The Warriors and tied with the Jazz for the league’s best record at 7-1 and Stephen Curry isn’t the least bit surprised, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. “The record’s great,” Curry said. “It’s eight games in, a lot of season left, but the way that we’re succeeding and the way that we’re kind of opening up games, just putting good stretches of basketball together, I’m not surprised at all.” Golden State thumped New Orleans 126-85 on Friday.
We have more on the Warriors:
- Gary Payton II, who has a partially guaranteed contract, has emerged as a rotation player, Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes. “He needs to play more,” coach Steve Kerr said. Valued for his defense, Payton has averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in the last two games. Payton earned a roster spot after a training camp battle with Avery Bradley and Curry says Payton has “found a home” with the Warriors, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. Payton has a $350K guarantee on his veteran’s minimum deal.
- In regard to the NBA’s investigation regarding the conduct of Suns owner Robert Sarver, Draymond Green feels there’s a double standard between executives and owners under scrutiny and players facing discipline, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “I do wonder if I was getting investigated for something, would I still be able to be around the team? Would I still be able to freely come to the games? Would I still be able to freely come to practice?,” Green said. “I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that question, because I’ve never been in a situation here where someone is getting investigated for something like that. But I do know what I think, and I’m not sure I’d be sitting here after finishing shootaround talking to you if I was being investigated.”
- Lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga has been assigned to G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, according to a team press release. Kuminga has made three brief appearances with Golden State, including a seven-minute stint on Friday. He’ll get more game experience with Santa Cruz. He had 16 points in 30 minutes against the G League Ignite earlier this week.
- Andre Iguodala‘s return to the organization has given Kerr a level of comfort, Mark Medina of NBA.com writes. “It’s like we lost our soul a little bit the last two years,” Kerr said. “Getting him back brings a level of stability, intelligence and basketball IQ.” Iguodala rejoined the team on a one-year deal.
As of now, Warriors are an average team, but they are the best team in the nba on wins
Lakers and Clippers are not at full strength
If the are, …..
Warriors are not at full strength too. Down Thompson and Wiseman. They are playing the same easy schedule as Lakers but they are winning and Lakers are not. Clippers are down Leonard for the season so they are like the warriors 2 years ago and looking like a lottery team.
Lakers are a mess. Without James, Westbrook is running the offense. They are a mess. No trade prospects and pieces that don’t fit. A mess. If Clippers get Leonard back, they’re good, but not great.
Same when James comes back, good, not great.
lakers traded away all their best defenders but AD. Portland is a example of a ton of offense but little defense. Even Bradley is playing long minutes now because they need his defense out there. I agree Leonard get backs the Clippers will be fine. lakers look like a .500 team.
Lol….the warriors are missing one of the best players in the game….
How is a 5-time All-Star, 2-time All-NBA third team, and one-time NBA All-Defensive second team one of the best players in the game?
Sure Klay was an excellent player before missing each of the last two seasons with serious injuries, but there’s no guarantee that he will ever be that good again. He will turn 32 three months from now and probably won’t be anything close to 100% until next season.
Damn. You are so desperate to trash the Warriors. The Warriors don’t need Klay to be 100% this season. His energy is already effecting the team. It won’t show up in stats. But, his presence on the floor will probably lead to 5-10 extra wins.
No, why would they possibly want the best catch and shoot player of all time, whos amazing defense is underrated, for a team themed on defense and ball movement?
Klay literally is the epitome of 3 and D. Teams have LITERALLY tried to replicate Klay Thompson archetypes to put next to their ball handlers, but you’re really trashing the OG?
Did Klay drop 37 in 12 minutes on you too?
Warriors are not winning by luck. W’a 2nd unit is jelling and playing very well. They are playing great defense and playing unselfishly. Poole, Lee, Payton, Bjelica are playing their hearts out. Looking forward to seeng Moody and JTA join in and contribute soon.
I forgot about Iggy, but his great play is expected!
Besides, he’s like one of the starting stars.
At his age is it really that expected? Second oldest player in the NBA but he has kept himself super fit and strong.
His fitness level has always been top tier but age catches up with everyone. Kerr just has to keep an eye on his minutes, which Iggy will lose when Klay and Wiseman come back.
Loving how this team is set up, loving Steph focus on becoming an elite defender this year so far too! The open shots he’s getting tons of and missing will soon start falling, only a matter of time, and its not like he’s Harden/Westbrick/Dame-level bad right now.
