The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

[marshdaddy]

TheFinals2.png

Game 3

Cunningham and Thunder hold serve at home

Oklahoma City 116, Memphis 107 (Memphis leads 2-1)

With the game hanging in the balance, Ibraham Mobley (SF, 83) did what he had struggled to do all series: make a timely basket.

After a thunderous Ja Morant (PG, 97) dunk on the head of Cade Cunningham (PG, 92) cut the Thunder lead to 106-103 with two minutes to play, the Thunder called timeout, needing an answer. They had watched a 17-point lead dwindle, much like in the first two games of the NBA Finals when they squandered double-digit advantages. Someone needed to stop the bleeding.

On the ensuing in-bound to Cunningham, Morant and OG Anunoby (SF, 85) swarmed to double him, leaving Mobley wide-open on the left wing. Cunningham lept, firing a precision pass leading Mobley into his shooting motion. But Mobley had been struggling. He shot a combined 13-for-40 in Games 1 and 2, including a paltry 4-for-18 from deep. Game 3, though, was different. Already 2-for-5 from deep, Mobley rose with confidence, burying a decisive three to push the lead to six.

A defensive stand by Jarrett Allen (C, 85) receiving the closing minutes over DeAndre Ayton (C, 91) unlike in Games 1 and 2, got the ball to Donte DiVincenzo (SG, 83). DiVincenzo curled around an Allen screen at the other end before hoisting up and draining an off-balance three to put the game out of reach.

Morant and Cunningham continue to impress in what has been one of the best point guard battles in NBA Finals history. Morant finished with a game-high 38 points along with nine rebounds and six assists and Cunningham scored 32 points with 10 assists in the win. DiVincenzo finished with 22 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF, 88) had 28 points and 11 rebounds.

The Grizzlies lost Dillon Brooks (SG, 84) to knee tendonitis in the first quarter. He is not expected to return.


Instant Reaction

The Ja vs. Cade matchup is living up to its billing. Each elite guard, who has a verifiable claim as best player in the NBA, has been electric. Morant is averaging 35.0-5.3-8.7 while Cunningham is putting together 29.0-4.7-8.3 through three games. They’ve gone toe-to-toe but it seems more than anything they’re just cancelling the other out. It’s been more so about the role players, and the Thunder got more out of theirs.

Mobley becoming an efficient scorer was huge, as 5-for-10 is a huge upgrade from the 6-for-20 and 7-for-20 showings in Game 1. We mentioned that Mobley would need to lower his shots if the Thunder were going to win and he did just that. Ben Simmons and DiVincenzo were both efficient, also huge improvements from the first two games. DiVincenzo went 4-for-15 combined in Memphis while Simmons was 9-for-20.

The loss of Dillon Brooks hurts the Grizzlies here, more than it may seem. We had talked about the Grizzlies being Ja-reliant prior to the series beginning and they may now be even more so. Without Brooks, the Grizzlies don’t have another on-ball creator who can get their offense going. I’m not concerned about Morant scoring, but I am concerned about how they’ll manufacturer offense for the rest of their roster.

Memphis Grizzlies (2-1) at Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2)
Jul 15, 2028 1 2 3 4 Final Memphis 24 25 31 27 107 Oklahoma City 31 24 34 27 116 Top Performers Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant (PG, 97) - 38 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF, 88) - 28 PTS, 11 REB Oklahoma City Thunder Cade Cunningham (PG, 92) - 32 PTS, 2 REB, 10 AST, 7-17 3PT Donte DiVincenzo (SG, 83) - 22 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 8-14 FG (6-11 3PT)	Team Stats Comparison MEM OKC FG Made-Att 41/93 44/94 3PT Made-Att 12/33 19/43 FT Made-Att 13/19 9/12 Rebounds 51 48 Assists 23 38 Turnovers 12 10 Steals 7 7 Blocks 6 3
Memphis Grizzlies STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Ja Morant (97) 42 15-25 2-6 6-7 9 6 1 0 3 38 Dillon Brooks (84) 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OG Anunoby (85) 31 1-3 0-1 0-0 3 0 0 0 2 2 Jaren Jackson Jr. (88) 37 11-22 6-11 0-0 11 0 0 1 2 28 Viktor Pressey (78) 34 4-9 0-0 1-3 14 1 0 3 2 9 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Aleksej Pokusevski (78) 26 2-8 1-5 4-5 3 4 1 1 1 9 Kasey Nixon (76) 21 3-6 2-4 0-0 0 4 1 0 0 8
Oklahoma City Thunder STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Cade Cunningham (92) 32 12-26 7-17 1-2 2 10 0 0 1 32 Donte DiVincenzo (83) 31 8-14 6-11 0-0 7 5 1 0 0 22 Ibraham Mobley (83) 35 5-10 3-6 0-0 6 7 0 0 1 13 Ben Simmons (87) 34 7-10 0-0 0-0 5 9 4 0 1 14 DeAndre Ayton (91) 34 6-20 0-1 2-2 14 0 0 2 3 14 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jarrett Allen (85) 27 3-4 0-0 0-0 9 2 0 1 0 6

