Golden State Warriors

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I’ve long been a proponent of giving Harrison Barnes more run at the power forward slot. Golden State badly needs the spacing, since nobody on the team is especially adept at getting to the hoop. So, I was delighted to see Barnes-at-the-4 take off in the Denver series. After spending almost no time at power [...]

May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson instructs against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports It’s not like there was any question, but Mark Jackson will be the head coach of the Golden State Warriors for the next two years. In the wake of Golden State’s frustrating playoff departure, the Warriors picked up Jackson’s option for the 2014-15 season, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Simmons also reported that Warriors management is confident that they’ll be able to sign Jackson to a long-term deal. There was no timetable for that specific process, but one can speculate that the two sides will ink a deal sooner rather than later. Whatever terms both sides agree upon, Jackson is certainly a worth recipient after guiding the Warriors to only their second playoff berth in the last 19 years. Golden State’s roster is loaded with young talent. Stephen Curry and  Klay Thompson headline that group. Then, Harrison Barnes is right behind them. David Lee is signed through the 2015-16 campaign, and perhaps Festus Ezeli will mold into a quality starting center in coming years. May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson (second from left) instructs his team in a huddle against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports However, Jackson certainly didn’t avoid adversity. His starting center,Andrew Bogut, missed 38 games between November and late January, and managing Curry’s health shouldn’t go unnoticed. So, Jackson had a starting lineup consisting of two rookies, a sophomore and an inexperienced point guard until Bogut returned. The end results speak for themselves. Perhaps Jackson’s biggest achievement of his young coaching career occurred in the first round of the playoffs when Lee tore his hip flexor in Game 1, and he absorbed the loss with ease. In the process, he out-coached George Karl, who will wind up in the Hall of Fame when his days of manning the sidelines are over. It’s obviously premature to put Jackson on Karl’s level. However, Jackson has a solid foundation to build his portfolio with.

Alumni And Former Sports Director Honored For Lifetime Achievements

The competitor in him didn’t want to feel good about losing. But Warriors center Andrew Bogut couldn’t deny what his body was telling him., specifically his surgically repaired left ankle BOGUT: “You don’t want to say you’re relieved losing a game. At the same time, the mental and physical pain I felt the last two [...]

May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30, right) receives a hug from head coach Mark Jackson (left) after leaving the game during the fourth quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports The magical playoff run for the Golden State Warriors has unfortunately come to a close. The San Antonio Spurs closed the series against the Warriors with 94-82 victory, and though the box score looks like a blowout, the game was close up until the very last minutes. Let’s take a closer look at how each player did in the Warriors last game of the 2012-2013 season. May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) leads his team and fans in a huddle chant after the loss to the San Antonio Spurs in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors 94-82 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Point Guard: Stephen Curry During the course of this offseason, Stephen Curry become a physical embodiment of the spirit of the Warriors. He was largely underrated, passed over for an All-Star nod, and his true potential only began to show in the post-All-Star break. Curry’s skill and potential was demonstrated on the national stage as he took the playoffs by storm, and at the age of 25, he is undeniably a superstar. In Game 6, Curry scored a game high 22 points, going 10-of-25, and scoring half of his points in just the second quarter. He struggled from beyond the arc, making just two of his eight attempts. He also picked up six assists and four rebounds. Over the course of his career, people point to Stephen Curry’s defense as one of his weaker points, but it was clear that he stepped his defense up in last night’s game. His primary defensive matchup, Tony Parker, went just 3-of-16, due in no small part to Curry’s defensive efforts. Although Game 6 was a disappointing end to a truly fantastic season, Stephen Curry demonstrated that he is just at the peak of his carer and, should he stay healthy, he will mature into one of the greatest point guards in the modern era. Overall Grade: A May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) is consoled by power forward David Lee (10, right) against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson We have seen two Klay Thompsons this postseason. We have seen the Klay Thompson that plays lockdown on-ball defense, that scores 34 points against the Spurs in the offseason, that averages 18 points a game on 48 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from downtown on six attempts. But in the last four games, we have seen another Klay Thompson. One that averages only 10 points a game on 34 percent shooting from the field and only three attempts from beyond the arc. Game 6 provided no solace for Thompson as he made just four of his 12 attempts, and although he made clutch shots, he found himself in the same rut as his previous games. Unfortunately, the sophomore swingman finished his 2012-2013 as the latter. The Washington State University product has a lot on his mind as the season ends, namely his culpability in the end of the Warrior’s playoff run, and hopefully these thoughts motivate him to train during the offseason. With the rise of Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson will not just carry over his position as the second scoring option into the next season, he will need to earn it. Overall Grade: C+ May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes (40) is helped off the court after an injury during the second quarter in game

