Now the Warriors have a pathway to convert Lee and potentially Chriss later in the season without needing to trade anybody.
According to multiple reports the Warriors have agreed to re-sign forward Marquese Chriss to a two-way contract. Chriss was waived last week to avoid having his contract becoming fully guaranteed for the rest of the season. The move saved the Warriors $861,760 against the hard cap, or apron.
January 15 is the deadline to sign players to two-way contracts. This will prompt several teams to convert their two-way players to standard contracts so they can add new players to those newly available two-way slots.
Both two-way slots on the Warriors roster are currently occupied by Damion Lee and Ky Bowman. It was reported last week by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that the Warriors plan on converting Lee onto the regular-season roster. It hasn’t happened yet, but they will presumably do so by the end of January 15 in order to free up a two-way slot for Chriss.
Lee’s minimum salary decreases every day by $9,156. Had they signed him to a prorated minimum contract on January 7 when Wojnarowski first reported the Warriors plan to convert him, his cap hit would’ve been $915,573. That would’ve left them $321,112 below the apron.
Warriors cap sheet if they sign Damion Lee to a prorated minimum contract and Marquese Chriss to a two-way contract on January 15.
By signing Lee to a prorated minimum contract on January 15, his cap hit will be $842,327. This would leave the Warriors $394,358 below the apron, a $73,246 higher cushion versus converting him on January 7.
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The significance of those savings is that it allows the Warriors to potentially convert Chriss onto the regular-season roster once his prorated 24-day two-way clock runs out without needing to trade anyone. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Chriss is likely to earn the Warriors’ final roster spot.
There had been several reports that the Warriors were looking to trade a role player in order to create sufficient space below the apron to convert Lee. Now the Warriors have a pathway to convert Lee and potentially Chriss later in the season without needing to trade anybody.
If the Warriors do not make a salary-reducing trade, the earliest they can convert Chriss onto the regular-season roster would be March 4, assuming he signs a prorated minimum deal for the rest of the season. If the Warriors want to sign him to a multi-year deal, the earliest he could sign it is on March 6.
It is unclear what this means for Bowman, who as of January 6 only had six days remaining on his two-way clock. It is still possible that the Warriors could make a trade that would give them more apron space to convert Bowman as well. Otherwise, he must remain with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The Warriors will be without Damion Lee against the Dallas Mavericks as his two-way contract service time has expired and his full-time NBA deal has yet to be finalized.
It’s usually been injuries that’s hampered the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season, but with Damion Lee, things are a little more complicated. The Warriors will be without Lee when Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks roll into San Francisco Tuesday night. However, Lee is not dealing with an injury.
Lee is still on his two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, and he’s exhausted the 45-day service time limit on his deal. Until his full-time contract is finalized with the Dubs, he will be relegated to the bench.
Two-way contract players are only allowed to spend 45-days with their NBA club, with the rest of their time spent in the G League. Against the Los Angeles Clippers last week, Lee spent the last of his 45-days with Golden State.
Before capping his two-way contract, the Golden State Warriors waived Marquese Chriss to reportedly open up a full-time spot on the roster for Lee.
Due to their salary cap restrictions, Lee is stuck waiting while the Warriors finalize his contract, costing the shooting guard two-straight games.
While Lee isn’t suited up, he’s still expected to remain in Golden State for the future. Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported this should be the last game Lee misses, as he’s expected to have a multi-year contract finalized soon.
Damion Lee is expected to miss tomorrow’s game vs. Dallas. This should be the last game he sits before finalizing a multi year deal with the Warriors.
The Warriors could use Lee’s service as they’ve dropped eight straight games, triggering their season-high losing streak for the 2019-20 NBA season. While Golden State has struggled to find a win, Lee has played well, earning a starting role for the Warriors.
Lee has started 13-straight games before hitting his 45-day limit on his two-way contract. The Baltimore native is averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Golden State this season.
After spending the first month of the season in Golden State, the Warriors have waived center, Marquese Chriss to open a spot for two-way guard Damion Lee.
