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And-Ones: Andersen, Euroleague, Curry, Coaches

March 26th, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

It wasn’t long ago that Chris Andersen was suiting up for the NBA’s defending champions — he appeared in his last NBA game in December 2016 for the Cavaliers. Less than a year and a half later, however, having not played for an NBA team this season, Andersen is eyeing a move to the BIG3.

The professional three-on-three league, entering its second season, recently announced (via Twitter) that Andersen has joined the 2018 draft pool. The 15-year NBA veteran known as Birdman appeared in nearly 700 total regular season games for Denver, Miami, New Orleans, Memphis, and Cleveland, averaging 5.4 PPG and 5.0 RPG.

While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement as an NBA player, Andersen’s move to the BIG3 may signal that one last NBA run isn’t in the cards for the veteran big man.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

There’s no question that the NBA is the world’s best basketball league, but for many former NBA players, life in the Euroleague isn’t so bad. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated spoke to a handful of those veterans who are playing international ball to see why they’ve decided to continue their respective careers overseas. “I have had more than a couple opportunities to go back,” said Real Madrid big man Anthony Randolph. “For me personally, I have stated to the teams that I talk to that I would want to have a significant role when I come back and I wanted to play. … I don’t want to go back to the NBA to sit on the bench and kind of waste a year or two of my career. I enjoy playing. I enjoy competing against guys. The competition has gotten so much better over here that I’m challenged every night playing overseas. I’m 100% at peace if I don’t go back to the NBA.”
While returning from his knee injury is Stephen Curry‘s top priority at the moment, the Warriors star is “definitely” still interested in getting involved in an ownership group for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, Connor Letourneau of SFGate.com writes.
Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune examines how stress is taking a toll on head coaches around the NBA, including Steve Clifford of the Hornets and Tyronn Lue of the Cavaliers.
Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press explores the fine line between tanking and “player development” for some of the NBA’s worst teams.

Kerr: Stephen Curry To Miss First Round Of Playoffs

March 25th, 2018 at 7:57pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Warriors will be without two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry for the first round of the playoffs, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link).

“There’s no way he’s playing in the first round, there’s no way,” Kerr said. “He’s being reevaluated in three weeks. We have to be ready to play without him and then see how he’s coming along. Good thing is we’ve been through this, we went through it last year with [Kevin Durant].”

Curry returned to the court on Friday after he missed six games with an ankle injury. However, in the third quarter, teammate JaVale McGee landed on Curry’s left leg after a block attempt, forcing him to exit the game. He was initially diagnosed with a left MCL sprain and an MRI revealed a grade 2 left MCL sprain. The prognosis was for Curry to be reevaluated in three weeks.

Curry spoke to reporters after Kerr and said he hopes to be back in time for the first round despite Kerr’s prognosis (Twitter link).

“Hopefully I prove what coach said wrong and put myself in position to get back as soon as possible,” Curry said.

In 51 games this season, Curry has averaged 26.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 5.1 RPG.

Warriors Notes: Cook, Curry, Green, Durant

March 25th, 2018 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

In the wake of Stephen Curry‘s latest injury, the Warriors need to add two-way player Quinn Cook to their roster before the postseason, writes Chris Haynes of ESPN. The second-year point guard has made the most of his time with Golden State, averaging 6.9 points in 23 games. He has been extremely productive lately, reaching double figures in his last five contests, including a career high of 28 points.

With the G League regular season now over, Cook’s 45-day NBA limit is no longer a concern. However, he cannot be on the playoff roster unless the Warriors convert his contract to a full NBA deal by April 10, the day before the season ends. Golden State doesn’t have an available roster spot, so someone would have to be waived. Sources tell Haynes that the team hasn’t discussed such a move with Cook’s representatives.

“I want to secure a guaranteed deal,” he said. “I know I’m an NBA player, and I want to continuing proving that.”

There’s more Warriors news this morning:

In an interview with HoopsHype, Cook said he is more focused on a strong finish to the regular season than the roster decision. “Obviously if it were to happen, I’d be grateful, I’d be thankful,” Cook said of being activated for the postseason. “But if it doesn’t, I’ll still be with the team during the playoffs and practicing with the guys and still learning. It’s not something that I’ve been thinking about. Whatever happens happens, and I’ll be grateful either way.”
After being injured Friday, Curry spent time after the game talking to Cook about his new role with the team, according to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. It’s a continuation of the mentoring role Curry has adopted since Cook’s first call-up to the Warriors in December. “He’d literally sit down with me before every game and at halftime and tell me what he would see,” Cook said. “We developed a great friendship and mentorship along the season.”
Curry’s MRI results dominated the headlines Saturday, but the Warriors have much better news regarding their other injured stars, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Draymond Green has recovered from a pelvic contusion that he suffered Monday and should play in today’s game, while Kevin Durant is expected back from a rib cartilage fracture by the middle of the week. Klay Thompson will be out a little longer with a fractured right thumb, but Slater expects them to have about five games together before the season ends.

