However, the Warriors will likely look to play with more intensity and focus on meeting their goal of making the NBA Finals again and defending their 2022 championship. That much is clear to four-time champion Klay Thompson (29 points), who noticed that Golden State “relaxed a bit more than we should have,”

“I think with Steph and [Andrew Wiggins] back, we probably relaxed a bit more than we should have,” Gy Thompson said, per ESPN. “We thought with them showing up; we’d just get the dub.”

Meanwhile, Curry and Wiggins are looking to regain their rhythm and swag. Chef Curry dropped 24 points on 8-22 shooting from the floor and 5-15 from beyond the arc. Wiggins contributed 10 points on 5-16 shooting and was noticeably looking to find that aggression and rhythm he had before he suffered his abductor strain and illness that took him out for over a month.

Curry said that he wasn’t thinking about his shoulder while he played and that he didn’t think his conditioning took much of a hit due to the 11 games he missed after suffering a shoulder issue on Dec. 14. He also believed that playing under a minute restriction made finding his rhythm back a little more complicated.

He noted that there was a level of pressure to play at a high level of play within a certain amount of time on the court. He tried to balance regaining his form while trying to play within the flow of the game and said that his first game back was “hit or miss” as he tried to knock the rust off and play within the speed of the game.

“It’s hit or miss with how much rust you will have and how close you can get to the speed of the game,” Curry said. “The first quarter, it felt good just to be out there, running with our guys. I felt like I got stronger as the game went on. In the fourth, the intensity of the game picked up. We were playing very desperately, trying to come back and make some plays. I felt like myself again.”

The Warriors were encouraged by their play in the fourth quarter when they outscored the Suns 34-27 as they climbed back into the game as Curry scored 14 points in the final frame. The two-time MVP hit three consecutive triples to give the Warriors some momentum, then Jordan Poole (27 points) hit a layup, the Dubs got a stop, and Poole hit a three-pointer to pull Golden State to within six after trailing by 27.

“I’m hoping that fourth quarter was the team that I have come to know and love and recognize,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “But we have to show in the first quarter, not in the fourth quarter.”

At the halfway point of the season, Kerr and the Warriors hope they can consistently play as they did in the fourth quarter. They have another 41 games left in the season to see if that’s who they are or if this Jekyll and Hyde type of season is who they are.

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time,” Curry said. “Eventually, you have to do it, or else time runs out. We have 41 games to figure it out — or else we won’t.”

The post Stephen Curry on His Return to Play and Regaining His Rhythm appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors have said they wanted Wiggins to be a full participant in practice before he can play again, and that stipulation has finally been met. Head coach Steve Kerr announced Wiggins participated in all practice activity on Thursday and that “there’s a chance he could play tomorrow,” according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

Andrew Wiggins practiced in full today, Kerr said.

“There’s a chance he could play tomorrow.”

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) January 6, 2023

Wiggins’ return comes on the heels of Kerr announcing Stephen Curry could come back from his shoulder injury as soon as Jan. 13 when the Warriors start their next road trip against the San Antonio Spurs next week.

The Warriors (20-19) are coming off a last-second loss to the Pistons. They look to return to their winning ways on Saturday when they take on the Orlando Magic. They’re two games back of grabbing fourth place in the Western Conference playoff standings.

The post Steve Kerr: ‘There’s a Chance’ Andrew Wiggins Could Return and Play on Saturday 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.

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

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

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

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

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

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 21, 2022

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

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

After the loss, Kerr addressed the media about the NBA’s lack of enforcement on travel calls this year.

“I think only based on consistency,” said Kerr on Thursday via 95.7 The Game’s “Damon and Ratto” when asked if travel calls are currently being enforced in the League. “On tape, all seven of ours were definitely travels. There was one on Dallas that I did not think was a travel — But there were also five or six other plays in the game that were definitely travels, including where Luka (Dončić) carries the ball in the post when he’s backing you down, and he puts his hand all the way underneath the ball. That’s a travel, and you’ve got to enforce it all — especially if you’re going to call the one on Steph (Curry) at the end with the game on the line when it’s a tiny little shuffle.”

By all means, the nine-time champ is not disagreeing with travel calls being called more since players are somehow getting away with them nowadays. He is just saying that these rules have to be called both ways during games, and it has to happen with all the other 29 teams in the NBA. Kerr made sure to reiterate this point too.

“You know me; I’m Mr. Travel. I’m all for enforcing traveling,” Kerr pointed out. “But it just has to be done all the time. And it can’t just be sort of selective.”

These comments on there being more balance with which teams are being called out more for travels trace back to what Kerr touched on earlier in November after a game with the Miami Heat. Warriors guard Jordan Poole had more travel calls called on him than the entire Heat team by the final buzzer. 

“Jordan Poole has been called for, I would guess, seven or eight palming violations over the last month since the League decided to really enforce all that stuff,” Kerr said following the Warriors’ loss to Miami on Nov.1. “And if that’s the case, then we’ve got to call it on everybody – And that’s my only beef, is that these things are happening a lot. We got called for a bunch of them. I have no problem with it. Like I said, a rule’s a rule, but let’s just be consistent. That’s all I ask.”

The Warriors will be back in action on Friday in a showdown with the Chicago Bulls.

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

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NBA G League (@nbagleague)

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

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

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

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

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

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

The defending champs have heard all the noise, and last night, one player, in particular, stepped up and gave us an offensive performance for the ages. Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson had a vintage shooting performance last night versus the Houston Rockets on the road.

Thompson dropped 41 points on 14-23 shooting from the field, which included 10 threes! It was an absolutely unconscious offensive performance, the likes of which many basketball fans have missed from him. Not only was this a huge win and boost for Thompson’s confidence, but his supernova night helped to snap Golden State’s eight-game road losing streak.

Thompson has had to overcome some major injuries over the past few NBA seasons, from a torn Achilles and ACL. So when hearing that, some people thought his game was slipping coming back this season after fighting for two seasons to get back hurt.

In a postgame interview with CBS Sports following the Warriors’ win, Thompson had this to say about his night:

“It feels amazing. I’m hard on myself, so I’ve been wanting one of these. And to get one and kind of open the floodgates, it’s only up from here. I promise you,” Thompson said in his postgame interview. “I finally feel like myself. My legs feel great. I’m cutting to the rim, taking great shots, and I’m just excited for what’s to come. Man, I’m not gonna lie, guys, that felt amazing. Wow. I don’t care if it’s a mid-November game. That felt great.”

Shout out to Klay Thompson, a true warrior; the game has missed you!

The post Klay Thompson’s Big Night Helps Golden State Secure Their First Road Win 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.

Kerr made the announcement on Monday following Golden State’s 132-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Wiseman played nine minutes and posted two points, two rebounds, and assists. He didn’t play in any of Golden’s Staes’ previous three games.

“Yeah, he going to go to Santa Cruz tomorrow, and we will keep him there for an extended period to get really good practice time and some games,” Kerr said per NBCS Warriors. “It’s not going to be one game and bring him back; we want to give him 10 straight days, something like that, and then come back.”

Steve Kerr said James Wiseman will go to the G-League tomorrow and stay down there for an extended time. Warriors want to get him reps. Said it could be 10 consecutive days or longer. pic.twitter.com/zIMOKAK8J6

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 15, 2022

Wiseman was expected to be a meaningful contributor on a Warriors team looking to prioritize winning and developing their young studs like Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody. The former No. 2 played 39 games before he suffered a season-ending knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.

Wiseman first played in the G League in March before the Warriors shut him down. This season, the former Memphis Tiger is averaging 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds on 58.8 percent shooting from the field. When Jordan Poole was asked about Wiseman getting a G League assignment, the Michigan Man said he told Wiseman not to see it as a demotion or punishment.

Furthermore, Poole believes that Wiseman will be “a-okay” and that the G League assignment will allow Wiseman to get back into his bag and work on shots and moves he doesn’t get to utilize while being on the main roster.

Jordan Poole on James Wiseman going to the G-League (which Poole once did): “I told him it’s not a demotion. It’s not a punishment. He’s going to go down there and shoot as many shots as he wants, get as many touches as he wants, work on as many moves as he wants.” pic.twitter.com/ISivLSigjn

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 15, 2022

From a former player and coach’s perspective, Kerr knows it’s tough being a young player falling out of the rotation. However, the veteran coach has confidence that Wiseman will “find his way back to the rotation at some point.” Most of all, Kerr believes that the G League stint is “the best thing for him” since he’ll get “play a lot of minutes.”

“It’s really hard. It’s really hard for anybody to be in and out of the lineup, but for a young guy who’s been through a lot already, it’s a lot to go through,” Kerr said. “But this is part of his journey. Everybody’s got a different one. Part of his is he barely played any basketball before he got to the NBA, and he had a major injury. What I love about James is that he’s got incredible character, work ethic, and care for the team.

The Warriors will look to build on their latest win and build a winning streak when they play the Suns on Wednesday.

The post James Wiseman Headed to Santa Cruz For ‘Extended Period’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is nothing like a regular season NBA game with a playoff atmosphere, and basketball fans watching on television and in attendance got a real treat watching these two teams go at it so early in the season.

With the Warriors coming off yet another impressive championship run and a young seasoned Suns team on the rise knocking at the door trying to get back to the Finals, things got a bit heated between the two teams.

Can’t. Be. Stopped. @DevinBook with his 3rd straight 30-point game! pic.twitter.com/bFQdtuNsMC

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 26, 2022

In the third quarter, Warriors legend Klay Thompson was ejected for the first time in his professional career after picking up two quick technical fouls. These techs were given after Thompson was seen visibly taunting the Sun’s bench and jawing back and forth with Suns guard Devin Booker.

In that third quarter alone, a record-tying seven technical fouls were given out between both teams in one quarter. Postgame, Stephen Curry had the following to say per ESPN in regard to Thompson getting tossed.

“After he got thrown out, he had a lot more to say, which I love,” Curry said. “The back and forth is a part of the game, and I like that he’s engaged in that respect because it matters to him.”

Curry added that since the Warriors are the defending champs, teams will try to come at them, especially on the road, to get their home crowd into it. Curry and the Warriors know they have a target on their back coming off their fourth championship win in the last seven years and that every team going against them will have something to prove.

When Dubs Coach Steve Kerr weighed in on Thompson’s ejection postgame, he downplayed the altercation, and talked about how D-Book and Thompson had a similar incident when Booker was first breaking into the League.

“He and Book have gotten into it a little bit over the years; they’re just competitors, both great players — I remember four or five years ago when Book was first coming up, Klay was in his prime, he went at it one night in Oracle, and the same type of thing happened,” Kerr said. “There were no ejections, but they’re both competitive, they’re guarding each other, and this is the NBA. Highest competition in the world, stuff like that happens.”

Suns Coach Monty Williams also downplayed Booker and Thompson’s interaction when spoke to the media after the game. Williams believes that the championship veteran Warriors will always bring the best out of an up-and-coming team like the Suns.

“I think both teams want it. I don’t think it’s personal at all. I think we respect them. They’re the champions,” Williams said. “So, they’re going to get our best because they are the best. So, I think a lot of the emotion is just about being competitive. We don’t take it personally at all; we just understand better that once all that stuff happens, we got to get back on focusing on being competitive and trying to win the game.”

When Booker said his two cents, the former Kentucky Wildcat said that he admires Thompson and that he’s trying to become a champion like his shooting guard contemporary.

“We’re just two competitors; I love Klay Thompson,” Booker said. “I have for a really long time. But it’s not going to excuse from us being competitive and talking to each other. I’ve always admired his game, how he plays on both ends of the ball. And obviously, the rings speak for themselves.”

Devin Booker spoke on the situation with Klay Thompson. Went on to say Klay was probably frustrated by the off night he was having and noted he kept going back to the 4 rings, which is what he wants pic.twitter.com/vInEsJcJnp

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) October 26, 2022

This situation is not one that needs to be overanalyzed or blown out of proportion. It is just a simple case of two teams and two top players going at it; this is nothing new, especially in sports. We have all seen it repeatedly; it’s just basketball. At the end of the day, both teams and players have a great deal of respect for one another and will not let this deter them from accomplishing their true goal, a championship.

