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Warriors find three reasons to smile despite short-handed defeat to Suns
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- Warriors find three reasons to smile despite short-handed defeat to Suns
Warriors find three reasons to smile despite short-handed defeat to Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Somewhere in the gravel of defeat Saturday night, the Warriors found a few nuggets of gold.
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Seeking any indications of promise after losing their first two games of the season, the Warriors received three such signs during an entirely predictable 131-122 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
De'Anthony Melton's wayward shot appears to be making its way home, and the team's center rotation might not be as problematic many fear it will be.
Golden State's loss was predictable because it was a 9.5-point underdog after coach Steve Kerr rested Stephen Curry , Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford – all of whom for one night joined the longtime inactive legion of Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porziņģis.
Yet the performances of Melton and young centers Charles Bassey and Graham Ike allowed the deeply diminished Warriors to find value on an evening when they walked out of Mortgage Matchup Center with a 0-3 record.
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"All 17 roster guys, or 16, or whatever it is should feel like they have a stake in this thing," Kerr told reporters in Phoenix. "Nights like tonight, that's proof that they do. And that they're going to get their opportunity."
It was reasonable to be skeptical about the team's big-man rotation when it became clear that the 7-foot-3 Porziņģis, projected as the starter, might not be joining the Warriors . His absence left advanced veterans Green (6-foot-6, 36 years old) and Horford (6-foot-8, 40 years old), both of whom require rest nights. The 6-foot-9 Bassey and the 6-foot-10 Ike were relative unknowns.
The youngsters combined for 22 points , 17 rebounds, two blocks and a steal over a cumulative 39 minutes.
Ike, an undrafted rookie from Gonzaga on a two-way contract, was summoned for his second NBA start and acquitted himself well. He was a presence in the paint while producing 12 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.
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"The name of the game is to stay ready when your name is called," Ike said. "Ultimately, I just wanted to be prepared for when my opportunity hit. I didn't expect it to happen this early, but I didn't have any expectations coming into a new league, a new environment and a new situation like this."
Bassey, who made a cameo appearance with Golden State in the final week of last season, made the most of his 13 minutes, coming off the bench to contribute 10 points and seven rebounds.
"They're both fearless," Kerr said. "I think they're confident, they're excited about the opportunity, and they showed that in camp and preseason, and they showed it tonight. Two talented young big guys were really excited about."
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Melton, who struggled with his shot down the stretch last season, is coming off his first healthy summer in three years. The expectation is that he's able to play an important role as a two-way perimeter – if his shot is there.
Melton experienced a hallelujah moment Friday night. Coming off a scoreless game in the season-opener, he scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including 2 of 3 from distance. He more than doubled that against the Suns, pouring in 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 4 of 8 from deep.
"It was great to see Melt out there finding his rhythm the last couple of nights," Kerr said.
Behind the work of Melton, Bassey, Ike and, of course, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the Warriors were able to stay in the game – there were 14 lead changes – until the Phoenix regulars built their first double-digit lead late in the third quarter.
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Lendeborg was terrific on offense, scoring a team-high 26 points while adding nine rebounds, five assists and finishing plus-5 over 36 minutes.
Those efforts were not enough to offset another high-turnover game, this time giving the Suns 26 points off 17 giveaways.
"You're going to have nights like tonight at times this season when guys aren't available," Kerr said. "This is just a process. Let's keep putting in the work. Let's keep watching the film, and as long as they are connected and together like you saw out there tonight, whoever is available is going to play. We're going to compete like crazy, and that will get us better."
When the coaches and players gather to review video of this game, they will see rights and wrongs, while hoping the rights continue and the wrongs begin to fade.
