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Takeaways from Warriors camp: Knox builds on solid Summer League performance originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
LAIE, Hawaii – Warrior Training Camp on the BYU-Hawaii campus concluded Friday in front of nearly 500 Hawaii students and children, as well as active military members, watching the end of a full-court scrimmage where players were divided into three groups.
Here are five takeaways from the fourth and final day of training camp in Hawaii, ahead of their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers, which featured commentary from coach Steve Kerr and center Kevon Looney.
Blue Team, Gray Team, Red Team
Below is who played for each team.
Blue Team: Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green.
Gray team: De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, Kyle Anderson and Looney, plus Kevin Knox.
Red Team: Pat Spencer, Lindy Waters III, Gui Santos, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post, as well as Reece Beekman.
Hinting at preseason starters?
No.
At least not according to Kerr. It was easy to assume that the Blue Team might be the one Kerr fielded for the first time Saturday against the Clippers. However, Kerr told reporters not to delve into anything as he remains silent on his starting five.
“In fact, it’s safe to assume that that won’t be the starting lineup,” Kerr said.
Andrew Wigginswho is expected to be the Warriors’ starting small forward, was unable to practice for the fourth consecutive day and will not play on Saturday. The Warriors will re-evaluate Wiggins once they return to San Francisco.
What stood out
The first footage seen during Golden State’s practice once media members and others were admitted was Podziemski taking a hard hit to the face as the left-hander attempted a layup on the right side. Practice paused momentarily before Podziemski got up and hit his free throws.
Curry only made one shot attempt during the period, missing an in-and-out 3-pointer. The chemistry between him and Green is still on display, as the two found each other for multiple impressive passes and cuts to keep the ball moving.
Misses outnumbered hits, but a handful of successful shots stood out.
Looney had a signature And-1 play by scooping up a loose ball and finishing it at the rim through contact. Melton hit two 3-pointers, one on the left wing with Spencer guarding him and another at the top of the key opposite Hield.
Kerr wants the Warriors to be a top three-point shooting team, and Hield will be relied upon to help them in that area. The first shot seen was a corner 3-pointer made by an open Hield. Knox hit a three-pointer from the left wing with Beekman on top.
Moody, who Kerr encourages to shoot more, took a mid-range shot while Green strongly contested it.
Kerr says Knox belongs
One of the most intriguing stories from camp is Knox, who has six seasons of NBA experience and yet is only 25 years old.
Knox accepted an invitation to training camp after impressing the coaching staff while playing for the Warriors’ summer league team. Both Santos and Waters have non-guaranteed contracts.
“Kevin is a really good player. “He’s very athletic and long,” Kerr said. “Obviously that’s why he was chosen in the lottery. But like many guys in the modern NBA who get drafted early with very little experience, there’s just a learning curve and a growth process.
“It’s hard for that to happen in normal times because everyone wants instant results. I am impressed with Kevin’s approach, his professionalism and how hard he works. I think he had a good camp. I think he is a very good player, he definitely belongs in the NBA. He just needs to play, he needs more reps.”
The New York Knicks selected Knox No. 8 overall in the NBA Draft 2018. He has played for four teams in his six-year career, including 31 games for the Detroit Pistons last season. In his final summer league game for the Warriors, Knox scored a game-high 31 points.
More TJD vocal
Trayce Jackson-Davis had a very impressive rookie campaign last season in a multitude of ways. Now, Kerr and his teammates are pushing him to talk more, an underrated and very important skill that develops over time.
“We’re trying to get him to talk more,” Kerr said. “It is very important for the five men on defense to call coverage and let the guards know what is happening. Draymond taught Loon and it took Loon two years to say anything. Trayce will be difficult too. Quinten, we are trying to teach him the same thing too.
“It’s a balance. These kids come in and you appreciate the respectful approach of ‘I’m not going to overstep my boundaries,’ but at the same time you want them to shout the coverage. Whatever the coverage is, they have to shout it. “We are working on that.”
For Jackson-Davis, she couldn’t have a better mentor in Looney for many reasons. Naturally calm too, making Jackson-Davis more comfortable with his voice is just one example of Looney’s leadership.
“He’s just talking more, you can tell he’s a lot more comfortable out there,” Looney said. “Even with the new terminology, he is learning it pretty quickly and using his voice. As a big, that’s probably the most important thing we have to do on the defensive end.
“It’s important to rebound and block shots, but we have to be able to talk to our point guards through actions. For him to be able to learn to act so quickly has been really good.”