Suns Making Major Changes To Starting Lineup
The Suns will remove Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic from their starting lineup, beginning with tonight’s game at Philadelphia, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). Rookie Ryan Dunn and backup big man Mason Plumlee will take their spots.
The move comes amid a four-game losing streak that has seen Phoenix drop into the 12th spot in the Western Conference at 15-18. The veteran roster has been vastly underperforming since starting the season at 9-2.
The downturn has led to dissension behind the scenes, according to Haynes.
“There is also tension in that locker room,” he said. “I’m told certain players are unsure of their roles and frustrated with how they’re being used. The coaching staff, they’re still trying to figure things out.”
Beal, 31, is averaging 17.8 points per game in his second season in Phoenix, but his shooting numbers have declined from .513/.430/.813 last year to .480/.392/.760 through 23 games. He has missed time with various physical ailments and hasn’t turned into the dependable scorer the Suns were hoping when they acquired him in a trade with Washington during the summer of 2023.
It’s possible the demotion might make Beal more likely to waive his no-trade clause for a fresh start somewhere else. His $50.2MM salary could theoretically be useful in bringing Jimmy Butler to Phoenix if he’s willing to change teams again, but the Heat reportedly aren’t interested in taking on Beal’s contract, which will pay him $53.6MM next season with a $57.1MM player option for 2026/27.
Nurkic, 30, has started all 23 games he has played this season, but he’s averaging just 8.8 points per night — his lowest mark in eight years — along with 9.5 rebounds. He’s making $18.1MM and has one more year left on his contract at $19.4MM.
The Suns may prefer to part with both players before the February 6 trade deadline in hopes of creating a younger roster, but their options are limited because of second-apron restrictions. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate contracts in a potential deal.
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Curry, Kuminga, Payton, Santos
The Warriors won’t be in a hurry to make their next trade, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game, head coach Steve Kerr said he wants to take a month or so to evaluate the current roster before any big changes are considered.
“I’ve talked to [general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.] about that and I think that makes perfect sense,” Kerr said. “We’ve been up and down this year, but we like the group, we like the people we have and we really want to see how we play over the next month and then just keep our options open. Obviously, we’re a game above .500 [entering Saturday’s game], so we’re not in a position to say, ‘Hey, we’re good enough. Let’s just stand firm.’ We have to assess all the options. … [But] for me, it’s let’s see what we can do in these next few weeks and hopefully we settle into this rotation, start shooting the ball better.”
Golden State made a significant deal in mid-December by acquiring Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn. Dunleavy indicated at the time that the team will continue to look for ways to upgrade its roster, but Youngmisuk notes that he has said since training camp that it would take a major offer for him to part with Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski.
“I think with Dennis in the mix now we have a chance to really be a great defensive team again,” Kerr added. “Like we were early in the year. And if we can put it together, then we may not need to do anything (trade-wise). But we definitely need to take this next month and really see what we have.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry sat out Saturday’s game with Memphis due to tendinitis in his knees, Youngmisuk adds. Golden State also plays on Sunday, and Kerr said there are no plans for his star guard to skip one game of every back-to-back for the remainder of the season. “Not necessarily for the rest of the year but during this stretch where the knee tendinitis has been a factor,” Kerr said. “The training staff feels strongly that for right now it makes the most sense to not play him in back-to-backs. But that could change as we go.”
- Kuminga left tonight’s game with an ankle sprain that Kerr called “significant,” tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage, but Kerr said it won’t be a “day-to-day” injury. Kuminga landed awkwardly on his right foot late in the second quarter and seemed to roll his ankle before crashing to the court.
- Gary Payton II, who suffered a left calf strain last week, has been cleared to begin individual on-court workouts, the Warriors announced (via Twitter). He will be reevaluated again next week.
- Tuesday will be an important day for Gui Santos and Lindy Waters, who will find out if their contracts will be guaranteed for the rest of the season. Santos, who was in the same position last year, recently talked to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle about staying ready to play even though he has only appeared in 10 NBA games this season. He has tried to make the most of his trips to the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. “I just do exactly what they ask me to do — play hard, play the right way, make the right plays every time,” Santos said. “I love when I go down there and get some reps and remember how to play basketball for real. That helped me when I came up here.”