These two teams have two more matchups this season on November 16th and January 10th. If that first game did not make things clear enough, their next matchup is one that you do not want to miss!

The post Phoenix and Golden State Downplay Altercation Between Devin Booker and Klay Thompson appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Draymond Andrew pic.twitter.com/GDNRYHOHSR

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

The post Steve Kerr Believes ‘This Is the Best I’ve Ever Seen’ Andrew Wiggins Play 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 talent may not be elite on the roster, but that’s what makes Lakers Coach Darvin Ham even more impressed with Brown’s start.

“Mike [Brown] is a great ambassador for the game and a great coach in his own right,” Ham told the Sacramento Bee after the Lakers lost to the Kings to end the preseason. “making sure they’re detail-oriented, making sure they’re consistent. He’s a guy that’s passionate but not emotional — At the end of the day, he’s going to make sure he has all of his resources in order — to reemphasize why they should be doing exactly what he’s asking of them to do.”

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Brown is at the helm of a team in a 16-season playoff drought, the longest of any franchise in the history of the NBA. It may be a mountain to climb in this new tenure, but Brown has been through the highest and the lowest of being an NBA head coach.

Notable moments of Brown’s career were when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals, surrounding the team’s former superstar, LeBron James, with various shooters and stout defenders. Later in his tenure with the Cavs, Brown orchestrated back-to-back 60+ win seasons, earning Coach of the Year honors in 2009.

Although his coaching career took a slight bump with the Cavs and Lakers in the early 2010s, Brown picked his name right back up as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, winning three championships in five years (2017-2022) with the Golden State Warriors.

One of the philosophies Brown has seemed to incorporate into the Kings from the Warriors is the expectation of relentless defense from the young assets. Kings star De’Aaron Fox believes Sacramento has benefitted from Brown’s heavy ‘attention to detail’ defensively. James noticed that playing defense is also a tenet of Brown’s coaching philosophy.

“He’s someone that, if you don’t defend, you won’t get on the floor,” James said. “When he came to Cleveland, we became one of the best defensive teams in the League every single year. That gave us a chance to win every single night. Offensively, some nights we weren’t that good, but we were always in games because we defended.”

IT’S GAME DAY! #RoarWithUs pic.twitter.com/2CsVAhTlTi

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 19, 2022

Sacramento fans could be heavily intrigued by that, considering Fox hasn’t returned to that pesky defender he once was in the 2018-19 season, where he attributed 133 total steals (sixth best). Of course, Brown first wants to see stout defensive teamwork before jumping into individual accolades.

“Although we want everybody to bring it defensively as an individual, it’s not one guy guarding the ball,” said Brown, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s five guys guarding the ball, so we want to see five guys on a string. We want to communicate — Those are some of the things which are staples that we want to see on the defensive side of the ball, but the biggest thing is competing.”

The Kings aren’t expected to become the NBA’s best defensive team or break the 16-year curse of missing the playoffs, but wilder things have happened from first-year coaches, and Brown looks to fill the hearts of the many Sacramento fans that have been desperate for a team built towards long-term success.

The post ‘Detail-Oriented’ Mike Brown Inspiring Confidence in and Out of Sacramento 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.

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.

That persistence paid off as the third-year big man played well at Summer League, where his tantalizing skillset shined. Wiseman said he felt good after Summer League play and Coach Steve Kerr recently raved about Wiseman gaining a lot of confidence in his knee.

In the Golden State Warrior’s first preseason game in Tokyo, Japan, versus the Washington Wizards, Wiseman sure looked like his old self finishing the game with 20 points on 72.7 percent shooting from the field while grabbing nine rebounds and one block as well.

“This is my first game out of two years,” Wiseman said. “But I just went out there and just played my game. I wasn’t trying to do as much; I wasn’t trying to do something that was outside of my boundaries, just keep the game simple and just be myself out there.”

Wiseman’s preseason debut lasted a little over twenty-three minutes a. The brief stint filled Warriors fans’ minds with optimism as the Dubs look to win back-to-back championships. Given the Golden State Warrior’s strong foundation, a budding young core of talent, and a roster full of elite vets, there talented is no reason why the Warriors should not be top favorites to win it all again this season.

With the 2023 NBA season set to tip off in just a few more days, the Warriors start their long journey to become the back-to-back champs Tuesday, Oct. 18, versus the Los Angles Lakers.

The post James Wiseman: ‘Just Played My Game’ During First Warriors Preseason Game 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.

At the championship stage, there are no moral victories. For what it’s worth, nine-time champion (combined as a player and coach) Coach Steve Kerr praised the Celtics for their run to the Finals after starting the season at .500 through the first 50 games. Boston ended up winning 26 of their last 32 games and finished the regular season with the League’s best defense.

The Celtics then went through a successful revenge tour through the Eastern Conference playoffs, beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heats on their way to the Finals. Those three squads are the only other teams to beat Boston in the last three postseasons.

“I wanna say congrats to the Celtics on a great series,” Kerr said. “They were incredible. Their defensive athleticism, length, and toughness was really tough to overcome. They had us on the ropes in the series and had a tremendous season. Since I’ve been here, we lost in the Finals twice, and it’s devastating to get this far and to come up short. I got a lot of friends across that hall between Ime and Will Hardy, Damon Stoudamire, Aaron Miles, a bunch of really good friends. Guys, I’ve coached and in FIBA, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White — great group of guys.”

“I genuinely feel for them cause I know what it’s like to lose at this point. But they had an amazing run, and it’s a great series.”

Steve Kerr sends his respect to the @celtics after a tough series.#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/7dVZDJAz1S

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

For the first time in their playoff run, Boston not only lost back-to-back games after winning their first seven games after a loss, but they lost three straight for the first since late December. Turnovers played a significant part in that December losing streak, committing at least 15 in those three consecutive l’s. On Thursday, Boston coughed the ball up a season-worse 22 times.

The Celtics were 0-8 in this postseason when they turned the ball over at least 15 times. Jaylen Brown led Boston in scoring with 34 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, followed by Al Horford’s 19 points and 14 rebounds outing and Jayson Tatum’s 13 points and seven dimes on 6-18 shooting from the field.

“Offensively, we were not good this series,” said Brown, who was Boston’s leading scorer for the series with an average of 23.5 points per game. “Give credit to the Warriors. They forced us into doing stuff that we didn’t want to do, and that resulted in turnovers, et cetera. At times, we just got to be better. That’s it.”

Tatum, in particular, struggled with ball security, becoming the first player in playoff history to commit 100 turnovers. He also committed 23 turnovers in the Finals. Tatum scored 21.5 points per game in the Finals, a drop from the 27 he averaged during the regular-season. Tatum’s struggles in the Finals could be attributed to the grueling road to the Finals.

The Celtics played back-to-back Game 7’s against the Bucks and Heat, two of the most physical teams in the League. There’s also the emotional wear and tear it takes to make it to the championship stage.

Regardless, Boston’s core of Tatum, Brown, and Smart is under contract next season, and their championship window will still be open despite the significant challenges the Bucks, Heat, and Brooklyn Nets will present in Boston’s hopeful return to the Finals.

The post Steve Kerrs Praises Boston Celtics Run to the Finals: ‘They Were Incredible’ appeared first on SLAM.

But in Game 5, Curry’s rocketship of momentum came back down to earth after finishing Monday night’s game with 16 points on 7-22 shooting from the field, including missing all nine of his three-point attempt.

Coach Steve Kerr wasn’t surprised that Curry ended up having an off night.

“I think Steph was probably due for a game like this,” Kerr said per NBCSports. “He’s been shooting the ball so well. At some point, he’s going to have a tough night. But we’ve got a lot of talent, a lot of depth that can make up for that. And our guys did a good job of that tonight.” 

Chef with the layyy. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/w0V7NJ4Myp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Up until Game 5, Curry knocked multiple triples down in 38 straight playoff games, including 132 games with at least one three made. Curry has made at least one three in 233 consecutive games between the regular season and postseason. The credit goes to Boston’s defense, wearing the two-time MVP with different defensive looks, and not allowing Curry to walk into his three-point attempts like he was able to in the previous four games.

"Warriors"

The energy from inside the Chase Center pic.twitter.com/t0cgxUsRZF

— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2022

However, Golden State proved that they could win even if Curry weren’t playing at a superhero level. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 26 points and 13 rebounds, Klay Thompson finished with 21 points, and Jordan Poole contributed 14 points, including three to beat the third-quarter buzzer to steal the momentum going into the final frame.

“Steph is the best to ever shoot it — everyone in this building, including the fans and those watching, believe the ball is going in when it leaves his fingertips,” Thompson said.

"Steph is the best to ever shoot it… everyone in this building including the fans and those watching believe the ball is going in when it leaves his fingertips."

Klay Thompson on Steph Curry's shooting struggles in Game 5. pic.twitter.com/kAi9pn6spM

— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2022

The Golden State Warriors are just one win away from claiming their first title since 2015. The Warriors’ 104-94 point win also snapped Boston’s 7-0 record after a loss.

The post Steve Kerr: Stephen Curry ‘Due’ For Rough Outing appeared first on SLAM.

To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 72-10

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, Bill Wennington

In February 1996, while the Bulls were warming up for a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles, a man ran out of the stands and onto the court, where Michael Jordan was practicing some free throws. The man threw himself at Jordan’s feet and remained there for several seconds before being removed from the arena by security.

Some people may have been unnerved by the display of homage, however strange it may have been, but it didn’t rattle Jordan. He and the Bulls rolled past the Lakers, 99-84, yet another convincing performance by the greatest team in NBA history.

It’s not like the Bulls hadn’t been great before. They won three titles from 1991-93. But then Jordan decided to play some baseball, and though he returned during the ’94-95 campaign, it was too late to lift Chicago to another championship. All that changed the following season, when Jordan and the Bulls embarked on a remarkable year that transfixed the nation’s sporting public and caused folks like the man in Los Angeles to do crazy things to prove their devotion to the team.

This was the first time Superman, Batman and Rodman were together, and the presence of eccentric forward Dennis Rodman alone was enough to create a frenzy. But putting these three giant basketball performers on the same team was almost too much for the sporting public to process. The Bulls became the nation’s number one sensation. When they showed up in town, fans worked themselves into a froth. Home games at the United Center were more than just celebrations. They were practically coronations. That’s how good the Bulls were and how much people around the NBA expected them to win it all again.

Jordan, of course, reigned. He won the scoring title for the eighth time in his career. He was magnetic and capable of causing sensations before, but this season his impact on society grew even more. He got his own cologne. He announced his new Chicago restaurant, which would open the following fall. And he was part of a traveling circus that rivaled the Beatles’ arrival on American soil. Wherever the Bulls went, they were mobbed by adoring fans.

Scottie Pippen was a big part of the show, too. His scoring numbers were modest—19.4 a game—but whenever rivals paid too much attention to Jordan, Pippen took over. And then there was Rodman, the rebounding, defending dervish with multiple tattoos and hair colors, whose effort could never be questioned. Throw in highly-talented European forward Toni Kukoc, center Luc Longley and productive backcourt guards  Ron Harper and Steve Kerr, and the Bulls were as complete a team as there ever was. It was all held together by Phil Jackson’s steady hand and Tex Winter’s triangle offense, which continued to overwhelm rivals.

On April 16, they dumped the Bucks, 86-80, to win their 70th game, thereby passing the 1971-72 Lakers for the most regular-season victories in NBA history. Chicago had winning streaks of 18 and 13 during the season and finished with 72 triumphs. It was a remarkable performance, one the Bulls matched in the playoffs. They skunked Miami in the first round and needed only five games to dispatch the Knicks in the Eastern Semis. The Bulls trampled Orlando to win the conference championship, setting up a Finals meeting with Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Seattle.

