Tag: Warriors Offseason

Prominent draft analyst has high expectations for Trayce Jackson-Davis

Trayce Jackson-Davis is being predicted to be a steal in this years draft.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

The Golden State Warriors selected Trayce Jackson-Davis with the 57th pick in the 2023 NBA draft. With the roster lacking size, there is an immediate opportunity for Jackson-Davis to crack the Warriors’ rotation this season. Unfortunately, Warriors fans didn’t see much of their latest recruit during the summer league because he was dealing with a hamstring injury. 

Nevertheless, Jackson-Davis managed to make a good impression during his limited time in Las Vegas. Yet, what Jay Bilas recently said about Jackson-Davis should really get Warriors fans excited. The draft analyst shared his opinion that Golden State landed a genuine NBA talent.

“He’s gonna be an outstanding NBA player,” Bilas said. “We get caught up in where he got drafted, it’s like where you get recruited in college; it really doesn’t matter after you get picked. He’s super explosive. … He’s good on the block. … He’s a big-time rebounder, can protect the rim. His athleticism, his strength. He’s going to be a great asset for Golden State, and to be able to steal him at 57 — that’s pretty impressive.”

Given the Warriors’ championship aspirations, it remains to be seen how much developmental time Steve Kerr will afford Jackson-Davis in his rookie season. However, if the second-round draft pick can make an impact and prove capable of playing a role within a team defense, there will surely be a spot for him in the rotation.

Jackson-Davis likely hopes he can impress the coaching staff during training camp and make good on the recent endorsement from his collegiate coach while proving he’s capable of being a rotation player on a genuine contender.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1434 tag=1365]

Report: Lester Quinones returns to Warriors on two-way contract

The Golden State Warriors have reportedly signed Lester Quinones to a two-way contract.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8222″]

After impressing the Golden State Warriors during Summer League, Lester Quinones will return to the team on another two-way contract, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.

Quinones, 22, spent the majority of last season with the Warriors G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Quinones saw the court on 31 occasions in the G-League, averaging 21.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

“Guard Lester Quinones has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a two-way NBA deal, per sources,” Charania Tweeted. “Quinones will enter training camp with a strong opportunity for full roster spot. He averaged 21.9 PPG, 4.4 APG and 4.1 RPG in seven Summer League games for the Warriors.”

During summer league, Quinones looked notably improved from the player we saw make four appearances with the Warriors in 2022-23. However, it was the young guard’s final games of the tournament that caught the eye of fans around the world, as he dropped 32 points on the Toronto Raptors. 

According to an anonymous executive, who spoke with Spotrac’s Keith Smith at Las Vegas Summer League, Golden State believes that both Quinones and Gui Santos are capable of earning a full-time roster spot in the coming years.

“Both Lester (Quinones) and Gui (Santos) have been our best guys in both Summer Leagues. Lester is probably better than his two-way status, but we’ll see if there is room. Gui could benefit from a step up in league. I think eventually both will find their way on our roster at some point.”

Quinones will now be hoping to continue his development in the G-League in the hope of earning some regular-season minutes with the Warriors and potentially earning himself a full-time contract next summer.

 

 

Controversial Warriors decision praised by analyst

The Golden State Warriors roster might be aging, but the prominent analyst doesn’t think that will be a problem.

Questions surrounding the Golden State Warriors roster have been mounting throughout the summer. To some, Golden State’s decision to begin swapping out younger talent in search of additional veterans is short-sighted. Those concerns reached fever-pitch when Mike Dunleavy authorized a trade that swapped 24-year-old Jordan Poole for 38-year-old Chris Paul.

However, prominent NBA analyst Howard Beck recently shared why he believes Golden State is making the right decision. In a recent appearance on 97.5 ‘The Game,’ Beck noted how focusing on the ‘now’ is the right approach as the Warriors look to continue squeezing the last few years of contention out of their legendary core.

“So I think short term, I like that trade-off, and Dario Saric is a really nice addition,” Beck said. “I like the fact that they’re going all-veteran right now. I think that’s the right way to go. The future doesn’t matter as far as I’m concerned. You guys have heard me say it before. The future is irrelevant. Like Steph is there now. Find the best players who can help him now.”

The Warriors still have Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga on their roster. As such, there is still some highly-rated young talent within the team’s rotation. However, throughout Golden State’s 10-year dynasty, developing talent hasn’t been high on their agenda.

The Warriors may be putting their faith into an aging roster, but with limited minutes to develop younger talent and the clock ticking on their championship window, it makes sense that veterans like Paul and Saric were atop of Dunleavy’s shopping list. Golden State will enter the new season as a contending team, and at this point in their lifecycle, that’s all anyone can ask for.

Warriors executive to become general manager of WNBA team

The Golden State Warriors executive will be moving to a WNBA front office.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8169″]

The Golden State Warriors are set to lose Nick U’Ren, as the executive has agreed to join the Phoenix Mercury as their new general manager. U’Ren has been part of the Warriors’ front office for almost a decade, having joined after a five-year spell with the Phoenix Suns.

