Twelve circular neon orange portals appear out of thin air. The citrus hues fly off the spheres’ edges in sparkling fashion, rotating in a clockwise direction as the views of various cities from across the U.S. grow wider and wider. Bellowing horns in the background build to a crescendo. You’ve probably seen this scene before, in a movie theater in 2019. Except this isn’t a movie: These are the greatest hoopers in the United States of America.

While USA Basketball representatives flew around the country presenting each player on the 2024 Men’s National Team with their USA threads in April, users on X flooded the timeline with the only comparison that made any conceivable sense: a 20-second clip from Avengers: Endgame.

In the film’s climax, the full totality of the Avengers team appears, journeying across the universe to join Captain America for one final showdown against Thanos. One by one, the greatest heroes in the galaxy stand shoulder to shoulder. It’s the perfect parallel for this year’s squad: one last ride with the best basketball powers ever assembled.

The USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team has descended on Paris with the sheer force of the Infinity Gauntlet. When the official roster was announced in mid-April, the basketball community erupted in excitement, and rightfully so. We couldn’t stop talking about it either. This amount of talent, all on one team, makes them the modern day Avengers: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Derrick White, Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum.

On paper, the roster is stacked. For the first time in USA Basketball history, the Men’s National Team will feature four former NBA MVPs: Durant, James, Embiid and Curry. Then there are the team’s 11 combined Olympic appearances, 10 total Gold medals, three FIBA World Cup titles, seven returning Olympians and a combined 84 NBA All-Star selections…yeah, the U.S. ain’t playing fair.

When USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team Managing Director Grant Hill set out to achieve a seemingly simple yet complicated task—construct the best basketball team in the world—what he put together was a 12-man roster, which will be led by head coach Steve Kerr, that can hold their own against one of the toughest Olympic fields in recent memory.

The path to glory and the highest view from atop the podium won’t be easy. It never is. But then again *checks roster* we haven’t seen anything like this before.

It’s been 12 years since we last saw LeBron James bounding down the court with the letters “USA” stamped across his chest. Olympic memories of tomahawk dunks, out-of-nowhere alley-oops and utter dominance from baseline to baseline haven’t been a reality for more than a decade.

James elected to rest his body and opt out of the 2016 and 2020 Games. Now, at 39 years old and with a catalog of accolades longer than Santa Claus’ wish list, he’s back. And 2024 is a different story; it’s his one last shot at Gold.

This isn’t the same LeBron who tore through London while debuting the legendary Nike LeBron X all those years ago, but don’t get it twisted. The explosiveness is still there, the low-post game is omnipresent, the court vision is still staggering and anyone can get clamped at any time. Coming off his 21st season—where he shot a career-high 41 percent from three—LeBron’s refined touch and years’ worth of wisdom will be the soul of the pack. And right next to him will be Kevin Durant, netting jumper after jumper.

The Olympics are KD’s playground. Every four years, the best scorer on the planet toys with defenders and lights nets on fire with a FIBA-certified ball. Durant boasts the most experience of this team with three Gold medals on his résumé, a journey which first started when he was the team’s go-to bucket-getter after stamping his arrival in 2012 at the London Games. He’s got the USA Basketball record books on lock: all-time leader in points (453), scoring average (19.8 ppg), we could go on and on. If this summer goes as planned, Durant will walk away as the most decorated player in USA Basketball men’s history with a record four Olympic Golds.

Stephen Curry, however, is shooting for his first. “We obviously want to go get the Gold, and for this being my first experience, I’m super excited,” Curry told Inside the NBA in mid-April. “I’m 36 now and I don’t know if I’ll have another one, so this is definitely the year.”

After back-to-back Finals runs in ’15 and ’16 and the continuation of the Covid pandemic well into 2021, Curry, much like James, has sat out the past two Olympics to rest and heal some nagging injuries. In the meantime, the country has patiently waited to see him reign down threes against the world’s best.

It may be his debut, but Curry has been instrumental in the team’s success on the international stage, winning Gold at the FIBA World Cup in 2010 and 2014. Now, the future Hall of Famer will get to check “Olympics” off his bucket list.

Anthony Davis was just 19 when he was selected to the 2012 USA Men’s National Team. After taking home the Gold, the five-time All-Defensive Team honoree is now responsible for manning the paint for the U.S. alongside his first-time Olympic teammate, Joel Embiid.

Embiid could have played for France—where he has citizenship—or Cameroon, his native country, but instead, the 2023-24 NBA MVP chose to play for the USA.

“After talking to my family, I knew it had to be [USA Basketball]. I want to play with my brothers in the League. I want to play for my fans because they’ve been incredible since the day I came here,” Embiid posted to X in October of 2023. “But most of all, I want to honor my son who was born in the U.S. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him.”

This year’s team has a bunch of returning members from the USA Basketball’s last Gold medal squad, including one of the most underrated players in the game: Bam Adebayo. A point guard in the open floor, a small forward in the mid-range, a center on the block—the 2020 Olympian is a cheat code in international competition. While Bam, AD and Embiid preside down low, Jrue Holiday, another returning member of the team, lurks on the perimeter.

Holiday will pick your pocket, sneak into the passing lane and sit with the best of them. For years, the two-time NBA All-Star has been the glue for championship-winning and contending teams. He plays to win, and he leads by action. He’s tasked with much of the same in tandem with defensive stalwart Derrick White, who joins Embiid and Curry as the third first-timer on the Olympic team. The NBA is filled with a plethora of scorers, but the selection of various tacticians assembled for the U.S. Men’s National Team is what takes this roster from Gold to Certified Platinum.

“This guy next to me will be the next one,” Kevin Durant told The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy after becoming USA Basketball’s all-time leader in points in July 2021. The “guy” he was pointing to was Jayson Tatum.

Tatum vividly remembers the 2020 team’s first scrimmage against the USA Select Team in Las Vegas. Someone kicked him the ball on the wing and, instead of getting his, the 23-year-old deferred to Durant who was to his right.

“I remember he got mad at me,” Tatum told Draymond Green on “The Draymond Green Show” in April 2022. “He was like, Yo, don’t look to me. Be yourself. I need you to kill. And I was like damn…he needs me to do me on this team.” So that’s what he did.

After dropping their first contest of the 2020 Tokyo Games to France, the U.S. won its second game in a 54-point blowout against Iran, and then in the third, Tatum led the U.S. squad with a team-high 27 points on 10-16 shooting from the field in a win against the Czech Republic. Point taken. The next talisman had emerged.

And so have Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Tyrese Haliburton. With Durant, LeBron and Curry gearing up for one last ride this summer, USA Basketball is looking toward the future of the country’s success on the world stage. It starts with building the next generation of flag bearers.

This past NBA season served as Ant-Man’s official inauguration as the League’s next superstar. When the offense falls flat and energy begins to dissipate, Edwards will smirk as he plans his next jaw-dropping display of athleticism that will ignite a 20-0 run. Haliburton’s arrival extends the country’s long line of offensive orchestrators and visionary passers in transition while Booker’s devotion to the mid-range and mastery of the iso routinely makes for instant offense in the most unlikely scenarios. The next generation of USA Basketball players is a not-so-subtle reminder of why this squad is so damn exciting. Everyone can make their claim for playing time. This isn’t just a 12-man roster, it’s a 12-man deep rotation.

The schedule will be grueling, but the experience will be unforgettable. Memories will be made, legacies enshrined and the next chapter of USA Basketball will be written. Meanwhile, Durant wants to see complete dominance.

“I want to really make a statement on how dominant our players are,” Durant said in his Boardroom cover story in February. “Like 40, 50-point wins. I want to do that.”

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Gold Rush: Previewing the 2024 USA Men’s National Team Ahead of the Paris Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what happened in the NBA and WNBA over the weekend. Let’s get it!

Draymond Green Gets Candid in Interview with Taylor Rooks

Draymond Green recently sat down with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report. The Warriors legend dropped some revealing gems during their interview. Green admitted “the writings on the wall” when he was asked about leaving the Warriors as a free agent.

The two parties have had some incredible highs as four-time champs and a record-setting 2015-2016 regular, but the lows have been low during public spats with head coach Steve Kerr, Kevin Durant, and a controversial altercation with teammate Jordan Poole. When it comes to that infamous moment, Green said their relationship is “a work in progress,” and he’s willing to do the work because he was wrong.

He also said they “definitely moved forward” and that he’s “seen improvements day by day, week by week, month by month.”

TOMORROW pic.twitter.com/avHPFxt6MV

— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) January 13, 2023

Ja Morant’s Challenge to All Rim Protectors: ‘Jump with Me if You Want to Go Viral’

Do not get it confused; Ja Morant will never back down. The former No. 2 overall pick has posterized many a rim protector. Few, if any, were as impressive as Morant’s yam on Jalen Smith. The unbelievable slam was punctuated by Memphis winning their ninth straight game after beating Indiana, 130-112, on Sunday.

Postgame, Morant admitted his thunderous dunk was his best of the difficulty. Morant felt so good about it that he challenged all rim protectors to jump with him if they wanted to go viral.

“It’s what everybody has been waiting for. I finally made it.”

jump with me if you want to go viral https://t.co/3ESSiC3A1w

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 15, 2023

Jonquel Jones is Headed to New York Via Blockbuster Trade

Jonquel Jones is on the move! The 2021 MVP was a part of a three-team deal that will send her to the New York Liberty, while Rebecca Allen and Natasha Howard will be sent to the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, respectively. The Wings will also receive Liberty guard Crystal Dangerfield, Kayla Thornton will go to New York, and Ty Harris is headed to Connecticut.

Connecticut will also receive the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft.

JONQUEL TO BROOKLYN?!

Welcome to free agency @RachGall @Winsidr pic.twitter.com/PpZqvW1hgn

— WSLAM (@wslam) January 15, 2023

Nikola Jokic’s Game-Winner Sinks Orlando

Nikola Jokic delivered a stepback game-winner to sink the Orlando Magic 119-116. The back-to-back MVP posted 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists on 8-11 shooting from the field and 1-4 from beyond the arc.

“He stepped back, got the space, and just shot over the top,” teammate Aaron Gordon said per ESPN. “It was a beautiful shot.”

EVERY ANGLE OF NIKOLA JOKIC’S STEPBACK GAME-WINNER pic.twitter.com/007JQYDLas

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

LeBron James Inches Closer to History After Scoring 38,000 Career Points

The King is the second player to score 38,000 career points and is now 364 points away from breaking Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbarr’s career scoring record. James accomplished the historic feat after knocking down a three-pointer from the top of the arc. The four-time MVP posted 35 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the Lakers’ heartbreaking 113-112 loss to the 76ers.

LeBron tonight:

35 PTS
8 REB
10 AST

Only the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points pic.twitter.com/W7DvUvFB7s

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

The post Weekend Recap: LeBron James Makes History and Ja Morant Challenges All Rim-Protectors appeared first on SLAM.

 The five-time All-Star showed he’s another step closer to reaching those peak performances after dropping 54 points on 21-39 shooting from the field, 10-21 from the three-point line, leading the Warriors to a 143-141 double-overtime against the Hawks.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Thompson said per ESPN. “There were some hard days for me when I didn’t know that this would be possible in real-time. I am just going to embrace the heck out of it.”

Klay in the Warriors 2-OT win!

54 PTS
7 REB
10 threes pic.twitter.com/CdOB2SqCaT

— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2023

The 54-point outing was his biggest scoring out since his career-best 60-point performance in three quarters on Dec. 5, 2016, against the Indiana Pacers. It was Thompson’s fourth career 50-point game and his seventh with at least 10 3s

“He just made shot after shot and play after play. He was incredible,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.

After a prime-time performance like that, Thompson’s confidence will likely be at an all-time high. It’s the type of performance that can also set up some great things in 2023. Great news for a team looking to reverse their fortunes and make a run for a higher seed in the playoffs. However, teammate Draymond Green doesn’t want Thompson to not place too much pressure on himself.

“You don’t have to be the same Klay that you once were before,” Green said. “When you understand that, and you buy into that, then you become the Klay you were before.”

“When you’re as competitive as he is when you’re as good as he is, it’s tough sometimes,” Green said. “For two years, everybody is doubting you. That same fire toward that doubt is what made you, Klay Thompson — you don’t just lose that. That is embedded in you. It’s good to see him settle down. He’s not chasing it anymore, and it’s falling right in his lap. When you are that good, that’s usually what happens.”

Fourth career 50-point game.
Klay Thompson balled out last night.

» https://t.co/ocDF2EHeJH pic.twitter.com/anzqUguZj1

— VoteDraymond4AllStar (@warriors) January 3, 2023

Thompson says he’s in a place now than at the start of the season. The 32-year-old sharpshooter told reporters that wanting to prove everyone wrong was a disservice to himself, and now he has to remind himself that playing for the Warriors “is a dream” and that he’s shifted his mindset to “having fun and playing hard.”

“I have to remind myself daily that [playing for the Warriors] is literally the dream. What matters most is having fun and playing hard. All the numbers, all the big nights will come as long as I do those two things.”

The Warriors and Klay Thompson will play the Pistons on Wednesday.

The post Steve Kerr Calls Klay Thompson ‘Incredible’ After 54-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, the former lottery pick continued to make his case for more minutes once with his fourth-quarter defense against Hornets swingman P.J. Washington, his opportune buckets, and his athleticism to finish plays on both ends of the floor. Being able to play the entire fourth quarter was proof of head coach Steve Kerr’s trust in his defensive play. He also found a way to contribute some timely buckets too.

“We went with him for his defense,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “He’s playing really well defensively, and he was guarding LaMelo (Ball).”

“At the moment — fourth quarter,” Kuminga admitted, “I don’t usually get to be in the game.”

Here were the five big Jonathan Kuminga plays in crunch time tonight vs Hornets

*Rips away a steal from PJ Washington
*Traffic rebound over Plumlee
*Gets available for dunk
*Floater in iso vs Hayward
*Cuts open for another dunk pic.twitter.com/kEvGuzLhqg

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 28, 2022

During crunch time, Kuminga sat down, put a seat belt on Washington, and subsequently forced a turnover; he grabbed a traffic rebound out of Miles Plumlee’s hands and hit a floater over Gordan Hayward to give Golden State a five-point lead. Kuminga ripping the ball and collecting a steal garnered a lot of praise from Kerr and four-time champion Draymond Green.

“That was will,” Draymond Green said. “That was ‘I want the ball more than you.’ That was, ‘Our backs are against the wall. We’ve lost the lead. Let me go make a play myself.’ So he took the ball. He goes and gets a dunk. He goes and snatches a rebound in traffic. He made every play down the stretch. I think it all started with that play with PJ Washington taking the ball. He manhandled him.”

Here’s some of that Draymond Green sound on Jonathan Kuminga and individual vs team defense

“I don’t play defense within the team concept. I know most people think I do. But I don’t. When you’re good enough, the team concepts adapt around you.” pic.twitter.com/AnfplvJ63k

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 28, 2022

Kuminga put the finishing touches on the win with a cutting dunk in the lane and clamped up LaMelo Ball for 90 feet. Ball wanted a quick bucket with 10 seconds left, but Kuminga’s pitbull mentality forced Ball into a miss that sealed Charlotte’s loss. Kuminga’s effort is a welcome development for a Warriors team looking to reclaim the stingy defensive identity that former coach Mark Jackson built that led to four championships.

“It’s been a beautiful thing to watch,” Green said. “It’s his (improved) understanding on that side of the ball. He’s in the right spot more often than not now. I think his growth in that area has been absolutely amazing. Quite frankly, it’s been much needed for us. Because we haven’t guarded dribble penetration well. We haven’t been really good at the point of attack all year. He’s changing that for us.”

Although Kuminga isn’t a seasoned veteran yet, his physical acumen and embrace of being Golden State’s defensive hound dog will help the Warriors turn around a season that hasn’t gone quite as they expected. Getting stops and forcing timely turnovers like Kuminga caused will do the job. Draymond Green took the time to the point that, saying, “it’s a beautiful thing to watch,” Kuminga became a dogged defender in real-time.

“He f—ing locks up now,” Green said. “I think it’s very impressive to see. Not that you never thought he was capable, but to see the maturity and buying into a role. Like, ‘Oh, that’s my role; that’s what I need to do. I’m going to go do that better than anyone.’ We’ve seen his impact over the last few weeks. He’s hawking every point guard he gets on. … As a competitor, you lose your spot in the rotation; what are you going to do to get it back? Some sulk. Most sulk. Then some go and take it back. That’s what he’s done.”

Green also believes that if Kuminga can continue developing his defensive acumen and basketball IQ, he can play within and outside Kerr’s defensive concepts. Being disruptive on the ball and locking up his individual assignments will also help.

“I don’t play defense in the team concept,” Green said. “I know most people think I do, but I don’t. When you’re good enough, the team concepts adapt around you. That’s what he’s starting to show. We may not want him to pick up as high as he picks up all the time. But if you’re wreaking havoc, and it’s bettering us, and it’s worsening the opponent’s offense, who is going to say stop? When you’re good enough, and you’re capable, the team concepts adapt around you.”

The post How Jonathan Kuminga Impressed Draymond Green With His Defense appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State outlasted Memphis 123-119 due to Jordan Poole’s magical 32-point outing helping make Ja Morant’s 36-point effort mute. The win was highlighted by some heated jaw-jacking between the Warriors and Grizzlies, particularly between teammates Klay Thompson (24 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 dimes, two blocks, one steal) and Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks.

#NBAXmas was a vibe.@MichelobULTRA || Joy Cam pic.twitter.com/N4sPUkAExM

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

At one point, Thompson hit a mid-range J from the free-throw line to put the Dubs up 16, and while he ran back to play defense, Brooks stumbled backward and fell. Replays showed Thompson leaning over Brooks and sticking his tongue out in Brooks’ face as he shuffled back to the other end of the court.

“Some good, old-fashioned trash talk,” Thompson said per ESPN. “It’s always fun to talk trash. We’ve been doing that since we were in middle school. You usually play your best, or you get frazzled. For me, it’s usually the former.”

Get hype, #DubNation pic.twitter.com/0Ao8iD1njD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Although the Warriors and Grizzlies may not call it a rivalry, it’s hard not to call it with all the evidence in front of us. The contention started after the Grizzlies outlasted the Warriors during the 2021 play-in tournament to get a first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz. The following year, the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 4-2 in the second round of the Western Conference semifinals.

That playoff rematch lit the flames of a burgeoning rivalry as Green got ejected in Game 1 for a Flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Clarke, and then he got elbowed in the eye during Game 2.

Brooks earned a one-game suspension for his role Gary Payton II missed extensive time after he fouled Payton hard on a fast break resulting in Payton suffering an elbow injury that knocked him out of 10 postseason games. The damage only seemed to stoke some flames as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Brooks out for violating an unwritten code.

From there, the second-round playoff series only got more heated and physical as Golden State tried to prove the old grizzled (no pun intended) vets had some juice left in them and could outlast the young and hungry Grizzlies. Once the series was over and Golden State marched on to win their fourth title in eight seasons, the Warriors, specifically Thompson and Green, took offense to Memphis talking trash and called them out for what they perceived to be disrespectful comments.

Way to bring the energy tonight, #DubNation

pic.twitter.com/pFXTGubWTj

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

After the championship parade, Green and Morant had a back-and-forth on Twitter, with both parties declaring their excitement for a primetime Christmas. The anticipation and hype did not fail as the Dubs and Grizzlies put on a show. However, the Grizzlies will have to wait a little longer to exact their revenge after losing on Sunday.

The post The Memphis-Golden State Rivalry Continued with ‘Trash Talk’ on Christmas Day appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what happened across the L over the weekend. Let’s get it.

James Harden is Reportedly “Seriously Considering” Returning to Houston:

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN, Harden is reportedly considering a reunion with the Rockets if he doesn’t re-sign with Philadelphia as a free agent in July.

However, after the Sixers’ win over the Knicks on Christmas Day, Harden addressed the media and let them know how he really feels about being in Philly.

“I’m here, we’re playing very well, and I don’t know where that report came from,” Harden said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But I’m excited to be here, and we’re playing well. We’re continuing to get better.”

Meanwhile, Harden caught everyone’s attention with this colorful holiday fit. Hide y’all presents.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LeagueFits (@leaguefits)

Joel Embiid and Harden Combine to Score 64 Points against the Knicks:

The Beard (29 points and 13 dimes) and Joel Embiid (35 points) put up a combined 64 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists to help the 76ers extend their win streak to eight games with a 119-112 dub over the Knicks on Sunday.

The Sixers outscored the Knicks 24-9 to open the fourth and turned a one-point deficit into a 116-102 lead late in the fourth quarter.

“It was one of those games where you’ve just got to stick around,” Harden said per ESPN. “Like, stick around, stick around, and then fourth quarter, you give yourself a chance.

64 PTS | 12 REB | 14 AST @JHarden13 & @JoelEmbiid‘s combined Christmas Day stat line. vote both for NBA All-Star: https://t.co/kNf5hhEIQx.

presented by @palottery pic.twitter.com/Lu2cQROE6c

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 25, 2022

Jayson Tatum Torches the Bucks For 41 Points while Jaylen Brown Takes Over:

Jayson Tatum posted 41 points, including a ferocious first-half yam over Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jaylen Brown scored 29 points to help Boston (24-10) reclaim the top record in the League with a 139-118 win over the Bucks (22-11).

Boston grabbed a 100-86 lead after Tatum scored 20 points in the third quarter, and Brown brought the Celtics home with 13 points in the final frame; he also refused to back down after posting a screen that sent the Greek Freak to the ground. Brown and Antetokounmpo had a back-and-forth, but y’all know it’s only basketball. The players don’t take it seriously, and neither should basketball fans.

Boston gave Milwaukee their first three-game losing streak, while the Celtics have now won back-to-back contests after losing five out of six recent games.

HE CAUGHT ONE @jaytatum0 hammered it home in tonight’s @JetBlue Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/ZU6oCbvRB0

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 26, 2022

Jordan Poole Put Up a Dominate 32 Points to Lead Golden State Past Memphis:

Jordan Poole did what he had to do to play Grinch and ruin the Grizzlies’ Christmas after he dropped a team-high 32 points to lead the Warriors past Memphis on Sunday. Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks) and Klay Thompson (24 points on 8-25 shooting) also put up some solid performances. They played up the burgeoning rivalry they have with Memphis with some sublime shi*t talking toward Dillon Brooks as well.

“He knows that he can’t get a second one. He’s still a young player,” head coach Steve Kerr said per ESPN. “Jordan was fantastic tonight, and we needed his offensive firepower.”

Dray Jordan

» https://t.co/ocDF2EGGU9 pic.twitter.com/HL0YggMOBa

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Nikola Jokic Drops a Christmas Day Triple-Double Against the Suns:

Nikola Jokic (41 points, 15 boards, and 15 dimes) dropped his 83rd career triple-double and led the Nuggets to a 128-125 win over the Phoenix Suns. The two-time MVP recorded a 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist performance a week ago. It was the fourth 40-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist game in League history. Oscar Robertson (1961, 1962) accomplished it twice, and James Harden did it in 2016.

“Sick,” Aaron Gordon said of Jokic’s outing, per ESPN. “Those are video game numbers.”

Another MVP performance

41/15/15. Triple-Double 8⃣3⃣ pic.twitter.com/W5PNYlDFar

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 26, 2022

Jamal Murray (26 points, five rebounds, and five assists) forced overtime with a game-tying dunk, and Aaron Gordon put the exclamation point on the win with a poster over Landry Shamet.

“Yeah,” Gordon said. “Because of the time and score.”

Nuggets Nation BROUGHT THE ENERGY tonight. For that, we leave you with this

Goodnight, Wuggets Wation pic.twitter.com/WOYUm1twk7

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 26, 2022

The post NBA Weekend Recap: Elite Christmas Day Matchups and James Harden Addresses Reports of His Return to Houston appeared first on SLAM.

They’re also 1-5 on their latest trip, highlighted by back-to-back blowout losses to the Knicks (132-94) and Nets (143-113).

“You are what your record says you are,” Kerr said, per ESPN. “It was a bad road trip. We are 15-18, so we’re a below-.500 team, and we’ve got to find a way to reverse that.”

Steve Kerr: “Bad road trip. We are 15-18. We’re a below .500 team. Gotta figure out a way to reverse that.” pic.twitter.com/FdgK0TZH7O

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 22, 2022

The Warriors gave up a 29-point lead in the first quarter, the second-worst deficit in franchise history, and they scored 17 points, the second-fewest in an opening frame this season. The Dubs also allowed the Nets to score a Brooklyn-record 91 points in the first half, becoming the third time in League history to score 91 points through the first half.

The 40-point lead Brooklyn held over Golden State was also a franchise record. The point differential is also the largest halftime deficit by a defending champion in the history of the NBA.

“That first half, it was kind of a shock,” Draymond Green told ESPN.

One way the Warriors can address their struggles is by cutting down on turnovers. They turned the ball over 13 times in the first and finished the night with 21, with Brooklyn scoring 36 points off those miscues. Another would be picking up the energy and allowing it to help them play more organized fashion on both ends of the floor.

Those changes will likely have to come from Jordan Poole (13 points on 4-17 shooting, 1-11 from beyond the arc, and seven turnovers) and James Wiseman (30 points on 12-14 shooting in 27 minutes). That means Wiseman will likely have to continue to play at a consistently high level as he did on Wednesday. The Warriors can deal with Poole figuring out how to adjust to playing as a scouting report focus, but they likely need him to refind the magic he possessed last season.

“The simpler [he] plays, the easier shots [he] gets. It sounds like a bit of a paradox, but it’s been an issue here for us the past few games,” Kerr said. “The last couple of nights [he was] just trying way too hard.”

For now, the Warriors are stuck in a weird place while they figure out their win-and-develop-now ethos. For Green, that means Golden State must keep their cool over this stretch without Curry in the lineup. As well as Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green, and maintaining Klay Thompson for the long haul.

“You have to have that understanding because you don’t want to overreact,” Green told ESPN. “In saying that, the most important thing is always playing right; as long as you’re not making effort-related mistakes, you live with the results — we just have to understand where we are.”

The post Steve Kerr On the Golden State Warriors’ ‘Bad Road Trip’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, their 132-94 loss to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden can be chalked up as a mixed result as they never led and played without Stephen Curry for the third straight game since he went down with a shoulder injury on Dec. 14. Golden State never led after the Knicks opened the game with an 8-0 run and never looked back during a wire-twire-win that gave New York their eight straight win.

The Warriors made it as close as 35-33 in the first-half but the Knicks pulled away over time and entered halftime with a 69-56 lead.

“The Knicks are in a good groove right now. They totally outplayed us,” Kerr said per ESPN. “We sank tonight. We’re trying to hang in there and we will. Another game tomorrow.”

When Anthony Slater of The Athletic asked about the fourth quarter effort Kerr got from Jordan Poole (26 points), Moses Moody (11 points), Jonathan Kuminga (13 points, four rebounds, and four assists) James Wiseman (four points, three rebounds, one steal, two blocks), the nine-time champ said that Golden State’s young guys are “working their butts off” and that they have “to keep our energy and our spirit up” when “things don’t go well.”

Steve Kerr on the struggles from the younger portion of the roster tonight vs Knicks pic.twitter.com/6B5u1T5sj4

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 21, 2022

As the Warriors continue to mesh their maxamzie both their present and future lineups, they will have to see that Poole, Moody, Kuminga, Wiseman, and Andrew Wiggins (when healthy) are capable of taking the torch Curry, KlayThompson, and Draymond Green lit and continue to build on the championship DNA and culture that’s led to four titles since 2015.

