Below are notes, quotes and videos from Golden State Warriors practice yesterday. Today, they will face the Denver Nuggets in their last preseason game before Tuesday’s Opening Night and ring ceremony. As Steve Kerr mentioned to reporters below, the regular starters will get a slight bump in minutes tonight, Klay Thompson will finally play, and Jordan Poole will come off the bench.
But will Poole take the podium or does the team have something planned that could be related to his contract extension, the deadline of which is Monday? We shall see. Kevon Looney and Draymond Green, who returns to action tonight as well, also spoke to media yesterday after practice, see below.
We got several comments on YouTube saying Green looked irritated and did not seem very apologetic in his podium. It was as if some people on social media platforms did not realize he spent 40 minutes doing so last Thursday (quotes are on this website, probably best to Substack search here on the word “altercation”). I would guess from even Kerr and Looney’s responses in addition to Draymond’s that the team is eager to move on and focus on the run towards another championship, but the media is understandably still a step behind because they are not privy to the details of the progress made behind closed doors and, well, controversy sells.
There are still the same commenters on our channel who seem to be deeply invested in the outrage, but the vast majority of our YouTube community is eager to get the season started and celebrate the rings on Opening Night. And, yes, cheering on Draymond in the process.
DISCLAIMER: These are all just notes for my main workflow of YouTube videos, tweeted by beatwriters, as listed, or transcribed by me. I used to transcribe every interview but it became too tedious and not worth the investment for the small amount of views we got on the soundbites on YouTube. The links to the tweets are not available because sometimes I don’t use the full tweet and just having a ton of tweets on this website imo isn’t aesthetically pleasing and gets away from the main goal: transferring information (not so much entertainment) to the brains of DubNation asap.
STEVE
• Steve Kerr confirms that Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will play in Friday’s preseason finale against the Nuggets. Jordan Poole will return to the bench. Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney next to them in the starting lineup. Klay is expected to play 15-18 minutes in preseason debut for Warriors. (CJ Holmes, Anthony Slater, Monte Poole)
• Kerr says “there is literally nothing to report” in regards to Draymond Green’s reintegration with the team. He says today felt like a normal, heavy workload day. Said today was more like a back-to-back with the game tomorrow, that the team probably has one more level of conditioning to get to by Opening Night on Tuesday. (Kendra Andrews, me)
• Kerr on today’s roster moves: “This is the worst part of job when you have to release players. Quinndary helped us win a championship last year…We’ve got some intriguing guys to fill those, we’ve got options. There are other players as well out there who will be on the waiver wire who we could consider…But we really like the guys right now who are here in camp.” (Alex Espinoza, CJ Holmes)
• Kerr on the second unit: “The Donte-Wise pick and roll has been beautiful to watch…JK has looked really good with that group, too…Klay’s absence has affected our ability to explore different combinations…that’s the dream…second unit hold the line…hold the lead (in Q4)…giving our vets some rest.” (me)
• On JaMychal Green: “I love JaMychal…He’s a fantastic player…I look at him like I did Otto and Beli…difference is he comes in probable at his prime.” (95.7 The Game, me)
• On second unit having Wiseman at center: “It changes our look…(second unit) does different things…With James, he’s such a threat on that dive. He’s looked great he’s more comfortable, more confident…he’s built this foundation (of summer league and training camp) and now he’s got these two pick and roll ball handlers.” (me, Alex Espinoza)
• On having hockey subs: “we could throw Klay/Wiggs with that group…given the 82-game season there’s gonna be opportunities…everybody will get their chance. We’ve got a lot of people who are ready to play and not enough minutes…I blame Bob (Myers) btw.” (me)
LOON
• Kevon Looney on how practice went: “We got after it today. Energy was good.…Pretty long practice…guys trying to get that rhythm.” (95.7 The Game, me)
• On how the second unit is picking things up: “We got a lot of firepower off the bench…Steve can tinker…last game was incredible…everything we’ve been focusing on in training camp they did.” (me)
• On how much NBA he watched as a youngster, watching GSW because they were different, watching matchups: “watched a lot…just an NBA guy…stayed up til late…I love seeing what’s going on across the league…NBA is the best thing on TV most of the time…as I get older and play more minutes…looking for tendencies.” (me)
• On how important it is for a young player to watch the league: “A lot of teams run a lot of the same sets…players have some of the same tendencies…watching from the bench when I didn’t get in…I didn’t get a chance to make a lot of mistakes…studying guys…watching people’s highlights…important for young guys to pickup those things early.” (me)
• On Kerr’s postgame comments: “For Steve to speak that highly of me, it shows all the work I’ve been doing…it means a lot for the coach to respect you that much…not just given, you kinda gotta earn that…trying to develop myself as a man…progressions I made…didn’t say much (early on)…one of my goals was to speak up more and be more vocal.” (NBCSBA, me)
• On his interested in wrestling: “my girl gets mad when I say I gotta watch my show…it’s always been a thing for me. I watched it a lot as a kid…one of the first events at Chase…re-sparked my interest…NBA crowd is different than the wrestling crowd…control the crowd…how Steph does it…fun to go backstage and see all the inner-workings. I don’t plan to get in the ring like Rodman.” (me)
• More on what practice was like today: “Everything felt pretty normal. Everybody was loose, the music was playing…felt like a normal day to me…we’ve kind of moved on pretty fast. That’s what makes our team special.” (95.7 The Game, me)
DRAY
• Draymond Green on how practice went: “we had a great practice.” (short answer)
• On how he spent the time away: “I spent a lot of time with my kids. Made eggs with my son. I cook really good eggs. (Long pause) …also a lot of time on this stuff…the moment you stop working on yourself you get worse.”