In a surprise move, the Golden State Warriors have decided to waive 22-year-old center, Marquese Chriss, according to multiple reports. The Warriors brought Chriss in during training camp, but have decided to move on from the former Washington Husky 38-games into the 2019-20 season.
The 22-year-old’s center contract would have become fully-guaranteed the next day, but now Chriss will return to the waiver wire instead of Golden State.
Warriors plan to complete a deal with G Damion Lee to keep him on 15-man roster, league source tells ESPN. He had run out of days on a two-way contract. Warriors waived Marquese Chriss to create a roster spot.
With only limited days left on Lee’s 45-day contract, the Warriors had to make a decision to seal their two-way guard’s deal. Chriss was the only player on the Warriors roster with a non-guaranteed contract, making waiving him the most natural solution to open a roster spot for Lee.
This move may come as a surprise due to Chriss’s impressive play with Golden State, averaging 7.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Chriss was released shortly after the Warriors 111-98 loss against the Sacramento native’s hometown Kings.
The waiving of Marquese Chriss is not, according to NBA sources, a matter of the Warriors losing interest. They’re running out of time on two-way deals for Damion Lee and Ky Bowman. This is the first move. There will be more.
The news of Chriss getting waived hurt the Warriors’ locker room because the now-former Golden State center, was well-liked amongst his teammates, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Chatted with Marquese Chriss a few minutes before the Warriors officially waived him. He had just learned of the news postgame in Sacramento. Had a few teammates coming up to him telling him to “stay up.” News had stung the locker room a bit. Chriss was well-liked.
Chriss checked-in on his Instagram after being let go by Golden State. The power forward seemed in good spirits, with a caption that read, “God got me! #BeyondBlessed.”
After playing well with Golden State, Chriss, who is only 22-years-old with four years of NBA experience, has a likely chance of getting picked up by another team quickly. If Chriss clears waivers, the Warriors could bring him back later in the season.
With another roster spot open, the Warriors can now sign Lee to a full-time contract with Golden State. Lee has started the last 11 games for the Warriors and played well throughout his time up in Golden State. Lee’s tallied 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26.3 minutes per game this season.
Finding a roster spot for Lee was the only the first step for Golden State. The Warriors will now have to turn their attention to finding a place for their second two-way guard, Ky Bowman, whose 45-day contract is expiring by the minute.
The two-way rookie guard is nearly out of availability with the Warriors after becoming a regular in the rotation.
The Golden State Warriors may soon have a tough decision to make.
After dealing with several injuries this season, the team has leaned heavily on rookie Ky Bowman and third-year guard Damion Lee, who are both signed to two-way contracts.
Both players are nearing the end of their 45-day service clock and the Warriors are severely limited financially to make a move. The organization would need to shed contracts to make room to sign one or both players to avoid a hard cap.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweeted on Monday, Bowman will have just six days of service time left after Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings while Lee is down to just two more days.
Days left on 45-day counter after tonight -Ky Bowman: 6 -Damion Lee: 2 Steve Kerr says Warriors will send Bowman to G-League when D’Angelo Russell returns. No clarity on Lee. Roster spot likely to be cleared for him at some point. pic.twitter.com/qmLOo9ATHy
The Warriors have used a smaller rotation recently, mainly out of necessity with the injuries piling up. The organization has certainly been impressed with what Bowman and Lee bring to the lineup and will likely look at all avenues to keep them.
Bowman is averaging 7.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 33 appearances with the Warriors and has played five games in the G League with Santa Cruz. He hasn’t played with the minor league affiliate since Dec. 22.
Lee is averaging a career-high 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23 games with the varsity club and has not yet played for Santa Cruz.
Starting today (December 30th), the Warriors can trade Burks for salary relief and be able to convert both Lee and Bowman within the apron.
Two-way players Damion Lee and Ky Bowman have been pleasant surprises for the Warriors this season and arguably deserve roster spots.
