Moses Moody had solid numbers in summer league Tuesday for the Warriors against the Heat. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez, AP)
The Golden State Warriors’ starters have a new band name. The “Core 6,” as head coach Steve Kerr dubbed them, are Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole, who started for most of last season in place of a rehabbing Thompson.
Poole assumed his starter role again in the Warriors’ two games in Japan played against the Washington Wizards. Somewhat unexpectedly, Thompson sat out both games as he is yet to be cleared to scrimmage.
Before the team departed for Japan, Kerr and general manager Bob Myers relayed that the staff expected Thompson to look more like his pre-injured self this year. A normal offseason without tedious rehab procedures would set him up nicely.
But Thompson revealed that a “mental block” prevented him from playing pick-up during the offseason. Understandable since Thompson tore his Achilles playing a 5-on-5 scrimmage during the 2020 offseason, while rehabbing his ACL. But the slower ramp up creates a wrinkle in the timeline.
Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and Moses Moody can pick up any slack until Thompson is back in the full swing of things. And they all looked strong in Japan — but more on DiVincenzo and Moody later.
Poole, who wasn’t making his shots (no one was), but had no problem finding them. And the rest of the starters didn’t miss a beat after victory in Boston.
Curry, 34, averaged 12 points in 15 minutes per game and made nearly every one of his shots in an off-day 3-point contest. Efficient, impactful — he’s still in his NBA Finals rhythm.
A contract extension, Green said himself, is unlikely to happen in the coming weeks. If his his performance in the Japan games are any indication — where he looked healthy, disruptive defensively and on the boards (even without the playoff intensity), and even made two 3-pointers — Green could have a big year fueled by contract year motivation.
Wavering intensity had plagued Andrew Wiggins’ career until he transformed into a physical beast in the playoffs. The playoff intensity translated even into these two meaningless games — he was active on the boards and engaged defensively.
Kevon Looney, on his new contract, averaged seven rebounds in the two games and is showing improvements finishing at the rim, too.
Here are some other takeaways.
Moses Moody is ready
Perhaps the star of the Japan trip, Moody continues to show that he’s ready for a regular role in the rotation.
While it was initially uncertain where Moody might find regular minutes with DiVincenzo, Poole and Thompson perhaps ahead of him on the depth chart at the position, it’s notable that Moody was the first guy off the bench in both games.
Moody is a player tailor-made for the Warriors’ style. He excels at making the extra pass, has improved his 3-point shot and is a scrappy defender.
DiVincenzo showed much of the same — he signed as a free agent knowing his Villanova background would come in handy as a Warrior. The Warriors have plenty of depth at the wing.
The duality of James Wiseman
Preseason performance will be crucial for Wiseman, who missed all of last season recovering from knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered during his rookie year. We saw the good and bad from Wiseman it both games.
He was the player to watch in Game 1, scoring 20 points with nine rebounds flashing visions of of how the organization hopes he can play. At his best, he’s provides an outlet for Curry when he’s being mobbed by defenses — a lob threat who can give them an easy two points if left open. He moves well, especially in his 7-foot frame, and should be able to gobble up rebounds.
But he wasn’t as good in Game 2. His inexperience showed as he collected six fouls in 15 minutes and was getting bullied by Wizards’ big Kristaps Porzingis. His slippery hands became a bit of an issue, too.
He’s still raw. But he’s shown progress and could form a mutually beneficial tandem with Curry.
Jonathan Kuminga’s defense
One surprise was seeing Kuminga play the three for most of both games. Next to Wiseman. Kuminga played at the four most of his rookie season, so this could be a bit of preseason experimentation. It looked ugly offensively, at times, but Kuminga shined defensively.
He was breaking through screens and taking on players one-on-one. With his athleticism, he could turn into a strong rim protector, too. Maybe Kuminga breaks out defensively this year.
Originally published at Shayna Rubin