Warriors Camp Takeaways: Knox builds on strong Summer League showings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
LAIE, Hawaii – The Warriors’ training camp on the BYU-Hawaii campus concluded Friday as nearly 500 students and Hawaiian children, as well as active military members, watched the end of a full-court scrimmage that saw players divided into three groups .
Here are five takeaways from the fourth and final day of training camp in Hawaii ahead of their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, with commentary from coach Steve Kerr and center Kevon Looney.
Blue team, gray team, red team
Below you can see 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, as well as 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 could be who Kerr trotted out for the first time against the Clippers on Saturday. However, Kerr told reporters not to look too far into anything as he is still mum on his starting five.
“In fact, it’s safe to assume this won’t be the starting lineup,” Kerr said.
Andrew Wiggins, who is expected to be the Warriors’ starting small forward, was unable to practice for the fourth straight day and will not play Saturday. The Warriors will re-evaluate Wiggins once they return to San Francisco.
What stood out
The first scene seen during Golden State’s scrimmage after media members and others were allowed in was Podziemski taking a hard shot to the face as the southpaw attempted a layup on the right sideline. Practice stopped briefly before Podziemski got back up and connected on his free throws.
Curry took just one shot attempt during the period and missed a three-pointer that bounced in and out. The chemistry between he and Green is still on full display as the two found each other for several impressive passes and cuts to keep the ball moving.
There were more misses than goals, but a handful of shots made stood out.
Looney had a trademark hustle And-1 play, picking up a loose ball and finishing through contact at the rim. Melton made two 3-pointers, one on the left wing with Spencer guarding him and another at the top of the key for Hield.
Kerr wants the Warriors to be a top three-point shooting team, and Hield will be relied on to help them in that area. The first made shot we saw was a corner three made by an open Hield. Knox hit a three from the left wing with Beekman on him.
Moody, who encourages Kerr to shoot more, made a mid-range shot as Green fought him hard.
Kerr says Knox belongs
One of the more intriguing storylines of camp involves Knox, who has six seasons of NBA experience but is still only 25 years old.
Knox agreed to 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 very good player. He’s so athletic and tall,” Kerr said. “That’s obviously why he was picked by the lottery. But like many guys in the modern NBA who are picked early with very little experience, there is just a learning curve and growth process.
“It’s difficult to do that in a normal amount of time because everyone wants immediate results. I’m just impressed with Kevin’s approach, his professionalism and how hard he works. I think he had a good camp. I think he’s a very good player, he definitely belongs in the NBA. He just needs to play, he needs more reps.”
The New York Knicks drafted Knox No. 8 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. He 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 dropped a whopping 31 points.
More vocal TJD
Trayce Jackson-Davis had a very impressive rookie season in many ways last season. Now Kerr and his teammates are pushing him to be louder, an underrated and very important skill that develops over time.
“We’re trying to get him talking more,” Kerr said. “It’s so important that the five-man defensively calls the coverage and lets the guards know what’s happening. Draymond taught Loon and it took Loon two years before he said anything. Trayce will also be a tough one. Quinten, we’re trying to teach him the same thing.
“It’s a balance. These young guys come in and you appreciate the respectful, ‘I’m not going to overstep my boundaries’ approach, but at the same time you want them to shout out the coverage. Whatever the reporting is, they need to shout it out. We are working on that.”
For Jackson-Davis, he couldn’t have had a better mentor in Looney for many reasons. Also naturally quiet. Making Jackson-Davis more comfortable with his vote is just one example of Looney’s leadership.
“He’s just talking more, you can tell he’s a lot more comfortable there,” Looney said. “Even with the new terminology, he picks it up pretty quickly and uses his voice. As a big player, that’s probably the most important thing we have to do defensively.
“It’s important to rebound and block shots, but you have to be able to talk to our guards through plays. The fact that he takes actions so quickly has been very good.”
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