The post Steve Kerr on Young Players Keeping Their ‘Spirits Up’ During Tough Times appeared first on SLAM.

BREAKING: Billionaire mortgage lender Mat Ishbia is finalizing a purchase of the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. The deal, expected to be completed in the near future, would end the tumultuous tenure of owner Robert Sarver.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2022

The deal is reportedly worth $4 billion per Woj. Ishbia will be bringing in his brother, Justin, as a significant investor and alternate governor for the Suns, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

ESPN Sources: Ishbia’s purchase price is in the neighborhood of $4 billion. https://t.co/HzH2XSspHp

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2022

Sarver and Ishbia also released their own official statements. Sarver called Ishbia “the right leader to build on franchise legacies of winning and community support,” while Ishbia said that he’s “honored” to be the “next stewards of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.”

Official: Mat and Justin Ishbia reach agreement to buy majority stake of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury from Robert Sarver: pic.twitter.com/dEe6QGfZJP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 21, 2022

Sarver has been looking to sell the Suns since he was suspended for a year and fined due to the League investigating allegations of a hostile workplace within the Phoenix front office. The fine and suspension were met with many mixed emotions from players, the players union, and even a chairman of the Suns’ ownership group.

Ultimately, Sarver’s decision to sell won’t go down as infamously as Donald Sterlings’ ouster, but it does clarify that the NBA won’t stand down to allegations of racism and allegations within franchise front offices in the League.

The post REPORT: Robert Sarver Set to Sale Suns to Billionaire Mat Ishbia appeared first on SLAM.

Five straight losses are detrimental to any franchise, but to some, it’s a learning curve to championship success.

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been a contributor on four title teams in the last eight years, and within that time period, the Bay Area had to get accustomed to playing a majority of a season without their star players in Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson.

The Golden State dynasty was struggling after missing the playoff two years in a row in 2020 and 2021, but the Warriors trusted their core to figure it out and find a way to win another title this past season, and they accomplished just that. Given Green’s veteran leadership, the former defensive player of the year shared advice on how to overcome the challenges, starting with their “commitment.”

“You start hearing noise about trades, and this guy shouldn’t be here, and that guy shouldn’t be here, but you have to stay committed to each other. You can’t let the outside noise dictate how you act or essentially your attitude towards the same or, more importantly, towards your teammates,” Green said per Sports Illustrated. “I think for us, you just always want to re-center yourself and re-center your focus to the game, and if you do that, the game rewards you.”

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The struggles for the Raptors have come in crucial areas of the floor. Thus far, the Raptors rank as the third-lowest three-point shooting team at 32.6 percent. Meanwhile, defensively, the group gives up the fifth most fast break points (15.6) and averages the lowest defensive rebounds across the League (30.1).

There’s plenty to like for the Raptors as well, as they currently lead the League in steals at 9.6 per game, but capitalizing off those forced turnovers hasn’t been on full display as of yet.

“I don’t think that we haven’t shown that this group of guys can play the way we want to play,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

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There are still a lot of games left to do in the season, but the turning point for the Raptors, as Green eluded to, is the team sticking through the thick and the thin of a losing stretch.

The circling trade rumors can’t become a distraction in the locker room if the team hopes to find post-season success; therefore, it’s up to the championship pedigree of the Raptors veterans to invoke a mindset to their young talent.

“We gotta play better; that’s the main thing,” Pascal Siakam said. “We[‘ve] got to get wins, and we[‘ve] got to figure out a way to get a win and then kind of build on it. Yeah, it’s hard for me to try to analyze everybody, but just us, we have to get a win.”

The post Draymond Green to the Struggling Raptors: ‘Stay Committed to Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it!

Anthony Davis (right foot) is Out At Least One Month After Suffering A Foot Injury On Friday:

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, Antony Davis will reportedly miss at least one month after suffering an undisclosed right foot injury.

AD has been dominant this season while helping the Lakers surge to a 6-4 stretch over their last 10 contests. The Brow is averaging 27.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 59.3 percent shooting from the field and has dropped 19 30+ games with one 44-point game against the Bucks and a dominant 55-point effort against the Wizards.

Before he got hurt, AD had a three-game streak of scoring at least 30 points that were broken when he suffered his foot injury against the Nuggets.

Lakers are bracing for an indefinite absence for the Lakers star, sources say, after he sustained the right foot injury in Friday’s win over Denver. Davis has played arguably the most dominant ball of his career this season. https://t.co/WCTr2y7eNp

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2022

Devin Booker Puts Up a Historic 58-Point Effort to Beat New Orleans:

Devin Booker lifted the Suns over the Pelicans 118-114 after dropping a season-best 58 points. It was the second time this season that Book scored 50 points after he posted 51 against Chicago on Nov. 30.

He’s now the sixth-youngest player to score 12k points in his career, trailing only LeBron, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Tracy McGrady.

“Once I get it going a little bit, shooting over a hand is the right play,” Booker said per ESPN.

.@DevinBook‘s second 50-point game of the season. pic.twitter.com/CMwBniJ5Mv

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 18, 2022

Nikola Jokic Posts His 81st Career Triple-Double After Dropping 40-27-10 Against the Hornets:

Nikola Jokic (40 points, 27 rebounds, and 10 dimes) f***ed around and got his fifth triple-double of the season to lead Denver to a 119-115 win over Charlotte on Sunday night.

The two-time MVP sealed the W with two game-winning free throws with 13 seconds left on the clock. Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said he didn’t know Jokic was putting up massive numbers but knew that Jokic was having “another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,” and praised Jokic for his “ability to make every one of his teammates better,” and called Joker a “generational talent.”

“To be honest, I think it’s because of our defense, and I was just in the right spot to rebound the ball,” Jokic said per ESPN. “It’s not that I was grabbing for them or whatever, chasing for them. It just happened, you know? I wish it could be every night, to be honest.”

Triple double # 8️⃣1️⃣

40-27-10

m.v.p pic.twitter.com/ljQpTIVCHl

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2022

Jordan Poole has a Career-High Night For the Ages:

Jordan Poole hung a career-high 43 points on 14-23 shooting from the field and 5-11 from beyond the arc. He also handed out six assists and scored career-best 25 points in the first half to lead the Warriors past the Raptors. The 126-110 win was the Dubs’ first win in five attempts without Stephen Curry in the lineup. ˝Golden State also snapped their three-game losing streak and are now 3-14 on the road.

“He was incredible on both sides of the ball,” Draymond Green (17 points and nine rebounds) said per Yahoo Sports. “And when you connect the game like that, things will go your way. We all know what a special talent he is. He’s been going through some growing pains. To see him come out tonight and have the game that he had – especially with Steph being down and us needing to get a win – was really huge.

“His effort on the defensive end carried over to the offensive end.”

What a night for 3️⃣.@googlecloud || Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/lKxkgmnlJz

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 19, 2022

WNBA Won’t Expand in 2024:

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Athletic that the League’s plan for franchise expansion will be delayed until at least 2025. The commission is in touch with 10 investor groups discussing potential arenas, practice facilities, season ticket markets, and potential corporate partners.

Engelbert said that a new team would need around 18-24 months to hire coaches and executives and bring on players through an expansion draft, among the many preparations it takes to build a professional basketball franchise. Although expansion is delayed, Englerbet said it’s still a part of the W’s long-term plans and reiterated that the WNBA is on a growth trajectory.

Toronto, Nashville, and the Bay Area (Oakland and San Francisco) are on the short list of expansion cities.

“I’m a big, big believer in: let’s transform the economics, and then we’ll expand, not expand and then hope that economics transform,” she said per Front Office Sports. “We want to bring new owners in that are going to be successful in standing up a franchise that can compete for a championship.”

The post NBA Weekend Recap: AD is Out, Devin Booker and Jordan Poole Put Up Season and Career Best Performances appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State's Steph Curry is expected to miss "a few weeks" with his left shoulder injury, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2022

Stephen Curry will undergo MRI testing on his left shoulder while Golden State is in Philidelphia on Thursday. Curry injured his left shoulder during Golden State’s 125-119 loss against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

The two-time MVP suffered the injury late in the third quarter after attempting to strip the ball from Pacers center Jalen Smith who was going up for a layup deep in the paint. Chef Curry immediately grabbed his shoulder and held it as he went down the court. The injury seemed worrisome, and the Warriors subsequently called a timeout so Curry could be examined in the locker room by Dubs head trainer Rick Celebrini.

Curry was ruled out of playing just moments later and was seen with ice wrapped around his ailing left shoulder postgame.

“I checked in with [Curry] briefly but haven’t had a chance to go into detail,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said per ESPN. “Steph is always a guy with a great outlook on life, so he’s in good spirits.”

Curry will get an MRI tomorrow, Kerr says. Kerr checked in with Curry briefly postgame, said he was in good spirits.

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) December 15, 2022

When he suffered the injury, Curry was primed to guide the Warriors to a dramatic finish after scoring 38 points on 1–19 shooting from the floor, knocking down five triples, and was 11-11 from the free-throw line through the first 34 minutes of the game. He scored half of Golden States’ first-half points, 27, and nearly half of the Warriors’ total points (80) when he went down with a shoulder injury.

“He was just stunning,” Kerr said. “He put us on his shoulders in the minutes he was out there. Generating so much offense, getting to the line, getting the ball to other people. He was brilliant.

Beast Mode

: @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/5kWkbsG7oB

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 15, 2022

The Warriors are 67-133 all-time without Curry in the lineup. Golden State may struggle without the greatest shooter of all time during a season where they’ve struggled to combine their youth movement with their veteran core led by Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the rest of their “foundational six.”

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Stephen Curry delivered another brilliant Finals performance, this time against the Boston Celtics, with his typical distance shooting and desire to get his teammates involved in the flow of the offense. Although Curry had solidified his legacy, it couldn’t have been done without the contribution of Andrew Wiggins.

In that series against the Celtics, Wiggins made his case for Finals MVP by shutting down the opposing superstar in Jayson Tatum and being the team’s second-best scorer at 18.3 points a game. He even led the team in rebounding with an 8.8 average and blocks with 1.5, ahead of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.

The 2014 first overall pick had himself a series that cemented his name into NBA history, but in their title defense season, a rematch with the Celtics at Chase Center will feature Wiggins on the bench due to a right adductor strain, according to head coach Steve Kerr.

It's a bird.
It's a plane.
It's Andrew Wiggins! pic.twitter.com/DCpMYWfLBT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 28, 2022

Wiggins had missed the last two games resulting in losses for the Warriors, but before his absence, in a win against the Houston Rockets, the forward dropped 36 points in the 34 minutes played. He went 14-19 from the field while shooting 80 percent from three (8-10), showcasing his improvement as an offensive threat once more.

Klay Thompson, the usual Robin to Curry as Batman, has struggled to get to form this season, averaging 18.9 points on the lowest field goal percentage shooting of his career at 39.6 percent. However, Thompson has found his rhythm lately, scoring 20+ points in five of his last seven games. With Wiggins sitting out this primetime matchup, Thompson will have to carry just a little more weight to make up for that missing production.

In Tatum and Jaylen Brown‘s revenge tour, the duo is currently averaging over 25 points each and have led the Celtics’ best record in the NBA at 21-5. The Finals rematch is shaping up to be completely different than last season after the Celtics added another scoring talent in Malcolm Brogdon, and interim coach Joe Mazzulla has created a League-leading 119.9 offensive rating.

The Warriors will have to find some defensive answers to figure out against the Celtics, but Kerr is “hopeful” that two of his four-time champions will be able to suit up, in Green and Curry. Dub Nation will undoubtedly miss what Wiggins can bring to the table, being one of the best two-way players in the game, but there should be no doubt in an NBA fan’s mind that the dynamic Warriors can find a way to steal a victory.

The post Andrew Wiggins to Miss Finals Rematch Between Warriors and Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it.

AD Went Off and Dropped a 55-Piece in Washington, DC:

Hear straight from Mr. 55 Points pic.twitter.com/ktoVNdXLO1

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 5, 2022

Anthony Davis dropped a season-high 55 points (31 in the second half) on 22-30 shooting from the field (2-3 from beyond the arc) and grabbed 17 rebounds to help the Lakers drop the Wizards 130-119. Davis is the first Laker to drop back-to-back 40 balls since Kobe Bryant did it in 2013. AD scored 44 against Milwaukee on Friday. He’s averaging 35.3 points per game over his last nine appearances.

“Our team is locked in right now,” Davis said, per ESPN. “Very focused on both sides of the ball. Overall, we’re just trying to make up ground.”

The Lakers (10-12) won their fifth straight road game and are now 8-2 over their last 10 games after starting the season with a 2-10 record.

He’s Baaaaack:

Khris Middleton returned to Milwaukee’s starting lineup on Friday when the Bucks took on the Lakers. The former champion played 27 minutes and posted 17 points on 6-11 shooting (3-4 from the three-point line), two rebounds, and seven assists in a 133-129 loss to Los Angeles.

“It felt really good to be back out there with the guys competing, playing,” Middleton said, per ESPN. “Just a range of emotions. Been through a lot these last couple months — happy, sad, anxious, nervous. To finally get out there and play and get a lot of those nerves past me, it felt pretty good.”

Khris made his return to the court tonight.

17 PTS | 2 REB | 7 AST | 3-4 3PM pic.twitter.com/gMCAWWyNlA

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 3, 2022

Grand Theft Alvarado Makes Pelicans History:

Jose Alvarado dropped a career-high 38 points on 12-19 shooting (8-11 from downtown) to help the Pelicans sail past the Nuggets, 121-106. Alvarado’s 38-point effort was the most a reserve has scored in Pelicans history. It’s also the most scored by an undrafted player in franchise history. Alvarado has also set the season-high mark for a bench player to score.

“It’s amazing,” Alvarado said, per ESPN. “Like, it could never get old. It is my second year, and every time they scream out ‘Jose’ and do the chant or just show me so much love, it keeps giving me goosebumps. And it makes me want to keep playing as hard as I can.”

JOSE’S WORLD

WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT pic.twitter.com/1qddXzB7wB

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 4, 2022

Ja x Jaden Jersey Swap Moment:

Ja Morant and Jaden Ivey, the two most explosive point guards in the League, exchanged jerseys after their latest battle over the weekend. Morant led the Grizzlies past the Pistons, 122-112, after contributing 33 points, 21 in the third quarter, and 10 assists to help Memphis win for the fifth time in their last five games.

Morant was on fire, going 8-10 from the floor and assisting on all three buckets he didn’t score to help Memphis build a 101-83 lead. Ivey (10 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals) has looked at Morant as a big brother since his mom, Notre Dame WBB head coach Niele Ivey was hired as an assistant on Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff during the 2019-2020 season.

Ivey and Morant formed a tight bond while Morant would do his pregame workout, primarily by talking about upcoming games or life. Coach Ivey was also responsible for pregame scouting reports and did skill work with players. That relationship helped Jaden gain the confidence to pick Morant’s brain whenever he was at Memphis games or practices.

The two explosive point guards share a similar electrifying downhill style. Morant’s success as Rookie of the Year and All-Star can be a blueprint for a rookie looking to become a centerpiece of the Pistons’ rebuild toward championship contention.

Draymond Gets Fined, but a Fan is Cool With It All:

On Thursday, Draymond Green was fined $25k for “directing obscene language toward a fan” when the Warriors took on and lost to the Mavericks, 116-113.

The fan involved in the interaction, Alykhan Rehmatullah, defended the four-time champ on Twitter after identifying himself as the fan Green was arguing with. Rehmatullah said he and Green “were just having fun” and offered to “match the $25k to your favorite charity or NBA Cares.” Rehmatullah told ESPN that he “didn’t take offense” and when Green called Rehmatullah’s pledge “a cool gesture” and said, “you don’t see that happen.”

The exchange occurred with 11:20 left on the clock when the teams were lined up for a free throw attempt after Rehmatullah started giving Green a hard time about his sneakers. In Green’s perspective, there was “a lot of name-callings,” which led to Green turning around and telling the fan to “sit down, shut up, and watch the f——ing game.”

The two haven’t spoken to each other, but Green said he was planning to do so while saying that “the money should go somewhere” and that it should specifically “help someone’s kid.”

Photos via Getty Images.

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The 25-year-old center posted a historic stat line against the Indiana Pacers after recording 31 points off 14-17 shooting and 29 rebounds, a League-best result for attacking the board this season. The Croatian also had three blocks on Sunday, and his execution defensively with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in and out of the starting lineup has inspired him to make his case as an elite defensive team candidate.

“Making the NBA All-Defensive team is something I’m really working towards,” Zubac said to AllClippers. “It’s one of my goals coming into the season, just being as best defensively as I can be— I want to show people that I’m capable of that, and for sure, that’s one of my goals.”

STATEMENT MADE pic.twitter.com/x7CxYlLkTu

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 28, 2022

As the last pick of the 2016 NBA draft, Zubac was doubted by scouts for what he contributes to the floor defensively. Now manning the middle for the Clippers, the team currently ranks second in defensive rating, while he ranks sixth in blocks and gives up the League-lowest field goal percentage when players try to challenge him at the rim.

Not bad for the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2016 draft. Zubac kept those notes, stating the previous doubters have opened up his motivation towards making the Clippers defense hold a fierce personality.

“Coming into the League, that was always one of the questions about me on the defensive end of the floor,” Zubac said. “Just proving people wrong and proving to myself that I can contribute to defense really means a lot to me. Helping my team be one of the best defenses in the league. It’s something we pride ourselves on here.”

.@ivicazubac came up clutch, scoring 14 of his 31 points in the first quarter.

@awscloud CourtVision Mascot Mode pic.twitter.com/cnqxNgja2T

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 28, 2022

Though this may just be a breakout week for Zubac, it’s pretty impressive to see the big man lead his team to the fifth-best record in the high-powered Western Conference, primarily through his defense and lack of two superstar wings. His specialty at that end may not be as enticing as a Rudy Gobert swat to the fifth stands or the vocal and scrappy difference-making of a Draymond Green, but Zubac has earned the ‘defensive anchor’ title in the Clippers locker room.

The post Ivica Zubac: ‘Making the NBA All-Defensive Team’ is His Season Goal appeared first on SLAM.

Wiseman hasn’t been the pivotal factor to the aging Dubs lineup as head coach Steve Kerr would’ve hoped for. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green nearing the end of their prime years, Kerr’s response was to send Wiseman down to the G League to “get more reps” in the G-League.

“Every player needs a foundation,” said Kerr, per NBC Sports, on how Wiseman jumpstarts his true potential. “but when you have a guy who missed all of that time with the circumstances and hasn’t been able to really build that foundation, you have to try and do the right thing to help him get going. This is what we’re thinking.”

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The Warriors have put their young talent in circumstances where they have to prove themselves individually, and the Wiseman project rides the same boat, even after a two-year absence.

Kerr suggests that a defense’s attention on the lottery pick will help expose Wiseman to a brighter offensive play style.

“I think it’s just all part of natural evolution of a young player who doesn’t have much experience, who happened to come into the league as the pandemic started and then missed a year-and-a-half with an injury. That’s it; that’s the bottom line.

“Practice is the big thing,” Kerr said. “When you get individualized attention like the guys do in the G League, it’s easier to make more progress, I think, rather than the stops and starts that happen during the NBA season when you’re not in the rotation.”

It’s inevitable that the Warriors will move on from their Big Three that has them four championships. However, good franchises build toward the future to keep the motions of title contention. Kerr and Golden State are making the proper adjustment towards making Wiseman a dominant presence as he was once projected to be.

The post Steve Kerr Won’t Rush James Wiseman Back: ‘Every Player Needs a Foundation’ appeared first on SLAM.

The 2022-23 campaign was supposed to be a referendum on the Warriors successfully fulfilling their dual timeline of focusing on winning now while developing for the future after letting several key veterans walk away in free agency. The results early on feature the Warriors playing less than stellar on defense and their bench play struggling to maintain the leads that the starters built.

The unexpected losses come despite Stephen Curry playing up to his usual superstardom. Furthermore, there is no reason to write off the Warriors dynasty just yet. Especially when a defensive anchor like Green plays with all-time great shooters in Curry and Klay Thompson.

During the first 14 games out of the 82 game-season, Green believes the struggles couldn’t come at a better time, but the learning curve (through the wins and losses) must be addressed because of the difficulty in the profession.

“You’d rather have them sooner rather than later,” said Green to The Athletic on the Warrior’s unexpected losses. “But in saying that, to build what we’re trying to build, we do understand that it takes time. —We’ve been in this position before, where we’ve had struggles and things that we needed to work on and that we had to fix.”

Defense Offense pic.twitter.com/Ngr6zxOyQh

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022

Outside of the MVP-caliber play of Curry, the Warriors haven’t played to their’ Strengths in Numbers.’ The team’s leading rebounder, Kevon Looney, is averaging 6.9 rebounds a game, and as a team, they’re the 7th worst in the League in that category. Not to mention, they’re averaging the sixth most turnovers (15.7), and their five-time All-Star in Thompson has struggled to find his shooter’s touch.

Is age starting to be a factor for the Dubs? Head coach Steve Kerr indicated that was a possibility.

“We know this isn’t going forever,” said Kerr. “This could be the last year; maybe next year is the last year. We’re in the final stages. We know that.”

Basketball is a beautiful game.

@NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/XumncvBDX9

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022

The Warriors are currently four games behind the Western Conference’s top seed. Although the playoff picture isn’t the current thought of the team, Green uses the record of his rival opponents to motivate the group towards reaching the throne they have been accustomed to seeing in four of the last seven years.

“In the West, I was looking at the other day, and it’s like no one has stood out,” said Green. “It’s right there for us. If we get ourselves together, which we will, it’s right there for us.”

The post Draymond Green On Having Golden State Struggle ‘Sooner Rather Than Later’ appeared first on SLAM.

The other half of the legendary Splash Bros has been going through a tough start to begin the season. However, Thompson believes that that shouldn’t discredit the four championships he’s contributed to the team and his legacy as one of the greatest shooters of all time.

11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
Grew up in the 11th house on 11 Lane
K is the 11th letter in the alphabet
Wears number 11

11.11 || @KlayThompson pic.twitter.com/OzZTyxSEEf

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 11, 2022

He’s currently averaging the lowest points per game since his rookie season (12.5) at 14.7. The 20 points per night that NBA fans are accustomed to seeing for years has come in the way of his red-hot three-point shooting or his point totals at the foul line. This season, however, Thompson is shooting career lows in both statistical categories; his three-point percentage currently rides at 33 percent, while his free throw shooting takes a significant drop to 75 percent.

Doubters will have a field day with numbers like this, but there’s plenty of hoop action for Thompson to redeem where his strengths are.

“You just can’t please everybody,” Thompson said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “But for myself individually, it’s about rediscovering that form of efficiency and that two-way play that made me great. And I feel like I’m well on my way there.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Thompson plans on shutting the critics down. On Jan. 9, when he returned to action after two seasons missed due to a torn Achilles and ACL, Thompson dropped 14 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers, showing promise that the injury did not hold him back. The five-time All-Star played a pivotal role in Golden State advancing to their sixth NBA Finals since 2015.

The Warriors ultimately won the 2022 NBA Finals after beating the Celtics in six games. Despite winning his fourth title after an arduous journey just to get back to the hardwood sanctuary, Thompson believes that his injuries weren’t accounted for enough in their title victory.

“Yeah, that’s true, but I feel like I deserve more credit for battling through all that injury s—,” said Thompson. “I helped a team win a championship last year, and people still want to discredit what you do.”

An 82-game season has its ways of bringing the lows of a player, but for Thompson, his Hall-of-Fame career can be a testament to how quickly he can flip the script on his struggles. In doing so, the Dubs may be competing in mid-June once more for a back-to-back title, solidifying the greatest dynasty of the new generation.

“On the bright side, I’m happy to go through this now compared to a few months from now,” said Thompson. “I have no doubt in my mind I’ll get back to form; I was there last year. We won a championship – The proof is in the pudding. But there’s one more thing I’ll say: You can’t take away the hardware.”

The post Klay Thompson Addresses the Latest Backlash Towards Him and the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

Despite the alarming losses and their incomplete defensive performances thus far, Steve Kerr isn’t pushing the panic button just yet.

“There are times in the NBA season when things can go off the rails a little bit,” Kerr said, per ESPN. “A big part of being a great team, being a solid organization, is just understanding how to work through that.”

Last season, the Warriors had a 2-9 slump that stretched from February to March, but they went on to win the championship a few months later. Things change quickly in the NBA. 

Draymond Green said a few days ago that the Warriors can’t fix all their problems right now, but they need to zero in on their biggest ones. At the moment, the biggest problem is the defense. The Warriors rank 25th in the NBA in points per shot allowed in transition and 23rd in field goal percentage allowed in transition, according to Second Spectrum tracking. Last season, they allowed the lowest field goal percentage in transition.

Golden State is also 24th in defensive rebounding after being sixth last year.

The Warriors Dynasty has had its fair share of ups and downs (mainly ups), but it is reasonable to surmise that they will bounce back and reclaim their excellence. 

“We just need to bring more of a sense of urgency,” Thompson said. “We had a long run last year, but 2022 is over. It’s time to kick into high gear and play that championship level of basketball that we’re used to. I fully expect us to do that.”

The Warriors, just like every other NBA team, will play tonight and get a chance to end their losing streak. 

The post Steve Kerr Believes the Warriors Will Bounce Back From 5-Game Losing Streak appeared first on SLAM.

With the 130-129 loss yesterday, the Warriors now sit at 12th in the Western Conference. While it is still early in the season, through their nine games played thus far, the Warriors’ defensive and bench production struggles have been glaringly apparent.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke on the team’s struggle postgame per ESPN, stating;

“We have to save us because nobody else is coming.”

When asked what was the “first step” to save the team, Kerr added;

“We’ve had nine games now, so we’ve had a decent look at combinations. It’s time to try something different. Everybody’s going to get a chance to play. We’ve got guys who are dying to get on the floor, and we’ve got to find combinations that play. We will look at that as a staff.”

Warriors veteran Draymond Green also chimed in postgame on the team’s struggles, saying;

“It’s our defense; we have to correct our defense.”

Whatever adjustments that need to be made, best believe Kerr and the Warriors staff will figure things out. The Warriors have found diamonds in the rough before through their G-League system. Two prime examples are Jordan Poole and former Warrior, now Portland Trailblazer Gary Payton II.

There is no doubt that Golden State will turn things around. The only question is when? The Warriors look to bounce back Friday versus the New Orleans Pelicans on the road in the final stop on their current road trip.

The post Steve Kerr: Warriors ‘Have to Save’ Themselves Amidst Four-Game Losing Streak appeared first on SLAM.

The one thing that got the legendary shooter out of character were some recent comments Charles Barkley made suggesting Thompson’s game was “slipping” despite it being less than a year since he returned from a torn achilles. Unprompted, Thompson addressed those critics after the Warriors beat the Miami Heat, 123-110, on Thursday night.

“I’ve got one thing to say,” Thompson said. “So, it hurts when someone like Charles Barkley, with the platform that he has, says you’re not the same player prior to the injuries you had. It’s like ‘No, duh, man.’ Consecutive years, like. I tore my ACL and Achilles in consecutive years and still helped the team win a championship. It hurt hearing that because I put so much freaking effort to get back to this point. It’s hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.

“I played 55, 57 games in three years. Give me some freaking time to get that back. To hear someone say ‘Oh, he’s not the same player as he was prior to the injuries.’ Like, duh. Who goes through that and comes back…I don’t know, it just hurt my heart hearing that. But you know, I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me to be even better. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year and I feel like I was a huge part of it. I’m not going to let these injuries be a crutch for me. I’m just going to keep going and I’m going to have a great year. You can bet on that.”