This GSW team is easily the deepest in the NBA. Is Chiozza the worst player they have? Their 15 spots on the roster are all taken by good, quality NBA players this year – no flat-out scrubs like Wanamaker, Oubre or Bazemore are there to blow everyones hard work due to their own low IQ gameplay.
GP2 and JTA becoming rotation pieces (Moneyball style finding treasure from trash)
Bjelica and Porter playing the best ball of their careers (Other part of Moneyball was finding elite production for cheap)
Iggy being a force again while teaching the 4 youth
brigade, proving the Lakers only needed like 1 old player not 10
The 4 (Poole/Kuminga/Moody/Wiseman) youth brigade other than Wiseman right now all easily look like future stars in their game, already 100x better than Smiley and Mannion. And Wiseman is only because he’s barely played and only ever had really disrupted presseasons so far. We honestly don’t know anything about him, especially with this all-high-IQ roster.
This GSW team is built to win for 5+ years, which is what Lacob said all along, he wanted to be like the Spurs, constantly top 4 except for 1 year where they drafted great and reloaded back. Everything is happening again. Steph is going to end up with more rings than Bron and its going to really destroy that argument the longer Bron tries to keep chasing rings while tearing apart great teams so he can sign his friends who all stink now, LOL
What’s interesting to see is how Wiseman will do on a 2nd unit with Iggy, Lee, Bjelicia and Porter. He’d be with high IQ vets, they’d have spacing, AND that’d be a 2nd unit going up against backups.
Some fans were shocked when Kerr said Kuminga might see time at the 5 this year, but I think he’d be a solid fit there for spurts. He’s 6’8+/230+ according the the Santa Cruz coach, meaning he’s already bigger than Jordan Bell(6’8/216), and he’s bigger than the 6’6 JTA/Draymond/Paschall that played at the 5 last year.
Bazemore’s 3 and D was nice as was Oubre’s athleticism, but with the higher IQ guys this group is far better. Oubre wasn’t helping unless he was scoring, and Bazemore always got into foul trouble.
Iggy just showed why he’s a better contributor to GSW than Oubre with his 10 assists the other night. Iggy doesn’t have to score to have an impact on the game. GP2 is a better defender than Bazemore and while he’s not shooting a ton of 3’s, the ones he is shooting have been going in.
Damion Lee of all people has gone from “Steph’s Brother In Law” to a legitimate bench contributor. He’s shot 38% from 3 since joining the Dubs, and he’s been a plus defender this year as well.
The rule change in the off season REALLY helped the Warriors as nobody on their team was abusing the foul line as a big part of their game. They are However a defensively sound team, and have solid defenders throughout the roster. The rule change is rewarding good defense, and their per100 possessions numbers have shown the change. Usually 111 or so is average for defense, but we have several guys in the 90’s or barely at 100.
Wiggins isn’t even playing as well as he was last year, and we’re still steamrolling.
All THIS team has done is win, and people are saying that “adding Klay Thompson won’t help”, as if they’re going to activate a Klay that can’t run or something. Klay’s been running for over a month now, and I believe he started playing basketball too.
His shot isn’t going anywhere, the only thing that might change is his lateral movement on the defensive end.
That WOULD hurt the Dubs, until you pay attention and see they got GP2 slowly taking the role Klay used to have of hounding opposing wings/guards. Wiggins proved he can defend wings as well.
I’d much rather have a 32yo Klay with less athleticism than a 25yo with all the athleticism in the world but doesn’t focus on defense.
Smart guys make plays by knowing where to be.
No matter how Klay comes back, he’s going to be better than Kyle Korver ever was. His shot isn’t going anywhere, and adding a 44% 3pt shooter to any team obviously makes them better, but I feel bad for the people that don’t know Klay because if you think he won’t dunk in his first game just to show everyone he’s back, you’re in for a surprise.
KD wasn’t hobbled by his Achilles injury, and KD’s was a medical marvel as his Achilles and calf came out to over 2ft of tendon. Klay’s surgery was MUCH more routine. Guys recover from ACL’s all the time these days.
Gotta remember it’s not 1995. Heck, i thought after Adrian Peterson ran for 2000 yards after his ACL surgery you’d see how far medical science has come. It’s only getting better.
Klay might not be the 2-way stud he once was, but I’m more than confident he isn’t aware of that, and he will push his body to its limits. He thinks he’s the best player in the world, the 20+pt quarters are still going to happen.
