Golden State Warriors Blog – Page 22 – NBA Blog

Warriors sign rookie Jordan Bell

The Golden State Warriors have signed rookie forward Jordan Bell to a contract. The Warriors acquired the draft rights to Bell, the 38th overall selection in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft, from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for cash considerations on June 22.

Bell, 22, posted career highs of 10.9 points and 8.8 rebounds to go with 2.3 blocks (second in the Pac-12) as a junior in 2016-17, earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Bell (6’9”, 224) compiled career averages of 7.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.3 blocks and 24.9 minutes in 104 games over three seasons at Oregon, garnering Second Team All-Pac-12 accolades last season. Oregon’s career leader in blocked shots (235) and field goal percentage (.610), Bell helped the Ducks advance to the 2017 Final Four with an 11-point, 13-rebound, eight-block performance in a win over Kansas in the Elite Eight. In a Final Four matchup with North Carolina, he scored 13 points to go with a career-high 16 rebounds against the eventual champion Tar Heels.

A native of Long Beach, Calif., Bell is currently with the Warriors Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Warriors sign Nick Young

The 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors signed free agent guard Nick Young today.

Per multiple reports, the contract is for one year, $5.2 million.

Young, 32, posted averages of 13.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 25.9 minutes in 60 games (career-high 60 starts) for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016-17, hitting a career-high 170 threes on 40.4 percent from three-point range. The 6’7” guard owns career averages of 12.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 636 games (193 starts) over 10 seasons with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and the Lakers.

Originally selected by the Wizards with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Young averaged a career-high 17.9 points per game in his first season with the Lakers in 2013-14 and has posted a double-digit scoring average in seven of his 10 NBA seasons. Young has appeared in 15 career playoff games, averaging 6.4 points in 14.5 minutes while hitting 48.6 percent (17-of-35) from three-point range.

A native of Los Angeles, Young spent three seasons at the University of Southern California, where he earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors in both his sophomore and junior campaigns.

Warriors free agency update

The NBA champion Warriors, already the league favorites for the title next season, are handling business in free agency. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle with the latest:

Within the first 24 hours of free agency, Golden State agreed to bring back Stephen Curry on a record-setting five-year, $201 million deal, Shaun Livingston on a three-year, $24 million contract and Andre Iguodala on a three-year, $48 million deal. Kevin Durant is expected to re-sign with the Warriors in coming days.

Now, with its payroll in luxury-tax territory, Golden State must round out its roster with low-cost free agents. Some of the Warriors’ final four spots will be used on players Golden State fans know well. Others, however, will be filled by players who — at first glance, at least — could surprise people.

Outside of Durant, the Warriors have five free agents left: Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, Ian Clark, Matt Barnes and James Michael McAdoo. Pachulia is intent on sticking with Golden State, even if that means leaving money on the table for the second straight year. Odds are that Clark and McGee, both of whom figure to warrant far more than a minimum deal, will parlay productive seasons into sizable contracts with other clubs.

Draymond Green wins 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been named the 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced yesterday at the inaugural NBA Awards in New York. Green, who finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons, is the first player in Warriors history to earn the award.

Green was named to the All-NBA Third Team this season after averaging 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.38 blocks in 32.5 minutes over 76 games, while leading the league with a career-high 2.03 steals. The 6’7” forward became the first player to tally averages of at least 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block over the course of a season since blocks and steals were first recorded in 1973-74, while becoming the first player in Warriors history to total at least 150 steals and 100 blocks in a single campaign. Earlier today, Green was named to the All-Defensive First Team for a third consecutive season, becoming the first player in Warriors history to earn First Team honors three times.

Throughout the 2016-17 campaign, Green made several key defensive stops in the final moments of close games, including steals on the last possession of two-point wins on Nov. 19 at Milwaukee (8.5 seconds remaining) and Dec. 13 at New Orleans (2.3 seconds). Green ranked second in the league in deflections per game (3.9) and fifth in contested shots per game (13.7), helping the Warriors rank second in the league in defensive rating (101.1). On Feb. 10 at Memphis, Green swiped a franchise-record 10 steals and recorded the first triple-double in NBA history without scoring in double figures, adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go with his 10 steals.

Golden State went an NBA-best 67-15 (.817) in 2016-17, becoming the first team in NBA history to win at least 67 games in three-straight seasons (67, 73, 67), and set an NBA postseason record for best single-season playoff winning percentage with a 16-1 mark (.941) en route to the team’s second NBA title in three seasons.

Utah’s Rudy Gobert and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard were also named as finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The NBA Awards are chosen by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Bob Myers wins 2016-17 NBA Executive of the Year award

Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers has been named the 2016-17 NBA Executive of the Year, earning his second such honor in three seasons, the league announced yesterday at the inaugural NBA Awards in New York.

