Dub Hub: Steph Curry frustrated by ‘inconsistent’ foul calls in loss vs. Lakers

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Monday, January 29th.

Warriors News:

Steph Curry speaks on the ‘inconsistency’ after attempting only three free-throws in 43 minutes

Steve Kerr shares his thoughts on the Warriors-Lakers free-throw disparity

The Warriors are spiraling but may have finally found a lineup to drag them out of it | The Athletic

But circumstances change and Green changes circumstances. Because he holds up the backline and gives any lineup an extra ballhandler at the center spot, lineup combinations that include Kuminga, Wiggins and Green (without an extra big) appear to be working. In 77 minutes together since Green has been back, the Kuminga and Wiggins combination is a plus-27. But it’s deeper — 66 of those 77 minutes are also with Green. That trio is a plus-41.

This reality has led Kerr to his latest starting lineup, which profiles as their best chance to find a sustainable five-man unit that can both score and defend, start and finish: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Kuminga and Green. Expect them to stick with it for the foreseeable future.

“We’re trying to maximize the number of possessions that those guys play together,” Kerr said. “We’re in a position now with Wiggs playing at a high level and JK having come around, Klay, Steph, Draymond back after the suspension. We’re in a position where we can put those guys together and it’s probably our best five. So we want to maximize the number of possessions they have together.”

LeBron, Steph reflect on their epic battles after latest thriller | NBC Sports Bay Area

It was the latest chapter of a years-long saga between the two greats, with each showcasing why they’re considered among the best basketball players of all time. The privilege of playing against Curry isn’t lost on James, as he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game.

“It’s something that you will truly take all in when you’re done playing and be able to watch with your grandkids and say that I played against one of the best players to ever play this game,” James told Salters of Curry. “Steph, after the game, came to me and said, ‘How does it keep getting better? How do we keep getting better?’

“I think it’s just a true testament to us putting the work in and being true to the game ... and just getting back to it.”

NBA announces dates for the Warriors’ rescheduled games

NBA News:

Sources - NBA commissioner Adam Silver finalizing extension | ESPN

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is finalizing a contract extension that is expected to take him through the end of the decade, sources told ESPN on Saturday.

The completion of formal negotiations with the board of governors on a new deal keeps Silver — nearing his 10th anniversary as commissioner — on course to pursue the NBA’s next set of major objectives: a new media rights deal and league expansion.

Largely different than his predecessor David Stern, Silver has built a reputation of pursuing more consensus and partnership with ownership, management and players. He has been able to maintain respect — and even popularity — among those constituencies despite difficult decisions and negotiations.

How the Terry Rozier trade has reset the point guard market | Yahoo Sports

The Lakers appear to have made the most aggressive known bid to date for Murray. Los Angeles has been willing to include a 2029 first-round pick plus a pick swap in its attempts to land the Hawks guard, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Atlanta is searching for a better player return than Russell, sources said, and the Hawks seem to prefer not taking back future salary, leaving the possibility for another three-team deal at the deadline that includes Russell — after he joined the Lakers by way of last February’s Utah-Minnesota-Los Angeles triple dip. Russell holds an $18.6 million player option for next season that will factor into any team’s decision to obtain the Ohio State product.

NBA reveals this year’s All-Star uniforms for the East and West teams

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

The Draymond Green plus-minus discrepancy and how it underscores his continuing importance to the Warriors

Take this for data: The Warriors outscored the Lakers by a whopping 31 points during Draymond Green’s 45 minutes and 42 seconds on the floor. When he was on the bench, the Warriors got outscored by the Lakers by an equally whopping 32 points in a one-point loss.

Single-game plus-minus has a lot of noise behind it, which typically makes it an unreliable measurement by its lonesome. But in the aggregate, it can be indicative of true impact and value. We don’t need to go into a long anecdote about Green’s value to the team and how important it is that he stays on the floor and keeps himself available at all times — his body of work speaks for itself.

Jonathan Kuminga, untouchable

Kuminga has risen to No. 126 on EPM’s ranks, with a solidly above-average rating on both offense and defense. That number underscores just how good he’s gotten, since it includes the whole season; given where he was in November and even December, it’s safe to say his advanced metrics have been glistening in the last month.

And the result has been something that should be soothing to Warriors fans, who have long rated Kuminga optimistically: he ain’t going anywhere.

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