Category: Warriors

Injured Warriors backcourt duo could return during current road trip

The Warriors have been riddled with injuries to their backcourt, but reinforcements could be on the way in the form of D’Angelo Russell and Jacob Evans III.

A tear of injuries has ravaged the Warriors roster from top-to-bottom, with the biggest hit coming to the backcourt. Injuries to Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell have made headlines, but even bench pieces like Damion Lee and Jacob Evans have missed extended time.

After leading the NBA in games missed due to injury all season long, help could finally be coming to the backcourt with the return of both Russell and Jacob Evans III.

The injured backcourt duo traveled with the team to start their current five-game road swing and could return to the lineup before they return home.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Russell is making progress with his right thumb sprain. He will miss the next two games with the target to return at either the tail end of the road trip or at the start of the upcoming homestand.

Slater also reported that second-year guard, Evans practiced with the team after the Miami game and could even return by the end of the road trip. Evans has missed 17 of the team’s 20 games this season with an adductor injury, but looks to be on his way back in a season that initially had high expectations.

With several departures and injuries in the offseason, the Warriors 2018 first-round pick was slated to have an increased role at point guard in Steve Kerr’s offense.

Any fresh body will provide a boost to a Warriors rotation that is currently only running out only nine healthy players.

Stephen Curry shows off incredible memory during career highlight quiz

What isn’t Stephen Curry good at? The All-Star guard was quizzed on some of his career highlights in his career and didn’t miss.

The Golden State Warriors broadcast team is pulling out all the stops during the team’s underperforming 2019-20 season. The Warriors flagship television station, NBC Sports Bay Area, has utilized both of the “Splash Brothers” in recent broadcasts.

Klay Thompson served as the team’s sideline reporter against the Chicago Bulls, while Stephen Curry sat in as an analyst during the pregame and postgame coverage for the Warriors matchup against the Miami Heat.

The broadcast had some games planned for Curry, including a pop-a-shot shootout with Warriors Hall of Famer, Chris Mullin, and a quiz on some of his career highlights.

The only information the three-time champion was told was the game’s date and then was asked to state the highlight that came out of that game. Some of the highlights went back to 2010, and in familiar Curry fashion, he did not miss. Watch the NBC Sports Bay Area video below to see Curry’s memory on display.

After Curry was perfect in the pregame show, the broadcast decided to double-down in the postgame and rechallenge the guard. Curry knocked down every highlight the show lined up until he was finally stumped when asked about a preseason game from 2015.

Watching Curry do his thing in front of the camera begs the question, what can’t he do? Two time NBA MVP, scratch golfer, television personality, and now a photographic memory. Warriors fans won’t be seeing Curry return to the floor anytime soon as he recovers from his broken hand. However, an appearance on the television broadcast might be the next best thing.

Jordan Poole isn’t worried about his shot: ‘This is not life or death’

Jordan Poole’s rookie season hasn’t gone as planned, but after a 20-point night in Miami, the rookie is keeping things even steady.

Similar to the Golden State Warriors franchise, the 2019-20 season hasn’t gone to plan for Jordan Poole. When the Warriors selected Poole 28th overall in the 2019 NBA draft, his best trait for the next level was his shooting ability. However, since suiting up in a Golden State uniform, he hasn’t been able to find the net.

Poole’s season started as a nightmare, shooting 28.1 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from beyond the arc. The rookie looked lost offensively, his shot looked rushed, and almost panicked. Poole had shooting nights that consisted of 2-for-13, 1-for-9, 2-for-11, and 3-for-13.

Through 20 games into the season, Poole’s shot under 30 percent from the field in 13 times, in six games, he failed to sink one three-pointer. No matter how bad his shooting woes got, Poole isn’t digging too deep into why his shots aren’t falling.

“This is not life or death,” said Poole. “There’s really people out there battling life or death, this is not that. So, you get paid to play basketball? This is an activity, a hobby— I mean, it’s fun.”