Stephen Curry Suffers MCL Sprain; Out Three Weeks

March 24th, 2018 at 2:53pm CST by marksuleymanov

2:53pm: Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Curry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic adds that a Grade 2 sprain is worse than the injury Curry suffered in the 2016 playoffs, forcing him to miss 15 days, and that a Grade 2 sprain generally causes a player to miss 4-6 weeks.

8:33am: Warriors point guard Stephen Curry suffered a left MCL sprain in Friday’s win over the Hawks and he is set to undergo an MRI later today, per the team’s public relations department (Twitter link).

The two-time Most Valuable Player scored 29 points and grabbed 7 boards in 25 minutes on Friday. Curry suffered the MCL injury late in the third quarter when teammate JaVale McGee — attempting a block — fell onto Curry’s left knee. He left the game and never returned.

Curry had missed Golden State’s previous six games due to a right ankle injury. The Warriors’ second-leading scorer had a minor limp but was in good spirits inside the team’s locker room after the game, tweets ESPN’s Chris Haynes.

“Well, at least it’s not my ankle,” Curry said.

In 51 games this season, Curry has averaged 26.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 5.1 RPG.

The Warriors have been conservative with their star players as injuries mounted with Kevin Durant (rib fracture), Draymond Green (pelvic contusion) and Klay Thompson (thumb fracture) sidelined.

Depending on the results of today’s MRI, it could put the Warriors in a precarious position with the playoffs three weeks away. Golden State is four games back of the Rockets for the top seed in the Western Conference with 10 games left. Chasing Houston for first place with a depleted roster is less of a concern than having the five-time All-Star healthy for the postseason.

“We’ll see what the MRI says tomorrow,” head coach Steve Kerr said, per ESPN. “There’s not a lot we can do or predict. Kind of a strange, cruel twist of fate, you know. He rehabs his ankle for the last couple of weeks, gets that strong, and then the knee goes. So we’ll see what happens. Keep our fingers crossed.”

Pacific Notes: Curry, Warriors, Cook, Harrell

March 21st, 2018 at 8:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Warriors have hit a rough patch with injuries as their four All-Stars – Stephen Curry (ankle), Klay Thompson (thumb), Kevin Durant (rib), and even Draymond Green (midsection) – have all been sidelined recently. From the trio of Curry, Durant, and Thompson, Curry is closest to returning, ESPN’s Chris Haynes writes.

“I think Steph is closer to playing than KD and Klay,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “…We’re going to be cautious with all of them. … This is not like a timetable of two to three days. It’s just more of a feel thing.”

Golden State owns second place in the Western Conference, four games behind the Rockets. With a postseason spot wrapped up, the Warriors by all indications will focus on getting their core players healthy rather than push for the first seed.

Check out more notes from the Pacific Division below:

Battling injuries, the Warriors have relied on their bench to shoulder the load. Undrafted point guard Quinn Cook, who has bounced around the league the last few seasons, has been a pleasant surprise for Golden State. In his last three games, Cook has finished with 20+ points. Cook hopes to remain with the team long-term and the interest is mutual, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. “I would love to be with this team for the next 10 years of my career,” Cook said.
Cook has also received help from Curry via a text message at halftime during the Warriors‘ matchup against the Suns last Saturday, Melissa Rohlin of The Mercury News relays. Cook struggled in the first half, but a text from the two-time MVP helped him finish with a career-high 28 points.“I don’t care if you go zero-for-25, that 26th shot you better not hesitate,” Curry said in the text, per Cook.
Clippers forward Montrezl Harrel has been a steady presence for the team this season, averaging a career-high 10.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 64 games. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes that Harrell has been one of the most efficient scorers in the entire NBA in the 16.2 minutes per game he averages. Harrell is set to hit restricted free agency this summer.

Stephen Curry Targeting Friday Return

March 20th, 2018 at 7:46pm CST by Luke Adams

7:46pm: Curry’s re-evaluation by team medical staff indicated that his ankle is making “good progress.” As a result, Curry has been cleared to practice as a full participant beginning tomorrow, per an official statement from the team.

