One of the longest-tenured players in Warriors history switched teams this summer when Klay Thompson departed for the Mavericks. Franchise icons Stephen Curry and Draymond Green honored Thompson’s request to not go to management to try to intervene in his decision, but it finally hit them that their former long-time teammate wouldn’t be joining them this season when they got to training camp, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.
“[Klay] would usually enter the practice facility coming off of his boat,” Curry said. “With his Dockers on, whatever outfit he had on. He just had a presence about him, a lightness when he came in the room. And his one-liners were always great. … [I’m] talking about him like he died, [which is] super weird. … Life throws a lot of curve balls in sports. You’re used to seeing people change places and teams. [However] up until but a week before he decided to sign Dallas, we never really thought it was going to end.”
The Warriors added a trio of veterans to help replace Thompson’s impact from beyond the arc and on the perimeter, consisting of Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson. Those three will compete for minutes and a spot in the starting rotation.
“One of the reasons we are excited to get Buddy Hield is because we will run some of the same stuff that we ran for Klay for Buddy,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Draymond and Steph will be looking for him on the perimeter when they’re playing with him. And then the other new guys, Melton, Kyle Anderson — there’s a reason we targeted them too. They fit any lineup, such smart tough players that they’re easy to play with.
“So I don’t anticipate a really difficult transition basketball-wise. It’s more just the emotional void of Klay being gone after being so close with him and going through so much with him. That part is really sad. But you have to move on.”
We have more from the Warriors:
- The new-look Warriors continued their ways of hitting fast threes and playing in transition when they made 28 of their 52 attempts in a Wednesday preseason game against the Kings, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews writes. 28 would be a franchise record for threes in a regular season game. The Warriors were fairly good at making threes a priority last season, ranking fourth in the league in attempts at 38.9. But as Anthony Slater of The Athletic points out, the teams that ranked first (Boston) and second (Dallas), both reached the Finals. Slater reports that the Warriors are talking like they want to lead the league in three-point attempts. “I feel like it’s a little different in that we have more guys who can shoot the 3 besides Klay and Steph,” Brandin Podziemski said.
- The on-court additions for the Warriors look strong already, but new coaching staff hire Terry Stotts is also making his impact felt this preseason, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Hield in particular should thrive with Stotts, who helped the Trail Blazers make the conference finals in 2019 behind hot three-point shooting from Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. “The stuff that we’re putting in with Terry, the Portland stuff, you saw some of that in the second half,” Kerr said. “The flares, Buddy is built for that.“
- The Warriors have been cycling through several lineup combinations and possibilities in training camp and the preseason, Slater tweets. Yesterday in practice, the starters appeared to be Curry, Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Anderson and Green. The lineup changed across both preseason games as well, with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Melton starting alongside Curry, Kuminga and Green in the first game before Kevon Looney and Podziemski took over in the second.
So glad Klay is gone
In a couple of different ways and for several reasons, yeah. I agree. But you can’t make that statement right now without also giving due credit to Klay Thompson.
The Warriors don’t win four rings without Klay Thompson. Steph Curry is not as effective the last 10 years without Klay Thompson. Those are facts. The man’s Jersey will be hanging from the rafters one day soon.
Give it a month or two when Klay is established with the Mavericks and he won’t look weird with a different Jersey on, and then you can say that we’re glad he’s gone without the qualifier.
In fact I think the Mavericks come to town in November, so a standing ovation and video highlights and then it’s time to move on mentally.
With all respect to Klay he would have been a good 6th man off the bench but he didn’t want that so he moved on. Klay can still shoot the ball so let’s wait and see who makes more 3s Klay or Heild?
If you’re a Warriors fan that is just so disrespectful and unappreciative on so many levels.
Klay deserves all the respect and admiration in the world from Golden State fans. He might not have been what he once was, but he still deserves you and every other fan’s respect and well wishes.
What that man did for that franchise is nothing short of historical and once in a lifetime type of accomplishments on the court. Also, if I had to guess, I’d say he most likely had a huge impact off the court in the Golden State area as well.
It is like GaryWarriorsRedSoxx said, without Klay Thompson, the Warriors do not have multiple NBA Titles. Without Klay, Stephen Curry never realizes his full potential. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, that is just the cold, hard TRUTH!