In December, Lee is averaging 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game off 45% shooting and 89% from the free-throw line, according to Basketball-Reference. He has started in the last 7 games in which the Warriors have gone 4-3, including a 4 game winning streak.
Bowman has consistently been in the Warriors rotation averaging 22.8 minutes per game. He’s been heavily relied on earlier in the season while the Warriors were strung with injuries. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per-36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference.
Both players are on two-way contracts, meaning they can only spend up to 45 days with the Warriors. Once they run out their days-of-service (DOS) clock, they must be converted to regular NBA contracts that would have them count against the Warriors salary cap if they are to continue with the team. Otherwise, they must return to the Santa Cruz Warriors, but can still be converted later.
As of 12/6- Lee only had 18 but only 12 that applied to the 45
There is no publicly available resource available to track the DOS of two-way players. According to Bobby Marks, Lee has spent 12 of his 45 DOS with the Warriors as of December 6. While one could mathematically conclude that Lee is at his 36th DOS as of December 30th, there is a good chance that isn’t the correct number. It is tough to estimate how many DOS Bowman has left, but he could have less since he has played more games for the Warriors than Lee has this season.
Warriors current salary cap sheet.
The Warriors cannot convert either player with the way the Warriors roster currently stands because are hard-capped. They subjected themselves to the hard cap after they sign-and-traded for D’Angelo Russell. They are currently just $374,925 below the hard cap, or apron.
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If Lee is signed today, December 30th, his cap hit would be $988,819. That figure declines by $9,155.73 daily. Bowman’s cap hit today would be $548,121, but an additional $440,698 would count against him towards the Warriors luxury tax total. His potential cap hit prorates by $5,075,20 daily. The individual cap hit of either player today exceeds the Warriors’ $374,925 hard cap cushion, making either conversion illegal at the moment.
What can the Warriors do?
The easiest thing for the Warriors to do is trade a minimum-salaried role player such as Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III, and Marquese Chriss, all of whom have a $1.6 million cap hit. Burks’ name has been floated around the most, and according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, league sources say the Warriors are willing to part with him. His $1.6 million cap hit is very moveable and he should have many suitors based on his high-level of play this season.
Warriors potential cap sheet if they trade Burks, then sign both Lee and Bowman to their respective pro-rated minimum salaries on December 30th, 2019.
Starting today (December 30th), the Warriors can trade Burks for salary relief and be able to convert both Lee and Bowman within the apron. If they were to execute such a trade and sign both players today, they would be just $17,851 below the hard cap for the rest of the season. They can increase their cushion by making another trade or waiving Marquese Chriss whose contract is non-guaranteed.
The Warriors have $1,743,897 remaining of their taxpayer mid-level exception. They can sign both Lee and Bowman using the exception in order to give them contracts that run for at least three seasons.
The Warriors could be a little more patient and run Lee and Bowman’s two-way clocks to its expiration. While they can fit both today, the Warriors already have such limited flexibility and $17,851 won’t allow them to do anything going forward. It is still best to try to let both players’ potential cap hits continue to prorate so they can have as much space below the apron as possible. It is also best to not rush a trade for Burks so they can try to get the most value for him in a trade.
Although Zion Williamson will be sidelined due to injury, plenty of other rookie players should see some action on Christmas Day.
The 72nd edition of the NBA on Christmas Day will feature five games throughout the day with the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors getting things started at 12 p.m. ET.
The NBA will have five Christmas Day games for the 12th year in a row as ESPN and ABC will combine to broadcast each game. Four of the five games will be first-time matchups on the holiday.
The full five-game Christmas Day schedule:
Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors: 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers: 2:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors: 5 p.m. (ABC)
L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers: 8 p.m. (ABC & ESPN)
New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets: 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
While the full slate of games will be headlined by the likes of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and others, several first-year players will also make their holiday debuts.
Of course, the last game of the day will be without Zion Williamson as he recovers from knee surgery on Oct. 21. Although the No. 1 pick will be sidelined, plenty of other rookie players should see some action on Christmas Day.
