In the last 72 hours, SO much has happened with the Warriors -- Both on the floor, and off. Let's dive into it:
Jan 4: Warriors Collapse in Dramatic Fashion to Denver Nuggets
In what is rivaled by only the in-season tournament game vs SAC as the "worst" loss of the year, the Warriors crumbled against Jokic and the defending-champion Nuggets on Thursday night at Chase Center.
The irony here is that, for three quarters, this game was shaping up to potentially be the best win of the season. The Dubs had one of their coveted dominant third quarters, outscoring Denver 44-24. However in the fourth, the Warriors were outscored 34-20, with a stagnant stretch summed up by a 25-4 run for the Nuggets.
Steve Kerr's coaching ability has been on the hot seat as of late, and critics smelled blood Thursday night as the Warriors' shot caller sat Jonathan Kuminga on the bench for the final 18 minutes of the game. Prior to his benching, Kuminga was up to 16 PTS, 4 REB, and 4 AST -- all the while hunting Denver's star PG Jamal Murray and getting him into foul trouble.
The matchup was eventually capped off by a signature Jokic rainbow-three as the Nuggets punted the Warriors at the buzzer. It turned out, this loss was the straw that broke the camel's back...
Jan 5: Jonathan Kuminga "lost faith" in Steve Kerr
The Athletic's Shams Charania dropped an Absolute bombshell Friday morning following the Nuggets loss, with the headline reading "Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in coach Steve Kerr" (via: The Athletic). The online discourse following the post was heavily in favor of the young Warriors wing:
Fans were also quick to take JK's side:
It's long been clear that Kerr is hesitant to develop young players, instead favoring proven vets that have won titles. In a vacuum, it's tough to argue with this logic, right? However in the Warriors' case, the proven vets (read: Wiggins, Klay, Looney) have been playing below, in some cases far below, their ability this season. During this stretch, young and talented players like Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis surely could have bailed the Warriors out on more than one occasion. But Kerr remained stubborn and coached the Warriors to their demise while the answers were literally sitting on the bench.
With Kuminga's sentiments being made public to social media, it was clear that he either wants his situation to change, or he wants to be playing with a different name on the front of his jersey.
Here are Steph's thoughts on the Kuminga/Kerr situation:
"I’ve been there before, he’s not wrong in being upset and pissed off, wanting to play," Curry said. "[He] probably should have played – not probably, actually [should have played]." (via NBC Sports Bay Area)
Stephen Curry is on JK's side. He's proud of the rook for voicing his frustration, and firmly believes he should be playing more, too.
Jan 5: Warriors Scrape By vs League-Worst Pistons; Kuminga Season-High Minutes, Paul Injured, Moody Summoned
The Warrior's win over the league-worst Detroit Pistons thanks to Steph Curry's 4th quarter heroics was probably the least interesting thing that happened Friday night.
Following Kuminga's comments to the media, it became known that Kuminga and Kerr had a discussion later in the day on Thursday and were able to clear the air. According to Anthony Slater, Kuminga even said "I love it here" following the conversation. Take that as you will... there may be some sarcasm in there, but it calms the storm for now. And, as a result, JK played a season high 35:38 minutes. In this stretch, he recorded 11 PT and 4 REB on a team-high +/- of 16.
After leaving the game due to his hand getting stuck in a Pistons player's jersey, Warrior's second-unit captain Chris Paul was diagnosed with a fracture to his hand. Paul's camp announced that he will undergo surgery.
As mentioned above by our favorite Doc, Nirav Pandya, Paul could be out anywhere from 4-12 weeks, depending on the location and severity of the fracture.
As sure as death and taxes, this means more minutes for Cory Joseph in CP3's absence. On the bright side, it also means more minutes for Moses Moody, who received a summoning from the Warriors home crowd on Friday night as fans chanted "Mooooody" for a solid 90-second stretch. Moody is no stranger to Kerr's stubborn coaching, who despite high-effort defense and timely shot making, has racked up a streak of DNP's - much to fans' dismay. Kerr was essentially bullied into playing Mo against the Pistons, and it's about damn time.
Trade Rumors
According to Michael Grange of sportsnet.ca, the Warriors are still reluctant to move Jonathan Kuminga for star Raptors wing Pascal Siakam, who has been linked to the Dubs as early as last season. It's become evidently clear that while Steve Kerr may not believe in JK's full potential, the Dubs' front office certainly does. With this in mind, it's more likely that Andrew Wiggins would be included in a package to Toronto. Wiggs is from Canada, after all.
Other names to look out for on the trade market are Zach Lavine of the Bulls and Lauri Markkanen of the Jazz, who have both been linked to Golden state over the last week. Markkanen is a near perfect fit, given his size and effortless scoring ability that will substantially increase floor spacing next to Steph. Lavine is talented but a less-ideal fit, due to his high usage rate and the need for the ball to be in his hands to reach peak effectiveness.
One dark horse team to watch is the Brooklyn Nets, who could offer the Warriors a strong defensive big man in Nic Claxton and/or a reliable role player in Spencer Dinwiddie. This is unlikely, though, as the Dubs are already full of depth, and have a promising young and talented big in Trayce Jackson-Davis. What the Dubs really need is a star number two option for Steph.
Because the names mentioned above are all desirable to any contending team, they won't be cheap. The Warriors will need to make tough decisions regarding moving young talent or beloved vets as trade talks continue to heat up with the deadline just four weeks away.
Draymond is (Almost) Back!
According to Shams, Draymond has served his time and is ready to suit up in a Warriors uniform again. It's been reported that Green has not been practicing with the squad since his suspension 12 games ago, so we'll see how long it takes him to get his conditioning back. Love it or hate it, the Warriors miss #23 on the court, and their defense will benefit immensely. A key lineup combo to watch will be Draymond + TJD, who will have a potentially dominant defensive ceiling.
Next Up: Siakam & The Raptors
The timing couldn't be more perfect -- the number one linked name to Golden State will be hooping in San Francisco on Sunday night. With the whirlwind of trade rumors, lineup logjams and general buzz surrounding the Warriors over the last week, the Dubs facing off against Siakam is a must-watch. Tune in at 6:30p PST and be sure not to blink, lest you miss another juicy headline story unfold before your eyes. Oh, and it should be a good game, too.
