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The Golden State Warriors have three preseason games on the books and three wins, following a 121-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. And while Steph Curry and Jordan Poole may have been the game’s gripping story, the story with roster implications was the performance of players battling for last place: Avery Bradley, Langston Galloway, Jordan Bell, Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton II.
It’s time for the third installment of the 15th power ranking on the list, and this time there’s a reshuffle.
As always, I’m assuming the team will use the final roster spot – no guarantees there – and not include the possibility of Mulder being signed for a bilateral deal.
5. Langston Galloway
against the Lakers: 8 minutes, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 2v5 shot, 1v3 three-point shot
Galloway’s best pre-season performance is not enough to move him up the ranks. He still looks like a camp corps and someone the Warriors are familiar with in case they need depth later in the season.
If he was seriously competing for a job, he would play more minutes.
4. Jordan Bell
against the Lakers: 9 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 interception, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 2 on 2 shot
If the Warriors were a rebuilding team, Bell would be at the top of the list. He showed his potential in the preseason and was very intriguing. And just on performance, it should be higher on this list.
But there is still no path to him on the list at this time. Not with the Warriors who are so blatant about how happy they are to play a small ball with a five-man power forward – something that was only exacerbated by a formidable side from Nemanja Bjelica.
Still, Bell has been remarkable enough that I would expect the Warriors to be interested in keeping him in Santa Cruz this year, if he’s available.
3. Gary Payton II
against the Lakers: DNP – Hernia
A third game missed in a row due to injury makes the odds of Payton’s roster seem slim. He had a good chance of getting into the camp, but that unfortunate hernia could have ruined things for him.
2. Mychal Mulder
against the Lakers: 7 minutes, 2 points, 1 for 5 shot, 0 for 3 three-point shot
Mulder was de facto the No.1 person on these leaderboards for the first two iterations, due to Bradley’s uninspired play and Payton’s absence. But he was eventually overtaken.
Personally, I would always go for him over Bradley, but the reality is that Mulder has done very little to promote his case.
I still think he ends up with a two-fold deal, so don’t start saying goodbye just yet.
1. Avery Bradley
against the Lakers: 13 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 interception, 1 foul, shot 1 for 5, three point shot 1 for 3
On Friday, Sean wrote what the article said exactly what I had tried to avoid seeing. The Warriors appreciate the veteran presence Bradley brings, the experience he has and the pedigree he once had. Curry vouched for him. He gets the most minutes from these candidates.
I am still not convinced. I don’t see it defensively, and there is no “that” to see offensively. But against the Lakers, Bradley seemed at least comfortable in the system. He moved more, cut more, played more in the system.
It’s not my choice, but I can see why it appears to be the Warriors’ choice.
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