Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Booker, Paul Head List Of Western Conference All-Star Reserves

February 3rd, 2022 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul were among seven players named to the Western Conference All-Star reserve pool, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

The Jazz duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert also made the list, along with the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, the Warriors’ Draymond Green and the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic.

Green announced he will not play in the All-Star game due to back and calf injuries, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will select his replacement.

The Western Conference starter pool was announced last week.

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was chosen along with Lakers forward LeBron James and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic among Western Conference frontcourt candidates. The Grizzlies’ Ja Morant joined the Warriors’ Stephen Curry as the backcourt duo in the starter pool.

Moody Excels With Starters Out; Warriors Show Glimpse Of Long-Term Plan

February 2nd, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors rookie Moses Moody has been putting up big numbers in the G League all season while waiting for his chance to show he can score at the NBA level. With Golden State’s starting backcourt sitting out Tuesday’s game in San Antonio, Moody hit six three-pointers on his way to a 20-point night, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Yeah, it’s an opportunity,” Moody said. “I’ve been waiting patiently on it, I knew it would come. Now that it’s my time to shine, I’ve been preparing. When preparation meets opportunity, that’s when things happen.”
The Warriors were missing seven rotation players on Tuesday, providing a glimpse at how they believe they can be successful in the future while contending for a title now, notes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We want this franchise to be special for a long time,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I want this team to succeed for long after I’m gone from coaching. … Tonight was a great high for us.”

Pacific Notes: Suns, Ayton, Crowder, Lakers, Toscano-Anderson

February 1st, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 40-9 Suns currently sport the best record in the NBA, thanks in large part to the All-Star performances of guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker, as well as terrific play from center Deandre Ayton, small forward Mikal Bridges, and a revamped roster with additional depth. John Hollinger of The Athletic reflects on the team’s season thus far and considers some trade possibilities for Phoenix in an extensive new article.

Hollinger wonders if the Suns may look to improve their reserve guard slots behind Paul and Booker. He floats the possibility of offloading trade packages including intriguing young center Jalen Smith, injured big man Frank Kaminsky and a future first-round pick in exchange for veteran shooting guards like Norman Powell or Eric Gordon.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Suns center Deandre Ayton and power forward Jae Crowder are returning from injuries to suit up for Phoenix tonight against the Nets, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Ayton has been sidelined for seven straight games with an ankle injury, while Crowder has been grappling with a mild wrist injury for the past four contests.
The 24-27 Lakers have not enjoyed the level of success they expected after making an all-in trade for point guard Russell Westbrook during the summer of 2021. Bobby Marks of ESPN outlines exactly how difficult it will be for Los Angeles to make significant roster changes by the trade deadline this season. L.A. is currently just the ninth seed in the Western Conference, thanks in part to various injuries incurred by All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis throughout the season so far. Marks cites Westbrook’s exorbitant contract (he is owed $91.3MM across these next two seasons, an All-Star salary for sub-All-Star production), the Lakers’ lack of future draft picks, and the team’s lackluster depth as factors for what he anticipates to be a relatively quiet deadline.
Athletic third-year Warriors swingman Juan Toscano-Anderson will take part in the 2022 Slam Dunk Contest at this season’s All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link).

Latest On Draymond Green

February 1st, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have issued an injury update on Draymond Green, announcing in a press release that the veteran forward “is making steps in a positive direction and the injury is improving.” Green is dealing with a disc issue in his lower back that has also led to calf pain.

Green has already missed 12 games and it doesn’t appear his return is imminent. According to the Warriors, he’ll be reevaluated again prior to the All-Star break.

That wording is pretty vague, but presumably the team means the reevaluation will occur shortly before the All-Star break rather than anytime in the next week or so. Golden State’s final game before the break is on February 16.

Green is the anchor of Golden State’s defense, so the team will need him back if it wants to make a serious postseason run this spring. In the meantime though, the Warriors are managing to get by without him — they’ll take a six-game winning streak into Tuesday’s contest in San Antonio.

Warriors Have Best Shooting Game Since Klay Thompson's Return

January 29th, 2022 at 6:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers hope Russell Westbrook‘s performance Friday night in Charlotte will lead to better things for the rest of the season, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both sidelined by injuries, Westbrook exploded for 30 points in the second half and nearly rallied the team to a road win.