Thompson cont.: "I played 57 games in three years. Give me some freaking time to get that back. Who goes through something like that and comes back — it just hurt my heart. But I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me." https://t.co/VnhRTy7atz

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 28, 2022

Barkley’s comments came after Thompson was ejected for the first time in his career during the third quarter of a blowout loss to the up-and-coming Phoenix Suns. Thompson and Devin Booker were jaw-jacking during a tension-filled third quarter that featured the Suns and Warriors drawing a record-tying seven technical fouls in one quarter.

During halftime of the nationally televised Warriors-Suns game, Barkley suggested that Thompson and Draymond Green are “slipping” and suggeseted that “Father Time is knocking on the door of a couple of those guys.” The comments come during a time when Coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors medical staff placed the four-time champs on a minute restriction to start the season.

On Tuesday, Thompson responded with season-high numbers nearly across the stat sheet. The five-time All-Star posted 19 points on 6-19 shooting from the field and 5-14 shooting from beyond the arc in 29 minutes, all season-high marks for Thompson.

“It’s so great and it’s a huge building block for me” Thompson said about his workload. “It’s the best I’ve feld conditioning-wise.”

Thompson on playing a season-high 29 minutes: "It's so great and it's a huge building block for me. It's the best I've felt conditioning-wise."

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 28, 2022

When Stephen Curry was asked about Thompson’s postgame reponse, he noted that his Splash Brother was in a good mood all day long, but believes that Barkley’s remarks fueled Thompson to put on his 19-point performance.

“The comments are part of our success, like you’re always going to be in a spotlight and people care about how you’re playing and care to comment positively or negatively because they know that will move the needle,” Curry told reporters after the win Thursday. “And when you say certain names, people are going to pay attention. But it’s interesting because certain guys forget what their careers looked like on the back end. So you can kind of cast and throw those stones but Klay’s still in here, like you said, helping us win a championship after the two hellish years that he had.

“And now, it’s just balancing, for him, the expectations of what he was before the injuries and what he can get back to, all the while maintaining his impact on winning. I’m sure he’s comparing to the stat lines and percentages and all that, but I think I heard coach [Steve Kerr] talk about it earlier. He’s gone through this, even before the injuries, where slow starts don’t really hold him down, don’t kill his confidence. But when you come off a championship, you have such a hunger and a desire to get back to what he wants to be personally. And he’s going to get there. It’s just a matter of sticking with the program, the time that he puts in. His competitive fire that comes out every single night. And he’s going to make shots. We’re not worried about that. It’s a long season.”

Thompson, Green, and the Warriors will have another chance to dispute Barkley’s observations when they take on the Charlotte Hornets to start a five-game Eastern Conference road trip.

The post Klay Thompson ‘Hurt Hearing’ Comments That His Game Is ‘Slipping’ appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins’ improvement comes after he joined a Warriors team that allowed him to take a lesser role as a valuable third scorer and premium defender tasked with defending any opponent’s top perimeter threat. It’s the kind of role that’s allowed him to prevent anybody from saying he didn’t live up to his potential as Maple Jordan.

The rapid development caused Coach Steve Kerr to rave about how “confident” he looks this season and how he’s used his role on the ’22 title team to “springboard” into possibly having a better year than he did last year. During the Finals, Wiggs averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while primarily being a thorn in Jayson Tatum’s side. He also played tough defense against Luka Doncic and Ja Morant while being a go-to scorer late in the shot clock.

“I think (Andrew) Wiggins — this is I’ve ever seen Wiggs,” Kerr said. “He’s an All-Star last year; he helped us win a championship. I think he’s used that momentum that he gained a year ago to kinda springboard into this season, and I don’t think he’s ever looked more confident.”

"This is the best I've ever seen Wiggs." pic.twitter.com/XopHFZCytm

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 24, 2022

As of Tuesday, Maple Jordan is averaging 22.3 points, a career-high 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game on 52.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from downtown. It’s a small sample (three games), but it’s the type of production that justifies Golden State’s commitment to its future while prioritizing its veteran championship experience.

“Not only in his own game but with what we’re doing, the way we play. You saw the extra pass last night that he made to (Stephen Curry) for the three. He’s making those simple plays, but then he’s attacking when he needs to attack and playing just really efficient basketball, playing great defense. So a lot of good stuff, but we have to put it together as a team, and that’s gonna take some time.”

Draymond Andrew pic.twitter.com/GDNRYHOHSR

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 24, 2022

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Since getting drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2017 as the fifth pick, the franchise has not made the playoffs. This year, Fox wants to be at the forefront of getting them there. The Kings reshaped their roster for the second half of last season when they acquired two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday from the Indiana Pacers.

Sacramento traded Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson in return.

On Draymond Green’s podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Fox admitted that the trade shocked him. As the primary point guard for the franchise, the 24-year-old felt that the trade sent an important message to him from the organization.

“For me, it’s like yo, they believe in me,” said Fox. “But two, it’s like motherf*****, we just traded somebody who could be a franchise point guard either here or somewhere else. So, you better get on your s***; you better start winning.“

The King guard is fresh off scoring 33 points in a 108-115 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers and understands that there will be added pressure for him in this campaign.

“Does it add pressure? Yeah, a little bit,” said Fox. But, at the end of the day, I’ve been trying to get us in the playoffs for years, so it’s a little added pressure. It ain’t hurt anybody.”

Fortunately for Sacramento, they acquired Malik Monk after a solid season with the Los Angeles Lakers during the offseason. He averaged a career-high 13.8 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field.

The move reunites Fox and Monk for the first time backcourt pair played together at Kentucky before making it to the NBA. The question is, will these moves by the Kings in the past year pay off and earn them a trip to the playoffs?

Sacramento will suit up on Saturday to play the Los Angeles Clippers in hopes of the team’s first win of the season.

The post De’Aaron Fox on the Kings Trading Tyrese Haliburton: ‘They Believe in Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

Right off the bat, Coach Steve Kerr has decided to put four-time champions Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on minute restrictions to start the campaign for conditioning. In the team’s season opener versus the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson played only 20 minutes, while Green finished at 25.

Kerr told reporters that the two veterans’ that he thinks their minute restrictions will be lifted slowly to their normal regular season minute level in a “couple of weeks.” 

Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins will be expected to step up during the process. In fact, they did exactly that on Tuesday. Poole dropped 12 points and seven assists in 28 minutes, while Wiggins scored 20 points in 29 minutes.

The Warriors will take on the Nuggets on Friday for their second game of the season. Perhaps Thompson and Green will see a slight increase in their playing time then.

The post Steve Kerr Expects to Lift Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s Minute Restriction Soon appeared first on SLAM.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for now, here are seven takeaways from last night’s action.

Revenge SZN: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are looking even better

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been a nightmare for teams on both sides of the ball for a few years now. They have three ECF trips under their belt and a recent appearance in the NBA Finals — they’re not supposed to still be getting better. After showing up to opening night rockin’ some pretty eye-catching fits, Brown and Tatum dropped a combined 70 points (dropping 35 points apiece) and solidified the dub over Philly.

Both were attacking from every part of the floor. Having two dynamic players like Brown and Tatum gives the Celtics a good chance to get back to the Finals and maybe even win it this time. 

Ring Night: The Warriors may be poised to make another championship run

On ring night, the Warriors look good. Damn good. Stephen Curry is still just as good as he’s always been, and the Warriors’ weapons all kept them afloat and out of reach. The Dubs had their trademark explosive third quarter, and signature contributions from Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Curry, and Andrew Wiggins on offense guided them to a win. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney anchored a strong defensive performance. Their young core (Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga) came in off the bench and provided valuable minutes. Sheesh, the Warriors are deep. 

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The Beard drops a 30-piece on Opening Night

James Harden has been a picture of perfect health for the majority of his NBA career, but during his tenure with the Nets, and leading into his tenure with the Sixers, Harden was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that sapped away a lot of his explosiveness and his ability to change speeds that made him so difficult to contain during his days in Houston. Houston Harden showed up in Boston last night for Philadelphia.

He finished the game with 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 64.2 percent shooting from the field and 12/12 shooting from the line. Some may say vintage Harden; we say he’s back. 

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LeBron James speaks on Lakers’ Shooting Troubles:

The Los Angeles Lakers Big 3 finished with 77 of 109 points as the remainder of the team struggled to score all game with their limited spacing. Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis also shot a combined 4-16 from three, while the Lakers as a whole shot 10-40. After the game, The King was quick to recognize this deficiency in the Lakers’ offense, citing a lack of “lasers.”

Moving forward, the Lakers need better shooting performances if they do not want to repeat their fate from last season. 

Honoring No. 7: Jaylen Brown Speaks on Bill Russell’s Legacy

The legendary Bill Russell, and 11-time NBA Champion (twice as a head coach of the Celtics), passed away this past summer. The Boston Celtics legend had his No. 6 retired around the League, and every team is wearing a “6” patch on their jersey to honor him. The Celtics took each step, however, intent on honoring their greatest player. Jaylen Brown took a few moments to commemorate Bill Russell before the game, honoring him as a player, a father, a leader, and a man. 

Coaching Debuts of Mazzulla and Ham:

Darvin Ham and Joe Mazzulla both made their head coaching debuts on opening night. Mazzulla won his first game, and Ham lost his. Mazzulla is an interim head coach, for now, following Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension by the Boston Celtics.

Near the end of their contest against the Celtics, Stan Van Gundy joked that Mazzulla now has the best winning percentage in NBA history. This is true and looks to remain true, at least through his next game. Ham, on the other hand, has the tall task of coaching a veteran Lakers team back to promise. There are some positive takeaways to be had from the team’s performance but look for tweaks in the next few games as they look to find their footing. 

FREE BG 

October 18th marked the beginning of the NBA season, but it was also Britney Griner’s 32nd birthday. Stephen Curry took some time to bring awareness to her wrongful incarceration in Russia during his direct address to the fans in attendance as well as the fans watching on TV at home. The fight for Griner’s freedom continues to be a major point of emphasis as the season begins. 

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The post 7 Takeaways From Opening Night appeared first on SLAM.

When the Lakers were set to play their preseason finale, multiple reports said Ham intended to bring Westbrook off the bench against the Sacramento Kings. Westbrook has started every NBA game he has played since his rookie year. 

In what later became a 47-point loss, Brodie only played 5 minutes off the bench. He strained his hamstring early on and never returned. After the Lakers suffered an opening day 123-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors a few days later, Westbrook told reporters that he “absolutely” attributed this injury to his temporary bench role. 

“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose — That’s something I just wasn’t accustomed to,” Westbrook said after their regular season debut 123-109 loss against the Golden State Warriors. 

Westbrook has played in 1,022 career games and has started 1,005 of them. A bench role later this season is not off the table with improved depth at the point guard after the additions of Patrick Beverly, Dennis Schröder, and the return Kendrick Nunn.

However, in last night’s game, Westbrook showed flashes of why the Lakers traded for him in the first place. In 31 minutes, Westbrook had 19 points and 11 rebounds on 58 percent shooting. He kicked in three assists and a steal as well. 

Both his coach and his teammate, Anthony Davis, maintain the game against Sacramento was just an experiment and an exploration of their options. When asked about his decision to start Westbrook on opening night, Ham was complimentary of Russell Westbrook. 

“You want to start the game off the right way in terms of your energy and being in attack mode, and no one better than him,” Ham said, who spoke to reporters before Westbrook did after the game. “I mean, it’s what we have, and we got some key guys hurt. It’s Game 1; give them a chance to go out and compete at the highest level. I thought he was solid. I thought he was solid. A couple possessions I wish I can get back, but overall, I thought he was solid.”

AD stated he didn’t think Westbrook’s realignment to the bench was ever intended to be a real option. Despite the loss, the Lakers Big 3 looked more fluid in their offensive execution, and they thought so too. 

“I think we played well,” Davis said. “We wanted to come out, and everybody be aggressive.”

LeBron James added, “I thought we all just kind of played free. And it resulted in all three of us pretty much being efficient from the floor.”

If the Lakers are to right the ship, Westbrook must be healthy and play well. He’s sending the message that he does that best from the starting five.

The post Russell Westbrook Believes Coming Off the Bench ‘Absolutely’ Caused Hamstring Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Scratching that championship quest was the Golden State Warriors, who came back down 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder. A stunning turn of events in the series led to Durant departing from Oklahoma City, to join that same Dubs squad.

Forming a Big 4 in San Francisco with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Durant dealt with his own criticism when he made the move. Now, KD has shared his thoughts on the negativity surrounding his former teammate for Westbrook’s recent play with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The dialog around our game is just so toxic at this point,” said Durant on the ETCs podcast. “I get criticism [on the court] but it’s starting to turn into something else now.”

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At age 33, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, the third lowest average in his career. While the Lakers’ performance last season wasn’t entirely on Westbrook, critics (and haters on the internet) have placed a lot of the blame on him.

“When you’re playing alongside the biggest figure in L.A in LeBron James everything you do is gonna be magnified,” said Durant. “…If people don’t trust that your team is gonna be good…you have to be on point every time.”

Both Westbrook and Durant, as of now, have remained with their respective team’s of last season, but the expectations they are assumed to bring to the table remain.

Photo via Getty Images.

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Andrew Wiggins’ deal includes a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/V51QrQ7tkr

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 15, 2022

When Wiggins came to Golden State, he had a complicated resume as a “empty-calorie” scorer that hadn’t lived up to the massive contract he signed to be the leader in Minnesota. There was also questions about his intensity and whether or not he would live up to the moniker of Maple Jordan.

Since then, Wiggins has evolved into a first-time All-Star, two-way star, and third-scoring option who helped Golden State win their fourth title since starting their dynasty run in 2015. Maple Jordan took a paycut to stay in Golden State, going form making $33 million this year and will earn up to $24 million in 2023. Wiggins is set to make $15 million less than the max he could’ve made if he tested the open market next summer.

What makes this extension even sweeter is the fact that it cames just hours after teammate Jordan Poole signed his contract extension over the weekend. Golden State being able to lock down two of their young stars bodes well for a franchise that is looking to make the most out of their “foundational six” still being on the roster while aiming to develop the stars that they hope will carry the Warriors into the future.

“You never know what the future holds. I’m happy here,” Wiggins said. “We have a chance to do something special. I believe in the guys, the organization. So we have a deal done and I’m happy about it.”

Heading into the 2022-23 season, Wiggins will be asked to reprise his role as the ideal wing next to Stephen Curry. Namely being a primary defender against opposing teams’ best offensive players that attacks the boards at a high clip while filling in as the third option capable of being a strong shotmaker when the shot clock is winding down. In fact, it was

That’s the role he mastered on the way to his first title, and that’s the role he can be expected to refill while the Warriors look to successful defend their title.

“What I see with Wiggs is just a comfort level with his daily routine and our style,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “The way we play is very different from the way he played his first years. So he looks relaxed and ahead of the game compared to the first years where ehe had to figure out how we played, he’s comfortable in it because he’s got a couple of years of work within the style.”

When asked about that he wants to bring over from the playoff run of his life, Wiggins said that his main priority is continuing to rebiund the ball and play defense at a high level. Wiggins believes that he “took a step with the playoffs” that’s capable of continuing to play at that level. Heading into his second full year with the Warriors, Wiggins will look to prove Kerr’s thoughts about him correct.

“There are a handful of guys like Steph or LeBron (James), Giannis (Antetokounmpo) who are going to be great no matter where they are,” Kerr said. “But most of the league, you have to find a good spot. And Wiggs found a good spot.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Andrew Wiggins: Warriors ‘Have a Chance to Do Something Special’ After Signing Extension appeared first on SLAM.

The former Michigan Wolverine went from showing a lot of promise during his rookie year to being demoted to the G League because he played so little during the 2020-21 season. He played 11 games with Golden State’s G League affiliate before they recalled him.

“His rookie year, he was lost, frankly,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “But most rookies are. The game is different. The pace is different, the athleticism. What I admired about JP from the start was his understanding of how much work it would take to get where he wanted to go.”

How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/jOi0SbRkMy

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 16, 2022

Poole started the first 28 games of the 2021-22 season, with the Warriors going 23-5 before Coach Steve Kerr benched him to make way for Klay Thompson’s triumphant return from a two-season absence. Poole has repeatedly answered adversity through his first three seasons in the League.

When his rookie season was cut short by the pandemic, Poole reportedly lived at the gym and fully dedicated himself to improving his skillset. When he was sent down to the G League, Poole took full advantage of the opportunity by dominating on the court with his shifty handle and automatic jumper. Poole came back with unshakeable confidence and a chip on his shoulder when he came back.

Last year, Poole responded to coming off the bench by becoming an invaluable walking bucket capable of taking over games and being a significant part of Golden State’s title run.

“You go through different stages — high school, AAU, college,” Poole said. “There’ll be adversity. You just gotta have faith and have confidence. Self-belief will take you a very long way. Obviously, you mix that in with hard work and an open mindset, and anything is possible.

“Obviously,” he continued, digging into his bag of perspective, “people will try to write you off, and they’ll have things to say. That just comes with it. People will say good things. People say bad things – But as long as you focus and you have tunnel vision, and you lock in. Once you set your mind to something and you come up with a plan to do it, everything else takes care of itself. So it was just an amazing feeling not only for me but for my family. They put in so much time, so much money, and a lot of things that you can’t repay them for. So it’s just amazing to have them be a part of this as well. And my teammates who helped me get here. We can go down the entire line just talking about it. But it was a very, very special, life-changing moment.”

The @warriors dropped a 10 min video of Jordan Poole highlights. Watch this and be inspired the next time you hoop. pic.twitter.com/BYuNmijTfP

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 17, 2022

Now, the Warriors have rewarded his ability to persevere with a four-year, $140 million dollar extension. When Poole signed the contract, he couldn’t help but smile as he put ink to paper in Myers’ office.

“I couldn’t stop smiling,” Poole said Sunday. “I really tried to stop smiling. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.”

Bag earned. : @_JordanJimenez pic.twitter.com/YljCsDiPHO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 15, 2022

Poole’s deal signifies Golden State’s dedication to solidifying its future. It’s also a sign of things to come as the Warrior starts to contemplate their future without the foundational members of the dynasty. Stephen Curry is locked in for four more years while Draymond Green and Klay Thompson wait to see how their extension negotiations go.

When asked about the fallout of his altercation with Green, Poole responded diplomatically, only saying he and Green our professionals and that they “plan on handling ourselves that way.”

“In regards to the Draymond situation,” Poole said, addressing the altercation publicly for the first time, “you know, he apologized, and we’re professionals. We plan on handling ourselves that way. We’re gonna play basketball, and everybody in the locker room and on our team knows what it takes to win a championship. And we’re gonna do that on the court. I mean, that’s really all I have to say on the matter. We’re here to win a championship and keep hanging banners.”

It remains to be seen just how the Warrior’s dynamic will be changed, if at all, this season. Kerr called the situation” the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had” Knowing that the Warriors have been able to wither plenty of storms is a testament to their culture. What happens this season will be the ultimate test of the Warrior’s way and their”Strength in Number” mantra that resulted in four championships.

The post Jordan Poole ‘Can’t Stop Smiling’ After Signing Contract Extension appeared first on SLAM.

The sides are reportedly close to crossing the Ts and dotting the Is on the rookie scale extension. According to Poole’s representatives, a formal agreement is expected to be completed later on Saturday. Poole’s extension comes days before Monday’s deadline for 2019 Draft class members.

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole is finalizing a four-year, $140 million contract extension, his agents Drew Morrison and Austin Brown of CAA Sports tell ESPN. Sides are completing final details today and formal agreement expected soon. pic.twitter.com/hIP8MaOhzp

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 15, 2022

Poole’s extension solidifies the Warrior’s commitment and belief in Poole as a franchise cornerstone. At 23-years-old, Poole has become one of Golden State’s more solidified offensive weapons as they look to defend their fourth championship in eight seasons.

How to make the stadium explode 101: be like Poole.

(via @NBAUK) pic.twitter.com/P3LagLBtHC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 6, 2022

Last season, Poole averaged a career-high 18.5 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. During the Warriors’ run to the 2022 NBA championship, Poole averaged 17.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game and scored 25 points on 60 percent shooting six times, according to ESPN. That run of 25+ point outings Poole tied with Jerry West (1968 postseason) for second-most in a single-postseason, right behind Andrew Toney in 1982.

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Curry, arguably the greatest shooter of all time, has four titles under his name with a Finals MVP to back up his coveted career. The Warriors superstar believes there’s another teammate who was playing for the legacy he has submitted in Golden State.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke, Curry remarks on the legacy of his longtime teammate, Andre Igoudala, who he believes was a significant contributor to the Warriors’ four titles and is a sure shot at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Absolutely, I didn’t know that was much of a debate,” said Curry on Igoudala being labeled a Hall of Famer. “He’s kind of the mature vet that’s still putting up solid numbers but impacting winning at a level that is a difference maker.”

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Igoudala’s four championships with the Warriors may be underestimated by playing with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry through the years. However, his defensive tenacity in the 2015 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off Golden States’ illustrious dynasty.

Igoudala scored 16.3 points, four assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game and won the 2015 Finals MVP. In that series, Curry and Thompson averaged 34.2 percent shooting from their three-point distance, but Igoudala’s heroics kept James shooting at 38.1 percent from the field when guarded by him.

Iggy is now in the later stages of his career. He rejoined the Dubs over the summer and averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during the regular-season. When it came down to the postseason, Coach Steve Kerr trusted the 38-year-old to play during the 2022 Finals. Iggy rewarded that trust by posting seven points and three assists during Game 1 and played spot duty the rest of the Finals as a 3-and-D wing.

“I hope there’s a keen eye part of just watching his career unfold,” said Curry. “Seeing the different iterations of himself that impact winning, that’s what it should be about.”

Igoudala enters his 19th season in the League, more importantly, his last go at defending a championship for the Warriors. The farewell tour starts against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Chase Center.

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Green stayed home for the last week to help cool down and mitigate the wounds caused by his controversial squabble with Poole. Since then, Coach Steve Kerr announced that the Warriors fined Green and decided not to suspend the four-time champion. Kerr put an exclamation point on the incident by calling it “the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had.”

“We had the conversations about what we need to do moving forward, and we’re going to do that,” Green said per ESPN. “We are not going to continue to hold on to the past.”

Swoosh@Oracle || Game Ready pic.twitter.com/wzOQcZBAqu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 13, 2022

Before Green came back, the Dubs had meetings with the front office, coaching staff, and prominent players like Poole, Looney, Stephen Curry, and Andre Iguodala. Once players, specifically Poole, gave the thumbs up, the Warriors decided it was time to bring Green back.

Green is set to play in Golden States’ final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. He will also be available when the Warriors have presented their rings ahead of their opening night contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

GAME DAY pic.twitter.com/Mi74ILE99s

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 14, 2022

Green didn’t tell reporters what he was up to during his self-imposed break from the team, but he did say he was in a better mental state on Thursday than when he left. According to Green, Kerr, and Kevon Looney, Thursday’s practice was business as usual, and there was no on-court awkwardness between anyone.

Despite the public backing from Kerr and his teammates, Green admitted there would be lingering feelings about his quarrel with Poole. Kerr touched on the moment on Wednesday when he said that the Warriors’ “culture had been damaged by the incident. You have to work to repair that.” Kerr added that Green broke the team’s trust but also said that Green deserves the benefit of the doubt due to the relationship they’ve built since 2015.

“It’s about making sure our team camaraderie is right,” Green said. “You can tell when you’re playing against a team, and they have good camaraderie — if not, they can be broken easy — if you have that, you can build through anything. [Our camaraderie doesn’t] get very shaken.”

Although Green acknowledged that he had some work to do when he stepped away from the team, Green seemingly had some contention with the notion that he had to rebuild trust with his teammates. The Warriors have been victorious because of the trust the Warriors’ “foundational six” has built over the last eight seasons. Not to mention their desire to win and knowing what it takes to win.

Green will use that mindset to navigate his relationship with Poole for the foreseeable future.

“Jordan is a professional, and I am a professional. We have a job to do — we’re going to do just that,” Green said. “[As far as a personal relationship], I’m not sure. That’s not up to me, nor do I think there is much relevance. We’re paid to do a job, and we are going to do that job to the best of our abilities.”

The post Draymond Green: Warriors Won’t ‘Continue to Hold On to the Past’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kerr made the announcement after the Dubs’ preseason game against the Trail Blazers on Monday. He distinctly called the contentious moment “the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had.” Kerr also said Green would return to the team on Thursday and expects Green to play Golden State’s last preseason game and their opening night contest against the Lakers.

“It’s been an exhaustive process,” Kerr said per Yahoo Sports. “We feel like this is the best way after assessing everything for us to move forward. It’s never easy, no matter what decision you make in a situation like this. It’s not going to be perfect.”

Kerr said that key figures in the organization, including Green, Poole, Stephen Curry, and GM Bob Myers, were involved in the decision-making process leading up to Kerr’s announcement. Kerr added that he trusts Green and that the former Michigan State Spartan has earned the benefit of the doubt following Green’s lapse in judgment.

“I trust him,” Kerr added. “He broke our trust with this incident. But I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he’s earned that. I think our team feels the same way.”

Kerr added Green and Poole had played a role in deciding Green’s punishment and that the two veterans have “had a great discussion” that he believes will help them “move forward” from the incident.

Poole has yet to address what happened, but Kerr said that the franchise would make the former Michigan Wolverine available to reporters soon.

According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the tension between Green and Poole had been simmering since the start of the training camp. Although both players are eligible for contract extensions, Green flat-out denied that the dispute was over money. Green also said that he was “wrong for my actions that took place” last week and that he’s apologized not just to Poole and his teammates but to Poole’s family for “the embarrassment” he caused to the team. He also declared that: “I failed as a leader. I failed as a man.”

“I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday,” Green said. “For that, I have apologized to my team. I have apologized to Jordan.”

The Warriors open their regular season at home on Oct. 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers, where they’ll celebrate their 2022 NBA championship with a ring ceremony.

The post Steve Kerr: Draymond Green Will ‘Come Back to Practice On Thursday’ appeared first on SLAM.

“Look, it’s the NBA in professional sports these things happen, nobody likes it we don’t condone it,” Myers said. “Draymond apologized to the team this morning, Jordan was there in the room.

Head coach Steve Kerr added: “I’m not going to answer anything more because Bob already answered what needed to be answered. The only thing I will say is that Jordan has been fantastic throughout camp. There was a report that I was made aware of last night that someone put out there that Jordan had an attitude in camp. Nothing could be further from the truth, he’s been fantastic. So, disappointing to see this information out there, but I wanted to make sure I set the record straight on that. Everything else, we will handle internally and go from there.”

Stephen Curry also reiterated Kerr’s sentiment about Poole’s behavior, saying, “JP’s been great. There’s nothing that warrented the situation yesterday. We made that clear, but it’s also something that we feel like will not derail our season and what we’re trying to build and that’s with Draymond as a part of that.”

It seems that for now at least, the Warriors have it under control and we’l; have to wait and see what comes about from the situation.

The post Warriors Briefly Address Practice Scuffle Between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole appeared first on SLAM.

“So, I just wanted to go relax. Long season, clearly,” Tatum said in an interview with Andscape. “Enjoy some time with my son and the family. Get away from it. The Finals were so fresh in my mind.

And every time we walked out the room, somebody saw me and said, ‘Oh, man, we wish you would’ve … ’ ‘Good luck next year.’ And that’s even said to this day. But it was just three or four days afterwards, so it was really fresh.”

Two seasons after being eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Miami Heat in 2020, the Celtics came back this past season to win a pivotal Game 7 in Miami to clinch their first NBA Finals berth since 2010.

