Dub Hub: Steve Kerr not surprised by Steph Curry’s ‘magical’ performance

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Wednesday, December 20th.

Warriors News:

Steve Kerr: “Nothing shocks me with Steph“

Shaquille O’ Neal on Steph Curry’s GOAT case: “I’ve never seen a guy like him”

Trayce Jackson-Davis breaks down his highlight block

Warriors rip win from the Celtics in overtime as their youth emerges again | The Athletic

Both Paul and Curry appear comfortable operating with Jackson-Davis in the pick-and-roll and even Thompson is finding a groove using the rookie big as a drop-off outlet.

“I’ve been pretty easy on him,” Paul said. “I finally sort of went nuts on him in Portland. Then he just started killing. I’m not saying that’s why, but I think he has the capability of what you’ve seen. … He changes shots. His athleticism is something we need.”

Two of the three blocks were eye-popping. Jaylen Brown was victimized both times. He came weak side to pin a layup against the glass and then came all the way over to stuff a dunk in overtime, revving up the crowd both times. The Warriors entered the night 28th in the NBA in team blocks.

NBA’s Joe Dumars talks Draymond Green, Pistons’ skid, potential In-Season Tournament tweaks | The Athletic

“We didn’t want to get focused on just a number,” Dumars said. “You put 5, 10, 15, 20 — whatever you put — that becomes the focus. Everybody focuses on that many games, as opposed to ‘Draymond, take some time off, get yourself right, whatever you need to do. Get your help, and get yourself right.’ And (we) didn’t want him to feel, ‘Well, I have to hurry up and do this now because I have, whatever, 5, 10, 15, 20 games.’ And so there is no minimum threshold.

“The only thing we really want to see him do is get better so when he comes back, we’re not dealing with the same issues over and over again. And so that was the whole purpose behind indefinite, and when he is ready, then he’ll come back. When we feel like he’s ready, he’ll come back. When the team feels like he’s ready, he’ll come back.”

A breakdown of Steph Curry’s consecutive made three-pointer streak

NBA News:

Ja Morant returns from suspension, nails buzzer-beater for win | ESPN

With 9.6 seconds remaining in his delayed season debut, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant fought fatigue after carrying his team back from a 24-point deficit to tie the score against the New Orleans Pelicans. As he used a massage gun on his calves, which he said he felt starting to cramp during the timeout, Morant suggested a playcall: a post-up for power forward Jaren Jackson Jr.

Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, sensing the moment and having seen Morant take over down the stretch, immediately rejected that plan.

“He told me, ‘F--- no, you get the ball,’” Morant said after the Grizzlies’ 115-113 winTuesday night. “So at that point, I pretty much just had to lock in and go deliver. And I did.”

Want your NBA team to rebuild? Take a good, long look at the Pistons first | The Athletic

If you’re wondering why teams fight rebuilding scenarios tooth and nail, often waiting until the situation seems virtually hopeless and there’s no other way out, this year’s Pistons are the reason why. Especially in a league with flatter draft lottery odds, the rewards for going full-on Process are limited. Rebuilding sometimes means a couple of lean years and then a quick rebound to relevance spring-boarded by hitting on stars in the draft, but often, it means something much more dire. The 2023-24 Detroit Pistons are the perfect example.

Paul George Explains The Intricacies of NBA Defenses & Terminology | Podcast P Show

NBA All-Star voting is now open

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

How the Warriors used classic hits to put the Celtics away

Going back to the topic of the Celtics choosing to play drop coverage against Curry — something they’ve previously done against him, most notably during the 2022 NBA Finals — it certainly played a part in Curry getting hot and drilling bucket after bucket in crunchtime.

After a game where he went 0-for-8 on threes, Curry only needed to see a couple of threes go in before the status quo was restored. You can point to an otherwise nondescript possession during the third quarter that most likely lit the flame underneath him:

Warriors overcome injuries, fouls for comeback OT win over Boston

Steph Curry did not forget how to shoot three-pointers, starting a new streak after his old one ended Sunday in Portland. After Curry hit his first three-pointer, announcer Reggie Miller announced, “He will never miss again the rest of his career.”

Klay Thompson appears to be Klay Thompson again, shooting 36-73 in his last four games and 23-46 from deep. Could he have taken a polar bear plunge into San Francisco Bay to reset his shooting stroke last week?

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.