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.

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.

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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A post shared by Golden State Warriors (@warriors)

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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A post shared by Toronto Raptors (@raptors)

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.

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.

The post NBA Weekend Recap: Khris Middleton is Back (and Better) While Anthony Davis Made Lakers History 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The post Stephen Curry Believes Andre Iguodala is ‘Absolutely’ An Hall of Famer appeared first on SLAM.

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.”

The post Jayson Tatum Reveals How He’s Processed NBA Finals Loss Against Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

“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.

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.

The post Draymond Green Reacts to Robert Sarver’s Suspension on His Podcast appeared first on SLAM.

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 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.

The post Draymond Green Inducted Into Michigan State’s Athletic Hall Of Fame 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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The post Draymond Green ‘Shocked’ Celtics Pulled Starters Early in Game 2 appeared first on SLAM.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

30 and 11 and 23 back together again. (: @_JordanJimenez) pic.twitter.com/GX0hgMk5bU

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 15, 2022

The return of Green is pivotal for the remaining 13 games that the Warriors have left on their schedule. This is the first game Green has played since suffering a back and calf injury in January. Since he went down, the Warriors went 16-13, falling to third place in the Western Conference.

“To play with those guys again, it’s extremely special,” said Green per NBC Sports. “When it’s not all three of us out there, there’s still a void there. It’s still empty. At least that’s what I know I felt for the last two and a half years.”

Green posted six points, seven rebounds, six assists, and was a game-high plus-24 in 20 minutes. The return of Dray as the Dubs’ playmaking hub was also pivotal in unlocking a scoring explosion from Curry, who scored a game-high 47 points on 16-25 shooting, including 7-14 from deep, the most he’s scored since dropping 50 in November. Thompson scored 20 himself, on 4-12 shooting from three-point range.

Draymond runs the floor and feeds Klay pic.twitter.com/Usgpa9sW6G

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 15, 2022

With the return of Green as their two-way “control center,” the Warriors will look to work their way up to stealing the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs from the Memphis Grizzlies, who had an identical record to the Warriors. The task is daunting to Green, whose confidence that the Warriors will win a fourth championship since 2015 hasn’t waned.

“Whether we’re the No. 2 seed or No. 3 seed, we’re going to win a championship,” Green said. “Don’t really matter. I called it months ago.”

The Warriors look to win their fifth straight game when they host the Celtics on Wednesday.

The post Draymond Green Confident in Warriors’ Championship Expectations appeared first on SLAM.

“Next Monday, the 14th, against the Wizards. That is the date I am targeting,” Green said, “I am excited as hell. It’s been two and a half months, almost — I have never missed that much time during the season — this is something different for me. I am extremely excited to get back out there with my guys to try right this ship.”

Sources say @Money23Green is targeting March 14 to make his return against the Wizards.

Sources are Draymond. pic.twitter.com/Ry2k2cN38S

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 8, 2022

Since Green last played a full game on January 5, the Warriors have gone 13-13. By the time he returns next Monday, the former Defensive Player of the Year will have missed 29 games this season.

While the Dubs dropped to third place in the West, the Warriors coaching staff said that Green is “the control center of everything we do.” Something Coach Steve Kerr agreed to while talking about the increased role Jordan Pool took on during Green’s absence.

“The change is not him playing off the bench; it’s that Draymond isn’t out there,” Kerr said. “Think about the first half of the season.– He was not really our backup point guard. He played with guys who handled the ball. He really focused on scoring and shooting. But with the injuries we’ve had, Jordan has had to take on playmaking duties, and there’s a much bigger responsibility.”

As recent as Sunday, League insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Green could return in the next 7-10 days. Kerr himself said he was “optimistic” that the Michigan State product could soon be back on the court.

“He’s done really well with his rehab,” Kerr said ahead of Golden State’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. “I got a report today that he got another rehab session in on the court. And he’s had about a week, a week and a half now of being on the court, getting a lot of shots ups, scrimmaging. So he’s feeling a lot better and is coming along.

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When fully healthy, the Warriors have had one of the best lineups in basketball, primarily due to Draymond Green’s role as the ultimate glue guy.

However, since Green suffered a back injury in January, his absence has definitely been missed as Golden State has dropped seven of their last 10 contests.

A Warriors staff member went as far as to tell ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, “He’s the control center of everything we do.”

Coach Steve Kerr agreed with that sentiment. When speaking about the up-and-coming guard Jordan Poole being asked to do more, he alluded to Green’s Swiss army knife effect on the team:

“The change is not him playing off the bench; it’s that Draymond isn’t out there,” Kerr said per Andrews’ story. “Think about the first half of the season. … He was not really our backup point guard. He played with guys who handled the ball. He really focused on scoring and shooting. But with the injuries we’ve had, Jordan has had to take on playmaking duties, and there’s a much bigger responsibility.”

The Warriors’ defensive numbers back up the significance of the Green’s absence.

With Green on the court, the Warriors only give up 100.3 points per game which would rank first in the NBA by 2.4 points. Without Green, they’ve given up 109 points per game, which would be tied for 14th. In addition, Green ranks first on the team in assists (7.4), rebounds (7.6), steals (1.4), and blocks (1.2) per game.

On Saturday night, the Warriors head to the bright lights of Los Angeles to face the downward trending Los Angeles Lakers (27-35).

The post Warriors Call Draymond Green the Missing ‘Control Center’ appeared first on SLAM.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau reported that the Warriors will try to sign Poole to an extension this summer before becoming a restricted free agent in 2023.

“The Warriors also will try to sign Poole to a multiyear extension this summer, which would allow them to avoid having to deal with him in restricted free agency in 2023,” Letourneau wrote. “Keith Smith, a salary-cap expert for Spotrac, estimates that deal to be in the four-year, $80 million range.”

The timing of this extension would be tremendous for Golden State, as All-Star starter Andrew Wiggins will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2022-23 season. Getting Poole inked on a contract extension gives Dub Nation one less financial thing to worry about.

The 22-year-old is averaging 16.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 28.8 minutes of run per game. He also leads the NBA in free throw accuracy at 92.2 percent, which is 0.3 percent higher than Stephen Curry. He’s proven to be a capable scorer and able to anchor the second unit.

The former Michigan Wolverine is looking at a possible large payday if he continues this stellar play.

The post REPORT: Warriors Expected to Offer Jordan Poole A Four-Year Extension appeared first on SLAM.

Murray became the first Spurs player in franchise history to record 30 points, 15 assists & 10 rebounds in a single game in their dominating 136-121 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Even more impressive, Murray passed Spurs icon and Hall of Famer David Robinson with his 15th career triple-double, now the most in team history.

Mr. Triple Double

DJ has passed David Robinson as the all-time franchise leader in triple doubles! pic.twitter.com/KY14ITCja9

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2022

Murray had an outstanding game shooting the ball, knocking down 11 of 18 shots from the field, going eight for nine from the free-throw line.

“That’s the thing in this league,” Murray said via NBA.com. “You make shots, you miss shots, and I think tonight we made shots, but we also kept our composure and matured. From the first quarter to the fourth quarter, we didn’t let up. We knew we couldn’t let up against a scoring team like Atlanta. That’s really what it was tonight.”

Dejounte Murray notched his 15th career triple-double to become the @spurs all-time franchise leader in triple-doubles!@DejounteMurray: 32 PTS, 10 REB, 15 AST, 4 STL pic.twitter.com/2Um91PCcmX

— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2022

This historical game comes on the heels of an All-Star game invite for Murray, replacing an injured Draymond Green.

OFFICIAL: @DejounteMurray has been selected to the 2022 #NBAAllStar game!

Congratulations DJ!!

More info https://t.co/qZBRsC2y3C pic.twitter.com/mb1mr96TRx

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 7, 2022

The post Dejounte Murray Sets Spurs Triple-Double Record In Win Over Atlanta appeared first on SLAM.

