Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Won’t Rule Out Gary Payton II For Conference Finals

May 15th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors guard Gary Payton II suffered a fractured left elbow in the team’s second-round series against the Grizzlies, but he could still return next round, head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday. Payton sustained the injury on May 3 and was given a three-to-five-week return timetable.

“We’re not ruling him out of the whole conference finals,” Kerr said, as relayed by Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). “We’re not saying he’s going to play either.”

Kerr admitted it’s a “long shot” that Payton returns in the Western Finals, but suggested it’s still a possibility. Payton has served as a key cog in the Warriors’ rotation this season. In 71 games, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, playing 17.6 minutes per contest.

Payton received his first career playoff start in the game before he was injured. The Warriors assigned him to be Ja Morant‘s primary defender, but Payton sustained the injury less than three minutes into Game 2. He’s considered to be one of the best defenders on Golden State’s roster.

The Warriors will open their next series against the Suns or Mavericks on Wednesday. If Phoenix advances, Golden State will start on the road, but if Dallas advances, the team will open the series at home.

Steve Kerr Returning To Warriors Bench For WCF Game 1

May 15th, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has exited the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and will be available to coach the club in the Western Conference Finals, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Kerr had entered the NBA’s coronavirus protocols ahead of Game 4 in the Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Grizzlies. Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown, who will depart Golden State’s bench after the season to become the Kings’ head coach, stepped in for Kerr for the final three games of the series. Brown guided the Warriors to an eventual 4-2 second-round series victory.

The Warriors will be playing in their sixth Western Conference Finals since Kerr’s hiring in 2014. Golden State will face the winner of tonight’s Game 7 second-round matchup between the top-seeded Suns and the fourth-seeded Mavericks. Game 1 of the Western Finals is scheduled for Wednesday.

Kerr offered an update on the health of Otto Porter Jr., as well, noting that the Warriors forward did not partake in on-court workouts with the team, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Porter, who missed the team’s series-clinching Game 6 of the Conference Semifinals due to right foot soreness, was exercising on a stationary bike today, per Slater (via Twitter).

“I talked to him and he said he was feeling better,” Kerr said. “We’re hopeful he will be able to play Game 1.”

According to Andrews (Twitter link), Kerr also offered up an injury update on another Warriors role player, suggesting that guard Gary Payton II may become available to suit up for Golden State at some point during the next round of the playoffs.

“It would be a long shot for him to play, but I think it’s a possibility,” Kerr said.

Payton suffered a left elbow fracture at the hands of Dillon Brooks on May 3, and was initially expected to miss at least three-to-five weeks of game action. A Western Conference Finals return would be on the early side of that timeline.

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Game 6, Looney, Thompson

May 14th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Andrew Wiggins shined at the right time for the Warriors in their second-round series against the Grizzlies, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic writes. Wiggins had a strong showing in Game 6, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also made some key shots down the stretch.

“I believed in him from the jump,” teammate Klay Thompson said of Wiggins. “When he was with Minnesota, it was tough because to shoulder the load so much. Now with us, he can kind of be himself and play to his strengths and he was huge for us tonight.”

Wiggins was named an All-Star this season for the first time in his career. He averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the series against Memphis, shooting 47% from the field. Golden State will need his production when it plays Phoenix or Dallas in the Western Conference Finals next round.

Here are some other Warriors-related notes:

