With the amount of injuries the Golden State Warriors have had this season, it's only reasonable that they try to recruit some new, young players from the NBA's Developmental League. Five players have been called up from the D-League this year by Golden State, which is tied for the most D-League call ups for a team in one season. Three out of the five players have been signed for the remainder of the season. The three players have been doing well not only in the D-League, but also in the NBA. All of these players have qualities that make them unique, and they have the potential to play in the NBA for a long time. Let's look at their three: Chris Hunter The 6'11 rookie center from Michigan has been on a roller coaster since the Warriors picked him up. Hunter quickly became a crowd favorite when he was first signed to a ten day contract. After a great defensive performance against Dwight Howard, the league's best center, Hunter was signed for the remainder of the season. Soon after, his play steadily regressed and he was buried on the bench. Injuries to Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf have gotten Hunter his minutes back. He is improving game by game. His defense was solid on Zach Randolph at Oracle after getting handled by him in Memphis. His rebounding has been inconsistent, but he is getting better as the season is progressing. With the two centers being injured, Hunter is currently playing his best basketball of the year. He just had his first career double-double, and looks to be a solid back-up center. Anthony Tolliver After playing games for the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers, Tolliver found himself back in the D-League. Luckily for him, the Warriors needed a big man that can shoot; hence, the signing of the second-year player from Creighton. Tolliver struggled to find his stroke at first, and it looked like he would not be re-signed. His hustle and defensive effort, though, earned him a year-long contract. In some games, he has looked like a monster, while he has struggled mightily in others. Even with the inconsistency, Tolliver looks to be a promising player. Who knows if he will be here once Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph return next year, but Tolliver should make an NBA team next season. He gives it his all on the court, and can be a decent role player for any team in the league. Reggie Williams The last call up from the Development League this season has been the undrafted rookie from Virgina Military. Williams has been a stud ever since he has been called up. He led the D-League in scoring, which is why the Dubs picked him up. Williams has averaged 15 points per game for the Warriors and has had four 20-plus point games already. Not only has his scoring been astonishing, but his playmaking ability is what sets him apart from most of his teammates. It's surprising to see a guy like R-Will go undrafted, and he will definitely be a player that hangs around in the NBA for years to come. The Warriors have found many good players from the NBDL these past few years and these three guys can be added to the list. Some of these players might not be in a Warriors jersey next season, but they will all have an NBA logo on their jersey playing in the association. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/369444-warriors-find-themselves-three-succesful-d-league-players
I wouldn't mind if we kept all these guys for next year. If everyone is healthy, they probably won't get that much PT except maybe Reggie Williams, but it's good insurance. Given the season we've had with injuries, I think it's important to have a deep bench you can rely on when needed. Certainly better than Mikki Moore or Devean George. No disrespect.
If you would've told me that the Warriors would've gotten a stud point guard in the draft, and be in position to take one of the top 5 players in the "Wall" Draft that seems to be stacked, and Cohan would sell the team before the season started...I'd tell you that I don't care how many wins the team pulls together. Honestly, it's been fun watching Curry develop. The only thing I would've really hoped for, is seeing Wright get some time this year and see Maggette traded. Hopefully Randolph, Wright and Buike all come back healthy next year under new Ownership.
Curry has been the only bright spot, but it's still depressing watching the other guys who are supposed to be our core get injured.
Well, it was depressing to see the injuries, but it wasn't like I was expecting a championship this year. What I wanted to see was growth, development, and chemistry. Honestly, I had much higher hopes for Morrow, and that hasn't really panned out this year. Likewise, I had high hopes for Randolph, but we'll have to wait until next year. So that has been a bummer for me. But as far as development, who would have guessed we got one of the better PGs in the entire league in the draft with Curry. This dude is franchise all the way. That is so awesome. And, with Hunter, Tolliver, Williams, we have 3 terrific bench players who came out of nowhere. Finally, the gods answered my prayer by taking Stephen Jackson off this team. There have been some ups and downs this year, for sure. And being a bottom feeder doesn't help. But the question I ask myself, is: does next year look promising. And the answer is yes, more or less.
It's too bad your boy Morrow hasn't shown more growth (as a player). I think he would do better on a better team and different system, like the Lakers.
Morrow was never really projected to be a an all-around player, though. He is however an outstanding specialist that can also rebound and make the occasional play. Plus, he's doing pretty well for a team that doesn't really run plays for him. Team him up with Brandan Wright, another guy that doesn't need plays run for him, and you might have some inside outside threat with Curry and Monta distributing. We should definitely get a center this year or a power forward that could play some center.
