Pacific Notes: Lendeborg, Podziemski, Bridges, Hachimura
After scoring a game-high 17 points on Tuesday, Yaxel Lendeborg credited advice he received from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, writes Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area. The rookie forward attacked the paint repeatedly as the Warriors soundly defeated the Lakers for their first preseason victory.
“After (the preseason opener), I texted Steph and Draymond both to just ask for some advice and some guidance,” Lendeborg said. “I was a little scared first game to be aggressive. I was a little shell-shocked and all. But getting the word of advice from both of those guys telling me that they believe in me and I have room to make mistakes, just gave me the extra confidence I needed tonight.”
Dempster notes that Golden State will need production from Lendeborg because Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis, the team’s top two scorers from last season outside of Curry, are both currently unavailable. Butler is rehabbing his surgically repaired left knee and is expected to miss at least half the season, while Porzingis is sidelined indefinitely with an illness.
“It’s hard to learn,” Lendeborg said. “I’ve been an unselfish player my whole life. And just coming here and hearing I got to [have a] score first mindset — it’s going to be something that I got to get adjusted to.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Warriors teammates and coaches have noticed a more confident version of Brandin Podziemski this fall, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. The 23-year-old shooting guard is hoping to receive an extension before the season begins, but Friedell states that he’ll be at peace whether it happens or not. “I gave my few quotes last year that obviously made people think a certain way,” Podziemski said. “But this year for me, it’s just going to be about hoops and trying to win games, especially with Jimmy and Mo (Moses Moody) out to start the year. So, that’s kind of where my head is with that stuff.”
- Suns forward Miles Bridges, who was acquired in a trade with Charlotte this summer, had to leave Wednesday’s game early in the second quarter after injuring his right ankle (Twitter video link), per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin observes that shortly before exiting, Bridges grabbed at the ankle while sitting on the court. He kept playing for a while and tried retying his shoe, but eventually went to the locker room. Coach Jordan Ott said after the game that he believes Bridges is fine and he may play Saturday against San Antonio, per Rankin (Twitter link).
- Darius Garland and free agent addition Rui Hachimura seemed to have instant chemistry as they led the Clippers to a win over the Warriors on Sunday, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register states in a subscriber-only story. “Yeah, we already knew what type of talent Rui is,” Garland said. “So, just trying to figure out his spots, but the Golden State game was definitely a little sample size of what we can do.”
Pacific Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Miller, Brooks, Collins
With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined indefinitely by a health issue, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is looking at lineups with projected backup center Al Horford in a starting role. Alternatively, he’s looked at smaller lineups with Draymond Green in the middle.
However, Kerr would prefer to keep Horford on the second unit while also limiting Green’s minutes at center because of the wear and tear it puts on his body. The best-case scenario is that Porzingis is cleared to play in the near future.
“We want him back,” Kerr said, per Monte Poole of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “He’s a really talented player, and so we thought that he was in a pretty good place. So . . . definitely concerning. And so, as I said, all we’re going to do is support him, give him every bit of medical help he can get, and emotional support and hope that he’s back soon.”
Here’s more on the Pacific Division:
- Speaking of Horford, he was scratched from the Warriors’ preseason win over the Lakers on Tuesday. He’s dealing with a left knee contusion that is considered minor, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who tweets that Horford’s absence on Tuesday was precautionary.
- The Clippers signed big man Baba Miller to a four-year, $9.61MM contract after selecting him with the No. 36 overall pick out of Cincinnati. Miller had nine points and six rebounds in 20 minutes against Golden State on Sunday. He’s looking to earn some steady minutes early in his career. “I feel like every day I’m taking steps in the right direction,” he told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.
