Tag: Golden State

In loss vs. Detroit, Warriors’ bench score highest total since 2009

Behind Alec Burks and Omari Spellman, the Golden State Warriors bench unit registered their highest-scoring night since 2009.

Against the Detroit Pistons, the Golden State Warriors were down two key contributors heading into the game, late in the third quarter, it didn’t get any easier when Draymond Green was ejected.

Green was thrown out of the game by referee, Tre Maddox with a little under five minutes into the third period, subtracting another player from the Warriors already thin lineup.

With Green hitting the showers early, and both D’Angelo Russell (shoulder) and Kevon Looney (abdomen) ruled out, someone needed to handle a bulk of the minutes against Detroit.

It wasn’t just one player, but the entire Golden State Warriors bench unit carried the load against the Pistons. The understaffed Warriors couldn’t overcome the pairing of Derrick Rose and Andre Drummond. Yet, their bench ended up turning in a valiant effort.

Breakout journeyman, Alec Burks came off the bench to lead the Warriors in scoring with 27 on 5-of-13 shooting from the field. Burks was a technician getting to the charity stripe, knocking down 14-of-14 attempts from the free-throw line against Detroit. The Colorado product added seven board and five assists, potentially boosting his trade value.

Behind Burks was big-man Omari Spellman, who provided the Warriors with a spark off the bench against the Pistons. The former Villanova Wildcat scored 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, adding a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Late in the fourth quarter against Detroit, Spellman threw down a powerful one-handed jam to put an exclamation point on his impressive night off the bench.

After the game, Steve Kerr praised the bench’s effort to reporters, saying the Warriors needed them after their slow start.

“The bench came in a did a great job, and they had to because we got off to a very slow start — second game in a row that we’ve really came out of the gate slow and had to play from behind for pretty much the whole night — it’s a tough way to play, so the bench did a really good job for us.”

Burks, Spellman and the rest of the bench combined for 77 total points, the high for bench points this season and the most since November 9, 2009, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With the Warriors’ slim roster struggling near the halfway point of the season, Kerr may need to rely on his bench at a similar rate until Looney and Russell return to the lineup healthy.

D’Angelo Russell shows off new Golden State themed Way of Wade shoes

D’Angelo Russel took to Instagram to show off a new pair of Warriors themed Way of Wade shoes.

It’s been a whirlwind season for D’Angelo Russell since arriving in Golden State. There’s been trade speculation, injuries and no Stephen Curry in Russell’s first season with the Dubs. Still, the 23-year-old did get a notable upgrade to his shoe game.

In November, Russell signed a partnership with Dwyane Wade’s Li-Ning Way of Wade shoe brand. Since joining Wade, the Ohio State product has been rolling out new Way of Wade “Infinity” shoes throughout the season, with his latest decked out in a familiar colorway.

Russell went to his Instagram story to show off his new Warriors themed Way of Wade Inifinity kicks.

In the video, Russell shows off three different Warrior-centric colorways in white, blue and black. Each shoe had Russell’s nickname, “…Loading” imprinted on the pull tab of the kick’s tongue.

The on-court debut of Russell’s new Warriors themed shoes is undetermined as the All-Star guard is dealing with a lingering shoulder injury after colliding with Luka Donic.

Russell’s missed the past two games for Golden State against San Antonio and Minnesota with a sore shoulder. Prior to losing Russell via injury, Golden State won four-straight games for the first time all season. Without the Louisville native, the Dubs have dropped two in a row.

During their four-game win streak, Russell pulled out another new edition of his Way of Wade shoes on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets. The future Hall of Famer, Wade, took to Twitter to support Russell’s shoe choice.

According to the Way of Wade Instagram, Russell’s Infinity shoes will be released globally on January 11.

Warriors set new regular season high for loss total in Steve Kerr era

The NBA season hasn’t even hit the halfway point and this edition of the Golden State Warriors are already surpassing the highest loss total in the Steve Kerr era.

