Golden State Warriors

[Guiness]

Which Warrior will become Golden State's version of Chris Bosh?

LAS VEGAS -- Adding Kevin Durant to the Warriors will reduce the roles of Golden State's incumbent stars. Naturally, the question becomes who bears the brunt of that -- who must make the most difficult sacrifice on a team that's sure to score so easily?

Put another way: Who will be Golden State's Chris Bosh?

 

Back in 2010, when Bosh and LeBron James joined Dwyane Wade to form the Miami Heat juggernaut, it was Bosh -- a superstar in his own right -- who saw a transition from franchise player to supporting actor. It was a journey that proved tougher than he imagined.

In 2014, Bosh caused a stir with his words of warning for Kevin Love after the former Minnesota Timberwolves star became the final piece of the Cleveland Cavaliers' Big Three:

 

"It's going to be very difficult for [Love]. Even if I was in his corner and I was able to tell him what to expect and what to do, it still doesn't make any difference. It's extremely difficult and extremely frustrating. He's going to have to deal with it."

 

Bosh received criticism for that warning but was validated when Love struggled to grapple with rarely grasping the rock. It's not a natural thing for an All-Star to subsist on the periphery of a championship-level offense.

 

Among Golden State's new Big Four, Klay Thompson's name keeps coming up when you pose this question to people around the league and inside the Warriors organization. He's the one who already mostly plays off the ball. He already largely makes do with whatever shots come his way within the flow of the offense.

 

The emergence of Draymond Green as a facilitator pushed Thompson away from the action, reducing his unassisted opportunities. Thompson received praise for accepting that role when other All-Stars might chafe at being underused. What's great about Klay Thompson is that he's good with being Klay Thompson.

 

What happens to Thompson when former MVP and four-time scoring champ Kevin Durant is the guy acting as Thompson?

 

What's interesting in this new superteam construction is how Thompson has initially welcomed -- even lobbied for -- this change. Amusingly, in his Hamptons pitch to Durant, Thompson mentioned how many open shots he'd get from Durant's presence before sheepishly shifting to how Durant would also benefit from the arrangement. Everyone, including Durant, had a good laugh at the quick pivot to getting back on message.

 

With Durant's arrival, Thompson is anticipating a positive trade-off: He will get fewer shots, but those shots will be blissfully unguarded. When asked if he'd rather have more shots or get fewer shots that all happened to be wide open, Thompson replied: "Definitely open shots, you know? It's one thing to get shots, but it's easier to be more efficient when you're getting open looks. So I definitely go with the latter."

 

At Team USA practice, on the subject of sacrificing his role on the Warriors, Thompson said: "I know how good I am in this league. I'm not going to judge my performance off numbers or anything. If we get wins, it really doesn't matter, man. It's all good."

On whether he might get less attention for his exploits, Thompson said: "I feel like I get enough attention, man, [by] showing people how good I am. [Getting less attention] doesn't matter to me."

 

Thompson has clearly demonstrated that he cares not for attention. He's the rare NBA player who tries to quickly escape interviews after his biggest scoring performances. As Golden State's PR czar Raymond Ridder frequently says of Thompson, "If he never did another interview again, he'd be happy."

 

Though there are certain trappings of NBA life Thompson enjoys, fame itself rankles. He finds it annoying when, say, TMZ breathlessly covers him leaving a scene with multiple women.

 

"One of those girls was my cousin, man," Thompson said before a game in Atlanta, with typical shrugging exasperation.

If this new situation further obscures his impact to prying eyes, so much the better. Thompson prefers his universe reduced to some combination of "basketball, dog and occasional fun."

 

He might actually mean it when stating the hoary NBA cliché that his primary motivation is, "Just to get rings, man."

When asked in Vegas of the memories that fuel him, Thompson said, "I felt that feeling of winning before and I was so close again. The pain of losing is way worse than that of winning. So I just want to keep winning, man. And we're set up hopefully not just for this year but for years after to do it, and that's what really motivates me."

 

That isn't to say that Thompson is averse to leaving a legacy. He just feels he's accomplished enough individually to prioritize collective accomplishments.

 

On when his priorities shifted, Thompson said, "It was last year in the Finals. I had a game where I had five points and we still won. No one ever talks about that to me at least. They just talk about how great a year we had. Steve Kerr helped me a lot with that. He said: 'Klay, it doesn't matter how many points you're going to score. No one's going to remember 20 years down the line what you did in Game 3, 4, 5 unless it was something crazy. But they'll remember that team that brought that Bay Area championship back for the first time in 40 years."

 

On this new venture, Thompson isn't thinking about Bosh, but instead at someone who played the same position.

