Tag: Klay Thompson

Steve Kerr on D’Angelo Russell with Warriors: ‘you can rightfully question the fit’

Steve Kerr told media that D’Angelo Russell’s fit with the Warriors was questionable from the moment they signed him in the offseason.

From the moment D’Angelo Russell arrived in Golden State, there were questions surrounding how he fit in Steve Kerr’s rotation.

Over the past five years, Golden State has been spoiled with one of the best backcourts in the NBA that included both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, adding another guard to that tandem — even if he’s an All-Star caliber talent like Russell, could create a logjam.

However, injuries to Thompson and Curry halted the Warriors All-Star backcourt trio experiment before it could even begin.

For the first time since the trade deadline, the Warriors’ head coach spoke to the Media, and Kerr brought up the unconventional fit of Russell in Golden State’s backcourt.

Well, I think to be perfectly blunt, the fit was questionable when we signed him, but nobody questioned that — when you already have Steph and Klay, and you add a ball-dominant guard, you can rightfully question the fit,

With there being doubt about his ability to share a backcourt with Curry and Thompson from the start, Kerr told reporters at Friday’s practice that his fit was one of the reasons Russell’s name was regularly involved in trade rumors.

It was one of the reasons the trade rumors started before the season even began, and I think D’Angelo understood that when he signed the contract and our organization understood that as well — the trade ended up happening, I think we at least got a 50 game look at what it might look like of course that kind of went awry when Steph got injured, but you get a good enough look to picture how the positional fit goes, and I think we have an idea that the other player makes more sense and in this case,

With Russell now in Minnesota, Kerr will turn his focus on building his new backcourt while Thompson and Curry are still rehabbing. Golden State’s guard combinations will take on a youth movement with Ky Bowman, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Zach Norvell Jr. taking over a substantial share of minutes until Curry returns.

Why the Warriors were right to take a chance on Andrew Wiggins

The D’Angelo Russell – Andrew Wiggins trade was a blockbuster deal that should leave the Bay Area with a great deal of excitement.

Andrew Wiggins to the Golden State Warriors? Nobody could have expected that at the beginning of the day.

Yet, honestly, the more that you think about, the better it sounds.

Casting narratives — no matter the amount of truth in them — aside for a moment, there’s the obvious fit for Wiggins at small forward beside point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson if you think of him as replacing the departure of Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala (even Harrison Barnes, for all intents and purposes). D’Angelo Russell, traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that shocked the whole league, was always perceived to be an awkward fit when the Splash Brothers returned from their respective injuries.

A combo guard who would have forced Thompson to slide to small forward, Russell’s relative lack of size at 6-foot-5 was also an interesting dynamic to a team that’s utilized length to their advantage over the last few years. Whether their forward was Durant, Iguodala or Barnes, Golden State’s defensive potential was predicated as much on talent as length.

Wiggins is far from an elite defender but has been as focused on that end this season as any point in his career and standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan (while being quite the athlete) doesn’t hurt the team defense.

Offensively, his scoring prowess, including the volume (he’s averaging 22.4 points per game) and comfort scoring from three levels like his immediate predecessor at the starting small forward spot (Durant).

His efficiency, due to what’s at times startling shot-selection, can often leave much to be desired even though he’s shot at least 44.4 percent from the field in three of his six seasons. Yet, the Warriors needn’t worry about that as much when Curry and Thompson return due to the gravity they have beyond the arc and the defensive attention they garner, which should be enough to leave Wiggins with plenty of one-on-one opportunities.

Stop me when you see a downside.

It would be different if the team were looking for Wiggins to be the number one option (or 1B) when fully healthy, as Durant was during his tenure with the Warriors. However, he’ll be the team’s third option (or a 2B).

Though he’s likely to have the ball in his hands as much as Thompson plenty of the time, that’s moreso due to the fact that the sharpshooter doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands long to make a basket. Further, as he’s improved his decision-making from years past and is averaging a career-high 3.7 assists per game this season. Now on a team known to emphasize ball-movement and with a reputable championship-culture, there’s even less concern about Wiggins’ potential role.