Stephen Curry becoming a star was conceivable. Klay Thomspon was bound to shoot the lights out some games. Andrew Bogut getting 10 points and ten boards also not far-fetched. But the breakout and emergence of rookie small forward Harrison Barnes was surprising to say the least. At least it was surprising it happened this soon into his young career. Barnes was a preseason All-American before he ever played a single game at the University of North Carolina. He was supposed to be the best player in college and have the ability to score whenever he wanted and take over games much like some of the currents NBA greats did. May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes (40) reacts during the third quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports But the expectations and hype was far too high and Barnes struggled to find his niche in college. He often looked lost and disinterested. He lacked the competitiveness and aggression to demand the ball. He struggled down the stretch of games and was not a big game performer. In two seasons at North Carolina, Barnes’ career-high was 27 and he scored 26 two other times. He simply could not get his shot whenever he wanted, often scoring between five to 15 points and not 15 to 30. In turn, the best player in the 2010 college recruiting class became the 7th pick in the 2012 draft and fell to the lap of the Golden State Warriors. Coming into the NBA, Barnes was not supposed to carry the team immediately, but instead be a quality young small forward, score some, defend his position and learn how to perform at a high level against the world’s best competition. Barnes averaged only 25 minutes per game in the regular season, tallying a little more than nine points and four rebounds per game. In 81 regular season games, Barnes scored more than 15 points only nine times and more than 20 points only twice. (21 being his regular season career-high) Much like in college, Barnes often looked lost on offense and struggled to consistently make three pointers, one of the strengths of the Warriors backcourt. Barnes shot 3-of-10 from three’s from the center of the arc and 15-of-49 from the right wing. He did make his corner threes but his combined attempts from the left and right corner are still less than his attempts from the right side of the arc. He struggled from mid-range, shooting less than 35 percent from all mid-range spots except for in the right 18 foot range. All of this meant that Barnes only played about 25 minutes per game and did not have the confidence of coach Mark Jackson. May 12, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson (left) instructs small forward Harrison Barnes (40) against the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in game four of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Spurs 97-87 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports But his regular season struggles went away faster than the Milwaukee Bucks in the postseason, and Barnes immediately elevated his play. Jackson said of Barnes, “we’ve seen a guy grow up right before our very eyes,” Jackson said. “As soon as the regular season stopped and the postseason started he has he elevated his game. He has embraced the moment, he has embraced the spotlight and he has played with tremendous poise and great confidence.” Barnes had a regular season, Barnes-like game in his postseason debut against the Denver Nuggets, scoring only eight points in 28 minutes. But came back in Game 2 and played like a different guy from that point forward. He dropped 24 points in only 34 minutes, also tallying six rebounds and knocking down two threes. At the time, that was Barnes’ career-high in points but Barnes would go onto score, 25 and 26 points agai