The Michigan product’s bad luck started to change when Golden State traveled to Miami. The rookie knocked down five three-pointers on six attempts. Poole totaled 20 points on one of his best shooting nights as a professional, but what was most encouraging was how he looked comfortable on the NBA stage.

Poole played with confidence and a bit of swagger on the floor. Poole was even caught talking a little smack to his former teammate turned Miami Heat guard, Duncan Robinson.

There was no big secret on what changed with Poole’s game against Miami compared to his early-season struggles, the rookie said he’s just sticking with what got him here to this point, tonight the difference was the ball just went in the hoop.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Miami that this was the type of game Poole needed after going through “the wringer” to start his career.

“This is the kind of game he needs to have occasionally to keep his spirit up,” said Kerr. “He’s got a long way to go, and he knows that, but he’s been putting in the effort.”

Support from his coaches, and finally seeing the ball go into the basket should provide the confidence Poole needs to stay in the rhythm he found in Miami. The Warriors season has switched gears into being more about the future than the present, and Poole, at only 20-years-old looks to be a big part of the team’s long term plans.

Warriors open road trip in Miami with 122-105 loss vs. surging Heat

The talent of the Miami Heat was too much for the young Golden State Warriors, but rookie Jordan Poole was able to put together one of his best performances of his young career.

The wins haven’t been there, but over the past handful of games, the Golden State Warriors have looked like a competent team. They’ve battled wire-to-wire against teams with far better talent, but against the Miami Heat, it was a different story.

The Heat showed why they’re one of the league’s best-looking teams to start the 2019-20 season. Jimmy Butler and rookie standout, Tyler Herro, whacked the Warriors from start to finish ending in a 122-105 post-Thanksgiving beatdown.

First Quarter

This game started and virtually ended in the first quarter for the Warriors. The Heat jumped out to a 20-point lead in the opening period on 16-for-21 shooting from the floor and 6-of-8 beyond the arc.

Michigan product, Duncan Robinson, splashed four three-pointers good for 12 points in the first quarter. While Alec Burks added 10 for Golden State, the rest of the Warriors only combined for only 11 total points. Ontop of hot shooting to start the game, the Heat outrebounded Golden State 14-5 in the first quarter alone.

The Warriors played Miami fairly even in the second and third quarters. However, they could never overcome the opening punch before the Heat dropped the knockout blow in the fourth and final quarter.

Jordan Poole

The Warriors 2019 first-round draft pick, Jordan Poole, has had his early struggles widely documented, but the rookie took his step in the right direction after having one of his best shooting nights in South Beach.

Poole knocked down five three-pointers on six attempts— his best night beyond the arc in his career. Poole tied his NBA career-high with 20 points against Miami, but it wasn’t what was in the box score that was encouraging about Poole’s night.

For one of the first times in weeks, Poole looked confident on the court; he looked like he was having fun. Poole wasn’t forcing anything, using his ability to put the ball on the floor when needed, and even started throwing around a nice shot-fake. Most of Poole’s shots came in rhythm, which is something he’s struggled to find as a rookie.

Defensive Struggles

The Warriors are coming off one of their best defensive performances of the season against the Chicago Bulls, only allowing 90 total points, but in Miami, the defensive unit was a problem.

Over Golden State’s recent stretch with Draymond Green back, and the arrival of Ky Bowman, the Warriors defense has improved, but their issues containing the pick-and-roll crept back up in South Beach.

Goran Dragic came off the bench and was unstoppable, running the pick-and-roll against the Warriors limited defense. Dragic scored 20-points off the bench and dropped five dimes.

The Heat didn’t do Golden State’s hobbled defense any favors, shooting over 50 percent from the field and three-point range.

Even after a 17-point loss, there’s still a positive feeling surrounding the Warriors as they could be getting back Kevon Looney, D’Angelo Russell and Jacob Evans III at some point during the team’s current road trip.

Positive news for trio of injured Warriors on path to return soon

Reinforcements on the way for the injured Warriors with three players potentially returning during the team’s five-game road trip.

