From Lob City to Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers spent a decade trying to overtake Golden State, legally or illegally. Their latest attempt may have destroyed their franchise’s future.
Meanwhile...over here in the UK the Manchester City FC financial scandal puts the Clipper's cheating well in the shade. According to the report of an independent regulatory commission, the team is guilty of £900m of false accounting between 2009 and 20128, under the control of UAE Vice President (and brother to the President) Sheikh Mansour. Makes Donald Sterling's transgressions seem minor league and the NBA's investigation seem lightning quick. Oh, I should say that the club continues to maintain its complete innocence of the charges and intends to appeal to sort out this travesty.
"Knee is feeling great, ready to go. No issues at all. There is a management element of it for sure where you just have to be mindful of everything that you're doing in practice, games, preparation. We haven't talked about the game schedule yet or anything like that where I'm kind of getting too far ahead of myself, but for training camp and the preseason schedule and getting myself into shape and ready to go, there's no limitations at all."
Curry on team expectations
Curry was so flabbergasted when one reporter said “nobody” expected them to make the playoffs, let alone compete for a championship that all he could muster was, “Damn!”
“That’s how bad it is? To make the playoffs?” Curry asked. He then appeared to reflect on how quickly perceptions of the Warriors had changed.
“I went from championship to—”
Before the thought could be completed, Curry responded emphatically to the situation.
“That’s what I think about that! Damn! Damnnnn!”
He then stood up and walked away from the podium, ending his media availability in dramatic fashion. Curry later made it clear that his frustration wasn’t directed at the reporter who asked the question.
“Sorry, that wasn’t to you,” Curry explained. “That was to the situation.”
Jimmy Butler on coming back from his injury on opening night
“The best thing about this organization is they tell you, like, 'We're not doing that,' You got to do it the right way and not skip steps. Because they want me to come back and be at full strength and be the player that I was, that I am, and that I will be."
“But 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. Probably nicer, honestly.”
“I can dunk a basketball, in case anybody wants to know. 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.”
“It's difficult to me because I do love to play basketball, and I know that I will return still being able to play at a high level. But I want to hoop now. I wanted to hoop two months ago, three months ago. I want to go out there and compete with my guys, with Dray, be Robin again to Steph's Batman.”
Lendeborg on his ceiling
"For me, I would probably just say playing meaningful minutes. You know, when the game is on the line, I want to be the guy on the court trying to make a play on defense or offense, whatever it has to come to. Then just hopefully becoming like First-Team All-Rookie. I feel like I could win Rookie of the Year, but that's not my main focus. I just want to be able to set in stone here on the Warriors."
Lendeborg on Green
"I didn't expect it to be like that, you know, because he looks super mean. He looks like, I don't even know you or I'm not going to talk to you kind of guy," Lendeborg said. "Being able to joke around with him -- I actually just took a picture with him, and it was kind of cool. I'm happy that he's that way, and he's allowing me to be kind of like annoying without him getting bothered for now."
Green on Lendeborg
"Needless to say, he's going to be -- obviously we know what Steph does, myself, but he's going to be important. I think from what I've seen already, I think my role for him will be to make sure he's always aggressive. You know, he's one of those guys that has the skill set to do certain things, but the way you see the game could affect that negatively. Meaning I can just go get a bucket, but I'm watching this play out, so let me try to make this play. It's, like, no, the right play is actually for you to probably go get the bucket."
"At all times you should be downhill trying to get to the rim. Like, there will be a time in his career where, you know, you may become, like, the playmaker, but I don't know if everybody is going to need him making plays for them his rookie year. You need to have the play made for you, and not necessarily made for you because he can make the play himself, but let guys be making the play for you and you're going to score."
Moody on his injury & rehab
"It's funny. My first thought on the ground was, I know this is going to be a good thing at some point. I'm going to say I'm happy this happened. So what's the point of being upset about it right now if I'm going to be happy that it happened?"
"Then the next step is I got to make it a good thing. So whatever time it allowed me to have, do something with that time. I'd be happy that I had the time to do. Then on the basketball court, being able to slow down and train my movements and body and a bunch of stuff that might normally get passed up because I got so many other things to work on. I can slow down and go step by step. I feel like I've done that."