His play style was NEVER based on his athleticism in the first place, so his recovery is really just getting the feel of the game back. Even when Klay was going to All Star games, somehow he’d find open shots. I think its only going to benefit his play if guys underestimate his level of play. He’s eager to prove he’s not done. It’s going to be exciting.
Ofc I just hope he stays healthy but at the very least, he’s going to be a better version of what we’re getting from Damion Lee right now, which is something every team in the league would be happy to have.
when Thompson and Wiseman are back, who goes? Chiozza and?
No one has to go. They all have roster spots. Chiozza is on a 2 way contract.
They have 15 spots. I forgot.
Kuminga and Moddy to G league for playing time is about it. What happens to Lee and Payton getting their playing time cut. I do see JTA playing time cut too.
Payton obviously will be taken out of the rotation. There won’t be a lot of backup minutes left at C/PF, so JTA’s playing time will be cut.
They won’t go 12-deep every game once Klay and Wiseman return, so at least one other player needs to be taken out of the rotation.
They will be resting players with such a deep bench. I see Thompson minutes be looked at closely. Iggy will get some nights off and Green. I just don’t see a lot of minutes for Moody or Kuminga this year.
Moody, Kuminga, and Wiseman will spend so much time in Santa Cruz they will probably take up surfing.
There is no way Payton gets taken out of the rotation, unless Kerr wants a mutiny.
Klay 15-20 minutes to get feet under him
Payton keeps his role
Wiseman stays getting 20 min or so
kuminga and moody yoyo between s Cruz and sf
Lee and jta play same. Lee shooting 45% from 3, no way he loses time
my 2 cents
K&M will get as much playing time as they earn when opportunities present themselves. Loon could become much more matchup dependent. OPJ/Klay/Andre/Dray will get rested and injuries will happen where some guy tweaks something and is out a couple weeks so the depth plays. I kinda think the team wants to mix and match minutes based on matchups and hot hands and just wing it even into the playoffs some.
“same” Lee and jta playing time doesn’t change.
Klay and Andre will get frequent rest nights, and probably never play both sides of back to backs. The schedule early was super conducive to Andre playing more games. Also I have heard talk that teams will want to run a deeper rotation during the season if foul calls stay down since players are getting gassed much faster with far fewer stoppages.
It makes sense if you arent going to sit them for many games to use a deeper rotation to rest Steph and Dray during the regular season with lower min totals till they get close to the playoffs. They seemed gassed by the play in game last year after the month push to get in.
yes chap, matchups and injuries will decide each night’s playing time.
Very good points Dray, he hits the nail in the head, again!
I mean you want always equality, but, if it ain’t gonna happen let’s always remember that the players are the show, that is why we pay big $$$ to watch it!
No one cares about owners, execs or teams… is all about the players, so let’s give them always the benefit, meanwhile we can & should be much harder with owners, execs & teams with quick fines & bans, but players must be only dealt in that manner when proven guilty not before!
GSW are back, right as I called it. So many scrub Rockets fans are going to be punching this air for this season and the next 5+ years, now Lacob’s weird “rebuild while contending” plans looks like it might work out.
Warriors are legit the only good West team this year. No one else has a chance at #1, no one else has a chance at the Finals, HOWEVER: the East is legitimately better than the West for the first year in decades this year, and teams like the Heat, Bucks and Raptors match up favorably with this GSW roster. I’m supremely confident in Steph going nuclear around April again and GSW stomping the weak competition this year on their way to the big dance. But I do not think they will win, unless they trade Wiggins for a Siakam/Turner/Simmons-type star player who is way taller than Wiggins and makes big money like him. GSW has no match for Bam or Siakam-types currently as this roster is constructed, and Wiseman is 2 years away from being a force in this league. Wiggins is their ONLY trade pick (well, Looney too technically) they will NOT be trading anyone else other than picks for this high paid star, but if they can get Siakam or Turner or Simmons, its 5+ straight Finals en route for dub nation! We get Klay back in December, there’s another HOF-level talent, who if GSW makes the finals, will make 6 finals in a row this year!
Its going to be funny watching harden-westbrook-wall-wood-insert player here screen name watch their precious stupid loser Rockets get blasted by Steph, Dray and Klay and GSW for the next decade! GSW be sending many fanbases to the looney bin lol