3 Takeaways: Warriors, missing stars, remain undefeated in preseason with victory over Pistons – The Mercury News

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr considers this Warriors group perhaps the deepest team he has ever coached, with a 1-for-13 mark and the wealth of NBA-caliber talent on display Sunday.

Even without Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors prevailed against the Pistons and remained undefeated in the preseason. They never trailed after the first few minutes and led by up to 26 points.

Brandin Podziemski (12 points, four assists, four rebounds) led the offense before leaving with an injury in the third quarter, and Trayce Jackson-Davis (12 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) made an impact on both ends. Six Warriors scored in double figures in the Warriors’ 111-93 win, which improved to 4-0 in the preseason.

Golden State stayed hot behind the arc even without Curry, shooting 18 of 39 (46.2%) from three minutes. The Warriors’ advantage in that area and at the free throw line negated their 21 turnovers.

Curry and Green had a scheduled night off, although Curry’s minor injury to his right index finger could rule him out of another contest out of an abundance of caution. Wiggins, who has recovered from an illness, is expected to play in Golden State’s final two preseason games on Tuesday and Friday.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s game.

Looney will play

Some raised eyebrows when the Warriors committed to Kevon Looney’s $8 million deal to keep him, but now it appears to be a smart decision.

Looney lost his streak last year and fell out of Golden State’s rotation as his productivity declined. But he spent the summer reinventing his body and conditioning. He took hundreds of 3-pointers a day, and while his range didn’t really extend to the perimeter, he had a tremendous camp.

In his first-quarter shift, Looney hit a 15-footer from the short roll – he has jumped in every preseason game – and was a force on both ends. He made a strong stand against Isaiah Stewart and then beat Stewart in the post at the other end. He helped lead to a 17-2 run at the end of the first quarter.

Looney had eight points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 13 minutes. If he delivered exactly these statistics consistently, the Warriors would be thrilled.

Losing weight should allow Looney to be more nimble on both sides. With the Warriors looking to play a big role alongside Draymond Green for most of his minutes, Looney is sure to be in the mix. That wasn’t the case last year and didn’t seem to be a given before training camp.

The Kuminga position question continues

The starting lineup of Brandin Podziesmki, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis nominally made Kuminga a power forward on a small-ball unit. The Warriors have used Kuminga primarily as a small forward this preseason, using him in the frontcourt with two non-shooting bigs.

But Kuminga played exactly like a small forward – the position he has known his entire life. The former seventh overall pick scored his first two three-pointers, continuing a promising preseason trend.

Entering Sunday, Kuminga sank seven of his first 13 3-point attempts (53.8%). On Friday, he even practiced a pull-up triple off the dribble at the end of the shot clock. The Warriors empowered him to shoot openly and he obliged.

Most of the attacks Kuminga scored were clean opportunities after the catch. Against the Pistons, he hit a standing trey from the wing and another off the rebound from the top of the arc after a pass from De’Anthony Melton, dribbling in an easy dribble as his defender dropped. At the start of the third quarter, Kuminga didn’t hesitate to shoot in transition from the left wing.

Kuminga went 3 of 5 from deep and scored 12 points in 23 minutes.

Kuminga certainly has room for improvement. He only grabbed two boards, which is worth highlighting. And even the Pistons, one of the worst teams in the league, had success with him. But the perimeter shot appears to be improved, and that’s the biggest factor in him playing in Golden State’s preferred lineup configurations.