Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Poole, Curry, Starting Five

April 20th, 2022 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr both expressed surprise this week when Jordan Poole wasn’t included among the three finalists for the Most Improved Player award.

As Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, Kerr called Poole’s omission “shocking,” though he acknowledged that All-Star guards Ja Morant, Darius Garland, and Dejounte Murray are all “worthy candidates.” Green conveyed his disagreement in stronger terms, per Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“If Jordan Poole isn’t the Most Improved Player, then the NBA really needs to relook at their process. Because you cannot find a guy on that list that has made a bigger improvement,” Green said. “I don’t care. If he’s not the Most Improved Player, then let’s rename the award to … who we like the most, who we see as more electrifying, to who we see may have a bigger impact on our team.

“That’s not the name of the award, that’s actually the Most Valuable Player, and so if we’re talking about the Most Improved Player, and if the award was voted on based upon its name, then it’s a no-brainer who’s the Most Improved Player.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Once Stephen Curry‘s protégé, Poole is turning into a legitimate co-star for the two-time MVP, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “He’s been watching Steph a lot,” Green said, “and he’s doing his best impression. And it is incredible.” President of basketball operations Bob Myers agreed with Green’s assessment: “Realistically, the engine is Curry. And now you’re seeing maybe twin engines. Which is fun.” Poole, who will be extension-eligible this offseason, has averaged 29.5 PPG on 65.5% shooting in the first two playoff games of his career.
Given how well Poole has played, the Warriors will have a tough lineup decision to make once Curry is ready to return to the starting five, writes Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area. If they want to start both Curry and Poole alongside Green and Klay Thompson, it would mean bringing either Andrew Wiggins or Kevon Looney off the bench.
Curry admitted after Game 2 on Monday that he’s still feeling some discomfort in his injured left foot, but said it “doesn’t matter,” adding that he’s committed to managing that discomfort through the playoffs (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of ESPN).
In case you missed it, Warriors owner Joe Lacob discussed Poole’s emergence, Golden State’s championship hopes, and balancing the team’s veteran core with its young core, among other topics. Here are some of the highlights.

Warriors’ Lacob Talks Playoffs, Poole, Young Core

April 19th, 2022 at 6:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors were forced to play without at least one of Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry for the majority of 2021/22, as the three veteran stars each dealt with injuries and shared the court for just 11 minutes during the regular season.

Through two playoff games, Thompson, Green, and Curry have spent 30 minutes playing together and the Warriors have posted a +45.9 net rating during those minutes. Up 2-0 over Denver and firing all cylinders, this version of the club is the one owner Joe Lacob has been waiting all season to see, he told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

“This is the team we paid for,” said Lacob, referring to the record-setting cost of the roster. “We never really had the team together all year. So I’m excited to see them all play together. We never really got to see it. I think it’s exciting to see it.”

Lacob acknowledged that it has only been two games and that he doesn’t want to rush to any judgments, especially without having played on the road at all yet. But based on what he has seen so far, he feels good about Golden State’s chances of making a deep playoff run.

“I think one would have to certainly look at what we’ve done in the first two games and say it looks pretty good,” Lacob told Kawakami.

Here’s more from the Warriors’ owner:

Lacob told Kawakami that he’s thrilled about the emergence of Jordan Poole, who has “arguably been our best player for a month and a half.” With the third-year guard eligible for a lucrative rookie scale extension this offseason, Kawakami asked Lacob just how far the Warriors are willing to extend their payroll to make sure they lock up Poole and keep their core intact. “I’m not going to talk about salary because it’s irrelevant right now,” he replied. “We’re in this year. After the year’s over we’re all evaluating where we are, and we’ll try to put the best team on the court we can for next year. And we’ll see what that is.”
Lacob admitted to Kawakami that he got a little nervous during the Warriors’ 1-7 slump near the end of the regular season, but said he was confident the team would be fine once it got healthy. “This isn’t baseball. This isn’t football. This isn’t 50 guys or 25 guys,” Lacob said. “One guy can make a huge difference. You add Steph Curry to what we were doing at the end of the year, it’s pretty good.”
Even as Curry, Thompson, and Green enter their mid-30s, the Warriors are well positioned to remain competitive for the foreseeable future due to a young core of Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman, all of whom are 22 or younger. Lacob said he’s pleased that the Warriors’ decision to focus on both the present and future appears to be paying dividends. “There are a couple teams, I’m not going to say who, there’s some other teams that went all-in on older players,” Lacob told Kawakami. “And older players do get injured. That’s the thing you have to remember. Suppose we had made a trade, traded away all our youth, for I don’t know, you name the guy, and they’re injured, out for the year. Anytime you’re over 30, 32, 35, these people get injured. It’s data.”

