Chase to Charlotte, Klay “No Duh” to Barkley, Kuminga a 4

[notes/quotes/video dump postgame MIA to pregame CHA]

The following is in reverse chronological order to catch you up on all the info. Fyi there’s a new video that’s actually Phoenix-related (late post), too:

STEVE(S) PREGAME CHA

DISCLAIMER: These are all just notes for my main workflow of YouTube videos, tweeted by beatwriters, as listed, or transcribed by me. I used to transcribe every interview but it became too tedious and not worth the investment for the small amount of views we got on the soundbites on YouTube. The links to the tweets are not available because sometimes I don’t use the full tweet and just having a ton of tweets on this website imo isn’t aesthetically pleasing and gets away from the main goal: transferring information (not so much entertainment) to the brains of DubNation asap.

• Terry Rozier and Cody Martin have been downgraded to out for tonight's game against Golden State (per Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford). Hornets will be shorthanded again. (Rod Boone)

• Steve Kerr says all of his players are active tonight against the Hornets. Any rest for tomorrow (b2b at Detroit) will be determined after the game. (Kendra Andrews)

• On Steph Curry playing in Charlotte: “He's a hometown hero here, but he seems to be a hero everywhere he goes.” (Dalton Johnson)

• On Looney: “Reliable force…when you watch the tape…rock solid…more comfortable…in a leadership role.” (me)

• On Kuminga’s role this season: “He’s a 4 right now. He still has a lot of growth ahead of him skill wise. In the future I could see him playing 3 or 4. But right now, for this team, with the lineups we need spacing, which puts him at the 4…similar to where Looney was, Jordan (Poole) was…it just takes time…when Jordan came onboard he was thrust into the rotation…we’re the defending champs (so there’s not a lot of minutes to go around).” (Anthony Slater, me)

• On Steve Clifford: “defensive schemes are really sharp.” (me)

STEPH POSTGAME MIA

• Stephen Curry on Klay's mood today: “He wouldn’t stop talking all day pretty much. Had a good energy about him.” (95.7 The Game)

• On getting Klay the ball: “A good rule of thumb is to get Klay shots. That’s usually a good decision most nights.” (Janie McCauley)

• On Charles Barkley saying that Klay Thompson isn't the same player, which upset Klay: “It's interesting because certain guys kind of forget what their careers looked like on the backend.” (Kylen Mills)

• On staying in his prime: “I’m stubborn enough to think that I can do this for a lot more years.” (95.7 The Game)

• Curry said that his move on Tyler Herro is something he worked on over the summer, and that his trainer had already texted him noting the pattern: “It's the reps you do all summer long that comes out based on reads.” (Kendra Andrews)

• In response to Draymond Green saying Curry continues to get better, Curry said he hasn't added anything to his game but instead has focused on staying efficient and consistent with his skillset. The biggest area Curry says he's actually improved on is his strength. (Kendra Andrews)

• Curry’s message to Jonathan Kuminga after a DNP tonight: “We’ve all been there…I hope he's pissed off about it. I hope he's frustrated because that's what's going to make it worth it when it comes his way.” (Anthony Slater, NBCSBA)

DRAY POSTGAME MIA

• Draymond Green says it was a tale of two halves for the Warriors’ defense. The team's demeanor in the second half was the key to victory. He says in the first half the Warriors were feeling sorry for themselves - in the second they picked their heads up & fought. Green says the second unit brought the energy: “In the first half, our energy wasn’t there. … We’re not in a rut, but we just feel like we’re not playing to the level that we’re capable of.” (CJ Holmes, Kylen Mills, 95.7 The Game)

• On Steph: “He continues to improve, which is scary.” (Dalton Johnson)

• On Curry's shot over Tyler Herro: “Sh-t, (Herro) almost fell...once he got Tyler to open his back leg up, he was kind of dead at that point…(Curry's) stuff is incredible.” (KNBR, Kendra Andrews)

• On Wiseman: “He is a key part of that second unit…learning how to use his size. I have no doubt in my mind that he will continue to improve…Wise brings something that no on else on our team brings. That combination of athleticism, size, skill — no one else has that…I don’t really care how steady he stays. Kid’s 22-23 years old…you do all you can to reach your potential…if he’s doing that, he’s selling himself short.” (me, Kylen Mills)

• On Steph “identifying what’s going on on the game…get whatever it is that he wants…for whoever it is…he made it a point going to Klay…unlocks an entirely different part of this team that makes us unstoppable…I don't think there's a shot that Steph Curry takes and somebody says 'oh he can't make that'...He's one special player for sure.” (me, Kylen Mills)

• On Kerr saying they needed this win before the road trip: “We call that the getaway game…life on the road in the NBA…look forward to (the youngsters) having that experience.” (me)

• Draymond on if Steph’s improvement at this age is mental or physical: “Steph used to have irrational confidence. He doesn’t quite have irrational confidence anymore. He has earned confidence that we all know and expect…you kill the mind, the body dies…any shot he takes now is warranted.” (me, KNBR, 95.7 The Game)

• On Jordan Poole: “this year he’s expected to get everyone involved while scoring…different group than you’ve played with before.” (me)

