D’Angelo Russell uses Instagram to react to the loss of his former teammate Kobe Bryant.
Long before D’Angelo Russell suited up in his No. 0 Golden State Warriors white and blue jersey, the Ohio State product was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Los Angeles legend, Kobe Bryant was one of Russell’s first teammates in the NBA.
Before Bryant’s retirement from the NBA, he spent one season alongside the newest Golden State Warrior, Russell. Russell, with only one year of college basketball experience, was playing alongside a five-time champion in his first season in the NBA.
Earlier in the 2019-20 season, Russell credited Bryant’s lessons from his rookie season after closing out a much-needed win for Golden State against the New Orleans Pelicans.
One day later, the devastating news is still rippling through NBA circles. Bryant’s impact has been felt across the league with games starting with 24-second violations to honor the fallen All-Star.
In response to the devastating news of Bryant’s death, Russell went to Instagram to pay tribute to his fallen teammate.
Watched you closer than ever man, learned more than I could in such a short time, asked you more questions than ever. True Role ModeI. I find myself hearing every bit of advice you ever gave me. #legendary #mambamentality
The entire Golden State team will be able to honor Bryant on Tuesday when they travel to Philadelphia for their first game since his death. Following Golden State’s five-game road trip, the Warriors will host Bryant’s team in their first game back in the Bay Area on February 8.
Draymond Green went to Instagram to post a heartfelt message in regards to the loss of NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, along with seven others, tragically passed away in a fatal helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning. The loss of a basketball icon like Bryant has caused an outpour of emotion from players across the league.
The teams in action on Sunday, following Bryant’s death, honored him by taking a 24-second violation to start the game as chants of “Kobe” echoed through arenas across the NBA.
Draymond Green, who used Twitter to react to the news of Bryant’s death initially, later went on Instagram to send a heartfelt message about the five-time NBA champion.
Golden State will start a five-game road swing on Tuesday in Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia before returning to the Bay Area with the chance to honor him against his former club. The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Warriors on February 8 in their first game back in San Francisco following the road trip.
Teams in-game action have honored Bryant by taking a 24-second violation at the start of Sunday’s games, while players across the league have taken to social media with heavy hearts to react to the loss of the basketball icon.
The tragic news of Bryant’s sudden death is still rippling through the NBA landscape, with the latest to honor the fallen legend being a member of the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry adjusted his Twitter account to prominently represent Bryant. Curry changed his profile picture along with his header photo on Twitter to include Bryant. Both images feature Curry alongside Bryant.
Other members of the Golden State squad have chimed in on social media to share their feelings on the loss of Bryant. Golden State won’t have the opportunity to give an on-court tribute to the fallen NBA champion till Tuesday, when the Warriors start a five-game road swing.
Golden State will return to the Bay Area in early February with their first home game back from their road trip being against Bryant’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The home of the Golden State Warriors, Chase Center, will honor Kobe Bryant on its outdoor video monitor after the NBA legend’s tragic death in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
Bryant retired before the opening of Chase Center but enjoyed success playing in the Warriors’ former home: Oracle Arena in Oakland. He played 33 career regular-season games at Oracle and averaged 26.5 points against Golden State. Bryant scored 30 or more points 12 times in Oracle Arena, going for 40 or more three times, with one 50-point effort.
The Golden State Warriors head out on a five-game East coast road swing starting Tuesday in Philadelphia. When they return to San Francisco, it will be to face Bryant’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Golden State Warriors players, including three-time champion Draymond Green, reacted to the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Sunday morning in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles.
News of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant has swept across not only the NBA but the entire globe. Bryant, 41, his daughter, Gianna Maria, 13, and seven others were killed when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning.
The magnitude of the five-time NBA champion’s death has sent ripples through the Association. In one of the darkest days in league history, NBA games started with 24-second violations to honor Bryant, whose No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys were retired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.
Those not in action on Sunday poured their emotions and shared their memories of Bryant onto social media, including members of the Golden State Warriors.
Three-time NBA champion Draymond Green, like many, was “stunned” by the news of Bryant’s death.
Warriors rookie Eric Paschall, reacted with a trio of tweets. The New York native tweeted “Prayers up,” attaching a picture of Bryant and his family. Paschall later responded when reports surfaced that Bryant’s daughter, Gianna Maria, also perished in the crash.
The Golden State Warriors’ next game isn’t until Tuesday in Philadelphia when they start a five-game East coast road trip. Golden State returns to San Francisco on Feb. 8 to play Bryant’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Andre Iguodala thinks that Stephen Curry should take the rest of the NBA season off after he recovers from injury.
Since the start of the 2020 New Year, the Warriors haven’t been able to stack wins at the desired rate, yet there is still positive news surrounding Golden State.