Nets Notes: Thomas, Russell, Williams, December Trades
The Nets aren’t sure what caused Cam Thomas‘ latest hamstring strain, coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters, including Bridget Reilly of The New York Post, before tonight’s game. Earlier today, the team announced that Thomas won’t be reevaluated until after the upcoming West Coast trip, which means he’ll be out of action for at least nine games.
Thomas has only played twice since returning from his first hamstring injury, scoring 25 points in 25 minutes Monday at Orlando and 24 points in 22 minutes Thursday at Milwaukee. It’s believed that the hamstring issue reemerged sometime during that second game.
“I think it was discomfort,” Fernandez said. “Because at some point, I can see the difference between the first half and second half, energy-wise and efficiency. But I can also think, ‘Well, you haven’t played in a while, so, you know, you’re not as fresh,’ so I don’t know. I have no idea, but, you know, he did a good job getting back and being ready to play. He started great, the two games. Orlando, and being able to get back, both games were very efficient in the first stint he played. And now this injury is — I feel for him because obviously we want CT with us, and he was doing a great job scoring efficiently. And you know, day-to-day, we want to have him around, and we will have him around, it’s just not on the court. But we know he’ll be back soon.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets’ injury woes got worse in Saturday’s game against Philadelphia as D’Angelo Russell didn’t return after halftime due to a right shin contusion, Reilly states in a separate story. Russell was playing for just the third time since being acquired from the Lakers last weekend. Fernandez pulled his starters midway through the third quarter of the blowout loss, and Tosan Evbuomwan made his Nets debut after signing a two-way contract on Wednesday.
- The team got a lift this week with the return of Ziaire Williams, who missed nearly a month with a knee injury, Reilly adds in another piece. The 23-year-old forward, who was added in a trade with Memphis over the summer, could see increased playing time while Cameron Johnson is sidelined with a sprained right ankle. “He made winning plays all over,” Fernandez said after Williams helped to seal a victory over the Bucks. “His energy was contagious. His deflections. Obviously, he made a couple of big shots, 2-for-4 from three, and the six rebounds, being all over the place. He was amazing. A lot of times, it’s just thinking, ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes for our team to win,’ and he did, and he was a big part of the win.”
- In his latest Substack column, Jake Fischer examines whether the Nets got sufficient value by trading Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in December rather than waiting until closer to the deadline.
Magic Notes: Suggs, Da Silva, Harris, Joseph
Jalen Suggs will miss Sunday’s game against Utah after leaving Friday’s contest with severe back spasms, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs had to be wheelchaired to the locker room after collapsing to the court and writhing in pain late in the second quarter.
It’s the latest in a seemingly endless string of injuries for Orlando, which was already playing without stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, along with Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Gary Harris. Beede said Suggs seemed to be in good spirits after the game, but “the concern level was real” about the injury, which was diagnosed as a lower back strain.
“Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looked out there,” Cory Joseph said. “It’s kind of been, unfortunately, a theme this season — we have guys going down. We just know ‘next man up’ mentality but definitely we wanted to pull this one out for him, as for Moe and Franz, Paolo, Gary and AB. Too many people, right? So, [we] never want to see that happen but we know he’s a fighter and whatever it is, he’ll overcome it. For us, we’ve just got to continue the course.”
There’s more on the Magic:
- Tristan Da Silva set a career high in scoring for the second time this week with 25 points Friday night, Beede adds in the same piece. The rookie small forward had 21 points against Brooklyn on Wednesday, but he has also been held scoreless in two of his last four games. “I’m just really trying to take it all in as a journey,” Da Silva said. “As a rookie, you’re obviously going to have ups and downs. There’s games where you might not play as well, where the shot is not falling. And you have games like tonight where you feel really good. But I’m just trying to stay even-keeled and trying to not let a single game kind of define my mental headspace.”
- Harris is dealing with another left hamstring strain, the same injury that sidelined him for 13 games earlier in the season, Beede tweets. Harris missed Friday’s contest and has already been ruled out for Sunday.
- Joseph, a native of Canada, scored in double figures for the first time with the Magic during Friday’s game at Toronto, Beede states in a separate story. It was part of a dominant night for Orlando’s reserves, who outscored Toronto’s bench, 43-18.
