Warriors hope Evans will find his rhythm in the G League
SAN FRANCISCO >> In a pivotal rebuilding season, the Golden State Warriors will send Jacob Evans to the G League this weekend in hopes the second-year guard can get his season back on track.
Evans, 22, has had his season derailed by injuries. After shooting 50% from 3-point range in the preseason, he’s missed 24 games due to injury and struggled to regain his form. During a season in which the organization’s priority is to identify contributors for when the Warriors return to contention, this is an important time for Evans.
The Warriors will send him to Santa Cruz for two games over the weekend before he rejoins Golden State for the upcoming five-game trip on the East Coast.
“I think the injuries set him back a little bit,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Evans, who has missed 21 games with adductor strain and three with a concussion. “Hasn’t really been able to
get himself going, and we haven’t been able to help him get going. So we feel like this is a perfect time for him to get some playing time.”
On Wednesday, Evans returned from his concussion and played 19 minutes in Golden State’s loss to the Jazz and scored four points on 2-for-5 shooting. In 22 games, he is averaging 4.4 points on 31.2% shooting (34.5% from 3-point range), 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 15 minutes per game.
Only Kevon Looney, who has missed all but 10 games with various injuries, is averaging fewer points per game than Evans. Meanwhile, guards Alec Burks, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, and Ky Bowman have managed to make a scoring impact.
Selected No. 28 overall in 2018’s NBA Draft, Evans was regarded as a “3-andD” capable of making open shots and defending multiple positions. Despite Evans’ shooting struggles, Kerr has been impressed with his defense.
“He’s a big, strong, smart defender,” Kerr said. “He’s picked up a lot in his year and a half in the league. He’s a guy I can trust and count on defensively.”
Looking forward to next season — with Stephen Curry (left-hand surgery) and Klay Thompson (left knee surgery) returning to the lineup — the Warriors face a numbers crunch in the backcourt. With Curry, Thompson, D’Angelo Russell, Poole and Lee under contract, and Bowman likely to be re-signed, playing time for Evans could be hard to come by.
Evans is under contract for next season and has a team option for the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.
“In a season like ours, we’re scrambling,” Kerr said. “We’re changing starting lineups. We’re changing because of injuries. We’ve got all types of stuff. It’s been much tougher for Jacob to find a niche, find a role.
“Like everybody, he’s fighting through the season and trying to get better amidst the difficulty.”