KLAY POSTGAME MIA

• Klay Thompson on playing a season-high 29 minutes: “It's so great and it's a huge building block for me. It's the best I've felt conditioning-wise.” (Kendra Andrews)

• Klay on his current shooting struggles: “If I’m not out there shooting, then I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do…I’m gonna let it fly every time I’m open…I know I’m due for a very big shooting night soon…I’ll break out of it.” (95.7 The Game)

• Klay said he blacked out and doesn’t really remember the specifics of the trash talk between him and Devin Booker, but when asked about the four rings comment: “Sounds like I was stating facts.” (Anthony Slater)

• Klay says Devin Booker was one of the first guys to text him when he tore his Achilles: “Sometimes our emotions get the best of us. I love competing with Devin. He was one of the first people to text me after I tore my Achilles, said the shooting guard battle won’t be the same. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, when he did that it meant a lot to me.” (NBCSBA, KNBR)

• On Charles Barkley’s comments, who said on TNT after the loss at Phoenix that Thompson isn’t the same player coming off his injuries, unsolicited as Klay walked off the podium: “It hurts when someone like Charles, with the platform he has, says you’re not the same player. It’s like, ‘No duh, man.’ I tore my ACL and Achilles in consecutive years and still helped the team win a championship. It hurt hearing that. Man, I put in so much freaking effort to get back to this point, it’s hard to even put into words what I did to be the player I am today. I played 57 games in three years: Give me some freaking time to get that back. To hear someone say that … who goes through something like that and comes back (better)? I don’t know, it just hurt my heart hearing that. But I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me to be even better.

I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year and I feel like I was a huge part of it. I’m not going to let these injuries be a crutch for me. I’m going to have a great year -- bet on that.” (Ron Kroichick)

WIGGS POSTGAME MIA

• Andrew Wiggins feels like he's been solid on the glass through the Warriors' first five games but knows there's another level he can reach. He had a game-high 10 rebounds in Thursday's win over Miami. Golden State had a 50-31 advantage in the backboards. (CJ Holmes)

• On the Warriors' best defensive effort of the season: “For sure. We communicated better and we were on a string.” (95.7 The Game)

• On Steph Curry: “When he gets in that mode, it’s like a video game. … That’s why he’s one of the GOATs.” (95.7 The Game)

WISEMAN POSTGAME MIA

KERR/WIGGS/STEPH POSTGAME MIA

• Jordan Poole interrupts Andrew Wiggins' interview on the court with NBCSBA to let him know he got a double-double: “DOUBLE-DOUBLE, 18 and 10!"

• Steph Curry on NBATV with Dennis Scott: “This how we've done it since we've been playing together. We find that balance... For Klay, it's big picture mode.” (NBATV)

• Steve Kerr thought this was the Warriors' best defensive game of the season. He knows that isn't saying much, but it's a step in the right direction: “I thought it was our best defensive game, which isn’t saying much given the other four. Other than a few careless turnovers, I think it was our best game we've played at both ends.” (CJ Holmes, Ron Kroichick, Alex Espinoza, Kendra Andrews)

• Kerr on Steph Curry’s performance: “Steph was just sublime. What he’s doing is incredible. He just gets by anybody. It doesn't matter who's on him, he gets right into the teeth of the defense, finishes, finds guys. He's been spectacular here to start the year.” (95.7 The Game, Janie McCauley)

• On Klay Thompson: “His energy in the second half picked up and Steph helped get him going…Steph has always been a guy who is very conscientious & wants his teammates to do well. He's always thinking about his teammates.” (95.7 The Game, Kylen Mills)

• On Kuminga's DNP: “It's hard to play more than 10 guys, it just is. … Jonathan’s time will come. He’s a very young player, very talented, he’s just got to keep working and things will go well for him as long as he stays on the path…He’s not happy and I don’t want him to be happy. I want all of my guys to want to be out there.” Kerr says what others bring in the rotation - Moody's floor spacing, JaMychal Green's defense, etc. - made more sense tonight. (95.7 The Game, Jason Dumas, Kylen Mills, KNBR)

STEVE PREGAME MIA

• Steve Kerr on James Wiseman: “Thrilled with his development. He works so hard… A lot to like but a lot to work on too. Defensively he has a lot to catch up on.” (95.7 The Game)

• Donte DiVincenzo is unlikely to play on the road trip: “Hamstrings are tricky. There’s no point in falling behind on that by pushing the envelope.” Ryan Rollins and Patrick Baldwin, Jr. will join the team on the road trip. (Anthony Slater, Jason Dumas, Alex Espinoza)

• Ty Jerome will be getting some burn again: “With Donte out he’s gonna be getting minutes…We need another playmaker with Jordan (Poole) on the floor. That’s why Ty is here. He’s a two way guy but he’s a proven NBA player.” (Alex Espinoza, Jason Dumas)

• Klay Thompson’s minute restriction will be bumped up to 27-28 minutes tonight, Kerr says. Draymond Green will play about 30 minutes: “Klay's in a good mood. He's ready to go. 78 more (games to go)…He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great all the time.” Says these guys are “close to where they need to be.” (Kendra Andrews, NBCSBA, Alex Espinoza, Kerith Burke)

👍👍💛💙