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The Golden State Warriors have waived guard Ky Bowman.
Bowman played in 45 games (12 starts) for the Warriors in the 2019-20 season. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 22.9 minutes per game.
In the G League, Bowman played in 12 games (all starts) with the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he put up 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.25 steals in 31.7 minutes per game.
Bowman originally joined the Warriors as a free agent on July 31, 2019.
The Golden State Warriors have selected center James Wiseman with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Wiseman, 19, averaged 19.7 points on 76.9% from the field (20-of-26 FG), 10.7 rebounds, 3.00 blocks and 23.0 minutes in three games (all starts) during his lone season at the University of Memphis. The 7-1 center was on the 2019-20 preseason watch lists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Lute Olson Award, NABC Player of the Year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. Additionally, he was one of five players on the 2019-20 Associated Press Preseason All-America Team. As a senior at Memphis East High School, Wiseman was named the 2018-19 Gatorade National Player of the Year and Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and was ranked as the nation’s top recruit in 2019 by ESPN. Wiseman won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2017 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.
Wiseman joins Rick Barry (1965) as the only #2 overall draft picks in Warriors franchise history and represents the highest Warriors draft pick since Joe Smith was selected first overall in 1995. He is the team’s first Lottery pick since Harrison Barnes in 2012 (seventh overall) and first top five selection since Mike Dunleavy Jr. in 2002 (third overall).
The Golden State Warriors today unveiled Oakland Forever, presented by Rakuten, the team’s new on-court City Edition jerseys for the upcoming NBA season.
Per the team:
The jerseys celebrate the team’s 47 seasons in Oakland by focusing on one of the most iconic and beloved moments in franchise history, the We Believe era.
Inspired by the uniforms worn by the team from 1997-2010, the new City Edition jerseys feature Oakland across the front of the uniform, where the team played its home games from 1972-1996 and 1997-2019. The era included the celebrated We Believe playoff run in 2007, when the Warriors became the first eight-seed to defeat a one-seed in a best-of-seven playoff series with a 4-2 upset over the Dallas Mavericks.
“Oakland is and forever will be part of this franchise’s identity,” said Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. “The Oakland Forever campaign, in partnership with Rakuten, will deepen our ties and impact in Oakland through a dedicated focus on community efforts, advancing educational equity, and providing safe access to health and wellness resources.”
The Warriors Community Foundation has named Shaun Livingston to the Foundation’s Board, it was announced today. In this role, Livingston will be part of the Foundation’s Grants Committee, working to expand the portfolio of non-profits that the Board serves in Alameda and San Francisco Counties. Additionally, he will assist the Foundation in furthering educational equity and producing measurable improvements in the well-being and educational attainment of students in the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts.
“Shaun’s experience as a former player will add an incredible amount of perspective and insight to the Warriors Community Foundation,” said Warriors Community Foundation President of the Board Nicole Lacob. “He is an exceptional ambassador for the Bay Area community, as evidenced by his contributions during his NBA playing career and ongoing participation in the community. We are thrilled to have him on our team.”
Livingston, a 14-year NBA veteran, was recently named Director of Player Affairs and Engagement with the Warriors in September reporting directly to President of Basketball Operations / General Manager Bob Myers. In this role, Livingston provides player counsel and career advice while helping to guide team programs toward player needs and development. A 14-year NBA veteran, Livingston spent five seasons as a player with the Warriors from 2014-19, helping the franchise to five consecutive NBA Finals appearances and three NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018).
The Warriors Community Foundation recently announced its annual grant recipients for 2020-21, a $1.825 million total contribution to Bay Area non-profits, which marks the highest single-season contribution in Foundation history. The $1.825 million contribution adds to the over $24 million awarded to Bay Area non-profits since the Foundation’s inception in 2012.
Warriors Community Foundation Board Members include: Nicole Lacob, President of the Board; Marty Glick, Secretary; Bob Myers; Brandon Schneider; David Kelly; Dianne Taube; Ebony Beckwith; Greg Adams; Jason Chang; Jeff Miller; Jessica Dodson; Joe Lacob; Karen Miller; Kathy Scially; Molly Lacob and Rick Welts.
Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle relaying positive words on Israeli NBA draft prospect Deni Avdija:
The Golden State Warriors — seeking wing help and possessing the 2020 NBA Draft’s second overall pick — were reportedly “blown away” by international prospect Deni Avdija following a private workout Thursday.
The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss reported that head coach Steve Kerr and other members of the Warriors organization worked out the Israeli Avdija in Atlanta and “were blown away after meeting with him” following the workouts…
The 19-year-old Avdija is a 6-foot-9 wing with strong ball skills and instincts, but is still working on finding his long-range stroke and playing consistent defense. He was named the Israeli League MVP in 2020, and is considered by draft experts to be just outside the consensus top three of LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and Anthony Edwards.
The 2020 NBA draft has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 18. It’ll be held “virtually” — mostly over the Internet — based out of ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut.
Before you read this, be clear that this appears to be a light-hearted, not-that-serious conversation.
With that disclaimer in place, enjoy this from the San Francisco Chronicle:
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr respects what Houston Rockets guard James Harden does on the court, but has no interest in modeling his team’s offense after the former MVP’s style of play.
While appearing on The TK Show podcast with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, Kerr spoke about not “reinventing the wheel” with a fully healthy Dubs roster next season.
“We’re still going to be the Warriors,” he said. “We’re not going to all of a sudden turn into the Rockets and change our offense and have one guy go high pick-and-roll 70 times a game.”