Myers, who previously won the award in 2014-15, is the first Warriors executive to earn the honor on multiple occasions, marking the third such honor in Warriors history (Dick Vertlieb, 1974-75). Myers is the 11th executive in NBA history to earn the honor multiple times and joins R.C. Buford (2013-14 & 2015-16), Bryan Colangelo (2004-05 & 2006-07), Geoff Petrie (1998-99 & 2000-01) and Stan Kasten (1985-86 & 1986-87) as the only executives to win the award twice in a span of three seasons.

Myers assembled a roster that won an NBA-best 67 games (67-15, .817) in 2016-17 and set an NBA single-season playoff record for win percentage with a 16-1 mark (.941) en route to the Warriors’ second title in three seasons. Golden State became the first team in NBA history to win at least 67 games in three-straight seasons (67, 73, 67), making its third-straight appearance in the NBA Finals.

Throughout Myers’ tenure, the Warriors have retained many of their top talents, signing starters Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to contract extensions. Following the 2015-16 season, Myers bolstered Golden State’s roster through free agency by signing two members of the Warriors’ 2016-17 starting lineup in Kevin Durant and Zaza Pachulia, as well as key reserves JaVale McGee and David West. Durant, the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player, went on to earn 2017 NBA Finals MVP honors in Golden State’s 4-1 series win over Cleveland.

Myers, who originally joined the Warriors on April 14, 2011, as assistant general manager/vice president of basketball operations and was named general manager on April 24, 2012, also acquired 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala in a three-team trade in 2013 and signed key contributors Shaun Livingston (2014) and Ian Clark (2015) to free agent contracts in recent years.

The Warriors have qualified for the postseason in each of Myers’ five full seasons at the helm, making five consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since qualifying for the postseason in each of the first six years of the league’s existence (1947-52). Golden State has compiled a regular-season record of 305-105 (.744) during Myers’ five-year tenure.

Draymond Green named to NBA All-Defensive First Team

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been named to the 2016-17 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced today. Green has been named to the All-Defensive First Team in each of the last three seasons, becoming the first player in Warriors history to earn three such honors.

Green, who was also named to the All-NBA Third Team this season, tallied averages of 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.38 blocks in 32.5 minutes over 76 games, while leading the league with a career-high 2.03 steals. The 6’7” forward became the first player to tally averages of at least 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block over the course of a season since blocks and steals were first recorded in 1973-74, while becoming the first player in Warriors history to total at least 150 steals and 100 blocks in a single campaign.

Clippers hire Jerry West

The L.A. Clippers yesterday (Monday, June 19) announced the hiring of Jerry West, who will serve as a consultant for the team. West brings many accolades to the Clippers, including being named a two-time NBA Executive of the Year (1995, 2004), and is an eight-time NBA Champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2015, 2017).

“For them to want me to come here and maybe think I can help, I am really flattered,” West said. “I am sold on the ownership here. I think they want to establish their own identity in this town, and that is what to me is most important. Establish their own identity and ability to win at the very highest level.”

“When I took the job as president of this organization, one of the things I said we’re going to do is be world class in everything,” President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “Our organization has to be world class. We want our team to be the best in service as well. Today is a great step for us.”

“This just another great example of the commitment that Steve Ballmer has allowed the organization, Doc Rivers and me to add someone like Jerry West,” Clippers Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank said. “What Jerry has done is unmatched in NBA history, and he will bring great value. It is just another example of Steve’s investment in our entire infrastructure.”

West, 79, is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a 14-time NBA All-Star and a Gold Medal Olympian. He is one of three players in NBA history to play at least 14 seasons in the league and be selected as a member of the All-Star team every year. Additionally, he ranks 24th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (25,192 points) and guided the Lakers to nine trips to the NBA Finals and one NBA Championship (1972) as a player. Overall, he averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds during his 14-year NBA career.

Following his playing career, West spent a successful three-year period as the head coach of the Lakers (1976-79, .589 winning percentage) and a brief three-year tenure as a consultant (1979-82, two NBA titles) with the team before transitioning full-time into the front office, where he spent a total of 18 years with the Lakers as General Manager/Executive VP of Basketball Operations. During his tenure at the helm of Basketball Operations in Los Angeles, the Lakers captured four NBA Championships (1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) and appeared in the playoffs in 17 of 18 seasons. West then transitioned to Memphis from 2002-2007, when he led the Grizzlies, who had previously never made the playoffs, to three consecutive post-season appearances (2004, 2005, 2006) as the team’s President of Basketball Operations. Most recently, West served as an Executive Board member for the Golden State Warriors, where he assisted the team’s ownership group and represented the organization in a wide variety of team-related functions in his role with the club. During his time with the Warriors, West saw the team win two NBA Championships (2015, 2017) and three Western Conference Championships (2015, 2016, 2017).

