Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic about the Warriors‘ underwhelming 4-7 start to the season, head of basketball operations Bob Myers repeatedly stated that he’s not worried about the team’s ability to turn things around and dismissed the idea that Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during a training camp practice has messed up the club’s chemistry.
“I don’t think anybody’s playing at their best, maybe besides (Stephen) Curry,” Myers said. “Draymond’s been pretty good. But everybody else has a lot more upside than they’ve shown, whether it’s the bench or Poole or obviously Klay (Thompson)‘s going to be better. So there’s that part. And there’s the combinations of the bench and kind of revitalizing the energy to get back on track. (Monday) was the beginning of it, and hopefully, we can continue. But yeah, rough start for sure. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of those.”
Asked about James Wiseman‘s early struggles and the fact that the Warriors’ two-way players are seeing more action than former lottery picks like Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga, Myers stressed that it’s a “really long season” and that the rotations now won’t necessarily look like the ones the club is using in a few months or even a few weeks. He also spoke specifically about why he’s not concerned about Wiseman.
“I would say that James needs to play. And (head coach) Steve (Kerr)‘s trying to figure out how to do that,” Myers said. “We’ve seen the growth over the last few months, preseason, start of the season, then he hit a little rut the last few games. But we’re not ready to get super-concerned. We just think he needs to play. Steve believes in him; we believe in him.
“… I think a lot of people want to rush it. I’m sure James wants to rush it. We all want it to happen right away. But he has the talent, he has the desire, he has the work ethic. He’s a good kid. I would be more concerned if I thought he wasn’t putting in the work outside of the games. But he is. And he cares. And it’s just going to have to run its course.”
Here’s more on the defending champions:
- Within a look at Golden State’s slow start, Tim Bontemps of ESPN wonders if the team might ultimately pivot to the trade market at some point in an effort to upgrade its bench. However, Bontemps admits it’s hard to envision the Warriors moving away from young players like Wiseman, Moody, and Kuminga this season, given how much time and energy they’ve spent developing them.
- For what it’s worth, Myers was asked about possible trades during his conversation with Kawakami and said the Warriors are “always open to anything,” but that there’s no urgency to make any roster changes. “We’re not going to overreact to this start,” Myers said. “We’re going to see how we move through it. But we view ourselves as contenders. There’s no secret there. And we’ll look at the roster as we move ahead. But at this point, it’s way too early to kind of make any proclamations about what we’re going to do.”
- After JaMychal Green and Wiseman were DNP-CDs in Monday’s victory over Sacramento, Kerr said both players will get the opportunity to work their way back into the rotation, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. However, for now, Kerr intends to lean on smaller lineups, with Draymond Green and Kuminga serving as backup centers for Kevon Looney.
- Curry, who practically single-handedly led the Warriors to Monday’s win with 47 points, said he’s prepared for some ups and downs this season as the team gets its young prospects the necessary reps. “We have to understand that (the young players) are all going to get an opportunity to perform, and there are going to be some struggles — some real high highs, and some real low lows,” Curry said, according to Andrews. “That’s the story of this team. As vets, you understand every year is a little different and you are ready for that challenge. For these young guys to try to find themselves in this league and also a specific role, it’s challenging.”
Remember when Warriors fans were offended at having to give up Wiseman, Moody and Kuminga for Siakam?
Offended? No. Why would Toronto trade Siakam? Why suggest a trade that would obviously not happen? And, why would you want to give up on those 3 so soon?
Because of payroll that trade could never work. Warriors have 0 room to add on any more payroll.
Trade rules dictate otherwise. I recommend searching NBA trade rules. Teams in the tax can bring back 120% of anything they send out via trade. The information can be found on this site
They are so far over the salary cap that the tax would be tremendous. Why do you not know that? You can pretend the owner will not care to send out another $100 million plus just in taxes alone but that is not going to happen.