Central Notes: Rollins, Beauchamp, I. Jackson, Nesmith, Cunningham
Point guard Ryan Rollins has been a valuable addition for the Bucks, but the team will eventually have to make a decision on his contract status, writes Jim Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel. Rollins’ two-way deal allows him to be on the active roster for 50 games. Even though he’s only played in 18 games, he’s been active for 25, which means he’s already used up half his eligibility. If Milwaukee wants to keep him on the court past 50 games and make him eligible for the playoffs, he’ll have to be converted to a standard contract.
“I don’t think about it, but it does come into play eventually,” Rollins said. “Hopefully I just continue to play and best of best they convert me. That’s what I’m hoping for. Praying for that, so just gotta keep rolling with what I’m doing right now and just stick with it. Everything works out how it’s supposed to work out at the end of the day. I’m a true believer in that, so I’m not really worried about it too much.”
Selected with the 44th pick in the 2022 draft, Rollins had short stints with Golden State and Washington, but didn’t see much playing time with either team. After the Wizards waived him, Rollins signed with the Bucks last February on a two-way deal that carried over into this season. He’s averaging 4.4 PPG in 11.6 minutes per night, and coach Doc Rivers has been impressed by his athleticism and defensive intensity, according to Owczarski.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks have a full 15-man roster, so someone would have to be waived to create an opening to give Rollins a standard contract. That could wind up being small forward MarJon Beauchamp, who has seen his playing time drop significantly in his third NBA season, Owczarski adds in the same piece. Beauchamp was a first-round pick in 2022, but he’s slipped far outside the rotation, averaging just 3.9 minutes in 15 games. “I feel like the work I put in is keeping me confident, you know? Having the right approach and mindset,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting better – not saying that I don’t support my teammates – but just being a better teammate (with) high energy, supporting my team, just learning different aspects I feel like I can grow in.”
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who underwent surgery in November for a torn Achilles tendon, was back with the team for its December 31 game, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Agness notes that Jackson and James Wiseman, who suffered the same injury on opening night, were able to accompany their teammates on a flight to Miami this week as they continue their rehab.
- Meeting with reporters before tonight’s game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said injured forward Aaron Nesmith has been able to take part in five-on-five scrimmages, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Nesmith has been sidelined since November 1 with a sprained left ankle, and Carlisle said it will take time for him to get reconditioned because he’s been out of action for so long.
- Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been experiencing knee soreness this week, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “He’s run a ton for us and is carrying a heavy burden for us,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who added that he’s working with the medical staff to alleviate the condition.
Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Kornet, Tatum, Udoka, Brown
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis overcame early foul trouble in his return to the court Friday night at Houston, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis, who missed the previous four games with a sprained left ankle, was able to play 28 minutes, posting 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.
“I felt all right,” he said afterward. “Still haven’t been in my best shape this season yet, so it’s a little bit tough. But I’m happy to be healthy and working my way toward feeling better and better each game.”
The Celtics have been careful with Porzingis, who sat out the first month of the season while recovering from foot surgery. He has appeared in just 12 of the team’s 35 games so far and has talked about the frustration of trying to establish a rhythm with such an erratic playing pattern. Coach Joe Mazzulla and the training staff are focused on keeping him healthy for the start of the playoffs in April.
“It’s tough for him because he’s going through a transition of coming in,” Mazzulla said. “But I thought his defense in the second half was tremendous. I thought we went to a couple things that kind of got him going a little bit on some pin-downs and got him comfortable. I thought for his first game back, I thought he was great. He really helped us, especially defensively, in the second half.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- After Rockets center Alperen Sengun scored 14 points in the first half, Mazzulla switched to a double-big lineup to shut him down, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Luke Kornet started the third quarter alongside Porzingis, with Neemias Queta rotating in 0ff the bench. All that size clearly bothered Sengun, who went scoreless in the second half while missing all four of his shots from the field. “Kind of make it hard to play in a crowd,” Kornet said. “And then I think that length, having that be the help person, can make kickouts a little more difficult. But I feel like especially in the second half our physicality was great and just trying to match that and make things difficult.”