9:43am: Warriors star Stephen Curry is aiming to return from his latest ankle injury this Friday vs. Atlanta, according to Chris Haynes and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Golden State has the next three nights off, so Friday is the earliest that Curry could get back on the court.

Curry, who has missed the Warriors’ last six games after tweaking his right ankle, will have that ankle re-evaluated on Tuesday. If the team is satisfied with that assessment and Curry avoids setbacks this week, he should be able to face the Hawks on Friday.

The defending champions have been hit hard by the injury bug as of late, with all four of their All-Stars battling various ailments. Klay Thompson (hand) and Kevin Durant (ribs) are each expected to miss a little more time, sources tell Haynes and Shelburne. Meanwhile, Draymond Green left Monday’s loss to the Spurs with a pelvic contusion, but said after the game that the injury is “not serious,” per Haynes.

Because Curry is due back soon and Green’s injury sounds minor, the Warriors won’t be eligible to apply for a hardship exception — that provision allows a team to add a 16th player to its 15-man roster when it has at least four players who have missed three straight games and are expected to remain sidelined for another two weeks apiece.

The Warriors are currently 3.5 games back of the Rockets for the No. 1 seed in the West, but have an 8.5-game cushion over Portland for the No. 2 spot. With their seed all but locked in, the Dubs are expected to focus on simply getting everyone healthy for the start of the postseason, rather than rushing players back for the last three weeks of the regular season.

Injury Notes: Curry, Leonard, Porzingis, George

March 14th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will hold Stephen Curry out of action for another week while he recovers from a “tweaked” right ankle, the team announced in a tweet. Curry is making progress with his rehab, according to the Warriors, and will be re-evaluated March 20. That means he will miss at least four more games. Curry has been sidelined since Thursday when he hurt the ankle while being fouled on a layup attempt against the Spurs.

There’s more injury-related news from around the NBA:

Kawhi Leonard hasn’t received medical clearance to start playing again, relays Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich remains in daily contact with Leonard and says the team is being careful not to bring him back before he’s fully ready. “He’s got to be cleared by his medical staff that he’s seeing. And until he gets cleared, we can’t make a decision on when he’s coming back,” Popovich said. “So once he gets cleared, then he and I can sit down and talk and see what we think about an appropriate time to come back. But that clearance has to be obtained first.” An earlier report indicated that Leonard might play tomorrow, but San Antonio has ruled that out.
Kristaps Porzingis was “shocked” when doctors told him he had torn his left ACL, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Making his first public comments since the injury, the Knicks forward vowed to return to his All-Star level, but isn’t sure when he might start playing again. “I can’t give you anything,’’ Porzingis said. “I have no idea. You should ask the doctor, maybe. And he would tell you something. And myself, I’m just going day by day really, and we’ll see where is the comeback at. There is no timetable for now. It’s pretty far off to put a timetable out there.’’
Paul George left last night’s game with a groin injury, but doesn’t expect to miss any time, according to Royce Young of ESPN. George will be re-evaluated today before the Thunder decide whether he can play Friday.
X-rays were negative on Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis, who left Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia with a sprained left ankle. He will undergo an MRI when the team returns home.
The Lakers are listing Kyle Kuzma as questionable for tonight’s game after he sprained his right ankle Tuesday, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. X-rays taken last night were negative.
Larry Nance Jr. left Tuesday’s game early after he tweaked his right hamstring, relays ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). The Cavaliers center said he’s “absolutely fine” and plans to play tomorrow in Portland.

Injury Updates: Curry, Bell, J. Brown, Collison

March 9th, 2018 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

After tweaking his right ankle last week, Stephen Curry twisted that same ankle during Thursday’s game against San Antonio. While Curry’s injury doesn’t appear serious, the Warriors will hold him out of their next two games on Friday and Sunday, writes Chris Haynes of ESPN.

“With Steph’s ankle injuries, it’s always a worry,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “Especially … he’s done it so many times where you can kind of tell immediately whether he can get through it or not by his reaction. Just by that reaction that he had tonight, it’s kind of a worry.”

Given how often Curry has tweaked or turned an ankle this season, it makes sense for the Warriors to play it safe with the former MVP. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic points out, the latest incident may also prompt the Dubs to consider adding Quinn Cook to their 15-man roster. Currently, Cook is on a two-way deal that allows him to play for the club during the regular season, but not in the postseason.