Idiotic comment. Klay isn’t bad, he’s just a bench shooter now – like Kyle Korver was in his last few years. I will embrace him when he comes back for his final year or two with GSW.
Curry already reminiscing the good ole days with that quote… and regular season hasn’t even started. Like Barkley said, Dubs are cooked.
He’s literally referencing the clothes Klay used to wear.
As you state, the regular season hasn’t even started yet. I think it’s okay to reminisce about a 12-year teammate who you won multiple championships with in training camp. No problem at all.
Let the regular season start before you criticize a guy for reminiscing about a teammate.
Umm…Huh? Klay wasn’t much of a factor when they won their last ring. The Warriors FO decided to move on after their last ring. Klay is not in the present. So, any talk of him is reminiscing. Klay loves sailing. There is a dock right across the street from the Chase Center. Obviously, you wear different clothes when sailing.
Barkley is the same guy who said they will never win a championship with Curry. They won 4. Same guy who said they had 0 chance of beating the Celtics. If he was your stock broker you would have lost all your money going by his advice.
I’ve Been Waiting for a Warrior’s article to pop up so I can say exactly this after watching Wednesday’s preseason game versus the kings.
Moses Moody sucks.
I am on the side Moody will be traded some time this season. I just don’t see the minutes for him.
Moody was great actually. I’ve Been Waiting for a Warrior’s article to pop up so I can say exactly this after watching Wednesday’s preseason game versus the kings.
Brandin Podziemski cannot score in this league and is a strict 1 and never a SG in this league. Maybe Euro league. He can run the floor and pass but that’s it. Nightmare-level defense is played when Podz-Curry is on the court, we got slaughtered.
Moody sucked when Kerr made him play the 3, but he was excellent when moved to the 2. Gary you have something personal against Moody, I dont know why. Moody is going to be a star in this league if Kerr stops playing him at the 3. Kerr played 3 smalls AGAIN in this game and it worked because all the 3s went in, but it won’t work in the regular season with regular rotations.
I don’t want to see these players ever play out of position all year, and these are the positions they should only play:
Curry = strict 1
Podz = strict 1
Buddy= strict 2
Moody = strict 2
Payton = strict 2
Melton = 1/2
Waters = 2/3
Kuminga = strict 3
Wiggins = strict 3
Anderson = 5/4
Loon = 5/4
TJD = 5/4
Dray = 5/4/3/1
Davey, Moody is too slow to play the 2. Both offensively and defensively.
If you watched the game, you would see how many times Moody was trailing behind his assigned one-on-one guy as they strolled to the basket for a layup. Then you also saw Moody on offense never able to beat his man one on one nor pushing the ball up the floor at full speed.
He jogs out there. He’s slow out there. He’s tentative, indecisive, and a liability.
The couple good things I saw were a nice three-point shot in the corner that he nailed while getting fouled, and I think he had a couple layups or put backs near the basket.
On defense he stayed in front of his man driving in the lane one time that I remember. Other than that, the center had to come over and help out on another Drive leaving the postman open for a tip in.
I have nothing personal against Moses Moody. In fact I think he’s a great kid. He works hard. But he doesn’t have it.
Heck even Buddy Hield, who isn’t quick at all, pushed the ball up the floor on breaks as did JK and Melton. Podski also. Moody? Jogging as usual. I don’t think I saw him SPRINT a single time.
Davey we’ll see you here again tomorrow after tonight’s Kings game? Go Warriors !!
Gary, every word of this is a lie and you should feel bad for lying. Slow???? No. Wrong. Just…you are wrong and are also lying at this point. No one thinks this about Moody anywhere else online, its so wild you hate him so much. He had a rough stretch in a preseason game where he was forced to play the 3, when he excels as a strict 2. Thats the reason he was rough for a couple mins in that preseason game that you want to destroy his career over.
But “slow”? You have no argument here at all. No one else thinks this. I am going to back away slowly. You shall eat these words as will all of this random pocket of Moody-haters online.
And don’t lie: you DO hate him. You have never said one nice thing about him but you sure love racking up losses with Podzi!
