The Warriors are in the market for an athletic center, NBA Insider Chris Haynes said during an appearance on Amazon Prime (Twitter video link). Haynes pointed out a number of issues that the Warriors have regarding their interior players.
“They are looking for size and athleticism,” he said (hat tip to Real GM). “You look at the Warriors – rebounding and blocked shots, they’re in the bottom half of the league. And points in the paint, they are dead last. So they are looking for an athletic center.”
Haynes named the Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, the Nets’ Nic Claxton, and the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams as potential targets.
“I was told they are really serious and they are trying to do everything they can to try to get the team back to being of the caliber of a championship contending-type,” Haynes added.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Heading into their rematch with the Suns on Saturday, the Warriors are saddled with a 13-15 record and a three-game losing streak. They lost to Phoenix 99-98 on Thursday and are 5-10 in clutch games, defined by games in which the score is within five points during the final five minutes. “If you’re gonna be a good team, you’re able to overcome all of that,” Stephen Curry said, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “We’re obviously not a good team right now because of what our record says and the fact that we found ourselves in these kind of positions.”
- In a similar vein, coach Steve Kerr felt his team displayed poor body language while getting outscored 53-45 during the second half on Thursday. “I thought we let our shoulders drop a little bit,” Kerr said. “Energy, spirit, let ourselves feel sorry for ourselves a little bit when they made their run. I’m really proud of the guys, the way they fought, and gave ourselves a chance, but we’ve just got to be sharper — 20 turnovers for 30 points. So we’ve got to be sharper with the ball. We’ve got to be better with our body language and our energy.”
- The Warriors need Draymond Green, in particular, to cut down on his sloppy play, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. He notes that Green has committed a whopping 13 turnovers over the last two games.
- Jonathan Kuminga played for the first time in nearly two weeks against Phoenix. He logged 10 minutes with Curry and Green on the court. “It felt good,” Kuminga said, per Friedell. “I feel like I fit perfect with them. I’ve been playing with them for a couple years now. I know how they play and I know where to be when they’re playing when we’re on the floor.”
- Kuminga is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15, but says he’s not thinking dwelling on the possibility of being dealt. “I don’t look at that,” Kuminga said. “I think when it comes, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I don’t put my mind focusing on that. Because it’s gonna take me out of (the present) so I don’t even think about stuff like that. I just focus on how I’mma get on that floor, when I get on that floor, what am I going to do to help us win and stuff like that? That’s actually what’s been on my mind … just go out there and compete and find a way.”