“It was just a learning experience, learning a lesson,” he added. “Maybe do some things differently next time if you get to that point. Obviously, it’s tough to learn a lesson that way, but it is what it is …It just fuels you. Motivates you to get back to that point.”

While Tatum has using the moment as “fuel,” his all-around game is enough to catch the attention of even his own competitors. Four-time NBA champion and Warriors forward Draymond Green recently called JT the ‘Young GOAT.’

“Resiliency allows teams to show their true characters,” said Green on The Draymond Green Show. “We’ll get to see the true character of the Boston Celtics led by none other than the young GOAT, young next greatest Jayson Tatum.”

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“Me, and I give Draymond [Green] and probably Giannis [Antetokounmpo],” said Adebayo when naming players that can defend the best players at each position to NBA writer Couper Moorhead. “Three guys who can literally guard 1-through-5 and be effective.”

The Heat used Adebayo to matchup against superstar scorers such as Atlanta Hawks‘ Trae Young and Philadelphia 76ers‘ Joel Embiid in their playoff meetings last season. Young shot 31.9 percent from the field and 18.4 percent from beyond the arc, netting an average of 15.4 points a game, while Embiid was 11 of 29 shooting when guarded by Adebayo during the games he appeared in.

“I’m going to always go for the award,” said Adebayo on the Defensive Player of the Year award. “I’m never going to give up on anything that I set my mind to. It’s set in stone.”

Nonetheless, his three-peat in the All-NBA Defensive Second Team speaks for his case and for how far the Heat get every season is in part to his play against the League’s best scorers. As he enters Year 6 of his career, it’s clear that Adebayo is ready to take his defensive talents to all-time great heights as the Heat look to bring a title to South Beach.

The post Bam Adebayo Lists His Top 3 Players That He Believes are ‘Effective’ at Defending Every Position appeared first on SLAM.

One of the NBA’s most elite dynasties, the Golden State Warriors, has reached the top of the mountain once more. With the brilliant play of Stephen Curry and company, the franchise has won four championships in a 7-year span. It’s quite remarkable, to say the least, but it all starts with one of the veteran pieces that keep the locker room in check and comes up big on the biggest stage.

The 38 year old Andre Igoudala may not be the pivotal factor to decide a championship series, but there’s something about his presence in the locker room that leads to success. It’s not just with the Warriors too, Igoudala took part in the Miami Heat‘s incredible 5th seeded run to the NBA Finals in the 2020 Bubble. His high IQ on defense was a major contributor to the Heat’s success, but the team ultimately fell to the LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers.

The matchup between him and LeBron James is always considered one of the more unexpected rivalries in League history. However, in 2015 with the Cavaliers up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, Igoudala stepped up to attribute 16.3 points a game with 5.8 rebounds and 4 boards. What carved his name into the Bill Russell Finals MVP award, was his teriffic defense on a LeBron James who’d been dominating all post-season long.

“I’m letting you know now Steph,” said Igoudala. “This the last one.”

Though the Warriors haven’t come to terms with a deal for Igoudala, it seems clear he’s comitted to signing a veternan minimum deal. If so, Igoudala will play his final season, in a quest with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green at their fifth ring.

The post Andre Iguodala Confirms He’ll Return to the Warriors for His 19th Season appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/ykBrsEoxc0

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 21, 2022

Robert Sarver has announced that he’s “beginning the process” to sell his majority stakes in the Suns and Mercury. Sarver is currently serving a one-year suspension after the NBA concluded its investigation into Sarver’s “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies.” during his 18-year tenure as owner of the Phoenix franchises.

“Words that I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together – and strengthened the Phoenix area – through the unifying power of professional men’s and women’s basketball,” Sarver said in a public statement. “As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner’s one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.

But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.

BREAKING: In a statement, Robert Sarver writes, in part:

“I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.”https://t.co/fMhWdDIM5M

— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) September 21, 2022

Sarver’s stunning announcement comes after the NBA players union, LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Draymond Green expressed disappointment in varying degrees about his punishment. Green specifically called for the owners to vote Sarver out; James believed the League “definitely got this wrong,” while CP3 tweeted that “the sanctions fell short.”

“I do not want to be a distraction to these two teams and the fine people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world,” Sarver said.

“I want what’s best for these two organizations, the players, the employees, the fans, the community, my fellow owners, the NBA, and the WNBA. This is the best course of action for everyone. In the meantime, I will continue to work on becoming a better person and continuing to support the community in meaningful ways. Thank you for continuing to root for the Suns and the Mercury, embracing the power that sports has to bring us together.”

There were always concerns that Sarver’s stubbornness and desire to paint himself as the victim would make him willing to continue as a pariah in the NBA community, but his decision to sell the Suns and Mercury bails out the league and his ownership peers. https://t.co/LD7o1OYhQ0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2022

Suns vice chairman Jahm Nafaji also came out and called for Sarver to resign as the owner of the Suns and Mercury. Commissioner Adam Silver let it be known that despite the precedent he set in 2015 when the NBA banned Donald Sterling due to his racist remarks, he didn’t “have the right to take away” Sarver’s ownership stakes.

Ownership in Phoenix should be more attractive after back-to-back brilliant seasons where the Suns recorded the best record in the League. According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, League execs believe Phoenix could be a monster free agent destination with the proper ownership due to its warm weather climate

The post Robert Sarver ‘Beginning the Process’ of Selling Suns and Mercury appeared first on SLAM.

Sarver was caught using several offensive languages around his respected organizations. With reports coming out stating he used the ‘N-Word’ frequently, as well as misogynistic comments, Draymond Green opened up about how this makes a representation of the NBA.

“That’s bulls–t. You can’t continue to represent way more people than yourself with those views,” said Green. “With speaking to people the way he did, with treating African Americans and women the way he has. That’s not OK.”

The NBA has been able to address racial justice matters pretty seriously; however, this recent polemic on behalf of Sarver has the basketball community believing he should be removed from his position and banned for life.

The support of the Black Lives Matter movement since 2020, and the termination of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling back in 2015 make this case look rather simple for League commissioner Adam Silver. However, he ponders the idea that removing the rights to Sarver’s ownership of the teams is too much to get behind. Essentially, Silver believes the $10 million fine and one-year suspension will serve as a lesson for the inappropriate acts caused by Sarver.

“What it would take to remove that team from his control is a very involved process,” said Silver. “and it’s different than holding a job. It just is. When you actually own a team, it’s just a very different proposition.”

Green called on League governors to vote on Sarver’s position. A vote is required from at least three-quarters of the board to remove him, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Draymond Green continues to shed light on matters that need to be discussed around the League, and his input will certainly re-adjust the decision of Adam Silver.

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The Warriors decided to go all in on maximizing their championship window by keeping their “foundational six” around and choosing to develop Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman by throwing them in the fire after deciding to let Porter Jr., Payton, and Juan Toscano-Anderson walk away to the Raptor, Trail Blazers, and Lakers respectively.

Column on my pre-camp conversation with Warriors president Bob Myers…https://t.co/A4eNHKKBeD

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) September 16, 2022

The Warriors have yet to come to terms with a deal with Green, Poole, and Wiggins this summer. Wiggins can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, Poole can become a restricted free agent next July if he doesn’t sign a rookie extension by Oct. 17 per rookie extension rules, and Green can become a free agent if he decides to opt out of the current deal he’s currently on.

When Bob Myers was asked about keeping Wiggins and Poole, Myers included Green in his question, making it clear that he wanted to keep “all three as long as we can have them.”

“I think with both those guys and Draymond, the goal, we want all three as long as we can have them,” Myers said, per The Athletic. “We’ve had conversations with all three players, their representatives. I’m not going to get into the likelihood or not of any of them getting done. But we know how important they are — I don’t know that we win a championship last year if you take any of them away. Draymond, his pedigree here, he’ll go down as one of the best Warriors ever to put on a uniform.

“So we know the value of all those guys. Too early for me to say what will happen or won’t happen. But the goal is to keep those guys, all three of them, as long as we can. But again, there’s financial components.”

Being able to sign Green, Poole, and Wiggins will be a costly endeavor for the Warriors. Golden State currently has a $380 million payroll; unless the Warriors make cuts, Poole’s extension will take them over $400 million during the 2023-24 season. A scenario that Warriors owner Joe Lacob doesn’t see as “remotely possible.”

If there are any cuts to make, fans would think that Draymond Green fits that role as someone who doesn’t produce monster numbers. However, Stephen Curry wants to play the remainder of his career with Green, who is a part of that “foundational six,” he’s consistently healthy and has embodied the Warriors’ non-positional greatness and defensive prowess since 2015.

According to Myers, the Warriors see Green as “not a guy we look at and say he’s not going to be around,” but he did leave the door open about Golden State possibly having to make a difficult decision in not re-signing Green whether or not he opts-out of his player option.

“No, no, I would definitely, unequivocally say (he’s) not a guy we look at and say he’s not going to be around,” Myers said. “Now, at some point, decisions are going to have to be made. But as far as his importance to this organization and what he’s done, we’re going to do everything we can to keep him in the fold.

“We don’t make these decisions definitively, ‘This guy’s going to be here, this guy’s not.’ We don’t do that. Because right now, we’re not making those decisions today. So everything’s on the table. And you really have to, in my position, do your best, and you owe it to the fans and the organization, to players that have helped in the way that all of those players have.

“Draymond, certainly it’s obvious to anybody what he’s done for us. I could never sit here and say, ‘Well, he’s not going to be around.’ I can’t even get the words out of my mouth.”

The Warriors will celebrate their 2022 title on Oct. 18 when they host the Lakers for ring night.

The post Bob Myers: ‘We Want’ Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole ‘As Long We Can Keep Them’ appeared first on SLAM.

Though many believe the acquisition of the former MVP has yielded disastrous results, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green thinks it’s just a matter of time until Westbrook returns to form and contributes to an 18th banner.

“Who wouldn’t ask for Russell Westbrook?” Green said, per the Checc’n In Podcast, after being asked whether he believes LeBron James asked for Westbrook to be traded to the Lakers. “You’d be out of your mind not to ask for Russell Westbrook.”

Westbrook, who is due $47 million this season, has been involved in many trade talks just one year after being sent from the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft from the Lakers. The deal hasn’t worked out thus far, but Green believes the reason for that is because of how on-the-ball dominant each of the three superstars is.

“I 100 percent think the fit is terrible,” said Green. “I don’t think you could talk to Russell Westbrook right now, and Russell Westbrook wouldn’t think the fit is terrible — just, because the fit is terrible, don’t mean you don’t go for it. Because guess what, if you go for it and it works, then you got a championship.”

The star power of the Lakers is undoubtedly one of the best in the League, but the Lakers finished 33-49, 11th in the Western Conference. Many Lakers fans worry Westbrook’s turnover issues and inability to hit shots at the rim will hold back the Lakeshow.

Health issues were also a more significant issue last season. James and Davis missed a significant amount of time sitting on the sidelines last season, missing a combined 68 games without one of them appearing on the court.

Meanwhile, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists last season, per ESPN. Coach Darvin Ham has confirmed that he thinks Westbrook “has a ton left in the tank” and that he has a “wholehearted plan” to utilize Westbrook to the best of his abilities. Davis, James, and Westbrook also chopped it over the phone to reconfirm their commitment to each other as well

Green may be a rival, but he certainly notices the potential this squad has. With former MVPs and defensive player of the year caliber players, the Lakers are expected to make a playoff run this upcoming season, but if all fails again this season, the NBA world will likely call for the Lakeshow to move on from Westbrook and trade him elsewhere.

The post Draymond Green Defends Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook: ‘Who Wouldn’t Ask?’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Miami Heat come off a 53-29 record that earned them first place in a loaded Eastern Conference. Their championship dynamic seemed to have shined all post-season long as they knocked off the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Vincent scored 17 points to go along with three blocks, helping Miami rally to a 118-107 victory over the Boston Celtics. Vincent’s production took a slight decline for the next few games as Miami ended up finding themselves down 3-2 in the series.

The back-and-forth bout left for a critical Game 6 in Boston’s roaring TD Garden. Players and fans around the league had already written off the Heat before the pivotal game, as Draymond Green boldly said that the Warriors were prepared to face Boston in the NBA Finals.

The confident statement from Green sparked Jimmy Butler to go off for 47 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists to force a series-deciding Game 7.

The Heat had fought through Game 7, even when trailing by 15 with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It came down to a transition three attempt from the top of the break by Butler that, had he made it, would’ve punched Miami’s ticket back to the NBA Finals. However, the ball went off the rim and landed in the hands of Boston, allowing them to ice the game and have a date with the Warriors.

That miss started the off-season of the Heat, and there were many rumors about everyone not named Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo. PJ Tucker joined the 76ers while Max Strus, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry were linked to trade talks for big-name superstars around the League like Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving or now-Cleveland Cavalier Donovan Mitchell.

The summer of rumors had worn off, and the Miami Heat kept most of their pieces together. Miami will be on the short list of Eastern Conference Finals threats that can make it out of the conference and into the Finals.

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The four-time NBA champ won three Big 10 titles with Michigan State and led the Spartans to two Final Four trips. Green’s efforts for the program were recently recognized after MSU notified him would be inducting him into the Athletics Hall of Fame. Upon finding out the news, the former Spartan was in complete shock.

“Absolutely insane,” said Green on his podcast “The Draymond Green Show. “Hall of Fame? That’s forever. We won’t be here forever. We’ll leave, we’ll leave this world. But that’s a forever thing as long as this world is here — As a kid that went to Michigan State, everybody told me I was dumb for going there. That I would never play there, well, I’m going to the Hall of Fame.”

It’s official

Draymond Green is the newest addition to the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/71pY5FoXwO

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) September 9, 2022

Green, along with the other members of the Michigan State Hall of Fame Class of 2022, was acknowledged at halftime for their legendary contributions during halftime of the Spartans’ 52-0 win over Akron.

Moments of work, for a lifetime of memories @united || Champions Tour pic.twitter.com/uVM9zL9xa4

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) September 10, 2022

Green was inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend. The Warriors start their title defense against the Lakers on Oct. 18.

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On Sunday, Rolling Stone revealed that the reports of a potential Warriors-KD reunion were being seriously discussed within Golden State, according to reigning Finals MVP and four-time champ Stephen Curry. Curry told Rolling Stone that he and the Warriors’ front office had a “conversation” about his thoughts on acquiring Durant.

“There was a conversation internally amongst us about ‘If he was available, would you?'” Curry said three days after Durant made his trade request. “Every team has those conversations, and obviously, in our situation, they’re gonna call me and ask me, ”How do you feel about it?”

However, Durant and the Nets made up last month despite Durant reiterating his trade request and giving team owner Joe Tsai the ultimatum of choosing him or Coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks. Curry sees the narrative around his future Hall-of-Famer teammate and says that Durant is “misunderstood” and that he would have welcomed Durant into Golden State with open arms.

When Curry sat down with Rolling Stone on Aug. 9, he told the magazine that he was “never hesitant” about playing with KD again and that he had “so much fun playing with him those three years.”

“I was never hesitant. The idea of playing with KD and knowing who he is as a person, from our history in those three years, I think KD’s a really good dude. I think he is misunderstood. I think he has had certain things happen in his life that hurt his ability to trust people around him, in a sense of making him feel safe at all times. So all of those things, I understand, having played with him and gotten to know him. I love that dude.”

Curry also gave the Warriors a resounding yes to acquiring Durant but understood it would take a lot of finesse to trade for KD.

“And if you said, ”Oh, KD’s’ coming back, and we’re gonna play with him,” I had so much fun playing with him those three years, I’d’ be like, ”Hell, yeah!” Then you have to think: What does that actually mean? What does it look like? You tell me I’m’ playing with [current Warriors teammates Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green], I’m’ like, ”Hell, yeah!” There’s all types of emotion and things that happen to the league. And if anybody’s saying that you wouldn’t entertain that conversation—no disrespect to anybody on our team—but you don’t know how things work. But you also understand, like, if we run this thing back, I’ve’ got complete confidence in my team that we can win it again, as constructed.

“So, all those things were true. And it started with me wanting to play with KD at the beginning. Yeah, it’s about winning, it’s about having fun, playing the game of basketball. And that was part of the reaction of, like, ‘Yeah; it’d be amazing.”’

Curry also talked with his younger brother Seth, Durant’s teammate in Brooklyn, about a potential Durant deal that could put both the Currys on the same roster for the first time in their careers. When the prospect of Durant going to Phoenix or Boston came up, Curry suggested that it would be unrealistic for Durant to think any team he went to outside of Brooklyn could retain a championship roster around him.

He specifically stated that it would be a mind-blowing transaction if Boston did indeed swap Jaylen Brown for Durant. Curry does believe that Durant made the right move in staying in Brooklyn.

The Warriors begin their title defense on Oct. 14 against the Lakers after being presented with their championship rings.

The post Stephen Curry Reveals Warriors ‘Internally’ Discussed Trade for Kevin Durant appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:

– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Shams Charania of The Athletic leaked the opening day and Christmas Day contests over the weekend. Some other key dates include the All-Star weekend that’ll be contested from February 17-19. The regular season will end on April 9, the Play-In tournament will take place from April 11-14, and the playoffs will start a day later on April 15.

The most noteworthy game will most likely be between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies on their way to winning their fourth championship since 2015. The two Western Conference foes have formed a fierce rivalry over the last two years after a pair of intense and physical playoff games and their recent second-round playoff series.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 2022-23 season will see the Warriors attempt to defend an NBA title for the first time in eight years. With their foundational core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green returning and their future stars like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole all returning, the Dubs will be loaded.

The Boston Celtics will look to run it back and return to the NBA Finals after losing to the Warriors in six games. There will be some exciting storylines coming out of Beantown as Boston looks to integrate Malcolm Brogdon into the lineup. It’ll also be interesting if the front office continues to pursue a Kevin Durant trade. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will also return as perhaps the top wing-duo in the League.

Don’t count out the Bucks, Heat, and 76ers either. The Heat are always a threat, the Bucks lost after suffering injuries at the most inopportune time, and the 76ers will have an entire season of James Harden x Joel Embiid to work with.

Another question that needs answers will be can the Phoenix Suns continue their dominant stretch and improve upon their 64-18 record from last year. Getting better after being the top seed in the playoffs is difficult, but Phoenix brings back their entire team and is still headlined by Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

It’ll be fun to see how Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz will fare after Jalen Brunson and Rudy Gobert left for New York and Utah, respectively. The Minnesota Timberwolves are throwing it back to yesteryear with a twin tower lineup featuring Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Not to mention how much better the Grizzlies will be after earning the second-best record in the NBA last season.

Last but not least, how will the LA teams play? The Lakers are coming off a tumultuous season but added a new head coach in Darvin Ham, who’s been trusted to improve a roster that still boasts LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. The Clippers are perhaps a more significant title threat with the return of Kawhi Leonard and the addition of former All-Star point guard John Wall to the lineup.

Below are the team schedules for each team by division and conference. The Eastern Conference is first followed by the West.

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

The post NBA Releases 2022-23 Regular-Season Schedule appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:

– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Per Charania, the upcoming season will begin on October 18, with the four inter-conference foes facing off against one another. The Celtics and 76ers will kick off the action on TNT, while the Warriors will host the Lakers on the same night they conduct their ring ceremony.

The Warriors and Lakers are facing off for the second year in a row after opening up the season against each other last season. The Warriors won three Out of the four times the Western Conference titans faced off last year. The Sixers and Celtics split their season series. The Heat eliminated the 76ers team finishing the season with an identical 51-31 record. The C’s advanced to the Finals but fell to the Warriors in six games.

The Warriors and Celtics will have their Finals rematch on December 10.

Golden State-Boston NBA Finals rematch dates for the 2022-23 season, per sources:

Dec. 10 in Golden State
Jan. 19 in Boston

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

The Christmas Day matchups will be highlighted by a second-round playoff rematch between the Grizzles and Warriors and a playoff rematch between the Bucks and Celtics. The Grizzlies and Warriors have been jaw-jacking since the Warriors won the Finals, and Draymond Green and Ja Morant made it clear on Twitter that they wanted this matchup on Christmas.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 22-23 season should be fun with the healthy return of stars like Kawhi Leonard, the heightened expectations for the Lakers, and the title defense of the Warriors. Not to mention how the Bucks and Celtics will respond after tough losses in the playoffs.

The post REPORT: Opening Night Schedule for 2022-23 Season Leaked appeared first on SLAM.

One question that Green was asked was what player he thought reminded him the most of himself. The four-time champ gave a unique and unexpected answer, revealing that he thought the reigning Most Improved Player of the Year award winner Ja Morant resembled him the most. Not necessarily because of how Morant plays, but Morant’s approach towards the game and how he leads his teammates.

“I’m going to have to go with, in a much different way, Ja Morant,” he said. “I ain’t bowing down to none of y’all. I don’t care what you’ve accomplished before I got here. That has absolutely nothing to do with me. I believe in myself and my abilities. I’m going to show you that. I’m going to lead. I’m going to talk to you and let you know about it while I’m doing it. I’m gonna carry others with me, and most importantly, I’m gone do it my way. And all of those things that I just named, I see Ja Morant do.”

Which younger player reminds @Money23Green most of himself?

We were not expecting this answer… pic.twitter.com/0EvEWlIUhx

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 11, 2022

When Green elaborated more about his stance, he admitted that he’s “nowhere near the same player” that the electric Morant is. Morant has already developed a reputation for his downhill attack-the-rim style and “he got that dog in him” mentality. Last playoffs, Green and the Warriors witnessed it first hand when they played the Grizzlies in the second-round of the conference playoffs.

The Grizzlies ultimately lost the series in six games; the tide turned when Morant suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the final three games of the playoffs. The rivalry between the two franchises has gotten more intense and physical as each game went on. This summer, Green and Morant had a back and forth Twitter exchange where Morant challenged he Warriors to a Christmas day game.

The post Draymond Green Believes Ja Morant Reminds Him Most of Himself appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins has since brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Canada as he hosted youth camps in Vaughan and Mississauga. The 2022 All-Star returning to his hometown allowed him to prove to the kids attending his camp that when you believe in yourself and shut out the outside news, you can reap a lot of awards.

“I feel great,” Wiggins said per the Toronto Star. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people had counted me out, but to be back and … winning a championship? All the sacrifices, all the ups, and downs, all the stuff was worth it. It makes the story that much better.”

HOW'S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

It was a challenging and humbling lesson Wiggins learned as he went from being a volume scorer in Minnesota known for putting up empty calorie stats on losing teams. When he arrived in Golden State, Wiggins was able to thrive as the third star on a group headlined by Stephen Curry and Klay Thomspon.

Under the watchful eye of GM Bob Myers, Coach Steve Kerr, Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green, Maple Jordan embraced being a two-way wing that could be relied on to get a bucket late in the shot clock while guarding the toughest perimeter threat.

“When I step on the court, I’ve always been confident in what I can do,” he said. “When I was in Minnesota, I put up numbers. But people said, ‘He put up numbers on a bad team.’ So, I go to Golden State, and I’m not scoring as much, but I’m doing a lot at a more efficient rate, so the whole world gets to see.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

He played a pivotal role in guarding offensive threats like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Jayson Tatum. He took on each assignment and won more than his fair share of battles, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

“It’s been a different type of summer, but the best summer of my life,” he said. “It’s been amazing coming down here and feeling all this love and positivity. It’s been great. Just being able to bring the trophy back home to where it all started for me —— where all my friends and family are, that helped me get to the place where I’m at now.”

Wiggins hopes to come into the 2022-23 season with a freshly minted extension after carrying a significant two-way load last season. The Warriors will likely have to lean on Wiggins as they implement Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman into the lineup after they let several veterans walk away in free agency.

The post Andrew Wiggins Feeling ‘Great’ During ‘Best Summer’ of His Life appeared first on SLAM.

The eighth-year head coach identified Kevon Looney, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green as the Warriors’ “foundational six,” with the latter three serving as the team’s established core.

Kerr believes Golden State’s core is among the best in the League, especially after adding the younger trio of Looney, Wiggins, and Poole to the mix.

“We have probably more continuity than anybody in the League with our core group,” Kerr said. “Add Wiggs and Jordan and the institutional knowledge they’ve gained, and we have a really strong foundation. That’s the most important thing you can have in this League.

“We had it going into last year. But the difference was, a year ago, we didn’t know if we were really contenders. That’s why the 18-2 start was so big. It reinforced it. This year, being defending champs, it doesn’t guarantee anything, but you have a confident sense in who you are. We have our main six guys back, the foundational six that we know are going to be on the court for big minutes every night. That allows us to bring our young guys along.”

The Dubs’ roster also features future stars such as Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman, all of whom Kerr claims “have shown really good signs.” Moody and Kuminga saw action in the playoffs during the Warriors’ Finals run last season (and also impressed in the most recent NBA Summer League), while Wiseman was sidelined due to injury.

The Warriors will have a lot to prove as they focus on their win-and-develop mindset. Their future success will be predicated on their young core of Moody, Kuminga, Wiseman, Poole, and Wiggins being able to successfully takeover once Golden State’s “foundational six” leave the Warriors.

Next season will be a different journey after the Warriors’ lottery-bound seasons but coming off a championship brings a different level of confidence. Furthermore, being able to get substantial contributions from Moody, Kuminga, and Wiseman on top of his “foundational six” next season, the future could hold another championship for Golden State.

“I don’t know that it’s a bigger challenge because last year felt like a huge challenge going in,” Kerr said. “Last year felt more daunting because we’d had two lousy seasons in a row. This year feels different because we’re the defending champs. It feels like we’ve got our groove back. We’ll have Klay back for a full season. Our foundation in place. While we’re absolutely going to play a lot of young guys, we kind of have a core six, a foundational six players who are really the ones that make everything happen and will allow us to bring the young guys along.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Steve Kerr on the ‘Strong Foundation’ the Warriors Have Built appeared first on SLAM.

Green is on an expiring $8.2M contract.

Vet minimum (8 years of service) is $2.63M.

Golden St. would incur a $1.83M cap hit (2 years of service).

3 roster spots still open for the Warriors. https://t.co/WZUJmLMlZe

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 19, 2022

Green reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to help provide another stretch forward coming off the bench after the Dubs let Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica walk in free agency this summer. Green is a career 36.6 percent shooter from long distance but is coming off a disastrous campaign as a shooter after shooting the long ball at a 26.2 percent clip last year in Denver.

Green will also be relied upon for his physical defense in the paint. When beat reporters asked him about what he expects his role to be, the Alabama product said he aims to replicate the same effort and energy Draymond Green puts out on the floor.

“Be a dog, Do the dirty work. Help Draymond out with the dirty work.” Green said.

Green says he sees his main role with the Warriors will be to “be a dog, do the dirty work. Help Draymond out with the dirty work.”

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) August 1, 2022

As far as his struggles from deep go, Green said that he plans on addressing and fixing them this summer.

“It’s all about rest and confidence. As long as I get my reps this summer, I’ll be good to go. I was just fighting through some things last year.”

Green attributes some of his poor shooting last season to a wrist injury.

“It’s all about rest and confidence. As long as I get my reps this summer, I’ll be good to go. I was just fighting through some things last year.”

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) August 1, 2022

Green averaged 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds on 47.4 percent shooting from the field and 34.8 percent from long distance during his tenure in Denver.

The post JaMychal Green Set to ‘Be a Dog’ With Warriors and Will Embrace ‘the Dirty Work’ appeared first on SLAM.

After his first pitch, Curry was subsequently interviewed and asked about living in the Bay Area and wanting to stay with the Golden State Warriors for the entirety of his career.

