The Warriors haven’t publicly announced which two players on their roster tested positive for the coronavirus, but head coach Steve Kerr “spelled it out pretty plainly” on Monday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Seventeen of the team’s 20 players participated in the first practice of the season. Besides Klay Thompson, the only players missing were Draymond Green and James Wiseman.
“I will not comment on that any further,” Kerr said, per Slater. “I’m not allowed to comment on that. You can make your own deductions … I’m just trying to figure out which one of you has put all the pieces together and has figured out what is happening here.”
Assuming Green and Wiseman are indeed the two players who tested positive for COVID-19, the Warriors are expected to be without them until at least next week, Slater notes. That will give some of Golden State’s other frontcourt players a chance to play more significant roles during the preseason as they potentially audition for regular season minutes.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- New Kings center Hassan Whiteside is dealing with a mild calf strain and likely won’t be available for the team’s preseason opener, head coach Luke Walton said on Monday (Twitter link via Jason Jones of The Athletic).
- Analytical data provided by new Kings general manager Monte McNair is expected to influence Walton’s new uptempo offensive system, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. “It’s been great working with Monte,” Walton said. “We’ve talked and he’s going to bring ideas analytically to what he sees, and then at the end of the day I can take what ideas I want and leave the ones I don’t.”
- Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that assistant coach Larry Drew is focusing on the team’s offense, while Dan Craig is leading the defense with the help of Roy Rogers. Chauncey Billups is focusing on both sides of the ball, while Kenny Atkinson is leading player development, Lue added, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
- Abdel Nader isn’t concerned about being considered “the other guy” sent to Phoenix in the Chris Paul trade and is looking forward to playing for the Suns, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I haven’t really spent time in Phoenix but I knew (the Suns) had a nice, young unit with a lot of talent,” Nader said. “Ability to grow. Also the city sounds like a nice place to me. I wasn’t complaining too much.”
Sounds like Marquese will be getting a lot of playing time.
aren’t you supposed to be spewing hate in here? lol, good point though
He was going to get a lot of playing anyway.
Isn’t houston happy; Wiseman has covid. What if he lives?
Of course we’re happy. But it has nothing to do with Wiseman.
Love this team!!!!!!!
CP3, LANGSTON GALLOWAY, CAM payne
Dbook, etwaun Moore, JEVON carter
MIKAL bridges, CAM Johnson, ABDEL Nader
DARIO SARIC, JAE crowder, JSmith
DEANDRE Ayton, DAMIAN JONES, Jonathan Motley
Warriors will be fine. Obrue has a contract yr. So he will bring it. Wiseman will be solid and in ROY running. Green will benefit most from Wiseman. I see him having a big yr again.
Gd pt about Green. Maybe his 3pt shot will return if he can trust the paint to a teammate.
Maybe it will. Perhaps Draymond will go back to shooting 30% from three, which is pretty much his career average. He’s barely better than Westbrook from that range.
Actually Dray has become obsessed with assists. Maybe he replaces Klay! ha
Suns very deep this season, excited for the year!!!!!!!
Watch Wiseman become the Greg Oden of the 2020 draft which would make Edwards the KD in this scenario. Poor Warriors are doomed like Portland.