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Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas Make Warriors, Kings Picks For ESPN The Mag Players' Draft

rprestonclark — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:14:37 -0000

For four years now, ESPN the Magazine has conducted a players' mock draft. They tap a player from each team that is selecting in the first round of the draft and have them make their team's selection. It is one of the more entertaining and wildly unpredictable versions of a mock draft each year - mainly because players aren't GMs for a reason.

The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry made the Warriors' no. 7 and no. 30 picks and the Sacramento Kings' Isaiah Thomas made the no. 5 pick.

Thomas selected Kansas' Thomas Robinson with the no. 5 pick and here's what he said:

"I love his physical style, the way he loves to bang. He's long and can run really well, which is good because we like to push it. With ‘Big Cous' [DeMarcus Cousins], that would give us one of the best young front lines in the league."

Curry selected UNC's Tyler Zeller with the no. 7 pick and Duke's Miles Plumlee at pick no. 30 and here's what he said:

"We need to get bigger up front, and Tyler is somebody who could come in and give us depth. We like to play an inside/out game, so we need that inside presence to open up our shooters."

"I'm taking him for the same reason I took Tyler Zeller at no. 7, to add depth at the 4 and 5 spot and beef up our rebounding. As far as his skills, he moves well and has a lot of confidence in his 15-foot jump shot."

Discuss the NBA Draft with Kings fans at Sactown Royalty and for Warriors fans, check out Golden State of Mind.

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Is Timberwolves' David Kahn A Top 10 GM?

Eric J. Thompson — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:07 -0000

The NBA recently announced their Executive of the Year Award for the 2011-2012 season. Larry Bird ended up winning the award voted on by a panel of league execs, which seems pretty fair. Bird assembled a team that most experts considered to be middle of the road before the season, but the Pacers have exceeded expectations by a large margin. They had the third best record in the Eastern Conference this year and they're currently up 2-1 over the heavily favored Miami Heat in their second round playoff series. (Sorry, haters waiting to board the Pacers schadenfreude bandwagon--the line is already around the block. You'll have to wait your turn.)

Spurs GM R.C. Buford and the Clippers' Neil Olshey rounded out the top three in voting. Again, it makes sense after their teams both had very strong seasons in the Western Conference.

But if you go a little further down the list--tenth place, to be exact--you might raise an eyebrow at what you see.

Why? Because Minnesota's own David Kahn is apparently considered a top-ten NBA executive.

Yes, THAT David Kahn. The lightning rod for satire was bested by only nine of his peers in the voting this season. Bill Simmons has probably been Kahn's most visible critic over the past few years: the Grantland founder has included Kahn in his fictional "Atrocious GM Summits" along with countless "KAAAHHHNNN!!" Tweets and column rants due to his puzzling roster moves.

It's the same David Kahn that has passed on Stephen Curry and traded away Ty Lawson in favor of Jonny Flynn and a Spanish kid that didn't want to be on the team back in 2009. The same David Kahn that appeared to be assembling a team that consisted solely of and point guards and swingmen with no discernible NBA position. The same David Kahn that was a sportswriter and attorney before somehow landing a high-ranking gig with the Indiana Pacers in a very short amount of time. Let's face it--the guy isn't exactly overflowing with top-notch experience at his position.

Of course, that tenth place finish might be a little misleading as well. The Pioneer Press explains:

Kahn received one second-place vote and one third-place vote to finish with four points.

That means only two of the voters ~~were completely out of their mind~~ actually thought Kahn was worthy of a vote. Apparently the voting was very top-heavy, so there was barely any space between the remaining GMs outside the first five.

While we can debate the validity of Kahn being a top-tier NBA executive, there's no denying the fact that the Timberwolves enjoyed a nice upswing this past season before injuries finally extinguished their playoff hopes. For the first time since the departure of Kevin Garnett in 2004, the Wolves have a solid young nucleus to build around. If Kahn can put the correct pieces around the likes of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love, and Derrick Williams going forward, maybe he can actually earn a status as an elite NBA executive instead of lucking into a couple fluky votes.

Stephen Curry Teams Up With BUZZKILL To Stop Malaria

Kevin Cacabelos — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:00:11 -0000

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is teaming up with the BUZZKILL Foundation and Nothing But Nets to raise money to send bednets to South Sudan. Backed by the United Nations Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is providing refugee families with food, water and shelter, however, more funds are required to provide malaria-preventive bednets. The bednets are a "cost-effective" way to prevent mosquitoes from infecting children and their families.

Warriors fans can make donations at crowdrise.com. Different donation amounts will give donors different types of signed memorabilia from Curry.

Read about the different types of memorabilia you can acquire after the jump.

