Tag: Steph Curry

The D’Angelo Russell and Steph Curry backcourt experiment was cancelled before it could start

Could the Golden State Warriors trading D’Angelo Russell impact the return of Stephen Curry from his broken hand injury?

Since the arrival of D’Angelo Russell in San Francisco, outside of trade chatter, one question followed the Golden State Warriors’ new guard everywhere he went.

How would Russell fit with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson? There were hurdles to jump before that question could be answered. Thompson dealing with a knee injury paused any chance of the two playing together, but before the 2019-20 season started, Curry and Russell were slated to be Golden State’s starting guard tandem.

Finding how Russell would play off the ball next to Curry became the focus at the start of the Warriors’ new season. Yet, again injuries disrupted things for Golden State’s new backcourt.

Curry has missed all but four games for Golden State with a broken hand injury, nixing any chance the point guard duo had at building any type of on-court chemistry.

However, as the season grew, and Curry progressed through his rehab, there was hope the two would get an opportunity to play together. Reports indicated Curry could potentially return in March, giving him and Russell around 20 games together before the season ended.

Could Russell’s game be elevated by playing next to another All-Star like Curry? How would Curry play next to another guard of Russell’s skillset? Appealing questions that were set to be answered in March.

Yet, a trade sent Russell, Jacob Evans III and Omari Spellman from Golden State to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and draft pick compensation. Golden State’s move before the trade deadline officially canceled the Russell and Curry backcourt experiment before it began.

Outside of knocking off the rust, Curry playing alongside Russell was a key factor in his return. How the two would play together would help evaluators find what features the team needed to put around Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green to find a way back to contention.

On the surface, it looks like Wiggins can click into the Warriors rotation, where there were serious questions about Russell’s fit. With that off the table, Golden State could now be even more patient with Curry’s injury.

Instead of an All-Star cast, the Warriors roster is now filled with young or developmental players outside of Green, Wiggins and Kevon Looney.

With next year’s hope of returning to the top of the Western Conference hinging on the health of Curry, the Warriors could continue to be cautious with his return. Whether that’s a dose of load management or postponing his recovery to a later date.

The Warriors record sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference and their leading scorer now playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, all arrows point to the offseason for Golden State. How the team handles the return from injury of their two-time Most Valuable Player now becomes the most intriguing mark in an otherwise down season.

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.

Watch: Kevin Durant and Steph Curry reunite after Warriors vs. Nets

After the Warriors’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Stephen Curry embraced Kevin Durant with a hug following the loss.

There were several storylines heading into the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night game against the Brooklyn Nets. The game started with both Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks being scratched from the lineup with the NBA trade deadline looming.

There was the return of D’Angelo Russell, who spent two seasons in Brooklyn, registering one All-Star nod and a trip to the playoffs during his time with the Nets. Brooklyn fans greeted Russell with a homecoming welcome, thanking him for his time with the team.

Then there was the game, where the Warriors had a chance to stack their first three-game road winning streak of the season. However, the Warriors couldn’t eclipse 88-points in a loss to Brooklyn.

Finally, the most subtle, yet most intriguing headline was former Warrior Kevin Durant reuniting with his Golden State teammates. Stephen Curry and Durant are dealing with long-term injuries, sidelining both for the game.

Yet, after the final buzzer, the duo made time to reunite. Along the sideline, Curry and Durant embraced each other with a long hug.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Curry and Durant spent around five minutes chatting after the game ended.

Along with Curry, Durant met with several members of the Warriors after the game, including former teammate Draymond Green.

Durant joined Golden State for three seasons prior to signing with Brooklyn. As a member of the Warriors, Durant won three championships and two NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophies.

Ja Morant fires back at Steph Curry over Andre Iguodala defense

This escalated quickly.

There is one thing we’ve learned about Memphis Grizzlies rookie sensation Ja Morant: he has no fear. None whatsoever.

The point guard’s confidence is overflowing — remember when he yelled at James Harden last month after hitting a shot in his face? — and he backs it up with his incredible play.

Now, he’s going toe-to-toe with Steph Curry over social media.

The background: on Monday, Morant’s teammate Dillon Brooks said of the holding out Andre Iguodala that he “can’t wait til we find a way to trade (Iguodala) so we can play him and show him really what Memphis is about.”

Morant used an emoji to show he agreed:

Curry then took to Instagram to tell the young players to pipe down:

And Morant had no problem escalating this thing:

Wow. Let’s see where this goes next.

[jwplayer ZayBryCM-q2aasYxh]

Injury Report: Warriors ‘hopeful’ Stephen Curry can return in March

The Golden State Warriors provided an update to the timetable for Stephen Curry’s return from his broken hand injury.

From the minute Stephen Curry broke his hand early in the season against the Pheonix Suns, fans of the Golden State Warriors have patiently been waiting for the calendar to flip to the month of February.

February was the target month for an official update on Curry’s injury, and true to their word, the Golden State Warriors laid out a new timetable for his recovery. Still, more waiting is on the horizon.

