Tag: Warriros

Steph Curry calls Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles injury ‘a gut punch’

Stephen Curry was emotional after Klay Thompson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

Last season Stephen Curry only suited up for five games during the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season due to a broken left hand. Although the two-time Most Valuable Player is slated to make his long-awaited return to Chase Center at the start of the 2020-21 season, it will be without his fellow Splash Brother.

Last week, the Golden State Warriors announced Klay Thompson has suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during a preseason workout in Southern California.

After tearing his ACL in the third quarter of game six of the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson will miss his second consecutive season with a significant leg injury.

Following Thompson’s injury, Curry spoke about his backcourt mate’s injury in an interview with Marc J. Spears of ESPN. The six-time All-Star called Thompson’s injury “a gut punch.”

Via The Undefeated:

“He’s the best 2-guard in the league,” Curry said. “To get that call was a gut punch for sure. A lot of tears. You don’t really know what to say because a guy like that is having to go through two pretty serious rehabs now. But at the end of the day, we have to have his back. We hope that he is around and a part of what we do through his rehab and staying connected with us.

He can come back strong. He’s a guy that loves the game so much. He is going to do whatever it takes to get back out there on the floor and be himself. That’s what we hope and the confidence that we have. Two-and-a-half years of rehab is tough for anybody. We’re hoping for the best.”

Since sharing a backcourt in 2011, Curry and Thompson have blossomed into one of the league’s most feared tandems. Along with winning three championships with Curry, the Washington State product earned five All-Star bids, two All-NBA Third Team honors and an NBA All-Defensive Second Team nod.

In 2018-19, Thompson averaged 21.5 points on 45.7% shooting from the field with 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. During every season of his eight-year career, Thompson has averaged over 40.1 shooting from beyond the arc.

Without Thompson, Golden State will lean on newly acquired players like Kelly Oubre Jr., Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore.

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Warriors add burst of athleticism and needed depth in the NBA Wire two-round mock draft

After landing James Wiseman in the first round, the Warriors added Nico Mannion and Lamar Stevens in round two of the NBA Wire mock draft.

With the long-awaited NBA draft just days away, the editors and writers at USA TODAY’s SMG Network joined forces for a full two-round mock draft.

Each editor split up to take over as general managers for different teams on the draft big board.

While trade offers were available, the Warriors Wire team decided to stay on the clock and make the pick at No. 2 overall. With Georgia’s Anthony Edwards off the board to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 1, the Golden State Warriors landed Memphis center James Wiseman with the second pick in the draft.

Although intriguing prospects like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija and Devin Vassell were on the board, the Memphis big man checked off a myriad of boxes for Golden State’s draft needs. While providing a boost of athleticism and size to the rotation, Wiseman could serve as a potential foundational piece for Golden State’s future.

Via Rookie Wire:

While there’s no doubt they will explore moving the pick for an established veteran, one prospect still gives Golden State a win-now threat with a building block for the future. James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick fills a positional need in the frontcourt while providing a much-needed jolt of athleticism to Kerr’s rotation.

After Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and Andrew Bogut primarily roamed the center position during the Curry era, Wiseman provides a new dynamic to Golden State’s roster. As the 19-year-old continues to develop his jumper and build experience, Wiseman could immediately serve as a devastating lob threat in Kerr’s up-tempo offense and a rim protector behind Green on the defensive end.

If the former McDonald’s All-American lives up to his pre-draft hype, Wiseman could be the centerpiece of Golden State’s bridge between their veteran-championship core and the future.

Forty-six picks later, Warriors Wire was back on the clock with Golden State’s first second-round pick. While it’s likely Myers and Kerr target potential stash pieces, prospects like Abdoulaye N’Doye and Leandro Bolmaro were off the board at No. 48.

Instead of a stash, Warriors Wire selected a former five-star recruit in the second round. Arizona’s Nico Mannion could provide depth at point guard while learning from Curry.

Although Jordan Poole showed glimpses of potential in a playmaking point guard role for Golden State last season, the Warriors could still use another piece to develop behind Stephen Curry. With shooters around him, Nico Mannion could show off his impressive passing arsenal in Steve Kerr’s offense.

Similar to Golden State’s past picks like Draymond Green and Eric Paschall, Warriors Wire opted for an established college veteran with their final pick in the 2020 draft. At No. 51 overall, Penn State’s Lamar Stevens lands in the Bay Area.

The Warriors have had success when drafting experienced college players in the past with Draymond Green and Eric Paschall. After averaging double-figures in scoring in all four of his seasons in Happy Valley, Lamar Stevens fits Golden State’s profile for a second-round pick.

View the complete NBA Wire mock draft here.

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James Wiseman says it would be a ‘great situation’ to learn from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson

With the NBA draft approaching, top prospect James Wiseman said it would be “a great situation” to learn from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

Although the Golden State Warriors’ extended offseason and pre-draft process are coming to an end, there is still little clarity on what they could do with the No. 2 overall pick.

Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could trade the selection for an established veteran or take a top-billed prospect.

If Myers and Kerr decide to stay on the clock and make the selection on Wednesday night, one name has turned into a popular pick for the Warriors in NBA mock drafts.

With the ability to jump out of the gym at 7-foot-1, Memphis Tigers prospect James Wiseman could immediately fill a positional need in Kerr’s rotation while serving as a bridge to the future in Golden State.

During a pre-draft press conference with members of the media, Wiseman spoke about the potential of playing in a lineup with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The former McDonald’s All-American said it would be a “great situation” to learn from Golden State’s pair of All-Stars.

It would be great because they won a lot of championships. So, just being in that type of tradition, being in that type of environment would be great for me. It would create an extra push in terms of my maturity as a basketball player. And just learning under Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson], it would be a great situation for me to be in. So, I feel like that situation would be great for me.

With the Splash Brothers floating on the wing, Wiseman could serve as an athletic lob threat and fierce rim protector in his rookie season in the Golden State frontcourt.

Over his three-game stint in Penny Hardaway’s program at Memphis, Wiseman averaged 19.7 points on 76.9% shooting from the field with 10.7 rebounds and three blocks per contest. Wiseman recorded a double-double performance in each of his three college basketball experiences.

At Wiseman’s media availability, the 19-year-old mentioned the Warriors as one of the two teams he’s worked out for during the pre-draft process. However, the Memphis product revealed he has yet to work out for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Prior to the Warriors pick, the Timberwolves hold the top overall selection in the 2020 draft.

With Karl-Anthony Towns in place in Minnesota and no invite to a workout, Wiseman could be in prime position to be on the board for the Warriors pick at No. 2 overall on draft night.

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