“He definitely gets stats. He chases stats.” Towns said, “But I think he’s a hell of a player. I don’t care what anyone says. Do you know how hard it is to get a triple-double? And he plays hella hard. I just think sometimes he plays too quick, he tries to do too much.”

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The comments quickly went viral, catching the ire of Draymond Green, who was a chief rival of Westbrook when the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder were rivals for Western Conference supremacy. Green publicly responded on social media to what could be perceived as backhanded compliments after KAT later said that he didn’t care about personal stats, making it clear that good stats in a loss are pointless.

“I once watched from the bench due to us beating the Twolves ass, and he was in the game down 20 with 2 mins to go.” Green commented, “Come on, man. Stop talking to people about the ‘bros’ and yelling this is a ‘brotherhood.’ SMH.”

After beating the Suns on Christmas, the Warriors own the top record in the League, 27-6. The Timberwolves are ninth in the West with a 15-17 record and are looking to stay above water while they wait for Anthony-Towns and Anthony Edwards to clear protocols.

The post Draymond Green Comes to the Defense of Russell Westbrook appeared first on SLAM.

“I’ve just kind of found that love again,” said Green, who snagged 14 boards in the win (via ESPN). “Kind of go through a lot of s— and the love kind of wanes a little bit. But I’ve just found that love and joy for the game and I’m just enjoying playing basketball and controlling what I can control. A point of emphasis for myself this year was simply to control what I could control. That means on the court, that means with the referees, that means off the floor—that’s just a step in my life and I think it shows on the basketball court.”

“My son is getting older, my oldest daughter, she’s seven now,” he added. “They kind of get on my ass if we lose, so that’s motivation. And I think for me, also, I’ve been s**** the last couple of years, so my kids don’t really understand how good I am. And I want them to see how good I am so that they’ll have an understanding. So that is motivation for me.”

Earlier this month, Green had talked about the “mental hurdle” of shooting, and so far this season, his numbers have improved offensively: he’s currently shooting a career-high 55 percent from the field and averaging 7.8 points per game this season. On the boards, Green is averaging 7.9 rebounds, which is an increase from last year’s 7.1 per game.

The Warriors have been off to an electric start to the season and are currently No. 1 in the West with a League-best 15-2 record. As the team continues to dominate and prove the doubters wrong, Green says he’s “motivated” by all of those who have “doubted” him.

In fact, he has his sights set on reaching All-Star status again and even winning Defensive Player of the Year for the second time—a feat he accomplished in 2016-17 when he became the first Warrior to ever win the award.

“And most importantly I want to win, I want to be a Defensive Player of the Year again, and I want to be an All-Star again. And that is motivating me because a lot of people had counted me out. Same mistake people made before when I first came into the League—but a lot of people doubted me, and doubted me again. And that’s fuel to the fire.”

Green and the Warriors will take on Sixers on Wednesday night.

The post Draymond Green: ‘I Want to be a Defensive Player of the Year Again’ appeared first on SLAM.

Another key player to the team, Draymond Green, chimed in when speaking with Michael Lee of the Washington Post about the lack of respect he feels those teams, and Durant, got for their success.

“Everybody criticized it. Everybody criticized Kevin. Everybody criticized us. They didn’t appreciate it,” said Green. “But people usually don’t appreciate greatness until they no longer have it. We appreciated it. And that’s all that matters.”

Those Warriors teams were truly great, too, racking up five consecutive NBA Championship appearances from 2015 to 2019, winning three NBA Championships, and having the best regular season in NBA history in 2015-16, going 73-9.

And don’t look now, but the Warriors – minus Durant – are off to another hot start this season, thanks to Green and Steph Curry. So far this year, the Warriors are an NBA best 13-2 and still are awaiting the return of All-Star Klay Thompson and James Wiseman.

Durant is currently plying his trade on the east coast with the Brooklyn Nets, who are also starting the season strong tied for first in the Eastern Conference at 11-5. The Warriors complete a back-to-back Friday against the Pistons (4-10) while the Nets play the Magic (4-11) the same night.

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“The shot feels pretty good,” Green said via The Athletic. “I think when you go so long without shooting, it’s a mental hurdle you have to get over. I’ll say that’s where I am. But I can shoot the s**t out the ball. I know that.”

With Stephen Curry embarking on an MVP-caliber start to the season with 28.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, alongside the career-high production of Jordan Poole (14.0 points, 4.0 dimes, 2.7 boards per game), Green says his mindset is to be “aggressive” and take the shots when they’re there.

“Assertive,” he added about his mindset. “When a lane is there, take the lane. When a layup is there, take the layup. When a shot is there, take the shot. Not overthinking too much. Be who I can be.”

During the Kevin Durant years, Green was rarely called upon to take and make shots from deep. And the few that he did, affected his percentages drastically, which he says further hindered his confidence:

“Yeah, you don’t use it, and all of a sudden I’m taking one 3 every three games, and if I miss it, my percentages go to shit,” Green said. “Before you know it, in 10 games, I’m 0-for-7, my percentage has gone to hell, and then that can f**k with your confidence.”

Green is currently averaging 9.3 points, 8.7 boards, 7 assists along with 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. If his shot has returned to the level that the six games thus far have suggested, the Golden State Warriors just got a whole lot scarier.

The Warriors are currently in second place in the Western Conference, with a 5-1 record. They play the Hornets on Wednesday.

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But according to CBSSports.com, the apprehension could be coming from Golden State’s side.

The Golden State Warriors are not believed to be interested in trading for Ben Simmons for as long as Draymond Green is still on the roster.

The debate is over concerns that Simmons and Green can co-exist on the floor together. Both have well documented shooting deficiencies, but are outstanding and versatile defenders that can pass and operate off the dribble. While the three time All-Star Simmons would fit seamlessly alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Draymond Green provides some redundancy that has the Warriors decision makers divided.

Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area calls the Warriors interest in Simmons as “conditional”

“According to league sources, any interest the Warriors might have in Simmons is conditional,” Poole wrote. “In short, they’re not that interested as long as Draymond Green is on the roster. …

“The Warriors, according to sources, are divided on the subject. Some see great potential in having two skilled players thriving in the ball-movement principles, especially in transition. Simmons also happens to be six years younger than Green. Others, however, believe having two non-shooters on the court is too crippling for an offense, even with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, to overcome, particularly in the postseason.”

Poole stated in his reports that he “can’t imagine” CEO Joe Lacob and team president Bob Myers trading Green, but he also said it can’t be completely ruled out.

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The 12-man roster is as follows.

• Kevin Durant, F, Brooklyn Nets
• Damian Lillard, G, Portland Trail Blazers
• Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns
• Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics
• Bradley Beal, G, Washington Wizards
• Khris Middleton, G/F, Milwaukee Bucks
• Zach LaVine, G, Chicago Bulls
• Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Heat
• Draymond Green, F/C, Golden State Warriors
• Jrue Holiday, G, Milwaukee Bucks
• Kevin Love, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Jerami Grant, F, Detroit Pistons

Team USA’s basketball program had to whittle down a field of 57 potential roster additions down to 12 for the Olympic Games and several commitment decisions were very recent due to playoff scheduling. Nonetheless, the United States still managed to fill out a roster that will be considered favorites for the gold medal.

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden had initially committed to the team, but withdrew to recover from a hamstring injury, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, whose team is currently in the Western Conference Finals with a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers, recently withdrew his name as well (according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.)

That said, its possible that other players on the roster (namely Booker, Middleton and Holiday) could play in the NBA Finals. If that occurs, they could miss training camp for the Olympics.

Game 7 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for July 22, one day before the Olympic Games are set to begin.

