Golden State Warriors Blog – Page 51 – NBA Blog

Jermaine O`Neal steps up for Warriors

Here’s the Bay Area News Group via the San Jose Mercury News on veteran big man Jermaine O’Neal stepping up for the Golden State Warriors Tuesday:

There is Denzel Washington’s speech in “Remember the Titans” and Gene Hackman’s talk to his squad in “Hoosiers.”

And then there’s the postgame oration Jermaine O’Neal gave Tuesday after his improbable performance to lift the Warriors to a much-needed 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

“I keep telling these guys that trials and tribulations will build character for a true championship team,” O’Neal said. “It may not look good all the time, but we keep fighting, we keep fighting. It doesn’t matter who’s on the court in a Warriors uniform, we always feel like we have enough. Hopefully these lessons we’re learning early, all the injuries … is teaching us a lesson. I truly believe at the end of the year, we’re going to be rewarded for these lessons that we’ve learned.”

Leave it to the 35-year-old, 18th-year veteran to lift the Warriors when they needed it most. The Warriors were without Andrew Bogut, suspended for a game for his role in the altercation with Portland on Saturday. Swingman Andre Iguodala (strained left hamstring) didn’t make the trip. But O’Neal, a former All-Star turned backup center, pulled off a timely throwback performance.

He finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in his first game back after missing the previous four. He was out with a bruised right knee and strained right groin. O’Neal revealed Tuesday that he also had a sore wrist and a viral infection that left him barely able to speak Sunday.

Warriors center Ognjen Kuzmic out at least six weeks after hand surgery

Golden State Warriors center Ognjen Kuzmic underwent successful surgery yesterday on his right hand, the team announced. The procedure, which was performed by Dr. William Maloney and Dr. Amy Ladd at the Stanford Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Clinic, was necessary to repair the fractured fifth metacarpal in his right hand. Kuzmic suffered the injury when he hit his hand on the backboard during the first quarter of the team’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 20. He is expected to be out for a minimum of six weeks.

Kuzmic, 23, has appeared in 10 games this season, averaging 4.1 minutes per contest.

Andrew Bogut, Mo Williams suspended one game each for fight

Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut and Portland Trail Blazers guard Mo Williams have each been suspended one game without pay for fighting after Bogut initiated an incident by elbowing Trail Blazers center Joel Freeland in the jaw.

In addition, for escalating the incident, Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been fined $45,000, and Portland guard Wesley Matthews and Golden State forward Draymond Green have been fined $20,000 each.

The incident occurred with 3:42 remaining in the third quarter of the Trail Blazers’ 113-101 win over the Warriors on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Oracle Arena.

The penalties were announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

Williams will serve his suspension tonight when the Trail Blazers host the New York Knicks. Bogut will serve his suspension on Tuesday, Nov. 26, when the Warriors visit the New Orleans Pelicans.

To view the play, click on this link.

Andre Iguodala out indefinitely with strained left hamstring injury

Relatively good news for the Golden State Warriors: Forward Andre Iguodala’s injury is fairly minor.

Iguodala has been diagnosed with a strained left hamstring following an MRI that took place earlier today. He originally suffered the injury in the third quarter of last night’s game against the Lakers at Staples Center.

Iguodala will not play in tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers and is out indefinitely. In 13 games this season, he is averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.92 steals in 37.2 minutes per contest.

Stephen Curry suffers concussion, is day-to-day

Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been diagnosed with a mild concussion after hitting his head on the court during the fourth quarter of last night’s 98-87 victory at Utah. The only symptom at this time is a headache, which has dissipated since last night.

Curry will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies and his status moving forward is day-to-day. In 10 games this season, he is averaging 19.9 points, 8.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.70 steals in 32.7 minutes per contest.

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Warriors sign center Dewayne Dedmon

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent center Dewayne Dedmon as a Call-Up from the Warriors’ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced today.

Dedmon, 24, appeared in two preseason games with the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 13.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.00 blocks and 1.50 steals in 27.5 minutes, securing double-doubles in both contests and converting on 11-of-17 shots from the field (64.7 percent). He is the second player this season to be called up to the NBA from the D-League (joining Utah’s Diante Garrett) and is the 18th D-League Call-Up in Golden State Warriors history.

The 7’0’’ center was originally signed by Golden State as a free agent on September 23 and appeared in five preseason games with the club, tallying 3.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.00 blocks in 10.3 minutes. He was waived on October 25.

Dedmon was not selected in the 2013 NBA Draft following a two-year career at USC, where he averaged 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.67 blocks over 51 games (49 starts). In 31 games (29 starts) as a redshirt junior this past season, he averaged 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.13 blocks and 1.10 steals in 22.3 minutes per contest. Dedmon did not play organized basketball until his senior year of high school due to religious reasons and played one season at Antelope Valley College in his hometown of Lancaster, CA, before transferring to USC.

He will wear uniform #21.

Warriors center Jermaine O`Neal day-to-day with injuries

Golden State Warriors center Jermaine O’Neal has been diagnosed with a bruised right knee and minor right groin strain after undergoing an MRI yesterday (Sunday). He did not travel with the team for tonight’s game in Utah against the Jazz and is listed as day-to-day. His return to action will be based on his progress.

O’Neal left Saturday night’s home game against the Utah Jazz with 11:26 remaining in the fourth quarter after suffering an injury that was preliminarily diagnosed as a sprained right knee and strained right groin.

Warriors guard Toney Douglas out at least two weeks

Golden State Warriors guard Toney Douglas was examined by team doctors today, who diagnosed him with a stress reaction in his left tibia.

Douglas is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks to rest the injury, after which he will be re-evaluated.

In seven games this season, Douglas is averaging 6.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.0 minutes per contest. He is a backup, and comes off the bench.

Stephen Curry is banged up, but seems fine

Good news from the Golden State Warriors this afternoon. Not that an injury to Stephen Curry is good news. Rather, that it’s minor, and no big deal.

Curry suffered a left ankle bone bruise during last night’s 106-93 victory at Minnesota, an MRI conducted this morning in Minnesota confirmed. He is listed as day-to-day.

According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, “Warriors point guard Stephen Curry got some good new Thursday. An MRI revealed he sustained a bone bruise in his left ankle, per Golden State. No ankle sprain.”

Mark Jackson wants Warriors bench to step up

Here’s CSN Bay Area on the Golden State Warriors:

“I’ve been very disappointed in the way that those guys have closed out ballgames,” coach Mark Jackson said after the 110-90 win over Philadelphia on Monday. “They’ve had opportunities to play extended minutes and they haven’t made statements with their play.”

It is conceivable, even likely, that there will be no complete second unit, that one or more starters always will be on the floor. Jackson has on several occasions indicated precisely that. And the backups, though not lacking for effort, have given him no convincing reason to reconsider. They gave back nearly half of the 39-point lead they inherited against the 76ers.