The start of the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season has been defined by injury. Name a player on the Golden State roster, and there’s a chance they’ve spent time attached to the injury report. The team currently leads the NBA in games missed with injury by a mile-size gap, but help could be on the way.

The Warriors got some positive news to start their five-game road trip, with three players returning to practice before Golden State tipped off with the Miami Heat.

Kevon Looney (neuropathic condition), D’Angelo Russell (right thumb), and Jacob Evans III (adductor) were all spotted at Warriors practice to start the road trip. Each player took steps towards the path to return to the Warriors lineup during the team’s five-game road swing.

Kevon Looney

After missing all but 10-minutes of the start of Golden State’s season, Looney has been back practicing with the team for almost a week now, and his return to the floor could be coming very soon. Steve Kerr told reporters during Friday’s shootaround that the Warriors are targeting the Atlanta Hawks game on Monday for Looney’s return.

Both Kerr and Looney mentioned that even though he’s healthy, he needed a couple more practices under his belt to build up conditioning. The team is being patient with Looney’s return as he’s slated to have a featured role for Kerr’s squad after signing a three-year, $15 million contract over the offseason.

Jacob Evans III

Another Warrior who had high expectations for the 2019-20 season, Jacob Evans, returned to with a full practice in Miami. Evans’s adductor injury timetable has been somewhat of a mystery, but seeing Evans on the floor is a positive sign.

The former first-round pick was slated to handle the ball as a point guard more with the departure of Shaun Livingston. Anthony Slater of The Athletic said the Warriors are planning to practice Evans again in Orlando, with a return to the lineup on this road trip being possible.

D’Angelo Russell

The best news of the day might’ve come when the Warriors injured All-Star guard was seen working out without any protection over his sprained right thumb.

After missing the past seven games, Slater said Russell could be back as soon as the team’s current road trip. Before getting injured, Russell was playing his best basketball of the season, serving as Kerr’s primary scorer on offense.

The return of Looney, Evans and Russell would give the Warriors one of their healthiest units since the start of the season. By the end of the five-game road trip, Golden State could finally get a glimpse of Draymond Green, Eric Paschall, Russell and Looney on the floor together— all players who look to be apart of the team’s long term plans.

Grading Klay Thompson’s debut as the Warriors sideline reporter

Klay Thompson returned to the Warriors sideline, but not in his number 11 jersey. Instead the All-Star guard was strapped with a microphone as the team’s sideline reporter.

Over Klay Thompson’s career with the Golden State Warriors, the three-time champion has morphed into one of the most quotable players in the league.

Thompson’s interviews have turned into folklore; whether he’s taking on the persona of “China Klay,” or enjoying a beer mid-postgame interview, he’s must-watch television.

Since Thompson is still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Warriors have lacked a sense of excitement without the five-time All-Star on the floor. The Warriors found a way to bring Thompson back to the court, but in a different role.

Thompson served as the team’s sideline reporter in the second quarter against the Bulls game on Wednesday evening. In a season filled with losses, the distraction of Thompson along the sideline brought a positive feeling to the Warriors broadcast.

Thompson started things off, trying to find his signature call. “Reporter Klay,” broke down a slow-motion play-by-play shot of Glenn Robinson III’s dunk in the second quarter. Thompson settled on “ain’t that a smooth one.”

Thompson might have to call on his father, Mychal, for some lessons when it comes to an exciting play-by-play call. Thompson’s father currently serves as the Los Angeles Lakers radio color commentator.

One of the best parts about Thompson’s broadcast was how engaged he was in the play of his young teammates throughout the quarter. The Warriors broadcast team would ask Thompson questions, but he seemed more interested in the live game than reminiscing on times he was on the floor in the past. Thompson would repeatedly cheer on his teammates emphatically on the sideline. The interest a two-time All-NBA team player showed in his young teammates has to be motivating for players still trying to find their path in the league.

We didn’t get to see Thompson interview coach Steve Kerr, but one of the highlights of the night came when he started firing questions to his teammate, Omari Spellman. Thompson grabbed the mic from full-time sideline reporter, Kerith Burke and took over as the reporter during the interview.