- Suns wing Dillon Brooks was whistled for a technical foul after an altercation with Pistons forward John Collins on Monday. Brooks claims that Collins tried to choke him and the only reason he received a tech was due to his reputation, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. The dust-up occurred after Collins grabbed an offensive rebound. Brooks reached around Collins, who reacted by putting his hand in Brooks’ face. “Then got the hit on me, and then I’m like, I’m not letting you go up,” Brooks said. “And then he turns around, and tries to choke me, and put his hands on me, and that’s why I don’t get why I got the technical foul. I mean, I didn’t start nothing. I’m playing within the game. I try to bet on myself, but I’m betting against the house.”
Pacific Notes: Simmons, Garland, Kerr, Green
Thirteen Kings players saw action during the team’s preseason opener vs. the Lakers on Monday, but Ben Simmons wasn’t one of them, as the former No. 1 overall pick was inactive for the game.
According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link), while Simmons is healthy and has had a strong training camp, the team wants to take a cautious approach to his ramp-up process after he sat out all of last season, so his preseason debut figures to happen on either Thursday against the Lakers or Saturday vs. the Warriors.
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Asked by Spears in an ESPN interview (YouTube link) whether he’s interested in becoming the “face of the franchise” for the Clippers following the Kawhi Leonard trade, point guard Darius Garland suggested he’s fully prepared to take on that responsibility. “It’s definitely something that I want,” Garland said. “I think I’ve been through a lot in this career and I think I’m ready to take on the reins of that. Especially in year eight, I think I’ve actually found myself a little bit and I know where I want to get to.” Garland added that the toe problem that limited him to 45 games last season is now “100%.”
- Speaking to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter video link), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr explained why he wasn’t surprised by Stephen Curry signing an extension worth less than his max, discussed Yaxel Lendeborg’s projected role, and lauded Mike Dunleavy Jr. for the job he has done with the roster as the team attempts to transition from one era to the next. “Mike’s been drafting really well,” Kerr said. “We’ve got good young players. We’ll have a ton of cap space next summer. We’ve got all our draft picks going forward.”
- Following the Warriors’ preseason opener on Sunday, veteran forward Draymond Green explained why his new offensive role represents a “big adjustment” while expressing confidence that he’ll “figure it out,” writes Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green is expected to spend less time directing Golden State’s offense up top in Kerr’s new five-out system.
Warriors Notes: Horford, Williams, Niang, Preseason Opener
The health issue that has Kristaps Porzingis sidelined indefinitely helps to explain why the Warriors were so eager to bring back Al Horford for his 20th NBA season, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Horford agreed to a new two-year contract in June, and although he can’t be counted on for huge minutes at age 40, he’s the only other center on the roster with significant experience.
“He wants to compete, and he wants to be out on the court,” Horford said of Porzingis. “It’s just for him to be patient at this point. He’s usually been able to overcome things, but patience is kind of like the name of the game right now. I don’t know if we saw this coming entirely. So, I just hope that he’s able to recover and be in a good place so he can roll with us.”
Poole notes that it’s possible that Horford could be the opening-night starter, just a few months after meeting with his family to decide if he should continue his NBA career. He shot 36.1% from three-point range last season, which makes him a good fit in coach Steve Kerr’s five-out offense where everyone can space the floor. Horford is eager for another season with the Warriors after the last one was disrupted by injuries.
“I felt like we didn’t really get a chance to show what we could do as a group, as a team, so I’m intrigued by that,” he said. “Returning here and being able to see what we can accomplish – and, also, just that desire to continue to compete, to just continue to compete and try to compete at a high level.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Former Dallas guard Brandon Williams brings an element of speed that the team didn’t have before, notes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Williams, whose one-year contract is non-guaranteed, been impressive in training camp. “He’s the fastest guy we’ve ever had here,” Kerr said. “… Brandon is probably more of a high pick-and-roll speedster, and it changes the calculus. It gives you more options.”
- Georges Niang, another free agent addition, was used as a small-ball center in Thursday’s scrimmage, which may be his best chance for playing time, Johnson adds. The 33-year-old forward is trying to bounce back after missing all of last season with an injury he suffered in training camp. “I think at this point, if you’re on the court, you better feel comfortable,” Niang said. “That’s the biggest thing. You want playing time, you figure out where and how to be comfortable, and you find ways to implement things that you can do that can help your team.”