The last time Team USA competed on the international stage, it finished in seventh-place in the 2019 FIBA World Cup due to a number of the league’s preeminent stars withdrawing from the competition. Before that tournament, the team had won 58 consecutive games in international competition dating back to the 2006 World Cup, 

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Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard and Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green are among the initial commitments to Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics this summer, sources tell me and @joevardon.

Story: https://t.co/jps6mGuQ4U

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2021

Speculation about Lillard joining the team began as early as 2016, when he dropped out of consideration for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, instead deciding to rehab a plantar fasciitis injury he dealt with the previous season.

In December 2020, Lillard mentioned he would not be playing in the Olympics if the Trail Blazers reached the 2021 NBA Finals.

However, Portland lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, freeing Lillard’s schedule and making his decision a bit easier. Lillard, who just wrapped up his ninth season in the league, averaged 28.8 points in the 2020-21 season and finished seventh in NBA MVP voting.

Green, unlike Lillard, was a part of the gold medal-winning squad in 2016. However, Green only played sparingly, averaging 1.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in eight games.

That being said, due to speculation that many players will abstain from joining Team USA (instead opting to rest and rehab after the shortened COVID-19 season), many expect Green to have a much larger role in 2020.

Per Charania’s report, Team USA should be putting the finishing touches on their roster for the Tokyo Olympics in late June, as training camp begins on July 7.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is also expected to join Team USA’s ranks, after a sprained ankle knocked him out of the 2019 FIBA World Cup (a tournament in which Team USA finished with a disappointing seventh-place finish.

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While making the playoffs is every team’s goal, the Wizards feel somewhat stuck in the middle. They finished the season with a losing record at 34-38 and didn’t look competitive until late in the season. Now, due to making the playoffs, they won’t have a lottery pick to improve the roster as they build around Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. 

However, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors believes that surrounding that duo by young players isn’t the best path forward anyways. 

“Getting draft picks and placing them next to two all-stars? That don’t work.”

Either way, Washington is in a tough spot. They’d like to keep their franchise cornerstone in Beal happy, but they don’t have much flexibility. Not only will they be selecting in the middle of the first round (No. 15) in the 2021 NBA Draft, but they’ve got a ton of money tied up in long-term contracts, limiting them in free agency. 

At this point, it might be time to make a decision on either swinging for the fences and going all in, or trying to re-tool the roster with young talent for a championship push down the road. 

Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard says the team remains committed to keeping Beal long-term. Regardless, the Washington Wizards will have a crucial offseason upcoming as they look to do what’s best for the franchise. 

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The ‘We Believe’ era, which was one of the most iconic and beloved moments in franchise history. The peak of this era was the historic ‘We Believe’ playoff run in 2007, where the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks and became the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a best-of-seven playoff series in NBA history.

After winning three championships in a five-year span recently, the Warriors missed the playoffs last season and have struggled this season. Due to being such a dangerous team even though they will be a lower-end playoff team, Golden State was being referred to as the ‘We Believe 2.0’ team of late. However, Draymond Green shut that down quickly when being asked postgame about his thoughts on that.

Currently sitting at 37-33, the Golden State Warriors are the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Behind an MVP-level season from Steph Curry, Green respects the ‘We Believe’ era that came before them, but says that’s not what this season is for them with the way Curry is playing. A legitimate threat, the Warriors are a team nobody wants to see in a seven-game playoff series.

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After a recent game in which Curry dominated, his teammate Draymond Green talked to ESPN’s Nick Friedell and called Curry one of the most terrifying players in the league for his opponents.

Teams are terrified of him — and everywhere he runs on the floor — with or without the ball, teams are terrified. That type of gravity, he pulls a lot of weight … I wouldn’t want to see a team with Steph Curry on it. We all know what he’s capable of.”

If you’re an individual defender looking to slow down Curry, you’re out of luck. It takes a real team effort to slow him down, which hasn’t happened much in the past few weeks. Arguably the best shooter in NBA history, Steph Curry is still dominating the league at age 33.

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After the game, Curry spoke to ESPN’s Nick Friedell and the rest of the media, talking about Green’s IQ and how he’s the smartest player he’s ever played with. 

“He’s the smartest basketball player I’ve played with, and it shows in moments and games like tonight where he just finds a way to impact winning in his own way.”

While scoring has never been the focal point of his game, Green has been instrumental in the success of Golden State’s offense this season. Facilitating the flow of the game on that end of the court, it’s not just Curry who has been great for the Warriors this season.  

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According to data mined by StatMuse, while Green is averaging 8.3 assists per game, he’s been horrid as a scorer with 5.3 points per game on .358 percent shooting from the field and .226 percent from 3-point range.

Subsquently, Green is on track to become the first player in NBA history to record at least 8.0 assists per game while scoring under 6.0 points per game and shooting under .400 percent from the field. Green has averaged 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game over the course of his nine-year career, shooting .433 percent from the field.

Green, whose rise to NBA stardom was a byproduct of the unique role he played for the Warriors at the zenith of their dynasty, has long been considered to be one of the league’s true unicorns. A gifted playmaker and a versatile defender whose ‘tweener’ skillset helped transform the league into the positionless one there is today, it would be fair to say that he’s the ultimate glue player.

If former NBA forward Boris Diaw played with the type of edge and intensity that Green does, perhaps we would be looking at Golden State’s Dancing Bear as the second coming of the Frenchman.

That being said, Green has a great chance to be the originator of a particular type of archetype.

In fact, it’s quite impressive that while not being a formidable scoring threat that he’s such an irreplaceable player; it only goes to show just how dominant Green is in the other areas of his game.

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That same evening, NBA players opted to compete, but members of the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Detroit Pistons took a knee in protest to the recent events.

Coaches and players across the league have also spoken up about what happened, including the vast difference between how Capitol law enforcement responded to the peaceful Black Lives Matter protests outside of the White House in June compared to how they handled the riots at the Capitol building.

According to The Guardian, Washington police, US Park police, over 5,000 national guard troops (in full body armor), and federal agencies like the Bureau of Prisons were present in June. The Black Lives Matter Movement tweeted that Black protesters were met by law enforcement carrying assault rifles, tear gas, and battle helmets.

Meanwhile, only 340 guardsmen were sent in advance to handle the rioters on Wednesday. 115 of them were on duty and mainly directed traffic, while the DC and Virginia national guard were sent only after the Capitol had been breached. Officers were even spotted taking selfies with rioters.

Here are reactions from the NBA:

Jaylen Brown: “There is two split different America’s. In one America you get killed by sleeping in your car, selling cigarettes or playing in your backyard. In another America, you get to storm the Capitol. No tear gas, no massive arrests.”

Brad Stevens: “My own personal takeaway is the same as many of you: That we have a long way to go. My personal belief is two weeks from now we’ll be in a better spot, but we still have a long way to go,” said Stevens .”We have to continue to prioritize it. Not only ask about and talk about, but do something about it.”

Boston Celtics and Miami Heat:

Steve Kerr: “The truth matters in our country and anywhere in any circumstance because of the repercussions if we allow lies to spread and if we enable people in power to lie…All of a sudden you have millions of people who are doubting an election that was certified in every state. We had seven to eight more million people vote for [Joe] Biden than for Trump. Every state has certified those results. Every court appeal has been turned down. A legitimate election is suddenly questioned by millions of people, including many of the people are leading our government because we’ve decided to over the last few years allow lies to be told. This is who we are. You reap what you sow.”

Stan Van Gundy: “If you are an American and aren’t embarrassed by the domestic terrorism taking place at the Capitol there is something wrong with you. This is a shameful day for our country.”

Doc Rivers: “It’s pretty disturbing, obviously. Sad. But what it’s not is, I keep hearing, this attack on democracy. It’s not. Democracy will prevail. It always does. It shows you a lot, though. When you saw the protests in the summer and you saw the riots and the police and the National Guard and the army, and you see this and you saw nothing. It basically proves a point about a privileged life in a lot of ways. I’ll say it because I don’t think a lot of people want to: Could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming the Capitol, and what would’ve happened?