2022 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results

April 18th, 2022 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA conducted a series of random tiebreakers today to determine the 2022 draft order. These tiebreakers involved teams that finished the regular season with identical records.

The results are as follows, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link):

Chicago Bulls (No. 18) over Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 19)
San Antonio Spurs (No. 20) over Denver Nuggets (No. 21)
- Note: The Spurs are receiving this pick from the Raptors.
Philadelphia 76ers (No. 23) over Milwaukee Bucks (No. 24) over San Antonio Spurs (No. 25)
- Note: The Nets have the option of acquiring this pick from the Sixers or passing on it and instead acquiring Philadelphia’s 2023 first-round pick.
- Note: The Spurs are receiving this pick from the Celtics.
Miami Heat (No. 27) over Golden State Warriors (No. 28).

While the tiebreaker winner will pick ahead of the loser(s) in the first round, that order will be flipped in the second round. For instance, the Timberwolves’ second-round pick will be at No. 48, while the Bulls’ second-rounder (traded to Sacramento) will be No. 49.

Now that Philadelphia won the three-way tiebreaker for the No. 23 pick, Brooklyn will be faced with an interesting decision. If they decide to pass on receiving the Sixers’ 2022 first-rounder, the Nets would instead receive Philadelphia’s unprotected 2023 first-rounder.

With a full season of James Harden, the Sixers could be even better next year, pushing their pick later in the first round — but that’s certainly not a lock, and Brooklyn could decide to roll the dice by deferring the pick. The Nets have until June 1 to make that decision, per Marks (Twitter link).

Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Poole, Death Lineup

April 17th, 2022 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry made the decision to come off the bench in the Warriors‘ playoff opener Saturday night, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Returning from a left foot sprain and bone bruise that had sidelined him since March 16, Curry scored 16 points in 22 minutes as Golden State posted a convincing win over Denver.

Curry patterned his return on what the team did with Klay Thompson when he came back in January as he got 45 minutes of real-time rest in each game. No decision has been made on whether Curry will continue in a reserve role moving forward, but Thompson knows that his presence can make a huge difference in the series.

“I thought he looked great,” Thompson said. “His shot was short in the first half, but that’s to be expected when you come off a long layoff. But he’s still Steph Curry. … Just his gravity and the threat of him being out there is the best. It makes us a championship team.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

The Nuggets went 3-1 against Golden State during the regular season, but Draymond Green didn’t play in any of those games, Andrews adds. He logged 29 minutes Saturday with 12 points, six rebounds and nine assists and helped to control Nikola Jokic on defense. “You need tough and smart, and that’s Draymond,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Starting in Curry’s place, Jordan Poole surpassed Wilt Chamberlain to become the youngest Warriors player to reach 30 points in his playoff debut, writes Madeline Kenney of The San Jose Mercury News. Poole, who made five of his first seven three-point attempts, was part of a new “death lineup” that broke the game open late in the first half. “Jordan Poole, wow, what a playoff debut,” Thompson said. “All his hard work is paying off. If he doesn’t get Most Improved this year, it just doesn’t make sense.”
Outside of Poole, the Warriors’ young players didn’t get a lot of minutes Saturday, but the team has confidence in them in case they’re needed, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Golden State has been developing them all year long in hopes of getting them ready for the postseason. “They gotta feel it,” Andre Iguodala said. “It’s really hard to explain to them how the intensity kind of turns up in the playoffs.”

