San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Camp invitees: Five players face high stakes during preseason as they vie for a 15man roster spot or two- way contract with the Warriors.
Dwayne Sutton watched only the first five picks of the NBA draft last month before he turned off the TV at his family’s Louisville home.
Given that he’s old for a prospect at 23 and averaged just 9.1 points per game as a redshirt senior last season at Louisville, Sutton didn’t expect to hear his name called. Toward the end of the draft’s second round, when the Nets told him they were interested in taking him with the 55th pick and stashing him overseas for a couple years, Sutton politely declined.
By going undrafted, Sutton could choose between a host of training camp offers and maximize his chances of making an NBA roster this season. Now, as he prepared for the Warriors’ preseason opener Saturday against Denver at Chase Center, Sutton recognized that he has little room for error if he hopes to earn Golden State’s only open twoway contract.
A couple of missed shots in a scrimmage or exhibition could be the difference between reaching his NBA goal or toiling in a lesser league. Though the Warriors’ three preseason games are merely a chance to get in shape and acclimate to new teammates for someone such as Stephen Curry, they are a makeorbreak opportunity for players on professional basketball’s fringes.
Golden State began training camp practices this past week with 14 players slated for the 15man roster, and it’s open to entering the regular season at that number so it can use its $ 9.3 million disabled player exception to add someone at the trade deadline or on the buyout market. But if the Warriors believe a training camp invitee can help them, they’ll consider signing him to a partially guaranteed deal, waiving someone to free a roster spot or inking him to their vacant twoway contract.
Given that Golden State has benefited greatly from twoway deals since the league introduced them three years ago, it is pleased that the NBA has removed twoway players’ 45day limit with the big club this season. Twoway players can now play in as many as 50 of a possible 72 games without their travel or practice days being counted as active days.
This essentially offers teams two more potential rotation pieces, which is vital considering that the coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges. The Warriors have been without center James Wiseman — the No. 2 pick in last month’s NBA draft — and forward Draymond Green all training camp after those two tested positive for the coronavirus.
With Wiseman and Green not expected to return for the preseason and players still getting their conditioning back after a ninemonth hiatus from games, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr played all 17 of his available players Saturday against the Nuggets. This ensures that Sutton, Kaleb Wesson, Juan ToscanoAnderson, Axel Toupane and Mychal Mulder, all of whom are vying for a 15man roster spot or twoway contract, get a chance to prove they belong at this level.
“All I’m trying to do is get the last twoway,” said Sutton, who, along with Wesson, has a decent shot at that deal. “Fight as hard as I can, do what I do each and every day at practice. Off the court, just be a good teammate. That’s what I’ve been doing in basketball my whole life, and that’s what I plan to continue doing.”
On the eve of the Warriors’ first practice of training camp, ToscanoAnderson was stressed. Undrafted in 2015 after averaging 3.8 points per game over his fouryear career at Marquette, he bounced between leagues in Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico before making Golden State’s G League affiliate in an open tryout and earning an NBA callup in February.
In 13 games last season, the East Oakland native donned the jersey of his favorite childhood team, carving out a niche as an instantenergy forward and becoming the first player of Mexican descent since Jorge Gutierrez in 2016 to reach the sport’s summit. But ToscanoAnderson’s contract remains nonguaranteed, forcing him to compete this preseason to keep his roster spot.
As he pondered the long odds he faces last Sunday, ToscanoAnderson started to worry that his NBA stint would go down as a brief highlight in an otherwise circuitous career. Then he thought about all the talented players he has known who never made it this far.
“I was at home and I just told myself, ‘ It’s not supposed to be easy,’ ” ToscanoAnderson recalled. “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. I just put it in perspective. I get to wake up every day and play a game. This is a good problem to have.”
Sutton, Wesson, Toupane and Mulder have also tried to take the pressure off themselves in recent days. Nerves can lead to mistakes and ruin a shot at sticking with the Warriors.
Even nearflawless performances in practices and games don’t guarantee a spot. When making decisions about the back end of the roster, the Warriors must prioritize team needs.
Sutton might earn a contract if Golden State wants a savvy wing who excels at effort plays such as diving for loose balls, corralling offensive rebounds and throwing down putback dunks. Wesson, who shot 42.5% from 3point range as a junior last season at Ohio State, offers the Warriors a floorspacing big man known for setting effective screens.
Toupane is a versatile wing who prides himself on defending at least four positions. Mulder, who shot 38.5% from 3point range in three G League seasons before signing a 10day contract with the Warriors in February, has an opportunity to become the prototypical “3andD” wing in the NBA.
Kerr said recently that Mulder has a “good chance” of making the 15man roster, which was somewhat surprising given that most believe Golden State will open the regular season with only 14 players, not including its two twoway players. But the Warriors realize that, if they cut Mulder, he could get picked up by another team on waivers before they can sign him to a twoway contract.
With guard Klay Thompson out for the season with a torn right Achilles tendon, Golden
State might benefit from bringing Mulder off the bench. A full season with the Warriors could be all he needs to follow a similar trajectory as teammate Kent Bazemore.
Undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2012, Bazemore was poised to play in Ukraine for $ 90,000 before he made enough of an impression on Golden State’s Summer League team to earn a nonguaranteed deal. Four years later, Bazemore had tears in his eyes at the news conference announcing his fouryear, $ 70 million extension with the Hawks.
“It’s easy to look at a guy like that and think, ‘ Hey, I could have a career like his,’ ” ToscanoAnderson said of Bazemore, who returned to the Warriors on a veteranminimum deal last month. “We all really listen to him because we could see ourselves being like him. That’s the goal.”