The Golden State Warriors’ 123-118 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers told us very little about what this year’s team will be like, but it did indicate that the Santa Cruz Warriors could have a very exciting season.
In a game where nine of the Warriors’ top players didn’t even travel to Portland — Draymond Green was watching the Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces — the backups scrambling for roster spots, two-way deals, and some sweet Exhibit 10 bonuses in the G League kept it close against a Blazers team that played their starters about 20 minutes.
Dalen Terry showed he’s in excellent cardiovascular shape by playing 43 minutes and flirting with a triple-double. He finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, turning the ball over four times but nullifying those errors by getting four steals. Not known for his outside shot, Terry connected on four of his five threes Wednesday night and made a strong case for getting the Warriors’ 15th roster spot.
Second-year guard Miles Kelly, a former Auburn star and Dallas Mavericks two-way player, scored 24 points and shot 6-for-11 from three-point range, adding seven rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block. On one of those shots, Kelly got his path cleared by Portland’s Yang Hansen, who appears to still be adjusting to playing defense in the NBA.
Kelly is still eligible for a two-way contract, something that seemed more relevant after a night where current two-way player Malevy Leons had the same number of turnovers as made field goals (two). Fellow two-way players Graham Ike and LJ Cryer came off the bench and showed good pick-and-roll chemistry, and Ike showed off an outside shooting stroke, going 2-for-3 from deep. Still, it felt like an offensive approach more akin to winning games in Santa Cruz than San Francisco. Ike also showed he was a true Warriors center by getting whistled for a blatant moving screen.
Will Richard played like a man secure in his place on the team. Like his time with the Summer League champions in Las Vegas in July, Richard didn’t force up shots, focusing on defense, team basketball, and shooting. He went 6-for-6 from the foul line and 3-for-3 behind the arc.
Starting center Charles Bassey was -2 in 24 minutes, not bad while primarily matched up with Portland’s starters. He had 13 points and six rebounds, shooting 6-for-7 and enjoying a very active defensive night, with three blocks and three steals. Did you know Bassey had an elegant-looking floater? We see you, Bassey Hive!
Alex Toohey got some extended run, finishing with five points, two assists, and two blocks, and making his only three-point attempt. The Warriors went 19-for-34 from deep, the main reason they were able to hang with a full-strength NBA team for three quarters — the game was tied at 86 after 36 minutes.
But ultimately the lack of size on the floor with most of the team’s big men sitting was too much for the scrappy Sea Dubs Warriors to overcome. Portland had 50 rebounds to Golden State’s 40 and dominated points in the paint, 54-36.
All in all, it was a perfectly unmemorable preseason game that I’ll admit I watched on a split-screen with the Valkyries’ win over the Las Vegas Aces. Now there’s a team that knows how to rebound!
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