The primary source of that positivity is the news surrounding Stephen Curry’s injury that has caused him to miss all but four games in the 2019-20 season. Curry has been spotted shooting at practice and is clear to travel with Golden State as he progresses through his rehab.
Returning at the start of March against the Washington Wizards would give Curry the chance to finish out the final 22 games of the Warriors 2019-20 season.
However, one of Curry’s former teammates doesn’t think he should return to the court until next season. Andre Iguodala joined ESPN’s First Take and initially joked around about wanting Curry back as his golf partner, but later doubled-down saying his old teammate needs a “real break” so he can “relax.”
Selfish reasons, no — he hurt his left hand, and you can’t golf with your left hand if it’s hurt — so, I think he needs to get a real break in terms of being able to relax — that long run, in terms of mental reasons — Marshawn Lynch mentioned it, you need to get your mentals right — but I think it’s good for him mentally to be able to step away — be able to get a nice breather — he’s going to be able to come back on a wrath next year.
With the Warriors record locked in at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, there’s no reason to rush Curry back as his injury should be handled with caution.
However, Golden State hasn’t been able to experiment with D’Angelo Russell and Curry in the same backcourt for an extended amount of time. Testing Curry and Russell together is a crucial step before heading into an offseason where Golden State will try to morph back into a contending caliber team.
Curry’s hand is expected to be evaluated in February, with many dominos slated to fall once there is an updated timetable attached to his broken hand injury.
Along with Cauley-Stein, Golden State has other players that could be dealt before the trade deadline on February 6, but in the present, who will step up in the Warriors rotation while the roster is being tinkered?
After Golden State’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, Steve Kerr was asked if Smailagic will get the call up from the G League with Cauley-Stein traded to Dallas.
Possibly, I still think it’s more valuable for him to play big minutes in Santa Cruz other than playing shorter minutes here — For sure he’ll be up here for more games at some point during the rest of the season
Kerr said that, with Cauley-Stein gone, Alen Smailagic is poised for more NBA appearances: pic.twitter.com/nTRVd4QXgz
Since returning from an injury that hampered the start of his basketball career, Smailagic has played nine games in the NBA, averaging 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game.
What Smailagic’s numbers don’t show is the spark that he brings to Golden State’s rotation when he takes the floor. Whether it’s a dunk, a banked-in three-pointer, or a hustle play — the Warriors’ crowd responds to the Serbian rookie’s energy.
Smailagic’s age and experience limit him from even being considered a refined NBA prospect at this point. However, with minutes opening up and the Golden State record dwindling, the 19-year-old has a chance to further his development at the NBA level.
Somehow already past the midpoint of the college basketball season, the 2020 NBA Draft is starting to shape up with far more clear rankings.
Somehow already past the midpoint of the college basketball season, the 2020 NBA draft is starting to shape up with far more clear rankings.
As always, we examine the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming draft class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.
The top four players (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and Cole Anthony) have remained the exact same despite none of the latter three players being active for various different reasons.
Meanwhile, Iowa State sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton entered the Top 5 and replaced 19-year-old Israeli prospect Deni Avdija – who has not seen much playing time in the Euroleague.
Included below are brief scouting reports for senior guards who have improved their draft stock the most since our last update. These players listed are all four-year NCAA players who could be ready to make the jump to the NBA like Josh Hart and Malcolm Brogdon did in their respective classes.
MARKUS HOWARD, MARQUETTE
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 46
One of the most important things to know about Marquette senior Markus Howard is that despite the fact he has four years of collegiate experience, he is just 20 years old. Few teams operate their offense through one player quite like Golden Eagles do with Howard, who has taken 42.5 percent of their total field goal attempts. Fortunately, the guard brags one of the most efficient and prolific jump shots among all NCAA players. Howard operates well when he is shooting off the catch and off the dribble, which will make him a good fit for almost any offense in the NBA. He is currently averaging 28.4 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent on three-pointers. Similarly, no guard in college has been fouled more often than Howard has thus far. He should be a lock win Big East Player of the Year and should be a strong contender for the National Player of the Year, too. As a pro, he can likely become a spark-plug scoring option off the bench. His draft stock has improved from No. 68 up to No. 46 month-over-month.
PAYTON PRITCHARD, OREGON
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 47
Oregon senior guard Payton Pritchard was a Top-50 recruit coming into the Pac-12 back in 2016. He attended West Linn High School, where he was able to lead his squad to four consecutive state titles. That accomplishment was an especially impressive feat considering the program had only won the OSAA Boys Basketball Championship once before and it was way back in 1997. He has since played for the Ducks in the Final Four (2017) and also won MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament last season. He is currently averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists with 1.7 steals per game. His assist rate (32.7 percent) is Top 20 among seniors and he has connected on 40.7 percent of his three-pointers. Now more than halfway through the season, he is the heavy favorite to win Pac-12 Player of the Year and could be a sleeper for National Player of the Year as well. He has leaped from No. 96 in December all the way to No. 47 now in January.