Game 4

Thunder blast Grizzlies to even series; Memphis loses Jackson Jr.

Oklahoma City 117, Memphis 85 (Series tied 2-2)

This was the game the Thunder had threatened with. They had built double-digit advantages in each of the first three games of the NBA Finals, but had watched as Memphis had either roared back to win the game, or at least threatened to do so. Game 4 they hung on. After building a 12-point edge after the first quarter, the Thunder continued to attack, outscoring the Grizzlies 27-13 in the second quarter en route to a dominant 117-85 win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, evening the series.

Cade Cunningham (92) guided Oklahoma City yet again, scoring 25 points with five rebounds and eight assists. DeAndre Ayton (90) broke out of his struggles through the first three games, scoring 22 points with 16 rebounds on 8-for-11 shooting. Jarrett Allen (85) added a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double of his own off the bench.

Memphis was led by Ja Morant (97), who scored 25 points, and Kasey Nixon (76), who scored 21 points in his first start of the NBA Finals, filling in for the injured Dillon Brooks (85) (right knee tendonitis).

As the series shifts back to Memphis, the Grizzlies not only will be playing to retain homecourt advantage, but will have to do so without Jaren Jackson Jr. (88). Jackson Jr. suffered a right knee injury of his own in the second quarter that will end his season. Jackson Jr. was enjoying an impressive playoff run, averaging 25.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in the postseason on 52.4% shooting from the floor and 47.9% shooting from deep on 10.4 attempts per game. While his numbers had dipped in the NBA Finals (16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 42.4% FG, 38.9% 3PT), the Grizzlies will now rely even more heavily on Morant to create offense with Brooks also out.

Instant Reaction

For the Thunder, this is the culmination of them finally figuring out how to hold a lead in the NBA Finals. They led by 12 after the first quarter in Game 1 but couldn’t hold on. They led by 12 at halftime in Game 2 and allowed the Grizzlies to storm back and win. In Game 3, they built a 17-point lead in the first half and Memphis still fought back to make things interesting the fourth quarter. Game 4 they put it together for all four quarters. If they can continue to do that in Game 5 in Memphis, they should be able to return home with a 3-2 series lead.

Game 4 was equally heartbreaking for Memphis and surely de-rails what had been one of the best NBA Finals matchups in the past decade. The Grizzlies and Thunder matched up so well across the board, but in consecutive games on the road Memphis saw not only their 2-0 series lead disappear but also their second and third best players. Dillon Brooks was a big loss, but Jaren Jackson Jr. is even bigger. The stretch four had proved to be a perfect pairing for Morant, stretching the floor and preventing opposing defenses to sit in the paint on the pick and roll. Without them, Morant will have to shoulder an even larger load on offense, allowing the Thunder and their swarming defense to force the rest of the Grizzlies’ roster to beat them. Time will tell if they’re able to do so.