Thompson’s sideline reporting grade: B

Overall, Thompson was entertaining, but his resume of work on-camera is so legendary that his performance on the broadcast doesn’t crack his Mt. Rushmore of media moments. Most importantly, the team got a win, and are now undefeated with Thompson as the sideline reporter.

The Warriors find a way to close out, beat Bulls 104-90 for home win

Draymond Green was Golden State’s missing link when it comes to closing out games. The Warriors get their fourth win of the season, behind Omari Spellman, Alec Burks and Eric Paschall.

It seemed like a similar script to the last couple of games for the Golden State Warriors, wire-to-wire battle behind a gritty performance from their understaffed lineup. Although, instead of letting the game slip away in the final minutes, they closed out against the Chicago Bulls for a 104-90 win.

Draymond Green

The Warriors dropped their previous two games by a combined seven total points with the common factor being no Draymond Green, tonight that changed with the captain returning from his sore heel injury.

Green only tallied seven points and eight assists, but his value against the Bulls won’t show up in the stat sheet. Green controlled the pace of the game for Golden State. Anytime the Bulls tried to rally, the former Defensive Player of the Year showed up. Green slowed the ball down when the young players looked rattled, and even hit a timely three-pointer when the team needed a bucket.

Eric Paschall

Eric Paschall continued on his notable rookie campaign leading Golden State, leading them in scoring with 25-points, his sixth 20-plus scoring game on the season. Paschall has turned into the Warriors go-to scoring option while D’Angelo Russell is injured.

Omari Spellman

Over the past handful of games, Omari Spellman has impressed with his shooting, but against the Bulls, the second-year pro banged around inside, grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds and adding 13 points. Spellman punched his first double-double as a Warrior.

Alec Burks

Lastly, Alec Burks turned in another solid night for the Warriors, with a near triple-double performance. The veteran poured in 23 points, with 10 rebounds and seven assists. Burks is slowly turning himself into a viable bench piece for next season or an attractive trade chip for the Warriors.

It was a genuine full-squad effort for Golden State, as five different players scored in double-digits on 47.5 percent shooting. The Warriors will now head on a five-game road trip after enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday.

Rookie Alen Smailagic to start in G League before making NBA debut

The Warriors are being patient with the development of Alen Smailagic. The Serbian will start in the G League before making his NBA debut.

Last season, Serbian native Alen Smailagic was the youngest player to ever participate in the NBA G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors at only 18-year old. Smailagic was so impressive, that the general manager of the Golden State Warriors, Bob Myers spent a draft pick on him the following season.

From the moment Golden State used the 39th overall pick in June’s draft to select Smailagic, there’s been buzz surrounding the young Serbian. Unfortunately, Smailagic suffered a sprained ankle at the start of training camp, and we haven’t heard much from him since.

Smailagic is finally healthy and will be returning to the floor on Friday, just not with the Golden State Warriors, but with the Santa Cruz G League affiliate. The 19-year-old will make his 2019 debut against Iowa Wolves for the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Smailagic flashed during the start of the NBA Summer League in the “California Classic” in Sacramento, and outside of that, his experience is minimal. Before Smailagic’s one season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, he came over with only junior league playing time from the KK Beko club in Serbia.

Smailagic is still incredibly raw; he ideally fits the Warriors as more of a project right now. Even with their bench thin due to injury, Golden State has a deep frontline filled with players who have earned minutes. Kevon Looney will be returning to the team soon after recovering from his neuropathic condition, making the frontcourt even more crowded. Steve Kerr told reporters it just makes more sense for Smailagic to start with the G League club while the rookie continues to learn.

“He plays the one position where we actually have plenty of depth. It makes a lot more sense for him to go down to Santa Cruz and get his legs underneath him,” Kerr said.

With the Warriors season quickly becoming more about the future than the present, the team is being patient when it comes to Smailagic’s development.