Note: Injured players were not included
Grant Williams, Celtics
(Photo by Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports)
Williams is coming off of his best two-game swing of the season after totaling 30 points. The first-round pick often contributes his energy and playmaking off the bench and is beginning to see more playing time as a result.
Romeo Langford, Celtics
(Photo by Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)
Langford is finally healthy and contributing for the Celtics. After dealing with a number of injuries, Langford recorded a season-high eight points and four rebounds Sunday night in a 119-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He appears to be ready to contribute and could see more action on Wednesday.
Carsen Edwards, Celtics
(Photo by Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports)
Edwards recently re-joined the Celtics after a four-game stint with the Maine Red Claws in the G League. Edwards averaged 21.8 points, five rebounds, 3.5 assists and three steals for the Red Claws. He appears to be back with the Celtics for now though it is unclear if he will play on Wednesday.
Tremont Waters, Celtics
(Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
Waters has spent the majority of the season in the G League. In 13 games played, he is averaging 20.1 points, 7.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He is 12th in the G League in assists and 12th in steals. With the Red Claws off until Friday, Waters will likely be with the Celtics.
Tacko Fall, Celtics
(Photo by David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)
With the Celtics dealing with injuries to centers Robert Williams and Vincent Poirier, Fall has been on the active roster recently. Fall has three appearances with the Celtics this season, totaling 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Terence Davis, Raptors
(Photo by Tim Fuller/USA TODAY Sports)
The undrafted guard has earned significant playing time for head coach Nick Nurse and he has taken advantage of it. Davis is averaging 6.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 30 games this season, including a career-high 19 points against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 20.
Chris Clemons, Rockets
(Photo by Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports)
The two-way rookie has contributed sporadically for the Rockets this season. Clemons has scored at least 15 points four different times and has given the Rockets a boost of offense off of the bench. His play has him on the verge of earning a standard NBA deal.
Eric Paschall, Warriors
(Photo by Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
After a strong start to his rookie campaign, Paschall has dealt with a few injuries recently. He has been dealing with a sore hip and suffered a knee injury, causing him to leave early on Friday against the Pelicans. Paschall played on Monday, a good indication he should be able to go on Wednesday.
Jordan Poole, Warriors
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
With the Warriors battling through injuries for much of the season, Poole has been used quite frequently. His playing time has dropped recently, though, after struggling with his shot. In 29 games, Poole is averaging 7.1 points and shooting just 25.4% from the field.
Ky Bowman, Warriors
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Warriors have leaned quite a bit on two-way guard Ky Bowman so it is unclear if he will play but he has produced when called upon. Bowman is posting 8.3 points and 2.7 assists in 27 games this season and recently recorded two points in 22 minutes on Monday.
Mfiondu Kabengele, Clippers
(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
The first-round has shuttled between the NBA and G League this season, playing only mostly in mop-up duty with the Varsity squad. In the G League, though, Kabengele has been a monster after dropping 36 points and 12 rebounds on Dec. 12.
Terance Mann, Clippers
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Like Kabengele, Mann has been used periodically for the Clippers though has started five games for head coach Doc Rivers. Mann hasn’t played in five games so, like Kabengele, may not see much time on Christmas Day.
Jaxson Hayes, Pelicans
(Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
Without Zion Williamson, Hayes has been top rookie on the Pelicans. In 28 games, Hayes is averaging 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Hayes recently scored in double figures in five of seven games but has cooled off since then, totaling just 12 points over his last three games.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pelicans
(Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)
Alexander-Walker has had a few spurts this season in which he has flashed his potential but has struggled to stay consistent with inconsistent playing time. He recently fell out of the rotation and may not see a ton of time on Wednesday.
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets
(Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Nuggets have been trying to find more playing time for their redshirt freshman but have been unsuccessful in doing so. The team has been rumored to be shopping Malik Beasley, which would open the door for Porter, but the team has not yet moved him.