“So that, to me, is a picture that is worth a thousand words for all of us to see, and probably something for us to reckon with, again. No police dogs turning on people, no billy clubs hitting people — people being peacefully escorted out of the Capitol. So it shows you that can disperse a crowd peacefully, I guess, would be the one thing. But it’s a sad day in a lot of ways; not good for our country and more across the borders, that people see this. It’s part of what we are, and so we have to solve it.”

John Wall: “The most important thing we can do is still stand up for what we stand for and believe in that and stand behind that. We can’t really control what people want to have outbursts and things like that.”

Draymond Green: “…It’s shameful to keep calling them protestors. They’re not f***ing protestors. They’re f***ing terrorists.”

“It’s baffling with the reaction that the law enforcement had and whoever else was involved from a authoritarian standpoint to see the National Guard standing on those same steps when there was a peaceful protest and now to see a terrorist attack and there was no National Guard. It just goes to show you where this country is and where this country has always been and probably where it’s going to stay, to be quite honest. Nothing’s changed. I think through social media and all of these different things we have at our fingertips today, we’re more aware of things. But nothing has changed. This is the same America that it’s been. It’s no different.”

Andrew Wiggins: “Let there be some black people running in there, they all would’ve been shot before they even got to the building.”

Lloyd Pierce: “It’ll never change unless there’s acknowledgement in the past with regards to how African Americans have always been treated in the history of that and going back to slavery and going back to Reconstruction and going back to civil rights,” Pierce said. “You can’t say that things are going to change if you don’t acknowledge that it’s a problem. What you’re seeing today is a reminder there’s a huge difference. There’s a reason why there [aren’t] shooting and brutality and looting and things of that nature, and people are just walking around the Capitol building as if it’s nothing; and people sitting in [Speaker of the House of Representatives] Nancy Pelosi’s office as if it’s nothing.”

Kevin Love: “An absolute disgrace what’s happening at the US Capitol right now. And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved.”

Jamal Crawford: “You do things like this when you know there is a certain privilege where nothing is gonna happen to you.”

Garrett Temple: “I scan my timeline and keep seeing the word “embarrassing.” I’m not embarrassed, I’m not surprised, or shocked even. Embarrassed would mean that I feel a sense of shame by what is going on. I have no such feeling. These people do not come close to being a representation of me”

Scott Brooks: “We should be better than this. What I see in the videos, it’s disgusting. This is a special place. You just hope that everybody from there, our fans; everybody’s safe. This should not be allowed. It’s unacceptable. This is America’s Capitol. You should not be able to do what I saw on video. It’s disgusting, it’s embarrassing, and it should never happen. We have to [play]. This is our job. This is what we have to do. It’s a couple hours out of the day. We all feel the same. It’s just disgusting, but we have to be better. Democracy is there for a reason. It’s all everybody has fought for.”

Jordan Clarkson: “People see the difference; they saw what people did today and how there were no consequences for them. On the other side, it would have…ended in multiple arrests and deaths.”

 J.B. Bickerstaff: “I mean, it’s saddening. It’s disgusting, to be honest with you,” Bickerstaff said. “Our democracy has been a beacon for hundreds of years of what the world ideologically should be. People have looked up to us all over the world and what’s happening there is a disgrace. We have a democracy. Every vote should matter. Every state should have the right to certify their votes and their results. And when that happens, we move forward.

“It’s a stain on our democracy. It’s entitled, spoiled, throwing temper tantrums instead of accepting and moving forward to make our country better, which is the most important thing. It’s not about us as individuals, it’s about what’s best for the country and how we heal our country. And this doesn’t help. This makes it worse.”

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They’re in a unique spot, as teams that are set to be title favorites don’t typically have such a high pick in the draft. Golden State has a decision to make on whether they use the pick or trade it.

The Warriors have a handful of NBA All-Stars in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green who all have very different personalities. 

What kind of input do these three have on the Warriors’ upcoming draft decision? President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers recently spoke with 95.7 FM The Game about how each of these individuals approach the draft process and how involved they are. 

“Klay doesn’t care. He’ll show up at training camp and be like: ‘Is that the guy right there? That the guy we drafted there?’

Are we surprised? Certainly not, as Thompson is the soft-spoken type of player who will walk onto the court and give you buckets regardless of who you put around him. 

“Steph is different. He’s almost like ‘I trust you to do what you do if you think it’s right.’ If I call Steph and ask him, he’ll give an opinion.”

It sounds like Curry will give input if they need it, but if not, he trusts the decisions of the front office. For what it’s worth, the front office has earned this respect considering their recent draft history with Curry, Thompson and Green all being original Warriors selections. 

Draymond cares. Draymond loves it, he’s a junky…But Draymond is the uninvited commentary. He’ll do it no matter what you say or what you think. So it’s a good blend.”

On the far end of this spectrum and the opposite of Thompson is Draymond Green. Whether Myers and the rest of the front office want input or not, they’re getting it from him. All three of these guys have very different approaches to the draft, but as Bob Myers said, it’s a good blend. 

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Green recently reflected on his draft class and who was taken above him on Bleacher Report’s new digital show that he hosts, called ‘Chips’. In his opinion, he is the fourth best player in the 2012 class and should have been taken fourth overall.

“I go back and look at our draft, and I say there are three people that would get drafted before me if our draft was re-done,” Green said.

The 2012 NBA Draft class is a pretty solid group. The best players that came out of that draft include:

• Anthony Davis
• Bradley Beal
• Damian Lillard
• Harrison Barnes
• Terrence Ross
• Andre Drummond
• Austin Rivers
• Meyers Leonard
• Jae Crowder
• Draymond Green
• Khris Middleton
• Will Barton

If Green had been taken fourth overall, he would have been a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, which would have been interesting to see. Regardless, his statement about there only being three players that would be drafted over him if there was a re-draft does make sense.

When looking at the careers that his peers have had, Green has had one of the best. He’s a two-time All-NBA, three-time NBA champion, three-time NBA All-Star, and one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Those accolades alone say that he certainly should have been one of the top picks in the 2012 NBA Draft if there were to be a re-draft.

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“Players today are scared of LeBron… My era is out of the league. We weren’t afraid of LeBron but these guys today, he strikes fear in these guys. I can see it.”

It didn’t take long for one of the most vocal players in the NBA to speak out on Pierce’s take. Shortly after hearing the news, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors went to Instagram to clap back.

In the social media era, trash talk has evolved in a way that expands even off the court. Regardless of whether Paul Pierce is right or wrong, Green seemed to disagree strongly. James has had success in the league both during and after Pierce’s era of the NBA, although they did have many great head-to-head battles.

After all that has been said, just yesterday Pierce said that if LeBron wins a title this year, he puts him right behind Michael Jordan as the greatest all-time.

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Draymond Green went to Twitter earlier this week to further bring this situation to light, saying that all big men should hope the Houston Rockets’ center-less style of play doesn’t work against the Lakers.

Jusuf Nurkic, a young and upcoming center for the Portland Trail Blazers had some things to say to Green in response to this on Twitter. He made the case that Green and the Warriors are the reason the league is shifting in this direction.

On the flip side, Nurkic also said that there are plenty of talented young bigs in the NBA and that the center position will never go away. It’s up to him and other young big men around the league to ensure they keep their value.

It’s fascinating that traditional centers have less value than ever and it seems like having a big as your best player isn’t a recipe for success. This is likely why teams are hesitant to use a top pick on James Wiseman in the upcoming draft. In the league today, no team is winning at a high level with a center as their best player. Draymond Green certainly made a great point.

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Dr. J. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. Isiah Thomas. Larry Johnson. And now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“It’s crazy that [Converse] kind of started the whole sneaker thing in the NBA back in the day,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says. “A few of the best players in the League at that time. Dr. J, Magic and Larry Bird.”

