Takeaways from Warriors camp: Knox builds on strong Summer League performance originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
LAIE, Hawaii – Warrior Training Camp on the BYU-Hawaii campus ended Friday in front of nearly 500 Hawaiian students and children, as well as active military, watching the end of a full-field 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 the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, which featured comments from coach Steve Kerr and center Kevin 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, 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.
A reference to preseason starters?
No.
At least not according to Kerr. It was easy to assume that the blue team could be the one that Kerr will introduce for the first time on Saturday against the Clippers. However, Kerr told reporters not to dwell too much on anything, as he continues to not talk about his starting five players.
“Actually, it’s safe to assume it 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 straight day and will not play Saturday. The Warriors will re-evaluate Wiggins upon their return to San Francisco.
What stood out
The first footage seen during Golden State’s scrimmage once members of the media and others were allowed in was Podziemski shooting hard in the face as the left-hander attempted a layup on the right side. The drive stopped very momentarily before Podziemski got back up and connected on his free throws.
Curry made just one shot attempt in the period, missing a 3-pointer that went back and forth. The chemistry between him and Green is still on full display as the two found each other for several impressive passes and cuts to keep the ball moving.
The misses outnumbered the hits, but a handful of successful shots stood out.
Looney had a typical Hustle And-1 play picking up a loose ball and finishing at the rim through contact. Melton made two 3-pointers, one on the left wing with Spencer guarding him and another at the top of the key in front of Hield.
Kerr wants the Warriors to be a top 3-point shooting team, and Hield will be counted on to help them in that area. The first successful shot seen was a corner three made by an open Hield. Knox nailed a three from the left wing with Beekman on him.
Moody, who Kerr encourages to shoot more, hit a mid-range shot as Green closely contested it.
Kerr says Knox belongs
One of the most intriguing stories from camp is Knox, who has six seasons of NBA experience but is still only 25 years old.
Knox accepted an invitation to training camp after impressing the coaching staff while playing for the Warriors’ summer league team. Santos and Waters both have non-guaranteed contracts.
“Kevin is a very good player. He’s so athletic and long,” Kerr said. “That’s obviously why he was a lottery pick. But like a lot of guys in the modern NBA who are drafted early with very little experience, there’s just a learning curve and a growth process.
“It’s now difficult for this to happen in normal times because everyone wants instant results. I am simply 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 has his place in the NBA. He just needs to play, he needs more reps.
The New York Knicks drafted Knox No. 8 overall 2018 NBA Draft. He has played for four teams during his six-year career, including 31 games for the Detroit Pistons last season. In his final summer championship game for the Warriors, Knox dropped a game-high 31 points.
More vocal TJD
Trayce Jackson-Davis had a very impressive rookie campaign last season in many ways. Today, Kerr and his teammates are pushing him to express himself more, an underrated and very important skill that develops over time.
“We’re trying to get him to talk more,” Kerr said. “It’s very important that all five guys defensively call coverages and let the guards know what’s going on. Draymond taught Loon and it took him two years to say anything. Trayce is also going to be difficult. Quinten, we try to teach him the same thing too.
“It’s a balance. These young men 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 scream in the media coverage. Regardless of the media coverage, they need to shout it. We are working on it.
For Jackson-Davis, he couldn’t have a better mentor in Looney for many reasons. Also naturally quiet, making Jackson-Davis more comfortable with his voice is just one example of Looney’s leadership.
“He just talks more, you can tell he’s a lot more comfortable out there,” Looney said. “Even with the new terminology, he picks it up pretty quickly and uses his voice. As a major player, that’s probably the most important thing we need to do on the defensive end.
“It’s important to rebound and block shots, but you have to be able to talk to our guards through actions. That he can take action so quickly is really good.
