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Stephen Curry Wins Inaugural Magic Johnson Trophy As Western Finals MVP

May 27th, 2022 at 7:14am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been awarded the inaugural Magic Johnson Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 Western Conference Finals, the NBA announced following Game 5 on Thursday night.

The league introduced the award – along with the Larry Bird Trophy for the Eastern Finals MVP – earlier this month, and Curry has become the first-ever player to win it after leading Golden State to a 4-1 series victory over Dallas.

The award was voted on by nine local and national media members covering the series — Curry received all nine votes.

Although he only had 15 points in the Warriors’ close-out victory on Thursday, Curry was the team’s leading scorer in the five-game series, averaging 23.8 PPG on .444/.439/.840 shooting to go along with 7.4 APG and 6.6 RPG. His best performances came in Game 2 (32 points and six 3-pointers) and Game 3 (31 points and 11 assists) as he helped Golden State build an insurmountable series lead.

The Warriors are back in the NBA Finals after making it five consecutive times from 2015-19. They await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Heat.

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Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr. Out For Game 5

May 26th, 2022 at 6:42pm CST by Rory Maher

6:42pm: The Warriors have officially ruled out Porter, Slater tweets.

1:31pm: Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr., who had previously been listed as questionable for Thursday’s Game 5 against the Mavericks but was unable to practice on Wednesday (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic), is expected to be inactive tonight, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Porter hurt his left foot in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 3 after an awkward landing on an attempted layup. He tried to remain in the game, but eventually had to be taken out. X-rays on the foot were negative, but obviously he’s been unable to return to action since.

A foot injury sidelined Porter for the last game of the Western Conference Semifinals on May 13, but that ailment affected his right foot, not his left, so this is a new injury rather than an aggravation of that one.

Porter has been a key member of Golden State’s rotation during the team’s playoff run this spring, averaging 5.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.2 APG on .467/.323/.714 shooting in 13 appearances (20.7 MPG). Those averages are diminished slightly due to the two games he left early due to his foot issues.

It’s possible the Warriors are just being cautious with Porter since they hold a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals heading into Game 5, but the fact that he’s been unable to practice or play recently isn’t a great sign. He’s an important two-way role player for Golden State, so if the injury lingers, his potential absence could be a significant concern if the team advances to the Finals.

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Pacific Notes: Batum, Ayton, Payton, Kings, Lakers

May 25th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the French online show First Team, veteran forward Nicolas Batum was asked about his future and suggested that he plans to remain with the Clippers for the foreseeable future, as Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints relays. Batum, speaking in French, said what translates to “Tyronn Lue saved my life,” heaping praise on the Clippers’ head coach.

Batum, who has a $3.33MM player option for the 2022/23 season, was waived by Charlotte during the 2020 offseason and signed a minimum-salary contract days later with the Clippers. He has revitalized his career in the last two years in Los Angeles, starting 92 of 126 games and averaging 26.2 MPG.

“Whenever you have a player speak on you like that, it’s a great feeling because that’s what it’s all about,” Lue told Azarly when asked about Batum’s comments. “It’s about the players and trying to get the best out of players. A lot of times, the players bring the best out of a coach as well. For Nico, a guy who has been in this league for a long time and a great veteran player, just to have him say those words, that means a lot.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) considers it extremely unlikely that the Suns will let restricted free agent Deandre Ayton walk for nothing or that Ayton will accept his one-year qualifying offer. In Gambadoro’s view, a new deal between Ayton and the Suns, a sign-and-trade agreement, or an offer sheet that the Suns match are the only realistic outcomes.
  • Gary Payton II (fractured left elbow) is beginning to increase his on-court activity, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who posted a Twitter video of Payton going through a workout on Tuesday. Assuming the Warriors finish off Dallas, it still seems possible Payton could return at some point in the NBA Finals, Slater adds.
  • Trevion Williams (Purdue), JD Notae (Arkansas), Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), and David McCormack (Kansas) are among the prospects that worked out for the Kings on Monday and Tuesday this week, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Anderson wonders if the Kings could end up drafting two Boilermakers, with Jaden Ivey in play at No. 4 and Williams a potential target in the second round.
  • Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times take a closer look at Darvin Ham, Terry Stotts, and Kenny Atkinson, breaking down the pros and cons of each of the Lakers’ reported head coaching finalists.
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2021/2022 All-NBA Teams Announced