But that’s the past.

“The biggest lesson is that while legacy affords Converse legitimacy, we’ve got to create our own path to connect with the basketball community today,” Ron Johnson, Converse’s General Manager of Global Basketball, tells KICKS.

That means working with Gilgeous-Alexander, Kelly Oubre, Natasha Cloud and Draymond Green to reestablish Converse Hoops and the sneakers the brand releases. So far the All Star Pro BB, the G4 and the All Star BB Evo have dropped with the full support of those players. Johnson and his team are still learning about what makes each one of them different.

“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a pathfinder,” Johnson says. “We loved his story–growing up in Hamilton and making his way into the NBA to being one of its rising stars–he’s made it happen for himself through his vision.

“The always energizing, fashion-forward creative Kelly Oubre was the first to join the squad,” Johnson continues. “Kelly is as invested in creative culture as he is basketball. We knew he would be a strong advocate for Converse Hoops as we re-entered the space for the first time in nearly a decade.

“WNBA Champion and social activist Natasha Cloud, we had been following her before her WNBA championship run and worked with her during our Pro Leather campaign in 2019,” Johnson says. “Her love and passion for basketball is equaled by her bold personal vision and sense of purpose off the court. She is a true advocate for the underrepresented communities she stands with.

“NBA champion and avid investor Draymond Green is a proven competitor,” Johnson says. “He’s known for his do-it-all approach on-court that contributed significantly to the Golden State Warriors’ success over the years.”

All four of them will be heavily involved in the storytelling and sneaker creation processes. Johnson and his staff repeatedly emphasize the importance of giving them their own space to be inventive, whether that means working on colorways or on marketing campaigns.

“Obviously as a kid, you see a shoe but you don’t really realize everything that goes into making the shoe from the ground up,” SGA tells KICKS. “That’s probably the biggest thing I realized. It’s a whole process. It’s not just glue the sole to the upper and the upper to the sole, put the laces in.”

“We started this campaign a while back called ‘Converse All Stars,’” Brodrick Foster, Global Footwear Product Director at Converse, says. “That idea exemplifies why we don’t have signature athletes, because we feel everyone can be an All Star. That’s always just been our mantra and our game-changing mindset and why you’re going to start to see these exciting colors and materials and storytelling.”

“We believe that Converse Basketball’s distinction is in offering athletes the ability to showcase their individuality on the court and to support their creative vision off of it,” Johnson says. “That’s what sets us apart. We’re just truly getting started. Expect to see more from us as we color outside the lines and bring a new and fresh perspective to the game and the culture surrounding it.”

Kiss the past goodbye.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF KICKS 23

Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photos via Converse and Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images.

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“It’s great to see Book playing well and Phoenix playing well but get my man out of Phoenix,” Green said to the panel of co-hosts. “It’s not good for him, it’s not good for his career.”

Casually asked by TNT’s Ernie Johnson if he was tampering, Green said ‘maybe’.

The comments, which the NBA ultimately deemed a violation of its anti-tampering rules, will cost Green a total of $50,000.

“I need my man to go somewhere where he can play great basketball all the time and win because he’s that type of player,” Green said.

While the Suns are the only remaining undefeated team left in the bubble and have done an admirable job of closing in on a potential playoff berth, there’s no denying that the franchise has been empirically abysmal for the duration of Booker’s career.

The Suns averaged just over 21 wins per season in Booker’s first four full seasons as a pro and while they’ve already topped the 30-win plateau in 2019-20 for the first time in the guard’s career, the stigma is in place.

This isn’t the first time that Green has publicly criticized the Suns organization. When the Warriors onboarded former Phoenix lottery pick Marquese Chriss last October, Green was quick to defend the forward, crediting his tumultuous first few seasons in the league more to Chriss’ environment than his abilities.

“He’s been in some pretty tough situations,” Green told Monte Pool of NBC Sports. “No one ever blames the situation, though. It’s always the kid. No one ever blames these shitty franchises. They always want to blame the kid. It’s not always the kid’s fault.“

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Golden State was “unstoppable” with Durant—who suffered a ruptured Achilles against the Raptors in Game 5 of the championship round—says Green, adding that he’s confident they will get back to the mountaintop.

Draymond believes KD could’ve pushed for him to get traded if he wanted to remain with the Dubs, and that things truly soured for the two-time NBA Finals MVP when he wasn’t universally recognized as the world’s best player after outdueling LeBron James for the 2017 title.

Per Bleacher Report and NBC Sports Bay Area:

“Once we got Kevin, we were f**king unstoppable,” Green said on the “All the Smoke” podcast. “Even losing last year, Kevin don’t get hurt—you seen the game he came back in Game 5, I looked up, it was like six minutes to go, we had like 40 points in the first quarter—and so they wouldn’t have stood a chance if Kevin didn’t get hurt.”

He then discussed the narrative that KD left the Warriors in free agency because of him:

“This is f**king Kevin Durant we’re talking about. Yeah, I’ve done great things here. But let me tell you this — if Kevin really wanted to be here, all he would have done is went to [GM] Bob [Myers] and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll stay. But Draymond gotta go.’ And guess what — Bob Myers would have called me and said, ‘Draymond, I love you — and I won’t trade you to a bad team — but where do you want to go?’

“So to try to point the finger and say, ‘Oh man, I left because of him.’ Get the f**k outta here. I still love K. His feelings about me may not be the same. But I’ll ride with him for the rest of my life. I got that type of love for that brother. But you ain’t leave because of me. You’re fking Kevin Durant. If you wanted to be here, I would have been out. I would have been long gone.

“And guess who would have understood that? (he points at himself). I understand the business of basketball … he ain’t f**king leave because of me. That’s just the real.”

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Green saw similarities between how things unraveled for both the dynastic Chicago Bulls and his Dubs after watching “The Last Dance.”

Draymond says his former teammate, who left Golden State to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, should have addressed his contractual situation with the group before play began.

Per ESPN:

“It definitely hit close to home,” Green said on Uninterrupted’s “WRTS: After Party” show with Paul Rivera and Maverick Carter. “Ironically, our season was the 20-year anniversary of that season. And we have a very important piece of our season, who was a piece of that season, which was Steve Kerr. I think Phil [Jackson] did what was great, which is acknowledge the elephant in the room. Because all year, if Phil doesn’t do that, all year everyone else is dealing with that somewhere. And whether it’s coming in questions [from the media], so now once you get these questions from the media, we’ve already addressed that as a team. We really don’t need to talk about that. And our season was a little different from the standpoint of it was contracts, but it was on players. It wasn’t necessarily the organization.”

“So, for instance, Kevin took the one-year deal on his own. So that was kind of the elephant in the room,” Green said. “And although Steve’s approach was like, ‘Hey, guys, let’s approach this year because we don’t know what next year brings,’ you’ve got Kevin’s contract, you’ve got [Klay Thompson]’s contract, and I kind of got thrown in that contract thing, although I had another year after that year, which was this year. And so that was kind of the elephant in the room, and although Steve would kind of hit on it, [saying], ‘Let’s just enjoy this year for what it is because we don’t know what next year holds,’ it didn’t necessarily carry the same weight because what should have happened was Kevin come out and say, ‘Hey, man, this is it, so let’s do this,’ or, ‘This isn’t it.'”

What bothered both Warriors players and coaches throughout the season was that they were constantly asked what Durant would do when the campaign ended, and Durant never publicly committed to a decision — a fact that Green expounded upon during the show.

“But you can’t just leave the elephant in the room, because what happened was the question came to us every day, like every time we spoke to the media, Klay and myself was asked about our contract,” Green said. “It was strictly due to Kevin, because while that was going on, Klay was saying, ‘I want to be a Warrior forever. I want to be here. We started this thing. This is where I want to be.’ I’m saying, ‘Yo, I want to be here for my career. We started this, we built this, I want to finish my career here with the guys I started it with.’ And then you kind of had Kevin, [saying] like, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do next year, and it don’t matter’; but it does matter, because you’re not the only person that has to answer that question.

