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SAN FRANCISCO – Playing their fourth preseason game, the Warriors found their regulars on the court Saturday night at Chase Center against the Sacramento Kings.
Steve Kerr opened the game again with a starting five of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green. A close game throughout ended in a 111-106 victory for the Warriors.
Less is more for Curry in the preseason, and he continued to play only the first half. Curry in 14 minutes scored eight points on 3-of-6 shooting and made two of his four 3-point attempts.
Golden State’s biggest story wasn’t Curry’s two quarterbacks. Lendeborg opened more eyes by displaying an array of skills that already have Warriors fans dreaming of a Rookie of the Year campaign. Lendeborg scored 23 points in 23 minutes on 10-of-14 shooting and also had 10 rebounds and six assists.
The Kings’ first overall pick, Darius Acuff Jr., was a problem for the Warriors and exposed the weakness of their point attack. Acuff dropped 25 points in 27 minutes and topped a Warriors roster.
Ben Simmons made his preseason debut for the Kings and scored seven points in eight minutes.
Here are three takeaways from a Warriors victory that improved their preseason record to 2-2.
Follow Yaxel’s lead
He’s 24, has spent six years in college – including three in college – and hasn’t played a single regular season game in the NBA. Still, Lendeborg continues to play like a seasoned veteran. The game seems easy to him, especially on the offensive side.
Lendeborg scored eight of the Warriors’ first 12 points and finished the first quarter with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and six rebounds. The Warriors’ first two possessions were a two-man game between Green and Lendeborg. Green first found him cutting behind the defense for an easy layup, then hit him in the right corner for a three after reaching the middle of the paint.
But the most interesting thing was how the second possession started. Lendeborg moved the ball up the court before moving it and knocking down a three. Kerr already feels comfortable with Lendeborg as a ball handler and gives him the freedom to learn on the fly.
At Lendeborg’s size, he is automatically unsuitable offensively as a playmaker and uses his length around the rim. He traveled coast to coast several times and could not be arrested. Lendeborg in the first half easily scored 20 points on 9 of 12 shooting and also had eight rebounds, three assists and no turnovers.
The end of the third quarter is another perfect example of what Lendeborg can do. He came in with eight seconds left, grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw, took it the other way and found Brandon Williams for a three at the buzzer.
Don’t forget Gui
Even though they aren’t considered championship contenders, there is still so much to talk about about the Warriors. Curry and Green will always make headlines. So will Lendeborg’s rise throughout his freshman year and Jimmy Butler’s rehabilitation.
Santos may still get lost in the spotlight, despite having an exceptional season. Saturday night was a reminder why he can’t be forgotten.
The forward started slowly in the first quarter and found his rhythm in the second. After shooting just one shot and scoring two points on two free throws in its first seven minutes, Santos went a perfect 5 of 5 from the field in the second quarter for 10 points. All of his work was done around the rim, with the farthest shot he made coming from eight feet.
It was a display of fancy footwork for Santos. A patient approach to Euro rips and walks was his ticket to scoring and the Kings defense had no answers.
Santos finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and six rebounds, but his five turnovers are a number Kerr will want to see cut in half.
Money man
The morning began for Podziemski with the signing of a new five-year, $110 million extension. The night ended with him doing what he does and filling out the stat sheet.
Podziemski scored a modest 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. He cut to the rim and made his way to the free throw line early. He also made consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter.
Additionally, Podziemski’s seven rebounds were second to Lendeborg’s 10.
We won’t talk about it much, but Podziemski’s ability to foul is huge in his growth. Podziemski shot 63.3 percent from the free throw line as a rookie and has improved since. He was 75.8 percent in his sophomore season and 79.7 percent last season.
If Podziemski can hit 80 percent or higher, he can average 15 points per game and put up 20-point performances.
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