Along with Wiggins, big man Kevon Looney also had an impressive performance in Game 6, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Slater believes Looney had the best game of his career. In 35 minutes, he pulled down 22 rebounds and dished out five assists, controlling the interior. After being out-rebounded 55-37 in Game 5, the Warriors won the rebound battle 70-44 in Game 6 — and Looney is a big reason why. The 26-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
After rehabbing a torn ACL and torn Achilles tendon, Klay Thompson has mastered the work-life balance, Mark Medina of NBA.com writes. Thompson, a nine-year NBA veteran, missed the entire 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons due to the rehab. “Balance is key, even during this time with the emotional roller coaster of the playoffs,” he explained. “Whether it’s reading or taking a walk with your dog or a boat ride or a bike ride. I try to think of simple things that keep me happy.”
“Game 6 Klay” also returned for the Warriors on Friday, Marcus Thompson II explores for The Athletic. Thompson poured in 30 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor and 8-of-14 from deep. He has had some historic Game 6 performances in the past, including 41 points against the Thunder in 2016, 35 points against the Rockets in 2018 and 30 points against the Raptors in 2019, as noted in the story.

Green: Kuminga Can Be All-Star

May 14th, 2022 at 9:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

Jonathan Kuminga didn’t play in Game 6 against the Grizzlies but Draymond Green believes the Warriors rookie has a very bright future, as he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “He can be a perennial All-Star in this league,” Green said. “That’s up to him and the work he puts in. But he has the skills, the tools, he can see the floor, he has the opportunity if he puts the work in to be a perennial All-Star.”

Grizzlies Notes: Green, Curry, Bane, Morant, Offseason

May 14th, 2022 at 8:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors are moving on to the Western Conference finals but they anticipate the Grizzlies will be making plenty of deep playoff runs in the future. Draymond Green and Stephen Curry offered high praise to their vanquished opponent after Friday’s decisive Game 6, Sam Amick of The Athletic relays.

“That’s a group of young guys who — obviously, you get to the business side of things, and you’ve got to keep that together — but that’s a group of young guys that are hungry,” Green said. “They are talented. They are athletic. They got it. You know, it will be good to see their progression over these next few years and where they can take it, because that’s an incredible young team. You know, they can be special. They can be really special.”

“There’s definitely an understanding that they made us better. I’m sure we made them better,” Curry said. “And who knows what happens down the road, but they will be here for a long time just because they have a lot going for them. So, definitely respect.”

We have more on the Grizzlies:

Desmond Bane, who scored 25 points in Game 6, battled lower back soreness during the postseason. He put the blame on himself, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. “I pride myself on being healthy, and getting hurt, kind of tweaking my back at a time like this kind of shows me that I probably got to do more in the offseason to be able to withstand the long minutes and long season,” he said.
After Game 5, there was a sense that the ball moved better without Ja Morant on the floor. Games 4 and 6 showed how much the Grizzlies missed their All-Star point guard in crunch time, Cole writes. It all suggests there’s another level they can reach when he’s to the floor, if they find more outside shooting.
Signing Morant to a max rookie scale extension will be the highlight of the summer, Bobby Marks of ESPN writes in his Grizzlies offseason guide. Morant’s backup, Tyus Jones, is eligible to sign a four-year $55.8MM extension until June 30 and bringing him back should be another offseason priority, either on an extension or a new free agent deal. The Grizzlies also have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft.
The Grizzlies might also look for an upgrade at center. Rudy Gobert, Myles Turner and Jakob Poeltl could be potential targets, HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan speculates in his offseason preview.

Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr. Out For Game 6

May 13th, 2022 at 8:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter link), that Otto Porter Jr. will miss Friday’s Game 6 against the Grizzlies. Porter had previously been listed as questionable with right foot soreness.

Brown said he’s contemplating tweaking the rotation with Porter sidelined, with more minutes for Kevon Looney, Jonathan Kuminga and Nemanja Bjelica, Medina tweets.

As Anthony Slater of The Athletic observes, Porter’s absence is a major loss for the Warriors, as he’s been a key cog of Golden State’s best lineups against Memphis. In the second-round series, the Warriors are +45 in Porter’s 106 on-court minutes, and -55 in 134 minutes without him (Twitter links).