"I look at a guy like Manu Ginobili who came off the bench almost his entire career," Thompson said. "Never averaged more than 20 points a game, but he's a four-time champion, you know? He could have easily been on another team and averaged 25 a game, but he sacrificed to win, and that's what I expect to do next year. I don't care about averaging 25 or even 20. I just want to finish it out and get back to the Finals and enjoy that ride."

[*kalel*]

no one... because there is strength in numbers

[Mr.TwoTimerss]

warior

[John Puruntong]

go warriors

[lonelyhobo]

Hands down favorites for 2017.

[banana888]

Sure favorites to win, draymond though daming kalokohan )

[Guiness]

Draymond Green apologizes for penis picture, says he pushed wrong button

HOUSTON -- Golden State Warriors and U.S. Olympic team forward Draymond Green apologized for posting a picture of his penis on social media.

 

The picture was posted for about 10 minutes Sunday afternoon on Snapchat, then was taken down.

"I apologize for the situation. It's clearly not what I was trying to do," he said.

 

"I kinda hit the wrong button and it sucks. It was meant to be private. We're all one click away from placing something in the wrong place and I suffered from that this morning."

- Draymond Green

 

Green said he knew instantly he made a mistake and took the photo down.

 

"It was a situation where it was meant to be a private message," Green said. "I kinda hit the wrong button and it sucks. It was meant to be private. We're all one click away from placing something in the wrong place, and I suffered from that this morning."

 

Green made his comments prior to Team USA's practice at the Toyota Center.

Immediately after the picture was removed, Green had tweeted:

 

 

Earlier in July, Green reached a plea agreement that will allow him to avoid jail time and reduced the charges he faced for allegedly slapping a Michigan State University football player and for a noise violation.

 

Green will pay a $500 fine and a $60 restitution fee for the incident. He was arrested July 10 in East Lansing, Michigan, after police saw him slap MSU player Jermaine Edmondson, who has since been released from MSU's team to play elsewhere. Edmondson's release was not related to the incident with Green, MSU officials said.

 

In June, Green was suspended for a game during the NBA Finals for hitting LeBron James in the groin.

"I'm in a great position in my life," Green said Sunday. "There's so many things going on in my world for me to sit and complain, 'I can't catch a break.' I'm living my dream.

 

"To say I can't catch a break I think that's disrespectful for everybody," he added. "How many people get to live their dreams? I'm not going to sit here and throw myself a pity party and say I can't catch a break. I'm fine. I get to joke around with these guys all day and get to do what I love for my country. I'm fine. I'm fine."

Edited August 1, 2016 by hahnz

[CirocBoy]

I guess Draymond has a new nickname, "Lil D"

[Guiness]

Klay Thompson: 'My game isn't changing' because of Kevin Durant

 

Klay Thompson doesn't believe that the Golden State Warriors will have to "sacrifice" after the addition of Kevin Durant during free agency this summer. In fact, that type of talk just motivates him even more.

 

"I feel kind of disrespected that people keep using the term 'sacrifice' to describe me and describe us," Thompson told The Vertical on Tuesday. "We all want to see each other do well. But I'm not sacrificing [expletive], because my game isn't changing. I'm still going to try to get buckets, hit shots, come off screens. I want to win and have a fun time every game we play.

 

"The NBA season can get mundane; 82 games are so long and there can be some boredom. Now, we can embrace being the hated team and getting everyone's best, and adding some tension every night. It'll be a fun experience going into arenas on the road, with opposing fans hating what we've built."

 

Golden State set an NBA regular-season record with 73 wins and led the league in scoring last season, but the Warriors fell just short of a repeat NBA title and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

 

The 27-year-old Durant, who had spent his nine NBA seasons with the Thunder, announced his decision to join the Warriors on July 4. He won the MVP in 2014, has been named first-team All-NBA five times and has made seven All-Star teams. He has appeared in four Western Conference finals and one NBA Finals, in which he lost in five games to the Heat in 2012.

 

He joins a Warriors lineup that -- in addition to Thompson -- features two-time defending league MVP Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia and Andre Iguodala.

 

"We want Klay to stay Klay," Durant told The Vertical. "We don't want him to change. The games dictate where the shots come from. I may shoot 12 shots one night, Klay may shoot eight or nine shots one night, and Steph may shoot 25 shots one night. And it could be a different flow another night."

[iggy112]

My partner and I were having a discussion on who my favorite team is. Because she said, it seemed like I changed teams all the time and I liked multiple teams.

 

It made me think, and I figured out. I follow coaches. Not teams.

So I followed Phil from Chicago to LA (and sort of NY because he's there, but I'm only half invested there because he's not the coach).

I still follow Pop in San Antonio

Regardless of what critics say, I really think well of Spo in Miami (aside from the fact that he's half Pinoy)

 

And not so recently... Steve Kerr in GS. I remember saying, I think he'd make a good coach, all the way back since his Phoenix days.

And actually everytime you hear his interviews, you could see he was a smart, thoughtful guy who knew the game.