U’Ren is a Phoenix native, and his new role with the Mercury will see him move back to his hometown. Since U’Ren has been with the Warriors, Golden State has sustained its dynasty, consistently revamping its supporting cast while growing its brand worldwide.

“U’Ren, who will report to Phoenix Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein, comes aboard as Suns/Mercury owner Mat Ishbia continues sweeping new investments and adjusting personnel in both organizations,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

https://twitter.com/CjHolmes22/status/1678560084727832576

The WNBA continues to grow in both skill and fanbase. Adding an experienced front office executive to the league will only serve to push the Mercury, and the WNBA as a whole, forward. U’Ren’s departure marks the second executive to leave the Warriors franchise this summer, following Bob Myer’s decision to step down from his role as general manager earlier this summer.

Since taking the reigns, Dunleavy has wasted no time in strengthening Golden State’s current rotation. Since the Warriors’ season ended, Dunleavy has acquired Chris Paul, Cory Joesph, and Dario Saric while also adding Brandin Podizemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis via the draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=1365]

Cory Joseph reveals Warriors recruitment pitch

Cory Joseph joined the Golden State Warriors during free agency, and has since discussed how the Western Conference contenders lured him to the Bay Area.

Heading into next season, the Golden State Warriors guard rotation will look considerably different. Since being knocked out of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors have added Chris Paul and, more recently, Cory Joseph.

Joseph spent last season with the Detroit Pistons, playing in 62 regular-season games, averaging 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, shooting 42.7% from the field and 38.9% from 3-point range.

During a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Jason Dumas, Joseph discussed his decision to join the Warriors, revealing some of their recruitment pitch.

“Coach Kerr, before everything got signed and everything was, you know, sealed. So he was just telling me basically, like, ‘look over here, you know, if you’ve been watching us, you know the culture over here, and we need somebody like you that is not [an] entitled person.’ That’s how the culture is over there. It’s selfless, and it’s all about winning. ‘So we would love to have you.’ It was a brief conversation and wasn’t crazy in-depth. We would love to have you over here. And that was just about it.”

With Steph Curry and Chris Paul also on the roster, Joseph will likely comprise a backup role for the Warriors next season, giving the team some elite depth at the point guard position.

Lester Quinones believes he can teach Warriors rookie ‘a few things’

Lester Quinones will look to lend a helping hand to the Golden State Warriors rookie after a slow start in his debut game.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8169″]

On July 3, the Golden State Warriors opened their Summer League season with a defeat at the hands of the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic. During the game, Golden State rookie Brandin Podziemski made his highly-anticipated debut.

The rookie guard impressed during his 30 minutes of playing time, ending the contest with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting 44.4% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range. Following the game, Podziemski noted how ‘it obviously sucks we didn’t win.’

Offseason competition is never about the results, though. Instead, it’s about player development, acclimating younger talents to the feel of the NBA game, and giving undrafted or unattached players a chance to earn themselves a training camp invite.

Second-year Warriors guard Lester Quinones – who played in four regular-season games last season – appears to understand the growth mindset behind Summer League competition. Following the game, Quinones explained how he would be sitting down with Podziemski to ‘teach him a few things.’

“I can teach (Brandin) a few things as far as just being more poised and letting the game come to him,” Quinones said, as reported by C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I feel like either tonight or tomorrow, I’m going to sit down with him and tell him about not letting people take you out of your offense and pressure you — just being more poised, be a control point guard and just kind of get us into our offense. So I feel like once he gets that down, he’s going to be really solid. He has a high IQ. He makes the right plays. He’s not selfish. And like I said, he’s a hooper.”

Despite what many would deem to be a solid debut, it took Podzeimski until the third quarter to register his second bucket of the game. Only then did we start to see the scoring ability of Golden State’s latest recruit. Hopefully, now Podziemski has an idea for what Summer League competition is going to be like, we can start to see a more aggressive version of him moving forward.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1434 tag=1365]

Photos: Steph Curry working out with Jeremy Lin, Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss and others

At a recent offseason workout, Steph Curry was on the court with past and current Warriors including Jeremy Lin, Eric Paschall and others.

With the opening day of the 2020-21 NBA season set in place, players are putting the finishing touches on an unprecedented offseason.

After only playing in five games with the Golden State Warriors in the 2019-20 campaign due to injuries, Stephen Curry will be making his long-awaited return to Steve Kerr’s rotation when the new season starts in December.

Before he laces up in his No. 30 Warriors jersey at Chase Center in San Francisco, Curry was spotted on the court with current and former teammates at a preseason workout.

On Tuesday, Bay Area photographer Jordan Jimenez shared two sets of photos on Instagram featuring the NBA’s two-time Most Valuable Player alongside Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss, Kevon Looney, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Alen Smailagic.

In the series of photos, Jimenez captured Curry shooting, Paschall driving for a layup, Chriss backing down Toscano-Anderson and more

Along with the members of the Warriors, free-agent wing Jeremy Lin was involved with the workout. In late October, the veteran point guard was linked to Golden State for a potential return to the Bay Area in 2020-21.