- Kerr plans to use Horford, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green for about 12 to 15 minutes in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Clippers, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link). Everyone else will play around 20 minutes.
Warriors Notes: Butler, Moody, Curry, Podziemski, Green, More
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler won’t be available when the regular season tips off next month, but he told reporters on Monday that he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of ESPN). Butler said the team isn’t letting him “skip steps” and wants him to be back to 100% before he suits up for the Warriors, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, but the 37-year-old is confident that he’ll look like his old self when he eventually makes his return.
“Whenever I’m ready to go, I promise you I’m coming back and it’s going to be … I think it’s going to be really eye-popping for everybody how I’m still going to be nice,” Butler said. “Probably nicer, honestly.”
Butler has resumed on-court activities, but he’s not going full speed or taking contact yet. Still, he continues to reach certain checkpoints in his recovery process and suggested on Monday that he’s regaining some of his explosiveness.
“I can dunk a basketball, in case anybody wants to know,” he said, according to Poole. “I’m very excited about that. It’s still a process, but at least I get to play basketball a little bit now. And I know that all the work that I have been putting in, it’s starting to get to basketball.”
Another Warriors wing, Moses Moody, will also spend the first part of the season recovering from a major injury, as he continues to work his way back from a torn patellar tendon. While he described the rehab process as “tedious,” Moody said on Monday that he’s staying positive and has advanced to “light” on-court work. The hope is that he’ll be able to return for the second half of the season, writes Dylan Grausz of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I’m confident with the plan,” Moody said. “I think everything has been on track for what (director of sports medicine and performance) Rick (Celebrini) has estimated and everything. Yeah, I’m in a good spot.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Discussing Stephen Curry’s new two-year, $116MM contract extension, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said at Monday’s media day that the team is “thrilled” to have Curry locked up to a multiyear deal and praised the two-time MVP for his willingness to sign for less than the max. “I think we found a middle ground where he was incredibly generous in taking this deal, where he’s taking less money to help the team out because, as Steph goes, he’s as competitive as there is,” Dunleavy said, according to Grausz. “He wants to win. He’s put us in a position where it gives us a little bit more flexibility to do that. So I think the middle ground was signing him up to be able to almost ensure that he’ll finish his career here while also keeping some flexibility, keeping some optionality on it, and we’ve done that.”
- Nick Friedell of The Athletic shares several more highlights from the Warriors’ media day, noting that Brandin Podziemski and Dunleavy are both optimistic about reaching an agreement on a rookie scale extension for Podziemski before the season begins.
- In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Warriors forward Draymond Green addressed several topics, including the details of his recruiting pitch to free agent LeBron James and why he thinks LeBron didn’t choose to sign with Golden State. “He just couldn’t get over the past, which is, ‘I battled these guys over and over again. What is that now going to look like for me if I come there? What type of beating am I going to take if I come there?’ And ultimately that’s why it didn’t happen,” Green said. “… I also think that’s why it took so long to make the decision, because I know this, (Golden State) was the right decision. He just couldn’t land on it.”
- At least two spots in the Warriors’ starting lineup could be up for grabs during training camp and the preseason, and that number could rise to three if Kristaps Porzingis isn’t healthy for the start of the regular season. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area takes a look at some of the contenders for starting spots alongside Curry and Green.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Butler, Payton
Before Stephen Curry’s two-year, $116MM extension with the Warriors was announced Friday night, he expressed confidence in the organization during an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, relays Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Even with an older roster, Curry believes Golden State is capable of challenging for another NBA title.