"Well, it didn't hurt, first off. I guess you don't got a lot of nerves in that area, Another one that I think about is, how do you actually feel versus how you're supposed to feel? And I'm looking at it, and I'm, like, I should probably be in pain and screaming and all that right now, but actually it doesn't hurt. Now I'm just waiting until I get up or whatever is next."
"That was the feeling for me. So as I sit there calmly and think, that was the first thought that came to my head. Looking back on it, I think it's pretty cool that that's how that went."
"Yeah, I would describe it as light on-court activity. I'm in a good spot with it all. It's been a fun process, tedious, you know, day by day and everything, but I've enjoyed it."
Moody is confident he can come back by midseason.
"Yeah, I'm confident with the plan. I think everything has been on track for what Rick has estimated and everything. Yeah, I'm in a good spot."
I’m more than twice Moody’s age and doubt I’d be able to show the grace, wisdom and positive attitude that he’s demonstrating. (I’d still be feeling sorry for myself because I can’t play disc golf or pickleball.)
Yup, while everyone’s Dub fandom is going to be pretty Curry-centric, I think we all have that guy we like for reasons beyond their play. Once Loondawg left, Moody slid into the role the guy who I admire, most want to hear from and who appears to be just the most solid dude imaginable.
Kings reporters were caught on a hot mic during media day: “Ben Simmons: Cringe, cringe, he’s lucky he’s fine… Zach LaVine is cute but his personality fu**ing annoys me. It just seems like he’s hell of like a prick.”
The way I read this it sounded like Ben Simmons was talking about Zach Lavine.
It is in fact the King's Reporters discussing things like who looks better (our guy Jordan Poole gets a mention), how Ben Simmons has such soft skin and wanting to know what his skincare routine is, and of course the comment about ZL's personality.
“they’re the same age but Ben looks so much younger”
“yeah but Ben wasn’t on the kings for the last 2 and a half years“
It is going to be Suuuuuper awkward if they are ever allowed to ask the players any questions in the future...
* No additional info on KP, but they’re confident he’ll join them at some point. (Came as a surprise)
* With so many guys who they know are gonna miss games, they’re going to use the whole roster a lot, including 2-ways
* Has ideas about lineups, but wants to get a look for a couple weeks before decisions and announcements
* Yaxel’s gonna play a ton (he checks a lot of boxes), whether that’s off the bench or as a starter remains to be determined.
* Getting Frank Vogel was a coup, one of the best defensive minds in the game
* Yaxel is a fun-loving guy, his journey drives his story. He has a great approach.
* They’re going to manage Steph’s minutes. Brandon Williams and LJ Cryer are two guys expected to contribute, especially when Steph isn’t there.
* He loves his job and sounds genuinely excited
* “Winning on the margins” is more about teaching and how they practice more than calling timeouts and being more hands on during games.
* They have a vision for what it’s gonna take to compete. They got unlucky with healthy, but they need better processes to win games, then get Jimmy and Moses back.
* Seth Cooper, Chris Weems, etc have all been involved in bringing fresh ideas including more 5-out
* Players are responsible for eliminating silly turnovers, but the coaches need to work to eliminate systematic ones
* Focusing on the process, got away from that last year, more than expectations
* (When asked whether there’s a specific skill Yaxel has) He does everything well, feel for the game, great passer. He’s got to get better defensively to earn respect of vets.
* Steph and Dray are no longer being told it’s ok to have 5-6 turnovers
* Podz makes people better, does things that lead to winning. he’s crucial. Vogel says he’s a great rim protector with the charges he takes.
* Last months of the season were tough, but the playing time for Podz and Gui really helped their games.
Thanks for the summary. I'm liking what I am hearing, sounds like there is a focus from the coaching staff as well as the players to try new methods, styles, and approaches to both games and preparation for them.
Dray talks about this in a recent pod, I believe - for much of the dynastic years, he and Steph were explicitly given more leash by coach when it came to turning the ball over. But no longer!
Oh, here I thought I finally figured out the thinking on some of those one hand cross court passes - Hey, it's 3rd Q and I only have 2 TOs. Coach is gonna chew me out if I don't get to at least 5
I believe Steph has talked about how the terrifying one-handed no-look hook pass is actually an intentionally chosen tactic, based on the fact that he often gets doubled by much larger, longer defenders. He can't make a normal pass to get out of those jams. It has to be weird and unexpected if it's gonna work at all 😅
Now that the training camp roster is set, there are very few questions for me about this roster other than the huge question of health.