May 24th, 2022 at 7:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 2021/22 All-NBA teams have officially been announced by the NBA. For the fourth straight season, Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was unanimously selected to the All-NBA First Team by a voter panel of 100 media members. Antetokounmpo, 27, is making his sixth All-NBA team overall.

Antetokounmpo, reigning MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic received the most votes. Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker and Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid rounded out the list of top five vote-getters. Because the All-NBA teams, unlike the All-Star squads, require just one center per team, Embiid was relegated to an All-NBA Second Team placing.

Below is a list of the three All-NBA teams. Vote tallies are listed in parentheses next to player names. Five points were awarded to players for a First Team Vote, three points netted for a Second Team vote, and one for a Third Team vote. Antetokounmpo earned a perfect 500 points.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

Jazz center Rudy Gobert and shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, Heat center Bam Adebayo and small forward Jimmy Butler, Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, Bucks guards Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, Suns small forward Mikal Bridges, Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray, and Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet all received All-NBA votes. Surprisingly, Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who played in just 29 games this season, also received a single vote.

As we previously outlined, the All-NBA selections come with significant financial ramifications. As a result of being named to All-NBA teams, Booker and Towns have become eligible for super-max extensions that would begin in 2024/25. If they’re signed this offseason, those deals would be for four years and would start at 35% of the ’24/25 cap. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter), they currently project to be worth $211MM apiece.

Young’s five-year contract extension, which was signed last August and will go into effect in 2022/23, will now be worth 30% of next season’s cap instead of 25% by virtue of his All-NBA selection. Based on a projected $122MM cap, that means it’ll be worth about $212MM instead of $177MM.

Jokic had already met the super-max requirements prior to this announcement, since he won last year’s MVP award — he’s eligible to sign a five-year, super-max extension this offseason and has said he plans to do so. Doncic, who signed a maximum-salary contract extension last summer, also previously met the super-max criteria by earning All-NBA nods in 2020 and 2021.

Notable players who are not eligible this offseason for super-max deals include Morant and Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine. As Marks tweets, Morant needs to make the All-NBA team again in 2023 to qualify for a starting salary worth 30% of the cap (instead of 25%) on his next deal.

LaVine, a free agent this offseason, would have been eligible to earn up to 35% of next season’s cap from the Bulls if he had made an All-NBA team, but will instead be able to earn no more than 30% of the ’22/23 cap on his next contract.

With their inclusions, Morant, Booker, and Young are making their All-NBA team debuts. Meanwhile, on the other side of the NBA aging curve, two 37-year-old veterans further cemented their Hall of Fame credentials during the 2021/22 season. James made his 18th All-NBA team, while Paul was named to his 11th All-NBA team.

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Otto Porter Jr. To Miss Game 4

May 24th, 2022 at 12:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will hold injured forward Otto Porter Jr. out of tonight’s Game 4 against the Mavericks, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Porter hurt his left foot in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 3 after an awkward landing on an attempted layup. He tried to remain in the game, but eventually had to be taken out. X-rays on the foot were negative, but he continues to undergo treatment and coach Steve Kerr said it’s the prudent decision to not try to rush him back into the lineup.

“He’s still sore. Gotta make the wise decision here,” Kerr said. “This gives him a couple of days to prepare for a possible Game 5.”

Golden State holds a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, which makes the decision to rest Porter easier. The Warriors were able to close out their second-round series against Memphis without Porter, who was suffering from an injured right foot at the time.

Porter’s absence tonight could result in more minutes for Juan Toscano-Anderson, notes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Toscano-Anderson hasn’t played at all in six of the Warriors’ games this postseason, but Kerr liked how he responded on Sunday night.