After winning the first three games of the series, Chicago stumbled twice, giving the Sonics some hope. It was hardly warranted. The Bulls won the finale, 87-75, to cap their history-making season. The greatest team ever laid the foundation for a 69-win regular season in ‘96-97 and a hysteria-inducing fandom that surrounded the ’97-98 season.

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Photos via Getty Images

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“I just stay strong, of course, like I have some hard times — just me being a competitor like I want to obviously be out there playing with my teammates. Just keeping an even-keeled head, just making sure I reassure myself that I’m young, I’m 21-years-old, so I got a long career ahead of me. So, like it’s really just taking it one day at a time, just keep working. That’s really it.”

Wiseman was attempting to suit up for the Warriors back in March after a three-game stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G-League; however, the franchise decided to shut him down to protect his long-term outlook. Coach Steve Kerr said it was a ‘very simple’ decision, adding that they are protecting Wiseman’s future.

Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field last year in his rookie season. He will be watching his squad take on the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night for Game 4, currently up 2-1 in the series.

The post James Wiseman Explains Mindset Amidst Rehabbing Process appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t even know what that means in the playoffs. I did not even understand what he meant by that,” Brooks said.

The 26-year-old later followed up by saying he would “take the playback if he could.”

“It’s in the past,” Brooks said per ESPN. “I didn’t mean for it to hurt somebody. If I were to take it back in a moment, I would. But it’s in the past.”

Brooks will be back in the Grizzlies lineup for Game 4 against the Warriors, while Ja Morant remains doubtful to play while he deals with some knee soreness that he experienced in Game 3.

Ja Morant reacted to Jordan Poole grabbing his knee.

(via @JaMorant) pic.twitter.com/9XhvkPfYxG

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 8, 2022

The Grizzlies look to tie the series up 2-2 on Monday.

The post Dillon Brooks on Steve Kerr’s ‘Code’ Comments: ‘I Don’t Even Know What That Means in the Playoffs’ appeared first on SLAM.

“Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career. He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league’s premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento.”

Brown is currently the lead assistant with Golden State, whom he was with when they won back-to-back NBA Championships in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Current Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was lost for words when speaking about Brown leaving Dub Nation to join Sacramento.

“I don’t even know where to begin. What Mike has done for me, this organization in his six years here — He’s an amazing coach, friend. Sacramento made a great choice.”

Brown was named Coach of the Year back in 2008-09 after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a franchise-record 66 wins alongside a then 24-year-old LeBron James. Brown holds a 347-216 career record as a head coach (61.6 winning percentage), having led six of his seven squads to the postseason when being at the helm.

Brown will remain with the Warriors through the 2022 playoffs before heading to Sactown.

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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).

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While Morant flexed in front of the Memphis faithful following his clutch bucket to ice the Grizzlies late victory, his joyful moment was interrupted by a young fan wearing a Stephen Curry jersey who extended his hand out for a dap. As if he were the Grinch who stole Christmas, Morant stared at the boy, talked his talk, and ultimately denied the fan a high-five.

LET EM KNOW, JA! (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/iBrgAB98TZ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2022

During his regular postgame media appearance, Morant said that the boy showed an apparent lack of respect for the Grizzlies when he showed up to the FedEx Forum in the enemies’ colors.

“He was disrespectful with that jersey on,” Morant said per ESPN. “We Memphis. It looked like he wanted to cheer, but he had that jersey on. I apologize to him, but in that moment, bro, take that jersey off and then dap me up. Somebody find his information. I’ll send him one myself.”

“Number one, we’re one of the best teams in the league,” said Morant. “I feel like that’s number one. And number two, we’re showing how deep our roster is. No matter what’s thrown at us, we bounce back from it and come out and win games. We’ve got to keep it rolling, continue to play together, continue to battle.”

Now at 29-14 and in the middle of a 10-game win streak, the Grizzlies have undoubtedly gained the attention of the League’s elite after leapfrogging the Jazz for third place in the Western Conference standings. And that’s with Dillon Brooks in and out of the lineup due to injury and virus protocols and Morant missing 12 games after suffering a sprained knee in November.

CALL 12. pic.twitter.com/T7pnA9xzXO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2022

“They’ve turned into one of the best teams in the league,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said, “Building this team from the ground up in the last few years.”

The Grizzlies have grabbed the minds of many due to Morant’s incredible exploits and have gained the attention of the League’s elite as they continue to build on their win streak. Curry, who had multiple entertaining moments with Morant last season, will surely keep this Memphis team on his radar as the Grizzlies grow.

“They’re obviously fueled by everything that Ja (Morant) does and how explosive he is,” Curry said. “They obviously got us last year in the play-in game and got us twice this year, and we got them once, so it’s a natural evolution of a team trying to take that next step.

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The Warriors signed Otto Porter Jr. this past offseason, hoping that Porter could provide consistent shooting coming off the bench. Porter is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from long range for his career. Which the Dubs hope will be a lethal combination with Jordan Poole when Klay Thompson makes his return to the lineup. While Porter has always been known as one of the league’s most accurate shooters, he’s also known as a player that can’t stay on the floor. 

The nine-year player’s struggles with injuries with each of his last three previous teams scared off many NBA teams and were considered a gamble to Golden State. That gamble has paid off handsomely, according to Warriors Coach Steve Kerr. 

Kerr was a guest on 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto” podcast this week and expressed how impressed he was with Porter Jr.’s season thus far. 

“I think the biggest surprise, honestly, is that he’s been healthy,” Kerr said. “It had been a rough couple of years for Otto. He has not been healthy. As soon as he signed his contract in the summer, he was in our training room that week and every day since. He put in the work, and it’s paid off for him.

“We knew he was a good player. It was mainly, we were just trying to figure if he was going to be available and healthy. It’s just been great to see. He’s really been a fun player to coach and play with.”

Otto Porter scored 7.6 points and grabs 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three-point range in 26 games off the bench for Golden State. 

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Kerr’s coaching staff up to this point include two NBA head coaches and one from college. They are Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns), Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), and Mark Few (Gonzaga University). This coaching staff is the beginning of Grant Hill’s tenure as managing director of USA Basketball after replacing long-time director Jerry Colangelo.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a press conference to make the official announcement will come on Monday.

USA Basketball has called a Monday news conference the Chase Center in San Francisco to formally introduce Steve Kerr as the new national coach. https://t.co/1e2Sd75OgD

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 19, 2021

Kerr brings a resume that includes three NBA championships and five NBA Finals appearances as the head of the Golden State Warriors. He was one of the assistants on Popovich’s staff this past summer when Team USA took the gold medal. Monty Williams was a member of Mike Krzyzewski’s gold medal staff in 2016.

One significant advantage Steve Kerr has is the inside track to NBA superstar Stephen Curry who remains noncommittal to playing for Team USA but was excited for his coach nonetheless according to Woj. 

“He talked about just he couldn’t imagine when he got into coaching in ’14 that we had the success we’ve had and he’d have the opportunity to leverage that into the next USA Men’s Basketball coach, which is pretty awesome,”

“I know it will probably flex a different muscle for him in terms of, it’s almost like borderline you’ve got to go recruit some guys, you’ve got to be the morale booster, you’ve got to put in a system. But it’s about the culture that you create around that team because you’re not together all the time. And how quickly can you guys jell. So that will be fun to watch.”

Kerr has been involved with Team USA basketball since 1986, when he started as a player that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Spain. It marked the last amateur team that won gold before the Americans were upset in the 1988 Olympics.

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After setting the record, the Baby-Face Assassin embraced the previous two record-holders, Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. 

One for the history books. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/nP5IMTUTk9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 15, 2021

Last week as the Warrior legend was approaching the career mark, he only needed to knock 16 three-pointers going into games against the 76ers and Pacers.

“I’m enjoying the moment. Now that you’re knocking on the doorstep it’s pretty surreal, but it’s also trying to just let it happen,” Curry said. “It’s one thing I’ve learned over these last few games is just keep playing basketball, keep taking shots you think you’ll make, and enjoy the experience of it because it’s a long time coming.”

Curry posted 22 points, three assists, and three rebounds while hitting five three-pointers in a 105-96 win over the Knicks. He’s has now knocked down a combined 2,977 shots from beyond the arc.

On November 12, Curry broke the career mark for three-pointers made in the regular season and playoffs, scoring 40 points and passing out five dimes in a 119-93 win against the Bulls.

The Warriors return to play Friday for the front end of a back-to-back, playing against the Celtics and ending their road trip against the Raptors.

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According to Kerith Burke of NBC Sports, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Klay Thompson is back to playing 5-on-5 basketball and is going “full bore.”

On Tuesday, Thompson also spoke to media, including Nick Friedell of ESPN, and talked about his return to play and how excited he is to be back on the court.

“It’s so exciting … the boring stuff’s behind me — I’m just incredibly grateful to be out there,” Thomspon said per Friedell.

Thompson has been out since the 2019 NBA Finals, missing the entirety of the 2019-20 season with a torn ACL and all of the 2020-2021 campaign with a torn Achilles injury.

When Thompson was last suited up for Golden State, he was one of the league’s best two-way players. Thompson has accumulated five All-Star appearances, was named to two All-NBA teams and was a member of the 2018-19 All-Defensive team.

Over his career, Thompson is averaging 19.5 points per game and is shooting 41.9 percent from distance.

So far this season, the Warriors have the best record in the NBA, sitting at 15-2 one game above the reigning Western Conference champion Phoneix Suns.

The post Klay Thompson on Return to Playing Basketball: ‘It’s so Exciting’ appeared first on SLAM.

In the Warriors 104-89 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday, Curry surpassed himself for the most three-pointers made through the first 15 games of the season. In 2018-19, Curry recorded 80, and last night reached his 85th make from downtown.

“Nothing surprises me anymore, and yet I’m amazed if that makes sense,” Steve Kerr said postgame.

It makes complete sense coach, especially after Curry reached yet another milestone in Cleveland, recording the most games played with nine threes made at a League-high of 38.

85 made threes in 15 games. NO LIMIT. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/zcsuorDFhP

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 19, 2021

Curry’s 20 of his 40 points came in the fourth quarter, propelling the Warriors out of a 13-point deficit into a League-best 13-2 record. Curry shot 8-for-12 in the final quarter dropping in nine threes for the second consecutive game.

“That’s what greatness is about — where you want to see it, fans come to see it, and then you sort of expect something to happen and then he does it and you’re just in awe. You’re amazed. He’s a special player, special person,” Kerr said via ESPN.

The post Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry Recording Most Threes in First 15 Games: ‘Nothing surprises me anymore, and yet I’m amazed.’ appeared first on SLAM.

Two nights later against the Los Angeles Clippers, Curry had a night to remember.

So @StephenCurry30 had a night…

Named to #NBA75 before tip
25 1Q points on 9-9 shooting
45 in the game
Go-ahead triple to lift @warriors pic.twitter.com/98JFwH9lsA

— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2021

The Golden State Warriors superstar dropped 45 points to carry his team to a win over the LA Clippers, 115-113. After shooting only 5-21 on opening night, Curry hit all of his nine shots from the field for 25 points in the first quarter, and then returned late to close out the game with 10 points in the final four minutes on the game with two shots from downtown.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has been on the sidelines for years for these types of performances, per abc News, he says he’s “still blown away”:

“Jama [assistant coach] came up to me after the game, he said, ‘This may not be new to you guys, but [DeJan Milojevic] and I were just talking’—this is their first time with the Steph Curry Experience,” Kerr said. “They were just blown away. And even though we’ve all been here watching it, I’m still blown away. There’s never been anybody like him. Not just the shooting range but the competitiveness, the guts, just an amazing, amazing player. What a game he had.”

Curry’s first quarter explosion was the second time in his career that he attained 25 points and five threes while not missing a shot in a single quarter. 

The Warriors are currently 2-0 and play the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

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Kerr recently spoke to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, saying he would definitely be interested in coaching Team USA in 2024 given the opportunity.  

