MVN - Most Valuable Network

Warriors defeat Raptors to finish first in Las Vegas

The Warriors are leaving Las Vegas as one of the three top teams in the NBA Summer League at 4-1.  Tied with the Nuggets and Bucks, their only loss was to Northern California rival, the Sacramento Kings.  ‘We Believe’ fans should be delighted that first round pick, Anthony Randolph, was a star for the Warriors while averaging 20.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg.

Randolph waited until the final game against the Raptors to get his first double-double as a Warrior.  He scored 26 points on 5-17 shooting from the field and finished off his scoring with rare, for the Warriors, accuracy in free throws at 16-18.  Randolph was a beast on the boards as he nabbed 5 offensive and 7 defensive rebounds for a total of 12.  His performance at his first Summer League event gave the Warriors plenty of hope that their first round pick was the right one. Finishing as the fifth best scorer will do that for you.

Other stars of the Summer League in Las Vegas were C.J. Watson who didn’t play against the Raptors and Summer League standout Marco Belinelli.  Belinelli scored 14 on 4-14 from the field and 4-6 from the line while also turning in 8 assists on the night.  He also showed some defensive prowess as he stole the ball three times as the Warriors defeated the Raptors 95-90.

Watson probably made the best case for his inclusion to the 2008-09 roster.  He ranked fourth in assists with a 4.8 apg and eleventh in scoring with 18.8 ppg.  What was most impressive about Watson’s Summer League showing was his ability to play defense.  He led all players with a 4.2 spg making him probably Golden State’s MVP of the tournament.

Lost in the shuffle due to a twisted ankle, second round pick Richard Hendrix finally contributed in the final game.  He played over fifteen minutes and scored 8 points on 3-8 shooting from the field and 2-4 from the line.  Miraculously, he was able to pull down 10 rebounds, 6 offensive and 4 defensive, in his short stay on the floor showing Mullin & Co. their reasons for drafting him were spot on.  He also had 2 blocks and 2 steals, showing that he’s more than just a rebounder that can score, but a total package type player.

Tonight, the Warriors will begin the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City, Utah by facing the New Jersey Nets at 1:15pm pst.  They’ll then face the Mavericks, NBDL All Stars, and finish off against the Hawks.  Games can be seen live at the Rocky Mountain Revue site and clicking the ‘Watch Live’ link at the top of the page.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 7:47 am and is filed under 2008 summer league, C.J. Watson, Anthony Randolph, Richard Hendrix, Players, Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.