“You could ask me, you could ask (coach) Steve Kerr, you could ask Draymond (Green), we still believe that we can be that team,” Curry said. “I think our challenge now is to reimagine what that looks like. And, you know, we have a veteran team. We need health on our side. … You can’t just roll the ball out and be like, ‘Oh, we’re the Warriors. We’re gonna win.’ Nah, it’s let’s embrace the challenge of figuring out what this team needs to do to win. And as long as I’m on the squad, Draymond, Steve, I feel like we all have that shared mentality.”
Curry admitted that the nightly grind of the league is more difficult than it used to be when he was younger, especially after physical ailments limited him to 43 games last season. He also understands that the end of his career is looming, even with the new contract in place.
“I think about the end of the road every day,” Curry said. “I think that’s okay. I think that’s a motivator, right? Like, it’s an idea that … you can’t just not get whatever you need to do out of every single day and not have the most fun and joy when I’m out there playing because wins and losses, I’m the most competitive guy in the room, I wanna win every game, but I also wanna enjoy myself and what I’m doing. And I can only enjoy myself if I’m prepared for what I need to do out there on the floor. So it all kinda goes hand in hand. And if I don’t acknowledge the end, I think I won’t appreciate the now, if that makes sense.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Curry’s extension is $20.7MM below the maximum amount that he was eligible to get, which gives the team some financial flexibility for the future, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State could have more than $60MM to spend on a strong free agent class next summer, providing a path to land another star for the end of Curry’s career. Curry discussed his physical condition earlier this week after a lingering battle with “runner’s knee” affected him late last season, Poole adds in a separate story. Curry said he has adopted a new workout strategy to build strength in the knee heading into training camp, and he’s currently “feeling fantastic.”
- Green and Jimmy Butler have both expressed interest in retiring with the Warriors, but they might have to be willing to accept smaller contracts to make that happen, states Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Both players have expiring deals entering this season, with Green at $27.7MM and Butler at $56.8MM.
- Gary Payton II doesn’t mind being overlooked in the Western Conference playoff race, saying the team has a feeling similar to 2021/22 when it exceeded expectations and brought home another title, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “We’re not expected to do anything, but we still got a pretty good veteran core, and we got some talented young guys,” Payton said. “The goal this year, the motto for me, is stay healthy and have fun.”
Warriors Notes: Roster, Coaches, Vogel, Lendeborg, Green
The Warriors opted to make minor tweaks to their roster this summer rather than wholesale changes. That approach puts more pressure on head coach Steve Kerr and his revamped staff, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, since the team struggled in multiple aspects of the game last season, including “sloppy late-game execution, silly turnovers, curious shot selection and defensive rotations that were too late or entirely missed.”
For his part, Kerr is optimistic that Golden State will improve upon its 37-45 record from 2025/26.
“We’ve studied everything over the offseason, taken a lot of time to watch film and see certain combinations, what we did well, what we didn’t do well,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area. “And I think we have a chance to be much better this year than we were last year. I really believe we’re going to be better, and I think I’ve got to be better.”
Kerr says he’ll collaborate with assistants Bruce “Q” Fraser, Seth Cooper and Nicholas Kerr on the offensive end, while new associate head coach Frank Vogel will handle the defense with input from returning staff members Jacob Rubin and Anthony Vereen, Poole writes.
“Frank’s a great coach,” Kerr told Poole. “He’s been obviously a head coach for many years in the league. He’s a great defensive mind. I’m excited. I think he will be a good voice for our team. He’s a great defensive mind, especially, but he’s someone who I feel very comfortable with right next to me. I’m going to turn the defense over to him.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Speaking to Joseph Dycus of the Bay Area News Group, Vogel says Kerr initially gauged his interest in joining Golden State’s staff in the 2024 offseason, shortly after Vogel was let go by Phoenix after one season as the Suns’ head coach. Vogel decided to take a consulting job with Dallas at the time, but he stayed on the Warriors’ radar and is excited to join franchise legends Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kerr, who have won four championships together. “It’s a special opportunity to be a part of this legacy that they’ve had,” Vogel said, “And we’ll see if we can squeeze some magic out of these last however many years that they’re together.”
