By Kenneth Teape | Last updated 7/12/23 One of the most surprising teams so far in the 2023-2024 NBA season has been the Golden State Warriors.
After 21 games, the Warriors are under .500 with a 10-11 record. They are currently out and looking at the NBA Play-In Tournament in 11th place in the Western Conference.
A five-game suspension for Draymond Green messed things up early, but this doesn’t look or resemble the Warriors teams of yore. Stephen Curry remains a star, but the supporting cast feels like something is missing. Klay Thompson has yet to get going as rumors swirl that his career is on the decline and he is done.
Even more concerning was the performance of Andrew Wiggins, who is currently producing worse than Thompson. What can the Warriors do to get things back on track? Former NBA All-Star Paul Pierce believes a trade can keep Golden State among the contenders.
He shared that sentiment with former Boston Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett on a recent episode of Showtime’s “KG Certified.” “You have to make a deal,” Pierce told Garnett. “I still believe in Steph [Curry].
I believe in Draymond [Green], that if you get the right pieces, you can always build on it, that they can win a championship. But you need to take certain steps.
As it stands, [Golden State] is barely a playoff team. Pierce is confident that Curry and Green can still be the centerpieces of a championship contender and bring another title to the Bay Area.
But to get the team to the level he believes it is capable of, a trade needs to be made to improve the supporting cast.Of course, that’s easier said than done.
Bob Myers is no longer leading the front office as general manager, leaving many to wonder if their recent success will continue. One of the main reasons the Warriors are in this tough spot right now, according to Pierce, is of their own making.
The whiff of moves in recent seasons, such as premium draft picks, has left Golden State in a quandary without a long-term succession plan. “Golden State depends on them, but it also depends on the players they brought in.
Think about it. What if [James] Wiseman had turned into what they wanted him to become? Jordan Poole? [Jonathan] Kuminga and [Andrew] Wiggins? They were supposed to keep the dynasty alive. But they didn’t do it the way [the Warriors] hoped.
Wiggins should give you what Klay [Thompson] is giving you now. »Imagine what the Warriors would look like if they had selected Onyeka Okongwu, the next center off the board at No. 6 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, instead of James Wiseman, who they selected second overall. Or All-Star guards LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton, who went No. 3 and 12, respectively.In the 2021 NBA Draft with two lottery picks, they selected Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Franz Wagner was selected after Kuminga and a few picks after Moody, Alperen Sengun and Trey Murphy III went off the board. The front office’s inability to find and develop young players has put the team in a difficult situation.
They tried to go all-in around their Big 3 while developing young talent, but things didn’t go as they had hoped. If the Warriors want to win another title with Curry leading the way, they need to find a way to get him more help.
Things aren’t going to get any easier in the Western Conference with the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the teams behind the Warriors, bringing back Ja Morant very soon. This article was first published on NBA Analysis Network and is republished with permission.
Other must-reads:Watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo uses half-court dribble to dunk NBA“Celtics star announces return from injury” The Boston Celtics could soon be back at full strength.
Star center and offseason acquisition Kristaps Porzingis told fans on Instagram that he will play for the team’s next game, Friday at home against the New York Knicks. Porzingis has missed the last four games with a calf injury. The 28-year-old last played in November. 24 against the Orlando Magic while he only played 22 minutes, a season low.
Porzingis took the field and started 15 of the team’s first 16 games. Four-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has played in all 20 games so far for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, while fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown has appeared in 19 games.
All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday (another offseason addition) missed only two games and shooting guard Derrick White played and started in 17 of the first 20 games.
An All-Star in his third NBA season with the Knicks in 2017-18, Porzingis has never been part of a team with so much talent, so much depth and such high championship expectations. With a deep roster around him, Porzingis’ numbers this season may not climb as high as in years past, but his health is crucial to Boston’s title hopes.
The former fourth-round pick is averaging 18.9 points (his lowest since the 2016-17 season) and 6.7 rebounds per game (his lowest since the 2017-18 season) this season.
Porzingis also shoots 54.7% from the field, a career high. Corey Perry’s future in the NHL has been thrown into doubt following the league’s investigation NFLNFL analyst reveals shocking thoughts on 49ers’ Brock Purdy The San Francisco 49ers reaffirmed their position as arguably the best team in the NFL in Week 13.
They earned a convincing 42-19 win, on the road anyway, against the Philadelphia Eagles, who still have the NFL’s best record with 10. -2. The 49ers are hot on their heels with a 9-3 record and have the second-best record in the conference with the Detroit Lions.
However, there are differences in each team’s dominance, and the 49ers appear to be the better team when reaching their potential. Going into the season, there were doubts about quarterback Brock Purdy’s ability to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl.
When the team went on a three-game losing streak, people came armed with pitchforks to call him a cheater. That doubt was dispelled by some outstanding performances from the bye.
Purdy was outstanding against the Eagles, completing 19 of 27 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns. It was the third time in the last four games that Purdy threw at least three touchdowns without an interception.
The performance against the Eagles also made Purdy the favorite to win the MVP award, a recognition he deserves. Some national media now give Purdy flowers as well.
During a recent “Monday QB” segment on CBS Sports, former NFL quarter back Danny Kannell argued that Purdy may have the best start to his career in NFL history. Purdy has now started 17 games, which is the equivalent of a full season.
According to Kannell, Purdy has the highest completion percentage, most yards per attempt and highest QBR in NFL history among any quarterback through his first 17 starts. You’d be hard-pressed to find a quarterback who can compare to what Brock Purdy accomplished over the first 17 starts of his career.
What he accomplished is unprecedented and has earned him the right to be in the MVP conversation this season. Insider explains why Shohei Ohtani snubbed the Yankees and MetsNFLNFL sends warning to all teams after Eagles-49ers incident
The NFL gave its teams a stern reminder of sideline etiquette following Sunday’s confrontation between San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Philadelphia Eagles safety Dom DiSandro.
In a memo, the league stressed to teams that employees should be reminded that they are prohibited from “participating in altercations on game day and should refrain from any involvement.” It is no coincidence that the memo was released so quickly.
Greenlaw and DiSandro were ejected from Sunday’s game as tempers ran high on the sidelines.
The Eagles’ safety coordinator appears to have made contact with the 49ers linebacker. The league is investigating the incident, but no disciplinary action has yet been taken. DiSandro, like Greenlaw, was ejected after the situation calmed down. As much fun as the fans had, it’s not something the league itself wants to see.
New information is emerging about contract talks between Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh College football Macht ranks the top QBs in the NCAA transfer portal
The 30-day window to enter the NCAA transfer portal opened Monday, and nearly 1,200 college football players are looking for a change of scenery.
Quarter back is one of the most loaded position groups in the portal with more than 80 signal callers looking for a new school, all rated three stars or better in their respective recruiting classes, according to On3. Here’s a look at the top five quarterbacks in Wednesday morning’s transfer portal: 1.
Cameron Ward, Washington State Ward had two strong seasons at Washington State, putting up great numbers (6,966 passing yards, 61 total touchdowns, 16 interceptions) and proving to be one of the most efficient signal callers in the country despite having an average supporting cast at best.
He has a big arm, a quick release and he reads and deals with defenses as well as every QB in the NCAA. 2. Dante Moore, UCLA A former five-star recruit, Moore had a disappointing first season with the Bruins. played nine games, but only had significant playing time in four of them.