It’s well-known that Wiggins has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him after he was selected with the first overall pick in 2014. He may never live up to those expectations to be the greatest player since LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

Nonetheless, he’s extremely talented and still has plenty of potential. Where there are questions about him putting forth consistent effort, it’s difficult to imagine him adopting a lackadaisical approach with the league’s latest dynasty team and with teammates like Draymond Green demanding greatness from his brothers-in-arms.

That said, the trade is incredibly interesting because the Warriors acquired a draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (top-three protected) and own their own draft pick that may be in the top-three in the 2020 NBA Draft. In other words, Golden State is in a fine position to return to the NBA throne and resume their dynastic ways.

This season has been far from what a Warriors fan wanted to see, but with Thursday’s move for Wiggins, Golden State made a shrewd move that should have the Bay Area very excited for their impending future.

Zach LaVine, Tyus Jones say Andrew Wiggins will fit well with Warriors

Andrew Wiggins could end up thriving in Golden State because of having an adjusted role alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Tyus Jones were all teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves for two seasons.

Now, Wiggins holds the title of former Timberwolves player after being traded to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Wiggins was traded in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans III, Omari Spellman, a 2021 top-three protected pick and 2021 second-round pick. Wiggins, the former No. 1 overall draft pick in 2014, had played with the Timberwolves his whole career before being traded.

With Wiggins in a new situation, LaVine and Jones spoke on Twitter about how their former teammate could succeed in the Bay Area.

With this most recent trade, the Warriors are even more in flux, particularly heading into next season. Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III, two players who emerged as key Warriors this season, were traded Wednesday to the Philadelphia 76ers. Willie Cauley-Stein was traded to the Dallas Mavericks near the end of January.

Wiggins isn’t a bad player, but he hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft spot. Still, assuming Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are back at full strength next season, he will end up being in a role where he does not have to score as many points.

Not having as big a role could allow Wiggins to put up more meaningful numbers and have a better effect on the floor. This season, Wiggins ranked second in scoring behind Karl Anthony-Towns. Wiggins is talented — he’s averaged at least 20 points per game three times, including this season.

But for him, being the No. 1 or even No. 2 option isn’t really ideal, as he’s shot 44.1% from the field for his career while having a career 25.6% usage percentage, according to Basketball Reference.

The Warriors will play the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday at Chase Center.

All-Star vote: The players who always do better with fans than peers

For the fourth year in a row, the NBA has disclosed the vote for All-Star starters of fans, media and players. Since we now have the data of where each player ranked in the final results, we decided to look for patterns. For example, which players …

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For the fourth year in a row, the NBA has disclosed the vote for All-Star starters of fans, media and players. Since we now have the data of where each player ranked in the final results, we decided to look for patterns.

For example, which players do better with fans than with their NBA peers?

We found out 16 guys have ranked higher in the fan vote than in the players vote every year since 2017. Only two on the list have made the All-Star Game and they are both members of the world-beating Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Kind of makes you go ‘Hmmm’, right?

The largest disparity between player and fan vote happens with Jordan Clarkson, though, which was kind of unexpected.

For more details, you can check the gallery above. All rankings based on position and conference.

Warriors could face up to $77.5 million luxury tax with new salary cap projections

With new NBA salary cap projections released, the Golden State Warriors could face a heightened luxury tax.

The NBA salary cap projections could have stifling consequences on the Golden State Warriors.

The league released projections for salary cap and luxury tax for the 2020-21 season to teams Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks.

With a lower salary cap and luxury tax than expected, the Warriors could be on the hook for a tax payment as high as $77.5 million, about $12 million more than what was expected.

The salary cap is expected to be $115 million, according to Wojnarowski. That would be an increase from the 2019-20 season, but not as much as the previously-predicted $116 million.

The luxury tax is projected to be $139 million, Wojnarowski reported.

As the roster currently stands, the Warriors’ 2020-21 payroll will be $147.87 million, according to Basketball Reference.

Four players on the Warriors roster are set to receive more than $20 million: Draymond Green’s extension will start at $22 million, D’Angelo Russell will be paid more than $28 million, Klay Thompson $35 million and Stephen Curry $40 million.

The Warriors will also likely add a high first-round draft pick to the sheet. A top-five pick would result in a cap hit ranging from $6.8 million to $10.73 million.

Golden State has a $5.9 million exception to use on a free agent, according to Wojnarowski and Marks.

