Jerome, Lamb present conversion dilemmas

Former Golden State Warriors summer league standout Mac McClung had a performance to remember during the dunk contest at NBA All-Star weekend, which left some fans wishing that the high-flying guard had stuck around a little longer in San Francisco.

McClung — who entered the season looking to earn either a two-way deal or one of the final roster spots outright — was waived less than 24 hours after the Warriors returned from their preseason trip to Japan.

Jerome Robinson and Pat Spencer were the last cuts following the Warriors’ final preseason game. Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb, late preseason additions who became the last two men standing, were subsequently signed to two-way contracts.

At the time, some wondered why.

But four months later those decisions can’t be viewed as anything less than slam dunks. While neither Jerome nor Lamb possesses the athleticism of

McClung or the versatility of former Santa Cruz Warrior Trevion Williams, they proved to be exactly what Golden State needed during a season filled with injuries and absences.

An argument can be made that no set of two-way players from any other team has been as productive as Jerome and Lamb have been for the Warriors this season.

Jerome, a 6-foot-5 point guard, has averaged 7.2 points and 2.9 assists per game and had a 22-point performance in a road win over Cleveland on Jan. 20. Meanwhile, Lamb, a 6-foot-6 forward, has contributed 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and scored a career-high 26 points against Orlando on Jan. 7.

Each is shooting better than 50 percent from the field and at least 40 percent from 3-point range while keeping turnovers low. It’s tough to envision what the Warriors’ rotation would look like without them, especially with Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga having been forced to