For now, Stephen Curry not interested in a White House visit

Typically, American teams that win championships in American major team sports get invited to the White House. Why? It’s tradition. And it’s fun. So, it happens. (Is there more to it?)

But right now, the current political climate in the United States (and the world, really) is… shall we say… complicated.

It’s not yet known if the Warriors will receive an invite to visit the White House, to pal around with President Trump. It’s also not yet known if the Warriors, either as individuals or as a group, would accept the invite.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle: “Somebody asked me about it a couple months ago, a hypothetical, if a championship were to happen: ‘What would I do?’” Curry said Wednesday afternoon. “I think I answered that I wouldn’t go. I still feel like that today.”

Some would suggest if you disagree with a politician, it’s best to engage, discuss matters, see if you can affect change. Others would simply want to avoid that politician altogether, using absence as a statement. It’s too early to speculate on what may happen. We’ll see.

Warriors win 2017 NBA championship

As yellow confetti fell from the rafters and TV cameras swarmed Monday night, Kevin Durant grabbed the charcoal cap emblazoned with the Larry O’Brien trophy before embracing Stephen Curry. In that moment, as a capacity crowd belted along to “We Are the Champions,” the Warriors had finally vindicated the 3-1 Finals lead they squandered last June. Nothing — not the chorus of critics, not the Herculean performances from Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, not a lengthy hiatus from head coach Steve Kerr — could keep Golden State from winning its second NBA title in three years.

— San Francisco Chronicle

Cleveland, fresh off a 137-point outburst in Game 4, used an early 14-2 run Monday to seize a seven-point lead midway through the first quarter. With James, Irving and J.R. Smith leading the way, the Cavaliers were up 41-33 early in the second. That’s when Golden State, perhaps the most combustible team of this era, tightened up defensively, ratcheted up the tempo and unleashed a 21-2 rally. Durant poured in 13 points on only five shots in the quarter to power the Warriors to a 71-60 lead by halftime.

— San Francisco Chronicle

Durant scored 39 points — he broke 30 in all five games of the Finals — and Curry had 34 and 10 assists… Right after the pass to Iguodala to put the Warriors up eight, Durant nailed a 3 to erase the Kevin Love and-1 seconds prior. When a Kyle Korver 3 with 8:27 left cut it to six, Durant sliced backdoor for an easy dunk, uncontested just like the six dunks he had in the first half of Game 1. In all, he made 14 of 20 shots, including five of eight from beyond the arc. For the series, he shot 56 percent from the field. He led the Warriors in rebounds and blocks.

— Bay Area News Group

And in the clincher, Curry had 34 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and enough moments to silence his loudest critics. The reasonable ones, anyway. He led the way to a 129-120 win over the Cavaliers, clinching the Warriors’ second title in three years, completing their vengeance from last year’s epic collapse. This is how you earn super stardom. Curry wasn’t the Finals MVP. But he vindicated himself by averaging 26.8 points, 9.4 assists and 8.0 rebounds in an NBA Finals.

— Bay Area News Group

While James went for game highs in points (41) and minutes (47), Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith were second and third on the Cavs with 26 and 25 points, respectively. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry was second with 34 points — hitting 10-of-20 shots — and 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala accounted for 20 points in 38 minutes off the bench.

— Akron Beacon Journal

Steve Kerr wants more edge from Warriors tonight

Many different words can be used to describe “edge.” As in, playing with more edge. Nerves. A sense of urgency. Pick whatever word or phrase you like — you get the idea. But you aren’t Warriors coach Steve Kerr. He’s got a better sense of all of this. And here’s what he said on the matter:

“For us as a team tonight, we’ve got to be more on edge,” said Kerr before the game, according to the Bay Area News Group. “I hope we’re a little more nervous. We didn’t seem that nervous in Game 4. Nervous is good. Appropriate fear is the Greg Popovich line. You need that. When we come out in the beginning of Game 4 and lose shooters and turn the ball over carelessly, we’re obviously not ready. I would hope we’re more ready, more prepared tonight.”

More from the Bay Area News Group: There’s a running theory that the pressure is on the Warriors tonight. They own a 3-1 series lead, but after the Cavs took Game 4, that’s now the same deficit they overcame to beat the Warriors a year ago. If they can get a win in Oakland to send the series back home, they might gather enough steam to pull it off.

NBA Finals Game 5 is tonight in Oakland at 9 p.m. ET. The Warriors lead 3-1.