If you think about it, Taran Armstrong might be perfect for the Golden State Warriors’ style of play.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Golden State signed Armstrong, California Baptist University’s former point guard from Tasmania, to a two-way contract earlier this season. Armstrong has already demonstrated his worth with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors, his statistics there (28.5 minutes, 51 percent from the field, 36.4 from 3-point territory, 5.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 11.5 points) better than what they were in Australia’s National Basketball League in the two seasons he spent there with Cairns.
He joined Santa Cruz in February on a two-way contract, and now that the Warriors’ G Leaguers have been eliminated in the playoffs, he has joined the big club. He may not play much. if at all, but this is an opportunity to learn, to grow and to prepare for what ultimately should be a larger role with a club that has its own distinctive style of play.
“I got really lucky with this opportunity, playing back home, and now I’m here and I’m just sort of doing what I’m told, essentially,” Armstrong said last week. “I just make sure I take care of whatever I can today – and then, whether it’s here or there or whatever, (try to) end up in the right spot.”
A perfect, or at least ideal, Warrior? Steve Kerr elaborated the other night, before his team played (and beat) the Lakers in L.A..
“He’s our kind of player,” Golden State’s coach said. “He can dribble, pass and shoot, good feel for the game. He kind of fits with any lineup combination. Very much a point guard, pass first, but also can score. And we’re thrilled to have him.
“I think the whole thing is just development and playing time. And we’ve got him next year, so we should be able to give him lots of playing time in Santa Cruz and help him develop and see if he can take it from there.”
Armstrong reached this point after betting on himself. He played two seasons at CBU, joining brother Tre in the Lancers’ program and averaging 10.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists as a Lancer. His 6.3 assists in 2021-22 led all freshmen nationally in that category, and he led the WAC in assists (5.0) as a sophomore while also leading CBU in scoring (11.3).
“I had a good college experience, (and) got to play with my brother, which was great,” he said. “Coach (Rick) Croy was big for me, giving me the opportunity that I had being an international, coming from Australia, being a freshman, sort of putting the ball in my hands early.
“It’s something I’m even a little bit more (for) now, just given the landscape of how college basketball has gone since I’ve sort of left. It’s very different now. So I’m very grateful I was able to walk in as a freshman and have the ball and, you know get those opportunities.”
He entered the transfer portal following the 2022-23 season; he said that was a “backup option,” but he felt he needed to find a higher level of competition. And while he considered a transfer, he said he “thought the professional environment and competition in Australia was the best I was going to get, so I decided to go home.”
Croy and some of Armstrong’s friends from CBU were on hand a couple of weeks ago when Santa Cruz played the South Bay Lakers in El Segundo. The teams played back-to-back, with the Lakers’ G Leaguers winning both, but Armstrong – coming off the bench – had 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds the first night, 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds the next.
“I mean, Taran couldn’t have played much better,” Croy said. “He played at such a high clip. Everything’s making sense for him right now. I’m very excited for him.”
Croy said Armstrong’s skill as an elite passer was always apparent, as was his fearlessness, but he had to develop confidence in his shooting while gaining not only weight and strength but the confidence to make the plays he wanted to make. Giving him that responsibility as a freshman helped. So did the two years in the NBL playing with and against experienced players.
“When he’s shooting the ball with confidence – I mean, he is an elite, elite passer,” Croy said. “So when you’re forced to close out on him, all the angles and all the vision opens up for him. He can make guys better, and he can impact the game. And the other thing he has is an amazing ability to track the ball off the glass, and then you see that show up in his rebounding numbers.”
Nicholas Kerr, the Santa Cruz coach (and son of Steve Kerr), said he had no preconceived notions of what to expect when Armstrong joined the team, after a delay to get his visa situation straightened out, other than that “he’d be a high IQ point guard that could pass and would be tough,” he said.
Generally, players who get a two-way contract have been in the G League for a while or earned it through their play in summer league and their preparation from then until training camp. When Armstrong had his visa and was finally available, Nicholas Kerr said he “put him in at point guard and let him go,” mainly to evaluate what we had.
“And we realized pretty quickly that he’s a hell of a player,” he added. “As soon as we put him you could tell he has great pace to his game and that he’s a great passer, sees the floor well and that he’s tough defensively. That was apparent the first game.”
Santa Cruz plays a similar style to the big club – not exactly, of course, because the Golden State Warriors have Steph Curry and nobody else does – but close enough that Armstrong said it’s been helpful.
“There’s a lot of movement, cutting, quick decisions, a system I think I can really be good in.” he said. “I mean, you can see in the G League games, I think I fit in really well. … It doesn’t feel like I’m being held back or anything like that. I’ve never been told, ‘Don’t shoot that’ or whatever. I think I just play the game the right way anyway, so it’s not really an issue of trying to get my own or anything like that.”
Right now he will be a spectator, with what Armstrong called “a massive learning opportunity” on a team that feels it can make a serious run at another championship.
The idea is that, eventually, his time will come.
jalexander@scng.com
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