“To be quite frank with you, you’re honestly the last person that has to answer the question because you don’t really say sh*t. Like, you don’t say much to the media. If anything, you tell them to shut the f**k up. Well, I don’t tell them to shut the f**k up. I kind of have a conversation, and so I’m stuck answering that question all the time. And due to that, there was always an elephant in the room amongst us, as opposed to with [the Bulls], they didn’t have that elephant. [General manager Jerry Krause] had said it was Phil’s last year. Phil had told them this was the last dance. Mike already said, ‘Well, if Phil ain’t coming back next year, I’m not either.’ So everybody knew it was Mike’s last year. They didn’t have that elephant. Whereas I think we had a huge elephant sitting in the room, and Steve was trying to address it as best as he could, but it was kind of out of his hands.”

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The Dubs’ braintrust is “very excited” about Wiggins’ potential next season, and beyond.

Lacob adds that Golden State’s sudden and unexpected rebuild perhaps isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to them.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area (via “The TK Show“):

“Our coaching staff is very excited about Andrew and how he may fit here going forward,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic on Thursday. “Very hard — it’s so hard — to find wings right now in the NBA with good positional size and athleticism.

“He’s a walking 20 points. He’s gonna go out there and he’s gonna get you 20 points in any game. He’s capable of doing a lot more than that. But that’s pretty good.”

The 25-year-old averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks, while shooting nearly 46 percent overall and just under 34 percent from 3-point range.

“When Harrison Barnes was with us — and I loved Harrison, different kind of player a little bit — but we would sit there and say, ‘If we can just get him to get 20 points in a game it would really help,'” he said. “You know (you’ve got a) good chance to win a game if you got three guys scoring 20 in a game. And we needed that.”

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The Warriors forward playfully threatened to take his television gig, but Sir Charles isn’t worried.

Barkley joked that Green is “the least famous person” in the Golden State’s “boy band,” adding that he likes him as both a basketball player and person.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area (via The Dan Patrick Show):

“My job is safe. Draymond Green is a nice guy. You know what he is? He’s like the guy in the boy band who’s the least important member,” the Hall of Famer said.

“He doesn’t realize he’s standing next to Justin Timberlake. He’s the least famous person in the boy band, and he thinks he’s a star. And he’s not. He’s lucky to be in the boy band. He thinks all the girls are screaming for him. No, they’re screaming for Justin Timberlake. Enjoy being in the band because you’re never gonna have any hit singles … I like messing with him.”

Would the 1993 NBA MVP trade his career for Draymond’s?

“No. My career is what it is. I was a great player,” Barkley said. “I didn’t win a championship. But there’s a lot of guys who didn’t win a championship that are much better than some of these guys who get championship rings.”

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Green lashed out after being asked about Sir Charles claiming the fiery forward was ejected less than 10 minutes into his most recent appearance against the Lakers because he doesn’t want to play for a such a sorry Warriors squad.

Draymond says Barkley’s lack of championship rings disqualifies him from discussing hoops with the three-time NBA All-Star.

Per The Mercury News:

“Barkley should stop before I go take his job, though, because I can do that well, too,” Green said after practice on Friday. “He didn’t make enough money playing so he needs that job. He should stop talking to me. I have a tendency to end people, so he should stop before I take his job.”

Green had two points, one rebound and four assists when he was ejected for arguing a foul call with officials.

“He had his normal triple-single,” Barkley said during halftime of TNT’s Feb. 27 broadcast. “Why doesn’t he talk all the stuff when he’s got those other boys with him? No, man. He talks all that stuff when he’s got those other boys with him. Now he’s out there and got to fight for himself and he just doesn’t want to play.”

Green — who has missed the last four games with left knee soreness and participated in his first practice in a week — used his first media availability since being called out to take aim at Barkley, who made 11 All-Star appearances in his 16-year career, but failed to ever win an NBA Championship during his time with Phoenix, Philadelphia and Houston.

“If he keeps talking, I’ll take (his job) soon — sooner than he thinks,” Green said. “He probably should keep quiet. He also can’t talk basketball with me, either. Not smart enough, not qualified. No rings, can’t sit at this table.”

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Golden State didn’t find some “diamond in the rough” when they traded for Wiggins this season, according to Green.

Draymond believes Wiggins has the potential to become “an All-Defensive player.”

Per The Athletic:

What do you think of Wiggins’ defensive potential?

Green: “I think he can be an All-Defensive player. That’s one of my goals for him. As a leader of this team, that’s one of the things I really want to push him on. He has all the tools, has the tools, the athleticism. Reminds me a lot of Kevin [Durant] as a defender, where they’re both long and lanky, but agile. Can move. Very skinny guys, but not weak. From that aspect, he remind me a lot of Kevin. And Kevin is a great defender. So if he can continue to build off that … which I think he can. The couple games that he’s been here I’ve seen him match up with some pretty good guys and he’s shown a lot of promise on that side of the ball. Defensive end, I think he can be really, really good.”

People have questioned his passion during his seasons in Minnesota.

Green: “Once again, people never talk about the situation. But I think he wants to be great. He’s not demonstrative. He’s not very talkative. So people will never say that or see it. But talking to him, trying to get to know him, watching him work — he wants to be really good. I take that upon myself as a leader on this team, one of the older guys. I haven’t been in the league much longer than him, but I have a little more experience, a little older. I want to help him do that any way that I can. It’s the same for Steph [Curry]. I think he fits in here perfectly. We want to help him reach his promise, whatever that is. We’ll figure it out. But it’s not like we gotta take his hand and walk him through. This guy’s averaged 20 points in this league for three, four years and probably over a career averaged 20 points. It’s not a fucking bum we’re talking about. So I’m not gonna sit here and act like we found some diamond in the rough. This is the No. 1 pick. He’s averaged 20. He’s a player.

“But when I say help him through it, I mean from the more experience side of things, what it takes to win a championship, all those different things. But he’s a player. And he’s been a player. If a guy’s averaged 20 points in the league over the course of his career … If he ain’t at 20, he’s damn close.”

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“You add one guy and it can change everything,” says Lacob.

Stephen Curry is expected to re-join Golden State’s lineup next month, with Lacob adding that he has zero interest in tanking.

Per USA Today:

“The great thing about this is we can re-imagine the next dynasty,” owner Joe Lacob told USA TODAY Sports during the NBA’s Tech Summit during All-Star weekend. “I think it’s been a good year for us to take stock with where we’re at and try to recreate.”

Oh yeah, and the Warriors expect to have a fully healthy Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney next season.

“You add one guy and it can change everything,” Lacob said. “We already happen to have two of the greatest shooters of all time. Look at the games. We’ve only been losing by six or eight points. But add those two guys, and we’re already pretty good. I think [Andrew] Wiggins is going to help a lot.”

[Curry] has spent the past month completing various shooting workouts.

“Steph is coming back. That’s not even a discussion internally,” Lacob said. “He’s ready to play so he should play. By the way, we’ll try to win every game. I’m not really about, ‘Let’s lose every game so we can get the best pick.’ You try to do that, you’re messing with the basketball gods. So we don’t believe in that.”

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The Golden State faithful and his former team showed Iguodala nothing but love, of course.

The 36-year-old veteran forward played 17 minutes in the Miami Heat’s 113-101 road win.

Per The Mercury News:

In six seasons with the Warriors, Iguodala made possible small-ball lineups with his versatility, helped win three championships and earned Finals MVP in 2015. Last summer, they traded him to the Grizzlies in order to get under the hard cap triggered after the Warriors sign-and-traded for D’Angelo Russell.