SKYLAR MAYS, LSU
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 57
During his senior year of high school, Skylar Mays was actually teammates with Howard at Findlay Prep. Also on the roster was 2019 first-rounder PJ Washington and Toronto Raptors two-way wing Oshae Brissett. For what it is worth, their roster also had current college basketball standouts Tristan Clark (Baylor) and Lamine Diane (CSUN). Their team has already sent tons of prospects into the NBA and Mays could very well be the next in line. He is a potential 3-and-D threat, averaging 1.4 three-pointers and 2.1 steals per game for the LSU Tigers as an NCAA senior. Meanwhile, LSU’s adjusted offensive rating (116.6) ranks Top 5 in college basketball. Along with Reggie Perry (Mississippi State) as well as Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Florida), Mays has a strong candidacy to win SEC Player of the Year. He has jumped from No. 90 last month to No. 57 this month.
Previewing Friday’s Indiana Pacers at Golden State Warriors sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Indiana Pacers (29-16) visit the struggling Golden State Warriors (10-36) Friday at the Chase Center for a 10:30 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Pacers-Warriors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
The Pacers have won six of seven, recently beating the Phoenix Suns 112-87 Wednesday. T.J. Warren led the way with 24 points as Indiana improved to 2-1 on a current five-game road trip.
The Warriors are on a two-game skid after Wednesday’s 129-96 home defeat to the Utah Jazz. They have dropped 12 of 13.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.
Pacers at Warriors: Key injuries
Pacers
SG Malcolm Brogdon (concussion) out
SG Victor Oladipo (knee) out, eyes season debut Jan. 29
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry (hand) out
PF Kevon Looney (abdominal) out
SG Klay Thompson (knee) out
Pacers at Warriors: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Indiana (-250) is the favorite, but I don’t want to risk an NBA bet at that price – every $2.50 wagered only profits a $1 if the Pacers prevail. They are 12-11 on the road, while Golden State is 7-16 at home. The Warriors actually offer value at +200, but I’ll PASS and focus on the spread.
The WARRIORS (+6.5, –115) is the STRONGEST PLAY. Before getting smoked by a good Utah team Wednesday, Golden State covered its last two home games. They beat the Orlando Magic 109-95 as a six-point dog Jan. 18 and lost to the Denver Nuggets 134-131 in OT as a 3.5-point dog Jan. 16. They’ll want to play better after the Jazz blowout.
New to sports betting? Every $1.15 wagered on the Warriors spread will profit $1 if they win outright or don’t lose by 7 points or more.
The UNDER 216.5 (-129) is worth backing. Golden State’s 105.4 points per game ranks 26th in the league, while Indiana’s 109.1 PPG checks in 21st. With Brogdon out –injured in the previous game – the Pacers’ lose 17.1 PPG and their assists leader (7.3 APG). Plus, the Warriors are 9-14 O/U at home.
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Johnny’s record since Dec. 1: 36-22-2. Strongest plays: 20-8.
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Stephen Curry is the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors. Over their five year run, Curry has been the centerpiece for everything the Warriors empire stands on.
He’s won three championships, two MVPs and broken record after record over the last half decade as a Warrior. But that’s not how he always envisioned everything going down, apparently.
Before he was drafted, not only did Curry think he was going to the New York Knicks, he WANTED to go to the Knicks.
On Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ “All the Smoke” podcast, the Warriors’ guard told the two former NBA vets that New York was his preferred destination.
“Thinking back, I wanted to go to New York and thought I was going to New York.”
The 2009 draft was already a nightmare for Knicks fans — they were just one pick away from getting Curry, who was selected with the seventh overall pick. Now, they know he actually wanted to come there? Ouch. Just twisting the knife, honestly.
The Knicks ended up selecting Jordan Hill at No. 8, one pick before the Raptors landed DeMar DeRozan. Hill was traded away in his rookie season in a deal that resulted in Tracy McGrady joining the Knicks.
At this point, it’s alright for Knicks fans to beef with the Warriors. Golden State beat them to Curry, they pulled Steve Kerr away. Who’s next?
The only thing that could be worse is losing out on LeBron James ….oh wait.
HOLD UP a second…
After Wade says “I appreciate you letting it end here,”
LeBron says “it was either here or at the Garden.”
Fret not, Knicks fans. Your time will come eventually!
It could be worse? Well, probably not. But it could be! Think of it this way. If the Knicks DID get Curry, he’d probably just turn out to be nothing but Jimmer Fredette with busted ankles.