If the Warriors use the entire taxpayer mid-level exception, their luxury tax bill could range from $77.5M if they get the No. 1 pick to as low as $61M if they get the No. 5 pick.

The easiest way to get under the luxury tax would be to trade Russell. A highly-coveted free agent this past offseason, he will have three years left for about $30 million per year after this season.

Moving his contract would put Golden State right near the luxury line, depending on other roster changes, and allow them to move manageable contracts to clear the rest of the way if needed.

But the Warriors have not been shy about exceeding the luxury tax in recent years. If the front office feels the team can still compete for a title when Curry and Thompson return from injury, it may pay the price again.

USA TODAY Sports Media Group salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan contributed research to this report.

Warriors without NBA All-Star Game starter for first time since 2014

The Golden State Warriors don’t have an NBA All-Star voted into the starting lineup of the game for the first time since 2014.

The Warriors have entered the past five consecutive NBA Finals, hanging three championship banners along the way— with that type of success comes popularity. Since 2013, the individuals who built Golden State’s championship run have enjoyed personal accolades. Members of Golden State have won awards like Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player, yet the most common nod has been an invite to the NBA’s All-Star Game.

In the 2019-20 season, with the Warriors record sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, the All-Star recognition doesn’t come as easy. The NBA revealed the starters for the 2020 NBA All-Star game, and for the first time since 2014, the Golden State Warriors don’t have a player in the starting lineup.

For the Western Conference, Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) have been named as starters, leaving the Warriors on the outside looking in.

After a long layoff from All-Star participation, David Lee was named an All-Star reserve in 2013, the first Golden State Warrior to participate in the game since 1997.

Following Lee the next season, Stephen Curry started the next six All-Star games, with other Warriors like Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all getting invited to the game at times since 2014.

Injuries and the departure of Durant have limited Golden State’s ability to earn an All-Star call-up. However, even injured, Curry ranked in the top-10 of Western Conference guard voting throughout the process. D’Angelo Russell also listed in the top-10 of voting, yet it wasn’t good enough to earn a starting spot.

Golden State could still have the chance to send someone to Chicago for the 2020 edition of the All-Star game, as the reserves are announced on Thursday, January 30.

Glen Robinson III says Klay Thompson is preaching patience with losing

Klay Thompson might not be on the floor for the Warriors, but he’s been there for his teammates all season long.

Frustrated.

It’s a word that both Draymond Green and Steve Kerr used to describe their feelings with the 10-36 record that the Warriors have compiled thus far.

Green picked up his 12th technical foul of the season during Wednesday night’s 129-96 loss to the Utah Jazz, and after the contest, Kerr described the losing as “no fun.” Green, who has missed 13 contests this season, is now only four technical fouls away from serving a mandatory suspension.

Although not on the court, both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been fixtures for the young Warriors this season, though, with Glenn Robinson III sharing that he and Thompson had an exchange on the bench during what became the team’s 12th loss in 13 games.

I was talking to Klay a little bit in the fourth quarter on the bench and he just kind of talked to me and told me that, you know, these guys, we got a lot of young guys, we’ve got a lot of guys with almost zero to none experience in this league, you know? and closing out games, and playing tough games and getting through the season, I think that that’s something got to learn and kind of be patient with and remember that.

While it would be easy to criticize the young Warriors for their shortcomings, this season should be viewed as exactly what it is — a gap year while general manager Bob Myers figures out which pieces fit long term and how to get the team back to playing championship basketball.

What is scarier than the Warriors 10-36 record is the fact that next season, they’ll likely have a healthy Stephen Curry, a health Klay Thompson and what is almost certain to be a top-five pick in this year’s NBA Draft. There’s also been speculation that Andre Iguodala will re-sign with the club, as well.

When you look at it that way, it’s pretty easy to understand where Thompson is coming from.

Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala support 49ers at NFC Championship

Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala were in the building with friends and family when the 49ers punched their ticket to the Super Bowl after a dominant victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Over the last five years, the Golden State Warriors have been one of the hottest tickets in the Bay Area. The stars have shown up across the entertainment and sports landscape to get a chance to watch Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.