“Juan was good,” Kerr said. “He’s aggressive defensively, made some really nice plays offensively. He helped free up some shooters, and he plays with such great energy and intensity. It was fun getting him out there. It’s been a rough go for Juan. In the postseason he hasn’t really had much of a chance. I loved seeing him have that opportunity and come in and do a good job.” 

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Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Kidd, Fines, Offseason

May 23rd, 2022 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic poured in 40 points in Game 3 but he still had a team-worst plus-minus when he was on the floor. Doncic admits the Western Conference Finals has turned into a learning experience for him and his Mavericks teammates, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes.

“I’m still learning,” Doncic said. “I think the first two quarters, I played very bad. That’s on me. But I’m still learning. I think after this season is done, whatever we are, I think we’re going to look back and learn a lot of things. It’s my first time in the conference finals in the NBA. I’m 23, man. I’m still learning a lot.”

Jason Kidd had a similar take on his team falling behind 3-0 in the series.

“This is just the beginning of this journey,” Kidd said. “I know you guys had us winning the championship before the season started. And that’s a joke if you didn’t get it. But this is a lot bigger than just this one game or this one series. This is huge for our franchise because none of you guys had us here.”

We have more on the Mavericks:

  • The franchise has racked up $175K in fines for bench decorum violations during the postseason. The league believes the conduct of the Mavs bench impacts player safety, competitiveness and fan consideration, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports. After the season, the NBA will explore ways to address bench decorum during games in real time, Zillgitt adds. Dallas bench players standing up for long periods of time and an incident in which Stephen Curry made a turnover because the Mavs’ Theo Pinson was wearing a white shirt on the bench were particularly irksome to league officials.
  • How can Dallas reach Golden State’s level in the future? One area to upgrade is center, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines. Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber have been unable to stop the Warriors from attacking the basket. The Mavericks also needs more perimeter threats around Doncic, according to O’Connor, who believes the Mavs should pursue the likes of Rudy Gobert, Jusuf Nurkic and Deandre Ayton at center and/or consider a sign-and-trade for Zach LaVine. They also shouldn’t rule out a sign-and-trade involving Jalen Brunson, O’Connor writes.
  • The Doncic-Curry matchup is an apples to oranges comparison because they’re at different stages of their careers and play in different systems, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News writes. Doncic is also surrounded by mainly spot-up shooters while the Warriors have a multitudes of creators around Curry in their rotation.
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Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Green, Kerr, Porter

May 23rd, 2022 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

While no one is confusing Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Durant, the former No. 1 pick is having a major impact for the Warriors in this year’s playoffs, writes Rohan Nadkarni of SI.com, noting that the trades Golden State made as a result of Durant’s departure in 2019 – first for D’Angelo Russell, then for Wiggins – are paying dividends now.

As John Schuhmann of NBA.com tweets, no player among the four active teams has registered a better on/off differential since the start of the postseason than Wiggins. Golden State has a +13.2 net rating in his 461 postseason minutes, compared to a -9.2 mark in the 211 minutes he hasn’t played.

“I can tell you everybody in the organization is happy he’s here,” Klay Thompson said of Wiggins on Sunday. “Without him we would not be where we’re at.”