During the entire 2019 NBA offseason, there were questions about how the Warriors would respond after losing the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors. When will Klay Thompson return? Can Stephen Curry carry a team with only Draymond Green? How do you replace Kevin Durant?

No matter the answers people drew up, the results in the 2019-20 Warriors season are something only a few could imagine.

Through 35 games, the Golden State Warriors sit with only nine wins and are located at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. A dramatic change for a franchise that’s made five straight trips to the NBA Finals.

Although the Warriors were going through a transition period without Durant, losing Curry to injury early in the season set the Warriors down a path their core has little experience with.

Managing it all from right in the middle is coach, Steve Kerr. The Arizona Wildcat product registered eight total championships from the time he was a player to a coach. Pilling up losses is a new territory for Kerr.

Through Kerr’s first three seasons as the head coach of Golden State, his squad only racked up 39 total losses. In years four and five for Kerr, the team combined for 49 losses, but each season ended in a deep playoff run.

The most regular-season losses Kerr and company registered was last season when they finished 57-25. Now in 2019, the Warriors have already surpassed the most losses in the Kerr era with 27 through only 36 games.

While the Warriors are racking up losses, a majority of them came early in the season when the team only had eight healthy players at times. On top of losing both Curry and Thompson, several other Warriors have missed significant time.

D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, Alen Smailagic, Damion Lee and Kevon Looney have all missed 10 or more games this season.

Although they were still without Curry and Thompson, in December, the Warriors were able to field a fully healthy roster for the first time since the start of the season.

The Warriors recently went on a four-game win streak, even stealing a Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately, the injury bug returned, taking out three key contributors over their past two games. Willie Cauley-Stein (illness) and Russell (shoulder) have missed the Warriors past two games, with Looney (abdominal) missing their last five.

Injuries have hampered the Warriors record, but in a transition season, it’s a new challenge for Kerr and his staff to coach up an inexperienced roster that’s been in flux.

As much of a change of pace 2019-20 is for Golden State, it’s also a switch for Kerr. Instead of focusing on leading a deep run into the NBA finals, he’ll need to turn his attention to development until Curry and Thompson return.

What does prospect James Wiseman leaving Memphis mean for Warriors?

Freshman star, James Wiseman— who’s been widely linked to the Golden State Warriors, announced he’s leaving Memphis to focus on the NBA draft. What does that mean for Golden State, who will likely have a top-pick in June’s NBA draft?

When you start to discuss the 2020 NBA draft, there’s a strong chance the name James Wiseman is quickly mentioned. The freshman phenom is noted as one of the best players available in the 2020 prospect pool, a 7-footer with a smooth jumper, paired with a 7-foot-6 wingspan at only 18-years old, its easy to tell why. However, his days playing college basketball in Memphis are officially over.

The one-time Tiger took to Instagram to announce he would withdraw from Memphis and sign with an agent to focus solely on the NBA draft. His decision comes during an up-and-down freshman season in Memphis, that only lasted three games.

Wiseman was ruled ineligible by the NCAA in early November after his family allegedly received improper benefits when Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway loaned Wiseman’s mother money when moving.

The NCAA later suspended Wiseman for 11-games, allowing him to return January 12, when Memphis plays Central Florida, but now the Tigers will be without their McDonald’s All-American going forward.

View this post on Instagram

Today I formally withdrew from the University of Memphis and I will be preparing for the next chapter of my life. Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. Throughout this process, I’ve asked God to ordain my steps and lead me in the right direction. God is my lord and salvation, and throughout this process he has comforted me. This was not how I expected my freshman season to be, but I’m thankful for everyone who has supported my family and me throughout this process. I want to thank the coaches and staff for all their support and my teammates for pushing me everyday at practice. I feel blessed for the opportunity to be a Tiger and for having the honor to play with these special group of guys. I can’t wait to see what all they accomplish this season. The friends and fans of Tiger Nation will always hold a place in my heart. #GoTigersGo 🐯🔵🐯

A post shared by James Wiseman (@bigticket_j13) on

The benefit to the Warriors lowly season is they’ll be awarded a high draft pick in 2020, giving them a chance to bring a player of Wiseman’s ilk to Golden State. Although Wiseman’s college basketball career is over, he’s still projected to be a top draft pick when the 2020 NBA draft rolls around. Wiseman’s size and ability make him a prime candidate to land in Golden State with their high pick.