- Vogel, 53, also talked to Dycus about Green’s defensive impact and how difficult it is to game-plan against Curry, among other topics. Vogel has been impressed with Yaxel Lendeborg’s unselfishness — the former Michigan star was selected 11th overall in June’s draft. “There’s very little forcing of offense in Yaxel’s game, you know, and that’s something that you dream of as a coach,” Vogel said. “You want players that are going to play the right way each time down. He does it naturally.”
- Kerr recently suggested Green’s offensive role will look a little different in 2026/27. The former Defensive Player of the Year said on his podcast (YouTube link) that he welcomes the opportunity to shoot more three-pointers, per Dylan Grausz of NBC Sports Bay Area. “As far as shooting threes, for the first time in my career, Coach Kerr told me towards the end of last year, he pulled me to the side and he’s like, ‘Draymond, I want you shooting the three.’ And I was like, ‘Oh s—.’ It was like an out of body experience, because I had never really heard him like confidently look me in my eye and say to me, ‘Yo, I want you shooting the basketball,” Green said. “… When he told me, the confidence level rose immediately. That was great for me, and now being able to go into the season with that mindset of like, I catch, I’m open, I’m firing. For me, ultimately, it’s going to help my shooting percentages, because it’s a lot different shooting the three when you catch and you’re not sure if you should shoot the three, or when you catch and you’re looking for the next action because that’s kind of your role in the offense. It’s a lot different shooting that three, because then it’s no longer a rhythm three.”
Warriors Notes: Curry, Butler, Vogel, Green
Appearing on CNBC on Thursday to discuss his new shoe deal with the Chinese company Li-Ning, Warriors star Stephen Curry once again reaffirmed that he’s committed to Golden State and doesn’t want to finish his NBA career anywhere else.
“Not at all,” Curry replied when asked if the idea of going through free agency appeals to him (Twitter video link). “I’ve always stated that I wanna be a lifer with Golden State. What we’ve built there, the fact that I get to run it back this year with Draymond (Green) and coach (Steve) Kerr. All the contract stuff, this NBA thing from year to year, is so crazy, things change really fast. But I do know my interest and mission to stay in Golden State and be competitive is there, and the contract stuff will take care of itself.”
Curry became eligible on August 29 to sign an extension that could be worth up to $136.7MM over two years. Reporting has indicated that the Warriors are prepared to give the two-time MVP essentially whatever one- or two-year contract he wants to sign. He’ll make roughly $62.6MM in 2026/27, which is the last year of his current deal.
During an NBA Today segment on Thursday, ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter video link) speculated that there will be resolution by the start of training camp. That might mean Curry agrees to a new deal by then, though it could also mean he and the Warriors decide to hold off for a few months in order to give the two parties more flexibility ahead of a 2027 offseason in which Golden State projects to have significant cap room.
“Steph Curry, at some point, I would guess, in the next week and a half, will come to some clarity about if he wants to do an extension now or wait,” Slater said.
We have more on the Warriors:
- Slater also discussed Jimmy Butler’s ACL recovery process during his NBA Today appearance, indicating that he continues to hear “good updates” about Butler’s progress, though the veteran forward is expected to be restricted to individual work when camp opens. Butler continues to be one of the team’s leaders while sidelined, according to Slater, who says the 37-year-old is organizing a players-only pre-camp event in Southern California next week.
- Newly hired associate head coach Frank Vogel, whose addition to Steve Kerr’s staff was formally announced on Thursday, spoke to Luca Evans of The San Francisco Chronicle about why he was excited to join the Warriors and why he feels that his best head-coaching years are still ahead of him. “I don’t know how much I want to say about it publicly, but I have a lot of confidence in what’s ahead of me, when the time comes,” Vogel said. “But … that’s for when it happens. I am not hunting it. I’m excited about being in this role, for this team, and supporting Steve, and helping Steph and Draymond get another chance at a ring.”