Brandon Williams is my favorite new Warriors other than Yaxel, but because he has the only unguaranteed contract, he is effectively competing with Dalen Terry for the Warriors' 15th roster spot.
And there are effectively 5 players fighting for the 3 two-way slots:
Graham Ike
LJ Cryer
Malevy Leons
Alex Toohey
Miles Kelly
Toohey is a complete wildcard. I would have expected the Warriors to have invited one of their summer league players like Nick Boyd, Deivon Smith, or Chance McMillian over Toohey, but Toohey is by far the longest and tallest of these players, so inviting him makes sense from the perspective of positional need. Frankly, I am excited to see him play in the preseason given that he has not stepped on the court in a competitive game for almost a year now, at least as far as I can tell.
He was measured at the 2025 G-League Elite camp at 6'4" without shoes with a 6'8.25" wingspan and a 8'4.5" standing reach. However, he weighed in at just 178 lbs and is currently listed a 190 lbs. He also posted a hefty 35" max vertical, good for 6th in the camp (out of 41 players). And he had the second second best time in lane shuttle left.
Note that with Porzingis out indefinitely, the Warriors currently have 18 active players in training camp.
Here is my offhand, gut feeling snake-draft of these 18 players:
Gold - Curry
Blue - Podz, Melton
Gold - Horford, Green
Blue - Lendeborg, Santos
Gold - GPII, Richard
Blue - Williams, Bassey
Gold - Niang, Ike
Blue - Terry Cryer
Gold - Leons, Toohey
Blue - Kelly
To even out the height a bit, I traded Leons with Cryer
To me, the most glaring issue with the Warriors' current healthy roster is the way the talent drops off a cliff after Curry when both Butler and Porzingis are out. However, with both of them and Moody healthy and available, I actually like the Warriors' projected roster on paper, especially its depth:
Curry, Melton, Butler, Green, Porzingis
Podz, Moody, Santos, Lendeborg, Horford
Williams, Richard, GPII, Niang, Bassey
However, so much depends on a rookie, old players' availability, two players who will (hopefully) be coming back from catastrophic injuries, and especially how do you solve a "health issue" like Porzingis.
Kerr specifically called out Williams and Cryer as guys they’re going to lean on, especially when Steph isn’t on the floor, so I’d say they have inside tracks to spots.
I would agree, but with Porzingis out indefinitely, I think Ike's two-way slot may even be more secure than Cryer's. Effectively, the only real competition that I can see is Leons vs. Toohey and Kelly for the third two-way. And Leons is definitely the odds on favorite in that battle, IMHO.
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[Murray] Trent Redden said that Brandon Ingram had a partially torn Achilles' tendon, along with heel surgery. He will not be ready to begin the regular season.
They probably don't really mind. I imagine the Clips are going to tank this season. They can get Ingram back mid-season, feature him for a while, and trade him next offseason.
The picks are what was important to the Clippers. Paying Ingram for not playing is nothing, given Ballmer's stash. I expect he was more salary filler than anything else (not a guy you can build around)
Umm when did that happen??? Off-season pickup runs? Clippers definitely got stuck with that even if they knew way before now. No other way to get off KL2's contract and collect a meager amount of draft assets. Toronto laughing all the way to the (carbon credits) bank.
Steve Kerr said he had three separate conversations with #Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg last week telling him to spend a few days away before grind of the season.
"He just can't stay out of the gym. He wants to be great." @bylucaevans
Fair, but I think there’s a difference between players who only puts in the mandatory hours and a gym rat who stays after hours. It doesn’t guarantee success but it does tell me a lot about their work ethic and desire to go above and beyond
For sure, I just think that article gets written about literally every player in the league, until they piss off the front office and then the opposite article gets written instead.
Slightly OT, and a couple weeks late, but I don't think it has been mentioned:
RIP Tone Capone. A local legend, and significant part of the soundtrack to W's basketball. I still get hyped just sitting at home on my couch when 'I Got 5 On It' comes on during the games.
He is only guaranteed $23 million over the next two seasons at what should be the height of his career, at least in terms of earnings.
