Warriors in Hawaii for training camp, preseason game
The Golden State Warriors are having their training camp and first preseason game this weekend in Hawaii.
The Warriors are in Oahu for training camp and they are practicing on the BYU Hawaii campus. The trip had seen players participating in some team building activities including yoga.
Golden State will face the Los Angeles Clippers this Saturday for the first preseason game.
Raj Mathai speaks with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson as he is traveling with the team in Hawaii.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
LAIE, Hawaii – On their second day of training camp at BYU-Hawaii, the Warriors progressed from concepts to game play, scrimmaging full court. Effort, energy and flow is what stood out most to coach Steve Kerr on a day where three teams were created positionally as he’s far from naming a starting five.
“We just divided them positionally and spread guys all over the place,” Kerr said. “No hints on the starting lineup.”
Wednesday did end on a particularly positive note, especially for one veteran.
Here are five takeaways from the second day of Warriors training camp, which featured comments from Kerr, Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski.
Looney For Three … Bang!
Podziemski found center Kevon Looney, and the big man showcased what he has been working on tirelessly over the offseason: His 3-point shot. Looney drilled a game-winning three, and the celebration was on after that.
“That’s the best way we can end practice, a Looney three,” Podziemski said.
A leaned-out Looney has dropped 15 pounds to be more versatile, specifically on the offensive side as more of a shooting threat. After taking a grand total of three 3-pointers the last three seasons, and not making a single one, Looney took 400 to 500 threes this summer to be an option from long distance. That doesn’t mean he’s going to evolve into the next Splash Brother overnight.
The message sent to Looney is one of confidence. To be aggressive and not to hesitate. But he isn’t going to be a pick-and-pop option as the Warriors look to rain threes on their opponents. More so, it’s him taking advantage of broken plays and open opportunities.
“That’s different from being Kevin Love,” Kerr explained. “But he feels it. Loon still has to be who he is, which is a guy who is getting a lot of stuff done on the offensive boards and setting screens. If he’s open and it’s a stand-still three, I want him shooting it.”
Draymond Chimes In On Kuminga
Though his coach believes he’s a power forward, Jonathan Kuminga says he’s a small forward. What about Green?
He seems to side with his teammate.
“I think he’s a 3,” Green said. “It’s always been my opinion and that’s not going to change. To play the 4, it requires a certain skill set. So often times, people approach the 4 as if it’s not a position. … It requires a certain skill set, a certain knowledge, a certain understanding of that position to do that.
“He’s never done it. Can he adjust and learn that? I don’t know.”
The numbers tell a different story from Green’s point of view. Per Basketball-Reference’s position estimate, Kuminga spent only 2 percent of his time last season at small forward, as opposed to a career-high 65 percent as a power forward and 34 percent at center.
In order for Kuminga to thrive as a small forward, his outside shooting will have to vastly improve, an area he worked on relentlessly the past few months.
