Warriors camp takeaways: Kerr happy with player conditioning

Warriors Camp takeaways: Kerr happy with players’ conditioning originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAIE, Hawaii – Building blocks continue to grow and stack on top of each other at the Warriors training camp on the BYU-Hawaii campus. Golden State scrimmaged Thursday but did not get to the full court during practice after doing so the day before.

Coach Steve Kerr is “very happy” with the conditioning and form his group came to camp in. Transition defense and offense are a major focus entering the 2024-25 NBA season after sliding down the rankings last season and not playing their specific style. of basketball. For Kerr, the Warriors’ play there in that regard has been unacceptable over the past two seasons.

Chris Paul’s style of play, which involves slowing down the game and getting into set offenses more often, is not the product that will be on the floor this season.

Here are five takeaways from the third day of Warriors training camp, with commentary from Kerr, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson.

Run, run, run

Speed, tiring teams and a faster pace are back for the Warriors. During Wednesday’s scrimmage, Jonathan Kuminga sprinted across the floor and into the lane and created an open three-pointer for a teammate. That’s an example that will make Kerr happy.

He also feels the Warriors have the right players at the right age to become a track team on the hardwood again.

“With (Brandin Podziemski), (De’Anthony) Melton and our other guys handling the ball behind Steph (Curry), we feel like it makes sense to play fast and we have the right personnel to do that Kerr said. said. “But the only way it works is if we take good care of the ball and get good shots, and that’s what we’re really working on.”

The Warriors lost two future Hall of Fame players in Paul and Klay Thompson during the offseason. They are also at the end of their careers at ages 39 and 34. Podziemski is still 21 and Melton is 26.

Newcomer Kyle Anderson, 31, can feel the difference compared to his previous teams.

“Obviously you have to be in shape to play fast,” said the man nicknamed Slo Mo. “Day 1 was a bit tough. I’m going to speak for myself, but I think I’ve picked it up a bit in the last two days. It’s different being in shape than being in basketball shape.

“We fly onto the field, we go back on defense in the transition phase. You need to get your legs under you.”

No Wiggins

While Kerr continues to maintain his lead when it comes to the starting lineup, he is all expected to play in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. Everyone except Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins continues to be in trouble. He was seen wearing a mask and getting shot in a side ring after practices.

As Kerr and his coaching staff build in new setups and search for the right combinations, he isn’t concerned about Wiggins’ missed time in the short term.

“That’s why he’s here,” Kerr said. “He wears his mask, stands on the sidelines every day and watches exactly what we do. We’re actually doing things that he’s very familiar with, but we’re adding terminology to it. We’re trying to be more purposeful, we’re trying to counterbalance some of the things we’ve already done.

“It’s important that he’s here and looks at all these things. I’m confident he’ll pick it up.”

A GP2-Melton link?

In addition to getting better in transition, Kerr wants the Warriors’ identity to return to being a top defensive team. A healthy Gary Payton II will help immensely. That includes the addition of Melton, a 6-foot-1 guard who harassed the opposition with a 6-foot-4 wingspan.

Kerr can certainly see moments where the two are on the pitch together, helping the other team get fit.

“It could be a good combination in the backcourt, pressing the ball and playing passing lanes,” Kerr said. “They will both be in the rotation based on how they looked the first few days.”

Before Melton’s campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers was cut short due to a back injury last season, he was averaging 11.8 points per game. Over the past two seasons, he has produced a true-shooting percentage of 58.1 and 58.0 and will be in the mix to be the Warriors’ starting two guards.

“The ball moves when it’s there,” Kerr said. “He’s a combo guard, so he can handle it or play off the ball. He’s a catch-and-shoot guy. The game just flows with him, and that makes sense. We can’t stand still, the ball can’t stick and what I see from De’Anthony is that he is a connector. The ball will move when it’s there. When it’s open, it lets it fly and that’s what we want.

Buddy buckets

The only problem Hield had Thursday was having to fill his media time during Curry’s post-practice taping. Hield has said he wouldn’t have been drafted as high if it weren’t for Curry, and he’s trying to absorb everything he can while looking at him as a great shooter.

In every practice so far, it has been impossible to see the countless shots Hield gets up. He works with assistant coach Chris DeMarco, who has been a ‘big brother’ to him for years as head coach of the Bahamas national team.

But despite how successfully Hield has shot the ball, he might make one small change.

“He has a high shot,” Hield said of Curry. “They keep talking about my shot being so flat. I’ve shot 40 percent my entire career. However, I’m working on keeping my shot higher. Maybe I’ll get a higher percentage.”

Hield, who has shot over 40 percent from deep three times in his career and has an exact 3-point percentage of 40.0, further explains, “If I get more arc, I could shoot at a higher percentage. I think as you get older you want to get better. You can’t forget how to shoot, but you can always get better. … If I photograph it higher, it goes in much nicer.”

Moody is working overtime

For the second day in a row, Moses Moody was the last player on the court to make shots. Kerr made a point to mention Moody as a player who stood out during the scrimmages during the Warriors’ second practice, and where he fits will be a storyline to watch.

“I like that he catches and shoots the ball quickly,” Kerr said. ‘He can shoot well. I always felt like he was his No. 1 pitch. If you’re a pitcher and your No. 1 pitch is your fastball, you need to figure out what your fastball is and it should be his three-point shot. When you’re young in the NBA, it takes some time to figure out how to shoot, how fast, how much time you have.

“It feels like he has a much better feel for catching and shooting. He has the space to let it go. Set your game with that, and when people respond, you can attack. He did that very well.”

With Wiggins out on Saturday, look for Moody as a player who could potentially step up in his absence.

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