Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Green, Poole, Booker, Kings Job

May 2nd, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green picked up a Flagrant Foul 2 in the second-round opener against the Grizzlies but he’s not going to alter his style, Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

“I am never going to change the way I play basketball,” the Warriors forward said. “It’s gotten me this far. Gotten me three championships, four All-Stars, Defensive Player of the Year. I’m not going to change now.”

We have more out of the Pacific Division:

Jordan Poole‘s dramatic improvement is chronicled by Andrews in a separate story. The Warriors’ guard put in extra work during the early days of the pandemic and it has paid off. Poole’s 31-point, nine-assist game against Memphis on Sunday was the latest example of his breakthrough year. “I’ve always made people eat their words,” Poole said. “I never went to the media and said anything about anybody else. I just shut up, take it all in and let my game do the talking. It feels a lot better. Oh, my god, it feels so good.”
Prior to the conference semifinals matchup against Dallas on Monday night, Suns All-Star Devin Booker said the hamstring injury that cost three games in the opening round is no longer an issue, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “Feels great. Ready to go,” Booker said.
Among the three finalists for the coaching job, Mike Brown is the Kings’ best choice, James Ham of The Kings Beat opines. Brown checks all of the boxes, has the best résumé, and deserves another head coaching opportunity, Ham writes. Steve Clifford would be a safe choice but hasn’t enjoyed previous success like Brown, while Ham believes Mark Jackson would be a major risk.

Western Notes: Adams, Bane, Gobert, Bullock, Green, Clarke

May 2nd, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A day before Game 2 of his team’s second-round series against the Warriors, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said that center Steven Adams remains in the league’s health and safety protocols, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. Adams, who was placed in the protocols on Thursday, is listed as out for Tuesday’s game, the team’s PR department tweets. Starting guard Desmond Bane is listed as questionable due to lower back soreness. Bane was limited to nine points in 32 minutes in Game 1 on Sunday.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Rudy Gobert and his agent are still awaiting their annual exit meeting with the Jazz, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. That meeting will likely determine how the two sides proceed going forward into the offseason, Jones adds. Utah is expected to shake things up after another early playoff exit. Gobert has four years remaining on his five-year, $205MM contract.
Reggie Bullock‘s defensive importance was so profound against the Jazz that the Mavericks played him 254 of a possible 288 minutes in the series. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes an in-depth piece on Bullock and how personal tragedies have shaped his career. Bullock is in the first year of a three-year deal, though the final season isn’t fully guaranteed.
The NBA upheld Draymond Green‘s Flagrant Foul 2 ruling in Game 1 of the Warriors’ series against the Grizzlies. The player who was fouled, Brandon Clarke, wasn’t surprised that Green committed such an infraction (ESPN video link). “He’s been known for flagrant fouls in his career. I’ve watched him on TV my whole life, it feels like, so I wasn’t really shocked,” Clarke said.

NBA Won’t Rescind Draymond Green’s Flagrant 2 Foul

May 2nd, 2022 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA won’t reduce or rescind the Flagrant 2 foul assessed to Warriors forward/center Draymond Green in Game 1 of the team’s series vs. Memphis on Sunday, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Green was called for the Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game late in the second quarter after grabbing and pulling the jersey of Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke as Clarke attempted a layup (video link).

As we relayed earlier today, Green expressed optimism during an episode of his podcast on Sunday night that the league would review and adjust the foul, perhaps reducing it to a Flagrant 1. However, it appears that won’t happen.

Players are given two flagrant foul points for a Flagrant 2 foul and one for a Flagrant 1 during the postseason, with four total flagrant foul points resulting in an automatic one-game suspension. Green is now halfway to that automatic suspension and would be forced to miss a game if he’s called for another Flagrant 2 or two Flagrant 1 fouls during the remainder of the playoffs.

Pacific Notes: Green, Nurse, Lakers, Ayton

May 2nd, 2022 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Having received a costly suspension for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals after having accumulated four flagrant foul points during that postseason, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green is conscious of not repeating that mistake in this year’s playoffs, writes Eric He of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Green was called for a Flagrant 2 foul in Sunday’s win over Memphis, resulting in two flagrant foul points. If he’s called for another Flagrant 2 foul or two Flagrant 1 fouls in this year’s postseason, he would subject to an automatic one-game suspension.

“My biggest worry moving forward is that gives me two flagrant foul points, and as we know I’ve been ejected for accumulation of flagrant foul points,” Green said, per He, during an emergency episode of his podcast on Sunday night. “So I’m hoping that the right thing will happen, and that it will at least get rescinded to a Flagrant 1.”

