SANTA CRUZ – Alex Toohey twirled the basketball on his index finger, spinning it round and round for the cameras during the Santa Cruz Warriors’ media day.
As a rookie with pedigree – he was drafted No. 52 overall – it would be understandable if the Australian forward focused on wowing with similar tricks, gaudy scoring moves or highlight-reel passes in the offensively-minded developmental G-League, especially after sitting out the entire preseason with a knee injury.
But after Toohey spent two weeks being mentored by perhaps the game’s best defensive player, his basketball interests lie elsewhere.
“Just speaking to Draymond was big,” Toohey told the Bay Area News Group on Monday. “Hearing about his journey and how he impacts the game on defense. That’s something I want to learn, to get to his level. How he’s developed his basketball IQ by watching games and understanding player’s tendencies.”
Toohey is an ideal height for a power forward at 6-foot-8, but his athleticism is nowhere near a strength. However, after consulting Green this preseason, Toohey said he has picked up some tricks from the 14-year vet and eight-time All-Defense selection.
“The big thing (I learned) is, when speaking to Draymond, is knowing players’ tendencies,” Toohey said. “Even if you can’t match their foot speed, if you understand where they’re trying to get, you can get there before them, and you have to change your angle on closeouts and how you slide your feet. ”
The rookie said that the coaching staff has emphasized working on his ability to defend while switching onto other non-forward matchups.
But before he does his best Green impression, he will need to get back on the court. Toohey has been sidelined with tendonitis in his knee.
Both Santa Cruz coach Lainn Wilson and Toohey expressed optimism about the rookie returning to the court soon, but kept their updates vague.
“Feeling good, yeah, better,” Toohey said. “Carried it through summer league, which was a bit frustrating, but the team here looked after me, and I think I’m close to being fully back.”
Toohey also described his ideal role on the Santa Cruz – and later Golden State – offense. He averaged 6.8 points per game in Summer League, but shot only 26.2% from the field in six outings. Creating offense is not expected to be his primary role with either Santa Cruz or Golden State.
“Being a connector, being able to space the floor, and play different positions, because they kind of play five players, but there’s not really a set position for each one of them,” Toohey said. “Everyone is able to push the ball up the court.”
Cryer ready for Santa Cruz
LJ Cryer was one of the pleasant surprises during the preseason, his magnum opus being a 14-point fourth-quarter burst to lead a comeback against the Trail Blazers.
The 6-foot former All-American from Houston emphasized playmaking as something he hopes to showcase in Santa Cruz as he aims to earn a callup to Golden State as a rookie.
“You’ve just got to keep your head down and continue to grind,” Cryer told this news organization. “It just fits right with how my career has gone. Nothing has ever been given to me. I’ve always had to take the hard route.”
Aside from Cryer, wing Taevion Kinsey and bigs Ja’Vier Francis and Marques Bolden join Santa Cruz as Warriors preseason vets. Pat Spencer and Jackson Rowe are also on the roster as two-way players. Vallejo native Chance McMillian is expected to be a talented scorer for Santa Cruz.
Melton’s impact
One of the most impactful members of training camp is a man who will, in all likelihood, not spend a single minute on the floor for Santa Cruz.
De’Anthony Melton has spent the past week practicing with the G-League team as he nears his return from an ACL injury that cost him the last year.
“It takes our practice to another level,” Wilson raved. “All of a sudden, an NBA player shows up, jumps in, and the guys are typically just a little bit more focused on defense. They’re trying to lock in playing with this guy. … It naturally makes your practice even more competitive just because of the talent level he is.”
Warriors practice
- Al Horford will rest against Phoenix and play at Sacramento in the second part of a back-to-back. This remains in line with the Warriors commitment to not playing the 39-year-old center in both games of a back-to-back.
- Coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the NBA’s trend toward playing at a breakneck pace played a major factor in his team’s losses in the Midwest: “What I’m seeing is teams that are spreading it out, playing as fast as possible, and making it difficult to get to your defensive coverages. … The pace of the Milwaukee and Indiana games exposed some of the things we did defensively.”