“Of course I’d be interested. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I’ll leave it at that. I have no idea how it will all transpire; there are a lot of great candidates out there. And if I were to be considered, that would be an honor,” said Kerr.

While it’s still just an idea right now, Kerr should certainly be considered if the time does come where the United States needs a new coach at the helm.

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Wiseman played in just 39 games (27 starts) due to injury while averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. He shot 62.8 percent from the free throw line and 31.6 percent from three. 

In the modern NBA, the value of the center seems to have fallen in recent drafts. To some, it was surprising that Wiseman went in the top-three. However, Deandre Ayton was the top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and has turned out to be a star. 

In fact, Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently talked on 95.7 The Game about Wiseman, saying he thinks he can become the next Ayton. 

“To me, the most interesting thing has just been watching Deandre Ayton. And I talk to James and text him, and I’m just so inspired by what Ayton has been able to do, and I think there’s no reason why James can’t follow that same path. What Phoenix has done with Ayton is they’ve really streamlined his game. You look back a couple years ago and he was kind of all over the map. You could tell how gifted he was but you weren’t exactly sure what he was, and they’ve figured it out.”

While Ayton put up much better numbers his rookie season than Wiseman, his game has certainly come a long way to now. If Wiseman can make strides over the next few seasons, perhaps he can make the postseason impact that Ayton has over the past month. 

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After Golden State was outrebounded 57-34 in a bad 126-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kerr let loose to reporters about the lack of rebounding discipline by today’s players by not boxing out.

“This is the modern NBA — guys don’t box out,” Kerr says, via NBC Sports. “It’s just the way it is. Every night on League Pass, I see the same thing. Players let guys come in from the weak side, and they think, ‘I’ll just get the rebound.’ It’s a disease that’s rampant in the NBA. The problem is, if you’re a real small team like us, then it’s going to hurt you more than it will hurt other teams…

“I see teams let a guy run past them in transition for a layup. We do it. Every team does it. If you did that 25 years ago, your coach would take you out and he wouldn’t play you again. Now everybody does it, and as a coach, you can’t take everybody out. So there are certain parts of the game that are just different; players aren’t as locked in on those things. I think just because it’s a different time.”

Veteran role players like Shaun Livingston, Andrew Bogut, and Andre Iguodala have been replaced with youngsters like James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Kelly Oubre. The transition to young players may have left a major weakness in rebounding.

The frustrations could be also connected to missed opportunities from the team’s current two-game losing streak. A Warriors’ win over the Dallas Mavericks and Timberwolves would have pulled them one game out of the sixth seed. Now, the Warriors have a 31-32 record and are 4.5 games out of the sixth spot with nine games left in the season.

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Despite that, a few of the things that have stayed constant are Steph Curry’s greatness and Steve Kerr’s philosophy of ball movement and getting production out of everyone he puts on the floor. 

As good as Curry was during Golden State’s championships, he got his teammates involved and got the most out of them. The attention that opposing defenses have to put toward him allows Curry to make his teammates better. 

To Kerr, Curry making those surrounding him more efficient is more important now than it ever has been. Without Klay Thompson, guys like Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre are carrying a heavy offensive load. 

Kerr has gone out of his way to make sure he runs plays to get other guys involved. He talked to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic about this on Monday after a dominant performance from Curry against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

“The reason for mixing it up and not just giving it to Steph and saying, ‘Just make a play for the rest of the night every time’ — you’re trying to engage the team and you’re trying to build something that’s greater than the sum of its parts. And when Steph is at his best, he’s flying off screens, two defenders are running at him, we’re slipping to the rim, guys are getting dunks, everybody is happy, everybody is engaged. The defense is frustrated because they can’t load up on him. And Steph knows that. That’s always the balance we’re trying to find. We want him to be aggressive. But if we just had him run pick-and-roll every time, I don’t think our team would be that good, frankly.”

Long story short, getting everyone involved and moving the ball is key. It’s a team game and the Warriors will be most successful if everyone is getting shots and the offensive load is distributed more evenly. Kerr knows best, as he led Golden State to three titles since 2015. 

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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.”

The post NBA Reacts To Riots At U.S. Capitol appeared first on SLAM.

While guesting on the TK Show podcast with The Athletic‘s Tim Kawakami, Kerr said Golden State won’t be “reinventing the wheel” offensively with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all back to full health.

Kerr: “We’re still going to be the Warriors. We’re not going to all of a sudden turn into the Rockets and change our offense and have one guy go high pick-and-roll 70 times a game.“

That would be so you, Steve. Just do that, just do iso ball, pick-and-roll. I think that’s where your heart is with this [laughs].

Kerr: “[Laughs] I think I would resign first. We’ve got to be ourselves, and what make Steph and Klay [Thompson] the players they are is the combination of what they can do on and off ball. That’s what moves defenses.

“What makes Draymond [Green] special is his ability to distribute from either the 4 or the 5 spot—to have playmaking at that level.”

Kerr went on to say that he thinks the Warriors using Green as a facilitator has influenced other teams in the League—including the Miami Heat who use Bam Adebayo as a playmaker.

Rather than making wholesale changes on the offensive end, Kerr said that the Warriors will focus on defense. Without as many athletic wings and shot-blocking big men, Golden State will need to find new ways to stop opposing offenses.

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During an interview with The Bay Area’s 95.7 The Game, Steve Kerr talked about why he thinks James is better now than he was six years ago with the Miami Heat.

“I think LeBron is actually a way better player now than he was six years ago when he played in Miami… It’s remarkable watching the offensive transformation since then, and his confidence in his shooting, and that’s what Miami has to deal with.”

Kerr might have a point here. During his four seasons with the Heat, James averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per contest. Now, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in his 17th NBA season, he averaged 25.3 points, 10.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game.

On top of the points Kerr made about LeBron’s offense and shooting, what’s most impressive is the defense James has been able to play at his age and the fact that he led the league in assists this season. There certainly are pieces of his game that have improved since his Heat days.

His high-level of play this season paid off, resulting in LeBron James and the Lakers finishing with the best record in the Western Conference and a trip to the 2020 NBA Finals.

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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.”

Related Agent: Media Didn’t Drive Kevin Durant from Warriors

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“I feel like I kind of passed the test,” says Kerr, adding that he earned MJ’s trust after refusing to back down during their tussle.

Kerr notes that teammates coming to blows was not uncommon during his playing days.

Per USA Today:

“I would say it definitely helped our relationship, and that probably sounds really weird,” Kerr said on “The NBA on TNT” Wednesday night. “I wouldn’t recommend that to anybody at home. … For me in that case, Michael was definitely testing me, and I responded. I feel like I kind of passed the test and he trusted me more afterwards.”

In [Phil] Jackson’s book, “Eleven Rings,” Jordan is quoted explaining how the fight with Kerr helped him trust teammates: “It made me look at myself, and say, ‘You know what? You’re really being an idiot about this whole process.'”

Kerr explained Wednesday how the fight was less severe than it might sound in today’s game.

“It has to be understood in the context of intense competition,” Kerr said. “One thing that was more prevalent back then than now was the intensity of practices vs. now. I think we’re smarter now with preserving our players. We don’t have as many practice days. It’s more about rest and recovery. They were a huge part of the Bulls and Michael setting a standard for our play. There were practice fights on every (NBA) team that I played on. It wasn’t really a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.”

Related Steve Kerr: ‘Nobody Resented’ Scottie Pippen for Delaying 1997 Surgery

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Pippen was deeply angry and resentful of Chicago’s front-office at being criminally underpaid for so long, and “nobody resented him for having that surgery,” says Kerr.

The Hall of Fame forward eventually rejoined the squad, and helped lead the Bulls to their second three-peat of the decade.

Per ESPN:

“Scottie was wrong in that scenario,” Jordan said in Episode 2 of the documentary series “The Last Dance,” which debuted Sunday night. “He could’ve got his surgery done as soon as the season was over and be ready for the season. What Scottie was trying to do was trying to force management to change his contract. And [owner Jerry Reinsdorf] was never going to do that.”

Asked whether there was resentment from other Bulls players over Pippen’s decision, Kerr said, “No, not at all.”

“Everyone respected Scottie so much,” Kerr said. “We felt his frustration. He probably should have been the second-highest-paid guy in the NBA or definitely top-five. So we all felt for him, nobody resented him for having that surgery. Later, we all understood, let’s give him his space, and he’s going to be there for the second stretch of the season for us.”

Pippen, the clear No. 2 on the Bulls, ended that 1997-98 season as only the sixth-highest-paid player on the team, playing out an $18 million extension he had signed after Chicago won its first championship in 1991.

“I decided to have surgery late because I was like, ‘You know what, I’m not going to f**k my summer up,'” Pippen said in the documentary.

Related Scottie Pippen: ‘I’m No Longer Employed By the Bulls’

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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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Kerr understood Thompson being so frustrated with rehab that he needed time away from the team.

Golden State scraped the bottom of the barrel, compiling a 15-50 record this season prior to everything suddenly grinding to a halt due to the coronavirus global pandemic.

Per The Athletic:

He was quite visible on the bench at most home games, but in the Warriors’ day-to-day activities, Klay was a lot less present than ]Stephen] Curry has been. Obviously, Klay had his ACL rehab and the frustration of knowing that he couldn’t play this season. And maybe that leads to a very energetic Klay Thompson season in 2020-21.

“It’s been a really, really hard season for Klay,” Kerr said. “He loves to play basketball so much and just not being able to play has crushed him. And so he was, unlike Steph, over the last couple, few months, he hasn’t been around as often as Steph was. I was OK with that just because it was so frustrating for Klay just to be at practice watching and not really being able to do anything.

“Finally over the last few weeks he was able to start shooting with our guys, running through some drills and he was so happy to be out there. But for much of the season, it was just about getting away and not torturing himself by watching us play. He’s going to be so ready to play next year and so excited and the rehab is coming along really well, so I have no doubt that assuming everything starts in September and October like it usually does that Klay and Steph will be in great shape and ready to roll.”

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“We’re just going to plan as if it’s going to happen and we’re going to try to put together a roster,” Kerr told reporters during a conference call Tuesday, but admitted that everything remains very much “up in the air.”

The Olympics are scheduled to kick off July 24.

Per The AP and ESPN :

“Everything’s just up in the air,” Kerr said. “There’s no sense of whether things are going to be delayed or anything. We’re all kind of wondering what’s going to happen and so is the rest of the world.”

The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that the uncertainty of things right now is “an unprecedented situation for the whole world.”

“The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage,” the IOC said, adding that any other “speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

Officially, no part of that plan has changed yet. Like the NBA and the rest of the sports world, USA Basketball is very much in wait-and-see mode.

“(Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich) and I have spoken a couple of times over the last week or so,” Kerr said. “We’re all kind of sitting here wondering what’s going to happen, and so is the rest of the world. We’re just going to plan as if this is going to happen, and we’re going to try and put together a roster, and that’s all we can do.”

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Curry finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in the Toronto Raptors’ 121-113 road win against Golden State.

“We’ll be a new different version of the Warriors,” Kerr told reporters.

Per The Mercury News:

One of the first postgame questions he fielded was whether he has had doubts the Warriors can get back to a championship level.

“I don’t think doubt is the word that I think of,” said Kerr, hair mussed, talking softly. “I think it’s more a feeling of can we just persevere. You know, I think there’s always been the idea that when we get through this season we’re going to get healthy and we’re going to get some guys back. We’re never going to be the team we were the last five years. And I knew that last summer. How could we possibly be the same team losing the guys we lost?”

Curry’s first game back — he was the only Warriors player on the court Thursday night who appeared in the NBA Finals last June — was Draymond Green’s third consecutive DNP with a balky knee. Klay Thompson, of course, is hors de combat until after the fall equinox. What will the Warriors look like then?