So you would think that he would be motivated to play in some games this season. My question is what the hell does he do in Latvia every off-season that makes every single year a "health issue" adventure to start off the season? He played in 14 of 35 games before New Years last season, 11 of 33 the season before, and 23 of 32 the season before that. How about working out with his team (where team trainers can look out for him) for once during the off-season?
When a guy's body treats a standard professional basketball schedule like an extreme sport, letting him self-manage across the globe for four months straight seems like malpractice. If you're paying a guy millions of dollars, mandatory facility check-ins ought to be written into his contract just to make sure he isn't riding mopeds on uneven European beaches, wrestling bears, summer bobsledding, or drift triking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Riga/Extreme-20-minute-ride-on-a-drift-trike/d4480-68444P1
I’m pretty sure most of us didn’t expect his illness to just magically go away especially when it’s been bothering him for over a year now. The timing is tragically hilarious considering he was on the court just last week. Just like Steph’s runner knee, this is the new normal for KP. Half of the team is basically “day to day”
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr’s front of the bench staff this season: Frank Vogel, Seth Cooper, Kris Weems.Vogel is the lead assistant in charge of the defense. Cooper and Weems (front last season) are long-time GSW assistants. Cooper is expected to get elevated role in offensive gameplanning.
Full list: S. Curry, J. Butler, D. Green, K. Porziņģis, M. Moody, G. Santos, Y. Lendeborg, B. Podziemski, D. Melton, A. Horford, B. Williams, W. Richard, G. Payton II, G. Niang, C. Bassey, L. Cryer, M. Leons, G. Ike, D. Terry, A. Toohey, M. Kelly
Meanwhile...over here in the UK the Manchester City FC financial scandal puts the Clipper's cheating well in the shade. According to the report of an independent regulatory commission, the team is guilty of £900m of false accounting between 2009 and 20128, under the control of UAE Vice President (and brother to the President) Sheikh Mansour. Makes Donald Sterling's transgressions seem minor league and the NBA's investigation seem lightning quick. Oh, I should say that the club continues to maintain its complete innocence of the charges and intends to appeal to sort out this travesty.
Some Warriors players media day quotes
Curry on his runners' knee
"Knee is feeling great, ready to go. No issues at all. There is a management element of it for sure where you just have to be mindful of everything that you're doing in practice, games, preparation. We haven't talked about the game schedule yet or anything like that where I'm kind of getting too far ahead of myself, but for training camp and the preseason schedule and getting myself into shape and ready to go, there's no limitations at all."
Curry on team expectations
Curry was so flabbergasted when one reporter said “nobody” expected them to make the playoffs, let alone compete for a championship that all he could muster was, “Damn!”
“That’s how bad it is? To make the playoffs?” Curry asked. He then appeared to reflect on how quickly perceptions of the Warriors had changed.
“I went from championship to—”
Before the thought could be completed, Curry responded emphatically to the situation.
“That’s what I think about that! Damn! Damnnnn!”
He then stood up and walked away from the podium, ending his media availability in dramatic fashion. Curry later made it clear that his frustration wasn’t directed at the reporter who asked the question.
“Sorry, that wasn’t to you,” Curry explained. “That was to the situation.”
Jimmy Butler on coming back from his injury on opening night
“The best thing about this organization is they tell you, like, 'We're not doing that,' You got to do it the right way and not skip steps. Because they want me to come back and be at full strength and be the player that I was, that I am, and that I will be."
“But 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. Probably nicer, honestly.”
“I can dunk a basketball, in case anybody wants to know. 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.”
“It's difficult to me because I do love to play basketball, and I know that I will return still being able to play at a high level. But I want to hoop now. I wanted to hoop two months ago, three months ago. I want to go out there and compete with my guys, with Dray, be Robin again to Steph's Batman.”
Lendeborg on his ceiling
"For me, I would probably just say playing meaningful minutes. You know, when the game is on the line, I want to be the guy on the court trying to make a play on defense or offense, whatever it has to come to. Then just hopefully becoming like First-Team All-Rookie. I feel like I could win Rookie of the Year, but that's not my main focus. I just want to be able to set in stone here on the Warriors."
Lendeborg on Green
"I didn't expect it to be like that, you know, because he looks super mean. He looks like, I don't even know you or I'm not going to talk to you kind of guy," Lendeborg said. "Being able to joke around with him -- I actually just took a picture with him, and it was kind of cool. I'm happy that he's that way, and he's allowing me to be kind of like annoying without him getting bothered for now."