Curry Probable For Game 1

April 15th, 2022 at 7:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Slater also notes that Stephen Curry has been listed as probable for the Warriors. He’s on track to play his first game since suffering a left foot sprain and bone bruise on March 16.

Postseason Injury Updates: Curry, Kennard, Doncic, Saric, Williams

April 14th, 2022 at 9:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Earlier on Thursday, reports surfaced that Warriors star guard Stephen Curry was on track to return from his foot injury for Game 1 against Denver on Saturday. That didn’t change after the team’s scrimmage today.

Afterward, coach Steve Kerr said that Curry is “optimistic he’ll play Saturday,” Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Curry wouldn’t say it’s a given he’ll play, but that’s his expectation, Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

“Everything has been positive in terms of getting back out there and understanding I’ll be ready to play whenever that time is. I’m hoping it’s Saturday,” he said. “I’ll try to be the best version I can be having missing a little bit of time … I have high confidence I can go out there and help our team win.”

Curry will be on an unspecified minutes restriction, Andrews adds.

We have more postseason-related injury news:

The Clippers are listing swingman Luke Kennard as questionable for Friday’s do-or-die play-in game against New Orleans, Scott Kushner of NOLA.com tweets. Kennard tweaked his right hamstring during the regular-season finale on Sunday.
While Luka Doncic reportedly will miss Game 1 of the Mavericks’ playoff series against Utah, the team has yet to officially rule him out, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News reports. Coach Jason Kidd said Doncic is “progressing” from the calf strain he suffered in the regular-season finale. “He’s doing good,” Kidd said. “Didn’t practice, but is in good spirits, and had a good day.”
It’s very unlikely Dario Saric will suit up for the Suns during the playoffs. However, he left the door open a crack, telling the media he could return in an emergency situation where multiple Suns big men get hurt and he’s feeling healthy enough to play, according to Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com. Saric tore the ACL in his right knee last July during Game 1 of the Finals.
Celtics center Robert Williams continue to “ramp up” his left knee rehab, according to coach Ime Udoka, though he’s still not cleared for contact, Jared Weiss tweets. “He’s getting on court basketball drills, mixing in pretty much everything,” Udoka said. “Not contact, but any basketball drill. Getting a lot of shots up, weight-bearing, strength, agility. It’s low level, but he’s ramping up day by day and feeling good about it.”

Stephen Curry On Track To Return For Game 1 Vs. Denver

April 14th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Rory Maher

As long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks in Thursday’s scrimmage, Stephen Curry is on track to return for Game 1 of the Warriors‘ playoff series against Denver on Saturday, sources tell Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Curry was able to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a left foot sprain and bone bruise on March 16 vs. Boston. Golden State was just 8-10 in games Curry missed this season, but finished out the season strong by winning its last five games to secure the No. 3 seed in the West.

The two-time former MVP had a down season by his spectacular standards, but still had a tremendous impact on both ends of the court. In 64 games this season (34.5 minutes per night), he averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .437/.380/.923 shooting.

Curry’s potential return and health will be key factors in Golden State’s chances for a deep playoff run. If the Warriors can defeat the Nuggets in the first-round, they’d face the winner of the Memphis/Minnesota series in the semi-final.

The Warriors returned to the playoffs in 2021/22 after a two-year absence, finishing with a 53-29 record. The team famously went to the Finals in five straight seasons from 2015-2019, winning three Championships in the process.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Payton, Porter, Kuminga

April 13th, 2022 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry returned to practice for the first time since suffering a strained left foot and a bone bruise four weeks ago, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Today’s session focused on preparation work for the first-round series against the Nuggets. The Warriors are scheduled to scrimmage on Thursday, and coach Steve Kerr said Curry is expected to participate. Kerr added that he wants to see Curry in action during a scrimmage before the team determines whether he’ll play in Saturday’s series opener.

“He’s looking good to scrimmage tomorrow,” Kerr said. “Then we’ll take the next step. His conditioning should be good, so it’s more [of] just the training staff making the decision based on their evaluation of him.”