Memphis Grizzlies (2-2) at Oklahoma City Thunder (2-2)
Jul 17, 2028 1 2 3 4 Final Memphis 22 13 22 28 85 Oklahoma City 34 27 29 27 117 Top Performers Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant (PG, 97) - 25 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF, 88) - 4 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 12 MIN Oklahoma City Thunder Cade Cunningham (PG, 92) - 25 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST, 1 STL, 4-10 3PT DeAndre Ayton (90) - 22 PTS, 16 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 8-11 FG	Team Stats Comparison MEM OKC FG Made-Att 33/87 38/78 3PT Made-Att 11/46 9/30 FT Made-Att 8/9 32/39 Rebounds 37 61 Assists 26 29 Turnovers 17 16 Steals 9 10 Blocks 2 3
Memphis Grizzlies STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Ja Morant (97) 32 8-16 5-12 4-5 3 7 1 0 2 25 Kasey Nixon (76) 32 8-15 4-9 1-1 1 2 2 0 1 21 OG Anunoby (85) 31 2-4 1-3 0-0 2 3 0 0 3 5 Jaren Jackson Jr. (88) 12 2-9 0-5 0-0 1 1 0 0 0 4 Viktor Pressey (78) 35 2-7 0-0 0-0 11 1 2 1 2 4 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Aleksej Pokusevski (78) 29 1-13 0-6 3-3 3 3 1 0 6 5
Oklahoma City Thunder STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Cade Cunningham (92) 35 9-19 4-10 3-4 5 8 1 0 2 25 Donte DiVincenzo (83) 31 4-7 2-4 6-7 4 1 4 0 2 16 Ibraham Mobley (83) 30 5-12 1-4 2-2 8 5 1 0 1 13 Ben Simmons (87) 31 3-7 0-0 4-7 6 7 2 0 2 10 DeAndre Ayton (91) 32 8-11 0-0 6-6 16 1 1 0 3 22 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jarrett Allen (85) 31 6-9 0-2 5-6 13 1 0 3 2 17

The Athletic.png

NBA Finals instant reaction as series returns to Memphis

Ryen Simons
July 17, 2028

The NBA Finals looks completely different after just two games in Oklahoma City. Not only is the series tied at two games a piece, but the Grizzlies are a shell of what they were entering Game 3, Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr., both key playmakers and shot-takers for Memphis, are lost due to knee injuries and Game 4 proved what the attack options are for Memphis without them.

Ja Morant, who has been electric all series, scored 25 points on 8-for-16 shooting, but 12 of those attempts came from deep. Without Jackson Jr. to space the floor, the Thunder are clogging the paint and forcing Morant to take threes. He’s making them for now, but as those looks become more and more contested, there’s reason to be cautious. Additionally, the opportunities for the rest of the roster have diminished. Aleksej Pokusevski went 1-for-13 in Game 4 after going 2-for-8 in Game 3. Brandon Clarke (79) went 4-for-10 in Game 4 and 2-for-9 in Game 3. Even Viktor Pressey (78), who is not the fulcrum of the Grizzlies’ offense, struggled, going 2-for-7 in Game 4.

Memphis is suddenly relying on Ian Gavel (SF, 75) and Kasey Nixon (SG, 76) to give them big minutes and even start, in Nixon’s position. That is not what they drew up as their path to an NBA title when the series began.

Oklahoma City meanwhile is playing with renewed confidence. Cade Cunningham (92) continues to be the steady drumbeat behind the Thunder’s success, but DeAndre Ayton (90) broke out of his slump to score 22 points in Game 4, his most of the series, on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting. Ibraham Mobley (SF, 84) has also steadied from his early struggles. After going 13-for-40 combined in Game 1 and 2, he went 5-for-10 in Game 3 and 5-for-13 in Game 4, scoring 13 points in each. Those numbers won’t jump off the page, but the Thunder are getting more efficient scoring and not having 8-10 empty possessions a game off a Mobley miss. They’ll certainly take that.

Game 5 is already a must-win for both sides, but it feels doubly so for Memphis, and it’s impossible to ignore the sense that it could be all but over for the Grizzlies.

[RolePlayer]

Damn now I'm jealous you're getting opportunities out here lol

Really like the detail you put into the write up even if your squad isn't in there. Excited to see this offseason think you have some tricks up your sleeve to put this team into contention.

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by RolePlayer

Damn now I'm jealous you're getting opportunities out here lol Really like the detail you put into the write up even if your squad isn't in there. Excited to see this offseason think you have some tricks up your sleeve to put this team into contention.