Eric Paschall will play against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Glenn Robinson will miss a game after he suffered an ankle injury in practice. Alen Smailagic and Ky Bowman have been recalled from the G League in place of Robinson III.
Injuries have pillaged their way up and down the Warriors roster with the latest hit coming to Glenn Robinson III.
Robinson is having a career season with the Warriors; however, it will be put on hold as he’s ruled out against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Robinson rolled his ankle in practice over the weekend.
Robinson has been a workhorse for the Warriors in 2019, starting and playing in all 30 games for Golden State this season. Robinson’s averaging 11.6 points per game and 4.7 rebounds— almost double his career mark.
Steve Kerr told reporters before the Warriors holme tilt against the T-Wolves that he doesn’t expect Robinson to be out long.
Steve Kerr on Glenn Robinson: “He’ll sit tonight and my guess is that he’ll play Christmas.”
In place of Robinson III, the Warriors made the move to recall both Ky Bowman and Alen Smailagic. Bowman, an undrafted free-agent on a two-way contract, was steady piece through the start of the Warriors season but has been down in the G League while the big club has been healthy.
Bowman’s started five games in G League Santa Cruz, averaging close to a triple-double; 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
Smailagic was injured to start the season and has yet to make his NBA debut. Still, he’s making so much noise in Santa Cruz; the Warriors may have no other option than to play the Serbian 19-year old.
Smailagic was named to the G League Showcase first-team over the weekend, and has been on a tear with the Santa Cruz “Sea Dubs.” The Serbian teenager has scored 24 points or more in three of his last four games. Smailagic, a near 7-footer, has sunk 13 three-pointers in that four-game span.
Kerr said Smailagic is doubtful to make the rotation against Minnesota, but could make his NBA debut soon.
Ky Bowman and Alen Smailagic (!) are active tonight. Smailagic could possibly make his NBA debut, though Steve Kerr explained Smiley will not be in the rotation.
Although the Warriors will be without Robinson III, standout rookie Eric Paschall is slated to play after tweaking his knee in the Warriors game Friday night against the Pelicans. Paschall had an MRI on his knee Saturday that came back clean.
The Villanova product has been the bright spot in the Warriors down season, having him back on the floor against Minnesota will give him a chance to continue building his Rookie of the Year campaign.
After dealing with injuries to several key players, the Warriors have been forced to rely on their players signed to two-way contracts.
After dealing with injuries to several key players, the Golden State Warriors have been forced to rely on numerous young guys this season, including rookies.
The Warriors have also played two-way rookie Ky Bowman quite a bit this season. Of the Warriors’ 28 games, Bowman has 26 appearances so far and is a huge reason why the team has the highest production from its two-way players.
Bowman has tallied 223 points this season, good for an average of 8.6 per game. In addition to Bowman, the Warriors also have Damion Lee signed to a two-way contract and the third-year guard has scored 150 points this season, or 10.7 per game.
The addition of two-way contract was designed to allow teams an opportunity to reward players they wish to develop with higher salaries and to also provide increased depth on the roster. The Warriors have certainly needed their two-way players.
While the Warriors have utilized their two-way players extensively this season, there have been a few other teams that have done the same but not nearly to the level of the Warriors. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter, the Warriors are lapping the field in two-way scoring:
Warriors: 373
Rockets: 93
Heat: 93
Timberwolves: 46
Wizards: 34
Players signed to two-way contracts are eligible to spend up to 45 days in the NBA so the Warriors will soon have to make a decision on the future of Bowman. Service days count when a player is on the active roster, practices and travels with the NBA club.
As a result, the Warriors are burning through Bowman’s service time and will have to either sign him to a standard NBA contract or send him to the G League once his time expires. On the other hand, Lee has only 14 appearances this season and has more time left on his 45-day clock.
In any case, the two players have been a brightspot in an otherwise down season as the Warriors currently hold the worst record in the league at 5-23.