In order to make Cook playoff-eligible, the Warriors would have to convert his two-way contract into an NBA deal before the final day of the regular season. Golden State is unlikely to rush that decision, since Cook still has plenty of time left on his 45-day NBA limit, and the team would have to waive a player – possibly Omri Casspi – in order to add the guard to the 15-man roster.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Warriors also avoided a serious ankle injury earlier this week, when Jordan Bell‘s latest sprain was deemed a minor one (video link via Slater). Even though Bell’s ankle injury isn’t considered as serious as the sprain that sidelined him for over a month earlier this season, he won’t be re-evaluated until Tuesday, tweets Melissa Rohlin of The Bay Area News Group.
Jaylen Brown suffered a scary fall during Thursday’s game against Minnesota, losing his grip on the rim after a dunk and hitting his head on the court. While the Celtics may initially have been having Gordon Hayward flashbacks, Brown tweeted late on Thursday night that he’s “OK” — with the exception of a headache. While Brown has avoided a worst-case scenario, he’ll continue to undergo tests and be monitored for concussion-like symptoms in the coming days, as A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes.
Darren Collison, who last played on February 3, has a chance to return to the Pacers‘ lineup on Friday night after recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, says Clifton Brown of The Indianapolis Star. “I had a chance to get up and down with the guys the past few days,” Collison said. “A lot of hard work trying to get back in shape. I feel really good about (Friday).” The veteran figures to come off the bench behind Cory Joseph until head coach Nate McMillan is ready to reinsert him into the starting lineup.
The Thunder announced today in a press release that rookie Terrance Ferguson suffered a concussion on Thursday night and has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Warriors Notes: Trade Talks, McCaw, Curry

February 1st, 2018 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Although many trade rumors have swirled around the NBA in recent weeks, the Warriors haven’t been the subject of many of them. The defending champions obviously have no plans to break up their core, and there are no glaring holes that must be addressed before next Thursday’s deadline. Still, that doesn’t mean general manager Bob Myers isn’t doing his homework on potential deals.

According to Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), Myers said today that he’s “pretty active” and has spoken to about two-thirds of the people around the NBA. Even if Golden State doesn’t complete a trade within the next week, Myers wants to do his due diligence, Medina adds.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

If the Warriors do make a trade, is second-year shooting guard Patrick McCaw a prime candidate to be moved? Tim Kawakami of The Athletic examines that question, noting that McCaw has struggled with his three-point shot this season, making just 25.0% of his attempts, and hasn’t developed at the rate the Warriors hoped. If Golden State wants to add one more reliable shooter off the bench, McCaw – a restricted free agent this summer – could be a logical trade chip, Kawakami writes.
After the Clippers traded Blake Griffin just a few months into a five-year mega-deal, Stephen Curry was asked about his own five-year contract, which – like Griffin’s – doesn’t include a no-trade clause. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Curry said that he and the Warriors discussed the NTC possibility during negotiations, but he doesn’t regret not pushing for one. “They try to set a precedent that nobody gets one around here,” Curry said. “But you would hope situations that happened with Blake don’t happen with this team.”
Earlier today, we passed along an ESPN report suggesting that LeBron James won’t rule out the possibility of meeting with the Warriors in free agency this offseason.

LeBron, Curry Finalize Teams For NBA All-Star Game

January 25th, 2018 at 7:01pm CST by marksuleymanov

Stephen Curry and LeBron James have finalized their teams for the 2018 NBA All-Star game.

Team LeBron’s starting lineup includes James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Kyrie Irving. James’ reserves will be comprised of Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Kristaps Porzingis and John Wall.

Team Curry’s starting lineup includes Curry, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid. Curry’s reserves will be Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Al Horford.

While James’ team includes just one current teammate (Love), he selected his former teammate Irving to start the game. It will be the first time James and Irving are on the same team since Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals.

“To be able to team up back with Kyrie is always special, along with Kevin Love,” James said after the rosters were finalized (via NBA on TNT). “For us to have another weekend to bring back the memories that we had when we were all together [is special].”

James’ team will also reunite Durant and Westbrook for the second time in as many All-Star weekends. Both men suited up for the Western Conference last season but were on the court for a combined 82 seconds, per ESPN’s Royce Young.

Meanwhile, Curry’s team boasts two of his Warriors teammates in Green and Thompson. While James’ team has the size advantage, Curry’s team has more shooters. All told, Curry said he is happy with his picks, particularly the four men he will start with.

“I got a good history with DeMar and James playing on Team USA world championship teams with them,” Curry said. “Joel is obviously a future All-Star for plenty more years to come, this is his first go-around. Maybe one day that weekend he’ll take over my Twitter account and say some jokes for me.”