The issue with Wiseman’s decision to walk away from Memphis cuts his college film down to only three games. Wiseman impressed in his three college games, averaging 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and three blocks, but is that enough to be picked in the top-five?

It’s obvious Wiseman has enough talent to earn the label of a high-lottery pick, but instead of live-action, most of the former Memphis Tiger’s evaluation will be based on projection and high school film.

Wiseman’s situation is comparable to Kyrie Irving’s time at Duke. Irving, a top recruit, only played 11 games in college due to injury but was still selected first overall in 2011.

If the Warriors championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green return healthy, Golden State could be back inline to contend as soon as 2021. With little film on Wiseman, it could take time to develop his pro-game while the Warriors could be looking for a player that will make an impact on day one.

With Wiseman off the college basketball radar, prospects like Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and Washington’s Jaden McDaniels come more into focus. Expect the Warriors to keep tabs on Wiseman still, but with others like Edwards and McDaniels in the limelight weekly, their names could rise up the draft board based on exposure alone.

Wiseman’s decision to step away from Memphis has officially tipped off the start of “draft season.”

Celtics-Warriors odds: Boston eyes 10-game win streak

Previewing Friday’s Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks

The first-place Boston Celtics (9-1) visit the last-place Golden State Warriors (2-10), Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center. We analyze the Celtics-Warriors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

The Celtics have won nine in a row since losing the season opener. PG Kemba Walker led the team in scoring in the last two wins, most recently dropping 25 points in a 140-133 home win over the Washington Wizards Wednesday.

The Warriors are on a five-game skid after suffering a 120-94 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday in which they scored only 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Celtics at Warriors: Key injuries

Celtics: SF Gordon Hayward (broken hand) is out, while PF Daniel Theis (finger) and C Robert Williams III (ankle) are game-time decisions.

Warriors: PG Stephen Curry (hand fracture), SG Damion Lee (hand fracture), SG Jacob Evans (groin), PF Kevon Looney (neuropathy), PF Alen Smailagic (ankle) and SG Klay Thompson (knee) are out.

Celtics 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 8 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Celtics 119, Warriors 111

Moneyline (ML)

Boston (-358) will likely win, but the price is high – one has to wager $3.58 to profit $1 with a Celtics win.

The Celtics are 4-1 on the road; the Warriors are 1-5 at home.

With a scorer like PG D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors (+275) could pull an upset. Unlikely, but not impossible. Russell has averaged 34 points over the last four games, including a 52-point performance in an overtime loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves Nov. 8.

A big night from Russell, an off-night for the visiting Celtics and the Warriors could win bettors 2.75 to 1, but I’m going PASS.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Boston is favored at -7.5 (-106). Golden State is +7.5 (-115).

New to sports betting? Bet $10.60 to profit $10 that the Celtics win by eight or more points. Or bet $11.50 to profit $10 that the Warriors keep it within seven points in a loss or win outright.

Boston is 6-2-2 ATS, while Golden State is 4-8.

The line of 7.5 is just about right, so another PASS.

Over/under (O/U)

A slight lean to the OVER 226.5 (-106) – every $1.06 wagered profits $1 if the teams combine for 227 or more points. Boston is 5-5 O/U on the season and has played to three Overs in a row. Golden State is 8-4 O/U on the season, including going Over in five of its past six games.

The STRONGEST PLAY, however, is the 1st-half OVER 109.5 (-115). The Celtics have averaged 64.7 first-half points in their last three games, while the Warriors have allowed 65.3 first-half points in their last three games.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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