Casspi’s return visit to the Bay Area with Grizzlies has a nice ring to it.
OAKLAND >> The Warriors wrapped up practice Sunday afternoon. Here are three takeaways from the session.
THE RETURN OF OMRI CASSPI >> The Warriors will tonight present Casspi, who signed with the Grizzlies over the summer, with his championship ring from last season. The Warriors’ decision to sign Casspi last summer was heralded by much of the league, because of his basketball IQ, combined with his ability to integrate into the team’s offense.
“I enjoyed coaching Omri,” Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said. “He really fit our system, our style well. He’s such a great cutter. It was fun watching him play with our other guys because of his ability to read situations.”
However, injuries and inconsistent play hampered Casspi for much of his lone season with the Warriors. Adding to his poor play was the rise of point guard Quinn Cook, who averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds over the final month of the season.
Cook’s play, combined with Stephen Curry’s knee injury, forced the Warriors to turn his two-way contract into a guaranteed deal for the playoffs, leading Casspi to be cut to make room for the move.
“It just didn’t work out,” Kerr said. “I felt horrible for him that it didn’t work out at the end of the season when we had no choice.” KERR IMPRESSED WITH MEMPHIS’ START >> Despite predictions of a down year, the Grizzlies have won five of their first seven games, becoming one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference this season.
“They look like the Grizzlies,” Kerr said. “They play differently but with (Mike) Conley healthy, he’s one of the best point guards in the league — (Marc) Gasol is playing great... they’ve made some nice additions to the team.”
The Grizzlies start is noteworthy considering how they finished last season. Nineteen games into the 2017-18 season, they fired head coach David Fizdale, despite injuries to Gasol and Conley. With interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff at the helm, the team finished with 22-60 record — a far cry from the team that made the playoffs seven straight seasons. This year, with Bickerstaff now the head coach, the Grizzlies have flourished with the additions of Casspi and former Spurs’ forward Kyle Anderson. With Conley and Gasol healthy, the team could be a factor in the postseason.
“They’re a team that I think everybody slept on because of what happened last year,” Kerr said. “It’s a good reminder that these guys have been good for a long time.”
LATEST ON SHAUN LIVINGSTON >> Livingston (foot) will miss his fifth straight game tonight. While Kerr said the 13-year guard is feeling a lot better, he still needs to a few practice days to get back in game shape.
In four games this season, Livingston, 33, is averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. With Livingston out, rookie Jacob Evans, Andre Iguodala and Alfonzo McKinnie should continue to get an uptick in minutes.