Green later expressed even more confidence that the NBA would review his foul and make an adjustment: “I’m looking forward to it getting rescinded.”

[UPDATE: NBA Won’t Rescind Draymond Green’s Flagrant 2 Foul]

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Asked today about reports that the Lakers are interested in him and whether he plans to remain in Toronto going forward, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse dismissed those L.A. rumors. “I don’t know where that stuff comes from and I’m focused on coaching this team (the Raptors),” Nurse said (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca).
Bill Oram of The Athletic makes the case that the Lakers shouldn’t necessarily trade Russell Westbrook this offseason, arguing that the team won’t have any real chance of “winning” a Westbrook deal since his value is so low. If Los Angeles hangs onto the veteran point guard into next season, it’s possible he could increase his value a little, or new in-season trade opportunities could arise, Oram writes.
Deandre Ayton‘s ability to take advantage of frontcourt mismatches on offense and to capably switch onto perimeter players on defense makes him a potential X-factor in the Suns’ second-round series vs. Dallas, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link). Ayton will be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Draymond Green Ejected From Game 1; Gary Payton II Attributes Athleticism To Mom

May 1st, 2022 at 9:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors star Draymond Green was ejected in Game 1 against the Grizzlies on Sunday. Green committed a Flagrant 2 foul and riled up the crowd before exiting, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. The ejection decision was met with outrage from many fans, players and league observers. Players are automatically suspended by receiving four flagrant foul points in the playoffs, meaning Green would receive a one-game suspension with one more Flagrant 2 or two more Flagrant 1’s. He was famously suspended in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals for this same reason and later declared it cost the Warriors a title.
Marc J. Spears of Andscape.com examines where Warriors guard Gary Payton II got his athleticism from. Payton attributes it to his mother, who participated in track, high jump and long jump. His father, of course, is recognized as one of the league’s all-time great defenders and a stellar athlete himself. Payton received his first playoff start against Memphis on Sunday, finishing with eight points and six rebounds in just over 23 minutes.

Andre Iguodala To Miss The First Two Games Against Memphis

May 1st, 2022 at 1:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors forward Andre Iguodala has been ruled out of the first two games of the team’s second-round series vs. Memphis, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Iguodala is dealing with a cervical disc injury in his neck.

Warriors May Have Interest In Rudy Gobert

May 1st, 2022 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors are a team to watch if the Jazz decide to trade Rudy Gobert this offseason, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Real GM).

There have been rumors for several years that Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have an uneasy relationship in Utah. Speculation that they might be broken up has resurfaced after the Jazz were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.

During a discussion about possible trade destinations for Gobert, Tim MacMahon of ESPN, a guest on Windhorst’s show, joked that Gobert and Draymond Green have a great relationship and wondered if the Warriors could be a a potential landing spot for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Windhorst replied, “I have heard that rumor out there.”

Gobert has four years and about $170MM left on his contract, including a $46.6MM player option in 2025/26, so it won’t be easy for Utah to move him. Windhorst points out that Golden State has Andrew Wiggins‘ expiring $33.6MM deal for next season to help match salary.

Both Windhorst and MacMahon indicated that it’s more likely Gobert will be traded instead of Mitchell if Utah decides to split them up. There’s a belief that the Jazz want to hold onto Mitchell and rebuild the roster around him.

Warriors Notes: Starting Lineup, Payton, Second Round

April 30th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr used a small-ball starting lineup to close out the Nuggets on Wednesday night, but he hasn’t decided if he’ll keep it for the rest of the playoffs, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Stephen Curry made his first start since returning from a sprained left foot and bone bruise, and was joined by Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green in a group that created match-up problems for Denver throughout the series.