Westbrook was the Lakers’ prize acquisition of the offseason, but his fit with the other two stars has been questionable so far. Although his name has been mentioned in trade rumors, Westbrook remains confident that he can make it work in L.A.

“I think ultimately when myself and A.D. and Bron is on the court, we got to be able to figure that out to where I can still keep my same speed and pace to the basket and allow me to make the game easy for them,” he said. “And it’s something that we even briefly talked about after the game, about positioning and things they saw tonight from sitting on the bench, to be able to help them out.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

James will miss his third straight game Sunday at Atlanta because of “left knee soreness/effusion,” tweets Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The Lakers are listing Davis as questionable.
The Warriors had to adjust after Klay Thompson‘s return, but Thursday’s win over Minnesota showed how dangerous Golden State can be when all the pieces are working, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Thompson and Stephen Curry combined for 52 points and the Warriors shot 58.3% as a team from three-point range. “It’s a really good indicator of what our team can look like with Klay back and everybody healthy, for the most part, in terms of our shooters,” coach Steve Kerr said. “With these last couple of games, the spacing that we’ve had and the ball movement, we’ve gotten great shots.”
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox had to miss his fourth straight game tonight with pain in his left ankle, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320.“Don’t know how long he’ll be out,” said interim coach Alvin Gentry. “It is a sore ankle. That’s been it. He dresses, he tries it and then he’s really the only one that knows the pain threshold of where it is or anything. All it is is an ankle right now, there’s not anything else going on.”

Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Wiggins, Iguodala, Arena Vaccine Policy

January 27th, 2022 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The wait continues for James Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, and there’s no end in sight, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. The Warriors center required arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-December and is nine months removed from the meniscus surgery he underwent last April. The procedure in December cleaned up some swelling.

The Warriors had hoped Wiseman would make his season debut in February, but that remains uncertain.

“There’s just no blueprint for this,” coach Steve Kerr told KNBR, as Schrock relays. “This is such a unique set of circumstances, and we will just have to see how it plays out, and we thought it was going to play out very differently. We thought he would be back by now. I just feel so bad for James. He is working every day. … The poor guy is dealing with the injury, with the knee, and we just don’t know when he is going to turn the corner.”

We have more on the Warriors:

Many people may question whether Andrew Wiggins deserved to be All-Star starter, as was revealed on Thursday, but the Warriors are thrilled about it, Connor Letorneau of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. “Man, one of the proudest moments I’ve had as a coach, just to see what Wiggs has done since he got here. … I just could not be any happier for him,” Kerr said. “The whole organization is just glowing right now.”
Andre Iguodala has missed the last three games with a hip injury and will miss at least the next two, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Iguodala hasn’t played since a 31-minute stint against Indiana on Jan. 20.
New COVID guidelines for entry into Chase Center were announced on Thursday and will take effect on February 1st. According to a team press release, Chase Center will require proof of either an up-to-date vaccination, including proof of a booster shot for eligible guests received at least one week prior to the event, or a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 24 hours (for antigen tests) or 48 hours (for PCR tests). All individuals are required to wear a mask within the arena unless actively eating or drinking.

Andrew Wiggins Named All-Star Starter; Morant Selected For First Time

January 27th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Western Conference starter pool for next month’s NBA All-Star Game included a big surprise.

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was chosen along with Lakers forward LeBron James and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic among Western Conference frontcourt candidates. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was also named a starter for the first time, joining Warriors guard Stephen Curry as the backcourt duo in the starter pool, NBA Communications tweets.

James will be a team captain once again because he is the All-Star starter from the West with the most fan votes in the West.

Wiggins was third in the most recent fan voting results among Western Conference frontcourt players but the fan vote counted for only 50% in the selection. Player voting accounted for 25% and the media also had a 25% say.

Wiggins is averaging 18.1 PPG. He beat out more decorated Western Conference frontcourt players such as Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton, Karl-Anthony Towns and Draymond Green.

Morant’s selection is much less controversial. He’s averaging 25.8 PPG, 6.9 APG and 5.9 RPG. However, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell and Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul also had compelling cases to be starters.

Draymond Green Joining Turner Sports While Playing For Warriors

January 27th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Draymond Green is signing an exclusive, multi-year contract with Turner Sports, per a press release. Green will still be an active player for Golden State. Green has served as a guest analyst and interviewer for Turner the past few years, but he’ll have an expanded, official role with the company now.

