The Warriors had a player-led meeting prior to their Christmas Day game with the Lakers, according to Trayce Jackson-Davis, who said that Stephen Curry was especially vocal during that meeting, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Curry’s message was that the Warriors’ season – which opened with 12 wins in 15 games, then saw the team drop 10 of next 13 heading into Wednesday – “can go one way or the other,” Jackson-Davis relayed.
“It’s been tough trying to find any type of momentum or consistency,” Curry explained. “You just can’t lose spirit, belief that we’re a good enough team to figure it out. Because this league is ruthless … You dig yourself a hole, like, it can be hard to pull out of. Right now we’re right in that window where we can still gain some momentum. The next however many weeks before the (All-Star) break are pivotal. Or else we’re in a situation where we’re chasing down the stretch, and nobody wants to be there.”
While Curry backed up his message with a season-high 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting, it wasn’t enough to get Golden State by Los Angeles. The Warriors tied the game in the final seconds on a Curry three-pointer, but surrendered a game-winning Austin Reaves layup on the next possession. The club is now 15-14 and just a half-game ahead of the No. 11 Spurs.
“We’re down,” head coach Steve Kerr said of his team’s morale, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Everybody’s disappointed. We’ve lost some confidence. You can feel it. We had a great vibe early in the season, and we’re going through it right now. But I love our guys, high-character guys. They care. They care about each other. I believe in them. I believe we’re going to get this thing turned around, so this is all part of the season, part of life.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Golden State is back in action on Friday vs. the Clippers and Saturday vs. Phoenix. Curry – who has battled bilateral knee tendinitis – may sit one of the two games in that back-to-back set after playing a “hard” 36 minutes on Wednesday, Kerr told reporters after the loss. “When the knee popped up, (selective rest) was part of the conversation,” Curry said. “Still dealing with it to some (degree).” According to Slater, if Curry does miss one of this weekend’s games, it will likely be Friday’s contest in L.A.
- Warriors guard Gary Payton II exited Wednesday’s game in the third quarter with a left calf issue and headed to the locker room for the remainder of the contest. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but Payton limped out of the arena at the end of the night, Slater reports.
- Kerr took his share of the blame for the Warriors’ struggles in recent weeks, noting that his unpredictable lineups and rotations haven’t made things any easier on his players, as Slater relays. “I’ve had a million different starting lineups. Guys are in and out of rotations. I’m well aware of that, and it’s hard as a player to not know how many minutes you’re going to get, what minutes you’re going to get,” Kerr said. “The reality is we’re searching. We’ve lost 11 of 14 games. I don’t feel like this is a roster where you say, ‘Here are our top eight guys, top nine guys.’ Our roster is really deep. We have a lot of guys who can play. Every game calls for something different. That’s the issue.”
- In a feature story for The Athletic, Marcus Thompson II and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic take an in-depth look at how Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is attempting to rediscover his joy after dealing in recent years with his father’s deteriorating health and eventual passing.
That Buddy Hield love dropped off quick after a fast start.
Yup no kidding. But he’s still playing pretty well. I like his game for the Warriors at that price and contract.
He is sooooo f***ing bad on defense that when he cant make a shot he is just killing the bench. They run less offense with him and he destroys any defense. He tries hard but gambles to much, and does dumb dumb fouls when hes already beat for and ones all the time.
Lots of blame to go around but if you only play defense the last 2 minutes of the game don’t expect to win. Draymond Green had a bad game on defense. Why was Wiggins on LeBron not Green.
hard to play defense when they’re not making shots.
Since majority of the Warriors fans agree that that Lacob will never attempt a rebuild while 30 is still playing. Why not start up talks for KD? I know it’s a bit of a trolling but he is familiar with the offense and Green/Curry.
Package of Wiggins ($26M), Kum ($7M), GP2 ($9M) and Kyle Anderson ($8M) along with one protected 2nd rounder (2028 from ATL) for KD ($51M). This gives the Warrior some much needed scoring and playmaker outside of Steph. Gives Phoenix ability to reboot/depth and KD/Steph at 36/37 still would be formidable. Only people who need to be convinced is Draymond and the fanbase.
Again, it’s far fetched but not completely out of the question. KD is under contract for one more year at $54M and then you have Wiggins deal off the books, along with not having to pay JK $30M AAV.
KD for Wiggins/Kuminga/GP2/Anderson and a 2028 2nd round Hawks pick. Allows Steph to have another scorer/playmaker and KD is still KD even at age 36.
$51M coming in with KD, $50M (plus rounding) for those players going out.
Thoughts?
That ship has sailed and feels like it is too far out there in the ocean for Dubs to reel it back in. I’ve been one of the loudest proponents for Dubs to bring in “The OTHER BIGtime Nikola” (Vucevic) – I’d be ecstatic if they acquire him with Kuminga being the main guy heading out – but I’ve been curious about someone else as of late: Mr. Fox, up north in Sactown. Would the Kings be willing to break apart their underperforming core? How could the Dubs make it work, financial-wise, and transition in their superstar of the future while their superstar of the present gradually relinquishes “top dawg” duties. Would Curry have to take a paycut or retire/leave Dubs for another team a season early for this to work?
not sure Fox would take them to that next level either. Dubs blew it by not being in on KAT this past summer.