When Kawakami responded with a joke that Kerr should upend his offensive philosophy and embrace isolation basketball, Kerr responded, “I think I would resign first.”
Of course, the Rockets play like they do in part because they have no forwards or centers that actually create their own offense. So for them, it makes sense to have James Harden, with help from Russell Westbrook, create practically everything. The Warriors are certainly guard-heavy in the talent and scoring department, but Draymond Green’s passing ability is a weapon, and although his scoring ability is limited, he’s still useful and versatile on the offensive side of the floor. He’s also not as good a three-point shooter as someone like Rockets forward PJ Tucker, so stashing Green in the corner for him to only shoot threes would be a waste of Green’s talents.
Warriors forward Draymond Green has reportedly bought a new $9.6 million house in California. Here’s the San Jose Mercury News reporting:
Though he’s played solely for the Golden State Warriors since the 2012 NBA draft, it appears Draymond Green is looking to spend his future off-seasons a bit further south of San Francisco. The three-time All-Star and Michigan native has bounced into a lavish estate in L.A.’s prestigious Brentwood area, the same neighborhood that is also home to other superstar ballers like LeBron James, Blake Griffin, and Russell Westbrook.
The $9.6 million house picked out by Green and his fiancee, television personality Hazel Renee (“Basketball Wives,” “Real Housewives of Atlanta”) is essentially all-new, completed in 2019 and described in listing materials as a “timeless Georgian Colonial.” Complete with elegant snow white paint and jet black trim, the mansion is indisputably grand and guaranteed to impress guests with its multitude of high-style sconces, plus its columned porch and soaring roofline.
Inside, a two-story foyer with paneled walls and checkerboard marble floors sets the tone for the rest of the public rooms, which are decidedly posh and veer toward the formal side of the decor spectrum. There’s a gourmet kitchen with Italian marble countertops and luxe Woolf appliances that connects to the dining room and adjoining wine closet, plus a butler’s pantry servicing a lounge-like den. The living room and downstairs private office are both equipped with fireplaces and bronze chandeliers, and European oak hardwood lines the floors.
Sounds solid.
Okay, it sounds fantastic.
We’ve enjoyed Dray’s commentary on Inside the NBA on TNT. He’s got a bright future as an NBA analyst once his playing days are over. But that’s not anytime soon. Right now, the Warriors will be focused on using their lottery pick to add to their already star-filled cast.
Here’s the San Jose Mercury News with a look at top NBA draft prospect Anthony Edwards. The Warriors have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, so of course they’ll have familiarized themselves with Edwards:
Before Anthony Edwards began his lone season at Georgia, head coach Tom Crean sat down with the freshman and told the 18-year-old that he would be entrusting him with the offense, but that he had to become more consistent and efficient.
A year later, Edwards leaves Georgia as one of the nation’s highest scoring freshmen and among the most productive in program history — but he was dogged by inconsistency. Despite those struggles, Edwards, now 19, is considered a potential No. 1 overall pick because of his 6-foot-5, 225 pound frame, unique skill set and ability to put up eye-popping numbers.
Scouts and draft analysts can point to Edwards’ production (19.1 points per game) as evidence that he can develop into a go-to scorer at the NBA level, but his efficiency numbers (40.2% overall and 29.4% on 7.7 3-pointers per game) raise questions about whether or not he can be impactful in a lesser role as a rookie.
Some top prospects in the 2020 draft include Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman. There are obviously other names worth mentioning but we’ll get into that in other posts.
The Warriors are in a great position, having a top lottery selection available to them despite having an already super-competitive roster that had major health issues last season but should be fine and of playoff caliber going forward.
Here’s NBC Sports Bay Area reporting on what the Warriors may be doing to keep their money right:
It remains unclear exactly how much financial damage the coronavirus pandemic will inflict on the Warriors, and the NBA in general.
“Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has informed fellow owners of a deal he’s considering with Goldman Sachs to raise up to $250 million to manage coming expenses,” sources recently told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
But Golden State’s ownership group might end up going in a different direction.
“On Tuesday, Warriors sources relayed that the deal has not yet been agreed to and alternate options are being explored, including cash calls and other measures,” The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss writes. “Right now, the Warriors are ‘looking for the best deal,’ which makes them sound more like a powerful lender than a desperate borrower.”
In unrelated news, we recently raised $20 in capital and invested in a large pizza. It was quite tasty.
The Warriors had a rough season in 2019-20. And yes, that’s putting it very mildly. But, had Stephen Curry been active all season? Things still would have been tough, says head coach Steve Kerr. Here’s NBC Sports Bay Area reporting:
When 95.7 The Game’s Damon Bruce asked Kerr what Golden State’s season would’ve looked like with Curry healthy the whole year, Kerr said the Warriors still would’ve faced an uphill climb into contention.
“Well to be honest, I think it still would’ve been a struggle, Damon,” Kerr said on “Damon, Ratto & Kolsky.” “I think there were just too many factors that were going against us. Obviously, we would’ve won a lot more games. Steph is so talented that he would’ve undoubtedly won plenty of games on his own.”
Curry, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Jacob Evans were the only Warriors who dressed in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and in the first game of the 2019-20 regular season. The Warriors had seven new players in their opening-night lineup, aside from Damion Lee, who played 32 games with Golden State during the previous regular season but none in the playoffs.
The Warriors still have a lot of work to do in free agency this coming offseason. Their frontcourt is thin and their bench is limited. On paper, they should be a good team in 2020-21. Certainly a playoff team. But as for contending for a championship, roster moves need to happen.