Haha thanks brother. Off-season should be fun. I still got some posts to wrap up the Finals, but the off-season is shaping up to be a big one. Won’t spoil anything but had a pretty wild couple events occur that will potentially shake up the league.

[marshdaddy]

TheFinals2.png
Game 5

Grizzlies stun Thunder in defensive showdown
Memphis 99, Oklahoma City 79 (Memphis leads 3-2)

Ryen Simons
July 20, 2028

It’s poetic that when the Grizzlies needed a win more than ever in franchise history, they turned to the Grit and Grind mentality that built the franchise’s reputation in the 2010’s. Missing a pair of key pieces and in desperate need of a win to avoid falling down 3-2, Memphis’ defense forced 26 turnovers and held the Thunder to 4-for-22 shooting from deep, propelling the Grizzlies to a 99-79 win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and a 3-2 series advantage.

Ja Morant (97) led the Grizzlies with 29 points, Viktor Pressey (78) scored 16 points with 15 rebounds, and Memphis bottled up Cade Cunningham (92) when they needed to most. Cunningham scored just eight points on 3-for-9 shooting, his fewest points scored since he scored seven against the Trail Blazers on May 19 and just the third time all year he was held to under 10 points. DeAndre Ayton (90) led the Thunder with 35 points and 15 rebounds.

Memphis attacked on defense early, building a 26-9 edge after the first and holding a 59-33 lead at the break. They’d hold on from their despite poor shooting of their own (38% from the floor) to come within a game of the first NBA championship in franchise history.

Instant Reaction

There’s no denying the shock of this win for Memphis. The Grizzlies pestered Cunningham throughout the night, taking the ball out of his hands and into the hands of his supporting cast. Surprisingly, the cast couldn’t answer the bell.

Ibraham Mobley (84) returned to his Game 1 and 2 form, scoring just five points on 2-for-8 shooting and Ben Simmons (86) turned the ball over a game-high seven times. Simmons wasn’t alone though, as Donte Divincenzo (83), Malachi Flynn (77) and C.J. Elleby (77) each had three turnovers a piece.

The Thunder aren’t out of it, but if they plan to keep the series alive for a deciding Game 7, they’ll need to take care of the basketball and prevent the Grizzlies from bottling up their three-point shooting.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2-3) at Memphis Grizzlies (3-2)
July 20, 2028 1 2 3 4 Final Oklahoma City 9 24 21 25 79 Memphis 26 33 22 18 99 Top Performers Oklahoma City Thunder DeAndre Ayton (90) - 35 PTS, 15 REB, 5 BLK, 14-27 FG Ben Simmons (86) - 12 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 7 TO, 5-8 FG Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant (97) - 29 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 5-9 3PT Viktor Pressey (78) - 15 PTS, 16 REB, 8-18 FG	Team Stats Comparison OKC MEM FG Made-Att 31/74 35/91 3PT Made-Att 4/22 12/32 FT Made-Att 13/16 17/22 Rebounds 50 53 Assists 28 22 Turnovers 26 13 Steals 10 13 Blocks 6 3
Oklahoma City Thunder STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Cade Cunningham (92) 33 3-9 2-6 0-0 1 7 3 0 4 8 Donte DiVincenzo (83) 31 1-6 0-4 0-0 2 3 2 0 3 2 Ibraham Mobley (84) 34 2-8 1-1 0-0 5 6 0 0 1 5 Ben Simmons (86) 30 5-8 0-0 2-3 8 6 1 0 7 12 DeAndre Ayton (90) 37 14-27 1-2 6-7 15 0 0 5 2 35 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jarrett Allen (85) 24 3-7 0-1 3-4 11 0 0 1 2 9
Memphis Grizzlies STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Ja Morant (97) 33 9-17 5-9 6-6 3 4 3 0 0 29 Kasey Nixon (76) 33 2-12 2-7 4-7 1 6 1 0 3 10 OG Anunoby (85) 28 1-4 0-2 0-0 6 3 6 1 2 2 Brandon Clarke (79) 30 5-10 2-4 0-0 8 1 0 1 0 12 Viktor Pressey (78) 30 8-18 0-0 0-0 15 0 0 0 2 16 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Aleksej Pokusevski (78) 28 3-8 2-5 7-9 7 2 1 0 0 15

[kibaxx7]

I was gonna say that the Grizzlies were doomed without Brooks and Jaren, but they could do it!

