Dub Hub: Draymond Green loves the defensive mindset of this year’s NBA rookies

Warriors News:

Draymond Green has high praise for this year’s rookie class

Pistons’ rookie Ausar Thompson on his first experience guarding Stephen Curry

Hollinger: 10 NBA players you need to know from the season’s first two weeks | The Athletic

Moses Moody, SG, Warriors

Moody was in and out of the rotation last season before establishing himself as a bit more permanent in the playoff rotation. This season, he’s been more than just a fringy rotation guy, becoming an impactful bench piece for a vastly improved Golden State Warriors second group.

Sure, Chris Paul perhaps has something to do with that too, but don’t sleep on Moody’s impact. He’s become a persistent pest on defense, with 14 steals in just 141 minutes, and is shooting his usual high percentage inside the arc; if he can knock down 3s at or above his 36 percent career clip (he’s 9-of-28 thus far), the Warriors really have something in the 21-year-old wing. If anything, the eye test is probably even more encouraging than the numbers, as Moody’s early season has offered a steady supply of winning-type role-player plays.

Kawakami Mailbag, Part 1: All Warriors and all the panic about their lack of size | The Athletic

How on earth did Golden State get TJD at Pick 57? Is what they did even legal? — David H.

Jackson-Davis’ agent had an inkling that the Warriors would give him a multiyear deal and that TJD would have a shot at some minutes with the Warriors. So if teams picking ahead of 57 weren’t going to give TJD a multiyear deal, they were told to pass. Which got him to the Warriors.

TJD’s agent? James Dunleavy, brother of the Warriors GM.

Newly signed Warrior Gui Santos has a message for Dub Nation

NBA News:

Sources: LeBron James’ lack of FTs prompts Lakers to contact NBA | ESPN

“What they’re telling me is not consistent with what’s actually happening on the floor,” James said. “When I went for the dunk attempt against Thomas Bryant, he clearly elbowed — like, arm straight across my face. And I asked him for the explanation — well, one of the refs said that he was straight up, hands straight in the air. Two of the refs said they were blocked and they didn’t see it.”

Heat add former big man Udonis Haslem to front office | NBA

The long-awaited move was completed Tuesday, when Haslem was hired as Miami’s new vice president of basketball development. It comes five months after his 20-year playing career with the Heat ended, the last 16 of those as a team captain.

Haslem is one of two players to play for all three of Miami’s NBA title teams, with Dwyane Wade being the other. Haslem had long spoken of joining the Heat front office or ownership group after retirement, and he had been at some practices in recent weeks.

Rockets’ Dillon Brooks on defending LeBron James: “I’m ready to lock him up”

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Gui Santos contract deals

Golden State didn’t release contract details for Santos, as is their custom. But we have a report as to what they are. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Santos’ contract includes a mere $75,000 in guaranteed money. It’s a three-year minimum contract, with $75,000 guaranteed in 2023-24, and no money guaranteed for the next two years. So if things aren’t playing out well in Golden State, the Warriors can get off the contract easily.

Due to the CBA, the Warriors are not able to sign free agents to three-year deals, but because Santos was drafted in the second round by Golden State, such a contract was allowed.

How early coverage decisions and mistakes by the Pistons gave the Warriors a cushion to take the game in the fourth quarter

More than individual defense, the Pistons needs to be connected and synergistic. That hasn’t been the case for them so far — and the Warriors took advantage of it in the first half of their win against them.

The Pistons were without Duren and opted to play a base coverage of drop against ball screens, handoffs, and off-ball wide pindowns. With Marvin Bagley III as their starting center and James Wiseman as his backup, their ability to diversify their coverages became much more limited — and drop was pretty much their only option save for perhaps Steph Curry.

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