Getty Warriors coach Steve Kerr
There was some rejoicing among the Golden State Warriors staff back in late June when the team was able to wrangle the 44th spot in the NBA draft to select Ryan Rollins, the All-MAC guard out of Toledo, following a deal with Atlanta. Rollins was viewed as a potential second-round sleeper after averaging 18.9 points for the Rockets as a sophomore, and the Warriors were nervous another team would slide ahead of them and scoop him up.
The rejoicing was short-lived, though, as Rollins was discovered to have a foot injury after the draft which kept him out of participation in summer league and has limited his ability to prepare for the season. But there is hope that Rollins will be on target for a return to action in time for camp, which starts at the end of the month.
Ryan Rollins 🔥🔥
A report in The Athletic this week noted, “There’s optimism that Rollins will be ready for camp, per sources, but the team will know more about his status in the next couple of weeks as everything ramps up.”
‘A Lot of Teams Were Impressed’
It’s rare that a second-round pick would be all that important to a team coming off an NBA championship, especially one who just turned 20 and has a lot of work to do on his body (Rollins measured at 6-foot-3 and 179 pounds before the draft). But the Warriors were impressed with Rollins’ maturity and had him pegged as a potential contributor, even as a rookie, this season.
“A lot of teams were impressed by him before that draft,” one Western Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “He is a mature kid with a mature game, he is a leader, very confident guy. They were a good team in Toledo, probably should have been in the NCAA tournament because they won a lot of games (26-8).
“He has a game that translates to the NBA because he can handle the ball and distribute and can create his own shot. You want to see his 3-point numbers get better (31.1% in college) but he has the stroke for it, he just might need some adjustments. And he can defend. If he shows he is up for it, I think they’ll throw him in the fire. They don’t have a ton of other options.”
That was one reason why the injury was especially tough for Rollins and the Warriors—the team wanted to see Rollins in Summer League and Rollins wanted to prove himself. In his place, the Dubs did get good performances from Mac McClung, who will get a look in training camp, too, and will compete with Rollins for a role.
McClung is not on a guaranteed contract, though, but Rollins signed a three-year deal that is guaranteed for two yeas and has a $600,000 guarantee in Year 3.
Mac McClung with the behind-the-back dime ✨
James Wiseman with a POWERFUL SLAM 💪
Warriors Looking for Guard Depth
The Warriors’ guard corps is a bit depleted these days, with Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole carrying the bulk of the load. Second-year guard Moses Moody is expected to see his duties increased, too, and new guard Donte DiVincenzo can take on some ballhandling duties.
It’s possible that Andre Iguodala could return and play a role, too. But Iguodala, who is 38, has not committed to playing this season and could retire.
Thus, contributions from Rollins, especially early in the year, would help out coach Steve Kerr greatly.