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by spiderxx7

I was gonna say that the Grizzlies were doomed without Brooks and Jaren, but they could do it!

I thought the same thing and was surprised how easily they held Cade in check. Thought for sure the Thunder would roll in Game 5 but they got some key performances from the bench. Ja is making an almost undeniable case that he’s the best player in basketball right now, no matter how this series ends up.

[marshdaddy]

TheFinals2.png

Game 6

Grizzlies outlast Thunder, claim first NBA title

Memphis 117, Oklahoma City 116 (Memphis wins 4-2)

Ryen Simons
July 22, 2028

Next man up. It was the mantra the Grizzlies had adapted since losing two starters in Game 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals and watching a 2-0 series lead evaporate. Their support staff behind Ja Morant (97) had risen to the occasion in Game 5, forcing 26 turnovers as the Grizzlies grinded out a 99-79 win to come within one win of an NBA crown. In Game 6, they turned to their role players yet again.

With the game tied and 32.4 seconds to play, Brandon Clarke (78) darted across the top of the key, dragging his defender, DeAndre Ayton (90), into a screen from Viktor Pressey (78). Ayton went under the screen, leaving Clarke, who had gone 3-15 from deep in the NBA Finals, wide open beyond the arc. Clarke rose without hesitation, the series hanging in the balance, and proceeded to bury a pivotal three and gave the Grizzlies a 116-113 lead, an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish en route to a 117-116 win and their first NBA championship in franchise history.

The Thunder would make it interesting, however, as Kasey Nixon (75) struggled at the free throw line, going 1-for-4 down the stretch and a triple from Cade Cunningham (92) with 5.8 seconds left cut it to one, but a deep three from Cunningham at the buzzer would rim out and the Grizzlies would hang on.

The win is a testament to not only the Grizzlies resiliency, but also to Ja Morant (97), who may have secured the title of best player in the NBA, scoring 30 points on 14-for-18 shooting in the deciding game. He rose to the occasion as the rest of the Grizzlies’ roster seemingly fell apart without him. Rather than fading after losing Game 3 and 4, and Dillon Brooks (85) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (88) in the process, Morant rose, scoring 29 points on 9-for-17 shooting in Game 5 and 30 points with eight assists in the deciding Game 6.

As the NBA enters into what could be a wide-open future, Morant and the Grizzlies have firmly positioned themselves atop the mantle. The Grit and Grind is over. The Grizzlies reign supreme.

Memphis Grizzlies (4-2) at Oklahoma City Thunder (2-4)
Jul 22, 2028 1 2 3 4 Final Memphis 26 28 37 26 117 Oklahoma City 27 26 32 31 116 Top Performers Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant (PG, 97) - 30 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST, 1 STL Brandon Clarke (PF, 78) - 18 PTS, 7 REB, 6-13 FG (3-4 3PT) Oklahoma City Thunder Cade Cunningham (PG, 92) - 21 PTS, 6 REB, 14 AST, 8-15 FG (5-9 3PT) Ibraham Mobley (SF, 84) - 27 PTS, 1 REB, 7 AST, 9-14 FG (5-9 3PT)	Team Stats Comparison MEM OKC FG Made-Att 44/89 43/97 3PT Made-Att 10/29 15/40 FT Made-Att 19/24 15/18 Rebounds 42 53 Assists 23 37 Turnovers 9 13 Steals 7 5 Blocks 4 4
Memphis Grizzlies STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Ja Morant (97) 33 14-18 1-3 1-1 3 8 1 0 0 30 Kasey Nixon (76) 33 7-13 1-3 2-5 1 6 1 0 0 17 OG Anunoby (85) 33 1-3 1-3 1-2 2 1 1 0 4 4 Brandon Clarke (78) 31 6-13 3-4 3-3 7 0 0 0 0 18 Viktor Pressey (78) 28 4-7 0-0 2-2 8 5 2 3 2 10 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Aleksej Pokusevski (78) 29 3-8 0-2 1-1 7 1 1 1 1 7
Oklahoma City Thunder STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Cade Cunningham (92) 36 8-15 5-9 0-0 6 14 0 0 0 21 Donte DiVincenzo (83) 30 5-13 2-8 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 12 Ibraham Mobley (83) 25 9-14 5-9 4-4 1 7 0 0 0 27 Ben Simmons (87) 23 2-8 0-0 0-0 2 4 0 0 3 4 DeAndre Ayton (91) 35 4-15 0-1 5-6 17 2 1 1 2 13 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jarrett Allen (85) 30 10-16 0-2 4-4 16 0 1 2 3 24