Wiggins’ performance in 2021/22 has been worthy of his $31.6MM salary, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who wonders if a contract extension could be in the cards this offseason for the 27-year-old forward. Wiggins will be entering the final year of his current deal, and while it remains to be seen if the franchise will make big long-term commitments to both him and Jordan Poole, the team has no plans to move on from Wiggins anytime soon, Thompson writes.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • Although this year represents the first time since 2019 that the Warriors have made the playoffs, Draymond Green believes it’s more accurate to say that Golden State’s dynasty was on a hiatus due to injuries than to say it ended. “None of these people really removed us from this space,” Green told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, as Ramona Shelburne relays. “Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, ‘All right, the Golden State Warriors’ time is up.'”
  • The Warriors appear to be rounding into championship form at the right time, Tim Kawakami writes for The Athletic. “This is probably our best stretch of the season, where we’ve been able to put together lineups and combinations that maybe we weren’t able to get to in the regular season,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday. “And we’ve got a lot of guys playing at a high level right now.”
  • Kerr and his coaching staff are delivering a masterpiece of a series in the Western Finals, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who breaks down film of the Warriors on offense and defense to show how they’re stymieing the Mavs.
  • In case you missed it, X-rays on Otto Porter Jr.‘s injured left foot were negative, but it remains unclear whether the veteran forward will have to miss much time due to the injury. He’ll be listed as doubtful for Game 4 on Tuesday, according to Kerr, who said Porter “wasn’t feeling terrible” this morning (Twitter link via Slater).
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Otto Porter Jr. Injures Left Foot; X-Rays Negative

May 23rd, 2022 at 7:48am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr. exited the team’s Game 3 win on Sunday night in the second quarter due to what the team is calling left foot soreness, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

Porter sustained the injury when he landed after a layup attempt. He tried to play through the pain, but was favoring his left foot and had to be subbed out shortly thereafter, at which point he headed to the locker room.

X-rays on Porter’s left foot came back negative, according to Andrews, but it sounds like he’ll undergo more testing on the injury, which head coach Steve Kerr referred to as “definitely concerning” (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). The Warriors said after the game that they expect to know more within the next 24 hours, so it’s possible we’ll get an update by the end of the day on Monday.

A foot injury sidelined Porter for the last game of the Western Conference Semifinals on May 13, but that ailment affected his right foot, not his left, so this is a new injury rather than an aggravation of that one.

Porter has been a key member of Golden State’s rotation during the team’s playoff run this spring, averaging 5.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.2 APG on .467/.323/.714 shooting in 13 appearances (20.7 MPG). Those averages are diminished slightly due to the two games he left early due to his foot issues.

The Warriors are up 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals vs. the Mavericks, with Game 4 to be played on Tuesday in Dallas.

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Examining Why This Is Draymond Green's Best Version Yet

May 22nd, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by JD Shaw
  • Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN examines why this is the best version of Draymond Green yet. Green has been productive for the Warriors, averaging 7.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists with his usual versatile defense. He’s also shot a career-high 52% from the floor and a below-average 25% from deep.
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California Notes: Green, Wiggins, Kings, Howard

May 22nd, 2022 at 4:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors power forward Draymond Green is convinced that he has reached a new level in these playoffs, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Youngmisuk notes that, as the main defender on a Mavericks shooter in Game 2, Green limited Dallas players to 4-of-15 shooting from the floor. That stat also includes those Mavericks players going 0-of-9 from long range against Green. The Warriors currently lead the Mavericks 2-0 in their Western Conference Finals series.

“[Opposing players] had a hard time dealing with me before,” Green said of his performance in prior playoff runs, which include three titles. “[But] I’m in a space now that’s a totally different, better space. Not even close. Much, much better than I was in before.”

There’s more out of California:

  • Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, dealing with a sore left ankle, will suit up for this evening’s Game 3 contest against the Mavericks despite the injury, per Marc Stein (via Twitter). “It was just a little tweak, I just came down on it wrong,” Wiggins told reporters in remarks this morning, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter video link).
  • The Kings saw several top draft prospects during some recent agency pro day workouts, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 (KTXL) (Twitter link). Cunningham reports that LSU forward Tari Eason, Mega Soccerbet forward Nikola Jovic, Duke center Mark Williams, Milwaukee guard Patrick Baldwin Jr., and Iowa forward Keegan Murray all participated.
  • Michigan head coach and former All-Star big man Juwan Howard turned down recent interest from the Lakers to interview for the team’s vacant head coaching position, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Howard intends to remain in Ann Arbor to coach his two sons next year. Howard last interviewed for the gig in 2019, before the Lakers ultimately hired Frank Vogel.
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