Green on Lendeborg
"Needless to say, he's going to be -- obviously we know what Steph does, myself, but he's going to be important. I think from what I've seen already, I think my role for him will be to make sure he's always aggressive. You know, he's one of those guys that has the skill set to do certain things, but the way you see the game could affect that negatively. Meaning I can just go get a bucket, but I'm watching this play out, so let me try to make this play. It's, like, no, the right play is actually for you to probably go get the bucket."
"At all times you should be downhill trying to get to the rim. Like, there will be a time in his career where, you know, you may become, like, the playmaker, but I don't know if everybody is going to need him making plays for them his rookie year. You need to have the play made for you, and not necessarily made for you because he can make the play himself, but let guys be making the play for you and you're going to score."
Moody on his injury & rehab
"It's funny. My first thought on the ground was, I know this is going to be a good thing at some point. I'm going to say I'm happy this happened. So what's the point of being upset about it right now if I'm going to be happy that it happened?"
"Then the next step is I got to make it a good thing. So whatever time it allowed me to have, do something with that time. I'd be happy that I had the time to do. Then on the basketball court, being able to slow down and train my movements and body and a bunch of stuff that might normally get passed up because I got so many other things to work on. I can slow down and go step by step. I feel like I've done that."
"Well, it didn't hurt, first off. I guess you don't got a lot of nerves in that area, Another one that I think about is, how do you actually feel versus how you're supposed to feel? And I'm looking at it, and I'm, like, I should probably be in pain and screaming and all that right now, but actually it doesn't hurt. Now I'm just waiting until I get up or whatever is next."
"That was the feeling for me. So as I sit there calmly and think, that was the first thought that came to my head. Looking back on it, I think it's pretty cool that that's how that went."
"Yeah, I would describe it as light on-court activity. I'm in a good spot with it all. It's been a fun process, tedious, you know, day by day and everything, but I've enjoyed it."
Moody is confident he can come back by midseason.
"Yeah, I'm confident with the plan. I think everything has been on track for what Rick has estimated and everything. Yeah, I'm in a good spot."
I’m more than twice Moody’s age and doubt I’d be able to show the grace, wisdom and positive attitude that he’s demonstrating. (I’d still be feeling sorry for myself because I can’t play disc golf or pickleball.)
Moody is a dude. His family must be something else.
If I were his father, my heart would be exploding with pride.
Moody is such a character, lol
Lowkey I think he's the one Unsuperstar I want to be a WFL
Yup, while everyone’s Dub fandom is going to be pretty Curry-centric, I think we all have that guy we like for reasons beyond their play. Once Loondawg left, Moody slid into the role the guy who I admire, most want to hear from and who appears to be just the most solid dude imaginable.
Stephen Curry previews Warriors 2026-2037 Season | Media Day | Golden State Warriors: https://youtu.be/0GX_g3sLHmw?is=txTY3KDWnzRwHI0Z
Man, this season is going to feel like it’s 10 years long
Hey all,
Checking in to confirm that im digging myself out of hibernation and we will resume daily coverage later this week
Hope everyone is doing strong to perhaps even "very strong" in these trying times!
/pokes the bear
Hey Dubs! Glad you’ll be back and hope all is well with you and especially you wife.
Fun fact: Duby's autumn routine was the inspiration behind the revivication scene in Underworld.
r/nba
nba-1
7m ago
DynastyInProcess
emoji:okc-2: Thunder
Kings reporters were caught on a hot mic during media day: “Ben Simmons: Cringe, cringe, he’s lucky he’s fine… Zach LaVine is cute but his personality fu**ing annoys me. It just seems like he’s hell of like a prick.”
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1wsrzbd/kings_reporters_were_caught_on_a_hot_mic_during/
The way I read this it sounded like Ben Simmons was talking about Zach Lavine.
It is in fact the King's Reporters discussing things like who looks better (our guy Jordan Poole gets a mention), how Ben Simmons has such soft skin and wanting to know what his skincare routine is, and of course the comment about ZL's personality.
“they’re the same age but Ben looks so much younger”
“yeah but Ben wasn’t on the kings for the last 2 and a half years“
It is going to be Suuuuuper awkward if they are ever allowed to ask the players any questions in the future...