“I had a Romo moment,” Iguodala said, nodding to CBS NFL broadcaster Tony Romo, who often guesses teams’ plays before they happen. “I think I sniffed it out before it happened. I’ve been around the game for a while, and you see how things are playing and you see how a domino effect can happen.”

Meanwhile, during a lottery-bound season, the Warriors are feeling his absence. Golden State reached the playoffs in each of Iguodala’s six seasons, and head coach Steve Kerr often references how much they miss the length and basketball IQ that helped start a dynasty.

“It’s strange to see him in another uniform,” Kerr said. “But I think he landed in a great spot.”

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Lacob says the swap for Wiggins in exchange for D’Angelo Russell at last week’s trade deadline is a “great deal for us.”

Golden State’s braintrust acknowledged that Russell was a poor fit in their scheme.

Per The Athletic:

Was trading Russell before he played a full season with the Warriors a sign that management miscalculated his value and the Warriors’ ability to fit him in?

“What people don’t understand is that if we lost Kevin Durant (straight up in free agency), we would’ve got nothing,” Lacob said. “We just got somewhat fortunate that he went to Brooklyn and we were able to get a sign-and-trade for a guy that is a good player. Questionable whether he was going to be a fit. You’ve heard (Steve) Kerr’s comments. I mean, everyone knew that. But we were hopeful. And you want to have a positive attitude. And we didn’t have Steph and Klay to play with him this year, so I don’t think that we had a fair test. But I think … there was a chance that we were going to make a move at some point that maybe made more sense. There was a chance. And it just turned out that we did it now. We got what we wanted. I think if I would’ve bet before the trade deadline, I probably would’ve said we would’ve re-evaluated in the summer, gone through the whole year. But we were fortunate. We got what we wanted, and we did it.”

Does he believe that (Stephen) Curry, (Klay) Thompson, (Draymond) Green, Wiggins, (Kevon) Looney and whomever else the Warriors can add to that next season is a group that can win a championship?

“I think we’re going to be really good,” Lacob said. “We almost beat — well, we stayed competitive with the Lakers (Sunday night.) They played all their guys and we lost by what, five points. And we didn’t have arguably our three best players (Curry, Thompson and Green). So you tell me. The reason we didn’t win the game tonight is we didn’t have enough perimeter scoring. It’s not football, one player can make a huge difference. We’ve got two great ones coming back. Arguably the two greatest shooters of all time. So I feel pretty damn good, and our fan base should feel great about our future.”

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The incident factored in Durant’s decision to bolt from Golden State as an unrestricted free agent.

“I just started isolating myself after that,” Durant told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the latest “All The Smoke” podcast episode.

“They suspended Draymond, but it was just like, they had to so it won’t look bad to everybody else. And then nobody talked to me about it…It happened in front of the whole team and nobody really talked about it.

“It was just swept under the rug. And to me, it was just like, we’re a family. Even if he said that, we could move past it. Let’s all talk about. Let’s just say how we all felt about that moment because that’s a huge moment in this whole dynasty. Don’t just sweep it under the rug because we want to win. That’s the reason why we’re not going to win… And when that didn’t happen, I was just like, ‘Fuck it. Let me just hoop and worry about myself.'”

KD says he was determined to join the Dubs in the summer of 2016 while hooping for the OKC Thunder, regardless of the outcome of their legendary seven-game battle in the Western Conference Finals.

“My mind was already thinking about how can I develop my game more so than the Warriors vs. Thunder, that rivalry. Like, even if it was a rivalry, I didn’t give a fuck. I just wanted to keep developing my game, you know what I’m saying,” said Durant.

“They’re a new fresh team, they’re on the rise. I fuck with them. So me going there, it didn’t matter if [OKC] would have won or lost the series. I wanted to play there and live in The Bay.

“It’s like a different culture. It doesn’t even feel like you’re in California. The Bay is like its own thing. I can’t even explain it. I really felt like I stamped myself as a legend in The Bay. I’m not even comparing myself to guys that have won in the bay like Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, but winning back-to-back in The Bay — that’s forever.”

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“Sometimes you just have a feeling about things,” says Kerr.

Kerr adds that he never discussed KD’s looming free agency with him, and that he “totally respected” his right to bolt for the Brooklyn Nets.

Per The San Fran Chronicle:

“We could just feel it last year,” Kerr said. “He just sort of faded from the group by the end of the year. Sometimes you just have a feeling about things. We never discussed his free agency. That wasn’t my business, even though I was his coach. I was focused on that season and I wanted our whole team to focus on that season. Every effort of our staff went into whatever team we were playing.

“Whatever a player does in free agency is up to him, so I totally respected Kevin’s right to make a new path for himself in life.”

Kerr told [Yahoo’s Chris] Haynes that he was not surprised when Durant left the team.

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Golden State currently owns the NBA’s worst record at 4-18, and Kerr says he’s focused on “teaching and developing young players” instead of wins and losses.

Prior to their present injury-plagued predicament, the Dubs had enjoyed five consecutive years of being No. 1 in the Western Conference, winning three NBA titles along the way.

Per The AP:

“I think I’ve learned how to be a better coach, honestly,” Kerr said. “I haven’t had to coach a situation like this and it’s a good reminder that every circumstance is different, every year is different. The last five years, we’ve been a championship contender, so it meant that I had to manage the team through the season, prepare for the playoffs and try to get guys rest when we could. This is much more about teaching and developing young players.”

Kerr lost 15 games in his first regular season with the Warriors, 15 more in his third season. The Warriors won the NBA title in each of those years.

This season, they’ve already passed that 15-loss mark — with about 75% of the season left to play. Golden State wasn’t planning to push the reset button this season but found itself with no choice.

“I’m lucky. I’ve got a great staff,” Kerr said. “Mike Brown and Ron Adams have really helped me this year because they’ve both been through this before, coaching really young teams that have struggled. And I’m learning a lot myself. It’s a good dynamic for my own career, to go through this and to feel it.”

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The injury ravaged Warriors are in no hurry to rush the 29-year-old back to a full workload, even as they sputter out to the bottom of the NBA standings with a 3-15 record.

In addition to the heel issue that he’s currently facing, Green missed five games with a ligament injury in his finger and even appeared to tweak his elbow in his most recent game of action last week.

Given what appears to be Golden State’s short-term fate, the team has been wise to let Green take his time to fully recover before re-entering the fray. Heel injuries can be particularly troublesome if not addressed.

“It’s lingering,” head coach Steve Kerr told Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. “It doesn’t seem like anything that goes on for too long. It’s also not something we want to aggravate that could keep him out for a long time. We just felt more comfortable giving him another couple of days.“

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Stephen Curry‘s daughter, Riley, recently quizzed his teammate Draymond Green about why Golden State is piling up so many losses.

The 29-year-old is re-tooling—”get back to my offensive game pre-Kevin Durant Warriors”—and taking a philosophical approach to this most unpleasant (and unfamiliar) of seasons.

Per The Athletic:

“The other day, I was getting them out of the family room after the (Celtics) game and Riley Curry was in there,” Green says of Curry’s oldest daughter. “She’s like: ‘Did we lose?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, Riley, we lost.’ She’s like: ‘Why do we keep losing?’”

Green resisted the urge to point over at Riley’s father, mention that giant cast over his left hand and explain that, well, that’s the reason they keep losing. Young Draymond fumed when he lost at “Madden.” He didn’t care about nuances or realistic excuses. Riley won’t. So, Green says, he just told her “we’ll get better.”

“But once I answer (my kids), they’re on to the next thing,” Green says. “It’s: ‘Oh, OK, let’s go do this, let’s have fun, it’s time for you to be the tickle monster.’ I have to get home, do bath time, be present for my fiancée. Perspective.”

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Update #1, Nov. 6: Draymond Green didn’t travel with the Warriors on their road trip, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. He’ll miss the next three games at least.

