Dub Hub: Steve Kerr concerned with Warriors ‘lacking confidence’ after 2-5 homestand

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Thursday, January 11th.

Steve Kerr following 36-point loss vs. Pelicans: “I think we’re just lacking confidence right now“

Stephen Curry acknowledges Warriors might need shakeup | ESPN

At this point in the season — with a 17-20 record and in 12th place in the Western Conference one month from the trade deadline — those answers might be found only by a shakeup.

“It’s pretty evident that if things stay the same, that’s the definition of insanity, right? Keep doing the same thing but expecting different results,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said.

Notable numbers behind the Warriors’ struggles this season | ESPN

13: The lack of continuity in its starting five could be one reason for Golden State’s troubles. The Warriors have started 13 different lineups this season — the ninth most overall — including four different ones in the past six games.

Injuries and the suspension of Green have contributed to Golden State’s issues, but the core lineup of Curry, Green, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wigginsalso has struggled.

In 113 minutes this season, it has a net efficiency of minus-9.8, which ranks 37th out of 45 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes. For comparison: Last season, that group’s net efficiency was plus-21.9 in 331 minutes, ranking first out of 102 lineups to play at least 100 minutes.

All-Star Guard Named as Possible Warriors Trade Target | Sports Illustrated

During a recent episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater spoke on this upcoming trade deadline for the Warriors, and dropped one unexpected name as someone to monitor.

“People talk about Atlanta, well Atlanta is kinda reverting into more rebuild mode, so they might trade Dejounte Murray - by the way, who is another name. I know he’s more of a guard, but that’s a name to at least monitor on the Warriors front,” Slater said.

Moses Moody will get an MRI after suffering strained calf

NBA News:

Kawhi Leonard signs 3-year, $153M extension with Clippers, sources say | ESPN

Sources told Wojnarowski that the deal will pay Leonard $52 million in the first year and approximately $50 million per season over the next two years. The extension does not include a player option, according to Wojnarowski.

Leonard is in the midst of a one of his healthiest and productive seasons as a Clipper, and the extension ensures the Clippers will have their franchise star as they move into their new Intuit Dome next season.

The Clippers also are having ongoing extension talks with Paul George and want to have both of their stars lined up on longer-term contracts, sources told Wojnarowski.

USA Basketball will begin official recruiting process soon, with ‘player pools’ on the horizon again | The Athletic

But, those sources said, USA Basketball will begin reaching out to potential prospects before January is out, running through between 35 and 40 names on a master list of players who primarily are Olympic or World Cup vets, many (but not all of them) stars, with room potentially for a few players who perhaps don’t check any of those boxes.

At least a few of the names on that list, the sources said, will be players from the 2023 World Cup team that finished fourth last summer, and the list is expected to be announced in the coming days or weeks.

Netflix to create NBA-centered Docuseries

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Player grades: Warriors vs. Pelicans

Brandin Podziemski

25 minutes, 2 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-6 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 16.7% TS, -31

Probably the worst game of young Podziemski’s career. He couldn’t find a rhythm, and forced some bad shots. He made some inexplicable turnovers, which I’ve been so impressed at his ability to avoid. He got absolutely cooked on defense.

There’s some comfort in the fact that he still plays with heart and energy, and gobbles up boards even when other parts of his game aren’t going well. But this showing belongs in the “shake it off” bin.

Grade: D

Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds, worst plus/minus on the team.

Spoelstra extension sets bar for Steve Kerr deal

Kerr has a better recent resume than any of them. He’s won four titles and made the NBA Finalssix times in nine-plus seasons with Golden State. Compare that to Pop, who has five titles but hasn’t won a playoff series since 2017, or won a championship since 2014. Spoelstra is clearly a great coach, with six Finals appearances of his own, but just two titles. Williams has one Finals appearance, though he essentially got his enormous deal to lure him to Detroit - the Phoenix Suns were already paying him $21 million dollars for the next three years on his old contract.

That means Kerr is due a raise on his next coaching contract, as his Warriors deal expires at the end of this season. Will that be with the Warriors? Kerr has maintained that he’s “comfortable”coaching on an expiring deal. Team president Bob Myers was on an expiring deal last season and he ended up leaving, though with Kerr, there haven’t been the same rumblings of discontent, or Joe Lacob’s unwillingness to meet his contract demands.

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