“That was a really natural process actually for me,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area, “Cause like you said, I just finished my 13th year, and to be able to say I’ve played for one team my entire career, and also to say between the 10 years in Oakland and these last three years in San Francisco, I can honestly say how special this place is — Honestly, I don’t want to leave ever. I want this to be my one and only home, and even thinking about what happens after basketball is done.”

“I don’t want to leave ever. I want this to be my one and only home” – Steph on the Bay Area pic.twitter.com/aWHLidy8b1

— NBC Sports Bay Area & CA (@NBCSAuthentic) July 27, 2022

Curry signed a four-year max extension last summer and won’t hit the free agent market until 2026, when he’s 38-years-old. The happiness that will come with playing Golden State comes with one caveat; he wants to play out the final years of his career with the championship teammates that he’s gone to battle with for the last decade.

Curry reportedly wants Golden State’s front office to pay Draymond Green and Klay Thompson so they can play together, at least through the end of his current contract. The only problem is the luxury tax the Warriors will have to pay to keep Green, Thompson, Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole on the team for the next three seasons. Green reportedly wants a max contract that, per multiple reports, could be in the four-year range.

The one thing that could keep the band together would be a player deciding to take a paycut. The Warriors are also in a win-and-develop mode right now as they focus on making the most out of Curry, Thompson, and Green’s remaining prime years while making sure that their young core of Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman get a chance to play and be thrown the fire of playing on a championship contender team.

The post Stephen Curry Wants Golden State ‘to Be His One and Only Home’ appeared first on SLAM.

To mitigate concerns with paying the League’s luxury tax, the Warriors decided to fully invest in their win-and-develop now mentality by letting their bench mob walk in free agency and relying on their young core to compliment their championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green. Green, in particular, is reportedly set to request a max extension from Joe Lacob and Bob Meyers, per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic.

Steph Curry would not be happy if the Warriors lost Draymond Green because the team didn’t want to pay him, sources tell @ThompsonScribe and @anthonyVslater.

Curry has a desire for Green and Klay Thompson to be with him for the length of his stay. https://t.co/watYncUTw5 pic.twitter.com/0UNi0mzImq

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) July 27, 2022

Green has played a major role as the emotional leader and defensive anchor of Golden State’s championship teams. He’s also been a lightning rod for criticism from fans and national media for his trash-talking and physical play style. Be that as it may, Green has become the ultimate team player after winning four rings, winning the DPOY award in 2016, earning seven All-Defensive and two All-NBA team selections.

The former Michigan State Spartan is so integral to Golden State’s success that Curry would reportedly “not be happy” if the Dubs decide not to pay Green or Thompson, who is also eligible for an extension and can hit free agency in 2024.

Signing Green and Thompson to three-year deals would align their contracts with Curry, who is under contract until the summer of 2026. The critical factor will be who is most willing to take a pay cut to keep the band together and keep the Warriors championship window open for a few more seasons.

The post REPORT: Draymond Green Wants Max Extension Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Amid that celebration, an overjoyed and overwhelmed Stephen Curry begged an interesting question. “What are they gonna say now?” he exclaimed. “What are they gonna say now?”

Really, what are they gonna say now?

Curry repeated the question many times over the next few hours. The answer, one would hope, is nothing. There is nothing that Stephen Curry doubters and haters and skeptics can say now. His legacy is solidified. Period.

SLAM 239 featuring Stephen Curry is out now.

If we’re being honest, it was solidified long before he led the 2021-22 Warriors back to the mountaintop, just two seasons after they finished with the worst record in the NBA. Long before his legendary Game 4 Finals performance, when he put up 43 points and 10 rebounds on the road. Long before he averaged 31.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for the entire series, facing a historically good Celtics’ defense. Long before he claimed ring number four and his first Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy.

But this was the icing on the cake, the cherry on the sundae, the exclamation point. As Curry himself said, given everything that the organization has endured over the past couple years—the losing, the injuries, the roster changes, the constant criticism—this championship “hits different.”

Here’s the résumé now, just so we’re all on the same page: 8x All-Star, 8x All-NBA, 2x MVP, 2x scoring champ, 4x champion, a Finals MVP and all-time leader in three-pointers made. Because of his unique game and nearly unprecedented impact, trying to sum up Curry’s legacy is extremely difficult. Coaches and teammates did their best following Golden State’s title-clinching Game 6 victory.

Draymond Green: “When you look at a guy like Stephen Curry—to have the season that he’s had, to have the career that he’s had, it’s absolutely amazing. And to stamp that with a Finals MVP, I know he said it doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t matter in the sense of, like, Oh, his legacy is not quite this unless he gets that. That’s garbage. He’s still Steph Curry. He’s still an all-time great. But to add that to your résumé as a competitor, you want that. And for him, it’s well deserved. It’s been a long time in the making. He left no doubt. And he carried us.”

Get your copy of SLAM 239!

Klay Thompson: “I’m so happy for him to get that Finals MVP. Some freakin’ bozos were saying he needed it. I think he’s pretty much established what he can do. But to see him earn that, I mean, he’s one of the greatest ever.”

Andre Iguodala: “I think he solidified himself today—not even today, just in his career—as the best point guard of all time.”

Kevon Looney: “He’s changed the game. I think everybody knows that. We call him the greatest shooter for a reason. Since I’ve been here, he’s done something amazing every year. I got to see him win a unanimous MVP. I got to see him break the three-point record. I got to see him win three championships and win back-to-back MVPs. He has a long list, a great résumé. He’s considered one of the best ever for a reason.”

Steve Kerr: “I’m obviously thrilled for everyone in that room, and a lot of people had a big hand in this, but I think the thing with Steph is, without him, none of this happens. And that’s not taking anything away from Joe and Peter’s ownership, because they’re amazing owners. They’ve built an incredible organization. Bob Myers, hell of a GM. And our players, we’ve had so many great players. But Steph is ultimately why this run has happened. Much like Timmy [Duncan] in San Antonio. I’m happy for everybody, but I’m thrilled for Steph. To me, this is his crowning achievement in what’s already been an incredible career.” 

Those quotes tell much of the story. So does the résumé. So does the way that the game has changed. So does the fact that the Warriors, under Curry’s reign, have become a true NBA dynasty, hanging four banners and going to six Finals in eight years.

Stephen Curry is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. 

Really, there is nothing more to say. 

239 is also available in these exclusive gold and black metal editions. Shop here.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Stephen Curry’s Legacy as One of the Greatest of All-Time Has Been Solidified appeared first on SLAM.

Jonathan Kuminga first learned the game by watching Kobe highlights at an internet cafe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Now at 19 years old, he’s an NBA champion. pic.twitter.com/FD8bjjSFRl

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 26, 2022

Everything you see from Kuminga, his work ethic, and his potential as a two-way lockdown star for the Warriors came from the adversity of his journey to the League. It came from Kuminga growing up watching Kobe Bryant highlights in an internet cafe in the Congo.

“It was crazy cause there’s a lot of things that you have over here that you don’t get over there. Going to the Internet cafe at an early young age, just watching Kobe, and that’s when I fell in love with basketball.” Kuminga said.

Kuminga went on say that people his age or younger that come to the States should use the presented opportunity to come here and take advantage of it.

Kuminga parlayed his high school success into becoming a part of the inaugural G League Ignite team. Kuminga went on to cement his potential as a lottery pick-level player, averaging 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. After his season of development with the G League Ignite, the Golden State Warriors were impressed with Kuminga enough to draft him seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

“Just me going to the G League; it was just basically like me leaving home and coming here. I think I was going to be drafted just a year after that, and it be way higher. That’s what made me go to the G League and just get ready to be professional and way ahead of everybody. The night I got drafted, my parents came over, and then I heard my name get called just to sit at the same table; I don’t think that happened since I left home. That was just a joyful time to enjoy it with my parents and my family.”

Next season, Kuminga will have a prime opportunity to become a vital piece of the Warriors’ rotation as they attempt to defend their 2022 title. The Warriors let vital members of their bench mob walk in free agency in order to focus on their develop and win now philosophy, while Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green remain on the roster.

The post How Jonathan Kuminga Learned the Game by Watching Kobe Bryant’s Highlights in Cafe in the Congo appeared first on SLAM.

“Paolo Banchero, I think, is one of them ones. And the reason I think Paolo is one of them guys is because of the things that he did on the basketball court that were not scoring. … Yes, he did all the things with the basketball. Yes, he made the plays, but the plays that he made that did not involve him having the basketball is why I think Paolo is going to be one of them guys.”

Paolo continued to impress during his few Summer League matchups. The SLAM 235 cover star was pretty solid in first game and dropped 17 points, along with six dimes, and four boards.

Very solid opening night for Paolo.

17 pts, 6 reb, 4 last. (via @OrlandoMagic) pic.twitter.com/QQlxw6iHLH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) July 8, 2022

He then followed that up with a 23-point masterpiece, while scoring the game-winning assist before Coach Jamahl Mosley made the executive decision to shut P5 down for the remainder of Summer League.

rook was hooping @Pp_doesit

23 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST pic.twitter.com/nlklro39t5

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) July 9, 2022

The two games he played were enough for the Magic to know what type of player they were getting.

“I hope that organization is ready for that player because that player is a winner, that player, he cares. I mean, he was out there playing in Summer League games like he was playing in the NBA Finals, with that type of intensity,” Green continued. “That is a winner right before your eyes, and I hope that that organization is ready for that player.”

Paolo Banchero is set to make his regular season debut in October.

The post Draymond Green: Paolo Banchero is a ‘Winner Right Before Your Eyes’ appeared first on SLAM.

Since the turn of 2010s, future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James was able to leverage his status as the best player in the NBA and the threat of him leaving to make sure the Cavs and Lakers front office did all they could to build a title threat around him. From there, superstars like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Anthony Davis were able to negotiate trades or sign with other teams so they could win a ring or be in a better position to do so from behind the scenes.

Well into the 2020s, Durant has used his status as another surefire HOFer to demand a trade out of Brooklyn just three seasons after first signing with the team in 2019.

The reasoning behind the trade demand comes after the Nets have failed to win a title with a core of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Harden himself demanded a trade out of Brooklyn due to the uncertainty around Irving’s vaccination status and wanting to reunite with 76ers president Daryl Morey. Irving’s complex extension negotiations also played a part in Durant wanting out of playing with the Nets.

Durant reportedly wanted to play with the Suns or Heat, two teams with title aspirations that have fostered great team cultures within their locker room. Irving’s preferred destinations were the Clippers, Lakers, Heat, and Dallas, amongst others.

The concerns about the rise of trade demand may be overstated, but it’s nothing new for the most prominent names. Even guys who played for one franchise their whole career (i.e., Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan) threatened to leave via free agency or trade. Guys like Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal could be the next iteration of one-team players.

For the middle class of players like Draymond Green, he applauded players for treating themselves like “businesses” during a recent episode of his podcast. His voice has been joined by Alex Caruso, who is happy to see that “players are finally treating this like the teams and organizations have for so many years.”

“(The players) finally are realizing the business side of this,” Caruso said. “Like, ‘oh okay, I have leverage, I am an asset; let me make this work to the best of my ability because if the organization or the team has a chance to upgrade, they’re going to upgrade.'”

On tomorrow's episode of the show, @jj_redick and @ACFresh21 discuss the recent trends of trade requests by big time players like Kevin Durant with several years left on his contract with the Nets.

Watch the full conversation: https://t.co/Xd3GSeqJrM pic.twitter.com/ydZYxDXJIn

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 15, 2022

Caruso saying that probably stems from the fact that fans expect players to be loyal to teams but not necessarily the other way around. Think of the recent example of what happened between the Celtics and Isiah Thomas after IT4 suffered a career-altering hip surgery on top of losing his sister to a car accident while leading the C’s to a conference finals appearance.

Or the divorce between DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors. On the other end, though, teams have made sure to do what’s best for players after a long tenure with their first teams. Think Kevin Garnett to the Celtics, or what happened just a few weeks ago when the Spurs traded All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Hawks so that he could play on a playoff team instead of wilt away on the lottery-bound Spurs.

Like I said earlier, ‘you’re a victim of circumstance.'” Caruso added. “If you’re in the League and you have this type of wealth and income, it’s a different type of thing than if you’re sitting at home reading about this guy tryna get from $40 mil to $50 mil.

“I understand that that’s a real thing, but you have to sit back and look at it and just think, there’s so many years, you’ve heard horror stories of guys finding out on Twitter or finding out on TV that they got traded. I think it’s finally just to the point where players are just like, ‘well alright, well I’m gonna do the same thing.'”

The tensions between who has power between players and team owners will always be present. When you go through a decade of unprecedented growth that coincides with player empowerment, the players union and its constituents will be less likely to wanna give that up.

The CBA between the owners and players can be negotiated as soon as December. Negotiations will likely get contentious as players and team owners will battle about the player empowerment era, particularly around the issue of players demanding trades with multiple years left on their contract, skipping games, and a plethora of other labor issues.

The post Alex Caruso Speaks on Prominent Players Requesting Trade Despite Big Contracts appeared first on SLAM.

Keegan Murray in Summer League (6 games):

21.8 PPG
7.2 RPG
49/40/84%

He has as many 20-point games as Paolo, Chet, Jabari, Ivey and Mathurin combined (5). pic.twitter.com/9DC7BnCk2H

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 14, 2022

Murray’s performance at the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League has impressed incoming head coach Mike Brown. Brown was hired after playing a prominent role in the Warriors, winning three titles from 2017-2022.

“I’m just getting to know Keegan,” Brown said per Fox40, who was asked if Murray’s approach to the game and personality was similar to Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, “All those thing are correct, his temperament, he’s about as even-keeled as I’ve seen from any young person. His work ethic, so far, is off the charts. His development from his first year at Iowa to this year has been amazing; he went on a huge growth spurt. There’s a lot of positives about him — it’s gonna be interesting to see which way he goes in this business.”

“I will say one thing about him. I know at maybe 35, 36, when I got my first head job in Cleveland, I wasn’t as composed as he is right now — I compare myself at 35 to Keegan at 21; he’s light years ahead of where I was then. He’s gonna be fine in that area, and obviously, he’s showing a lot of promise as a young player, and I’m excited about being around him, and I hope all of Sacramento is too. “

Sitting down with Kings head coach Mike Brown, who chats about Sacramento’s offseason thus far, style of play, gushes about Keegan Murray (clip below), reflects upon his coaching history, strong first impression of De’Aaron Fox & more.

FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/wUHcChQQ9N pic.twitter.com/jplgv9JId2

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 15, 2022

Brown also complimented how efficient Murray’s shooting stroke has been and was impressed at how Murray didn’t “chase points, did he chase the ball” when he struggled during the second game of the California Classic. Being able to be impactful beyond just getting a bucket proves how patient and understanding of his role Murray is even as a rookie. He also lauded Murray’s defensive acumen against Paolo Banchero and Bennedict Mathurin.

As an assistant coach on Coach Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, Brown collaborated with Kerr and Draymond Green to implement a Warriors defensive scheme that has helped to make the Warriors the defensive standard of the NBA as a switch-heavy defense.

Brown has also served as the head coach of the Cavaliers in two separate tenures (2005-2010, 2013-2014) and led the Lakers (2011-2012) as well. Brown was an assistant coach on Wizards, Spurs, and Pacers before taking the Cavs job in 2005.

The post Mike Brown Impressed by Keegan Murray’s Play at Summer League appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After four seasons, Morant has emerged as a certified superstar after winning Most Improved Player of the year, earning his first All-Star bid, and being named to the All-NBA Second Team. Morant also averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while leading Memphis to a 56-26 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. Morant led the Grizzlies to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs before Memphis fell to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games.

“Over the past three seasons, Ja has truly emerged as an NBA superstar and must-see TV,” Jim Tanner, Morant’s agent, told ESPN. “From Rookie of the Year to NBA All-Star starter, to All-NBA Second Team and Most Improved Player, we are incredibly proud of him for his dedication to improving his game and developing into a team leader. The Grizzlies are a perfect fit for Ja. The organization and the city have embraced him.

“The sky is the limit for Ja both on and off the court, and we look forward to helping him continue to build his legacy in the league.”

Memphis is my home

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

Morant and the Grizzlies will look to take the next step as one of the youngest and hard-nosed teams in the League. Led by Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, this Grizzlies team could be a threat for many years to come. They even have a budding rivalry brewing with the 2022 champion Warriors. Morant and Draymond Green have gone back and forth on Twitter. Klay Thompson called Jackson out for some tweets he perceived as disrespectful.

damn pic.twitter.com/nU7WexVjN8

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

The young and hungry Grizzlies vs. the grizzled veteran Warriors could be the best NBA feud since the Kings and Lakers, Lakers and Spurs, or even Cavaliers and Pistson when LeBron James was coming up in the League as a young and upcoming threat to the NBA’s hierarchy.

The post REPORT: Ja Morant Locked in With Memphis After Signing Max Extension appeared first on SLAM.

The rest of Golden State’s core, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green could be seen dapping up and hugging each other, and 2015 Finals MVP and the first critical free-agent acquisition of the dynasty Warriors era, Andre Iguodala, joined in on the festivities too.

“This one is definitely different because of the three years of baggage we carried coming out of that Game 6 in 2019,” Curry said per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I can say it now; I don’t know how many teams could carry that as long as we have with the expectations of comparing us now to teams of past and make it to the mountaintop again.”

A brotherhood forged in GOLD pic.twitter.com/O65aUCMXHT

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

For Curry, Green, and Thompson, their fourth title in eight years felt a little different. It’s mainly because Golden State’s developed quite the chip on their shoulder since their kingdom collapsed following their 2019 Finals loss to the Raptors. As he celebrated in his champagne-soaked jersey, Curry could be seen asking no one in particular, “what else are they gonna say?”

"What are they gon say now" -Stephen Curry

Celebration Time #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/Tg5Adi73tz

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

The 2022 Finals MVP and Thompson were on top of the championship dias, getting ready for an embrace, when Thompson blurted out, “All we do is shoot threes and win championships.”

Most importantly, the signature depth that led the Warriors to so much success since 2015 reemerged during this run to the 2022 title.

“This is a collective season,” Thompson said. “Strength in numbers is alive and well.”

“All we do is shoot threes and win championships… I love you brother!”@KlayThompson x @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/bAKemr80kf

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

Speaking of “Strength in Numbers,” Thompson perhaps had the biggest chip on his shoulder since he’s returned from not playing basketball for over 940 days. He took it personally when Jaren Jackson Jr. trolled the Warriors after the Grizzlies beat them in the regular season in March.

“I can’t wait; there is this one player on the Grizzlies who tweeted ‘strength in numbers’ after they beat us in the regular season, and it pissed me off so much,” Thompson angrily said. “I can’t wait to retweet that thing—frigging bum. I had to watch that, like this frigging — okay, okay. Sorry. Bad memory just popped up. Going to mock us? Like, you ain’t ever been there before, Bro. We been there. We know what it takes. Hold that. Twitter fingers, can you believe it? “I’ve got a memory like an elephant; I don’t forget.”

"I can't wait to retweet that thing. Freakin' bum."

Klay's been keeping receipts pic.twitter.com/WJReCAVukK

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 17, 2022

That the Warriors were able to turn these perceived slights into fuel for a championship run isn’t unusual. The greatest NBA dynasties, players, and teams have been able to turn it on after the proverbial bear was poked. Curry, Thompson, and the Warriors are just the latest to join the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the all-time champs of petty.

The basketball gods have certainly given the Warriors grace as their dynasty went through its ups and downs. Becoming the first team to go from the League’s worst record in 2020 to a championship in a three-year span speaks a lot to their resilience and championship DNA.

“You get goosebumps just thinking about, you know, all those snapshots and episodes that we went through to get back here, individually, collectively,” Curry said. “And that’s why I said I think this championship hits different. That’s why I have so many emotions, and still will, just because of what it took to get back here.”

After a grueling season, the Warriors can kick their feet up and appreciate what it means to be champs again. It’ll be a few months before the Warriors will likely have to find another collection of slights to help inspire them to another championship run.

The post Fourth Title in Eight Years Feels ‘Different’ For Golden State’s Championship Core appeared first on SLAM.

But Draymond Green apparently doesn’t see the 2022 Finals against Boston as fierce as previous challenges, such as defeating LeBron James in the NBA Finals. Green opened about the mental hurdles it takes to defeat James per the Athletic:

“It doesn’t compare to mentally playing against LeBron James, who I think is arguably the smartest guy to ever play this game,” Green said. “Not one of; he is arguably the smartest guy to set foot on a basketball court. To say that it compares to that, it’s disrespectful to LeBron, and it’s a lie to you.”

Green, a three-time champion with the Warriors, had to defeat the four-time Finals MVP in three of his five NBA Finals appearances to secure his rings. Green’s first Finals loss came from the infamous 2016 Finals, where Golden State blew a 3-1 lead, and the second loss came against Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.

The Warriors and the James-led Lakers have also met in the 2021 play-in tournament for the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs. James ultimately led the Lakers to a win after hitting a clutch fadeaway three to secure the Lakers’ date with the Suns in the first-round of the playoffs.

Green did acknowledge that Boston is challenging in their own way, per Yahoo Sports:

“Now, in saying that, they do have a guy over there in Marcus Smart who is extremely smart, who it’s like a chess match going up against him. He is kind of the brain of that team. I think every team you kind of have that guy,” That’s the brain of that team, and they have that in Marcus Smart, a guy who I have a tremendous amount of respect for and his basketball IQ. So it’s a challenge for sure. Ime [Udoka, Celtics coach] is extremely smart. We know his pedigree.”

Green and the Warriors will look to wrap things up in Thursday’s Game Six in Beantown. If Boston wins Game 6, the series will shift to San Francisco for a win-or-go-home Game 7 in Chase Center.

The post Draymond Green Speaks On Facing LeBron James Versus Closing Boston appeared first on SLAM.

"I couldn't imagine sharing this journey with anyone else. We've built this thing from the ground up…"

Draymond Green on his relationship with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. pic.twitter.com/UKJczE3ZNs

— NBA (@NBA) June 15, 2022

Since the 2012-2013 campaign, the Warriors have only missed the playoff once in the 2019-2020 season after the departure of two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant and the absence of Thompson due to a torn ACL. The Warriors qualified for the play-in tournament, but they ultimately ran outta stamp in losses to the Lakers and Grizzlies.

This past season, Golden State (53-29) finished third in the Western Conference and ran through the Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Dallas Mavericks to make it back to the Finals for the sixth time, this time for a date with the Boston Celtics.

The time between the Warriors’ last Finals appearances has been well documented. Green, Curry, and Thompson have endured a lot, especially Thompson, who didn’t play a game for 941 days after suffering a torn Achilles during the 2020 offseason. Curry broke his hand in 2019-2020, leaving Green out there without the Splash Brothers for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Going into Game 6 of the Finals, Green expressed his gratitude for the Splash Brothers.

“I couldn’t imagine sharing this journey with anyone else. We’ve built this thing from the ground up.”

The core of the Warriors has a chance to close out the Finals on Thursday’s Game 6 and win their fourth title since 2015.

The post Draymond Green Speaks About His Relationship With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson appeared first on SLAM.

On Monday, Wiggins didn’t need to be the alpha dog to save the Warriors from a dismal performance from Curry. The 2015 Rookie of the Year finished Game 5 with 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. It was the type of performance that reminds you why Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Most importantly, it gave the Warriors a 3-2 series lead and pushed them to within one win of a title.

“We knew we needed his athleticism and defense and his versatility,” Kerr said per Sports Illustrated. “We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution. But I think it’s a reminder that for almost every player in the NBA, circumstances are everything. You kind of need to find the right place, the right teammates, that kind of stuff. Wiggs has been a great fit.”

HOW’S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

After Wiggins helped lead the Warriors to a pivotal win, his teammates gave him his flowers. Draymond Green gave Wiggins particular kudos with an enthralling story he told reporters about the 2022 All-Star. Green said the Warriors knew that they could trust Wiggins to deliver in big moments based on the belief the notoriously demanding Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau had in Wiggins.

What really punctuated the moment was the fact that the equally demanding Jimmy Butler raved about Wiggins despite his ugly and infamous departure from Minnesota in 2018.

“I mean that trust has been building for two and a half years now since he got here. A lot of people looked at the trade as it’s another piece that they can move,” Green told reporters. “And we looked at the trade from the very beginning like that is a guy who can fit next to a healthy group absolutely well. When he first came here, and I’ll never forget, it’s when Thibs wasn’t with the Knicks, and Thibs was like, ‘you guys are going to love him. He competes, he defends’ — and he was telling us Jimmy (Butler) loved him, and we all know how Jimmy Butler is, if you got any softness to you Jimmy don’t like you. That’s just how Jimmy is cut, and he’s continued to show that, he’s continued to get better, he’s taken on every challenge that we’ve thrown in front of him, and it’s huge, and we need him to do it for one more win.”

Draymond Green on the trust they have in Andrew Wiggins. Some great perspective, and even something Tom Thibodeau told the Warriors after the trade happened: pic.twitter.com/imd2iWZDB7

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) June 14, 2022

Wiggins has averaged 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on 47.4 percent shooting from the field in 20 games this postseason. Wiggins has thrived as a two-way player in Golden State’s vaunted system and will play a key role in guarding Tatum and being a security blanket late in the shot clock as a capable off-the-bounce bucket.

The Finals shifts to Boston for Thursday’s Game 6, and the Celtics will likely play with force and urgency to tie the series back and force a do-or-die Game 7 back in San Francisco.

The post Draymond Green Raves About Andrew Wiggins After Game 5 appeared first on SLAM.

Instead of allowing Curry’s slow night to deter him and his Warriors teammates, Maple Jordan showed up and showed out, finishing the Warrior’ 104-94 win over the Celtics with 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

“Attacking the rim,” Wiggins said after being asked what felt good about his offense in a postgame TV interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salter. “I felt like I got a lot going on early and got in that mindset to stay aggressive and stay attacking.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

The Warriors, now up 3-2 in the Finals, are a game away from winning their fourth title since 2015, extending their home record to 11-1 and giving Boston their first back-to-back postseason losses.

It was Wiggins, and Draymond Green (seven rebounds and six assists) who set the tone of Game 5, playing with a burst of energy as Green was making plays on both sides of the game, scoring all eight of his points in the first half, throwing down a two-handed dunk for safety after faking a handoff to Klay Thompson (21 points and three rebounds)to give Golden State a 12-4 lead nearly five minutes into the game.

Draymond said see ya. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/5nhY04ZIIr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Wiggins scored 16 points in the first half, helping the Warriors grab an 11-point lead heading into the second quarter. Boston could cut that lead to six as Curry sat, but once he re-entered the game with seven minutes to go, Golden State’s offense opened up, and the Warriors led 51-39 at halftime.

Once halftime came and went, Boston woke up and smothered the Warriors’ offense as they jumped out to a 19-4 run to grab their first lead of an Al Horford (nine points and nine rebounds) triple. However, that dominant Celtics run was answered by Thompson and Jordan Poole (14 points), who hit a pair of threes apiece, including a buzzer-beater that stole the momentum while giving Golden State a one-point lead at the end of three quarters.

Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins continued to push that momentum forward with a 10-0 run to start the final frame. By the time Curry returned with 7:44 left on the clock, the Warriors had held an eight-point lead that Boston would never cut into.

“I’m just trying to do every little thing to win,” Wiggins said. “That’s it. Whether I gotta score, rebound, defend, anything I’m asked to do on the court or to help, I’m going to do.”

