Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group rounded up a number of comments from Warriors coach Mark Jackson today, including the coach's displeasure with Andris Biedrins, the only one of the Warriors under contract since Labor Day not to show up at the team facility since the holiday. Kawakami says there "little doubt" that rookie Festus Ezeli has the edge on Biedrins for the backup center job. Jackson says the starting small forward position is an open competition, and seems convinced that Stephen Curry, entering the final season of his rookie deal and eligible for an extension with the team until the end of October, will get a significant raise soon. "I laugh because the dude is going to be filthy rich," Jackson said. "There's no pressure. Don't let it get in your head? What? That I'm going to be paid? To me, it's hilarious. Hopefully, it's going to be us and I expect it to be us. But one way or another, Steph Curry is going to be paid and paid very well for a long time."
Here's plenty more from a busy day by the bay:
- Curry's doctor has given him permission to resume all activities with no restrictions, and is ready to demonstrate his healthy ankles to the Warriors brass in training camp, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram writes. Curry and the team have agreed to table extension discussions until the end of preseason. “I’ve left most of that to my agent,” Curry said. “I’m sure they have talked about it before, but nothing happened yet. We’re just kind of letting training camp play out and any deal we can make before the deadline would be great. I would love to stay out here in Golden State and be a part of the future. That’s definitely high on my priority list right now but the only thing I can control is getting healthy and getting ready for training camp and letting those guys do their job.”
- In the same piece, Curry also praised the team's additions of Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes.
- Jackson promised the Warriors would make the playoffs before last season, a vow the team wound up breaking. This year, he feels the team has improved, but is holding back from any pronouncements, believing that the team's changed culture is a statement unto itself, writes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
- Warriors GM Bob Myers, like Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby, is a former agent, and Sean Deveney of The Sporting News looks at how that experience helps them do their jobs.
- The team officially announced four training camp invitees, as we noted earlier.