“We’ll be a new different version of the Warriors,” Kerr said. “But it’s an exciting challenge and it’s one that our staff, and management, players are embracing. And all of a sudden, Steph and Draymond are the vets, and we’re raising all these young guys. We’re trying to help them develop so that they can be part of the next era of our team, the next vintage and so it will be very different.”

Added Kerr: “We still have a lot of talent and we have guys who are committed and enjoy playing the game and playing together. So we feel like we can be pretty good again. But what you saw in the past, it’ll be different than that.”

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Curry, who had his playing time managed throughout the loss to the Toronto Raptors, scored 23 points in 27 minutes. He shot 6-of-16 from the floor, while also dishing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds. Overall, Curry looked like himself out there.

Following the game, Kerr said that Curry’s return is “sort of the beginning to next season.” Kerr went on to speak about getting some clarity towards what next year’s team is going to look like. He mentioned the next step is getting Klay Thompson back next year, but that the “last 20 games are really going to be a springboard into next year.”

To start the 2020-21 season, the Warriors expect to have Curry and Thompson joining Draymond Green and newly-acquired Andrew Wiggins in the starting lineup. Golden State will be in the market for a center, but will also have holdover Kevon Looney under contract. That’s a nice foundation to build from.

In addition, because of all the injuries this season, youngsters like Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman have seen a lot of minutes. Those three have flashed a lot of potential as future rotation players. The Warriors also locked up Marquese Chriss and Damion Lee to partially guaranteed contracts for next season. Golden State made lemonade out of lemons this season, and that may end up tasting real sweet next season.

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Golden State owes it to its fans for a now “perfectly healthy” Curry to suit up, says Kerr.

As for Klay Thompson, who suffered a torn ACL in last summer’s NBA Finals, Kerr says “that’s a totally, totally different conversation… there’s a big distinction.”

Per The Mercury News:

“He’s perfectly healthy. He’s in the prime of his career. If the point [of not playing him] is because he might get hurt, then what’s the point of ever playing anything?” Kerr said.

“I guess the argument would be, ‘Well, we’re not going to the playoffs.’ Are we not trying to entertain our fans? We’re selling tickets to all these people who love basketball, and Steph Curry is one of the most amazing, graceful, exciting basketball players on earth. If he were healthy and we didn’t present him to our fans and say, ‘Here you go, here’s your gift for staying with us for this whole season,’ what would that say about us? As soon as he’s ready, he’s coming back. Our fans deserve it… It’s the right thing to do.”

[Draymond Green] pointed out that then-Pelicans, now-Lakers big man Anthony Davis “shut it down” last season ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

“Everybody was like, ‘He’s wrong. What is he doing?’ Then you get a guy coming back, and [they’re like], ‘Why is he coming back? They’re not making the playoffs,’” Green said. “It’ll never be the right thing, it will never be enough.”

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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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Doncic, 20, is “really good for the NBA,” says Kerr.

Luka had 20 points and eight rebounds Tuesday night to lead the visiting Dallas Mavericks past Golden State 124-97.

Per ESPN:

“He’s really good for the NBA,” Kerr said prior to Tuesday’s game against the Mavericks. “He’s important for the league — and [that] doesn’t really have anything to do with him coming from Europe. It’s more just what a wonderful basketball player he is. He’s different. He’s got this incredible knack for seeing the floor and being a step ahead. He reminds me a little bit of Larry Bird in that regard. He’s kind of one step ahead in the chess match. But he’s got this James Harden skill set with crossovers and stepbacks.

“He’s a brilliant player, so young; he’s going to be one of the cornerstones of this league for a long time. He’s very important to the NBA.”

As someone who has both played with and against some of the greatest players of all time, Kerr appreciates the way Doncic is handling his rise in the league and all the extra attention and scrutiny that comes with it.

“He seems to be handling his business pretty well, so I don’t worry about him,” Kerr said. “I think anybody in that situation has a lot coming at him in terms of the notoriety and the attention, the strategy, people game planning for him, that kind of stuff. None of it seems to faze him.

“He’s playing at a really high level. He’s handling himself well. I love the manner in which he plays, with a smile on his face — he’s obviously having fun out there. And is a brilliant basketball player; he makes his teammates better — great passer, great shooter — and he’s great for the game.”

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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.”

Related Riley Curry Asked Draymond Green: ‘Why Do We Keep Losing?’

The post Steve Kerr: ‘I’ve Learned How to Be a Better Coach’ appeared first on SLAM.

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.”

Related Kevin Durant: Draymond Green Incident Factored into Leaving the Warriors

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Curry wouldn’t be able to handle the offensive load Harden carries for the Houston Rockets, says Kerr.

Golden State (0-2) is struggling to find open looks for Steph early on in the season.

Per The Mercury News:

“I don’t know that it’s that simple,” Kerr said Monday as the Warriors got set to play the New Orleans Pelicans. “We can turn him into James Harden and give him the ball on every play, but that’s really hard to do. You have to build a team for that.”

Almost every Rockets possession follows a similar script: high pick-and-roll between Harden and a center with three other players positioned beyond the 3-point line ready to shoot if Harden passes them the ball. The 30-year-old Harden, at 6-5, 220 pounds, is uniquely qualified to shoulder that load over the course of a season.

“That kind of basketball wears you out, too. Especially for a guy who’s 180 pounds like Steph is,” Kerr said. “I don’t think it makes a ton of sense from Steph’s standpoint.”

The team is figuring out how to make the newcomers comfortable while maintaining those common threads that helped the Warriors go to five straight Finals. “They’re handling it, but they’re not enjoying it,” Kerr said of Curry and [Draymond] Green.

“What we have to figure out is how we can free him up better,” Kerr said. “And those are the things we’re exploring every day.”

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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.”

Related Stephen Curry: ‘I’m Optimistic That We Will Get Off to a Hot Start’

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Kerr says “we have to understand” that recovery from a torn ACL typically lasts a year.

Kerr attempted to clarify his comments while chatting up reporters Monday afternoon: “I wasn’t announcing anything. He’s doing great with his rehab. It’s still possible he could play.”

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

“It’s unlikely that he’s going to play this year,” Steve Kerr recently told NBC Sports Bay Area. “So we have to understand that.”

Thompson, who suffered the knee injury during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, had surgery July 2, and has said he hopes to play after the NBA All-Star break in February. Recent history, however, suggests that might not be possible.

“You have to look at it realistically,” the Warriors coach said. “I had an ACL [tear] in college, and I missed a whole season. Generally, an ACL for a basketball player is a full-year recovery, and if it’s a full year for Klay, that puts them out for the season.

“We’ve kind of left the door open in case the rehab goes perfectly and the doctors say he can go. But the reality is, on April 1, that’s the nine-month mark. … April versus nine months post-op for an ACL.

“We have to prepare our young guys to fill that role behind him, and when he gets back, whenever that is, hopefully these young guys now are developed and in the rotation and ready to really be contributors on a playoff team and we can get better,” Kerr added.

Related Klay Thompson Felt ‘Close to Unstoppable’ Prior to Torn ACL

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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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“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.”

Related Steve Kerr: Stephen Curry at ‘His Peak Physically, Mentally’

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Curry will have to carry a much heavier load for Golden State this season, and Kerr believes “he’s ready to have a great year.”

The 31-year-old, two-time MVP says there’s no need to change his leadership style for a reconstructed Dubs squad.

Per ESPN:

“Just the usual,” Kerr said after Sunday’s practice. “I’m not looking for anything different than what he’s done for five years, but what he’s done is pretty special: two MVP’s and a perennial top-five player. He’s had an incredible camp. To me, he’s at his peak physically, mentally. He’s seen every defense that people have thrown at him now during his career, and he’s ready to have a great year.”

Kerr believes Curry, who averaged 27.3 points a game last season while leading the Warriors to their fifth consecutive Finals appearance, has all aspects of his game coming together at the right time.

“Because it’s the perfect time physically and mentally where everything’s come together,” Kerr said, explaining why he feels Curry is in his prime. “He’s in his prime age-wise, strength and conditioning-wise and defensively he’s seen everything that’s come his way. Teams have played him every possible way that you could think of, and he’s had years now to work on counters. So he’s kind of in his sweet spot right now, and he has been the last couple years. And hopefully that continues for the next few years. But he’s an amazing player.”

Before training camp began, Curry said he understood that it would be key for him to bring the younger players along this year.

“I don’t have to change who I am as a leader,” Curry told ESPN. “I think it’s more so just about awareness and understanding what this team needs specifically in the details to help us be successful. Incorporating D’Angelo [Russell], who is going to be great for us. Building that chemistry between myself and him in that backcourt and some of our young guys who are going to need to contribute at a very high level for us to be successful and just helping them along however I can. But I’ve always been a leader by example. Be vocal when necessary and that’s just who I am, that’s how I continue to lead, but it’s all about just having an awareness of how this team is different than teams of past and embracing that.”

Related ‘He’s in Mid-Season Form’: Stephen Curry Drops 40 Points on T-Wolves

The post Steve Kerr: Stephen Curry at ‘His Peak Physically, Mentally’ appeared first on SLAM.

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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Green says the Dubs are gunning for a sixth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.

Teammate Stephen Curry adds that Golden State, despite a depleted roster, is confident they will remain in the hunt.

Per ESPN:

“I am not sure what everyone’s expectations are,” Green told ESPN. “We haven’t really had any team meetings yet. But I know what my expectations are. They don’t change from year-to-year. They are always the same.”

When asked specifically if he thinks the Warriors could go to the NBA Finals this season, Green was quick with his answer.

“Is Steph Curry on our team? Klay Thompson?” Green said confidently. “Yup.”

Despite all the movement, both Green and Curry said they believe the expectation for the group should be the same as always: a trip to the NBA Finals.

“For sure,” Curry told ESPN. “As long as we have the solid core that we’ve got and the experiences to kind of back us up, we’re going to keep that goal in mind. The fun part about it is that we get to kind of recreate the look of it and incorporating the new pieces that we have, and that part’s the most exciting. The last five Finals have kind of been a certain way, so whatever we do from here, you’re going to enjoy it even more.”

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Kerr says it’s a matter of fact that, the deeper a team goes into the postseason, the more it must rely on superstar players’ individual greatness.

The Warriors, sans KD, are now headed into their “most important” training camp since Kerr took over in 2014.

Per The Athletic:

“I wasn’t at all offended what Kevin said because it’s basically the truth,” Kerr said. “You look at any system, I mean, I played the triangle with Michael Jordan. The offense ran a lot smoother all regular season and the first couple rounds of the playoffs than it did in the conference finals and Finals. It just did.”

Kerr continued: “That’s why guys like Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant are who they are. They can transcend any defense. But defenses in the playoffs, deep in the playoffs, combined with the physicality of the game — where refs can’t possibly call a foul every time — means that superstars have to take over. No system is just going to dice a Finals defense up. You have to rely on individual play. I didn’t look at (his comment) as offensive. I look at that as fact.”

Kerr then got reflective.

“For us, with Kevin, I look at the ’16-17 season, his first year, as really our apex,” Kerr said. “We had great offenses every year. But that year, we had a great combination of movement and flow and systemic success combined with the brilliance of his 1-on-1 play. That was the peak of our offense functioning. That’s ideally what you want as a coach. You want a system that you can count on to get organized, get people comfortable. Then you want a couple guys who can break down a defense on their own when the offense can’t get a shot up. That’s what championship basketball is about to me.”

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Thompson says the traumatic injury is “just the humbling part of sports.”

Klay adds that he believes the Golden State Warriors will remain a potent force, and still have a five-year window as title contenders.

Per The Athletic:

“I felt like the best version I’ve ever felt of myself in that NBA Finals,” Thompson said Thursday. “I kid you not.”

This was different than his past feats. Thompson imposed his will in a way even he noticed was a level up.

“I think about that every day,” Thompson said. He sat straight up and shook his head. “That’s just the humbling part of sports — when you feel like you’re at your best, something traumatic can happen. But I honestly felt like I was at the peak of my NBA career up to that point. I was at my best. The way I was shooting the ball, the way I was playing defense. I felt like I was one of the best players out there. In past series, or Finals, you know, I’ve been able to defer. But in that series, I felt like I was just, like, as close to unstoppable as I’ve ever been.”