Quick Poole Party at the end of the third. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/tKBEI87s8l

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

The former No. 1 overall pick scored 10 points in the fourth on 5-6 shooting. His consistent effort defensively and in the rebounding effort meant everything on a night Curry only scored 16 points and eight dimes on 7-22 shooting.

Wiggs be soaring. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/4IP5Zvqgej

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

This time, the Warriors’ secondary players delivered when Curry rested to start the fourth quarter. Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins contributed heavily to Golden State’s 10-0 run to start the quarter. His poster on Derrick White cemented his big-time performance with a little over two minutes left in the game.

“We’re here, we’re hungry, and we want this. The team that wants it the most can get it, and we want it.”

HOW’S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Golden State looks to close the series out on Thursday at the TD Garden. Should the Warriors lose, Game 7 will be in San Francisco.

“I’m excited. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, something I’ve worked hard for; this whole team worked hard for. So I’m excited; I can’t wait.”

The post Andrew Wiggins After Game 5: ‘We’re Hungry and We Want This’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Shams Charania, Wiseman could be ready to go for NBA Summer League as he nears clearance for full-contact basketball activities.

Wiseman hasn’t been on an NBA floor since April 4, 2021, when he played six minutes in a win over Houston, but hasn’t appeared since due to knee troubles. Wiseman flew to London to receive plasmic injection treatments with Warriors GM Bob Meyers and has been progressing ever since, per the Athletic:

“Wiseman underwent an orthobiologic injection during a multiday trip to London with Warriors general manager Bob Myers in April, multiple sources told The Athletic, as both sides worked to find a way to promote healing in the knee. The plasma-rich injection in Wiseman’s arm was a therapeutic treatment used to increase healing throughout the body.

A torn meniscus cut Wiseman’s rookie season short, and he had surgery to repair it in April 2021 under the belief he would return in the middle of the 2021-22 season. But persistent swelling led to multiple setbacks and a December knee scope, eventually persuading the Warriors to shut down Wiseman and his decision to go the orthobiologic route.”

Having played in 39 NBA games, Wiseman holds career averages of 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting from the field (31.6 percent from distance). Wiseman is included in a young core of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody behind the leading group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green to maintain Golden State’s stranglehold on the Western Conference.

Wiseman’s upcoming summer will be critical for his career. Golden State will be hosting the California Classic on July 2 and 3, giving Wiseman his first big opportunity to return to play before heading out to Las Vegas.

The post REPORT: Warriors Optimistic James Wiseman Can Play in Summer League appeared first on SLAM.

A significant source of contention from NBA luminaries like Isiah Thomas and Kendrick Perkins is Green’s regular podcasting during the playoffs. The two NBA champions have questioned if Green’s apparent lack of focus and pondered could be attributed to his recording episodes of The Draymond Green Podcast so soon after playoff games are finished.

Even Coach Ime Udoka and the Celtics have found time to dissect Green’s podcast, using Green’s content to help them scout the Warriors, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

So what’s Green’s response to all these inquiries?

“Y’all gone get this podcast like I told y’all the beginning of these playoffs,” Green declared. “This podcast ain’t going nowhere.”

“Y’all gone get this podcast. Win, lose, draw. Hoisting the trophy, putting my ring on my finger, you name it.”

Draymond Green goes off on the recent criticism of his podcast. pic.twitter.com/VAm8jNjdbc

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) June 9, 2022

Green’s media responsibilities have grown in the last few months. In January, he signed a unique deal with TNT that would allow him to be a contributor for their iconic NBA show, Inside the NBA. To clarify, Green doesn’t get tired of talking his talk on the court, on his podcast, or TV. Like he said, “y’all gon’ get this podcast.”

“It’s all business, you know? The way I view my podcast is that I’m operating a business. Like, you can’t get tired of operating your own business, or it fails. So, it’s something that I take as serious as I do basketball. And so, if I’m going to show up for the game, I show up for (the podcast), or it doesn’t work.”

Green also goes into detail about how he operates as a podcaster, reitterating that building his audience, gaining their trust as a player in media, and making sure his audience gets the most for investing their time into listening to him. The former Michigan State Spartan also said this is all something he feels he is obligated to do.

“Ultimately, it’s understanding what’s important to you. My podcast is important to me. I’ve worked to get that to where it is and to build that audience. And I think it’s very important for me in understanding and building that audience you have to continue to give to them, you know? They’re giving you their ear. They’re giving you their time, and so you have to continue to give what you can give to them. For me, that’s an obligation more so than a want. I want to do it, and I enjoy doing it. But at the end of the day, if you’ve built an audience, and they’ve given you their ear and they’ve given you their time, you appreciate that, and you make sure you give back to them what they’re giving to you.”

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday, and Boston leads the series with a 2-1 lead over Golden State. The series then shifts to San Francisco for Game 5.

The post Draymond Green Taking Podcasting As ‘Serious As I Do Basketball’ appeared first on SLAM.

At this point in the season, with everything on the line, that’s what basketball and team sports are really all about. Who has the mental toughness, health, and confidence to drag their teammates across the finish line to win a championship?

The Warriors’ Kevon Looney says these Finals against Celtics nearing rivarly mode of old Cavs series. Whoa whoa whoa…could that be true? ⁦@TheAthleticNBA⁩ https://t.co/yO6GP7nGYd

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 10, 2022

In Kevon Looney’s opinion, the intensity of this Finals series between Boston and Golden State is what births excellent rivalries.

“That’s what makes it fun, makes it special,” Looney said Thursday per The Athletic. “That is what builds rivalries.”

To hear Looney, who has played all seven of his season with the Warriors, compare the Warriors-Celtics series to some of Golden State’s previous battles, like their battles with Cleveland, is fascinating.

The Cavs and Warriors played against each other in four consecutive Finals series and three straight times on Christmas days. Playing that often on the big stage is sure to garner some bitterness and helps build tension that could match the legendary Lakers-Celtics matchup or the mutual hatred Chicago and the Bad Boy Pistons have for each other.

“It’s right up there,” Looney said. “I’ve been here for a long time with the Warriors. We’ve played Houston a lot of times that got chippy. Playing Cleveland every year in the finals, it was real intense.”

The intensity and physicality of the Finals thus far seem to stem from the antics of Draymond Green. The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year has already drawn a tech after mixing it up with Grant Williams in Game 2. In some eyes, he was dangerously close to getting another after a dust-up later with Jaylen Brown in the first half of the same game.

Green embraced being the bully that game and his reputation as the hard-charging do-everything enforcer of the Warriors precedes him. However, Boston responded in Game 3 and bullied the bully. Boston punched Golden State often and early, dominating the inside as they put Green and Stephen Curry in foul trouble, preventing them from keeping or even establishing their rhythm early.

To top it all off, when Green fouled out after pushing Marcus Smart off Curry, who looked to have tweaked his regular-season ending sprained foot during a late scramble for a loose ball, the Celtics faithful rained down thunderous “F— you, Draymond” chants on the emotional leader of the Warriors.

Boston fan or not, though, Green is doing everything NBA fans are used to seeing him do in the Finals. The reactions from both sides are interesting to see; Green’s wife taking issue isn’t surprising, especially when you have your kids with you. But Klay Thompson calling out Boston for being “classy” is even more interesting.

After playing at least a decade in the NBA, Green and Thompson came up together in the League and have surely heard worse. At this point, Finals vets like Green and Thompson know that playing at the championship stage draws a little something more out of not just your opponent but their fans too.

“Not the worst things I’ve heard,” Williams said.

“Some of those chants, you just accept,” Williams said. “Some people respond to them well; some embrace them. Others, they shy away from them — Especially if you’re on the road, like, you’re going to get that no matter where you go. You walk down the street; you’re going to get something like that.

“For me, it’s like, you got to accept it.”

This year’s Finals do indeed have an edge to them. When it comes to team x and team y having a grudge with one another, it’s more likely you see the upstart Grizzlies and veteran Warriors developing a rivalry than Golden State and Boston. Memphis and Golden State have faced off in the playoffs in consecutive years, with both sides playing increasingly physical with each other.

Warriors fans and players have a grudge against Dillon Brooks; Memphis will remember Curry’s “Whoop that Trick” retort and Green’s hard fouls too.

The closest thing that the Warriors-Celtics series has to that is whatever is brewing between Green and Williams. The two have had to be separated a few times this series for getting tangled up and talking at each other. The intensity between the two seems to be fueled by Williams’ comments saying he used to admire Green while playing college ball at Tennessee.

During Game 2, Green could be heard telling Williams, “You’re not me; you want to be me.”

“When a guy comes and starts … when you say that and then you start talking junk to me, then yes, I’m going to say something about that,” Green said. “I didn’t say anything about that in Game 1 because he wasn’t talking to me. I’m not going to go watch his press conference where he gives me props, where he appreciates my game, and then go throw it in his face.

“Once he starts going at me, and it got chippy, and he’s yap, yap, yap — all right, bro, you can’t say that and then come and say this.”

With Friday’s Game 4 approaching, according to Looney, Draymond Green hasn’t allowed his teammates to be friendly with the Celtics.

“He makes sure that there ain’t no friends on the court,” Looney said. “Ain’t no helping nobody up, none of that extra stuff. We follow his lead in that regard. It’s been like that since I’ve been here.”

Down 2-1, they can’t afford to be friendly with their opponents, it’s do-or-die time, and the Warriors can’t afford to lose with the series shifting back to San Francisco for Game 5. Green will have to respond and play with an intensity similar to Game 2 and set the tone early in Game 4. Warriors fans have to hope that Curry stays off his left foot and treats it around the clock and that Thompson can record a second consecutive notable performance as the Robin to Curry’s Batman.

The post Kevon Looney On Scrappy NBA Finals: ‘That Is What Builds Rivalries’ appeared first on SLAM.

After a dismal Game 3 performance that coincided with Golden State surrendering a 2-1 series lead to Boston, Draymond Green proved the old saying correct, bluntly saying he played “like sh*t” when asked how he felt played. The former Michigan State Spartan finished the Warriors’ 116-100 loss with two points, four rebounds, and three assists before fouling out in 35 minutes of action.

“Just think I never found a rhythm, really on both ends of the floor,” Green said, “Not enough force, but just gotta find a rhythm quicker.”

Reporter: "How do you feel you played?"

Draymond Green: "Like shit." pic.twitter.com/rR1D1NgRg7

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) June 9, 2022

Green’s performance differed sharply from Game 2, where the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year set the tone as Golden State’s resident enforcer and bully. Green forced a jump ball just seconds into the first quarter. He got into the face of Grant Williams, drawing a tech, and was seen jaw jackin’ with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum throughout the game.

That version of Draymond Green was nowhere to be seen in Game 3 aside from a brief, tense interaction he had with Williams in the second quarter. In fact, Boston bullied the bully and dominated the inside, outscoring Golden State 52-26 in the paint. Boston also outrebounded the Warriors by a 47-31 margin, including grabbing nine more offensive boards that led to the Celtics scoring 22 second-chance points.

“I was soft,” Green said. “That’s what was most disappointing to me.”

Green’s up-and-down Finals performances are compounded by the fact that he’s allowing 1.24 points per play when he’s the direct defender, the worse he’s allowed in any playoff series since 2014, per Second Spectrum.

In the NBA Finals, Draymond Green is allowing 1.24 points per play when he’s the direct defender, which is his worst of any playoff series since 2013-14, per @SecondSpectrum. pic.twitter.com/f3No6dgSbY

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 9, 2022

Coach Steve Kerr said the expectation is for Green to bounce back heading into Friday’s Game 4 in TD Garden, playing a significant role in hopefully helping Golden State tie the series up at 2-2 as the series shifts back to San Francisco.

“I trust Draymond as much as I trust anybody,” Coach Steve Kerr said per Yahoo Sports. “You know, he always bounces back from losses and from tough nights individually. He’ll be back on Friday.”

The post Draymond Green Remains His Toughest Critic After Tough Game 3 Outing appeared first on SLAM.

Jaylen Brown (27 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Jayson Tatum (26 points, six rebounds, nine assists) combined to score 53 points for the night. Brown scored 22 points in the first half to kick off the festivities, while Tatum took over Boston’s scoring duties and dropped 15 points in the second half.

Jayson to Jaylen (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/eZ6lBAdzlr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Boston grabbed their 2-1 lead over Golden State by throwing the first punch and bullying the bully. Namely, Boston took Draymond Green (two points, four boards, three dimes) out of the game and forced him to foul out in 35 minutes.

The Celtics outplayed the Boston on the inside, outscoring the Warriors in the paint, 52-26. As a team, the Celtics outrebounded the Warriors 47-31, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, which turned into 22 second-chance points.

“Game 2, they brought the heat to us,” said Marcus Smart (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists). “For us, that left a bad taste in our mouth because what we hang our hat on is effort on the defensive end and being a physical team. It definitely woke us up a little bit.”

For the series, the Warriors have outscored the Celtics by 43 points in the third frame. A seven-point swing highlighted their third quarter after Stephen Curry (31 points, four rebounds, two assists, including 15 in the third) knocked down a three-pointer as he was fouled by Al Horford (11 points, eight rebounds, six assists).

Horford’s foul was ruled flagrant because he didn’t give Curry any room to land. After Curry sank the subsequent free throw, Otto Porter Jr. (six points and four rebounds) hit a three-pointer to complete the seven-point sequence.

ANNDDD ONNEEEEE! (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/bSZhs14X5v

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Curry hit another three just a minute later to give Golden State its first lead since 17 seconds into the first quarter. Boston did just enough at the end of the third and clung to a 93-89 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“It’s all about how you respond. We didn’t hold our head down or anything. We called a timeout, figured it out, and made winning plays.”

The Celtics kept their composure and responded to Golden State’s dominant run with a 9-2 run to open the final frame that extended their lead to 11 points. The Warriors were unable to cut the deficit to any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Tatum scored eight points, followed by Smart’s eight before Coach Ime Udoka pulled Bostons started with two minutes left in the game.

“We talked about it quite a bit, our group being resilient and being able to fight through a lot of things and at times when it’s most needed being able to lock down on defense,” Udoka said. “We did in the fourth quarter,”

Takes some finesse. (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/xvmFzaPbYq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Now in control of their destiny with a 2-1 lead heading into Friday’s Game 4, Boston can feel good knowing that out of the 39 previous times teams who have split the first two games of the finals, whoever won Game 3 went on to win the series 82% of the time. Also, Boston is now 7-0 after losing and has yet to lose back-to-back games in the postseason.

However, neither has Golden State. In fact, Golden State has won at least one road in every playoff series since the first round of the 2013 playoffs. The Warriors will have to extend that streak to win their fourth title since 2015. After Boston bullied the bully that is Golden State, the question is who will take on that bully role on Friday.

The post Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Lead Boston to Game 3 Win appeared first on SLAM.

After 13 seasons in the League, Curry has started to earn acclaim for his impact on the defensive side of the ball. Long are the days when Coach Steve Kerr would hide him on defense. Curry has had key moments engaging high-scoring wings and guards in the most significant moments of the game.

Steph was so happy when he got called a two-way player pic.twitter.com/uQ4L3QWCbS

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 16, 2022

At this stage, winning the 2022 title takes figuring out how best to take advantage of your opponents’ weaknesses. The Warriors made switch-happy defenses famous in the League eight years ago, and now offenses have countered the switch by running actions to get their best offensive threat against the weakest defender on the floor.

Curry is no longer a go-to target when opponents run pick-and-rolls to create those mismatches. At 34-years-old, he’s acquired the basketball IQ, quick hands, and added bulk that has made him one of the Warriors’ most important defenders and presents Boston with the problem of figuring out who they can exploit when they run pick-and-rolls.

“Teams used to try to call Steph into every action and just try to pick on him, but that doesn’t work anymore,” Draymond Green said per The San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s able to hold his ground, so you’re not able to bump him off his spot, and that’s been huge for us. I’m not shocked he’s playing that type of defense.”

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With Curry evolving into a stronger perimeter and team defender, the Boston Celtics are prone to offensive droughts. The Celtics have had to deal with a fearsome seven-man rotation of stars in their two-way role in former Defensive Player of the Year Green, effective positional defender Kevon Looney, former All-Defensive teamer Klay Thompson as starters can deploy ball-hawk Gary Payton II, and the savvy Otto Porter Jr. off the bench.

After Jayson Tatum knocked down a three-pointer to cut Golden State’s lead to six late in the third quarter, the Celtics were subsequently overwhelmed and allowed the Warriors to unleash a 19-2 run, being outscored 35-14 on the way to a 107-88 Game 2 loss on Sunday.

Curry played his part during that dominant defensive stretch by disrupting passing lanes, communicating effectively, and smothering Tatum and Jaylen Brown on pick-and-rolls. Curry’s effort was highlighted by two plays. One where Curry muscled through a Derrick White pick-and-roll and was able to stick to White’s hip long enough that Curry forced a contested three-pointer from Marcus Smart at the end of the shot clock.

The second came when Curry walled up on Al Horford in the paint, forcing the former Florida Gator to swing the ball out to Grant Williams. Curry followed up that stop by picking Williams’ pocket. The sequence showed that Curry can’t be bullied in the low post or get exposed for making bad reads. Curry is now one of the smartest and most physically strong players on the Warriors’ roster.

Steph Curry might be best known for his offense but he’s been spectacular on defense, playing passing lanes and picking off steals in bunches!

Check out Steph’s best defensive work from this season pic.twitter.com/VwosW6PAGh

— NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2022

Curry finished the regular-season ranked second in defensive win shares. He also averaged 2.0 fouls per game in 35.4 minutes per game. Curry has a better understanding of angles and spacing now, helping him become a better rotational defender, keeping him patient while looking to force turnovers, or making it difficult for his matchup to catch the ball.

“It’s always been a point of emphasis in terms of trying to win basketball games and do your job,” Curry said of his defense. “Over the course of my career, it’s been a physical development that’s happened over time that obviously helps, a lot of work that’s gone into that.

“But at the end of the day, from my rookie year to now, it’s always been about effort and just a care factor, overcoming physical limitations with matchups or whatever it is. If you try hard, good things will happen.”

Curry being able to become a plus defender was never the expectation. The only unanimous MVP can do more on the defensive side than just guarding spot-up shooters in the corner. However, Curry remains to get attacked on pick-and-rolls. In the Western Conference Finals, part of the Dallas Mavericks’ game plan was to wear down Curry as the game went on.

The eight-time All-Star was involved in 42.4 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions. That figure is 6.1 more than any other player in the conference finals. Although his teammates and Kerr have complimented Curry’s defense, many teams, like Dallas, still see Curry as a mismatch. Curry has changed that narrative on the most prominent basketball stage, playing defense at a high level in the Finals.

“He can guard 50 screen-and-rolls a game and run 50 screen-and-rolls a game,” Kerr said. “Not many people can do that.”

The post Stephen Curry Giving Boston Problems On Both Ends of the Floor appeared first on SLAM.

That doesn’t happen without Curry being the most uniquely dominant player the NBA has ever seen. Curry will forever be known as the greatest shooter ever after breaking the record for most made three-pointers and becoming the first player to hit over 3k triples as well. After 13 seasons, there isn’t much left for Curry to conquer. The main trophy that eludes him is a Finals MVP.

Curry has won three titles in five Finals appearances. Curry perhaps had his best chance to win Finals MVP when he led the Warriors in points, assists, and minutes. The award went to Andre Iguodala instead for playing a pivotal part in turning the series around with his defense on LeBron James.

Now in his sixth Finals appearance since 2015, Curry has played like a man on a mission not only to win his fourth career title but his first Finals MVP. In the Warriors’ Game 1 loss, Curry scored 34 points, including 21 in the first quarter. In Game 2, Curry dropped 29 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a 107-88 win to tie the series up.

“It would mean everything because that pretty much means you’re winning the series,” Curry said on NBA Today. “You think about when Andre won when KD won his two; there’s just so much joy in that moment. No matter who wins it, there’s so much joy in that moment; you wanna be able to experience it.

And I think the context of every series changes in terms of what it’s gonna take to actually win, and I think for us to win this championship, get three more wins, and hold that Larry O’Brien trophy, I’m gonna have to keep playing the way I am and hold myself to that standard.”

Steph Curry joined @malika_andrews on NBA Today and discussed what a Finals MVP would mean to him:

“There’s just so much joy in that moment no matter what. … You want to be able to experience it.” pic.twitter.com/i6Vrl9xuB2

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 7, 2022

The Warriors have a chance to take control of the Finals with a Game 3 win on Wednesday. Neither Boston nor Golden State has lost back-to-back games in this year’s postseason, but Boston has a 5-4 record at home. Meanwhile, the Warriors have only won three games on the road. Game 3 will be a battle to the last possession, with both teams fighting to gain a 2-1 lead.

Curry will most likely be facing a Boston defense that has made adjustments to their pick-and-roll coverage to prevent Curry from taking advantage of the walk-up looks he’s gotten in Games 1 and 2. As a champion and former MVP, it’ll be up to the eight-time All-Star to respond and make sure he continues his upward progression towards winning another title and the only trophy that’s evaded him, a Finals MVP.

“That smaller trophy isn’t the motivation at all,” Curry explained. “But you know what comes with winning the big one and what it takes to do that. So I’m focused on that. The fact that I have another opportunity, and we have another opportunity to be here on this stage after the conversations over the last two to three years, that says a lot— So I’m excited about it.”

The post Stephen Curry On Winning Finals MVP: ‘It Would Mean Everything’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors sharpshooter has shot a combined 10-for-33 from the field through both games and shot 4-of-19 from the field (1-of-8 from three-point range) in Golden State’s bounce-back win over the Boston Celtics during Sunday’s Game 2. 

Realizing he’s struggling, Thompson says he’s going to watch his highlights on YouTube to get himself out of his shooting slump. Thompson was made available to the media Tuesday and was asked what his go-to search on Youtube was, to which he responded, “Game 6 Klay,” with a smile.

Ever since Thompson’s 41-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the “Game 6 Klay” legend will never die. Since that game, Thompson’s always been known to show out once a series hits Game 6 (other performances include a 35-point game against the Houston Rockets in the 2018 Western Conference Finals and a 30-point showing against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals).

“I’ll probably just YouTube’ Game 6 Klay’ because there were some very high pressurized situations I was in, and I ended up shooting the ball well,” Thompson told reporters Tuesday. “When you can do it when your back’s against the wall, you know you can do it at any given moment. It’s just about keeping that mental strong.”

Draymond Green agrees with Thompson’s idea, saying a shooting slump is about “the power of the mind.”

“You just need to see the ball go in the rim. It’s not always that simple in the game, Green said. “And so if you can go back to that, just a reminder like, I know I can do that, I know what I’m capable of. I can go back, I can feel that, and it gets you to feeling good about yourself. I think that’s a very big deal.”

Regardless of what Thompson does to escape his shooting slump, the Dubs will look to bounce back in Game 3 when they face the Celtics on the road at TD Garden tomorrow night.

The post Klay Thompson Says He’s Rewatching ‘Game 6 Klay’ Tape Amid Shooting Slump appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry dropped 29 points while Jordan Poole had 17 (including an insane half court three-pointer to cap off a huge third quarter run) as Golden State cruised to a dub in Game 2. Down 23 points entering the fourth quarter, Boston eventually went down 29 points with 10:45 minutes remaining. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka then elected to pull his starters at the ensuing timeout.

Draymond Green says he was surprised to see the Celtics’ first year head coach “pull the plug” with nearly an entire quarter to play.

“Going into the fourth quarter up 23, all it takes is one blow from there,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show.” “You throw one punch, and that’s kind of it. And that’s what happened. We threw a punch and went up 29, and then they pulled the plug.

“I was a little shocked to see them pull the plug so early. I do understand it and respect it. But I just did not expect to come back out of that timeout and (see) them pull the plug.”

Boston starters Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford never re-entered the game as Udoka suffered his first Finals loss as head coach.

Despite a perplexed reaction to Udoka’s decision, Green did praise the Celtics reserves, who actually outscored the Warriors by four in the fourth quarter.

“That is a championship organization and those guys didn’t come in and quit,” Green said. “They continued to fight and battle, and we had to continue to close the game out.”

Boston will get a much-needed boost from its home crowd as the series will now head back to the Bean for Games 3 and 4.

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In the Warriors’ 107-88 win over the Celtics, Green finished with nine points, five rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. But it wasn’t just his counting stats that contributed to Golden States Game 2 win. No, it was his ability to get under the collective skin of Boston.

The former Michigan State Spartan spent most of Game 2 jaw-jacking with the Celtics, flexin’ on them after tough buckets, and played with a level of intensity Golden State missed in Game 1.

Green’s motor and tenacity set the tone for the Warriors. He forced a jump ball with Al Horford during the game’s first possession. Moments later, Green drew a technical foul after drawing a foul on Grant Williams, staying in his face, and pushing him around after the call was made.

“We need that energy,” he said per The New York Times. “For me to sit back and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to push it to this edge and try to pull back,’ that don’t work. I’ve got to be me.”

Green continued to play the physical two-way, bone-crushing screen-setting and playmaking style that’s earned him plenty of admiration and ire across the League. Day-Day was close to crossing the line and drawing a second tech in the second quarter. Green contested a Jaylen Brown three-pointer hard, bowling Brown over.

Brown took exception to Green’s legs being on top of him and got up quickly as the two All-Stars got into a pushing match. The minor incident ultimately didn’t draw a second tech, which would’ve resulted in Green being ejected early in Game 2.

Stephen Curry (29 points, six rebounds, four assists on 5-12 shooting from deep) said it was clear to him after “about five minutes” after Golden State’s Game 1 loss that Green would play Sunday’s Game 2 with another level of intensity.

“He knew what he needed to do,” Curry said. “I think we talk about how some of that stuff doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet in terms of points, rebounds, assists. But you feel him in his presence, and the other team feels his presence and his intensity, and that’s contagious for all of us.”

The Warriors held the Celtics to 37.5, shooting from the field as a team. Green held Brown to 5-17 shooting as his primary defender. As the director of the Warriors’ defense, Green has gained a lot of leeway from his teammates and coaches as the Warriors won titles and lost some. He’s earned an improved ability to toe the line and play hard and press forward or pull the fire back during pivotal moments.

“I think we’re in a great mental space,” Green said. “Nobody panicked. Everybody stayed the course. And we ultimately knew if we go out and play our game, we put ourselves right back in position to take control of the series.”

The NBA Finals shift to Boston this week, starting with Wednesday’s Game 3.

The post Draymond Green’s ‘Energy’ Pivotal in Game 2 Win appeared first on SLAM.

To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

2. 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

Roster: Matt Barnes, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Briante Weber, David West

Talk about an over-correction. The Warriors fall in the 2016 Finals, in a series they might well have won had Draymond Green not been suspended for a game, and what do they do? They decide that a core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Green just isn’t enough to get it done—even though Golden State had won a title in 2015 with the same group and had set the NBA record for regular-season wins in 2015-16 (73).

When most strong teams try to upgrade their cores, they do so with a couple of key, yet hardly overwhelming, additions. Not the Warriors. They went out and signed Kevin Durant to a free-agent deal, adding an elite NBA player who had been a seven-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion to an already-stacked roster. It was almost laughable.

Except the rest of the NBA wasn’t laughing. At all. 

When the deal was announced, there was some hand-wringing among analysts about how a high-volume scorer like Durant—he averaged 28.2 ppg the previous season—would fit with Curry, who could pile up the points himself. That seemed like a bit of hopeful thinking among the rest of the League, since the thought of a fully-functional Curry-Durant axis was frightening.