Donation perks:

$50 will get you a signed Stephen Curry BUZZKILL t-shirt
$250 will get you a signed 8x10 photo of Curry
$500 will get you a signed Curry jersey
$2000 will get you two tickets to any Warriors game of your choice, post-game passes and a pair of signed Curry game shoes

For more on the Golden State Warriors, head on over to Golden State Of Mind.

The Golden State Warriors Pretty Much Have To Lose Tonight

tjarks — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:20:56 -0000

The Golden State Warriors have to send their first-round pick to the Utah Jazz this season if they finish outside of the Top 7 in the NBA Draft lottery.

Right now, they are in a three-way tie for the sixth-worst record in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets with 22 wins.

Golden State, a franchise that has made the playoffs only once since 1994, can ill afford to miss out on one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory.

Even if they finish with the sixth or seventh worst record, they still have to be worried about being jumped by one of the teams behind them for a top-3 spot in the lottery, which would drop them outside of the Top 7. If they finish with the eighth-worst record, their only chance to keep their pick is through having one of their ping pong balls selected.

For all intents and purposes, a win against Dallas on Friday night could be a devastating blow to their future. Welcome the wonderful world of the NBA, where apparently no one has heard of a "moral hazard".

Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and David Lee have already been shut down for the season, so Mavericks fans can expect to see a lot of rookie second-round picks Jeremy Tyler and Charles Jenkins as well as undrafted free agent Mickael Gladness.

But hey, with the playoff race in the Western Conference so tight, Dallas will take all the wins they can get.

Kevin Durant And Nike Basketball Unveil Team USA Uniforms For 2012 London Olympics

edthesportsfan — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:31:41 -0000

On Tuesday afternoon Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was featured along with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Deron Williams as Nike Basketball and Team USA Basketball revealed their official uniforms for the 2012 Olympics in London this summer.

Pics and discussion after the jump.

Nike has been outfitting Team USA since they took over the contract from Champion many years ago and they have spared no expense on creating an entire line for America's top basketball players. You can see a full photo of Durant wearing the home uniform here, along with the road uniforms and team shoes here.

Of course, the one thing that has to be intriguing if you are a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is the inclusion of Deron Williams in the original promotion of the unveiling. Seeing how Nike wouldn't risk putting a player in their marketing that wouldn't be on the team, one could ask how this will have an effect on the chances of Russell Westbrook making the team.

Westbrook was a member of Team USA Basketball when they made their trip to Spain to participate in the 2010 FIBA World Championships. That team featured a roster of Derrick Rose, Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry and Westbrook at the point guard position. For the 2012 Olympics however, Rose along with Williams and Chris Paul have to be receiving top consideration, which could potentially squeeze Westbrook out.

To be fair, Westbrook played plenty of minutes at the off guard position along with point guard, which could give Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski some versatility in his lineup.

As for now, lets just enjoy the dope jerseys, shoes and shorts. (Hey Nike, can I get the shorts...please?)

Nate Robinson's Plane Ride Pastime: Sleeping Photos Of Teammates!

Shmuckreport — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:48:52 -0000

The Golden State Warriors took off for Denver earlier Wednesday for their meeting with the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on Thursday, and apparently sparkplug Nate Robinson was bored during the flight.

Make the jump to see what kept Robinson busy during the flight.

Robinson tweeted some familiar faces to Warriors fans, but not necessarily the faces they are used to seeing. Robinson took photos of Stephen Curry and Charles Jenkins sleeping faces, tagging each tweet with the phrase 'got em coach,' making me think that head coach Mark Jackson may have had a hand in this...

via distilleryimage7.instagram.com

'The Baby Face' as titled by Robinson. Sums it up pretty well.

via distilleryimage4.instagram.com

Jenkins is certainly sawing some logs right here. Nate certainly got in there pretty close to snap that one.

Hopefully these guys will be fully rested for their game tomorrow, but by the looks of it they probably will.

For more on the Warriors, head over to Golden State of Mind.

Jeremy Lin & Golden State Warriors Were Nearly Reunited

Avinash Kunnath — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:01:31 -0000

Jeremy Lin is making great things happen with the New York Knicks, which must be really tough for Golden State Warriors fans to handle. Although the backcourt of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry is still probably the strongest part of this team, Lin could be a perfect addition along with Klay Thompson in backing them up, or perhaps even supplanting Curry as the starting point.

The sad part is that it nearly happened this offseason. Marcus Thompson of Inside the Warriors reports.