Not a Warriors fan. And it offends me. Wiseman and Kuminga imo have a chance to be better. Especially Wiseman.
Like the Knicks and their young players who don’t play much either
Do you know who the Knicks are. You should look up Mitch Robinson and RJ Barret. Two young players who have been starting for yrs. Read before you post. One day you might actually make a point.
Knicks fans have never made any good point about basketball, ever. You arent the Yankees, stop talking like you are. You are lifetime losers, and you should be really quiet online until you win a title, like I (and GSW fans) were.
You two are adorable.
Warriors problem is they can’t take on any more payroll. Unless its a player at close to nothing. They are 100% handicap by their payroll.
Unless they used the biannual in the offseason that statement isn’t true
SMH that is not happening because their future tax bill is so high.
Funny. Everyone wanted the Warriors to sign Poole to an extension early. I said wait til the end of the season. Poole has been terrible.
I didn’t want him signed until after the season. He will bounce back. Hopefully he does and they can flip him in the off season. He would be better on a team that doesn’t have a Curry where he can shoot the ball. Reminds me too much of D’Lo
Me too I remember I even make comments on here regarding this. As long as klay and curry around it’s too expensive to sign for a 6th men in the team who can’t play defense and still learning how to make plays for the team .divincenzo will be a better option as he knows how to play with big men and can play defense and make plays for the team. He has so much value over Poole who is only a one dimension player takeaway his offense he is nothing. And now he can’t even dribble the ball to save his ass as referee are catching him tightly now
You are unbelievable and clearly NOT a Warriors fan. You criticize everybody commenting but yourself. LOL.
Poole is only making $2.5M this year. There are many players on the team not earning yheir salaries right now. It’s a fact that Warriors would not have won a title last yr without Poole. Finally, I thought the coaches and Myers know what they are doing, and THEY made the decision to extend Poole. So all of a sudden they made a bad decision on Poole??? Lol!
You obviously don’t understand what I am saying. People kept calling Poole the 2nd coming of Curry. Poole is not Curry. Lots of players have 1 great season, and mediocre the rest of their career. Could he figure things out? Possibly. It takes time; that’s why I kept saying they should wait until the end of the season.
Myers and Kerr aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. But, they have learned from them. Kerr is definitely not the same coach he was a decade ago.
You can’t possibly 2nd guess or “i told you so” after 11 games. There are many factors that go into deciding extensions. Talent or oncourt performance this year is just one of many factors. Not signing Poole to an extension would have been a major distraction and a vote of no confidence for the whole team trying to repeat.
Add me to the list. Loads of talent but plays zero defense, showboats, and doesn’t have a long track record of success or shooting efficiently. Sure, let’s hand that person a big bag of money and see what happens.
Although I do get them maybe pushing up the timetable for an extension after the Draymond thing. Still, I would’ve waited until after the season regardless. I don’t believe he was ever going to leave since it’s the Warriors and Draymond is probably on the way out.
Divincenzo is gonna need to play. The warriors need his defense.
Poole is overrated. Kuminga and Wiseman are playing 14 mins. They should be over 20. Personally I would start Kuminga over Klay. Manage Klay so he will be strong for playoffs. And let Kuminga develop withe starting team. Move Wiggins to the 2.
You think they are missing Payton about now. That’s why you start Kuminga.
Siakam is having a good yr so far. See if he stays healthy……
Kuminga is going to get more minutes according to Kerr. Wiseman problem is he gets lost on some of the switch outs. This is what you expect from players with little playing time last 2 years. I do like Klay off the bench to stabilize the second team. Poole should be Curry’s back up because when both on the floor the defense slips.
Thing is to keep Klay strong for playoff run. Start Kuminga. He’s a smart guy. He will pick it up. Wiseman is for real. Don’t give up on him. He’s a true big and Warriors offense is not geared for that.
@al Since you are into old school centers, Wiseman would only be a Junior in College. Imagine if Shaq had come out after a handful of games in college. He would look lost also.