Yikes
Kerr’s presser: https://youtu.be/3jtDApAruYI?si=i3NXeTKcHUDf6AL5
Some highlights:
* No additional info on KP, but they’re confident he’ll join them at some point. (Came as a surprise)
* With so many guys who they know are gonna miss games, they’re going to use the whole roster a lot, including 2-ways
* Has ideas about lineups, but wants to get a look for a couple weeks before decisions and announcements
* Yaxel’s gonna play a ton (he checks a lot of boxes), whether that’s off the bench or as a starter remains to be determined.
* Getting Frank Vogel was a coup, one of the best defensive minds in the game
* Yaxel is a fun-loving guy, his journey drives his story. He has a great approach.
* They’re going to manage Steph’s minutes. Brandon Williams and LJ Cryer are two guys expected to contribute, especially when Steph isn’t there.
* He loves his job and sounds genuinely excited
* “Winning on the margins” is more about teaching and how they practice more than calling timeouts and being more hands on during games.
* They have a vision for what it’s gonna take to compete. They got unlucky with healthy, but they need better processes to win games, then get Jimmy and Moses back.
* Seth Cooper, Chris Weems, etc have all been involved in bringing fresh ideas including more 5-out
* Players are responsible for eliminating silly turnovers, but the coaches need to work to eliminate systematic ones
* Focusing on the process, got away from that last year, more than expectations
* (When asked whether there’s a specific skill Yaxel has) He does everything well, feel for the game, great passer. He’s got to get better defensively to earn respect of vets.
* Steph and Dray are no longer being told it’s ok to have 5-6 turnovers
* Podz makes people better, does things that lead to winning. he’s crucial. Vogel says he’s a great rim protector with the charges he takes.
* Last months of the season were tough, but the playing time for Podz and Gui really helped their games.
> including more 5-out
Thank god. I've been banging this drum for a while (not that it's exactly a Mensa-level insight).
With two genuine snipers at center, this is how they should play. Dray can be the defensive guy off the bench.
Thanks for the summary. I'm liking what I am hearing, sounds like there is a focus from the coaching staff as well as the players to try new methods, styles, and approaches to both games and preparation for them.
*Steph and Dray are no longer being 'told' it’s ok to have 5-6 turnovers?!?
I wouldn't have been getting so upset if I'd known this, or maybe I would be more...
Dray talks about this in a recent pod, I believe - for much of the dynastic years, he and Steph were explicitly given more leash by coach when it came to turning the ball over. But no longer!
More content: It was 5-6 turnovers between them, and it was because they handled the ball so much more than everyone else.
Oh, here I thought I finally figured out the thinking on some of those one hand cross court passes - Hey, it's 3rd Q and I only have 2 TOs. Coach is gonna chew me out if I don't get to at least 5
I believe Steph has talked about how the terrifying one-handed no-look hook pass is actually an intentionally chosen tactic, based on the fact that he often gets doubled by much larger, longer defenders. He can't make a normal pass to get out of those jams. It has to be weird and unexpected if it's gonna work at all 😅
A Steph-to-turnover Dray-show
Now that the training camp roster is set, there are very few questions for me about this roster other than the huge question of health.
Brandon Williams is my favorite new Warriors other than Yaxel, but because he has the only unguaranteed contract, he is effectively competing with Dalen Terry for the Warriors' 15th roster spot.
And there are effectively 5 players fighting for the 3 two-way slots:
Graham Ike
LJ Cryer
Malevy Leons
Alex Toohey
Miles Kelly
Toohey is a complete wildcard. I would have expected the Warriors to have invited one of their summer league players like Nick Boyd, Deivon Smith, or Chance McMillian over Toohey, but Toohey is by far the longest and tallest of these players, so inviting him makes sense from the perspective of positional need. Frankly, I am excited to see him play in the preseason given that he has not stepped on the court in a competitive game for almost a year now, at least as far as I can tell.
Miles Kelly is an intriguing player. He definitely has a scorer's mentality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4WZyVkBXt0
He was 10th among qualified players in the 2026 NBA Summer League in player efficiency rating https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/summer/1/NBA-Summer-League/60/stats/NBA/0/Advanced_Stats/Qualified/per/All/desc/1/Summer_League
He was measured at the 2025 G-League Elite camp at 6'4" without shoes with a 6'8.25" wingspan and a 8'4.5" standing reach. However, he weighed in at just 178 lbs and is currently listed a 190 lbs. He also posted a hefty 35" max vertical, good for 6th in the camp (out of 41 players). And he had the second second best time in lane shuttle left.
Note that with Porzingis out indefinitely, the Warriors currently have 18 active players in training camp.
Here is my offhand, gut feeling snake-draft of these 18 players:
Gold - Curry
Blue - Podz, Melton
Gold - Horford, Green
Blue - Lendeborg, Santos
Gold - GPII, Richard
Blue - Williams, Bassey
Gold - Niang, Ike
Blue - Terry Cryer
Gold - Leons, Toohey
Blue - Kelly
To even out the height a bit, I traded Leons with Cryer
Gold: Curry, Richard, GPII, Green, Horford (bench: Cryer, Niang, Toohey & Ike)
Blue: Podz, Melton, Santos, Lendeborg, Bassey (bench: Williams, Kelly, Terry & Leons)
Who do you have, timeline Gold or timeline Blue?
To me, the most glaring issue with the Warriors' current healthy roster is the way the talent drops off a cliff after Curry when both Butler and Porzingis are out. However, with both of them and Moody healthy and available, I actually like the Warriors' projected roster on paper, especially its depth:
Curry, Melton, Butler, Green, Porzingis
Podz, Moody, Santos, Lendeborg, Horford
Williams, Richard, GPII, Niang, Bassey
However, so much depends on a rookie, old players' availability, two players who will (hopefully) be coming back from catastrophic injuries, and especially how do you solve a "health issue" like Porzingis.
Kerr specifically called out Williams and Cryer as guys they’re going to lean on, especially when Steph isn’t on the floor, so I’d say they have inside tracks to spots.
I would agree, but with Porzingis out indefinitely, I think Ike's two-way slot may even be more secure than Cryer's. Effectively, the only real competition that I can see is Leons vs. Toohey and Kelly for the third two-way. And Leons is definitely the odds on favorite in that battle, IMHO.
Safe to say William's contract is going to be guaranteed opening night
Fking Yikes.
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Turbostrider27
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[Murray] Trent Redden said that Brandon Ingram had a partially torn Achilles' tendon, along with heel surgery. He will not be ready to begin the regular season.
They probably don't really mind. I imagine the Clips are going to tank this season. They can get Ingram back mid-season, feature him for a while, and trade him next offseason.
The picks are what was important to the Clippers. Paying Ingram for not playing is nothing, given Ballmer's stash. I expect he was more salary filler than anything else (not a guy you can build around)
Umm when did that happen??? Off-season pickup runs? Clippers definitely got stuck with that even if they knew way before now. No other way to get off KL2's contract and collect a meager amount of draft assets. Toronto laughing all the way to the (carbon credits) bank.
It’s sad for Ingram but couldn’t happen to a more deserving team.
And to think, the pundits were all like "the Clips will for sure want BI to ball out so they can move him for draft capital at the deadline"
Well, nevermind then
Steve Kerr said he had three separate conversations with #Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg last week telling him to spend a few days away before grind of the season.
"He just can't stay out of the gym. He wants to be great." @bylucaevans
Just want to preface: this is explicitly NOT a complaint about Yax.
I am so tired of basketball reporting talking about how X player is first in the gym, or always in the gym.
1) It’s their job to be in the gym, I’m not excited that they’re at their 9-5.
2) It is not possible for every one of these damn players to be first in the gym!!!!
That is all. Glad to hear Yax is putting work in :)
Fair, but I think there’s a difference between players who only puts in the mandatory hours and a gym rat who stays after hours. It doesn’t guarantee success but it does tell me a lot about their work ethic and desire to go above and beyond
For sure, I just think that article gets written about literally every player in the league, until they piss off the front office and then the opposite article gets written instead.
It's possible if every one of them is first in a different gym!
Start Yax! And Gui!
(Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!)
Slightly OT, and a couple weeks late, but I don't think it has been mentioned:
RIP Tone Capone. A local legend, and significant part of the soundtrack to W's basketball. I still get hyped just sitting at home on my couch when 'I Got 5 On It' comes on during the games.