In 63 regular season games this season, Porter averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .464/.370/.803 shooting in 22.2 minutes per night. Those figures seem relatively modest, but the 28-year-old forward is a good rebounder, smart defender and has a high basketball IQ. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

In other Warriors news, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that head coach Steve Kerr, who’s currently in the league’s health and safety protocols, might miss Game 7 if the Grizzlies win tonight. The Warriors currently lead the series 3-2, so it’s an elimination game for Memphis. Kerr still needs to return two negative COVID-19 tests prior to making his return, but he’s been actively involved in creating game plans via phone and video calls, Kawakami notes.

Iguodala Out At Least One More Week; Porter Jr. Questionable

May 12th, 2022 at 6:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors have ruled out Andre Iguodala for the remainder of the series against the Grizzlies due to his neck injury, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

Iguodala will be reevaluated in a week, which means he’d also miss the start of the conference finals if the Warriors advance.

The veteran swingman, who only appeared in 31 regular season games due to injuries, hasn’t played since Game 4 of the opening round series against Denver.

Iguodala, 38, is on a veteran’s minimum contract and will be a free agent again at the end of the season.

Otto Porter Jr. is listed as questionable for Game 6 on Friday due to right foot soreness, Slater adds in another tweet. Porter played just 12 minutes in Game 5 after contributing double-digit points in the previous two games.

Lakers To Interview Kenny Atkinson In Coaching Search

May 11th, 2022 at 8:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers have been granted permission to interview Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for their head coaching job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Atkinson also interviewed for the coaching vacancy in Charlotte and was mentioned as a possibility in Sacramento. He joined Steve Kerr‘s staff prior to the start of the season after spending last year as an assistant with the Clippers, and has served as an assistant with the Knicks and Hawks as well.

Atkinson’s only previous head coaching experience came with the Nets from 2016-20. He posted a 118-190 record in Brooklyn, but helped to turn around a floundering franchise by developing young players. He resigned in March of 2020, reportedly amid dissatisfaction from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Lakers have already interviewed ABC/ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson, former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin since Frank Vogel was fired in April. A recent report suggested they may be waiting to see if Sixers coach Doc Rivers or Jazz coach Quin Snyder becomes available.

The Warriors are already set to lose one member of their coaching staff when Mike Brown takes over the Kings after Golden State’s playoff run ends.

Nikola Jokic Repeats As Most Valuable Player

May 11th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won his second straight Most Valuable Player Award, topping the Sixers‘ Joel Embiid and the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo by a comfortable margin, the NBA announced in a press release.

Jokic received 65 first-place votes and 875 total points, putting him well ahead of Embiid, who finished second with 26 first-place votes and 706 points. Antetokounmpo came in third with nine first-place votes and 595 points.

Nobody else received a first-place vote, but Suns guard Devin Booker was fourth with 216 points and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was fifth at 146 points. With 100 total voters, the balloting system awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth and one point for fifth.

Other players receiving votes were the Celtics‘ Jayson Tatum (43 points), the Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant (10), the Warriors‘ Stephen Curry (4), the Suns‘ Chris Paul (2), the Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan (1), the Lakers‘ LeBron James (1) and the Nets‘ Kevin Durant (1).

Jokic is the 13th player to win MVP honors in back-to-back seasons. He averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists in 74 games and helped the Nuggets earn the sixth seed in the West despite the absence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Jokic was named Western Conference Player of the Month twice this season and reached the All-Star Game for the fourth straight year.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday that Jokic would win the award.

Wiseman Could Play In Summer League

May 9th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors center James Wiseman plans to play in the Summer League if he doesn’t suffer any more setbacks in his recovery from a right knee injury, Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Wiseman was ruled out for the season in late March. “I’m never going to give up, no matter how hard it gets,” said Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. The big man has been doing stationary work but hasn’t returned to contact, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

Kings fans will have to wait to hear from their new head coach. A press conference to introduce Mike Brown as Sacramento’s coach, which will also include GM Monte McNair, won’t occur until the Warriors are eliminated from the playoffs or win the championship, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets.