Getty Ryan Rollins looks to make a move in a Toledo game.
Ryan Rollins couldn’t join his Golden State Warriors teammates on the floor during the team’s recently completed Summer League, but still found a way to make the most of his time in Las Vegas.
The second-round draft pick was hit with an unexpected setback when the Warriors medical staff discovered a stress fracture in his foot during his first team physical. The Warriors kept Rollins out of Summer League, but the 20-year-old still found a way to help his transition into the NBA and get to know his new teammates.
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Rollins on Keeping His Focus
Since the Warriors traded up in the second round to Rollins, he’s put in a lot of work studying. The former Toledo guard told the Toledo Blade that he’s been going through “mental reps” by watching game film and learning the team’s plays. While Rollins traded Summer League games for some less intensive stationary dribbling and free throws, he took the opportunity to get to know his teammates and learn about the Warriors program.
That meant more time spent in his hotel room and not out enjoying Las Vegas nightlife.
“I’m trying to get healthy and chill out,” he said. “I’m here for basketball. It’s is a great opportunity, and I’m here to take full advantage of it.”
Rollins also made the most of his time in Las Vegas by going through the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program. As Rollins explained, the course helped players understand the pressures of being an NBA athlete and helped teach them to avoid temptation.
“It’s a big step, there’s a lot that goes along with it,” Rollins said. “But basically it was them telling us don’t do anything stupid.”
Big Opportunity for Rollins
The Warriors made a significant investment in landing Rollins, giving $2 million to the Atlanta Hawks to swap second-round picks so they could take him at No. 51 overall. As the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau noted, the team originally envisioned Rollins on the 15-man roster for the upcoming season, though his injury-shortened offseason could throw a wrench in those plans.
“Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters on draft night that he expects the 44th overall pick to make the 15-man roster next season, but without competing in summer league, that will be increasingly difficult,” Letourneau wrote on June 29.
There could still be a chance for Rollins. The Warriors still have two roster spots left unfilled, including one that had reportedly been reserved for veteran Andre Iguodala if he should choose to come back for another year.
Rollins seems confident in that he can succeed in the NBA, telling the USA Today’s Rookie Wire before the NBA Draft that he believes he can be a strong two-way player. He also compared himself to another multi-talented Warriors player who played a key role in four of the team’s five straight trips to the NBA Finals, Shaun Livingston.
“I am a smooth player. A smooth playmaker.”
GSW 6”4 rookie guard, Ryan Rollins said his game his similar to Warriors legend, Shaun Livingston. Ryan has a 6’10 wingspan.
He also told me a bit about his upbringing in the West Side of Detroit.
“I think I’m just a playmaker — create for myself, others,” Rollins said. “I’m a playmaker on both ends of the floor. I come up with steals, blocks and deflections on the defensive end that turns into easy offense.”
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