Let's get the "Arghh" out of the way first. The national narrative of the series will likely go that the Spurs' savvy veteran experience won the day -- that it wasn't quite our kids' time -- but I can't shake the nagging feeling that the series was right there for the taking. Tony Parker looked really banged up, and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili looked really 37 and 36 years old, respectively. Even given our injuries, lack of depth, and what looked the last couple of games to be a distinct lack of gas, I think with slightly better luck (particularly in the Game 1 lightning strike) we'd be the ones moving on to Memphis on Sunday. Realistically, I think either of these two teams would be tasty river salmon for the Grizzlies; they're young, healthy, hungry, mean, and playing at much higher level than either the Warriors or Spurs. But man, it would have been hella rewarding to see our guys make it to the conference finals for the first time since the Ford administration (the year the NBA and ABA merged, Apple and the Toronto Blue Jays were founded, the Bad New Bears and the first Rocky ruled the box office, Paul McCartney and Wings "Silly Love Songs" and Elton John and Kiki Dee's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" blasted on transistor radios, etc.) With that squared away: THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS! I mean, seriously: the fact that there might even be a "national narrative" about this series shows how shockingly far this team has come in such a short time. Stephen Curry -- our li'l Steph! Our Binky! Our Bonehead! -- made the cover of Sports Illustrated. Magic, Chuck, Shaq, Boston Sports Guy and the crew chewed the fat about the Dubs like they were lifetime GSoMers. I live in New York City, and over the last few weeks I heard dozens of people on the street and in bars talking about Steph Curry and the Warriors. Yesterday a random dude in line at my local deli held forth expertly on Harrison Barnes. If you can make it here, well, you know how it goes. No longer, I suspect, will I have to sheepishly disclose my favorite sports team to blank stares or replies of "er, the What State Whooziwhatsits?" As far as last night's game ... props to a stout defensive effort for keeping it close throughout, but ultimately there just wasn't enough offensive gas in the tank to get over the hill. The death blows were the late dagger threes by Tony Parker (career 0.5 threes peer game 31.3%) and Kawhi Leonard (1.1, 37.5%) and concurrent rim-outs by each of the Splash Brothers; but with even a moderately Warrior-like offensive showing, it really shouldn't have come down to that. If you hold Parker and Manu to a combined 4-22 fg on your home floor, you really ought to win fairly handily. I'm loath to point fingers in what I intended to be a big sloppy valentine to every member this lovable team, but dangit: with Lee gutting it out on a shredded hip flexor, Curry playing gamely on two bad ankles, and Barnes with six stitches above his eye and concussion symptoms, I wanted more out of Klay Thompson last night. He followed his nightmarish Game 5 (4 pts on 2-8 fg) / 2 reb / 0 ast in 36 minutes) with an only-marginally-less-nightmarish 10 points on 4-12 fg, 0 rebounds, 3 assists in 42 minutes. Legit NBA starting wings find ways to do other stuff when their shot isn't falling -- viz. Kawhi Leonard's 10 boards last night, or Manu's 6 boards and 11 assists. And I'm not talking about just the last couple games; the two-three-four-game disappearing acts have been a worrisome trademark of Klay all season. The defensive effort and skill is always there, but if he wants to live up to the growing hype (the sharp-tongued Warrior pundit Feltbot calls him a sure-fire all-star; Bill Simmons recently as potentially the best young SG in the league after Harden) he has to find more ways to avoid curling up in a fetal position when his picture-perfect shot isn't splashing. A step in the right direction would be studying how to draw contact and get himself to th

If football is a game of inches, basketball is one of something smaller.  Centimeters? Millimeters? After last night, Warriors fans probably think it’s about something even tinier. The NBA is a make or miss league, they say.  The outcome of a simple shot or two at any given time often draws the razor-thin line between [...]

Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports The Western Conference Finals matchup has been set. The San Antonio Spurs took down the high-scoring threat of the Golden State Warriors in an elimination game Thursday night in Oakland. It was an uncharacteristically poor offensive showing for both teams. Golden State’s one-two perimeter punch of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson was quiet for most of the evening and there was a moment in the fourth quarter when San Antonio veterans Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker had tallied nine points combined. In the end, the Spurs proved that they exhibit superior depth as a team, and put an end to the Warriors’ 2013 Cinderella playoff run. Golden State showed that it’s a piece short of being a legitimate Western Conference contender. The duo of Curry and Thompson, along with guard Jarrett Jack, can score in flurries when shooting well from the perimeter but those shots didn’t fall in game six, and the Warriors went out with a whimper in Oakland. San Antonio looked the part Thursday night, but showed throughout the series that there are potential weaknesses to be exploited deeper in the playoffs. The Spurs have the next two days off to get prepared both mentally and physically for the imposing force that is the Memphis Grizzlies. They can expect a physical and exhausting series from the Grizzlies, whose defensive stats topped the NBA this season. The playoff exit of the Warriors is a bittersweet one for basketball fans. They are a budding group of young talent that is one of the most entertaining the league has to offer. If the franchise can manage to attract another integral piece, they may contend in 2014. The Spurs have proven yet again, even with father time knocking, it’s too early to count this group of veterans out. Jason Weingartner is an NBA and NFL contributor for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JaWeingartner or add him to your network on Google.