Golden State’s playoff fate could rest on how Curry performs in that scrimmage and how he feels afterward, suggests Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. There’s not time for Curry to go through the normal steps of returning to action, so the Warriors have to hope his foot responds well after his first serious on-court test since he suffered the injury on March 16.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Gary Payton II would like to re-sign with Golden State next season, but not if he can earn significantly more somewhere else, his father told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Payton made $1.9MM this year, and Deveney believes his next contract could be worth about $20MM over three seasons. The Warriors already have tax concerns and may not be willing to hand out another sizable salary. “I would never tell my son not to explore something that would be better or would be best for him,” Payton Sr. said. “But I think he understands that Golden State is the best situation for him if there is playing time and they get it right. But if it doesn’t work out, he knows that this is a business and he has to move on.”
Otto Porter had a significant injury history before he signed with Golden State last summer, so the team monitored him closely all season long, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Warriors staff watched his minutes, rested him on back-to-backs and sat him for a few games when his back started to hurt. He hopes to be fresh for the playoffs after playing 63 games, but only averaging 22.2 minutes per night. “Training staff here has a plan,” he said. “It’s worked wonders for me.”
The highs and lows that Jonathan Kuminga experienced during his rookie season make him an X-factor heading into the playoffs, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Stephen Curry’s Status For Start Of Playoffs Still Uncertain

April 12th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors star Stephen Curry continues to make “good progress” in his recovery from a left foot sprain and bone bruise, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the Warriors’ announcement, Curry progressed last week to various individual on-court activities, including shooting and running, and may take part in full team practices this week. His status for Game 1 of Golden State’s first round series vs. Denver this weekend remains up in the air, according to the club.

Curry, who suffered the injury on March 16 vs. Boston, missed the regular season and has long been targeting the start of the playoffs for his return. One source tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that Curry’s availability for Game 1 on Saturday remains a “close call.”

Speaking today to reporters, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to Curry as “literally day to day” (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated). Kerr said it’s “essential” that Curry scrimmages at least once before returning to action, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team will scrimmage on Thursday.

If Curry remains sidelined for the start of the Denver series, the Warriors will continue to lean more heavily on Draymond Green and Jordan Poole for play-making, with Poole, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins shouldering more of the scoring load.

Pacific Notes: Green, Poole, Kings, Ranadive, Bridges

April 10th, 2022 at 9:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors star Draymond Green wants to see Jordan Poole win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this season, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com writes. Poole has raised his numbers from last season, averaging 18.4 points (up from 12.0) and 4.0 assists (up from 1.9) per contest.

“The award is called the most improved. Not who had the best year. That’s the MVP,” Green said. “A lot of times we get it confused. No disrespect to Ja Morant, but Ja is an MVP candidate. Ja Morant isn’t the Most Improved Player. He was f—ing incredible last year. When you look around, the most improvement has been Jordan Poole and that goes without saying. He is the most improved.”

While Morant was already a borderline All-Star last season, he has raised his averages in 2021/22 as well: 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game on 49% shooting, up from 19.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 7.4 APG on 45% shooting. He’s currently considered the betting favorite for the award.

Here are some other notes from the Pacific Division:

Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee explores how Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has played a role in the franchise’s struggles. Anderson also cites a former team basketball operations employee who called the environment “toxic,” adding that “people don’t trust each other” and “are thirsty to get any advantage or any promotion they can.” Ranadive has been with the Kings since March of 2013. “People are not treated well,” the former employee continued. “They’re not valued. It’s a toxic workplace where there are some super-talented people who either move on or get let go for different reasons. It’s unfortunate because I think people come with really pure intentions and want to turn it around.”
Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines what’s next for the Kings after missing the postseason for an NBA-record 16th straight time. Sacramento finished with the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference this season (29-52), trading away former No. 12 pick Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis in February.
Suns wing Mikal Bridges recently made his case for why he should be Defensive Player of the Year in an interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, explaining why he believes big men win the award too often. “I would never discredit anybody, and obviously bigs have been winning that award for a while and they do a hell of a job, but the amount of times a big has won over a guard is just crazy,” Bridges said as part of a larger quote. “I think people take it for granted how tough it is to guard the top perimeter players in this league and not be able to really touch them because they’re going to get the foul call.”