[marshdaddy]

NBC Sports Bay Area.png

2028 Warriors Offseason Preview
Plus: a new wrinkle to the franchise

Isaiah Charles
August 1, 2028

I don’t mean to speak in hyperbole, but it’s arguable that this summer poses as one of the most influential in recent Golden State Warriors’ history. After having lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Warriors are at an impasse. For years they meticulously built a roster that blended current stars with future ones, and on the back of Stephen Curry, arguably the best player in the history of the NBA, rattled off eight NBA titles from 2015 to 2027.

But now, that perfectly blended roster is more misshapen than it is perfectly formed. As I mentioned following the Warriors’ defeat in the playoffs, their bench is diluted and they're trying to walk two diverging timelines. This is what makes this offseason so important.

In free agency and the NBA Draft (the Warriors have just a single 2nd round pick) the Warriors must find a way to build a roster that can compete now, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG, 88) in his prime at 30 years old, without sacrificing their future, with Jevon Rolle (PG, 88) and Jonathan Kuminga (SF, 86) still at the beginning of theirs. That is no easy task, but if the Warriors are to succeed, they must find a way to do it through the avenues available.

The NBA Draft

Let’s start with the draft, where the Warriors will have the 7th pick in the 2nd round (39th overall). According to sources, the Warriors are hoping to add playmaking depth or shooting with this pick, and in all likelihood are looking for a player who they feel can step in immediately and offer 10-14 minutes a game, if needed. It’s naive to think the Warriors will find a foundational pick at this point in the draft, but they're hoping it’s not naive to think they might be able to find a player who can offer some type of productivity in the rotation.

As tends to be the case, there have been a handful of names that continue to come up when speaking to the members of the organization, all of whom are seen as 2nd round picks.

Jared Malheur, SF, Indiana, Jr.
At 21 years old. Malheur may be entering the NBA as a nearly finished product, but his impressive three-point shooting and competitive streak on the defensive side of the ball would be an immediate upgrade to a bench that struggled to find shooting beyond Keon Granger (SF, 78) and Miles Bramos (SG, 75) off the bench.

Ryan Declerq, SG, Cal, Jr.
Like Malheur, Declercq is an older prospect who also is an incredibly potent shooter, arguably the best in the draft. He is a liability still on the defensive end, but if surrounded by good defenders could provide immediate rotational shooting.

Lovro Pavic, PG, Croatia, 21 years old
Continuing in the older prospect vein, Pavic is the name I’ve heard the most. He’s a smaller guard, at 6’2” and 175 pounds, but is a feisty defender (1.5 steals) and sees the court incredibly well (5.9 assists). He’s just a good enough shooter that the Warriors may be willing to play him alongside Rolle, opening up a few more minute opportunities for him.

Free Agency

After sneaking under the luxury tax last year, the Warriors find themselves with the non-taxpayer mid level exception, a huge asset that has previously been unavailable to them. That opens up a large swath of players that they otherwise would be unable to sign.

Jalen Suggs, PG, 84 overall
Suggs is one of the hotter commodities on the free agent market in large part because of the sense there is more to be discovered with him since he’s spent his entire career coming off the bench in New York. Suggs would be an immediate boost to the Warriors’ lack of playmaking, though it would make for an intriguing fit, as Gilgeous-Alexander would likely move to the small forward position assuming Suggs is demanding a starting role wherever he goes.

There are reports that there is mutual interest between the Warriors and Suggs, who has reportedly included the Magic, Thunder, Pelicans, Mavericks and Sonics as his preferred destinations. His price tag would likely mean the Warriors would only be able to acquire him via a sign-and-trade, which would send at least Granger and Bramos to the Knicks to complete the deal, further hurting the depth the Warriors are desperate to improve.

