Few fans of the Golden State Warriors are particularly satisfied with the efforts the team put in to improve the roster this summer, choosing to mostly bring back the same group that stumbled through an injury-addled second half, finishing with 37 wins and a loss to end their season in the play-in tournament. That leaves the hopes on bettering the outlook of the team this season on two main factors: Getting and staying healthy, and seeing surprisingly encouraging performances from young players. That includes draft picks Yaxel Lendeborg and Lajae Jones.
Lendeborg we already know a good deal about. He was a national champion and Big Ten Player of the Year at Michigan this season, where he averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, before starring in summer league and winning the MVP of the Las Vegas circuit, the clear leader of a group that won the summer league crown.
Less known, though is Jones, the team’s second-round pick out of Florida State, who averaged 12.7 points and shot just 32.5% from the 3-point line last season. And it remains unclear what his role, if any, will be for this year’s Warriors.
LaJae Jones on Standard Warriors Contract or 2-Way?
Jones did not make much of an impact in summer league for the Warriors, averaging 8.7 points and shooting 30.8% from the 3-point line in six games. He is clearly a developmental project for Golden State, which means it is still unclear whether he will wind up with a full roster spot on this season’s team or a two-way spot that will allow him to spend significant time in Santa Cruz.
Writing about the Warriors’ options to fill out their two remaining roster spots, in fact, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area noted that Jones’ status is still up in the air.
He writes: “That’s not including Jones, their second-round pick. Nothing has been decided on that front. The Warriors could add Jones and his cheap projected contract to the 15-man roster or opt to sign him to their third two-way contract.”
LaJae Jones: ‘Projects as 3-and-D Wing’
Even coming out of college, it was difficult to get a read on Jones, who played for four different schools in four years. The Warriors liked his potential as a wing defender, but he is a long way from being NBA ready.
From the Lajae Jones NBA.com scouting report: “Built solid with quick lateral feet, Jones switches across the perimeter, bodies up bigger wings, and stays glued through pick-and-rolls. He plays with motor and rebounds hard. … Jones projects as a 3-and-D wing who earns his minutes with defense, rebounding, and pure energy. His value does not depend on touches, which makes him easy to plug into almost any lineup. A team that already has shot creation gets a player who does the connective work most rosters need. NBA comparisons to Jones can be made to players like Josh Okogie and David Roddy.”
Warriors See ‘Long-Term Project’
The safe bet, then, is for the Warriors to put Jones on a two-way and use the remaining two roster spots on veterans. GM Mike Dunleavy indicated that while the staff feels Lendeborg is a Day One contributor, patience is the operative approach with Jones.
“We’ll get him through summer league and see how things go and see what happens next year,” Dunleavy said. “But we like him as a long-term project in terms of the things we look for and what we value.”
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