When I arrived at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the Golden State Warriors’ Summer League opener with the Dallas Mavericks, the crowd was dominated by fans waiting for the Utah Jazz-Washington Wizards battle happening in the following game. By the time the game ended, I was convinced these plucky Summer Dubs had the ability to take home a Summer League title.
The Warriors haven’t always been the most exciting Summer League team to watch. When the biggest question to answer is if Jacob Evans
can dribble without staring at the basketball or whether Alen Smailagic can tie his own shoes, there’s an absence of drama and competitiveness. This year, it’s a roster full of players who might very well play substantial minutes for the NBA team and a group of players competing for a limited number of two-way contracts.
All five of the Warriors starters in Thursday’s 101-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks could have roles for next year’s team. The standout was No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and a plus/minus of +26 in 28 minutes. From my position in the stands, his most impressive skill was his ball handling, both in bringing the ball up the court or driving to the hoop.
Lendeborg hit an important level Thursday: Too Good For Summer League. He was a defensive terror who got his 21 points in only 13 shots, though he did call for the ball in 95% of the Warriors’ offensive possessions. The Mavericks scored only 39 points in the first half and I would be highly surprised if Lendeborg played more than two Summer League games before the team shuts him down.
However, he’s one of only two Summer Dubs with job security. Will Richard felt so secure that he played like he would on the Regular Season Warriors, hustling, moving the ball, playing defense, and deferring to his teammates. He shot 3-for-5, had seven assists, got two steals and a blocked shot and also finished +26.
Golden State’s other three starters are all fighting for jobs. LJ Cryer made a strong case for a two-way deal by going 5-for-8 on three-pointers, scoring 25 points and adding four assists. He may not be a defensive stopper, but he certainly tries on that end. Plus, all evidence points to him being a legitimately excellent outside shooter, after making 39.4% of his threes in 18 games last season.
The other two starters were last year’s two-way forward Malevy Leons and undrafted Gonzaga center Graham Ike, the WCC Player of the Year. Leons had eight points and eight rebounds while playing a very team-focused game, not like a third-year NBA player striving to show off. Ike had trouble with the Mavericks’ Morez Johnson, Jr., the No. 9 pick, committing almost as many fouls (8) as he had points and rebounds (9 each). That being said, Lendeborg’s Michigan teammate Johnson is also Too Good For Summer League with 27 points, eight boards, three steals, and two blocks.
You get 10 fouls at Summer League so nobody fouls out (though I saw Marquese Chriss do it). So Ike’s excessive fouling was not that worrisome, because it’s a sign he’s playing hard, and the referees are at summer school just like the players. But the signing of Charles Bassey, a similarly tough-but-undersized center might make Ike’s two-way chances smaller, as did Johnson’s repeated denials of Ike’s post-up attempts — though Johnson committed seven fouls of his own containing Ike.
As does the presence of Lachlan Olbrich, a second-round pick in 2025 from Australia. He’s more of a shooter than Ike and he’s agile, drawing numerous shooting fouls off the bench and finishing with 12 points. But Olbrich looks too skinny to defend the post, despite having some nice moves inside.
Second-round pick Lajae Jones had his moments and looked bigger than his 6-foot-7 frame. He had 11 points and five rebounds. Jones also got a little too much dip on his chip after one successful layup. Brimming with confidence, Jones tried to go 1-on-3 on a break — and you know Yaxel was calling wildly for the ball — and promptly fell down. Could Jones be Taller Will Richard? It’s very possible, but it’s also good he has a foreign passport available to him this fall.
That’s why this Summer League team truly could go all the way. Maybe Lendeborg and Richard don’t play past this weekend, but that’s true of most top picks and second-year players who show out. What the Warriors have is a group of talented players competing for limited jobs, who also have a range of skillsets. Chance McMillian struggled Thursday, but he’s a serious scorer and wants Cryer’s job. Olbrich and Ike complement each other’s skills, while Leons remains intriguing, especially if he gets more touches.
We won’t see Alex Toohey, who is still rehabbing a knee injury and not necessarily out of the Warriors’ plans. Still, this is a deep and hungry Summer League team with the perfect level of talent. It’s enough to win a lot of exhibition games, but not so much that the players get shut down early. Let’s get that chip, Summer Dubs!