- The Celtics improved to 3-0 against their former head coach, Ime Udoka, who led them to the NBA Finals in 2022, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Jayson Tatum talked about the experience of playing for Udoka and how it benefited the team. “I think Ime, he’s big on toughness and physicality and taking on the challenge and going at people,” Tatum said. “And that’s what we did that year, right? We had a tough start. But him as our head coach, he never wavered and we turned out season around. We was hungry. And got to the Finals and came up short. We loved to have him around. He’s an amazing person, amazing coach.”
- Jaylen Brown, who missed the past two games with a shoulder strain, is the only Celtic listed on the injury report for Sunday’s game at Oklahoma City, Robb adds in a separate story. Brown is expected to be a game-time decision, with Sam Hauser continuing to replace him in the starting lineup if he’s unavailable.
Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Rozier, Riley, Porter Jr.
Jimmy Butler‘s standoff with the Heat is the NBA’s hottest story and has overshadowed everything else going on with the team, but Butler’s teammates will have to take the court without him beginning on Saturday vs. Utah as he begins serving his seven-game suspension. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, Bam Adebayo spoke to reporters at today’s shootaround about the awkward spot he and his teammates find themselves in.
“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head to head like that,” Adebayo said. “But the rest of us got to figure out how to win games. So for me as captain, it’s worrying about the other guys and getting them locked in and ready to go to try to compete and win a game.”
Butler has been one of the Heat’s leaders since joining the team in 2019, but his days in Miami appear numbered. He won’t play in the next seven games and may have suited up for Miami for the last time. That means the rest of the roster has to prepare to move forward without him while leaning on its other veterans for stability.
“Obviously, we still have a great opportunity, a good basketball team. So we don’t want to get caught up in all the news that’s been going around,” Terry Rozier said. “But we have a great locker room. We got guys like (Kevin Love), a vet who’s always keeping guys on their toes and making guys laugh. We got a lot of great guys in there. So we move on and we’ll find out what’s best.
“It’s tough because that’s one of your locker room guys, that’s one of your teammates,” Rozier added. “So it sucks to see that he won’t be around. But our main focus is to try to win games and control what we can control. Obviously, that’s out of our control with the guys in the locker room. But we got a lot of love for him and we wish him the best. We’re just trying to win games now.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Team president Pat Riley may want to reconsider his trademark candor in the wake of the Butler situation, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. After the Heat were eliminated from the playoffs, Riley reacted to Butler’s claim that they could have beaten the Celtics and Knicks if he hadn’t been injured by saying it’s best to “keep your mouth shut” if you’re not able to play. Riley has become known for direct statements during his long NBA career, but Winderman says that trait may have become counterproductive in player relations.
- The Heat have given Butler special treatment for years, but now they’re calling his behavior “conduct detrimental” after he became unhappy about not receiving an extension, Winderman adds in a subscriber-only story.
- Excessive pride from Butler and Riley has led to the current situation, but a change is also necessary because the current Heat roster isn’t good enough to compete for a title, argues Greg Cote of The Miami Herald.
- Although Butler suggested during his comments to the media on Thursday that his role and his lack of “joy” playing basketball were the reasons for his dissatisfaction, it all comes down to money, contends Chris Mannix of SI.com. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link), Butler – who was upset about not being offered a maximum-salary extension by the Heat during the offseason – wouldn’t want to sign that extension if it were offered now. That’s a moot point, since Miami certainly doesn’t intend to put it on the table at this point, but it’s a reflection of how much the relationship has deteriorated.
- Exploring possible trade scenarios involving Butler, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald states (via Twitter) that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who would need to be included in any deal with Denver, was flagged by the Heat “long ago” for medical reasons. Porter, who had back problems earlier in his career, has been healthier in recent years, and Jackson notes that his talent would be “enticing,” though Miami’s appetite for taking on multiyear salary is unclear.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Latest On Jimmy Butler
Both sides are angry in the Jimmy Butler standoff, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be traded by the February 6 deadline, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Butler’s comments after Thursday’s game about hoping to “get my joy back from playing basketball” came after a conversation earlier in the day between his representatives and Heat officials, sources tell the authors. Butler was upset because he and his agent believed the team was implying he didn’t play hard in Wednesday’s game against New Orleans, which he finished with nine points and four rebounds in 25 minutes as he returned to the lineup after missing five games with an illness.