It was even scarier to encounter. Even though Durant missed the final 19 games of the regular season with an MCL sprain, he teamed with Curry to form an overpowering scoring tandem that could torment rivals from long range and off the dribble. The Warriors led the League in points scored, field goal percentage and assists. Golden State had a +11.6 point differential. More importantly, their 67 wins were much better than the NBA’s next total—the Spurs’ 61—and 16 ahead of the Clippers, the Pacific’s second-place team.

Durant (25.1 ppg) and Curry (25.3 ppg) were the clear offensive leaders, and when rivals concentrated on one, the other took charge. But championship teams can’t thrive simply on the efforts of a couple players. Thompson averaged 22.3 ppg and led the team with 41.4 percent accuracy from long range. While Green’s offensive output (10.2 ppg) wasn’t overwhelming, he was stout on the boards and played his customary frenetic defense. Role players like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and Zaza Pachulia provided production, defense and steady support. The Warriors had big names at the top of the marquee, but the rest of the rotation was valuable every night, too.

The 67 regular-season wins, while not as legendary as the previous season’s total, were impressive. But the Warriors were super-charged in the playoffs. At some point in the coming years and decades, a team will go 16-0 in the postseason. Until then, the Warriors 16-1 performance will have to be the gold standard.

Golden State dusted away Portland in the first round, with the margin of victory under 10 points just once. The Warriors similarly dispatched the Jazz in the Western Semis, with each triumph at least double digits. And remember those Spurs? After Golden State squeaked past San Antonio in the opening game of the Western Finals, 113-111, behind 40 from Curry, they went on to another sweep and a date with the Cavs in the Finals.

The LeBron James-Kyrie Irving tandem was pretty good, but Durant-Curry was better. Add in Thompson, Green et al, and it wasn’t much of a contest. The Warriors finally surrendered a postseason decision in Game 4. Otherwise, it was all Golden State. Durant was the MVP, and the Warriors had avenged their previous disappointment with a remarkable season.

And one great offseason move.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images.

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Stephen Curry deserves a lot of credit for the Warriors leading for much of the game after scoring 34 points, five rebounds, and five assists. His 21 points in the first quarter were the most scored in a quarter in the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan had 22 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns in 1993. 

Curry’s six three-pointers also set a Finals record for most triples in a single quarter; the previous record was five made triples in a quarter. He shared the record with Ray Allen and Kenny Smith.

However, despite the spectacular exploits of the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, the Boston Celtics were never too far behind through the first three-quarters of Game 1. Yes, they were down by 15 at one point in the third quarter, but the Celtics were routinely able to cut any deficit down, tying the game up five times and exchanging leads up to nine.

Boston bided its time until the final frame, knocking down their first seven three-point attempts to outscore the Warriors 40-16. The onslaught was led by Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Al Horford (26 points, six boards, and a Finals-debut record six threes), who scored a combined 21 points to help Boston retake the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Horford scored 14 points during Boston’s decisive 17-0 run to take Game 1, giving Boston a lead it wouldn’t give up after scoring eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Boston also kept Golden State scoreless for nearly five minutes as they scored 17 unanswered, only ceding two meaningless field goals to Klay Thompson and Nemanja Bjelica over the final 69 seconds of the game.

“They gotta good defense,” Draymond Green (four points, 11 rebounds, five dimes), “We knew that coming in. There was no surprises; we know what they wanna get to on the defensive side and how they like to play; they know what we’re tryna get to. So, yeah, no surprises, they are who we thought they were, and now we’ll watch the clips, watch the film and figure out what we need to do to attack it.”

“They are who we thought they were.”

Draymond Green addressed the media after Game 1 of the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/PtWlkoMNr3

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 3, 2022

Green elaborated a bit more on his thoughts a moment later during his press conference. In his eyes, the Warriors were dominant for as much as “the first 41, 42 minutes” of the game. However, Golden State trailed in the first half at one point, and their most dominant stretch came in the third quarter when they built a 15-point lead and outscored the Celtics by 14 points.

Green also pointed out that Boston hit 21 three-pointers in Game 1, the bulk of which came from Horford, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White, who hit a combined 15 long-range bombs. Green directly downplayed the hot shooting of Smart and White, saying:

“They hit 21 threes, and Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Derrick White combined for 15,” Green said. “Those guys are good shooters, but they combined for what, 15 out of eight, Smart seven, eight, 15-23. Is my math right? Eight, seven, and eight. Eight, seven, and eight. Yea, that’s 23, right? 15-for-23 from those guys. Eh. We’ll be fine.”

To counterpoint, Horford went from hitting 33.6 percent of his regular-season three-point attempts to improving that mark to 46.3 percent in the playoffs. White was shooting 20.8 percent from deep before catching fire over the last three games, managing to hit 11 out of his previous 18 three-point attempts, good enough for a 61.1 percent clip over his last three outings. Smart is hitting threes at a 34.5 percent clip also.

“They stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late,” Green said. “We’ll be fine. We’ll figure out the ways we can stop them from getting those threes and take them away. I don’t think it was a rhythm thing. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes, so we’ll be fine.”

Draymond Green: “We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes. So, we’ll be fine.” pic.twitter.com/5eXa49pIFp

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 3, 2022

Regardless, the championship core of the Warriors and Coach Steve Kerr will have some time in between now and Game 2 to readjust and formulate a new game plan. The Warriors will look to tie the series up and retake home-court advantage with a win Game 2 win on Sunday before the series shifts to TD Garden in Boston.

The post Draymond Green Not Dwelling Much On Late Game 1 Loss to Boston appeared first on SLAM.

But Iggy’s injury woes haven’t prevented him from playing a vital role for the Warriors as a player-assistant coach while in street clothes. This is mainly done by mentoring Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody all season and keeping this deep playoff run in perspective. According to Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News, Iguodala has made sure to remind the rookies to take plenty of pictures and keep memorabilia.

“Historically, they aren’t supposed to take on everything that comes with being in the Finals,” Iguodala said. “They’re supposed to be on college campuses learning about themselves, learning who they are as people, learning what they like, learning what they don’t like, instead of these guys making five-plus million dollars a year, got all the pressures, the madness of having money and being in the spotlight. You can become jaded. You can start taking these things for granted.

“It’s not their fault. I’m guilty of it, just being in the Finals so many times where I feel nothing. I just know it’s my job to go out and win. Really no joy in it; it’s just going to work.

Iggy has also maintained his brutal honesty with playoff vets like Kevon Looney and players playing in the playoffs for the first time like Jordan Poole. The third-year guard said Iggy “doesn’t leave any rock unturned,” and as a three-time champ, he coaches “how he sees the game unfold.”

“Extremely meticulous,” Poole said. “He likes to point out the details and small things. He has a lot of knowledge, and he’s willing to share, which is really cool to be a part of — He’s also extremely real. He’ll keep it a rack; he won’t sugarcoat anything. Being able to have him in our corner as a vet is huge.”

Iguodala’s knowledge as an 18-year vet and a player who played a significant role in the Warriors’ title runs as a versatile defender in Golden State’s small-ball lineups has earned him the ear of the younger Warriors.

His institutional knowledge of Golden State’s playstyle and culture has helped him stay in the League just as much as his quick hands, length, and athleticism. At 38-years-old, Iggy isn’t a part of the Warriors’ long-term plan, but for the time he’s relied on to be a strong voice on the bench.

He’s been given even more leeway as a veteran and player-coach because the Warriors championship core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson trust him to help Poole, Kuminga, and Moody see what they see on the floor. Having him in their collective ear will only make playing on the biggest stage of basketball even more when it matters the most.

“He has access, not just physical access but emotional access that the coaching staff does not have,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “Frankly, there’s a trust factor that exists that can’t possibly exist between players and coaches. That’s why the role is so important. He has a different vantage point, and the guys believe in him so much, and he’s just brilliant at demanding and embracing and everything in between.”

Iggy awaits clearance for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The post Andre Iguodala’s Veteran Presence Essential to Finals Run appeared first on SLAM.

The three foundational members of the championship Warriors have gone through a lot since their first championship run in 2015. They’ve seen it all from failure in the Finals, teammates departing, and injuries. The journey from bottoming out in 2020 and narrowly missing the playoffs in 2021 makes this trip to the Finals all the sweeter for Curry, Green, and Thompson.

“It’s happened multiple times for me now,” Green told Marc J. Spears of Andscape after the Warriors’ practice on Monday. “You go through these moments, and you feel like you put all the work in to get through, and then you get to the moment, and the only two things I can think about once you get to the moment: No. 1, is the feeling of appreciation that I get for seeing guys that have not done it before. That first-time feeling, and just sitting there and watching them, and how they react, and how they smile, and how they appreciate that first-time feeling.

“You go through it, and you like, ‘Man, I got to feel that again.’ And the reality is you never feel it again. You go through it that first time, you never feel that way again — And so, I think for me, I get to that space, and then you just start to look around, and it just brings joy to see guys go through it for their first time.

For Green, he finds as much joy, if not more, when he sees the reactions of guys like Jordan Poole, Nemanja Bjelica, and Jonathan Kuminga, who are making their Finals run. As the Western Conference Finals trophy was moved and the Warriors celebrated their series win, Green recalled the familiar feeling of “you get to that moment after all the work that you put in, and it’s getting the trophy, and you just can’t help but think about the journey. What did it take to get here? How did this happen?”

Green also recollected being fearful of never getting that championship feeling again. Like many other past champions, Green said the only way to get that feeling back was to keep winning ‘ships. He did add one caveat, though. Winning, again and again, didn’t elicit the same feelings as the first title, but he does feel satisfied.

“Once you put yourself in the position to where you thought you would get that feeling back, it’s satisfying enough. I didn’t necessarily get that feeling that I got the first time, but I understand it now, and it’s satisfying, the feeling that I do get. The feeling of appreciation, the feeling of watching these guys for their first time experience the highest pinnacle of basketball, and their appreciation for it.”

When Game 1 of the NBA Finals kicks off on Thursday, Green recognized that the Celtics “have it on the offensive end, they have it on the defensive end.” and that Boston has been the best team in the NBA since January while also lauding their hunger for greatness and the culture they’ve built within the organization. The main thing the Warriors have to figure out, per Green, is Boston’s weakness on defense.

After learning what “the real NBA” is after two straight years of losing, Green and the Warriors are back in the spotlight and playing basketball when it matters the most. Green also said he’s back to enjoying hooping says he has “a much larger appreciation for it now than I did” since playing in the Finals “was kind of all I knew.” All in all, helping lead the Warriors to their sixth Finals trip since 2015 simply means this.

“It just shows the continuity and the focus level that we have. But most importantly, the competitive spirit and nature that we have. When we set out on this journey eight years ago, I can’t say we expected this. But we did know that we had a young group, a young core and that if we can put it together, we can be good for a very long time. And see it actually come to a fruition, it’s special.”

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Here’s our No. 21-11:

21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 21-11 appeared first on SLAM.

Wow. The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years after their 120-110 series-clinching win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Warriors!

A look from inside the arena as the @warriors accept the Oscar Robertson Trophy! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/KuOKSHPmUL

— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2022

The win is sweeter when you remember where the Warriors were after their 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors.

A lottery finish in 2020 and a play-in tournament flameout in 2021 wasn’t enough to stop the Warriors’ core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green from dreaming of coming back to the FInals again. The Dubs (53-29) finished the regular-season with the third-seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The 2021-22 campaign was highlighted by Curry becoming the all-time king in long-range shooting and Thompson’s long-awaited return.

To get to this point, the Warriors beat the Nuggets in a gentlemen sweep, outlasted the Grizzlies in six games, and beat the Mavericks in five games.

“This is a blessing,” Curry said. “Obviously, this is a team effort with what Draymond said, for us to be out the mix the last two years. To be where we belong back in the Finals — this is special.”

“Everything about it is special. . We know this isn’t the ultimate goal, but we have to celebrate this cause of all we went through these last three years.”

THEY’RE BACK!!! (via @SportsCenter) pic.twitter.com/2VkJClrPLg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2022

Game 6 Thompson (32 points on eight made threes) made an early appearance to help the Warriors close out the Mavericks on Thursday’s Game. The five-time All-Star scored 19 points on five triples, giving Golden State a 17-point lead on this dagger-three that Thompson celebrated with a Curry-like shimmy.

Klay hitting the shimmy got me LITTTTT (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/KSCf8NuMX0

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2022

In the second-half, Golden State grew their lead to as many as 25 points after Curry (15 points, nine assists) knocked down a floater. Luka Doncic (28 points, nine rebounds, six dimes) then woke up from his sleepy start and scored 15 points in the third frame, helping to engineer a 15-4 run that cut the deficit to eight points powered by back-to-back triples from Luka Magic.

Luka with 15 points in the 3Q pic.twitter.com/NJVAPVSzm3

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 27, 2022

However, that’s as close as Dallas would get. The Warriors scored five straight points to bring the lead back to 15, and the Golden State Big 3 of Curry, Green (17 points, six rebounds, nine assists, including seven in the fourth), and Thompson scored 15 points to close Game 6 out, with Curry and Thompson knocking down consecutive three-pointe to build a 16-point lead with 2:02 left in the game.

“You’re going to make me emotional, man,” Thompson said, smiling from corner to corner. “It’s hard to put in words — I dreamt of this day. There were some dog days, and to be here, I’m so thankful for our squad they started the season so incredibly well, allowed us to finish out strong, and we are four wins away from a championship.”

With the WCF series wrapped up, Curry became the first-ever Magic Johnson Trophy winner. The Warriors await the winner of the Heat-Celtics series, the Celtics lead the series 3-2. Golden State will host Game 1 of the FInals when they begin on June 2.

The post Golden State Advances to Sixth NBA Finals in Eight Years appeared first on SLAM.

From dominant big threes and electrifying duos to all-around greatness, here’s our top 43-33:

43. 1958-59 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 52-20

Roster: Gene Conley, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Bennie Swain, Lou Tsioropoulos

The greatest rivalry in NBA history began, for all practical purposes, in the spring of ’59, and it foreshadowed the decade to come. Led by veteran guard Bill Sharman’s 20.4 ppg, five Celtics averaged better than 15 ppg en route to the League’s best record. They needed seven games to dispatch Syracuse in the conference finals, setting up a first-ever Finals meeting with the Minneapolis Lakers. Three Cs averaged 20-plus, Bill Russell pulled down 22.1 boards per and Boston swept their way to the title.

42. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 60-22

Roster: Mengke Bateer, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Speedy Claxton, Tim Duncan, Danny Ferry, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Goldwire, Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Tony Parker, David Robinson, Malik Rose, Steve Smith, Kevin Willis

The Kings, Mavs, Spurs and Timberwolves all finished ahead of the three-time-defending-champion Lakers in ’02-03, but one of them would still have to beat L.A. when it mattered. Led by Tim Duncan, fresh off a second straight League MVP award, and second-year point guard Tony Parker, San Antonio got its chance in the second round and dispatched Shaq and Kobe in six games. They handled Dallas and New Jersey in similarly businesslike fashion en route to the chip.

41. 2018-19 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jordan Bell, Andrew Bogut, Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Marcus Derrickson, Kevin Durant, Jacob Evans, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Jonas Jerebko, Damian Jones, Damion Lee, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Alfonzo McKinnie, Klay Thompson

The three-peat was never a given, but it was right there, within reach. As injury-impacted NBA championships go, this one is right up there. With Steph, KD and Klay, the Dubs were the scariest offensive team in the League; but a mix of minor and major injuries to the Splash Bros, Durant and much of the supporting cast in May and June were too much for the Dubs to overcome. Toronto got them in six games in the Finals. You just know they’d love a do-over.

40. 1993-94 Houston Rockets

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Scott Brooks, Matt Bullard, Sam Cassell, Earl Cureton, Mario Elie, Carl Herrera, Robert Horry, Chris Jent, Vernon Maxwell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Richard Petruska, Eric Riley, Larry Robinson, Kenny Smith, Otis Thorpe

Go ahead and attribute Houston’s first title to Michael Jordan’s baseball flirtation. Others have done it, and it’s just wrong. The Rockets excelled at both ends of the court, had all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon and his Dream Shake in the middle and boasted a versatile lineup of fierce gamers like guards Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell and rugged Otis Thorpe. Houston outlasted the Knicks in a classic Finals series and deserves a title with no asterisk.

39. 1983-84 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 62-20

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Quinn Buckner, ML Carr, Carlos Clark, Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Scott Wedman

After two years of watching hated rivals Philadelphia and the Lakers hoist the trophy, Boston reclaimed its rightful spot atop the NBA. Or at least that’s how Celtics fans figured it. Call the roll: Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale were up front. Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell and Gerald Henderson handled the backcourt. The Celtics had way more regular-season victories than anyone else and won a thrilling seven-gamer over L.A. to take the title.

38. 2011-12 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 46-20

Roster: Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Eddy Curry, Mickell Gladness, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Ronny Turiaf, Dwyane Wade

Although LeBron James had taken his talents to Miami a year earlier, the Heat hadn’t won a title. In the lockout-shortened ’11-12 campaign, James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh & Co. changed that. The Big Three were a force all season, and a strong supporting cast helped fuel a focused postseason run. The seven-game Eastern Finals series with Boston was a grind, but the Heat dominated OKC in the Finals to take the title.

37. 1972-73 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 57-25

Roster: Dick Barnett, Henry Bibby, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, John Gianelli, Phil Jackson, Jerry Lucas, Dean Meminger, Earl Monroe, Luther Rackley, Willis Reed, Tom Riker, Harthorne Wingo

If it’s possible, the Knicks five-game wipeout of L.A. in the Finals was actually an anticlimax after their thrilling Eastern Finals upset of the Celtics. The Knicks were the consummate collection of team players. Backcourt men Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe were practically unguardable. Dave DeBusschere was a force inside, while Bill Bradley patrolled the wings. Jerry Lucas was the League’s best passing big man, and Willis Reed could still hang with the best centers around.

36. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: Kobe Bryant, John Celestand, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, AC Green, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Sam Jacobson, Travis Knight, Tyronn Lue, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice,
John Salley, Brian Shaw

This was the first of three straight for the Big Brother-Little Brother Lakers. Shaq and Kobe were together for three seasons before ’99-00, and although their relationship wasn’t always the warmest, their talent was overwhelming. There was just no stopping the Diesel. O’Neal overpowered defenders and swept the boards clean, while Bryant provided offense from all over. Glen Rice was a potent outside weapon, and a cast of veteran winners completed the Laker machine.

35. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 60-22

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ron Boone, Marty Byrnes, Kenny Carr, Jim Chones, Michael Cooper, Don Ford, Spencer Haywood, Brad Holland, Magic Johnson, Mark Landsberger, Butch Lee, Ollie Mack, Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes

Showtime made its NBA debut in Magic Johnson’s rookie season, when the 6-9 point guard brought fun back to the Lakers and kick-started perhaps the League’s most entertaining decade. Johnson revitalized center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and served as the trigger for a raucous L.A. attack that was bolstered by Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes and Jim Chones. The Lakers ruled the West and finished off Philadelphia in six, with Johnson scoring 42 in the Finals-clinching victory.

34. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Justin Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Ognjen Kuzmic, David Lee, Shaun Livingston, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Klay Thompson

The Warriors’ first title in 40 years—and the first of three in four seasons—was accomplished primarily by the never-ending shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, whose solution to tough defenses was simply to move back another step or two. Draymond Green handled the tough work and never backed down from a soul, while Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights did what was necessary. The Warriors dumped the Cavs in six to take the crown.

33. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers

Coach: Jack Ramsay

Record: 49-33

Roster: Corky Calhoun, Johnny Davis, Herm Gilliam, Bob Gross, Lionel Hollins, Robin Jones, Maurice Lucas, Clyde Mayes, Lloyd Neal, Larry Steele, Dave Twardzik, Wally Walker, Bill Walton

The Blazers weren’t overpowering during the regular season, but by the playoffs, they had become the perfect team, working as a highly efficient unit under coach Jack Ramsay. It all started with Bill Walton, a pivot savant who could pass, score and rebound. Maurice Lucas provided the muscle, with Lionel Hollins, Dave Twardzik, Bob Gross and Larry Steele willingly playing supporting roles. Portland overcame Julius Erving’s high-flying Sixers in the Finals with textbook unselfish basketball.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55 and 54-44.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 43-33 appeared first on SLAM.

That subsequent offseason featured a roster overhaul after two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn, and Andre Igoudala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal to acquire D’Angelo Russell. The Warriors would also lose Klay Thompson for the first of two-and-a-half seasons after he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

The following two seasons were a far departure from the supernova of greatness NBA fans grew accustomed to for the previous five seasons. The Warriors moved to San Francisco, leaving the fan-favorite Oakland Arena for the posh new Chase Center. What followed the subsequent two regular-season campaigns was a 15-50 COVID-19 shortened season 2019-2020, punctuated by the three-month absence of Stephen Curry due to a broken hand.

“None of these people really removed us from this space,” Green told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk of the team missing the playoffs the previous two seasons. “Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, ‘All right, the Golden State Warriors’ time is up.'”

Draymond: “None of these people really removed us from this space. Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, 'All right, the Golden State Warriors' time is up.'" https://t.co/gNK8gsRYwV

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 23, 2022

The Warriors didn’t spend that season just losing; at the 2020 trade deadline, the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins, a top-3 protected first-round pick and a second-rounder. Although the Warriors weren’t invited to the Orlando Bubble, the future looked bright.

The Warriors spent the offseason going into the 2020-21 season drafting James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick. However, the Warriors’ wind got knocked out of them when Thompson tore his Achilles during a pickup game, forcing him to miss the entirety of the season.

The Warriors responded to yet another tumultuous season by qualifying for the newly-created Play-In Tournament thanks to Curry’s scoring prowess, winning his second scoring title and leading the Warriors to a 39-33 record. However, the Warriors hit a brick wall after playing so hard to get to the Play-In Tournament, ultimately losing to the Lakers and the Grizzlies for the final two spots in the playoffs.

“We didn’t leave the space because we just got too old to do it,” Green told Youngmisuk. “We didn’t leave the space because all of us went our separate ways. We left the space because Klay Thompson was out, and then he was out again, and Andre [Iguodala] wasn’t here.

“And then Steph Curry was out. We didn’t leave this space because we weren’t capable of being in the space anymore.”

Heading into this last regular-season campaign, many around the NBA believed that the Warriors would once again be title favorites when healthy. Thompson finally had his glorious on-court return, playing for the first time in 941 days in January against the Pacers. But the season was marred by injuries to Draymond Green and Curry. However, the emergence of third-year guard Jordan Poole helped offset those losses.

The Warriors (53-29) finished the regular season with the third-best record in the West. They went on to gentlemen sweep the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, beat Ja Morant and the upstart Grizzlies in six games, and are on the verge of zooming past another superstar in Luka Doncic and the Mavs in a sweep.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

This run is even more impressive because the Warriors have beaten the young teams and superstars who are supposed to have next as this Warriors core grows older. Even as their Western Conference foes continue to grow, none of them have close to replacing the Warriors at the top of the League they ruled for five straight seasons.

Heading into Tuesday’s Game 4 against the Mavericks, the Warriors will have their first chance to sweep a WCF foe since 2019, when they beat the Trail Blazers to advance to that fateful 2020 NBA Finals loss. The Dubs have won nine straight conference finals games, going back to a Game 7 win against the Rockets in 2018

“For us to get back to this stage and win one playoff series, let alone where we are now, it’s not motivation,” said Curry, who finished Game 3 against Dallas with 31 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. “It’s more of an excitement that we can do it a different way.

“The motivation is that we’re back on this stage with an opportunity to chase the Finals appearance after a two-year hiatus with our core and a new cast of characters.”

The post Draymond Green Speaks On the Warriors’ Two-Year Playoff Hiatus appeared first on SLAM.

31 PTS | 5 REB | 11 AST@StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/GBOXfHWNaD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2022

Andrew Wiggins followed Curry up with 27 points and 11 rebounds on 11-20 shooting from the field, including this insane poster dunk on Luka Doncic that gave the Warriors a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Wiggins slam was initially called an offensive foul but was counted as a bucket after Coach Steve Kerr successfully protested otherwise.

“He hasn’t had the opportunity to be on the stage before,” Curry said. “With the confidence that we have as a team and the ability to come out here and prove who he is as a player in games that matter and I always say ‘just find ways to impact winning,’ he’s figured that out.

Wiggins with the poster on Luka .

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/RgHjDk8a61

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The Warriors’ other starters were in rhythm and flowed throughout Game 3. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, Kevon Looney contributed nine points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, and Draymond Green posted 10 points, five rebounds, and five dimes. Not to mention the 10 points and five rebounds effort from Jordan Poole.

The Mavs’ apparent game plan to stretch the floor and match the Warrior’s firepower with a barrage of three-pointers fell flat on its face. Dallas made just 13-45 triples on Sunday, with Luka Magic’s first-quarter buzzer-beating three bringing the Dallas fans to their feet. The Mavericks’ two long-range snipers, Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber, struggled on Sunday, missing all 12 of their combined long-range attempts.

The first half of Sunday’s Game 3 was a roller coaster ride for the WCF foes. The Warriors led by as many as 12 in the first quarter, while the Mavs led by as many as nine. The Warriors took over and sustained that effort over the long haul after ending the half on a 15-5 run.

With a look-away three-pointer, Curry put a bow on the Warriors’ first-half effort. Curry’s bucket irritated Doncic, who promptly exchanged words with Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson. After officials stepped in to claim the situation down, a confused Curry asked Doncic what happened. The two superstars cleared the air, with Green eventually playing peacemaker when the conversation ran its course.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The Warriors controlled the tempo and continued to keep Dallas at bay. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, at the 1:15 mark, in fact, that the Mavs made the game close with a Spencer Dinwiddie (26 points) triple to cut the Warriors’ lead to five points. Poole promptly slammed the door shut on any comeback bid with a triple from the left wing to cement the Warriors’ nine-point win.

POOLE PARTY pic.twitter.com/gLIZCIf1tu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2022

The last time the Warriors swept a WCF series was in 2019 against the Portland Trail Blazers. They lost the 2019 NBA Finals to the Raptors in six games. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit.

“When you’re up 2-0, and you come on the road, to stranglehold control of the series, that’s huge. It’s a good feeling to know that we came in and gotta win, and then we can play with house money on Tuesday and try to get a dub,” Curry said.

The post Stephen Curry Scores 31 to Lead Warriors to 109-100 Win and 3-0 Series Over Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Magic had led the Mavs to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2011, when Dallas won their first NBA title. Following their first conference finals practice on Tuesday, Doncic and the Mavs have loved life and enjoyed getting to work the greatest job in the world, playing basketball. When Dallas faces off against the Golden State Warriors, they’ll be playing with house money and less pressure than the Dubs.

“I’m living my best life – a dream,” Doncic said. “Before Game 7, I said this might be my last game of the NBA season, but I was ready. I wanted to play basketball.

“Tomorrow is another basketball game that I’ll enjoy. I get to play at least four (more games). You never know, so I’m just happy to be playing basketball. It’s incredible.”

Doncic has been deep in his bag through the Mavericks playoff run, as un-guardable as he’s ever been. Honestly, Doncic getting a bucket is as inevitable as Thanos is. In their seven-game series win against Phoenix Suns, Luka Legend averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game, scoring 30+ three times, starting the series off with some fireworks after dropping 45 points in 44 minutes.

When the Mavs take on the Dubs, Doncic will have to figure out to solve a defense headlined by Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. The Mavs will surely attempt to force a Doncic-Stephen Curry matchup off a switch to counteract those potentially tough matchups. When the Mavs and Warriors played on March 3, Doncic finished the 122-113 win with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and nine dimes.

Will double-teams work in slowing down Doncic? Luka Magic won’t tell.

