Warriors deal, draft way out of crisis
Wing more than just Curry’s buddy
In many ways, Stephen Curry is the ideal company man: In addition to being one of the best in the world at what he does, he seizes almost any opportunity to praise his employers, never gets into trouble, and receives national attention for his charity work and social activism.
But in February 2014, after the Warriors traded Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks to the Lakers for Steve Blake, Curry interrupted Golden State general manager Bob Myers’ news conference at Oracle Arena to yell, “It’s a business!” This was Curry’s notsosubtle way of voicing his displeasure with the Warriors dealing away one of his closest friends in Bazemore.
Over the past sixplus years, as Bazemore bounced between the Lakers, Hawks, Trail Blazers and Kings, he and Curry often thought about how fun it’d be to be teammates again on the War
vamped of late.
One particular image comes to mind: Green, who loves to lead the fast break as he steams down the middle of the floor, has James Wiseman on his left, ready to throw down a massive lob-dunk. On his right, Kelly Oubre, a spectacular finisher in his own right. That sounds like a lot of fun. 1 Before the pandemic shutdown, Green said this about teammate Andrew Wiggins: “I think he can be an All-Defensive player. As a leader of this team, that’s one of the things I really want to push him on. He has all the tools, the athleticism. Reminds me a lot of Kevin ( Durant) as a defender, where they’re both long and lanky, but agile. And Kevin is a great defender.”
So how’s this for an alldefense/ highenergy unit when the Warriors need to get tough: Green, Wiseman, Oubre, Kent Bazemore and Wiggins. Aggressive, committed defense has been known to be a genuine cure for malaise. 1 When it comes to finding a goto shooter in desperate times, there hasn’t been anything quite like the combination of Durant, Thompson and Stephen Curry. How does that unfold this season? And who is unquestionably reliable from 3point range? The answer in both cases is Curry, with no other clear candidate. His offball movement will be paramount.
Videos have surfaced of Wise man working on his “handle,” and it’s fascinating to behold. There isn’t an angry opponent in his way — say, Kawhi Leonard or Bam Adebayo — but Wiseman has a sweetlooking crossover dribble and takes it effortlessly between his legs with either hand. Impressive for a man standing 7foot1. 1 He’s a lucky man, Mr. Wiseman. If he’d been taken anywhere else among the first nine picks in the draft, he’d be stuck with a lousy team and probably obliged to become a 3point shooter as soon as possible. Head coach Steve Kerr leans toward a player’s strength, and he values the midrange shot like few others in his profession.
When it comes to developing a 12to 15foot jumper in the NBA, Wiseman doesn’t have to convince ESPN’s Jay Bilas. “He can shoot it,” Bilas said on draft night. “He’s got a good shooting touch.” 1 Safe prediction: Green will be spending a lot of time around Wiseman, letting the rookie know that behind his gruff, unforgiving nature on the court, Green is one of the NBA’s smartest players and a very good teacher. Wiseman’s stance should be exactly that taken by Oubre, who told the Athletic, “I want to have a conversation with ( Green), just to let him know, ‘ Bro, you can come at me.’ Like you can get on my ass and tell me that I need to be better, and I won’t take it personally. Because I understand that’s what it takes to win.” 1 The NBA couldn’t afford to prioritize the Olympics in drawing up this season’s schedule, so don’t expect a starstudded cast in Tokyo. The NBA Finals could end as late as July 22, just one day before the Games begin ( if they take place at all). This directly affects Curry, who has played on USA international teams but not in the Olympics. Just guessing, but for any player whose team advances into the second round of the playoffs, the Olympics would probably be out. 1 So you’re an A’s fan, in an endless state of depression over John Fisher’s inexcusably detached ownership of the team. Crazy, isn’t it, how some of the world’s wealthiest people could be so tight with a dime? Then there’s Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, about to manage a wildly overbearing payroll — it could soar as high as $ 300 million, including the luxury tax — with no promise of a playoff team or packed houses at Chase Center. It’s often been reported that Lacob would like to buy the A’s, and although the timing seems a bit awkward just now, it never hurts to dream.