Dub Hub: Chris Paul believed there was ‘no way’ he’d ever join the Warriors

Warriors News:

Chris Paul on if he ever thought he would be a Warrior: “Hell nah”

From Warriors TV host to Hawks VP: Grant Liffmann’s improbable rise | San Francisco Chronicle

Fields figured that was Liffmann’s strength, but he still had to navigate the tight-knit, old-school scouting community — which naturally was skeptical of him.

“It was a difficult transition at first, in part because I was very conscious I didn’t take the traditional route,” Liffmann said. “I knew I wouldn’t be there unless I was Landry’s friend. I addressed that to some people when I got here.

“But I’ve let my personal worries kind of fade. … All of us realize there are going to be question marks, but you’re ultimately judged by results.”

Why Knicks’ McBride labels Steph Curry as toughest player to guard | NBC Sports Bay Area

There is more talent in NBA these days than ever. But Steph Curry — at age 35 and entering his 15th season in the league — still haunts every defender he comes across.

In a recent interview, New York Knicks third-year guard Miles McBride named Curry the most difficult player he has defended across two NBA seasons.

“The thing with Steph is — one, he’s strong. Way stronger than people think,” McBride said. “You can’t knock him off balance. Like that’s obviously a part of the reason he’s such a great shooter.”

Does Steve Kerr run the same plays with Team USA as the ones with the Warriors? | Dub Nation HQ

Teams have a couple of go-to BLOBs that even the players themselves can call out without necessarily having to look at the coach and waiting to see what he decides. One of the Warriors’ staple BLOB sets is called “22.”

Why is it called “22”? Because the sign for it is holding two peace signs up in the air:

“22” is simple enough to understand. Two screeners are stationed at the free throw line; a player runs off the first screen and curls inside to cut toward the basket, after which the first screener (typically a shooter like Thompson) then runs off the other screener and curls around for a jumper.

Dario Saric continues to impress in FIBA pre-qualifier games

NBA News:

Sources: NBA launches inquiry into James Harden’s situation | ESPN

The NBA has launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden’s public admonishment of the franchise’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, sources told ESPN.

The league office is believed to be pursuing an understanding of whether Harden was portending a 2023-24 holdout in violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement or had been referencing past contract discussions with the organization that might constitute salary cap circumvention, sources said.

Team USA claws back from 16 down to defeat Germany | NBA

Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, Austin Reaves and Tyrese Haliburton each added 16 off the bench and the U.S. rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to beat Germany 99-91 on Sunday night in its final tuneup game before heading to the Philippines for the World Cup.

An 18-0 run in the final minutes saved the Americans, who finished the exhibition season 5-0.

“What I like is that we know now they’ve got guts,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “But we can get a lot better because we have a higher ceiling than a lot of teams — because most of these teams have been together. (Germany) has been together. They’re really good. We feel like we’ve got more room for growth. And we’ve got to keep working and getting better as we head to Manila.”

Eric Gordon carries Bahamas to FIBA pre-qualifier win

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

How Austin Reaves went from guarding Klay Thompson to running his play

Thompson runs off of a screen (called an “out” screen) set by Draymond Green for him to receive the ball on the right wing, after which Green comes over to set a ballscreen with the the other three players spreading the floor (“Angle” pick-and-roll or spread pick-and-roll).

Reaves gets caught in Green’s screen, with Anthony Davis in drop and forced to step up toward Thompson. But Thompson is given all the space he needs to pull-up comfortably for the three.

Fast forward around three months later, Reaves finds himself not only playing for Kerr and not having to guard Thompson — he is tasked with playing Thompson’s role in the “Klay” play

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