Via @__jsquared on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHbDdJnLhhm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHb7p_ArLxz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After missing Golden State’s voluntary offseason minicamp in late September, Curry will have the opportunity to join the rest of his teammates at Chase Center for the Warriors preseason training camp on Dec. 1.

[lawrence-related id=32293,32126,32235,32079]

[vertical-gallery id=31807]

 

Watch: Andrew Wiggins goes through layup drill at offseason workout

As he prepares for the start of the Golden State Warriors 2020-21 season, Andrew Wiggins is in the gym working on his downhill layup skills.

Over the Golden State Warriors’ extended edition of the offseason, Andrew Wiggins has been active in the gym.

Along with battling fellow NBA players in 1-on-1 drills, the former Rookie of the Year has been spotted working on his long-distance shooting. On Monday, another video of Wiggins going through an offseason workout was shared on social media.

NBA trainer Chris Johnson posted a video on Instagram of Wiggins taking part in a layup drill. The 6-foot-7 wing was driving to the basket against coach Cory Smith.

Once Wiggins started his approach to the rim with a handful of crossovers, the Kansas Product finished the take with a bump euro step that led to a reverse layup at the rim.

Watch Wiggins going through the drill via @chrisjohnsonhoops on Twitter:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHGTlnLhYCN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

During his 12 game stint in the Bay Area, Wiggins tallied 19.4 points on 45.7% shooting from the field with 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest.

With no clear timeline for the start of the 2020-21 NBA season, Wiggins will have more time to craft his game before he reintroduces himself into Steve Kerr’s rotation alongside healthy editions of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

[lawrence-related id=32126,31467,30985,30310]

[vertical-gallery id=30785]

Watch: Andrew Wiggins getting buckets during 1-on-1 session at offseason workout

During an offseason workout in Los Angeles, Golden State Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins shows off his offensive repertoire in a 1-on-1 drill with fellow NBA players.

While the Golden State Warriors build their plan for the No. 2 overall pick on draft night in November, Andrew Wiggins is preparing for the new season.

On Friday, a video was shared of the former Rookie of the Year going to work in a 1-on-1 drill against fellow NBA players. During the training session, Wiggins showed off a bevy of skills in his offensive repertoire.

The Golden State wing displayed a lightning-quick turnaround fade away along with a smooth euro step and a stepback jumper. Throughout the clip, the Kansas product flashed a pair of devastating spin moves on his way to the basket.

Along with his offensive attack, Wiggins recorded a block against former Warrior Jordan Bell. San Antonio’s Trey Lyles and Detroit’s Tony Snell joined Bell and Wiggins for the workout in Los Angeles.

Watch the Wiggins 1-on-1 training session via @wigginsenterprise on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-ty5VlHag/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After landing in the Bay Area in a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wiggins only suited up for the Warriors in 12 contests.

During his short debut in Golden State, Wiggins averaged 19.4 points on 45.7% shooting from the field with 4.6 boards, 3.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest. Over his first stint with the Warriors, Wiggins shot 33.9% from beyond the arc.

[lawrence-related id=30985]

With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson expected to be healthy for the 2020-21 season opener, Wiggins will have the chance to build on his steady first impression in Golden State. Along with their first-round draft pick, Wiggins will play a key role in Golden State’s climb back to the top of the Western Conference.

If Wiggins’ performance in the featured 1-on-1 drill is any indication of how the 25-year-old is progressing, Warriors fans should be excited.

[lawrence-related id=31467,30310,28025]

[vertical-gallery id=30785]

Watch: Marquese Chriss working on his beyond the arc jumper in offseason workout

During an offseason workout with K.O. Development, Golden State Warriors center Marquese Chriss was splashing a bevy of shots from beyond the arc.

Following the end of the Golden State Warriors voluntary offseason minicamp in September, Marquese Chriss is back in the gym working on his game.

On Monday, the Golden State big man was working on his range. Kenan Oliver of K.O. Development shared a video on Instagram of Chriss knocking down a bevy of 3-pointers.

While he was in the Pacific Northwest, Chriss was practicing his long-distance jumper with fellow Washington Huskies product Noah Dickerson.

Via @k.o.development on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0sOO3nmy2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In 59 games with the Warriors in 2019-20, the former lottery pick recorded the least amount of 3-point attempts in his four-year career. Chriss made only eight 3-pointers on 39 attempts.

Prior to his arrival in Golden State, Chris launched at least 72 or more 3-pointers in each season. In his rookie year with the Phoenix Suns, the 6-foot-9 big man shot a career-high 224 long-range attempts. Pairing with his high number of attempts, Chriss shot a career-best 32.1% on 2.7 shots per game.

If he can bring his ability to knock down 3-pointers at a steady rate to Chase Center in 2020-21, Chriss would add a new dynamic to Golden State’s frontcourt.

Whether Bob Myers brings in a big man prospect in the 2020 draft, adding a consistent 3-pointer to his arsenal could help Chriss carve out playing time in Steve Kerr’s rotation — regardless of Golden State’s offseason plans.

[lawrence-related id=31587,28903,26437,26121]

[vertical-gallery id=30785]