Darren Collison is scrimmaging with some Warriors players as he auditions for a spot on the team, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The free agent guard visited the team facility Wednesday and today for workouts, which have included Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole.
If Golden State does give the 34-year-old guard an opportunity, it will likely come as a non-guaranteed training camp deal, Slater adds. Collison retired after averaging 11.2 points and 6.0 assists for the Pacers in 2018/19, and he’s been an effective three-point shooter and a reliable ballhandler throughout his career.
The Warriors are planning to head into camp with their 15th roster spot and second two-way slot both up for grabs, according to Slater. Gary Payton II and Mychal Mulder will also be trying to make the team on non-guaranteed deals. Mulder is still eligible for a two-way contract, but Payton isn’t. The team could decide to start the season with just 14 players to reduce its luxury tax bill.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- In the wake of a report that players in San Francisco won’t be allowed to attend home practices or games unless they’re vaccinated, Golden State’s main concern is Andrew Wiggins, Slater adds. Wiggins told reporters last season that he hadn’t received the vaccine and didn’t plan to unless he was forced.
- The Warriors received an A-minus from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton for their offseason moves. Golden State was able to upgrade its bench without using its mid-level exception, adding Nemanja Bjelica, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. on veteran’s minimum deals. Pelton also likes the addition of draft picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, saying both should provide good value for where they were selected.
- Golden State needs more scoring from Draymond Green and a stronger commitment to team defense from Wiggins, per Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area. She identifies Poole and James Wiseman as two other players who need to improve to help the Warriors become a title contender again.
Which young trio would you rather start an expansion team with, Wiseman/Kuminga/Moody, SGA/Bazley/Giddey, Markelle/JIsaac/Suggs, Cade/Saddiq/Killian or Miles/LaMelo/Kai?
Expansion team you take youngest Warriors
Cade and Bey are going to be special. Worriors got a bunch of mediocre stuff
Cade is good with a nice ceiling, but part of his value was the floor and immediate ability to contribute. Kuminga is raw, but could be insane in 3-5 years. Wiseman is a potential unicorn with a floor of a league avg big. Its really rare for a 7′ to shoot that well, a little to slow with the jump, and off the bounce transition potential. His upside is Gobert level defense on shot blocking with scoring that doesnt need to be lobbed to him. He is faster, bouncier, with far more scoring potential than Rudy. The downside on Wise is a better Javale.
Cade would have been a better player for GSW timeline, and Kuminga probably better for DET, but the value currently wasnt the same, and Im ok with GSW not paying what it would have cost to trade up to him.
The Warriors don’t have a timeline.
Of course the Warriors have a timeline, in fact they have two distinct ones. Their 5 older veterans Curry, Klay, Green, Iggy, and Bjelica are all between 31 and 37. Then the young guys who are still developing their games: Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody, and Poole are all between 18 and 22. Those don’t mesh at all with the team in win-now mode.
Kuminga ain’t that raw, especially for a kid his age he’s very developed as far as footwork, ballhandling, bball iq. He definitely has a lot of improvement ahead of him but I think people feel like just bc he’s from Africa he’s “raw”. It’s actually very offensive whether you mean it that way or not. Wiseman reminds me more of a Jermaine O’Neal than Rudy or Javale. I agree that Cade would been a sweet addition for GSW but they’re gonna be just fine with the young core they have now
Nothing mediocre about those 3 GSW youngsters, I highly suggest you watch some film of those boys. Their talent is extremely obv just from watching a few possessions
None of these Warriors are ready. When are on the same age, These Warriors should be better.
Kuminga 18
Cade 20
Wiseman 20
Bey 22
Moody 19
Killan 20
Yea I love Saddiq Bey more than anybody and he’s lucky if he has more than 1 20ppg season in his career. That being said I’d give y’all Wiseman and a 1st for Bey and Olynyk right now.
Steph/Klay/Wigs/Bey/Dray oooof
Steph/Wigs/Porter/Bey/Dray still pretty damn solid.
Bey’s almost like the Pokémon evolution of RoCo. The Charmeleon to RoCo’s Charmander-if you will, but he ain’t PG or Kawhi or even Middleton. He’s not 19 or 20, he was supposed to be good last year bc hes 4 years older than everyone in his draft class(which is why I’d want him on the dub).
He’s a high floor low ceiling guy. And he’s got a great floor don’t get me wrong, but he’s a young RoCo/Ariza type, unless he starts averaging 3-4+ assists a game, he will be a 14-17ppg 3-&-D guy. Solid, good, but not elite.