JOE LACOB: "I and we are happy for Jeremy. Very happy. We have always thought he was very talented and could play in this league. Unfortunately, we had to take a chance by waiving him in order to make an aggressive play for DeAndre Jordan, a big man that could have addressed our greatest need. We sincerely hoped that he would not be claimed, but he was by Houston. When Houston let him go, we tried once again to get him back but the rules precluded it and the Knicks picked him up. Obviously, for Jeremy, at least, this has worked out very well. I am very happy for him and his family, who I have known since he was in high school."

The sad part is that Golden State could've showcased Lin's talents last year by running more pick and roll basketball with David Lee. It never really materialized, and the Warriors never really knew how good he could be.

Unless the last two games are an aberration, they may learn to regret this mistake.

To discuss Lin and the Warriors, head on over to Golden State of Mind. To talk about Lin and the Knicks, check out Posting and Toasting.

NBA All-Star Game 2012: Why Warriors And Kings Players Didn't Get The Vote

Bill Hanstock — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:27:28 -0000

The starters for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game were announced on Thursday and as was expected, the starting roster for the West consisted of four Los Angeles players and an Oklahoman. That's fine. It's a popularity contest, after all and who is more popular than the so-called "best" teams in the NBA? It's not just that the Warriors and Kings are lousy this year...although that may be a small part of it. Join us below the jump to see the inside scoop on why players on these rosters didn't get the votes.

Stephen Curry: You know what middle America hates? Spicy foods. Anything above "bland" is highly suspect in the heartland. Indeed, the spiciest food that the vast majority of the country can tolerate is the "medium" sauce at Taco Bell. Someone named "Curry" never stood a chance in the hearts of Joe and Mary Schlub when they filled in their All-Star ballots.

Monta Ellis: Most people don't like vowels that are pronounced counter-intuitively, so Monta was out. Also, many voters received inappropriate text messages from the guard.

Charles Jenkins: Voters were beside themselves with rage when they looked up "Charles Jenkins" and weren't presented with a stodgy English butler.

DeMarcus Cousins: Cousins was unfairly painted as a troublemaker and malcontent who is always talking about how much he does or doesn't want a trade or how much he does or doesn't respect his coach. Much better to cast a vote for that sweet young man Kobe Bryant, who never causes trouble of any sort.

Travis Outlaw: Fear of Travis Outlaw led to an influx in votes for Atlanta Hawks power forward Michael Law-Abider.

Jimmer Fredette: No one, anywhere, will ever cast a vote, in any sort of election, for someone named "Jimmer."

For all news and information regarding the Golden State Warriors, please visit Golden State of Mind. For updates and perspective on the Sacramento Kings, head on over to Sactown Royalty. For complete coverage of pro hoops, stay tunes to SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.

Golden State Warriors 'Tweetup' Scheduled For Feb. 15 With Stephen Curry

Shmuckreport — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:21:44 -0000

The Golden State Warriors want to give their fans a chance to get closer to the action than ever before, but also make sure they don't break the bank in the process.

Enter the @Warriors Tweetup night February 15 against the Trailblazers, where fans will get the opportunity to attend a postgame Q&A with Stephen Curry, purchase discounted tickets, get free swag, and a chance to win great prices throughout the game!

You can purchase discounted tickets for select Tweetup sections from the Warriors here, with prices starting at 15 dollars for the Club 200 section and 36 dollars for Lower Level seating.

The first 500 purchasers will also receive a special edition Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) Tweetup T-shirt. And make sure you follow the W's on Twitter (@Warriors) too, and use the hashtag #gswtweetup before, during and after the game for you chance at winning some awesome prizes.

Hope to see you at the game W's fans!

For more on the Warriors, head over to Golden State of Mind.

Stephen Curry Sprains His Ankle Again, Surprising No One

Tom Ziller — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:53:00 -0000

Stephen Curry sprained his right ankle for the third time in 16 days in the Golden State Warriors' Wednesday loss to the San Antonio Spurs. It's almost as if Curry will deal with repeat sprains until he sits to let the ankle heal for an appropriate amount of time longer than two or three days! From the San Francisco Chronicle, David Lee offers what should be an obvious prognosis for the Dubs.

"He needs to get his ankle right, whether that's coming back for the L.A. game or waiting six weeks."

Chances are coming back for the games against the Lakers on Friday isn't the right call, considering "come back almost immediately" is exactly what has not worked so far this season.

I wrote on December 26 that the Warriors could value immediate wins and let Curry continue to play, or the team could value the long-term health of the team's star player and force him to sit and heal for a few weeks. The Warriors made their decision, and now they are living with the consequences of a consistently ailing point guard. The injury has led to Dubs to sign Nate Robinson, which ... yeah. Had Curry sat to open the season, he'd be about 2-4 weeks from returning, hopefully for good this season. Instead, Golden State may very well need to sit him down through the All-Star break.

But hey, the Warriors are 2-4! Totally worth it.