Curry has missed all but four games for Golden State during the 2019-20 NBA season, and that number will continue to grow.

Golden State announced Curry would be re-evaluated again in four weeks. Yet, they are hopeful he can “return to action at some point in March.”

The two-time Most Valuable Player has been rapidly progressing through his rehab lately, appearing everywhere you look with the Warriors. Curry was recently cleared to travel with the Warriors on the road and was spotted going through a pregame warm-up before Golden State tipped off against the Boston Celtics.

With the Warriors having lost 15 of their last 16 games and owners of the worst record in the NBA, expect Golden State to continue taking the cautious approach.

Getting him back on the floor next to D’Angelo Russell will help Bob Myers and Steve Kerr get a better look at Golden State’s potential backcourt of the future. However, beyond shaking off the rust and gaining comfort next to Russell, patience is key with Curry’s injury.

If Curry was able to return March 1, he would be eligible to play in the Warriors’ final 22 games on the season.

Steve Kerr gives update on Steph Curry’s recovery from hand injury

Steph Curry could be back on the floor for the Warriors in one month.

The Warriors are persevering through a lost season with both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson out of action, and it’s possible that Golden State may land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft just one year after competing in the NBA Finals. The Warriors currently have the worst record in the league at 10-39, three games clear of the Knicks, Cavs and Hawks.

The original plan for the Warriors 2020 season, according to many experts, was for Curry and Draymond Green carrying Golden State to a mid-seed in the West, allowing Thompson to return from his ACL tear in time for a playoff push. Instead, the Warriors have zero chance to make the playoffs – but according to coach Steve Kerr, the team doesn’t plan to keep their stars off the floor and tank the rest of the year.

On Saturday, Kerr told reporters that he hopes Curry will be able to return to the floor in one month, after he undergoes another evaluation on his left hand. Curry broke his hand in a game against the Spurs on October 30th, but has been making progress in his recovery and joined the team for warmups on Friday.

Kerr said Curry will be re-evaluated on March 1st, and may be able to play around that time.

Via ESPN:

“He’s made some big strides. I guess the word is a month away from having another evaluation. We’re really hopeful that around that time he’ll be able to play. We’ll determine that around March 1. He needs to progress over the next month to lot of action, one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on five. That’s all part of the plan.”

[jwplayer NDfhp14o-q2aasYxh]

Stephen Curry remembers the first game he played against Kobe Bryant

Stephen Curry shared his first memory of playing against the fallen NBA legend, Kobe Bryant.

Since the passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash that claimed his life, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, there has been an outpour of emotion across the league.

Teams have been honoring the fallen champion by taking eight and 24-second violations at the start of games. Beyond that, pregame ceremonies have been held, along with players changing their jersey numbers away from No. 8 and No. 24 in respects to Bryant.

For the Golden State Warriors, players have shared their reactions to the loss of Bryant on social media, with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell all posting tributes to the “Mamba.” Warriors swingman, Alec Burks, swapped out of his No. 8 jersey to No. 20 to honor Bryant’s legacy.

Against the Boston Celtics, Curry spoke publicly for the first time since Bryant’s death. The Golden State Warriors two-time Most Valuable Player spoke to TNT reporter, Allie LaForce, about his first memory of playing against Bryant.

I remember the first game back at the forum in the preseason my rookie year like how amazing of a moment that was — you’re sitting there asking questions to yourself, ‘why does he mean so much?’ — he has a presence that I think we all just understood how much basketball meant to him, and he pushed the game to new heights, and we are all the better for it.

The preseason game Curry references took place on October 9, 2009, in the Los Angeles Forum. Golden State won the preseason exhibition, 110-91.

The Warriors will have the chance to honor Bryant on their home floor against his former team when they return to San Francisco to host the Los Angeles Lakers on February 8.

Watch: Injured Steph Curry does pregame shooting warm-up in Boston

Stephen Curry is still rehabbing from his broken hand injury, but before the Warriors tipped off against the Boston Celtics he went through a shooting warmup.

As the Warriors started their five-game road trip with a pair of losses, Golden State got a quick dose of positive news from one of their injured “Splash Brothers.” Before tipping off against the Boston Celtics, a familiar face joined the pregame festivities.

Stephen Curry is still rehabbing his broken hand. Yet, during the month of January, the two-time Most Valuable Player has made progress with his injury that’s kept him out all but four games this season.

Curry has been traveling with the team and participating in shooting workouts since having the pins removed from his surgically repaired hand. The injured All-Star took another step in his rehab on Thursday in Boston.

Before the game started, Curry was running around the court, going through a pregame shooting warmup. Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser was working with Curry, guarding him throughout the workout.

Before Curry wrapped up his pregame workout, he was spotted knocking down some of his signature long-distance shots.

Curry is scheduled to have his hand evaluated by the Warriors in February, with a report from Marcus Thompson III of The Athletic saying he could return in March.

In the meantime, seeing Curry off the bench and back in his natural habitat, launching three-pointers is a positive sign for a struggling Golden State Warriors’ squad.