A torn ligament will sideline Draymond Green for the next few games, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. The injured left index finger, however, doesn’t figure to be a long-term issue.

Green’s injury is the latest in a rush of setbacks for Golden State and it comes at a time when the once-consistently dominant Warriors are fielding their most inexperienced roster in years.

Prior to his own absence, Green was in position to shoulder more of the offensive load than he ever has for the Warriors. He, alongside D’Angelo Russell, had their work cut out for them salvaging a season that went south quickly when 2019-20 began.

The Warriors are 1-4 so far this season and will be eager to get Green back in the lineup as they attempt to adjust to life without Stephen Curry.

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“I wish that wouldn’t have happened,” KD admitted Thursday.

Green was suspended one game, and publicly expressed regret over his role in the dust-up: “I just had to accept the fact that I was wrong.”

Per The NY Post:

“A little bit, yeah, for sure,” Durant said Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take.”

“Your teammate talk to you that way, you think about it a bit, but we talked about it. But definitely, for sure, I’m not gonna lie about it.”

There was also much more that went into Durant’s decision to leave the Warriors, even after winning a pair of championships with them as Finals MVP both times.

“I just felt like I needed a switch,” Durant said. “I felt like a lot of stuff in Golden State had reared its head. I felt like that was just going to be the end no matter what, especially for that group. Shaun Livingston was retiring, Andre Iguodala was getting older, our contracts were going to stifle the team and put us in a hole to get other players. So it was just like, it was time for all of us to kind of separate.”

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The Warriors earned their first win of the season Monday night, holding off the New Orleans Pelicans 134-123 on the road.

It will come as no shock that this lone victory did not satisfy Draymond Green, who contends that his squad remains far from elite.

Per The AP:

“We’re still not a very good team,” Green said.

Green had 16 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, leading the Warriors to a 134-123 victory over winless New Orleans on Monday night.

Stephen Curry had 26 points, 11 assists and three steals for Golden State, which dropped its first two games by 19 or more points before dominating a Pelicans squad that was missing three injured starters, including top overall draft choice Zion Williamson.

“We got to continue to compete at a high level. The first two nights we didn’t do that. Tonight we did,” Green said, stressing the Warriors have seven players with three or fewer years of experience in the NBA. “As leaders of this team, we continue to try to bring it every night and give them something to follow and, you know, we’ll win some games.”

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“The reality is we [expletive] suck right now,” Draymond Green told reporters following a 120-92 road loss Sunday to the OKC Thunder.

Head coach Steve Kerr admits “there’s frustration all around,” but Stephen Curry says it’s too early in the season to panic.

Per The Mercury News:

“I’ve said for years when everybody loved our offense, it wasn’t our offense that was making us great, it was our defense,” said forward Draymond Green. “Our defense right now is non-existent. Yeah, I don’t even think we know what defense is right now.”

Through two games, the Warriors have the worst-rated defense in the league, giving up 124.3 points per 100 possessions. It’s not even close. The next worst defensive team, the Charlotte Hornets, are giving up nearly seven fewer points per 100 possessions.

“I would like to see us play harder, that would help a little bit, but the reality is we [expletive] suck right now. Hopefully we will get better. We will continue working at it and try to get better, but we’re just not that good right now.”

On going through a rebuild, Green said: “It sucks. I guess just about everybody except Tim Duncan has been through it. But it sucks. Pretty bad.”

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Curry says he has built a lot of trust with new backcourt teammate D’Angelo Russell.

D-Lo is especially focused on improving his defensive play with Golden State.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

“I’m optimistic that we will get off to a hot start,” Curry said. “If we do run into some road bumps throughout the season, we will build a level of communication that we can adjust as we go.”

Russell’s ability to turn defense into offense is one of his more valuable traits, and something that may be an essential component of the Warriors’ attack.

“I just made shots,” Russell said. “There’s a lot of things on the defensive end that I want to get better at, just figuring out the coverages that we’re playing and getting accustomed to those things. It’s easy to make shots in this league. It’s more about doing other things.”

Even with such an encouraging performance, Russell still sees the holes. The areas that need to improve before he can approach All-Star status for the second consecutive season.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, to be honest,” he said. “We’re still figuring each other out. In preseason you make it what it is, for a lot of teams. A lot of teams are set and they know what they’re going to do. For us, we need that time to build in the good things and work on the things we didn’t do so well.”

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“No one ever blames the situation,” says Green.

Chriss, 22, was drafted by the Phoenix Suns as the 8th overall pick in the 2016 Draft, and has earned a spot on Golden State’s roster.

Per The Mercury News:

“I don’t think there was ever a doubt that he was a legitimate NBA player. I think everyone was just waiting for him to turn that corner, and he seems like he’s turned the corner. But I think he’s been in some pretty tough situations,” Green told reporters after Wednesday’s preseason loss to the Lakers.

“No one ever blames the situation, it’s always the kid. No one ever blames the (expletive) franchises. They just always want to blame the kid. It’s not always the kid’s fault,” Green continued. “I’m happy he’s got an opportunity to show what he can really do. He’s a prime example. But no one still is going to blame any organizations, it’ll always be the kid’s fault, and it’ll be the next kid the come’s fault and the next kid after that. So, I’m happy he’s gotten this opportunity.”

Chriss has been among the Warriors’ best players in the preseason, with [Steve] Kerr going as far as saying he’s been “the surprise of camp.”

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“It’s the North Star,” says Curry.

Steph isn’t particularly concerned about carrying a bigger burden for Golden State, nor does he feel any additional pressure.

Per Yahoo Sports:

“We’ll see. I’ll have to listen to my body,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “I know how the playoffs felt last year when KD was out and having to get your rest and your recovery and being able to play at that level. But I’m pretty smart around understanding exactly how I can be at my best and sustaining that over the course of the year. I’m obviously not going to play 82 games, but whatever the intensity is out on the court, I’ll be ready for it.”

But these are still the Warriors, a proud franchise that made reaching the Finals the norm. The pressure to perform at a high level is still very much present, especially while breaking in the new Chase Center in San Francisco.

“If I wasn’t confident in myself, that would really bother me,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not worried about it. And pressure isn’t the right word. I feel there’s an awareness of what our situation is and there’s a freedom in that, too, because I can just go out there and hoop. I’ve never lacked confidence. That’s the thing that’s hard to really put into words with the teams we’ve had the last couple of years from 2015 to now. I’ve approached the game the exact same way, but it just looks different based on who I have out there playing with me like [Kevin Durant] and playing with Klay [Thompson]. It looks different, but my mindset is exactly the same. So, I’m approaching the season the same way, which is to give my all until proven otherwise.”

Good health or not, Curry said his aspirations haven’t changed.

“A championship is still the goal,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “It’s always been. We’ve experienced it all and we’re going to keep pushing to get back there. That’s the goal. It’s the North Star. The narrative might have changed internally, but we’re still chasing the same goal.”

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Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Curry looks to already be “in mid-season form.”

Kerr added that Steph will have “a large offensive burden all year.”

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

“He’s going to have a large offensive burden all year,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Thursday night. “Just the nature of what we’ve lost from a scoring standpoint and a playmaking standpoint.”

By halftime, Curry was up to 24 points, including three 3-pointers.

“Steph looks like he’s in mid-season form now,” Kerr said.

Entering his 11th NBA season — with a roster full of changes — Curry had an idea of what was needed.

“Coming into camp, I have the same mentality every time I step on the floor,” he said. “Doesn’t mean I’m shooting every possession, but I’m trying to make plays and do what I’m comfortable doing and that’s just playing my style of basketball and being aggressive and confident.

“It’s just the natural way of our offense and how I’m going to have the ball more. I just got to make the right plays. Be confident, aggressive and assertive every possession and that gets the dominoes falling.”

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