtside, Joe Lacob dapped up Floyd Mayweather Jr. and took in the Warriors’ sixth straight Summer League win.
In a mid-game sideline interview, Lacob praised Brandin Podziemski, who also attended the game.
“He was a revelation, to be honest,” Lacob said. “He started a whole bunch of games for us. Steve had a hard time getting him (off) the floor. We had to have him on the floor, he was so good. He does so many things well. He’s ultra confident, has an NBA body, can get wherever he wants, obviously he can shoot 3s, he can drive, he can pass. What can’t he do? We’re really excited. We think we’ve got a future All-Star, we really do.”
The comments come at a fascinating moment for Podziemski, the First-Team All-Rookie. For the first time in his career, Podziemski is in trade rumors, having been at the center of Utah’s reported asking price for Lauri Markkanen.
The Warriors have always been optimistic about Podziemski. They’re not alone; rival executives and scouts across the league are extremely high on the guard. He’s already elite at help defense, rebounding for his position and connective passing. He has no holes in his game and, if he can improve his on-ball creation, could blend all those skills with volume scoring.
That’s the recipe for an All-Star player. Lacob isn’t talking his own guy up just for the sake of doing so. He’s talking fairly realistic truths.