Nick Friedell: Mike Dunleavy says Kristaps Porzingis has a "health issue" and will not be ready to start camp.
https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2026/09/28/kristaps-porzingis-not-ready-to-start-training-camp-due-to-a-health-issue/91986032007/
Edit: Dunleavy on Porzingis: "I'm not marking him down as being out to start the season or anything like that. He's just not available this week."
Here is my biggest issue with Porzingis.
He is only guaranteed $23 million over the next two seasons at what should be the height of his career, at least in terms of earnings.
So you would think that he would be motivated to play in some games this season. My question is what the hell does he do in Latvia every off-season that makes every single year a "health issue" adventure to start off the season? He played in 14 of 35 games before New Years last season, 11 of 33 the season before, and 23 of 32 the season before that. How about working out with his team (where team trainers can look out for him) for once during the off-season?
When a guy's body treats a standard professional basketball schedule like an extreme sport, letting him self-manage across the globe for four months straight seems like malpractice. If you're paying a guy millions of dollars, mandatory facility check-ins ought to be written into his contract just to make sure he isn't riding mopeds on uneven European beaches, wrestling bears, summer bobsledding, or drift triking: https://www.viator.com/tours/Riga/Extreme-20-minute-ride-on-a-drift-trike/d4480-68444P1
If the issue is his disease that either is or is not POTS (as I recall there was some question about that), it’s hard to blame him.
KP = at Kaiser Permanently :-(
Well, boohoo. Why am I not surprised.
I don't think KP needs the words health issue in quotations.
KP, who is "tall", has a "health issue"
Oof
So it begins…
Needles and pins… 🎶
Sigh! 45 games would be great from KP sadly. I just hope Steph makes it to 60 with no major injuries.
I’m pretty sure most of us didn’t expect his illness to just magically go away especially when it’s been bothering him for over a year now. The timing is tragically hilarious considering he was on the court just last week. Just like Steph’s runner knee, this is the new normal for KP. Half of the team is basically “day to day”
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr’s front of the bench staff this season: Frank Vogel, Seth Cooper, Kris Weems.Vogel is the lead assistant in charge of the defense. Cooper and Weems (front last season) are long-time GSW assistants. Cooper is expected to get elevated role in offensive gameplanning.
https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2026/09/28/steve-kerrs-front-of-the-bench-staff-this-season/91985184007/
Balhalla seems really loud for the Vals-dallas game!
Isn’t Ballhalla always loud? But yeah, first playoff game will be louder
not been to a Valks game yet - just watch on TV - seemed like a "Steph heater" loud game!
History made tonight!
yes- they crossed 100 points for the first time this season!
Dalton Johnson: The Warriors announce their training camp roster for Hawaii
Dalen Terry, Alex Toohey and Miles Kelly are training camp invites
https://bsky.app/profile/daltonjohnson.bsky.social/post/3mwjm3osjm22p
Full list: S. Curry, J. Butler, D. Green, K. Porziņģis, M. Moody, G. Santos, Y. Lendeborg, B. Podziemski, D. Melton, A. Horford, B. Williams, W. Richard, G. Payton II, G. Niang, C. Bassey, L. Cryer, M. Leons, G. Ike, D. Terry, A. Toohey, M. Kelly
That's STEFF-in Curry.
I think it's time to pull together the questions we want Eric to ask at media day. After all, it's tomorrow!
I'll start:
To Yaxel: Have you ever used the word 'assimilate' in a sentence? Any plastic tubes you want to tell us about? Has anyone ever called you '6 of 10'?
To Steph: Now that we've found out that you couldn't really see when you were winning titles, are you OK with the nickname 'Squinty Saiyan'?
To Podz: Has your insurance provider insisted on a waiver for your nose?
Dubs better be halfway decent this year. I bought a TV to watch those suckers, since my apartment didn't come with.
(By the way, I didn’t ask for a credential. The beat reporters are getting the job done, like my guys Jospeh Dycus and Kenzo Fukuda…)
Yaxelocutus.
I like that nickname more than I should. :)
Do apartments in Spain usually come with TVs?
I don't know about usually, but many furnished apartments in Spain do include TVs.
Buddy to the Bulls. Hope it works out for him there.
I know these guys are paid handsomely, but getting traded repeatedly can't be fun. Does Buddy have a family that is being uprooted by all of this?