Warriors need to do something, but KD is not him. He’ll throw others under the bus just like that if things aren’t going well. I have a feeling he’d mail it in if the Warriors didn’t suddenly start winning after the trade to bring him in.
0% probability of this trade for KD (assuming Booker doesn’t get bad injury).
1) Suns won’t trade KD as their Championship window lasts only 18 more months. It’s now or never for Suns, even more so than for GSW, because Suns already gave away all draft capital for the next 5 years. This GSW offer to Suns doesn’t get a return call.
2) GSW won’t exchange its future to add 1 player, per Lakob and MJD. GSW is 10-15 wins per season behind OKC, and 1 superstar doesn’t add enough when key players leave in the process. GSW’s trade goal has been to add a difference-maker while losing little.
3) OLD CORES DON’T WIN CHIPS. An old core can win you 55 games, but not 4 playoff series. It’s about availability. Unless it’s the 90’s Bulls, there is little precedent for a playoff success without at least 1 young superstar. (2014 Spurs had Kahwi, and Pop gave old guys 20 games off). To win a Chip, your core has to be available for 4 playoff series.
Steph and KD are 36, Draymond is 35. Their decline in availability must progress.
On average, KD has been available for 1/2 of his team’s games since he left the Warriors.
Man… Curry was just amazing last night. He’s just getting better in the crunch time with age the last 2 years. He has never shot better in the clutch. Would have been nice if Warriors won last night. Wiggins was terrible guarding Reeves but wth was Kuminga doing in there?
:(
That corner 3 at the end would have been Kobe’s best shot ever made.
The league needs to send Green a serious message with that crap he pulled last night. First time I ever saw someone commit two flagrants while flopping. He got 12 games for punching Nurkìc. Would 20 do the trick this time?
what flagrant? I saw Green play with no urgency and not guard LeBron when he needed too. Green played no defense until the end of the game.
Early in the 4th he pulled down Hachimura and Knecht by hanging from their arms while he was flopping on a Kuminga free throw attempt when they were boxing hin out.
quite the egregious take Doris (oops I mean taco), even Mike Breen sided with Green.
Cmon that was funny, the man is an entertainer!!
Vucevic or John Collins would be targets Dunleavy should explore. They have expiring contracts in Looney + Payton, would have to give up Kuminga in one or either of those deals.
Vucevic shooting 42% 3FG and Collins shooting like 38% 3FG, so they could spread the floor. Vucevic may also help with rim protection, if even so slightly.
Careful, the Warriors fans didn’t like an outsider (ME) entertaining the idea of trade for the Vuch. Apparently Looney and that green kid are better options, because that’s clearly working.
Truly wonder what (if anything) Kuminga will ever become
For those a little older he feels a lot like Tyrus Thomas did his first couple years. Unlimited potential, godly like skills who just never developed touch on his shot or could calibrate the approximate feel/speed for the NBA game
We would always drool on his per 36 back then but it never got home
It just makes perfect sense for GSW to target Cam Johnson and Harrison Barnes to replace Wiggins and Kuminga at the wing, along with Jonas V or Nikola V as the much-needed big.
I wouldn’t trade Wiggins whatsoever, he’s the glue on your team
I wouldn’t target Val or Vu , your team D is predicated on foot speed and being able to switch onto the perimeter, those 2 are staunch opposites
Cam would be awesome but he would require all your draft capital. I’m not 100% sure Id be Ok with that but I see its merits if its we goin All in Now. I have confidence this FO will only do a good deal, Im NOT confident that there IS a good deal in this brutal sellers market
Glue to what? Losing? He gets superstar money to put up 17 PPG with middling defense. Do you think Wiggins is a top 5 wing in the NBA, because he makes that type of money? I don’t, there’s dozens of better upgrades out there.
Our team -was- predicated on foot speed, but Curry is aging and Dennis is the slowest PG in the NBA. Trayce is showing what a rolling to the bucket big can do on this team, but we need one more and preferably a good one, like Val or Vu.
Cam would require Kuminga and picks, also multi-team deals are on the table this trade season, so anything can happen.
26.2 mill is not superstar money, not even close
A top 5 wing isn’t avail so comparing Wiggins to one seems like a comparative fallacy. You’d be trading him as a cap number essentially and he’s worth a ton more than that, don’t see how you make a profit trading him
exactly. 26.2M for 17 PER is quite the bargain. He’s also shooting as career clips from 3FG and FT.
Anybody else notice GOAT Bron became the inbounder closing stages with the game on the line and Golden State inevitably playing the foul/free throw game late? Wanted nothing to do with the free throw line, wanted nothing to do with that last shot. That right there what makes him the GOAT lol. Nice game though overall from the king. Only one more 30 point game to go and equal MJ’s 30 pieces, lol. Oh yeah, I’ll drop it again…only another 96 40 point games to equal MJ to go. Yes, this is trolling, hating etc. Also the truth….go lakeshow.
Couldn’t even beat the old Lakers without AD…
Draymond having zero burger games is causing a massive hole in this teams ability to compete…
Should of paid Klay that contract and traded Draymond to the Pistons or some desperate team…