- Vogel also spoke specifically about several Warriors players, including Brandin Podziemski, Kristaps Porzingis, and Yaxel Lendeborg, and cited the presence of Green as a factor that helped convince him to take the job. “You want your defense to have teeth, you know what I mean?” Vogel told Evans. “And (Green) scared the s–t out of me every time I played against the Warriors. I know that if he’s playing, it’s going to be hard to win that game, and it’s going to be hard to score.”
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Roster, LeBron, Draymond, More
Appearing on the Tom Tolbert Show (YouTube link), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed to his former college teammate that he made up his mind near the end of 2025/26 that he wouldn’t return for a 13th season in ’26/27, citing the demanding travel schedule as one factor in his thinking.
However, Kerr said three meetings with governor Joe Lacob, executive vice president Kirk Lacob, and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. played a key role in his change of heart — he eventually signed a two-year contract to stay with Golden State.
“I had decided I was leaving with a week or two left in the regular season,” Kerr told Tolbert. “I just thought, ‘It’s just time.’ I could feel it. I didn’t say anything to anybody, but I just thought, ‘Yeah, this is it.’ Just felt like it.
“And then when the season ended, we all felt like we owed it to ourselves to give it a couple weeks and let the emotions die down and then hash it out and see where we were and where the team was. And I’m glad we did that … and I just think we (the front office and Kerr) came to a really good conclusion, and agreement, that we should keep it going.
“And I’m so glad that that happened, because I’m really fired up for this season. I couldn’t be more excited. I’m reenergized, rejuvenated. (I’m) excited about the potential this team has. Everybody’s counting us out and that’s fine. … Let everybody say what they want to say.
“But I’m pretty confident that we can have a really good season. Our coaching staff has been preparing all summer, young guys (have been) in the gym every day working. So it’s exciting to be back.”
Asked later whether he envisioned coaching for another team in the future, Kerr said no. But he did suggest he plans to be involved in the NBA in some capacity whenever that time comes.
Here’s more from Kerr’s lengthy interview with Tolbert:
- Kerr said the Lacobs and Dunleavy were with pleased with his approach to those meetings about his and the team’s future, as he shared ideas about changes he could make for the better in 2026/27. He also said management essentially told him he needed to lower his expectations after the injuries the Warriors endured in 2025/26. Kerr called the current state of the team “in transition” as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green near the end of their careers and young players try to turn into future cornerstones.
- Kerr reiterated that he never got the sense LeBron James seriously considered signing with the Warriors in free agency. “I don’t think it’s exactly earth-shattering news, or I don’t think I’ll get fined for saying, like, it never really felt like he was coming here,” Kerr said (hat tip to Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area). “To me, it was more speculation than anything. I think we would have had a much better sense that, you know, something was going to happen. It’s been really interesting, though, hearing fans around the Bay — like, you know, people will randomly come up to me and say, ‘I’m glad we didn’t get LeBron.’ And I’m like, ‘Really?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s like he’s not supposed to be on our team. He’s a rival.’ And I get that as a sports fan. It’d be like, you know, should Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird have played on the same team? So, I mean, just as a coach and having coached him in the Olympics — sign me up. … But it’s been interesting hearing our fans. I think fans, you know, because of the emotional connection you have to your team and rivalries and all that stuff, I think it was just a weird thought. That’s the reaction I’m getting from a lot of people.”
- Kerr said in May that he hoped the Warriors would be able to add some “younger legs” to the roster this offseason. That didn’t really happen, with the Warriors re-signing many of their veteran players in part due to a lack of financial flexibility in free agency. However, he wasn’t disappointed with that outcome, saying it was largely out of the team’s control, per Angela Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Having been a GM, I know how hard it is to just magically say, ‘All right, we’re going to get younger,’ ” Kerr told Tolbert. “We obviously tried to get younger, but stuff has to materialize. You have to have the assets or the cap room to be able to do certain things. The stuff that came our way, I mean, it’s (Dunleavy’s) job and (Joe Lacob’s) job, but they obviously run everything by me. I mean, there was nothing that made sense to me to make this huge move. So, look, we did the best we could to put together the roster.”