It would be interesting to see how tenable a three-guard starting lineup could be, but Gilgeous-Alexander is big enough with a 6'11" wingspan that he may be able to take on bigger wings at the three. A lineup with Rolle, Suggs, Gilgeous-Alexander and Kuminga would be potent with four player capable of taking defenders off the dribble.

This year’s free agent class is not missing good wings, but I’m told the Warriors are looking to fully exhaust the financial assets available to them, as the Suggs acquisition would not involve them using the full mid level exception. The issue with this year’s class is that at the wing, the best players available are restricted free agents, meaning the Warriors may not end up getting their top target.

Shane Ruffin (SG, 79) from Indiana and Mate Delgado (SF, 82) would be ideal fits in Golden State as capable 3-and-D threats off the bench. Delgado is almost certainly going back to Washington as the Wizards continue their rebuild, but there is some sense that Ruffin may be getable.

The Pacers’ salary sheet is growing, with Jace Redding (SF, 86) already locked up on a long-term deal, Domantas Sabonis (PF, 87) is a pending free agent, and Brighton Reed (PG, 85) eligible for a rookie extension. That doesn’t mention the other young talents who will need to be paid in the near future, like C.J. McCoy (SG, 86), or the ones with $10 million annual deals to their names, like Caleb Love (SG, 82) and Elton Dawkins (C, 81). The Pacers do need wing depth, but for a smaller market team there is reason to be concerned about forking out another $10 million to another bench player.

Zain Shipp (SG, 77) is seen as a potential target for the Warriors should they look to improve their guard depth, but at 6’3” he’s not as capable of switching up to the three, which is where the Warriors will likely target. The most ideal forward target is Jalen McDaniels, (SF, 77) who comes with a lower likely price tag but can play the three and the four, something they may be seeking to backup Kuminga. That also means the Warriors wouldn’t be fully exercising the mid-level exception, which the organization seems committed to doing if it means better competing for an NBA title.

Whoever the Warriors draft and sign will need to fill big shoes. They got limited production from last year’s draft class, mainly due to the injury to Keon Fogg (SG, 72) and inexperience of Kenny Fielder (PF, 71), the team’s other first round pick and Randall Williams-King (PF, 70), a mid-second round pick, and barely adequate production from their free agent signings, as Terrance Braun (C, 75) played a serviceable 14 minutes a game but Cameron Johnson (PF, 76) struggled to find his role. They can’t afford to have either of those instances repeat themselves, or else they’ll be looking at yet another early playoff exit and another summer with high stakes.

In other Warriors-related news:

Orlando Magic name De’Anthony Carrol as new President of Basketball Operations

The Orlando Magic announced the hiring of De’Anthony Carrol as the new President of Basketball Operations. The Magic parted ways with former leader Andre Chase after the team was eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Carrol spent the last seven years working his way up through the Golden State Warriors organization, most recently serving as General Manager under Rhadi Staley. Carrol has become a well-respected name in NBA circles and was a finalist for the same President of Basketball Operations position with the Seattle Sonics last summer.

Sources with knowledge of the hiring say the expectation is that Carrol will likely clean out much of the coaching and player development staffs. Carrol earned a reputation as a talented player developer, having helped Jonathan Kuminga and Jevon Rolle grow into their current statuses as All Star and All-NBA talents.

Author’s note
This will be a new and minor wrinkle to the franchise. Moving forward, I’ll subtly operate the Magic as well. Golden State will be the priority and I won’t play any games for Orlando, but I will handle hiring, scouting, drafting, budgeting, roster construction and rotations, as possible. It’s not dissimilar to how I do 30-team control during the summer and make trades during the season, but will have just a little more control over the team during the season itself. This will be more full-GM mode rather than playing games and making very detailed rotations.

I won’t provide updates focused on the Magic like I do for the Warriors, unless it warrants it, like I have in the past. In truth, there shouldn’t be much change to the franchise itself and will really just be a side project to see if I can make the Magic a title team, since they’ve been on the cusp so far, and be a mini challenge, like a side quest if you will.