On being underdogs again, teamed, as always, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green:

Thompson: “It’s going to be fun, and I love the dudes we got. We’ve got a young team. I’m excited for D’Angelo (Russell), for him to come to a winner. I’m excited for Willie Cauley-Stein, who is super talented and I know he’s hungry. I’m excited for Loon (Kevon Looney). He’s coming into his own. I’m seeing him in Japan running camps and stuff and that man might’ve spoken 30 words in the last four years. To see him leading drills and teaching and coming into his own, I can see the confidence he has. I’m just excited, man. Obviously, we know Steph and Dray and me. Jordan (Poole) is talented. I watched him in summer league. He’s got skills. It will be fun.”

On people writing them off:

Thompson: “That’s fine. That’s sports. I don’t just think we’re going to be nice this year. I think we’ve got a five-year window. We’re still so young, man. People get lost thinking, “Oh, they’re 30 now.” I feel younger than ever.”

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Curry, 31, says he would love to “push the envelope and push the limits” for a Golden State team that underwent a major transformation this summer.

Steph also reflected on former teammate Kevin Durant’s belief that the Warriors’ motion offense “only works to a certain point.”

Per ESPN:

“Well, I don’t– care what plays we ran,” Curry said. “We won two championships. And at the end of the day, we had a lotta talent and there was an expectation of us figuring out how to balance all that. And we talked a lot about it throughout the three-year run. It wasn’t always perfect, but I think in terms of, you know, the results and what we were able to do on the floor, that kinda speaks for itself. We all wanna play iso-ball at the end of the day in some way, shape or form. But I’d rather have some championships too.”

While winning another title remains Curry’s ultimate goal, he acknowledged that winning his third MVP award would be a “special” accomplishment.

“I always say, I’m playing like I’m the best player on the floor no matter what the situation is.” Curry said. “That’s my mentality. It might not mean I’m taking every shot, but that’s the aggressiveness that I need to play with and the confidence I need to have. So– that’ll carry me the rest of my career. And at the end of the day, winning an MVP would be special. And it’s something that– I’ve experienced before and would love to experience again. I’d love to push the envelope and push the limits a little bit. So — doesn’t– you won’t see anything different about how I play, you know, this season versus years past.”

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Green says Golden State, though obviously diminished by Kevin Durant‘s free agency exit this summer, “still got a great cast.”

The Dubs will be in survival mode until Klay Thompson eventually returns to action following surgery to repair a torn ACL.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

The Western Conference is vastly improved, but those counting the Warriors out of the title conversation should rethink their position. Green knows the Dubs will be dangerous when it’s winning time.

“No pumping up need to be done,” Green said about the Warriors’ upcoming season Thursday on CNBC’s “Power Money.”

“We still got a great cast with obviously Steph Curry leading the charge. We bring in D’Angelo Russel. Got a lot of young talent coming in — Willie Cauley-Stein — I plan on trying to play at the best of my ability this year, and obviously, with Klay [Thompson] coming back around February, no one is going to want to play us in the playoffs, that’s for sure.”

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Kerr says he’s excited to “implement everything” similar to what he went through during his first year in Golden State.

Kerr adds that he looks forward to a “lot of new beginnings” for the Dubs next season.

Per The Athletic:

“That first year we had to implement everything — that takes time,” Kerr told The Athletic. “It’s exciting, and that’s what we’re going to do with the new group, so that’s really exciting.

“That part excites me. It’s going to be much more similar to Year 1 for my staff.”

Shaun Livingston and DeMarcus Cousins are no longer on the team and Andre Iguodala was traded to try to reshape the roster on the fly. Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6 of the Finals, which is expected to keep him out months.

“Klay being out is really the big change,” Kerr said. “Losing Kevin, Andre, Shaun, obviously, those are huge losses. Losing Klay on top of all that really changes the way we’re going to have to play at both ends. Klay was always an integral part of everything. Movement on offense, but also the guarding of the ballhandler on defense, switching onto bigs. So until he gets back, we’ve got to re-imagine everything and adapt accordingly.”

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“I’ll never be of those guys,” Durant says after bolting from the Dubs as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

KD also believes Golden State’s motion offense “only works to a certain point.”

Per The WSJ:

“I came in there wanting to be part of a group, wanting to be part of a family, and definitely felt accepted,” he says. “But I’ll never be one of those guys. I didn’t get drafted there.… Steph Curry, obviously drafted there. Andre Iguodala, won the first Finals, first championship. Klay Thompson, drafted there. Draymond Green, drafted there. And the rest of the guys kind of rehabilitated their careers there. So me? Shit, how you going to rehabilitate me? What you going to teach me? How can you alter anything in my basketball life? I got an MVP already. I got scoring titles.”

That he stood out, stood apart from the group, felt preordained.

“As time went on,” he says, “I started to realize I’m just different from the rest of the guys. It’s not a bad thing. Just my circumstances and how I came up in the league. And on top of that, the media always looked at it like KD and the Warriors. So it’s like nobody could get a full acceptance of me there.”

From a strictly competitive, strategic standpoint, Durant had come to fear that Golden State had hit a ceiling.

“The motion offense we run in Golden State, it only works to a certain point,” he says. “We can totally rely on only our system for maybe the first two rounds. Then the next two rounds we’re going to have to mix in individual play. We’ve got to throw teams off, because they’re smarter in that round of playoffs. So now I had to dive into my bag, deep, to create stuff on my own, off the dribble, isos, pick-and-rolls, more so than let the offense create my points for me.”

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Lacob points out that the Warriors have the enviable luxury of playing with four NBA All-Stars.

While many have been quick to write off the Dubs after losing out on Kevin Durant to free agency and Klay Thompson to a torn ACL, Lacob says they “have a shot to be pretty good by the second half of the year.”

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

“There are nine or 10 teams that legitimately have a shot, or they think they do,” Warriors CEO Joe Lacob told NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday. “That’s great for the league. And we’re one of those teams.”

The remaking of the roster, with combo guard D’Angelo Russell the prize offseason acquisition, has left only three players – Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney – set to enter training camp Sept. 30 with more than one season as a Warrior.

“By All-Star break, we’re going to see where we are,” Lacob said.

“I personally have great faith in our coaching staff and our players. I like any team that has Steph, Klay and Draymond. When you add D’Angelo Russell to that, I’ll take that. I don’t know of any other team that has more than two All-Stars, and we have four. From that standpoint, we have a shot to be pretty good by the second half of the year.”

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“We’re all crushed for him,” Kerr said.

Video footage emerged of Cousins getting hurt, and the 29-year-old, four-time NBA All-Star appeared to suffer a non-contact injury.

Per SF Chronicle:

“I saw it; I’m devastated for DeMarcus,” Kerr said during a U.S. men’s national team practice Thursday. “I read it on the way to practice. It’s been a couple of years of hell for DeMarcus.”

Kerr highlighted the torn Achilles tendon that kept Cousins — now with the Los Angeles Lakers —sidelined for much of the 2018-19 season, as well as the quad injury that limited him in the postseason.

“I was really hoping that this would be [the] year for him, upcoming with the Lakers, where he could get healthy, get his rhythm, get his conditioning and really start his comeback,” he said. “We’re all crushed for him. Everybody in this gym, all these fellow players and coaches. This is a small community and so everyone’s been talking about and we’ve all reached out to him. We all just feel terrible for him.”

Cousins’ Lakers teammate Kyle Kuzma also weighed in on the injury after the Team USA practice.

“He was going to be a big part of what we’re going to do,” he said. “It’s no joke when you get injured. This is our livelihood and is something that we love to do. It’s super unfortunate for a guy like DeMarcus. You can tell how much he loves basketball through all these injuries — he’s fought back and tried to get back as early as possible. That’s kind of how the ball goes sometimes.”

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Green says Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors will relish having “that underdog chip back.”

Draymond, who inked a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Dubs this summer, adds that he found out when everyone else did that his “brother” and now-former teammate Kevin Durant was joining the Brooklyn Nets.

Per ESPN:

“I’ve heard people say we’re not gonna make the playoffs. That’s crazy to me,” Green said in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on Wednesday’s The Jump. “I mean, that’s just, like, that’s total disrespect, but no different than the disrespect we’ve all been getting for years.”

Whether it’s the odds or just chatter, Green said he’s fine with hearing skepticism around his team.

“I like it,” he said. “You know, being the underdog. It’s been a while since we been the underdog. But it brings that underdog chip back, and I miss that chip. I’m pretty sure Steph [Curry] missed that chip, and some of the stuff Klay been texting me this summer, I’m positive he misses the chip. So to the oddsmakers, thanks. You got me where I am today. I look forward to where they take me again.”

The Golden State Warriors are gonna look very different from here on out. The biggest departure is, of course, Kevin Durant. Have you talked to Kevin the summer?

Green: “Absolutely. I actually talked to K yesterday. You know, Kevin is my brother. He came to Golden State for three seasons. We won two championships … if someone would’ve told me, man, Kevin Durant’s gonna come to the Warriors and you guys are gonna win two championships and then have a shot at winning a third, would you take that? In a heartbeat. And so that was a major success. That’s my brother, and I’m happy for him.

“Because, you know, not many times in life do you get to do what you wanna do. He’s worked his ass off and had the opportunity to do what he wanted to do. And he did exactly that. And someone who puts the amount of effort that that guy puts into the game of basketball, he deserves to do exactly that.”

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Having lost Kevin Durant to free agency, and fellow All-Star Klay Thompson not expected back anytime soon as he recovers from a torn ACL, Curry says the Warriors won’t change their approach.

The Dubs, who’ve reached the Finals in each of the last five years, have eight new players on their roster.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

“I just laugh at it,” Curry said during his second annual Warriors All-Girls basketball camp in Oakland on Monday afternoon. “Anybody can say anything about anything nowadays and it can pick up steam. So we’ve had lots of support. We’ve had a lot of criticism on the way that doesn’t change now. Just what they’re saying is different so doesn’t change how we go about our business.”

In recent weeks, Curry and the [All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell] have been working out around the Bay Area with Curry’s trainer Brandon Payne, a practice the two-time MVP believes will help during the season.

“It’s just a matter of really trying to get guys comfortable with the system, be able to highlight the different skill sets that we have and different strengths and the chemistry,” Curry said.

“It will take a little bit of time and a lot of hard work, but like I said, we have a lot of high IQ guys from our core and a lot of leadership and commitment to what we do, so starting in the training camp and beyond, you have to have a mindset that you will continue to get better as the season goes on.”

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Russell, 23, adds that the Warriors will be very exciting to watch next season.

The All-Star guard is looking forward to “an opportunity to be a sponge” playing for the Dubs.

Per HoopsHype:

A backcourt of you, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson (once healthy) is pretty insane to think about – three All-Stars who can drop 40 any given night. How excited are you to play with those guys?

DR: “I think it’s like a video game. You got three guys who can shoot the three at a high clip. I think that’s really exciting for the fans. Threes are obviously worth more than twos at the end of the day, so I think it gives us an opportunity to win. I’m so excited, and I think we’re going to bring a lot of excitement [to the fans].”

Steph Curry is a two-time MVP and one of the best point guards in NBA history. How much can you learn from him and are you looking forward to picking his brain?

DR: “I think this situation gives me an opportunity to be a sponge. I can learn a lot from everyone: a Hall of Fame coach – one of the winningest coaches ever – and from three different players who are Hall of Famers. It’s cool, man. This is a Hall of Fame organization that I get to a part of.”

Are you expecting to play off-ball more since you’ll be sharing the backcourt with Steph at times?

