Warriors hope 5-0 run leads to brighter future

There was no trophy presentation or confetti falling from the rafters, but don’t let that fool you.

An unofficial NBA Summer League title meant a lot to the Golden State Warriors. When you have made one playoff appearance in the past 18 seasons, you’ll take a championship wherever you can get it.

“It’s very big,” Warriors rookie forward Harrison Barnes said. “We’re definitely trying to come in here and change the culture with this draft class. Coming out starting 5-0 is a good way to start.”

Golden State put the finishing touch on its undefeated run through the summer league with an 80-72 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Charles Jenkins paced the Warriors with 15 points and four assists, and Barnes and Kent Bazemore scored 13 points each for Golden State.

The Warriors struggled to a 23-43 record last season under first-year coach Mark Jackson, but many NBA observers felt the franchise put together a solid draft class in June.

The Warriors selected Barnes, a small forward from North Carolina, with the seventh pick. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in the summer league.

Golden State also chose potential draft steals in Vanderbilt center Festus Ezeli (No. 30) and Michigan State power forward Draymond Green (No. 35).

The versatile 6-foot-7-inch Green called it “huge” to run the table in the summer league.

“It’s a good start for us young fellas going into training camp, and we’ve just got to try to carry that same momentum and energy over,” Green said. “I think guys really made adjustments playing their roles. I think that’s why we were able to win games.

“It’s just summer league, but it’s a start. We’ve got to keep building on it.”

■ MORRISON SIGHTINGS – Adam Morrison has been a bust since being chosen third overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2006 draft, but the 28-year-old small forward has been trying to resurrect his career in the summer league with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Morrison has been among the event’s top performers. He scored a team-high 18 points for the Clippers (1-3) in a 77-74 loss to Chicago on Saturday.

Morrison leads the Clippers in scoring at 18.5 points per game going into the team’s finale against Boston at 3 p.m. today at Cox Pavilion.

■ ANTHONY BACK HOME – Former UNLV and Rancho High School star Greg Anthony returned home to work games as an analyst for NBA TV.

Anthony, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, sat on the opposite sideline from where his retired No. 50 UNLV jersey hangs in the Thomas & Mack Center rafters.

Contact reporter Tristan Aird at taird@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @tristanaird.