A smaller approach might fare differently against the Grizzlies, who don’t rely on a big man the way the Nuggets do with Nikola Jokic. Memphis also went smaller in its first-round series, as starting center Steven Adams played a combined seven minutes after Game 1. He is currently in health and safety protocols.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Kerr said when asked about his lineup plans. “I’m not committed to anything. I think I told you before the playoffs started, we just don’t know this team that well because we haven’t had everybody together. You start thinking about all the options, you just don’t have any evidence. You don’t have any film, you don’t have the analytics. You can’t ask our analytics department for all the lineup combinations and plus-minus, offensive/defensive ratings, all that stuff, because these groups haven’t been together.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Gary Payton II barely earned a roster spot before the season started, but he played a huge role in the Game 5 win over Denver, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. With Poole having an off night and Andre Iguodala injured, Payton was on the court for almost the entire fourth quarter as Golden State rallied to win. “Our front office has done an incredible job just plucking out talent where teams might have disregarded a guy,” Thompson said. “But our system and the confidence we give guys allows them to be themselves. What a find GP was.”
The Warriors don’t have anyone else who can stay in front of Ja Morant, so Payton might have an even bigger role in this series, Slater suggests in a separate story. Payton made six of eight three-point attempts against Denver, and he may move into a starting role if he keeps shooting that well.
The Grizzlies remind the Warriors of their early days as a contender, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Memphis is the league’s second-youngest team with an average age of 24, and its oldest players are Adams and Kyle Anderson at 28. “They’ve built a foundation over the last few years through player development, through really smart drafting, investment, and they are really well coached,” Kerr said.

Jackson, Brown, Clifford Are Finalists For Kings’ Coaching Job

April 30th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:36pm: Jackson, Brown and Clifford are the three finalists for the job and will all have in-person meetings with the Kings’ front office, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320.

The other four candidates — Mike D’Antoni, Celtics assistant Will Hardy and Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee — are no longer under consideration.

4:19pm: ABC/ESPN announcer Mark Jackson is a finalist to become the next head coach of the Kings, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic, who adds that general manager Monte McNair has started notifying the candidates who will receive in-person interviews.

Warriors assistant Mike Brown and Nets consultant Steve Clifford are finalists as well, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Jackson, who is among the candidates that LeBron James reportedly wants the Lakers to consider, hasn’t coached since the 2013/14 season and is currently employed as an ABC/ESPN broadcaster. He compiled a 121-109 record in three seasons with the Warriors and reached the playoffs twice.

Brown has been an assistant on Steve Kerr‘s staff since the 2016/17 season. He has a 347-216 record as a head coach with the Cavaliers and Lakers and was named Coach of the Year in 2009.

Clifford spent three years as head coach of the Magic before he and the team decided to part ways last summer. He also served five seasons as head coach in Charlotte and has a career record of 292-345.

Poll: Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Golden State Warriors

April 30th, 2022 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies, who entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, eliminated the Timberwolves on Friday night in dramatic fashion. They’ll get precious little time before jumping into their conference semifinal matchup with a much more seasoned postseason participant — the third-seeded Warriors. The series begins on Sunday afternoon on Memphis’ home court.

After rolling to 56 victories in the regular season, the young Grizzlies got a jolt to the system during their first-round series. They needed to stage major, and sometimes unlikely, comebacks to take care of the Timberwolves. They rallied from a 26-point deficit in Game 3 and needed a last-second Ja Morant layup to take Game 5. They outscored Minnesota 40-22 in the fourth quarter to win Game 6.

Playing catch-up against the Splash Brothers & Co. isn’t a recipe for success. Golden State holds championship banners from 2015, 2017 and 2018 and its “big three” are playing at a high level once again.

Morant and Desmond Bane will try to prove they can hold their own, or even outplay, the storied duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Bane averaged a team-high 23.5 PPG in the opening round. Morant had ups and downs in the series, averaging a subpar (by his standards) 21.5 PPG and 4.2 turnovers per contest. He’ll need to provide steadier production in the second round.

Dillon Brooks will be a key factor at both ends in a series that will revolve around the teams’ guards and wings. Brandon Clarke played a huge role off the bench against Minnesota but the Grizzlies will need more from Jaren Jackson Jr. (11.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG). The X-factor could be center Steven Adams, who entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols prior to Friday’s win.

Adams started regularly all season, then dropped out of the rotation because he was a bad matchup against the floor-stretching Karl-Anthony Towns. Assuming he exits protocols early in the series, Adams could play a much bigger role against Golden State, which doesn’t have a high-scoring frontcourt piece.

The Warriors come into the series confident and rested after dismissing Denver 4-1 in the opening round. Curry and Thompson combined to average 50.6 PPG in the opening round and vastly improved Jordan Poole (21.6 PPG) continued to add a potent third offensive option.

Draymond Green led the team in assists per game (7.4) against the Nuggets and will remain a heady and all-around defensive force. Gary Payton II could play a major role off the bench as a defender against Memphis’ guards.

So, which of these teams will advance to the 2022 Western Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on Warriors/Grizzlies!