NBA Math’s Rolling Player Rating system ranks two Warriors rookies in the top-10 of their Rookie of the Year Prediction.
A 5-22 record is a change of pace for the Golden State Warriors, instead of wins, the team has had to seek out bright spots where they can find them. Within the Warriors down season, rookies Eric Paschall and Ky Bowman have blossomed out of almost nowhere.
Paschall, a second-round pick, and Bowman, an undrafted free agent, have greatly exceeded expectations through the first quarter of the NBA season, and now they’re starting to receive some recognition.
According to NBA Math’s Rolling Player Rating, both rookies, Paschall and Bowman rank in the top-10 of their Rookie of the Year predictions. Paschall is currently second with a 2.836 rating, and Bowman is an honorable mention at eighth with a 0.961 score.
Via RPR Predictor, our current Rookie of the Year standings:
Memphis Grizzlies rookie phenom, Ja Morant tops the list with a 3.588 rating. Miami Heat rookie, Kendrick Nunn, joins Paschall and Bowman as the only non-first round picks to make NBA Math’s top-10.
Via RPR Predictor, current Rookie of the Year honorable mentions:
NBA Math’s rolling player rating factors in box score statistics from the players past 10-games with higher values towards quality opponents. According to NBA Math, defense is undervalued in their ratings with box score statistics and on-court contributions taking precedence. NBA Math uses Rolling Player Rating to help project awards like Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year.
NBA Math’s Rolling Player Ratings are by no means perfect, as is to be expected from a metric based on a schedule-adjusted version of Game Score. They undervalue defensive contributions, only give credit for work that shows up in the box score and can sometimes favor players who rack up meaningless numbers in garbage-time situations. Essentially, they’re a measure of who’s best at producing the most glamorous NBA statistics rather than a measure of pure on-court value.
It makes sense for Paschall and Bowman to rank highly in this metric as they’ve both been consistent contributors for the Warriors all season. Paschall ranks in the rookie top-three in points per game 16.1 (second), total points 403 (second), and field goals 149 (second).
Bowman, a two-way contract player currently on assignment in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, is averaging 8.6 points, 2.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in his rookie season with Golden State.
Regardless of advanced metrics, Paschall and Bowman’s play have been the bright spot in Golden State’s down season. If the rookie duo can continue to stack consistent play, they’ll give the Warriors two building blocks for the future.
Even as the Warriors are racking up losses, Golden State is still sharing the basketball at a very high clip.
The days of Draymond Green running the Warriors fastbreak, with Stephen Curry leaking out and Kevin Durant trailing seem like ages ago, although the 2019 edition of Golden State is trying their best to mimic that type of ball movement.
The Warriors championship run was headlined by “the Splash Brothers” long-range shooting and the dominance of Durant, but Golden State, at its core, was a passing team. The four All-Star lineups whipped the ball around the court at a frenetic pace, overwhelming opposing teams at times.
While the 2019 club isn’t overwhelming anyone with a league-worst 5-22 record, the Warriors are leading the NBA in sharing the rock. The Warriors have registered the most passes made (331.9) and passes received (332.6) per game throughout the first quarter of the NBA season.
The effort is there when it comes to moving the basketball around the floor, but Golden State just isn’t finishing. The Warriors are only averaging 23.7 assists per game, which ranks 18th in the NBA. Before this year, the Warriors have led the NBA in assists per game since the 2014-15 season.
D’Angelo Russell (6.1) and Draymond Green (5.9) are the only Warriors creating dimes; after the All-Star pairing, their assists numbers fall off with Alec Burks, the next man up at 2.9 assists per game.
Even with Golden State dealing with injuries and talent drop off from last season, the team isn’t forcing shots. Kerr’s offense, led by Green and Russell, is still trying to move the ball at a high rate through their passing.
The Warriors still lack the three-point range that Curry and Klay Thompson brought to the offense. However, the fact Kerr can instill some resemblance of his former offense based on ball-movement with a completely different roster is a positive sign for the future.
