Warrior mentality: Watson sits
The opportunity Kashif Watson has waited for his entire life is at hand.
Problem is, he’s having trouble getting on the court to show he’s good enough to play in the NBA.
The former Bishop Gorman High School standout would like nothing better than to join older brother C.J. on the Golden State Warriors. But in four games at the NBA Summer League, Watson, a 6-foot-4-inch guard, has played a total of 5 minutes.
That’s a tough way to convince someone you’re worth putting on a roster come October.
"There’s nothing I can do but be ready," Watson said.
C.J. Watson also cut his NBA teeth in the Summer League. The difference is he got to play meaningful minutes while Kashif languishes at the end of the Warriors’ bench.
"Having seen my brother go through it, I know how hard I have to work to get to that level," Watson said. "He’s been a real motivator for me. I’ve always looked up to him and I always wanted to be better than him. You can’t have a brother who’s better than you."
It wasn’t that long ago that Kashif was considered the better Watson. He was helping Gorman win the 2005 Nevada state Class 4A championship and San Diego State was bragging about winning the national recruiting battle for him.
But that’s when things began to go awry. Watson failed to qualify academically and never made it to San Diego State. He flirted with going to Washington, but that didn’t work out either.
He did a stint in prep school, then enrolled at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. After a year there, he came back to the West Coast, enrolling at Irvine Valley College.
Eventually, Watson made it to Division I when he transferred to Idaho in 2008. He averaged 10.5 points in two seasons with the Vandals, but even that experience was tarnished by a late-season incident that short-circuited his senior year.
With the team struggling, a frustrated Watson posted comments on his Twitter account critical of head coach Don Verlin. He was suspended for the final two games and missed Senior Night and the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
"Things happen. Everything doesn’t work out the way you want it to," he said. "There are going to be bumps in the road. You just have to keep going."
As for the Twitter incident, Watson said he’s self-monitoring his social networking skills while with the Warriors. He won’t blast the team for not playing him and he’s limiting his Tweets.
"I loved Coach Verlin. I have no animosity toward him. I just thought we could have done better than we were doing. It was just frustration. I didn’t mean to go straight at Coach Verlin, but that’s the way it was interpreted. It’s just another bump in the road I’ve had to deal with."
Watson went undrafted. But the Warriors think there might be room for two Watsons on their roster.
"He’s a guy who’s worth a look," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said. "He’s very athletic. He can get to the basket. But it’s a matter of development. Some guys continue to develop after college. The question is: How much more can he do?"
Watson probably won’t find out this week if he’s truly good enough.
The Warriors end their Las Vegas run on Thursday and Watson may have to pursue his NBA dream somewhere else. But he remains optimistic about his basketball future.
"I know I can play," he said. "I’ve waited my whole life to do this, so I’m not going to give up without a fight."
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