NO mins for Podzi!
YES mins for Moody!
Moody with a +8 and 9 points in 20 mins = sucks
Podz with a +7 and 8 points in 23 mins = HOF-bound
“10 man rotation” lol no one uses these until the playoffs…Nov-Jan games use full bench rotations plus 2W guys. Odds of GSW keeping this roster the same the whole year? ehh about 50/50
Davey, your player analysis leaves a little something to be desired. I don’t think Brandin Podziemski is Hall of Fame Bound by any means. That’s a stretch don’t you think?
Or are you using hyperbole again to insinuate I or anyone else suggested that Podski is somehow an all-star? No one said that. No one even hinted at that. You’re hyperbole is tiresome at least to me personally.
Of course many use exaggerated yet untrue claims to justify their own opinions and help their own cause. You’re not doing that are you?
Really? You sure do love him and hate Moody on an absurdist/hyperbolic level pretty often in here. Moody is not “slow” literally no one says that. Perhaps his adjustment to playing with Looney in the game for a couple plays made you think that, but its absurd to call Moses Moody slow for any reason. But also, being “fast” doesnt mean “good” either.
His writing is like a 10 year old fan trapped in an adults body. His takes are sooooooo bad….
Chap, not sure if you mean me or Davey but you could probably say “both” lol.
“sucks” is pretty strong, but he certainly didn’t help himself on Wednesday. Increasingly, it appears he’s gone soon.
If I had to call it now, GP2 and Moody have fallen out of the 10-man rotation because Melton and Hield are so clearly superior at those roles.
10 man rotation:
PG: Steph + Podz
SG: Melton + Hield
SF: Kuminga + Wiggins
PF: Draymond + Anderson
C: TJD + Looney
Also:
Melton will play some PG
Podz will play some SG
Kuminga will play some PF
Draymond & Anderson will play some small-ball C
Looney used sparingly
Jonathan Kuminga looks real good. I think he’s on his way to being a key part of the starting lineup.
His shot looks good, he’s pushing the ball from the wing, and he’s playing with definite purpose.
There’s a good chance the Warriors offer him a hefty extension before October 21st. It might not be the max of course so he may reject it, but it’ll be a good dollar amount and it may benefit him greatly to go ahead and sign now.
Its so funny going to like, any other corner of the internet, be it the Warriors instagram, twitter or reddit, and no one stans Podz/hates Moody as much as the 5 of you do on here. Its almost like a gang. So weird. You guys all know ball otherwise, but are so wrong about these 2 dudes. If you were right, GSW would have been a top 4 team last year because Podz got most of the mins, but we didnt start really winning late in the year until Podz lost his starting spot back to Klay and Moody. Podz is nothing more than a backup PG but Kerr and you 5 seem to think he’s the next Lebron James. Moody had a rough couple of mins playing with Looney but was totally fine otherwise, also its preseason, Steph has stunk for long stretches too and Dray misses passes etc. Weirdest thing to have to read in my daily online perusal of NBA-related stuff. Just thought Id say it.
Davey I can’t speak for the other guys but I appreciate your opinions. Mine are no better than yours, everyone knows that.
Keep it coming and I’ll see you here after putting my magnifying glass on Moses Moody tonight.
You know he’s going to get major, major minutes to try and prove himself before October 21st extension deadline.
If he does NOT get big minutes tonight it means the Warriors have already decided that he’s done. No chance for extension and he’ll be on the first plane out via trade.
So look for his minutes tonight to tell where the Warriors are with Moses Moody.
Gary, you are putting too much on this. No, even if Moody stinks tonight he isn’t “done”. Melton + GP2 arent going to last – theyre injury prone and Buddy goes cold for weeks at a time, so Moody is an excellent depth to keep around and is cheap. He will likely get 20 mins tonight, as will Podz, Buddy and Milton – that appears to be Kerr’s breakdown of their playing time early on. Steph will eat into that as he gets more mins than 16. I can see them all getting 15-25 MPG for the first couple months and whoever plays the best with Steph/Dray/JK will get more mins, pretty simple. We have the pieces, we have the parts, one thing we CAN agree on is that this is looking like a more fun year than last!