I hear you. Most fans today. Don’t understand even 4yr college players. Use to take a couple yrs to get it. You can’t teach size. A true big will always be a plus for any team. Jokic, Embiid, Rudy. KAT, AD, Ayton, AD. Even Mitch. Now everyone going nuts for Wemba ……
Poole isnt overrated, he has multiple NBA Finals buzzer beaters, where do you get off comping the first 10 games of an NBA season as being more important than the Finals?
Knicks fans….yall have never even supported and NBA champion in your lives, you have never lived through a Championship season like Warriors fans have, so you come off as particularly clueless when you spout off like you even know what a winner even looks like.
You calling someone clueless is rich.
If a player sucker-punching another player in the scenario and manner it happened with Draymond and Poole doesn’t affect team chemistry, then you didn’t have much team chemistry anyway.
Clearly, that situation has affected the team, Poole, and especially the young core of the team.
This team, as currently constructed, won’t win a championship. Making a change/trade won’t guarantee one, but it gives them a better chance than this one does.
Send Green to Detroit…. or anywhere.
Poole is off to a slow start this yr and there are probably many factors why.
1. Green pumch incident
2. Opposing teams scouting Poole and Poole needs to make adjustment
3. pressure playing with $140m contract
4. Complacency of winning a title
5. Not in a rhythm playing with 2nd unit or players
Green really screwed up the team. But I wonder if Poole should be playing with the starters to get him into a rhythm. Warriors and Poole played great with him in the starting lineup last yr. ALL rotation adjustments should be on table.
Kerr is playing Poole with non-NBA 2-way players who are hemorrhaging points the second he steps on court – he was -12 in 3 minutes in the Kings game this week.
Cant really win NBA games if you dont play NBA-level players, Kerr is making Poole play badly by not putting his best players on the court.
(Ty Jerome was -12 in 3 minutes against the Kings)
This clown is saying the NBA champions don’t have NBA level players. After 4-7 start. He’s got answers ……… true genius
Much of the “slow start” was a result of the schedule (and in one case, absurdly onesided officiating).
There’s no reason to panic about being 4.5 games back of the surprising 1st place Jazz.
The bench has been terrible. That is reason for concern. Not panic, but valid concern.
Still, there is hope there. Play certain guys less, get some bodies back (Donte), hope for some internal improvement…things probably won’t be this bad moving forward.
It’s literally just playing a non-NBA talent in Ty Jerome, a 2-way player who has no business playing important minutes on this contending team.
If Kerr only played Ty Jerome in garbage time, GSW would be 9-0 right now.
It’s Ty who’s at fault. Do you understand what a team sport is. I think Kerr does.
I missed the road trip games, but man Wiseman must have been awful as I thought before the road trip he was playing fairly well. Kuminga has been terrible. Makes you wish we could re visit that Kuminga, Wiseman, MOODY for Durant trade.
No, only Ty Jerome and Jeremy Lamb have been terrible. The second either one enters the game, the Warriors start bleeding out points. This is because they are not NBA-level players, they havent earned this long look they are getting, Moody and Kuminga do. Kerr is giving them this long look because he is bad at his job and isnt serious about winning games.
Kerr is 100% to blame for all of these losses, which GSW all had big leads in, but Kerr commits to his awful rotations which contain non-NBA players in them (2-way players should NEVER be playing crunch time in close games).
All Kerr has to do is go 12-6-12-6(-ish) with
Looney-Green-Wiggins-Thompson-Curry and
Wiseman-Kuminga-Baldwin-Poole-Moody but he straight up refuses to play that second lineup for no reason at all!!! Why god, why??? Can we at least SEE what it looks like? Ty Jerome isnt better than Moses Moody at any aspect of basketball at any position and should never be playing if Moody is healthy, unless garbage time.
Kerr is a loser ……. 4-7 brings out such insight.
True Genius