“Then, everybody would play that defense,” he said. “For me, I’ll probably see a couple more double team this series, and that’s fine. We faced double teams the whole season. I think we play the best when they double team – four-on-three basketball in the NBA. We have a lot of great players.”

When Doncic finally faces the playoff defense of the Warriors, Coach Jason Kidd is confident the three-time All-Star will find a way to figure out the different looks Coach Steve Kerr will throw at Doncic to slow down the superstar point guard. Because Doncic has faced so many different coverages since playing in Europe and the NBA, he’s not worried about what Luka Legend will do because “The bigger it gets, the better he plays. So hopefully, that’s what happens for us.”

Doncic is most looking forward to being defended by Green, who has a DPOY in his name and has embraced the challenge of slowing down superstars like Doncic throughout this career. It will be interesting to see how Green, Thompson, and Wiggins counteract Luka Legends’ isolation prowess, Doncic being great at playing at his own speed, and his ability to throw passes out of the post to his snipers around the perimeter.

“I have so much respect for Draymond,” Doncic said. “Obviously, Klay and Steph are incredible, but I think the key to the Warriors’ team is Draymond.

“He’s just unbelievable, and I really respect him. He impacts the game in every other category.”

Game 1 of the WCF between the Mavs and Warriors will undoubtedly be primetime viewing on Tuesday night. Especially with Dallas being able to lose and freely fresh off their Game 7 blowout over the Suns. All the pressure will be on the Warriors, who are likely the favorite to win the series and advance to their fifth NBA Finals since 2015.

The post Luka Doncic Thinks Draymond Green is the ‘Key’ to the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

Poole has put it all together during the Warriors’ playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, averaging 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Through 11 career playoff games, Poole has logged at least 30 points twice, scoring a then playoff career-high 30 points in his first playoff game against Denver. Poole eclipsed that mark in the second round, scoring 31 points in a Game 1 win of the Memphis-Golden State series.

The court is Jordan Poole's canvas.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/TXiDBrsQu4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 19, 2022

“We saw the potential. But when we Draft players [late in the first round], realistically, it’s really hard to know where it’s going to go. We thought it was possible, but we didn’t know he would reach it. But credit to him and the coaching staff that put the time in to perfect his craft. I’m happy for him that he’s showcasing this on a big stage, showing his skillset and fitting in with guys that are leading him.” Meyers said.

The development of Poole has made Meyers look good once again. Especially since he was able to get Poole so late in the draft, in his third season in the NBA, Poole has proven he can be the third Splash Brother and a safety valve for the Dubs when Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson is struggling.

“He’s been great, and I don’t know if we’d be where we are without him. It’ll be interesting to see where it all keeps going. It’s a great experience, but he’s never been in the playoffs before this year. That’s what you want from any young player — to taste the playoffs and get a sense of it. A lot of players play a long career and don’t get this far. For him to be this young and get an opportunity, it’s really very valuable.”

Love everything about this play, Jordan Poole is fun to watch.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/PBbvUyESi8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 8, 2022

Because Poole has made himself so indispensable, he’s been able to be a part of the Warriors’ most efficient small-ball lineup featuring Curry, Thompson, himself, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green.

When it comes to Poole’s next step, that’ll be seen when the Warriors take on the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. It bodes well that regardless of starting or coming off the bench, heavy workload or not, Poole remains consistent in being a shot-creator and playmaker alongside the Warriors’ Big 3. When Meyers was asked where he sees Poole going from here, he just stated the Warriors had needed him, and he’s answered the call to perform every time.

“Each round gets harder, but it’s all informative. You look for consistency, confidence, and skill. The playoffs are the most informative time of the year. You can’t hide during the playoffs. It’s just too competitive, too physical, and too high level. As an executive, it’s the best time to evaluate your team, assuming that you are healthy. If you don’t make it to the playoffs, it’s hard to know much. But if you do, it’s fantastic because you get to see what’s what. With Jordan, it’s another chance to watch him grow. He’s answered the bell: Started, not started, played big minutes, played fewer minutes. Credit to him for always being ready. We’re going to definitely need him in this round, and however far we can go.”

The post Bob Meyers Saw ‘the Potential’ in Jordan Poole From the Draft appeared first on SLAM.

The clutch win helps complete the Warriors’ revamp from missing the playoffs to regaining their luster this season. The season could be considered a success just because Thompson finally played his first game since losing nearly three years of his career due to a torn ACL and Achilles tear he suffered in back-to-back seasons.

“I knew it became routine in the 2010s for the Dubs, but that’s a special special opportunity. We do not take that lightly; we’re gonna keep our feet up the next couple days. Watch this Suns-Mavs Game 7. Get the popcorn ready. But it’s just—it’s so special; I’m gonna enjoy it tonight, and I’m going to be hungry when that time comes cause you can’t take it for granted. Nothing is guaranteed in sports.

Game 6 Klay ain’t nuthin’ to mess with.

30 PTS | 8-14 3PM | 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/yaHS1j59LR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 14, 2022

Out of Thompson’s eight three-pointers, none seemed to feel more satisfying than the 28-footer he hit to give the Warriors a 13-point lead with just under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Just one minute later, Stephen Curry hit a triple from the left corner to increase the lead to 16. The back-to-back daggers capped off a 32-point fourth quarter to escape with a WCF berth.

“Today, I was thinking about the last couple years and what this team has been through, and to have another closeout game at Chase Center, it gave me butterflies. I was nervous all day, but I was just having so much fun tonight, and I’m proud of this team for being so resilient.

Built for Game 6. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/HQ4RmPyRIl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 14, 2022

The setup going into the pivotal final frame was the Warriors nearly giving away the game due to some poor decision-making (22 turnovers) and tough shot-making from Desmond Bane (25 points, seven rebounds) and Dillon Brooks (30 points). Their performances were matched by Andrew Wiggins, who finished Game 6 with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Draymond Green contributed 14 points, 15 boards, and eight dimes.

The solution to the Warriors’ messy play was a monumental fourth-quarter effort where they outpaced the Grizzlies with a 10-0 run to give the Dubs a 97-89 lead at the 5:04 mark. The lead ballooned to as much as 16 after Curry nailed a stepback J late in the fourth quarter, sending San Franciso into a frenzy, while Memphis took a punch to the chin that ended their memorable season and launched them back into the limelight.

Golden State will have four days to enjoy their win, and they will face the winner of the Phoenix-Dallas series next week.

The post Game 6 Klay Thompson Leads Warriors to Conference Finals appeared first on SLAM.

Up by a whopping 46 points with 8:40 left in the fourth, the entirety of FedEx Forum was bumping as DJay’s ‘Whoop That Trick’ blasted overhead, and fans directed their towel swinging and chanting toward the six-time All-Star, who playfully threw a jab at the cities rallying cry.

It’s safe to say Memphis didn’t take too kindly to Curry’s comments and returned in kind with a 134-95 blowout to force a Game 6. But that didn’t stop Draymond Green from reveling in Wednesday night’s playoff atmosphere.

As break dancers filled the court to toss out shirts and encourage the crowd, Green was dancing right along with them from the Warriors sideline, whipping his towel around his head and mimicking the Memphis fan base.

Steph Curry watching the PA play ‘Whoop that Trick’. Draymond Green enjoying it. pic.twitter.com/R2TP1AFnHT

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 12, 2022

With a 3-2 series lead in Western Conference semi’s, the former Defensive Player of the Year was asked about his response to embracing the chants where Curry stood with a gleaming smile taking in the fanbase’s retort to his comments.

“They not going to whoop that trick alone,” Green said postgame. “We going to whoop that trick together if we going to whoop that trick.”

Draymond explains why he was having fun with the fans in Memphis while they chanted “Whoop That Trick” pic.twitter.com/M38AsQ8WPk

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 12, 2022

“One thing I don’t respect is people who only bring it when they’re winning, embrace crowds when you’re winning. We call those frontrunners,” Green elaborated. “We’re not frontrunners. We got our ass kicked, and that’s all right. It happens, but you don’t be frontrunners. When you spew it out, you got to be willing to take it, not hide from it, not duck it, not run from it, embrace it. So I appreciated the crowd tonight and the energy they brought to the game. If they want to whoop that trick, we’re going to whoop it together.”

The Warriors will get another crack at putting the series to bed and advancing to the Western Conference Finals against Memphis at home on Friday night.

The post Draymond Green Explains Why He Was Dancing Along to ‘Whoop That Trick’ after Game 5 Loss appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors star Draymond Green has been fined $25,000 for his middle finger gestures to fans in Memphis on Tuesday night.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 5, 2022

The Warriors-Grizzlies have been intense and physical going into Game 3. Both Green and Dillon Brooks left Games 1 and 2 after being ejected due to committing Flagrant 2 fouls. Brooks’ foul led to Gary Payton II suffering a fractured left elbow that will keep him out of action for three weeks. Green got deeper into hot water with the League due to his double bird with Memphis fans.

Greens’ actions came as he was headed to the locker room to get a stitch on his bloody eye after being elbowed by Xavier Tillman while both big men battled for a loose ball.

“If you’re going to boo somebody who’s getting hit in the eye, (his) face running down blood, you should get flipped off,” Green said. ” So, I’ll take the fine. I’ll go do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip them off. I could’ve had a concussion or anything. So if they’re gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty too. I’m assuming the cheers was because they knew I’d get fined.”

“Great, I make $25 million a year; I should be just fine.”

Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal will be on Saturday in San Francisco.

The Warriors expected FedEx Forum to be a hostile environment in Game 2 — especially for Green. Every time he touched the ball, boos rained down. But, it’s that kind of energy, the team said, that he feeds off of.

The post Draymond Green Fined $25,000 For Flipping Memphis Grizzlies Fans Off appeared first on SLAM.

Afterward, Green minced no words about how he felt about Grizzlies fans, defiantly letting the media know that he would take the fine for detrimental conduct and make up the lost money through an appearance.

“If you’re going to boo somebody who’s getting hit in the eye, (his) face running down blood, you should get flipped off,” Green said. ” So, I’ll take the fine. I’ll go do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip them off. I could’ve had a concussion or anything. So if they’re gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty too. I’m assuming the cheers was because they knew I’d get fined.”

“Great, I make $25 million a year; I should be just fine.”

On Wednesday, JJ Redick, who joined ESPN last year as an analyst after a 15-year playing career, defended Green to Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, who wasn’t the biggest fan of the Warriors’ big man choice to flip off the Memphis faithful in attendance who cheered as Green left to get stitches for his bloody eye.

“I want to take a little umbrage with this ‘shut up and play’ because that has the same sort of connotations that the ‘shut up and dribble’ crowd has towards athletes, and I have a real problem with that,” Redick sounded off. “Specifically with Draymond—the idea that America is tired of him. You do realize the guy has a very popular podcast where he hosts, and he talks, himself, for the majority of the episode, and people listen to that.”

Reddick continued: “He signed a talent deal with Turner [Sports] because people want to hear what Draymond has to say. The reason they want to hear what Draymond has to say is because—just like in this press conference—he is real, authentic, and unfiltered. You can’t take away what makes a player great, so there’s no shut up and play.’”

JJ sent the clown back to the Circus! https://t.co/VtTaPFkqYh

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) May 4, 2022

Russo, meanwhile, insisted that this was “not a political scenario or race situation,” adding that he was just noting that Green is a “polarizing” figure and he is merely speaking for the millions of longtime basketball fans who agree with him about the multi-time NBA champ.

“I’m not saying it’s a race situation. I’m saying the fans you’re talking about, they talk about athletes that way like you just talked about an athlete,” Redick fired back. “The people on Fox News talk about athletes that way; that’s my issue.”

The former Duke star concluded: “I don’t actually care about the fans that watched Bob Cousy play or watched Wilt [Chamberlain] play. I don’t care! I appreciate they’ve been NBA fans that long, but I don’t appreciate the undertone.”

The post JJ Reddick Defends Draymond Green: ‘He is Real, Authentic, and Unfiltered’ appeared first on SLAM.

“It’s not a desirable job, man. Nobody wants to guard anybody. But from a competitive standpoint, I love the way I came into League, and I made myself in the League being that. It’s like, ‘Nobody wants to guard him. I got him,” Tucker said.

Tucker showcased his elite defense against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. While guarding James Harden, Tucker allowed him to score just five points all game, with the rest of Harden’s points coming from the line or against another Miami defender.

While Harden shot 66.7 percent against Tucker, he got only three shots up on him in four minutes and 42 seconds of action; the largest timeframe spent guarding the Beard by far in Game 1.

Tucker elaborated on the behind-the-scenes necessities it takes to be an effective defender:

“I got to study film. I got to study tendencies. I got to study everything. I got to know everybody on the floor. You got to talk. You got to be vocal. You got to be physical. You got to understand the game. You got to understand how games are being read.”

However, he believes defense takes more than just understanding the game and what your opponent wants to do. Using Draymond Green as an example, Tucker gave another golden requirement of being an elite defender:

“He’s [Draymond Green] one of the most competitive people in the League, but he does his job just as good if not better than anybody in the highest level, championship level. And that’s what it’s about for me. Being a defender’s being the most competitive person out there.”

Tucker and the Heat play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the 76ers tonight at the FTX Arena.

The post PJ Tucker Shares What it Takes to be a Defensive Ace appeared first on SLAM.

Green has even gone to social media to make a case that other players, who don’t necessarily have the same reputation for the physical play he does, should be kicked after Player A accidentally kicked Player B in the groin or Player C committed a hard foul on Player D.

When the Inside the NBA crew questioned him about his aggressiveness, he reminded the legendary basketball media crew that the Warriors still won thanks to the collective defensive effort of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who both got clutch defensive stops against Ja Morant late in the fourth quarter to secure their tight win and the hot scoring of Jordan Poole who scored a team-high 31 points.

“We won the game,” Green said.

That doesn’t negate the fact that the Warriors and Green need each other. The former DPOY missed two months due to a back injury, and without the Michigan State product in the lineup, the Warriors went from 34-12 when Green played to 19-17 without him.

In the 17 minutes Green played in Game 1, he posted six points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Without Green on the floor, Poole, Kevon Looney, Jonathon Kuminga, Otto Porter Jr., and Andrew Wiggins picked up the slack on the rebounding side, helping the Warriors win the rebound battle 50-47. The Grizzlies led the League in rebounding, corraling 49.2 boards per game; in the playoffs, they bring down 46.4.

“That’s what it takes when you lose a guy,” Green said.

In the meantime, the Warriors and Green will have to contend with Green’s physical play and a looming suspension if Green picks up another Flagrant 2 foul. League rules state if a player picks up four flagrant foul points, one point for a Flagrant 1 and two for a Flagrant 2.

The last time those rules reared their ugly heads in the playoffs for the Warriors was Game 5 of the infamous 2016 NBA Finals, which Green missed due to picking up a Flagrant 2 and his fourth point in the previous game. The Cleveland Cavaliers used his absence to spark a 3-1 comeback, the first time a team climbed back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.

Defiant as ever, Green won’t allow those memories to deter him from playing hard. He also expressed some frustration with the flagrant foul system.

“My reputation is a badge of honor,” he said. “Not everybody can earn that reputation. So, life goes on. I’m never going to change the way I play basketball. It’s gotten me this far: Three championships, four All-Stars, Defensive Player of the Year. Not gonna change that.”

“There’s a lot of things in this league that are probably old and outdated and (don’t) make sense, and people are too lazy to go change things; there’s a laundry list of things that are old, and they worked in the ‘60s, but they probably don’t work today, but people are too lazy to go change them.”

Game 2 of the Warriors-Grizzles story takes place in Memphis on Tuesday.

The post Draymond Green Insists He Won’t Change Playstyle: ‘My Reputation is a Badge of Honor’ appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors star Draymond Green’s Flagrant Foul 2 in Game 1 will not be reduced by the NBA, league spokesperson tells me and @anthonyVslater.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2022

Later that afternoon, Green set up an emergency episode of his podcast ‘The Draymond Green Show’ in his Memphis hotel room to set the record straight on his hard foul and reaction to the ejection.

“If we went through the definition of a flagrant 2 foul, I’m not sure that that play would quite fit the definition of a flagrant foul; I’m not sure if it’ll meet that criteria,” Green said.

The former Defensive Player of the Year reiterated during his postgame press conference and via the pod that his reputation as a player was the reason he was ejected, saying “tonight was probably a reputation thing.”

The penalty for Green’s ejection has yet to be disclosed while the Warriors prepare for Game 2 of their Western Conference Semi against the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night.

The post REPORT: Draymond Green’s Flagrant 2 Foul Will Not Be Reduced appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: There is momentum toward the Golden State Warriors having their most lethal lineup as the starting five tonight vs. Denver in Game 5 – Stephen Curry back in, with Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. Final decision to be made today.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2022

The starting five Coach Steve Kerr is expected to put out on the floor would be Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green. A final decision will be made ahead of tipoff for Game 5 in Denver.

The lineup of Curry, Poole, Thompson, Wiggins, and Green is considered their most potent through the 32 minutes and four games they’ve played together. Their offensive rating is 147.8, and defensively they post a 113.4 rating.

Since Curry returned ahead of Game 1 from a foot sprain, he suffered midway through March. In the four games since, he’s come off the bench, averaging 27.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 28.0 minutes per game.

The post REPORT: Stephen Curry Returning to the Starting Lineup For Game 5 appeared first on SLAM.

In the post-game press conference, Green explained how he was not worried about how many fouls he had but about stopping the Nuggets’ best player from making a play in the final minutes.

“You can’t play defense the final minutes of the game and worry about fouling out,” Green said. “If I do that, I’ll be doing my team a disservice. I’m going against the Joker. I have to be willing to use all six of my fouls at some point.”

Green followed up by talking about the importance of winning on the road, especially in a playoff atmosphere, and taking advantage of silencing an away crowd.

“That’s what it’s all about going into an opposing team’s building and shutting that crowd up; it doesn’t get much better than that. There is no better feeling in sports than entering a hostile environment, and the crowd is yelling and booing, and ultimately you come out with the victory. It’s hard to duplicate that feeling and rush you get from experiences like that. For me, I enjoy the boos and everything that comes with it. I always say the real ones show up and make plays on the road, and then some people just show up at home.”

The Warriors look to complete the sweep on Sunday in Denver to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

The post Draymond Green On Clutch Play in Game 3 Win: ‘The Real Ones Show Up and Make Plays On the Road’ appeared first on SLAM.

After a couple of seasons riddled with injuries and player development, the Warriors started their first playoff run in three years with a newer, more exciting version and have added another shooter to the mix.

The Denver Nuggets have had no answers to defending the Warriors when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and the newest addition, Jordan Poole, have shared the floor. Golden State has gone for momentum-stealing runs in the first two games that have changed momentum or put the game out of reach.

Jordan Poole drops a behind-the-back dime to Klay in transition

The @warriors are on a roll in Q2!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/zsLzLaJyTf

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2022

This combination played only five minutes together in Game 1, but they outscored Denver by 14 points to shift the momentum sparking their 123-107 win. In Game 2, they played another five minutes, which led them to move the momentum to their side going into the second half.

After falling behind 43-31 in the second quarter, the Warriors erased that deficit by halftime with runs of 16-0 and 23-4 late to take a 57-51 lead at the break. The trend is not lost on Thompson, who forecasted this type of performance after Game 1.

“It’s a scary sight when we really get going,” Thompson said. “This is really only our first time really playing together.”

The story of this series so far has been Jordan Poole. Poole had yet another strong performance after a historic performance in Game 1, scoring 29 points while putting on another dazzling display that had the Chase Center crowd rocking!

Jordan Poole was dropping dimes and buckets in Game 2 to lift the @warriors to the 2-0 series lead! #DubNation

Poole: 29 PTS (10-16 FGM), 5 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL, 5 3PM

Warriors vs. Nuggets Game 3: Thurs. 10pm/et on TNT#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/STMdXEiLIm

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2022

While the running joke around the team is will Curry ever get back in the starting lineup, SC30 was very impressed with Poole’s play to start the playoffs.

“He doesn’t lack confidence,” Curry said per ESPN. “That play embodied it. Because you just have the creativity and confidence in yourself to make that play. You don’t second-guess yourself. You kind of live with the results, and we’ve done it for years, and he’s stepping into that now. It’s fun to see.”

Game 3 of this, the Warriors-Nuggets series shifts to Denver on Thursday.

The post Warriors Unlock Next Level With New Small Ball Lineup Featuring Jordan Poole appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors say Stephen Curry is progressing well in recovery of sprained ligament in left foot and will miss remaining five games of regular season as he will be re-evaluated on April 11.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2022

Curry first suffered the injury two weeks ago, on March 16, after a collision with Marcus Smart while the two hustled for a loose ball. Since the two-time MVP went down, the Warriors have fallen to fourth place in the Western Conference after losing six of their last seven games, including a loss to the 12th place Washington Wizards last Sunday.

Curry has progressed well in recovery and will reportedly be re-evaluated in a week per multiple reports. ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported that Curry is out of his walking boot as of Thursday; Andrews also said that with the season-ending on two sets of back-to-back games, it’s likely that Warriors vets like Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson will sit out while Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr. are flexible to sit out as well.

“We were hoping that maybe he could play one or two games at the end of the regular season, but that was kind of a long shot. Kerr told Andrews, “This is how it’s turned out — I’m not too worried about him.”

The post Warriors Announce Stephen Curry Will Miss Last Five Games of the Season appeared first on SLAM.

After battling the Warriors to a 50-50 halftime tie, the Heat gave up a 19-0 run to start the third quarter to a Golden State team without the services of Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Green.

Then during the timeout, it looked as if Jimmy Butler and Coach Erik Spoelstra had words. It was then when long-time veteran Udonis Haslem got into an altercation on the sideline with Butler. After teammates separated them, Spoelstra got angry with Butler as well, and then Heat players had to separate them.

Jimmy Butler was HEATED in the Miami huddle after the Warriors went on a big run to start the second half pic.twitter.com/6waBmHlL1r

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 24, 2022

Just moments later, the combative situation woke Miami up and sparked them to go on a momentum-shifting run to cut the lead to 81-80 by the end of the third quarter before the Warriors pulled away again to win 118-104.

So, to recap. Tied 50-50 at halftime. Warriors 19-0 run to 69-50. Then Haslem and Butler go at it. Now Heat within 81-80 going into fourth. Bananas.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 24, 2022

“You can use moments during the season to catapult you,” Spoelstra said about the potential effects of the event going forward via ESPN. “You can galvanize together over frustration and disappointment. Teams can also go the other way. I don’t see that with our group. I don’t see that with our locker room. But we have needed a kick in the butt.”

Wednesday night’s loss was the Heat’s second straight to a short-handed opponent. The Philadelphia 76ers beat them Monday night without James Harden and Joel Embiid in the lineup. 

When Heat point guard Kyle Lowry was asked about the heated moment, he downplayed the incident as not as big a deal as some make it out to be.

“It’s crazy, but it’s passion. … It’s good sometimes to get some anger and frustration out and just talk about it,” Lowry said via CBS Sports.com. “We’re gonna have situations that make people uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, as long as we’re comfortable and we figure it out, that’s all that really matters as long as we’re together. And we are.”

Miami has a chance to show their unity against the New York Knicks on Friday.

The post Heat Inspired by Altercation Despite Loss to the Shorthanded Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

NBA issued Draymond Green with a $25,000 fine for "directing profane language toward a game official" during his ejection in the Warriors' two-point loss to San Antonio on Sunday.

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 22, 2022

To date, the NBA has been stringent about enforcing its policies about player-referee interactions. When Green was ejected twice in the third quarter at just a moment’s notice, he violated those policies.

Green has averaged 7.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game for a Warriors (47-25) team that is third in the West behind the Phoenix Suns (58-14) and Memphis Grizzlies (49-23) with 10 games remaining in the regular season for the Dubs. The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry for all of those games as he recovers from a sprained foot he suffered last week.

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The Warriors have 12 games left to go in the regular season, and when Curry suffered his sprained left foot, Draymond Green recently returned from his long absence. The trio of Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson has played just 11 minutes together since Thompson went down with a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

Be that as it may, the foundational members of the championship Warriors are no strangers to how the other plays. The trio has been pivotal in the League’s move towards smaller lineups and popularizing the pace and space era with their different iterations of the Death Lineup and the Hampton 5. Since 2015, Curry, Green, and Thompson played in five different NBA Finals series, winning three.

The Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green trio has played 11 minutes total together the last three seasons. Difficulty of playoff task rising for a group that hasn’t been able to line all their major pieces up at the same time.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 17, 2022

Currently, Chef Curry is wearing a walking boot on his left foot. Curry says he hopes to be back on the court and participating in basketball activities by next week but is aware that he must be cautious while recovering from his foot injury.

“From what I’m told, just in terms of ligaments around the injury and the bone that’s underneath there, you want to not rush the beginning phases of healing because that’s when you get the most progress,” Curry said. “Then, when you do put the shoe back on and get back on the court and get reps, you’re not dealing with crazy soreness or anything.”

The post Stephen Curry Confident He Will Return By the Time the Playoff Starts appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors star Stephen Curry has been diagnosed with a sprained ligament in left foot that will sideline him indefinitely, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. X-rays on the foot returned negative Wednesday night – meaning no fracture or major damage, a sigh of relief.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 17, 2022

The injury occurred when Curry and Celtics guard Marcus Smart collided, going for a loose ball. Smart’s dive for the ball led to him crashing into the Baby-Faced Assassin, which drew the ire of Coach Steve Kerr who saw it as a potentially dangerous play.

“I thought it was a dangerous play,” Kerr said per MassLive. “I thought Marcus dove into Steph’s knee, and that’s what I was upset about. A lot of respect for Marcus. He’s a hell of a player, gamer, competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few Summers ago. We talked after the game. We’re good, but I thought it was a dangerous play. I just let him know.”

The Warriors (47-23) are in the middle of a fight for the second seed in the Western Conference with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors’ offense is downright dismal without Chef Curry on the court, to make matters worse. The Warriors drop from a 114.1 offensive rating to a 103.7 rating, a difference of 10.4 points.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Warriors are optimistic that Curry will be able to return by the time the playoffs start in April. He will reportedly be seeing a specialist soon for further evaluation.

Initial evaluation of Steph Curry's sprained ligament in his left foot offers optimism that he can return by the start of the playoffs in mid-April, but he's expected to see specialists soon for further evaluation, sources tell @ramonashelburne
and me.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 17, 2022

The Warriors are currently a game behind the Grizzlies for second place and nine games behind the Suns for the top seed in the West as well.

The post REPORT: Stephen Curry Out Indefinitely With Foot Sprain appeared first on SLAM.

The seven-footer’s rookie campaign was cut short in early April of last year when he underwent surgery for a torn right meniscus. Initially cleared to practice back in November, Wiseman underwent a second cleanup surgery on the same knee in mid-December – slowing the comeback of the former Memphis product.

James Wiseman’s most powerful moment from the first half. Putback dunk of his own miss. pic.twitter.com/FGM995BCL4

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 11, 2022

Wiseman had previously been assigned to the G-League three times throughout the season; however, he hadn’t stepped foot on the court until March 10, when he saw his first action in around 11 months. Starting in all three of his appearances, Wiseman averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks on 56.0 percent shooting on 21.0 minutes per game.

WISEMAN SLAM pic.twitter.com/lauEbIRzf9

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 11, 2022

In his G-League debut against the Stockton Kings, Wiseman dropped 18 points in just 21 minutes of action while pulling down six boards.

The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported that the second-year center remains out for tonight’s matchup against the Boston Celtics but will practice with the team over the next few days before making his regular-season debut.

The post Former No. 2 Pick James Wiseman Set to Make Regular Season Debut for Warriors appeared first on SLAM.