DR: “The league has changed in so many ways. There are no point guards anymore, there are no centers anymore; it’s all positionless basketball. I think [we have] a lot of players out there who will just allow [me] to be a basketball player – not having to focus on running the team or being the defensive [anchor] or whatever. There are so many great talents out there that will just allow me to be a basketball player. It’s a situation where I can go in and not worry about being on-the-ball or off-ball or coming off the bench or whatever. I am just being a basketball player. If I have the ball in my hands, I’ll make a play. If don’t, I’ll try to get in position to make a play. I think that’s what it comes down to.”

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Durant credits Brooklyn’s “creative” front-office for what they’re building.

KD adds that teaming up with fellow superstar Kyrie Irving “wasn’t a thing we planned.”

Per Yahoo Sports:

“If I was leaving the Warriors, it was always going to be for the Nets,” Durant said. “They got the pieces and a creative front office. I just like what they were building.”

The Nets will have to be patient before seeing the duo of Durant and Kyrie Irving playing together. Irving is one of Durant’s closest friends in the league, and the Nets are banking on that relationship creating a positive chemistry on the court.

“I think the friendship part of the league has really grown, especially since LeBron James and Dwyane Wade became such great friends and ended up playing together,” Durant told Yahoo Sports.

“People see friendship as the way guys are teaming up. There’s nothing wrong with people speculating. That’s just what it is, but we’re just good friends no matter what. We didn’t have to play together. It wasn’t necessary. But, we were friends before anything, and we just happened to want to hoop together. But it wasn’t a thing we planned. It just came together.”

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Durant, 30, reports that he had targeted that pivotal game all along for his return to the court.

KD adds that his now-former teammates wished him well after he decided to join the Brooklyn Nets as an unrestricted free agent.

Per Yahoo Sports:

“Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “I heard the Warriors pressured me into getting back. Nobody never said a word to me during rehab as I was coming back. It was only me and [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] working out every day. Right when the series started, I targeted Game 5. Hell, nah. It just happened. It’s basketball. S— happens. Nobody was responsible for it. It was just the game. We just need to move on from that s— because I’m going to be back playing.”

The 2018-19 season was a tumultuous one for the Warriors. It was widely assumed Durant was leaving the Bay Area at the end of the year and that speculation escalated after the incident with Draymond Green mid-November.

It’s a conversation Durant is tired of and he rolls his eyes when the subject comes up.

“Hell, yeah, I’m tired of talking about that s—. Look, we’re grown men,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “We understand what this is. We’re playing basketball for a living. It’s a business. Everybody congratulated me when I went to the Nets. Everybody wished me well, and they know that I’m still a phone call away. So, I just happen to play in a different jersey now. Nothing else is going to change.”

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Thompson, 29, tore his left ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and says the Warriors remain a force to be reckoned with.

Klay adds that new teammate D’Angelo Russell will be “huge” for Golden State in his absence.

Per The LA Times:

“I feel good,” Thompson said. “I’m going to come back 110%.”

Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the procedure on Thompson at the Kerlan Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, and Thompson said he is on track to return to the court at some point next season.

“That’s my goal,” Thompson said. “I doubt I’ll be back before the All-Star break, but I want to be back this season.”

As Thompson goes down the list of teams in the West, he shakes his head at the number of contenders that are aiming to take the Warriors’ place in the Finals.

“The West is so stacked, not just with the Lakers and Clippers but the Jazz made great moves, the Nuggets are young and upcoming, the Blazers have an amazing backcourt, the Rockets have a two-headed monster in the backcourt with two MVPs still in their prime,” Thompson said. “So it’s going to be tough for us, but I assume I’m going to be on the court at some point and hopefully I’ll hit the ground running and we’ll be in playoff contention. That’s all we need is just a shot.”

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Kerr is confident that Russell will “fit right in” with Golden State’s core, which lost out on Kevin Durant in free agency.

Kerr says he is excited to coach the 23-year-old NBA All-Star.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

“I’m excited to coach him, he’s a great young talent,” Kerr told reporters in Vegas. “I think he’s going to fit right in with our group and we’re gonna need him desperately, without Klay [Thompson] especially.”

Russell was a revelation for Brooklyn in 2018-19, posting career-highs in scoring, assists, and three-point percentage. Russell was named an All-Star and helped lead the Nets to the playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

“We need D’Angelo’s scoring, and it’s up to us as a staff to figure out how best to use him and shape the team, shape the offense and we’ll figure it out.”

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Curry, 31, says he loves the talent the Warriors have assembled after Kevin Durant left as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Steph is looking forward to an “interesting year” for the re-tooled Dubs.

Per The Athletic:

“Hell, nah,” Curry replied when asked if he would do load management. “We’ve got a great opportunity to build something special with some hungry guys looking to prove themselves. There are so many narratives people can throw at us. But at the end of the day, I’ve never been the type to show up with any other mindset than to do what you do — hoop. We’ve got championship DNA. We know that. We’ve got our core, when Klay gets back. It’s going to be an interesting year, for sure, all the way around. It’s going to be challenging to really find that momentum early. But with the new arena, losing the Finals, this summer is a different vibe. Keeps you locked in.”

It’s been a while since the Warriors have been in this position — building chemistry, developing young players, growing together.

“It will be fun for everybody,” he said. “It’s a new challenge. I love the talent we’ve got. We just don’t know what it’s going to look like because we’ve never done it before.”

Which is why, Curry said, the Warriors need Draymond Green. He helped build it and will be key to doing it again. Back in 2015, when Green was due a contract extension, Curry would, in the middle of the game when Green made a play, catch the attention of Warriors co-chairman Joe Lacob and tell him to “pay that man.” Curry is of the same mind now as Green is due a contract extension.

“I feel like he’s proven how valuable he is to a championship team and can find ways to get even better,” Curry said. “They know what’s up.”

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Russell, 23, knows the Dubs may end up moving on after acquiring him from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Kevin Durant sign-and-trade.

Despite what naysayers claim, D-Lo believes the Warriors’ system complements his game, and predicts he’ll create a “dangerous combo” with new teammate Stephen Curry.

Per The San Fran Chronicle and ESPN:

“I think (the Warriors’ system) complements my game,” Russell said. “I’m a guy that loves to pass, loves to make plays and create. I think this is a prime example of the system being that and having the advantage of guys that can shoot.”

If a chaotic NBA free-agency period has taught him anything, it’s that circumstances can change fast.

“You put yourself in a position to go somewhere for a long period of time,” Russell said. “That might not be the way it is, and that’s the business. Whatever situation I’m in, I understand the business side of it.”

Russell said [Klay] Thompson’s injury had no bearing on his decision to land with the Warriors. Like many around the league, Russell was intrigued by the opportunity to play with Curry, on top of being able to sign for max money.

“Honestly, I’m excited,” Russell said.

“I’m excited more than anything. I think it’s a huge opportunity just to take another step and learn from a good group of guys that have done — and marked their way in this league, so I’m super excited. You got guys that can shoot, dribble and play make for others. That’s a dangerous combo. And then a guy like him that gets hot anytime throughout the game, it’s something that gives you an advantage throughout a game, I would say. So to add another guy that could possibly do that consistently — I think it’s just an extra piece.”

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The Hall of Fame point guard, who grew close to Durant while working together, said the rings did not in fact “change everything.”

KD left Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets as an unrestricted free agent this summer, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $164 million.

Per ESPN:

Durant spent part of the summer after that first championship working with Steve Nash, a Warriors consultant. Nash was struck by Durant’s despondency.

“He didn’t have a great summer,” Nash told me last year. “He was searching for what it all meant. He thought a championship would change everything and found out it doesn’t. He was not fulfilled.”

He grew so quiet during the middle of the 2017-18 season that coach Steve Kerr summoned him to lunch in Portland before the All-Star break. “I don’t want to lose you,” Durant remembered Kerr telling him.

“He had been drifting a bit,” Kerr told ESPN after the 2018 NBA Finals. “He’s vulnerable. I felt the need to reconnect.”

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Curry wanted to let KD know how much he appreciated their time together in The Bay.

The two superstars reportedly never developed the type of close relationship Durant supposedly craved, and hopes to form with Kyrie Irving in BK.

Per The Athletic:

Stephen Curry flew straight to the New York area from Shanghai, China. But he wasn’t going to pitch Kevin Durant on why he should stay with the Warriors. It was already too late. He was on the plane when the news broke that Durant was leaving for Brooklyn.

And Curry didn’t turn the jet around or cancel the trip. Because it wasn’t about recruiting. It was about respect. It was about thanks.

His trip to New York was seen as a last-ditch effort to keep Durant.

But Curry went to have one last moment with Durant as teammates. To tell him one more time how much he appreciated him for the three years they had. They’d won two championships together. Dominated the league together. Made history together. He was there to wish Durant happiness and peace, express his support for his decision. And when Curry got to Durant’s apartment in Manhattan, Durant confirmed to Curry his decision that their time together was over. Face to face. Man to man. Friend to friend.

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“It says a lot about who we are as a team and what we’ve been through,” adds Curry.

The two-time MVP had the Warriors over at his house after they were eliminated by the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals for a “celebration of just how special this journey has been.”

Per Complex:

Obviously I know you guys came up short this year but give me an idea of how this run compared to last year.

Curry: “This year was 10 times harder, physically and emotionally for sure. All the tough blows we were dealt on the way with injuries, you got three guys getting pretty significant injuries throughout the course of the playoff series, they were important guys and I would answer that question by saying I’m even more proud of how we handled it and how we fought to the end this year. There’s really no reason other than our sheer fighting ability and competitiveness that we were within a possession to get to Game 7. It says a lot about who we are as a team and what we’ve been through. It sucks to lose and we’ll be thinking about for a long time, but we battled and gave ourselves a sliver of hope until the end to get the job done.”

So how long do you think the sting of losing this one is going to last for you?

Curry: “I mean, the sting is pretty much done by now, but I’ll be thinking about it until we start playing again. That’s part of the nature. You kind of go back and revisit what’s the best option for this game and what you could’ve done differently. Part of what the docu-series is mostly showing is the most special thing I have and the most important thing I have is my family and the experiences that we get to go through so those are definitely a set perspective that I try to bring that stuff home with me, even the night after we lost Game 6, we had the entire team at the house and we were drinking some wine and having some fun, talking about the crazy year that we had and it was nothing like somber or down about any of it. It was more like a celebration of just how special this journey has been and knowing that it’s not over yet so I think in turn having people that support you, having your family, and you getting to share them it definitely helps keep things into perspective and not make it more tough to lose than it already is.”

I’m curious if your free agency monitoring habits are going to be changing at all this summer.

Curry: “Not really, I mean, we got two guys that are in the boat, going through it, so they’re closer to their decisions or whatever. But the league changes pretty much every year and like I said earlier there’s some surprising moves and big names changing teams. But nothing should surprise anybody anymore in terms of how crazy free agency gets and the reaction and the storylines over the course summer are sometimes even bigger than during the season just because how big the NBA is. I’ll be tuning in and obviously AD already being traded it’s going to be a wild summer like it always is.”

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Kerr hopes Klay Thompson (torn ACL) and Kevin Durant (ruptured Achilles) “can be really good again” and re-sign with the Warriors.

Kerr adds that he has “unbelievable confidence” in general manager Bob Myers navigating the Dubs through a summer of deep uncertainty.

Per The Mercury News:

“No. I don’t look at it or think about it in those terms,” Kerr said. “I really don’t. Steph is going to be back next year. Draymond is going to be back. We’re going to have a bunch of players from here and we can still be really good, assuming we get some breaks health wise. Klay and KD – they can recover and can be really good again. So I don’t look at it from that standpoint at all.”

Granted, Kerr admitted the uncertainty ahead knowing that Durant and Thompson are guaranteed to miss a significant chunk of games because of their injuries.

“It’s hard to even picture what next year’s team will look like at this point,” Kerr said. “We’ll see how it all shakes out. We’re hoping to have both of those guys back. If that’s the case, it’ll be great. But neither one will be available for quite a while to play. So our team is going to look a lot different next year.”