Plus, if you remember his championship parade interview after making the final shot for one of Chicago's championship --- that was really witty.

 

Having said that, I think the great coaches find ways to make the talent and more importantly, egos fit in one team, and then align them towards the goal of winning championships.

 

Really excited to see how he'll make GS fit together this year.

Edited August 15, 2016 by iggy112

[numina]

agree KT

[Hari ng Spakol]

BLOGTABLE: DO WARRIORS HAVE A SHORT WINDOW TO CONTEND?

 

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2016/08/24/blogtable-do-warriors-have-a-short-window-to-contend/?ls=iref:nbahpt3a

[Guiness]

Curry doesn't make rookies' list of favorite NBA players

 

By Rob Perez

 

Aug 30, 2016 at 7:00p ET

 

On Tuesday, NBA.com's John Schuhmann released the results of a survey which polled 38 NBA rookies on eight topics.

 

One question: who is their favorite player in the league? The answers came back with eye-popping results:

 

"Who is your favorite player in the league?

 

1. Kevin Durant, Golden State — 29.7%

 

T-2. Carmelo Anthony, New York — 9.4%

 

LeBron James, Cleveland — 9.4%

 

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City — 9.4%

 

T-5. LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio — 6.3%

 

Kobe Bryant (retired) — 6.3%

 

Paul George, Indiana — 6.3%

 

Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers — 6.3%

 

T-9. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota — 4.7%

 

Others receiving votes: Vince Carter, Memphis; Stephen Curry, Golden State; Marc Gasol, Memphis; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland

 

That's right: Steph Curry, the league's first unanimous MVP, received less than 4.7% of the total vote — suggesting that his proverbial "heel turn" is a sentiment shared not just by fans cheering against the Golden State Warriors, but, incoming rookies as well.

 

Durant, on the other hand, has now won this poll three years in a row with his percentage increasing each season. While some NBA fans and a large chunk of the Oklahoma City metropolis might feel differently, among his peers, Durant isn't the villain of the NBA — rather, he is the role model.

 

My, how the tables have turned...

[Guiness]

Report: The Golden State Warriors are seen as an arrogant organization

• by Kyle Hancox
• Senior Writer

Published

 

an hour ago

 

The Golden State Warriors franchise has been hugely successful over the past two seasons and has built the foundations for a lot of joy further down the line.

 

They won their first championship for 40 years in 2015 as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers before making it back-to-back Western Conference titles this year by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder.

 

After adding Kevin Durant to their team in free agency, creating a family feel in the franchise and starting on plans to build a new arena, things are looking really good for the franchise who occupied the lower reaches of the league for so many years.

 

However, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst on a recent episode of the Truehoop podcast, there is a sense around the league that the Warriors organization believe they are better than the rest.

 

He said: "Within the NBA, there's a belief that the Warriors are a bit arrogant.

 

 

"I can't tell you how many times in the last four or five months, when I'm talking with other people in the league, whether it's agents or executives or whomever, coaches ... there's the reference, 'Well, they are light years ahead so they'll be fine'."

 

That reference comes from a previous interview in March where owner Joe Lacob sang the praises of his organisation by telling the New York Times they were 'light years ahead' of the competition.

 

 

The Warriors have had some luck along the way, but they are a powerhouse that is here to stay.

Edited September 2, 2016 by hahnz

[numina]

Curry doesn't make rookies' list of favorite NBA players

 

By Rob Perez

 

 

Aug 30, 2016 at 7:00p ET

 

 

On Tuesday, NBA.com's John Schuhmann released the results of a survey which polled 38 NBA rookies on eight topics.

 

One question: who is their favorite player in the league? The answers came back with eye-popping results:

 

 

"Who is your favorite player in the league?

 

 

1. Kevin Durant, Golden State — 29.7%

T-2. Carmelo Anthony, New York — 9.4%

LeBron James, Cleveland — 9.4%

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City — 9.4%

T-5. LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio — 6.3%

Kobe Bryant (retired) — 6.3%

Paul George, Indiana — 6.3%

Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers — 6.3%

T-9. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota — 4.7%

Others receiving votes: Vince Carter, Memphis; Stephen Curry, Golden State; Marc Gasol, Memphis; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland

That's right: Steph Curry, the league's first unanimous MVP, received less than 4.7% of the total vote — suggesting that his proverbial "heel turn" is a sentiment shared not just by fans cheering against the Golden State Warriors, but, incoming rookies as well.

 

Durant, on the other hand, has now won this poll three years in a row with his percentage increasing each season. While some NBA fans and a large chunk of the Oklahoma City metropolis might feel differently, among his peers, Durant isn't the villain of the NBA — rather, he is the role model.

 

My, how the tables have turned...

Maybe because shooting is really hard to aspire for? It is a unique talent to shoot the way steph shoots...