Golden State beat New Orleans to kick off the first game, and Williams put his fingerprints over all this one.
Williams showed his usual change-up quickness, getting nice looks at the rim and hitting some smoother jumpers. There were a few clankers and some bad decisions, but that’s life in summer league. With Morrow likely gone, the Warriors will need to see some assertiveness from Williams. It’s fine for him to play within the flow of the game and put up 22 points, but it would be nice to see him seize control of a game during the next week and explode for 30 plus. Despite the continued presence of Curry, Ellis and Lee, Williams is going to need to be a consistent scorer for this year’s team. There’s no better place to start building his confidence than the summer league.
More of concern though to Dubs fans? Brandan Wright, getting his first action in forever after multiple injuries. And it turned out alright.
The good news about Wright, fortunately, doesn’t end with his injury-free run on the summer league court. He’s used his time away from the team to fill out his frame. His shoulders are thicker and his lower body looks stronger. He’s not chiseled by any stretch, but he’s carrying enough weight that he might not get knocked down anytime he sets foot in the lane next year. He took repeated hits during Friday’s game, but popped back up after each — despite some collective breath-holding by the live and TV audiences.