However I’m a group with Hayes/Cade/Grant and Stewart, sheeesh he doesn’t need to be great he can be a better version of Harrison Barnes and that team will be really really good 2024-2032 if they keep those guys together. Especially if Sekou is more like the player he was the last 20 games as opposed to the guy he’s been his first couple seasons. Dubs would be silly not to do a Wiggins+Wiseman for Grant+Bey but I don’t think Detroit would even agree to that. They have some cheap rookies and can pay Grant to be their veteran guy as the kids learn how to win. Maaaan. Detroit will be so good soon they might be better than Atlanta soon with all those two way wings. Everyone 6’5-6’8. Switchable as all he’ll. Kuminga could be really really good, he’s already an aggressive, confident 6’8/220+ 18yo, who should be a college freshman THIS year and should be in next year’s draft but he played in the G-league as what should’ve been a HS senior, and did about as well as most high schooler would in the g league. He has all the skillset of Wiggins but with all the aggression and mindset of a Steph/Klay/Dray/Iggy/Kerr. He’s gonna be fine. I’m thinking a 19-23ppg/5-7 rebounds and 2-4 apg by 2025. Dubs might be higher on him than Wiseman tbh, and they’re as high as Wiseman now as they were when they drafted him.
With Steph and Klay’s play style, I believe the hope is that in 4 years when Kuminga and Wiseman are coming into their own and starting, that 37yo Steph and 35yo Klay will be a rich man’s JJ Redick and Kyle Korver. Highly efficient Catch and shoot guys for a 31yo Wiggins, 22yo Kuminga, and 23yo Wiseman. 26yo Jordan Poole will hopefully be a more proven scorer-16-19ppg guy. Like a better Jordan Clarkson. Moody should be a 12-15ppg guy with 5rebounds and a couple assists. I think the Dubs are in a nice spot tbh.
They won’t have the same situation as last year, where it’s one rook in a room of all stars and older guys. This is a team with some highly talented guys and some legitimate development wizards. The coach Jokic says is responsible for making him who he is today. The coach Anunoby and Siakam give all the credit too for their development. The coach that built up the Nets from the ashes of a dumpster fire and turned Russell and Dinwiddie into big contract guys.
I think right now, Poole and Wiseman can do their own(bigger) version of Lou Wil and Trezz(6’4+7ft compared to 6’1+6’7).
They all have high ceilings and high floors. Wiseman at worst is still a 15/9 guy with freakish athleticism. A younger JaVale McGee but with the basketball understanding of the JaVale that won titles. Moody’s floor is Damion Lee with better defense, which is a 36-40% 3pt shooter and a 12ppg guy.
Kuminga’s floor is a 2-way Montrez Harrell.
Sir, I think you should acquire an agent and publish these comments in hardcover.
ESPN grade
Warriors A-
Bulls C+
Lakers C
Are the Lakers washed?
I bet at some point the Lakers do wash.
Those are fair grades. But it’s just the off-season moves. The Lakers have LBJ and AD. And they added “C+” moves around them including Westbrook.
Warrior get an “A-“ building around Curry but Thompson is questionable until he gets back on the floor and shows something.
With healthy Thompson I can see why experts would pick GState. Without him is different.
It’s absolutely ridiculous for Golden State to think they can rely on Thompson at all this season. He missed each of the last two years with separate major injuries. The chances of Klay playing 40 games like John Wall did last season are slim at best, even with 10 more games in 2022 (compared to last year). His contribution will be minimal with a long road to a full recovery, if he ever gets there.
If you look at it based on the lineup they had ending last season vs what they’re expected to have to finish this season, it makes a ton of sense.
Steph/Baze/Wigs/Dray/Loon(top 10 in NBA) with Poole/JTA/Mulder. 8 man rotation, net loss without starters.
Now you swap Oubre for Porter(better fit), Eric Paschall for Nemanja Bjelicia(bigger+better fit), Wanamaker for Iggy(better fit), and Bazemore for Klay Thompson(I mean come on).
Moody for Nico Mannion.
Kuminga for Smailagic/Jordan Bell.
Plus a healthy Damion Lee, who has shot 38% from 3 as a Warrior.
Lookin at
Steph/Wigs/Porter/Dray/Loon
Iggy/Poole/JTA/Bjelicia/Wiseman
Lee, GP2, Moody, Kuminga, & Klay(in time).
That’s so much deeper than their 8man rotation that they had for 6+ weeks prior to the playoffs/in the playoffs. Trading Wigs+assets for Beal just mimics last season’s problem with depth. Unless Beal can play 48 minutes, I’d rather keep our guys♂️
Unles we move Wiseman and Wigs for two wings(like Bey and Grant-for example) id rather keep our guys.
Ben would fit, but id hope to involve a third team like Portland and land a Robert Covington too. Dray has played well in lineups with non shooters before(Iggy/Livingston/Bogut/Lee/Ezeli/Zaza/JaVale/Varjao/Looney/West/etc) and Ben is better than all of them. You just cannot play Dray+Ben+Loon together. So id be down with Steph/Klay/RoCo/Ben/Dray, for sure. Even Porter in place of RoCo helps smooth that out, but id really prefer a Saddiq Bey type if we’re moving young guys. Steph/Klay/Bey/Ben/Dray would be sooooooooooo good. Ben and Dray is a better combo than any team in the league when it comes to the task of defending LeBron and AD. But I like Moody and I’m not moving Kuminga ever soooooo.
Collison was ABOVE AVERAGE in efficiency every year of his career. Significantly so in fact.
I was shocked when he retired as he was still above average at that point.
If his skills didnt atrophy I’d say he’ll be a HUGE bargain for GState. (And I’m a Laker fan saying this)
Warriors should make a move for Brooks and Anderson.