NBA Summer League takeaways: Alex Toohey has up-and-down debut for Warriors
Alex Toohey takes the floor
SAN FRANCISCO — Australian rookie Alex Toohey made his Summer League debut on Tuesday afternoon, slotting in at the forward spot during the Warriors’ 93-79 loss to the Heat in front of an empty Chase Center.
He was the No. 52 selection in the recent draft — four spots before Will Richard — and his trade had been finalized on Sunday.
It took him a while to get on the scoresheet, making his first free throws with a minute left in the quarter. Because the game was closed to the public, the only cheers that could be heard came from his teammates on the bench.
Toohey finished the afternoon with six points and half dozen rebounds, with coach Lainn Wilson noting the increased physicality and athleticism being something the rookie will need to continue to acclimate to. Toohey agreed.
“It’s definitely a jump,” Toohey said when comparing Australia to the NBA game. “The athletes here are the best of the best, so the gaps that you usually have, kind of aren’t there. It’ll definitely take some adjusting to.”
He grabbed five of those rebounds in the first half and defended fellow rookie Kasparas Jakucionis with gusto, showing a willingness to mix it up inside when asked.
Toohey averaged 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League. At 6-foot-8 and 223 pounds, he made 26 of 86 3-point field goals in Australia.
But the offense while stateside was a mixed bag.
Toohey was able to get to his spots several times, but his lack of burst was apparent on a few thwarted drives, and he was only able to get off two shots in the first half. He did not make a basket until flipping in a layup with two minutes remaining in the game.
Golden State’s next game will be on Friday at 8 p.m. vs. the Trail Blazers in Las Vegas.
Other Warriors make an impression
Leading scorer Isaiah Mobley did not play in the finale, and other players stepped up. Rookie guard Taran Armstrong – who did not play in any NBA games last season – put up seven assists as the team’s point guard.
Richard, the No. 56 selection in the draft, scored 12 points after putting up 16 on Sunday.
Jackson Rowe did a little bit of everything, scoring 14 points and grabbing two rebounds. Utah product Gabe Madsen buried three 3-pointers and scored nine, and also had four assists. Fellow guard Leopold Delaunay put in an efficient 11 points.
Sacramento native Coleman Hawkins was active around the rim and scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds and even made a few nice passes on his way to four assists.
“He was solid, and he came in and really upped the intensity,” Wilson said.
NBC test run
The two games at Chase Center were not open to fans, so in the relative silence created in their absence, it was easy to notice a steady stream of commentary coming from third-party announcers.
Noah Eagle, Austin Rivers and several other NBC-affiliated media members participated in a test broadcast in San Francisco.
The television giant re-acquired the rights to show NBA games after a 23-year hiatus and will begin broadcasting games this fall.
Keshad Johnson faces his hometown team
San Leandro alum and Heat forward Keshad Johnson led all scorers with 15 points. He had nine points and nine rebounds against the Spurs on Saturday, but did not play on Sunday.
In a recent interview with the Bay Area News Group, Johnson said, “I’ve been working on my jumper a lot. And for other skills, how to screen and how to get off of screens faster, and passing and making the right reads.”
USF alum Marcus Williams scored 10 points for the Heat.