Klay Thompson to make 2019 season debut as Warriors sideline reporter

Klay Thompson will be returning to the Warriors against the Chicago Bulls, but not as a shooting guard. Instead, he will fill in as the broadcast sideline reporter.

Move over Kristen Ledlow and Cassidy Hubbarth; there’s a new rookie reporter about to make his debut along the NBA sideline. Warriors All-Star guard, Klay Thompson, will serve as the broadcast sideline reporter for Golden State’s upcoming home tilt versus the Chicago Bulls.

Thompson is still rehabbing from the ACL injury he suffered in game-six of the 2019 NBA Finals and won’t be playing. However, returning as a one-time broadcaster might be the next best thing.

Thompson’s taken on several personas across his career, including “China Klay,” “Headband Klay” and “Game Six Klay.” Thompson’s latest persona has been dubbed “Reporter Klay” by NBC Sports Bay Area, the television home of the Warriors.

We’ve seen memorable moments with Thompson on camera, like the time he enjoyed a satisfying postgame beer mid-interview, or when he was dosed with water by his fellow splash brother and couldn’t focus. Over Thompson’s career, he’s turned into one of the most amusing interviewees in the NBA; now it’s his turn to ask the questions.

The host of “Warriors Pregame Live,” Greg Papa, announced Thompson would appear as the broadcast’s sideline reporter for the second-quarter on the eve of Thanksgiving against the Bulls. Regular sideline reporter, Kerith Burke will serve as Thompson’s mentor.

With the team struggling, any distraction from the Warriors 3-15 record is a positive. Thompson’s been the figurehead of many viral moments with Golden State; now, in front of a camera for an entire quarter, he’s bound to provide entertaining content.

The most interesting moment of the night could come when Thompson has to interview Steve Kerr— will the coach give him the Gregg Popovich treatment?

Steve Kerr gives Glenn Robinson III confidence he needs with Warriors

Glenn Robinson III has bounced around across five different teams in his career, but now with the Golden State Warriors, he’s finding some concistency for the first time in his career.

It’s tough to find a consistent role as second-round NBA draft pick, you never know when you’re getting your next shot, and if you miss, there’s a strong chance you’re going back to the bench.

Glenn Robinson III knows that struggle because he’s lived it. Since being drafted by Minnesota in 2014, the Michigan product has bounced around the NBA to five different teams. There’s never been any rhythm to Robinson’s career where he’s had the opportunity to show he belongs.

In 2019, Robinson landed in a situation that’s ripe with opportunities, and the 25-year old is capitalizing. The most playing time Robinson has seen in his career was back in the 2016-17 season with Indiana, where he played 20.7 minutes per game. With Golden State, Robinson is the primary starting small forward seeing 31.4 minutes per game.

It’s not just playing time, Robinson’s had a substantial uptick offensively. The most field goal attempts per game Robinson ever averaged was 4.9, but in 2019 with the Warriors, Robinson is shooting 9.5 field goals per game.

Robinson’s increase in minutes and shooting comes mostly because the Warriors are missing players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell. However, the eight-year veteran is making the most of it.

In Golden State’s last five games, Robinson III is averaging 16.5 points per game on 53.3 percent shooting, including 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Robinson dropped a career-high 25 points on 9-for-14 from the field in 36 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Monday night.

When asked about his recent play, Robinson gives all the credit to Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

“I like playing this style of basketball and Steve encourages it—so I think just being around a positive coach,”

Robinson told reporters after the Warriors 100-97 loss to the Thunder that he’s never played for a coach that empowers his players as much as Kerr does.

“My five years before this, I haven’t had a coach like Steve, who just really pours into me and just empowers me. I think that he really looks at his guys, you know—and kind of defers to us in certain situations. So he just gives me a lot of confidence.”

Even when the Warriors bevy of injured All-Stars return, the team still needs a solid small forward with the departure of Kevin Durant. If Robinson’s strong play and chemistry with coach Kerr continue, he could be apart of the team’s plans for the future.