“I’ve had an amazing experience working with Turner Sports in recent years and I’m a big believer in the way they entertain and genuinely connect with fans on all levels,” said Green in a statement. “Today’s announcement helps to formalize our relationship and I couldn’t be prouder to officially be a part of the of the TNT family.”

Green will make appearances on “Inside the NBA” throughout the season as an analyst, both in-person and remotely, as his schedule allows. He’ll also contribute to other content initiatives with Turner Sports and Bleacher Report, both owned by Warner Media.

“Draymond is an incredibly versatile talent, both on the court and in front of the camera,” said Tara August, senior VP of talent services and special projects for Turner Sports. “He’s a team player in every sense, while offering a distinct perspective that is highlighted by his keen basketball IQ, charismatic delivery and forthright, thoughtful opinions that include and extend beyond sports. We’re thrilled to more formally welcome him to the Turner Sports family.”

Green will make his debut Thursday night following the Warriors’ game against the Timberwolves.

Richard Deitsch of The Athletic thinks the unique deal looks like a great move for Turner. He reports that August and other executives had been trying to hire Green for months, with negotiations picking up steam in December.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Kuminga, Green, Payton

January 26th, 2022 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Following a two-game absence due to a hyperextended left knee, Warriors swingman Klay Thompson returned to action on Tuesday night vs. Dallas and played a season-high 26 minutes.

After the game, head coach Steve Kerr said that Thompson’s minutes limit has been increased slightly (the goal is to keep him around 25) and that the team has restructured its rotation to avoid having him sit out for extended stretches, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. On Tuesday, Thompson played for the first six minutes of the first and second quarters, then had three shorter stints in the second half to ensure he could be part of the closing lineup.

“We’re just trying to avoid having him not play for 45 minutes (straight) of actual time,” Kerr said, per Slater.

Thompson, who put up 15 points and six assists and was a plus-26 in the Warriors’ blowout victory, said he prefers this pattern: “Especially at my age and what I’ve been through. It felt good to start the second (quarter). I was loose and I was active. Hopefully we can learn from it.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

After previously penciling in Jonathan Kuminga as a starter during Draymond Green‘s absence, Kerr has moved the rookie forward back to the bench for Golden State’s last three games. As Slater relays, Kerr explained his reasoning on Tuesday: “Without Draymond right now and with a minutes restriction on Klay, Andre (Iguodala) and Otto (Porter Jr.) are not playing back-to-backs, it’s been a little bit of play-it-by-ear-type stuff,” Kerr said. “It feels like we need to try and find some continuity when we can. … As long as Draymond is out, I think anything is on the table based on matchups. I think JK has played really well, so it’s not an indictment on him. It’s more just trying to find combinations that make sense for the game. We are just trying to find ways to win basically while we have guys out.”
Speaking of Green, Kerr said the Warriors will provide an update on the former Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday, per Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter link). Green is dealing with back and calf ailments.
In an in-depth profile, James Herbert of CBS Sports takes a look at the path Gary Payton II took to the Warriors and how he has found a home in Golden State.

Warriors Have No Plans To Add Center

January 24th, 2022 at 7:29am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward/center Draymond Green is out indefinitely due to calf and back issues and second-year big man James Wiseman still doesn’t have a set timetable either as he makes his way back from a pair of knee surgeries. However, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic that Golden State has no plans to add another center to its roster via trade or free agency.

The Warriors have a full 15-man roster, so they’d have to waive one of their current players in order to sign another big man. As Slater explains, the team values continuity, isn’t interested in sacrificing depth on the wing, and isn’t especially eager to further increase its record-setting tax bill. Golden State also views its lack of center depth as a short-term issue, with Green and Wiseman expected to return at some point.

Kevon Looney‘s durability this season has helped ease any concerns the Warriors have about the center spot, Slater observes. The seventh-year pro has battled injuries in recent seasons, but is one of just two Warriors players (along with Nemanja Bjelica) to appear in all 47 of the club’s games so far. Looney’s name hasn’t even shown up on the injury report at all.

“I actually feel better than I ever did,” Looney said. “In years past, I don’t know if could’ve played a back-to-back, played 20-plus minutes. But now I feel great, feel confident, my body’s been responding pretty well.”

As Slater writes, Paul Millsap drew interest from the Warriors in the offseason and is very much available again, so if the club wanted to pick up another frontcourt player, he’d be an option. But at this point, there’s no sign that any move is in the cards.