• On if he’s in a better place: “We had our conversations about what we need to do moving forward…not gonna hold on to things in the past.”
• On being in a better mental space: “Yeah…work on getting better as a team…so yes. Yes.”
• On where the trust level is right now: “When everyone says build trust as a team, I don’t understand that. Does it mean trust to make the right play?…make sure we’re together…that we’re doing the necessary things to win a championship…not always certain that that is the most fitting word…everybody kinda has this idea of what that means.”
• On what he thinks trust means: “Making sure our camaraderie is right…if you have that you can almost build to anything…I don’t think that’s something that gets really shooken…built on who you have on the team at the core…Camaraderie is a strength of ours…(versus) what could happen on one particular day.”
• On if being away from the team was the right punishment: “Quite frankly I don’t think that’s everyone’s business…on what we feel as an organization is best together…pretty certain that Jordan had input (names Steph, Klay, Andre, Looney)…I don’t really care what other people think…my care is what guys in this locker room think, what people in this organization thinks.”
• On his future with the Warriors: “I’m here this year trying to win a championship. I have a contract that ranges through next year if I so choose…started camp and I said that at the very beginning, I don’t think we’re doing an extension…that’s not something that I’m gonna talk about all year…I don’t like to let contract drama linger especially when it’s involving me…we’ve seen LeBron have contract situations (also names Steph Curry)…If you’re going to let a contract situation linger then you better be damn sure that you’re willing to live with all the effects that it can have on a team…I’m not willing to…I am a Golden State Warrior trying to win a championship this year.”
• On Poole and the best counsel he got: “Jordan’s a professional and I’m a professional…a lot of winning…we’re gonna do what it takes to win…as far as advice, I’ve had a bunch of great advice…it wouldn’t be doing justice (for him to point out just one)…very appreciative of people that have reached out, giving words of advice, words of encouragement. It doesn’t go unnoticed…I have great people in my corner.”
• On if there’s another level for the team: “As you grow with a group that can always get better…another year of playing together, it helps…familiarity.”
• On if there was a parallel with KD situation and how to mend things with Poole: “I’m not sure, as I said before, that’s not up to me, nor do I think there’s much relevance. We both know how to play basketball. We’re paid to do a job…we wanna continue to win…it’s neither here nor there. What we do on the basketball court is what’s matter. Sometimes we get caught up in people’s lives.”
• On proving people wrong: “I’ve been proving people wrong all my life…the same people that’s talking now is the same people that’s talking before…new hot takes…never acknowledged the million times that they said you couldn’t do it and they were wrong…I’m going to do exactly what I do when I’m motivated in a major way…it’s gonna be a fun year.”
• On his load management: “I feel great…I trust Rick and Dave and their process…I feel great, like I’m gonna have an incredible year.”
• Expounding on a contract lingering: “Everybody has to deal with it…if you’re gonna leave contracts in limbo…I’m not really willing to stand in front of that…(gives example if he was being waited on to sign something)…I have two years left on my deal and that’s my focus…yes I do have an option…I have great representation…when it’s time…I’ll stand in front of it…if I’m not one making the decision then that’s not me (to stand in front of it).”
• On how the youngsters feel different: “there’s just more expectations when you win the championship…unless you’re Stephen A…probably gonna get it right again…there’s not the same people that said we had a 14% chance…and yet they’re still respected as basketball minds. Got to be more careful.”
👍👍💛💙