However, with the Warriors struggling, the new spot to find star power in the Bay Area has moved from Oracle Arena in Oakland, to Silicon Valley’s Levi’s Stadium.

The San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to Super Bowl 54 in dominant fashion against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Behind a tenacious rushing attack drawn up by head coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers rolled through Green Bay with ease, 37-20.

With a game like the NFC Championship taking place in the Bay Area, a pair of former Golden State champions showed up for the occasion.

Klay Thompson, alongside his girlfriend Laura Harrier, were both on the field before the game started, with the injured “Splash Brother” wearing a 49ers hat.

It was a busy weekend for Thompson, as he had his college No. 1 jersey retired at Washington State one day before the NFC Championship kicked off.

Along with Thompson, the former sixth-man during the Warriors championship run, Andre Iguodala was in the crowd at Levi’s Stadium with his son, geared up in custom 49ers’ jerseys.

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Going to the ship!!

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Iguodala, currently a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, wasn’t in the building just to catch a football game — the Illinois native has been a loyal fan of the 49ers prior to joining Golden State in 2013.

With the 2019-20 edition of Golden State sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, the 49ers have taken the Bay Area’s championship baton as they stand one game away from bringing back a Lombardi Trophy to San Francisco.

LeBron James pays respect to Klay Thompson’s college jersey retirement

Lebron James went to Instagram to congratulate Klay Thompson on his Washington State jersey retirement.

Over the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors have been involved in nearly every big basketball game the NBA has produced. During that time, Golden State has brought a trio of championships back to the Bay Area, and all three have come against one player — LeBron James.

James and the Warriors have built a steady rivalry from the rise of the Stephen Curry era. James and the Cleveland Cavaliers stole away a championship from the 2015-16 Warriors team that resulted in a historic 73-9 regular season.

Although by many Warriors’ fans, James is considered a rival, the Los Angeles Lakers All-Star paid respect to Klay Thompson during a special moment on Saturday.

Thompson returned to Pullman, Washington, where his alma mater, Washington State University, retired his No. 1 college jersey. Stephen Curry, Zaza Pachulia, and more of the Golden State contingent were in attendance for Thompson’s ceremony.

James went to Instagram to share a congratulatory message to Thompson after having his No. 1 jersey pulled into the rafters of Washington State’s Beasley Coliseum.

James and the Lakers are surging to the top of the Western Conference, while the Warriors are dwelling near the bottom. Injuries to Curry and Thompson have spoiled the opportunity for Golden State and James to potentially meet in the playoffs.

However, once Curry, Thompson return to the Warriors lineup next to D’Angelo Russell and Draymond Green, the rivalry between James and Golden State once again.

Klay Thompson and Steph Curry undefeated as Warriors sideline analysts

Each time either Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson, have appeared as the Golden State Warrior’s broadcast sideline reporter, the team has registered a victory.

Back in late November, Klay Thompson stepped in front of the microphone, and the Warriors sealed a victory after losing their previous three consecutive games. Thompson brought his quirky attitude to the broadcast, and it followed with the win in favor of Golden State amid their struggling season.

Now, Golden State was on a season-worst 10-game losing streak, to end it, the Warriors turned to the other half of the “Splash Brothers” duo. Stephen Curry joined the Golden State broadcast in the third quarter against the Orlando Magic, and similar to Thompson, the Warriors handled business with their teammate on the call.

Behind an impressive night from rookie Jordan Poole, and a closing effort from D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors snapped their losing streak with a 109-95 win against the Orlando Magic.

Curry stayed on the call during the third quarter against Orlando, and Golden State had their highest-scoring period of the night. Golden State shot 13-of-20 from the field to outscore the Magic, 29-19 in the third quarter with Curry watching. Curry was proud of his team’s effort while he was making his NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast debut.

Before the quarter ended, Poole knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer, and Curry signed off with a winning guarantee for his game prediction.

While Golden State has only won 10-games this season, 20% of their victories have come with either Curry or Thompson on the call. While both have missed an extended amount of time, a silver lining to their injuries has been their ability to serve as announcers for games.

Although the Warriors have won each game with the “Splash Brothers” involved in the broadcast, Golden State fans everywhere would rather have either in-game action. However, with both injured, a dose of Curry and Thompson on the broadcast might be the next best thing.