- Asked how the team could compensate for the injury absences of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, Kerr said the Warriors would have to rely on their depth. “I think Yaxel (Lendeborg)’s going to help quite a bit,” Kerr continued. “He’s a really good player. He’s older, he’s mature. Watching him work out with our guys, he’s going to help us. Gui Santos, Brandin Podziemski, these guys are going to help us. Georges Niang, Brandon Williams, new signees. Nothing earth-shattering, but really good players who can play a lot of minutes. And so I think our depth is the answer to the question you asked. We’re going to have to rely on our whole roster, including our two-way players at times. And fortunately, I do feel really good about the guys we have who have kind of filled out the back end of the roster. And I think they can help us hold down the fort until Jimmy and Moses get back the second half of the year.”
- Kerr also talked in general terms about how he plans to use Green this season. He said he wanted the veteran forward/center to cut back on his turnovers and to keep shooting three-pointers, but suggested his offensive role might be reduced in some capacity. “It’s going to be an interesting year,” Kerr said, per Vince Lontz of NBC Sports Bay Area. “A transition year of sorts. We’re going to do some things differently. He and Steph obviously have this great rapport. We’re not going to take away from that, but he’s going to have to adapt a little bit, and it’s probably going to be a little frustrating times. So, I’m going to need his patience, too.”
Warriors Notes: Melton, Niang, Green, Curry
De’Anthony Melton said the Warriors virtually had “three different rosters” last season due to injuries, which forced him to adapt to several different roles, Luca Evans of The San Francisco Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story. Even though it ended in disappointment with a 37-45 record and a loss in the play-in tournament, Melton believes the experience was valuable in making him a more complete player.
The veteran guard missed the early part of the season while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in 2024 and didn’t make his debut until December. Evans states that it took Melton about a month to shake off the shooting rust, but he emerged as an effective scorer off the bench in January. Injuries to Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry pushed him into the starting lineup as an off guard in February, and he was asked to take on more ball-handling and offensive creation duties by March.
“It was just tough,” Melton said. “Trying to figure out what we needed as a team, and then what services me best as a player, but then also having to do certain things that — I exerted a lot of energy just trying to create the offense and create advantages and stuff like that. And, also, having to go on the other end and guard the best players.”
Melton finds himself in a similar situation after re-signing with Golden State this summer. Butler is still recovering from an ACL tear and doesn’t have a definite timetable to return, the team may opt to be careful with Curry after a knee issue forced him to miss much of the second half of last season, and Moses Moody is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon.
That means Melton may face another year of varying duties, but he’s ready for the challenge and hopes to become more efficient at running the offense.
“That’s something I want to do,” he said. “And you should want more of a burden on you, on your shoulders. You know what I mean? That’s how valuable you are. And it’s like, you’re capable of it, so go do it.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Georges Niang was in training camp with the 2017/18 team that won the NBA title, but he was waived before the season began, delaying his debut with Golden State by nearly a decade. In a recent appearance on the Not Even D2 podcast (YouTube link, hat tip to The Warriors Talk), Niang, who signed a one-year deal last month, talked about how that experience shaped his career and why he decided to join the Warriors now. “I think it’s the way that they play,” he said. “… Being on the other team, I don’t think people understand how much you worry about a guy like (Curry). There’s been so many times where we’ve been up 15 or 16 against the Warriors in the fourth quarter with 2 minutes to go, and we’re still like ‘All right, the game’s not over.’”
- Draymond Green addresses the issue of expansion on his latest podcast (Twitter video link), saying dilution of talent is an issue for team executives and the league to worry about, but not the players. He also claims there were “13 teams tanking last year.”
- Keith Smith of Spotrac examines Curry’s extension options as the two-time MVP considers how many more seasons he wants to commit to playing.