Team representatives contend Thursday’s meeting was a “macro level discussion” that addressed concerns over Butler’s behavior as trade rumors have intensified over the last few weeks.
Butler and his agent are claiming that the team threatened to suspend him after the Pelicans game, Jackson tweets, but Heat officials deny that ever happened.
With Butler’s future in Miami almost guaranteed to end following this season, if not earlier, Jackson and Chiang see three potential resolutions. The most immediate is a trade before next month’s deadline, but the authors point out problems with each of Butler’s preferred destinations.
If he’s sent to the Warriors, Miami would almost certainly have to take back Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, paying him $28.2MM and $30.2MM over the next two years. Jackson and Chiang note that the Heat’s projected tax bill of more than $15MM comes in part from giving large salaries to Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier. Another big contract for a non-All Star would worsen the team’s financial position, with Bam Adebayo on a max deal and Tyler Herro averaging $30MM per season.
The same issue exists with the Suns, as the authors state that Miami has “no interest” in taking on Bradley Beal, who is still owed $160MM. However, they believe the equation could change if Kevin Durant decides to ask out of Phoenix amid a disappointing start to the season.
Butler has also reportedly expressed a desire to join the Rockets or Mavericks, but Jackson and Chiang note that Houston has denied interest in taking on older players, while Dallas doesn’t have enough trade assets to interest Miami.
The Nuggets could emerge as another possibility by offering Michael Porter Jr., the authors state. However, they caution that he has also never been an All-Star and is owed $38.3MM and $40.8MM over the next two seasons. A third team would be necessary to complete most of these deals, but Detroit at $14MM is currently the only option with cap space.
Butler could also be traded this summer, either by picking up his $52.4MM player option or declining it and working with the team on a sign-and-trade. The issue there would be that most teams aren’t in position to absorb Butler’s salary outright and would have to send out contracts in order to accommodate him.
If Miami isn’t interested in what Butler’s suitors have to offer, a third or fourth team might be necessary to take on that unwanted salary. Jackson and Chiang project that up to 11 teams are in position to create cap room during the offseason to help facilitate a trade.
If Miami could trade Butler without taking back salary in return, it would leave the team with a trade exception equal to whatever Butler will be making in the first season of his new contract, along with a non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $14.1MM and the $5.1MM bi-annual exception. They would have 10 players under contract — possibly 11 if Keshad Johnson exercises his $1.9MM player option — at a total cost of about $141MM, roughly $13.6MM below the projected salary cap.
The final option is for Butler to sign elsewhere in free agency, but the authors consider that less likely because only Brooklyn currently projects to have enough cap room to offer a deal in his desired salary range without the Heat’s help.
Blazers’ Anfernee Simons Admits Difficult “Mental Battle,” But Won’t Request Trade
Years of losing seem to be taking their toll on Trail Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons, who tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that he’s going through “the hardest mental battle I’ve had in my career.”
Quick notes that the 11-22 Blazers are in the midst of their fourth straight season where they’re placing more emphasis on maximizing their lottery odds than trying to compete. This is Simons’ seventh year in the NBA, so unlike most of Portland’s roster he remembers when making the playoffs was taken for granted.
“It’s been hard as hell,’’ he said. “I be having my bad days. I’m like anybody else. I call them my ‘human days,’ when I let things get to me a little bit. Obviously, it has had an effect on my game. That’s what I’m trying to get out of.’’
The grind of being overmatched most nights appears to be catching up with Simons, who’s suffering through his worst season since he became a starter four years ago. He’s shooting 41.5% from the field and 33.5% from three-point range — down significantly from last year and the second-worst percentages of his career in both categories.
Quick notes that Simons has often seemed to be “distracted and disconnected” on the court as though he has become numb to the constant losing. Coach Chauncey Billups stated that he began noticing the change last season.
“We’ve talked about it, and my talks with Ant will be with Ant, but yes, I see it,’’ Billups said. “It was last year, too. We had some good, long talks over the summer, things that were bothering him, and things I could help him with. So, it hasn’t been a just-now thing. It’s been over time.’’