And that is why the Warriors believe they can still thrive even if they no longer remain championship favorites. They might not have as many All-Stars this season. They still have the right people and infrastructure to absorb any shocks to the system. No wonder Kerr relayed that other coaches and colleagues around the NBA often told him this past season “was more impressive than your championship years.”

“Anything that happened, here we were with a chance to force a Game 7 in the Finals without some key guys. We were right there,” Kerr said. “We’ll continue to survive and thrive.”

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Draymond Green says Golden State went down fighting, “like Oakland would want us to go out.”

Steve Kerr, perhaps not-so-jokingly, suggested the Dubs “just need to take a sabbatical next year” after losing superstars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to devastating injuries.

Per The Athletic:

“It’s will man,” Green said. “It’s heart. We don’t give up.”

This was goodbye to Oracle [Arena]. This was the end of an era, officially and dramatically. This place was never perfect. This team was far from it this year. And Green’s performance wasn’t perfect.

“I love that dude, man,” DeMarcus Cousins said. “That’s my brother for life. If I ever go into a hole and I knew it was some scandalous shit, and I could choose one person in life and it’s a chance we might not make it out, I’m going into that muthafucka with Draymond. I will go to war with that dude anywhere.”

No, he didn’t win Thursday night. Game 6 belonged to the better, healthier team. But he delivered a fitting performance for Oracle’s last game.

“It’s a complete honor,” Green said. “This city has given so much to us. Obviously, we didn’t finish the way we wanted it to finish. But in the end, we went out like Oakland would want us to go out. We went down fighting.”

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Durant, 30, adds that despite suffering a catastrophic injury, he is “proud” of having suited up in Game 5 of the NBA Finals after sitting out a month with a calf strain.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters Wednesday that KD was “cleared to play by everybody involved.”

Stephen Curry said that he has complete faith in the Dubs’ medical staff.

Per The AP:

Kerr said everyone in the organization is “devastated,” including Dr. Rick Celebrini, the team’s director of medicine and performance. The Warriors made a “collaborative” decision to clear Durant to play — with the input of Durant and his representative — and had no idea that Durant risked a serious Achilles injury by returning from a strained calf, Kerr said.

“Now, would we go back and do it over again? Damn right,” he said. “But that’s easy to say after the results. When we gathered all the information, our feeling was the worst thing that could happen would be a re-injure of the calf. That was the advice and the information that we had. At that point, once Kevin was cleared to play, he was comfortable with that, we were comfortable with that. So the Achilles came as a complete shock. I don’t know what else to add to that, other than had we known that this was a possibility, that this was even in the realm of possibility, there’s no way we ever would have allowed Kevin to come back.”

Kerr said he also understands people wanting to point blame somewhere, though he noted, “Kevin checked all the boxes, and he was cleared to play by everybody involved,” including doctors from within the organization and from the outside.

“I completely understand the world we live in. As Bob [Myers] mentioned the other night, there’s going to be blame. There’s going to be finger-pointing. We understand that and we accept that. This is kind of what you sign up for when you get into coaching, general management, in the NBA,” Kerr said. “There’s all kinds of coverage, judgment, criticism, and it’s all part of it. So we accept that. The main thing is our concern for Kevin and these last couple of days just checking on him. Obviously, everybody feels horrible for what happened.”

Stephen Curry can only imagine how much Durant is hurting emotionally not being able to play — but second-guessing benefits nobody at this stage, the two-time MVP said.

“Everybody has great 20/20 hindsight,” Curry said, then added: “I trust our medical staff and know Bob Myers has our best interests in terms of not just what we can do in this series, but long term in our overall health. You see how hard he took it, talking to you guys after the game. And that’s really genuine and authentic. So you can waste time talking about the what-ifs and this and that. Injuries are tough and they suck. They’re a part of our game, and they’re going to continue to be a part of our game. But everybody putting their collective brains together to make the sound, smart decisions, you kind of just live with that, because that’s what’s a part of our game.”

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As fate would have it, Golden State ended up extending the title round with a thrilling 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors, after Durant suffered a devasting Achilles injury.

KD reportedly flew to New York for a conclusive MRI, while his Warriors teammates went back to Oakland with their backs still firmly up against the wall.

Per Yahoo Sports:

Family, teammates and confidants routinely checked on Durant during his quest to rejoin his guys on the court. Each time, Durant explained that he was working to speed up the process but was still experiencing discomfort pushing off his right foot, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Sources described Durant as being in agony because he was unable to help his teammates.

Some of Durant’s NBA peers who are interested in his next free-agent destination wondered if he’s happy in the Bay Area and plotted how to pitch their teams to the future Hall of Famer.

“I can’t be recruited,” Durant told Yahoo Sports last week. “Write that.”

Even though he was cleared for Game 5, Durant was not anywhere close to 100 percent, sources said. The individual workout sessions and the light practice session on Sunday could not simulate the rigors of an ultra-competitive championship game.

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Golden State lost Kevin Durant to a right Achilles injury after he returned to action with the season on the line, in a thrilling 106-105 win against the Toronto Raptors.

Stephen Curry (31 points) and Klay Thompson (26 points) led the way for the back-to-back defending champs, who lived to fight another day.

Per The San Fran Chronicle:

Stephen Curry, whose 3-pointer in the waning seconds helped seal the 106-105 win, was tearing up in a postgame interview. “I have a lot of emotions right now,” he said, pulling his jersey over his eyes to wipe away tears.

It’s back to Oracle Arena on Thursday for a definitive farewell.

“It’s going to be a rough go, in terms of recalibrating,” Curry said. “The biggest advantage is being at Oracle one more time, where our fans can really get behind us.”

The winning team looked like the losing team. General manager Bob Myers wept at the podium as he described Durant’s injury as an Achilles and said, “blame me.” Curry was still flushed with emotion as he left the building.

“On the one hand, I’m so proud of them,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “But I’m just devastated for Kevin. It’s a bizarre feeling … an incredible win and a horrible loss.”

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Durant went down in Golden State’s unbelievable 106-105 win against Toronto in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, and is scheduled for an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury.

President of basketball operations Bob Myers held an emotional press conference, describing what happened and the hurt in the Dubs’ locker room.

DeMarcus Cousins called Raptors fans who cheered when Durant got hurt “trash,” and head coach Steve Kerr said it was “an incredible win and a horrible loss at the same time.”

Per ESPN:

“It’s an Achilles injury,” Myers said after the game, while holding back tears. “I don’t know the extent of it. He’ll have a MRI tomorrow. Prior to coming back he went through four weeks with a medical team, and it was thorough, and it was experts and multiple MRIs and multiple doctors, and we felt good about the process.”

Prior to Monday’s injury, Durant hadn’t played since injuring his right calf on May 8 against the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. He was initially ruled a game-time decision after going through Sunday’s practice and Monday’s shootaround, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game that Durant would play without any restrictions. It was a decisions Myers passionately defended after the game.

“He was cleared to play tonight,” Myers said. “That was a collaborative decision. I don’t believe there’s anybody to blame, but I understand in this world and if you have to, you can blame me. I run our basketball operations department. And to tell you something about Kevin Durant: Kevin Durant loves to play basketball, and the people that questioned whether he wanted to get back to this team were wrong.

“He’s one of the most misunderstood people,” Myers said. “He’s a good teammate, he’s a good person, it’s not fair. I’m lucky to know him. I don’t know — I don’t have all the information on what really the extent of what it all means until we get a MRI, but the people that worked with him and cleared him are good people. They’re good people.”

Warriors guard Stephen Curry followed Durant into the locker room as well.

“Sometimes the spirit tells you what to do,” Curry explained. “You don’t really make decisions, you just act on it. I can’t tell you what went through my head. It just felt right.”

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Kerr admitted that he has had trouble communicating with the media about KD’s injury status.

The Toronto Raptors hold a 2-1 series lead, and Durant has been ruled out for Game 4 tonight.

Per KNBR:

“This whole thing has been so difficult to message… the injury itself, there’s a lot of grey area,” Kerr said. “There’s no easy timeline… when it’s healthy, it’s healthy.”

Despite the grey area and the difficulty of assessing Durant’s health, Kerr was optimistic about the chances of Durant returning.

“I do think he’ll play in the series,” Kerr said. “I think there’s a good chance that he plays in Game 5 or 6.”

With all of the injuries and the Warriors on the ropes for the first real time in the Finals since 2016, Kerr was asked whether he was stressed.

“It’s relative stress. I mean that, I don’t mean to sound trite,” Kerr said. “We’re playing basketball. We live these great lives… We’re spoiled here.”

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“If there’s any pain, it will be a no-go,” Thompson told reporters after practice Tuesday afternoon.

Kevin Durant (strained right calf) has been ruled out of Game 3—Kevon Looney is done for the series with a nondisplaced first costal cartilage fracture—but head coach Steve Kerr says it’s “feasible” KD could suit up in Game 4 after only one practice.

Per The San Fran Chronicle:

“Obviously, I would do anything I can to be out there, but it’s all in (the training staff’s) hands,” Thompson said. “If there’s any pain, it will be a no-go just because of the position we’re in. This could be a longer series, so there’s no point in trying to go out there and re-aggravate it and potentially keep myself out of the whole … Finals instead of just one game. So like I said, it will be a game-time decision. But I really want to be out there.”

Thompson, who left early in the fourth quarter of Game 2 with left hamstring tightness, underwent an MRI exam Monday that revealed a mild left hamstring strain. For much of the practice session open to media Tuesday, he sat on the bench before eventually getting up some shots.

Kerr conceded that Thompson, who has not missed a playoff game in his career, will do everything in his power to play Wednesday. However, the training staff must determine whether Thompson would be at risk of worsening the injury if he played Game 3.

News that Looney is done for the Finals comes a day after the Warriors announced that he was “out indefinitely.”

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“Whatever’s needed,” Cousins said after scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 28 minutes, helping lead Golden State to a 109-104 Game 2 win against the Toronto Raptors.

Boogie, who ruptured his Achilles in January 2018 and will be a free agent this summer, says he doesn’t take “any of this for granted.”

Per The AP:

“On our defensive end, making his presence felt blocking shots, being in the right place at the right time, it’s a big lift for us,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “I know he’s been waiting a long time to be on this stage. Obviously with his injuries, he’s taken the challenge of inserting himself and making that transition smooth. So it’s been fun to watch. More to come.”

Now recovered from what basically was a hole in his leg, Cousins is more than plugging a hole in the lineup.

“I want to be on this stage,” Cousins said. “This is what I’ve worked for my entire career, to be on this stage, to have this opportunity to play for something. But once they told me I had a chance, a slight chance, of being able to return, it basically was up to me and the work and the time I put in behind the injury. It was up to me. So I put the work in.”

He’s not 100 percent right now. But if the Warriors need him to play as though he is, Cousins said he will.

“I’ve told you all before I don’t take any of this for granted,” Cousins said. “I’ve seen how quick this game can be taken away from you. So every chance I get to go out there and play, I’m going to leave it on the floor.”

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“We live for this,” Draymond Green said after the two-time defending champs hung on for a galvanizing 109-104 win against the Toronto Raptors.

The Dubs lost Kevin Looney (sprained collarbone) and Klay Thompson (left hamstring tightness) to injuries, but found contributions from others to earn a hard-fought victory.

Per The Athletic:

“Hell, yeah, we were screaming,” Looney said. “We wanted to be out there so bad. We see plays that could be made. We got a hell of a team back there in the training room.”

Indeed, the Warriors had quite a bit of talent mending in the locker room. That was a lot of offense and three of their best defenders watching the game on television. But the Warriors left Canada with the NBA Finals tied at 1-1 because of what they still had on the court.

“We live for this,” Draymond Green said. “Our backs against the wall. On the road. Klay goes down. Loon goes down. This is what we do.”

This is how they prefer it.

“We’ve been in this situation a bunch of times now,” Draymond Green said. “We’re not laying down. Obviously, we need our guys out there on the floor. But if not, we’ve still got guys who can step up. You’ve got to beat us. That’s the most important thing. Making someone beat us.”

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