Simons added that despite any frustrations he has with the organization, he doesn’t plan to ask for a trade. He mentioned two “very light” conversations with general manager Joe Cronin this season in which Cronin sought his input about the team’s progress. Despite his longevity in Portland and his potential trade value, Simons doesn’t believe he’s earned the right to ask for a deal.
“I can say how I feel, but I don’t think I’m in that position,’’ he said. “There’s only a few players who can go in there and make (demands). I don’t think that’s my job. My job is to go out and play. If it’s something that serious, I would let my agent take care of it. But you think about what you want out of your career, and stuff like that, and I figure it’s going to happen when it’s supposed to. I’m not going to make any irrational decisions on stuff like that.’’
Quick points out that Simons’ situation is one of the negative side effects of repeatedly trying to rebuild through the draft. The team has a .316 winning percentage since Cronin took over as GM, and it doesn’t appear to be heading in a positive direction despite adding Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan with top-seven picks over the last three years.
Quick adds that the Blazers have already lost 10 times this season by 20 or more points, including embarrassing home defeats by 45 points against Memphis and 42 points against Utah.
Simons is under contract for one more season at $27.7MM and will become a free agent in the summer of 2026 if he and the team don’t work out an extension. He would have plenty of leverage if he decides to force his way out of Portland, but his preference is to remain with the team and build it into a winner again.
“It’s hard to explain it; some things just don’t feel right,’’ Simons said. “It could be a bit of everything. I’m not going to point out one thing. Ultimately, I gotta do what I gotta do, and get out of my funk and figure out ways to overcome it. Ultimately, this is a test of faith, and a test of mental toughness and what I’m going to do to get myself out of this feeling.’’
Warriors Notes: Curry, Kuminga, Looney, Anderson, Schröder
Stephen Curry has enjoyed many legendary shooting performances during his long NBA career, but even he was astonished by what he was able to accomplish Thursday night, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Curry sank all eight of his three-point attempts while posting 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds to lead the Warriors in a blowout of Philadelphia. It’s the most three-pointers he’s ever had in a game without a miss and it’s one short of the NBA record, according to Youngmisuk.
“He deserves these nights,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Everything he does for us and endures. It’s so fun to see him do this. And our fans and our coaches, we’re all spoiled watching him play night after night. But we need to cherish these nights. He’s not going to be around forever, and he is one of the most beautiful basketball players who’s ever lived and we’re lucky to be watching him.”
Curry’s historic night came despite a sprained right thumb that originally had him listed as questionable to play. He was able to practice on Wednesday, but he did almost everything left-handed to protect the thumb from further injury. It was also the first game since he referred to the team’s play as “mid” after Monday’s loss to Cleveland.
“I know what I said last game and I meant it,” Curry said. “Because you are what your record says you are, and we have been playing below average basketball for a long time. Obviously I take accountability for a lot of that and at the end of the day you just want to play free and have fun. I celebrated my first three and just to try to infuse some joy into the game, so we have to try to maintain that even if shots don’t fall for a certain stretch of a game, just stay locked in.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Jonathan Kuminga continued his improved play with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 8-of-11 from the field, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kuminga is still being used in a reserve role, but he’s seeing consistent minutes as Kerr has trimmed the rotation to nine players. “You can just tell he’s getting comfortable,” Draymond Green said. “He knows now ‘Oh, I’m going to get the ball. I’m going to have my opportunities to score, so now I just don’t to have to show you that I can score’ … With that, it’s building a sense of purpose for him. … It’s just raised his comfort level.”
- Kerr credits veteran center Kevon Looney and offseason addition Kyle Anderson for being willing to accept reduced roles to make the new rotation successful. (Twitter link from Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “We’re so lucky to have those guys on the team. They’re the most professional guys you could ask for as a coach,” Kerr said. “They’re the odd men out right now. The only way it works in the NBA is if the guys who are not playing are supportive of the other guys and aware of what’s happening and accepting of it without being happy about it.”
- Dennis Schröder shot just 7-of-34 from three-point range during his first seven games after being acquired from Brooklyn, but he snapped out of his slump Thursday by going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and scoring 15 points. After the game, he talked to reporters about the adjustments he’s had to make to fit into Kerr’s offense (Twitter link from Slater).