Category: NBA

Warriors part ways with longtime PA announcer Matt Hurwitz

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Photo credit: newscenter.sdsu.edu

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors announced that Matt Hurwitz would not be coming back as the PA announcer at Oracle Arena next season. Hurwitz had held the job for the past 18 years and had seen the Warriors rise from being the NBA’s doormats to poster children who won three championships in the past four years.

It is unclear why the sudden change is being made. Hurwitz, a Bay Area native, maintained a low-key delivery. Moreover, the only thing made publicly known is that the Warriors want to go in a different direction.

But a 47-year-old Hurwitz tried his best to be consistent in his calls, even if Stephen Curry put on a spectacular show on a given night at Oracle Arena.

“My calls are situational-based,” Hurwitz said. “If Curry hits one or two 3-point plays, my call is different than if he hits four or five. The trouble is that he is hitting eight, nine and 10 threes, and I have to pace myself.”

Hurwitz has worked a variety of PA jobs. He does PA work for the NAIA’s Menlo College football games, and he has also been with the IHL’s San Francisco Spiders and the AFL’s San Jose SaberCats. He abides by a few steadfast self-imposed rules.

“First, respect the play on the court,” Hurwitz said. “I don’t talk when there is any action.”

Rule No. 2? Don’t get cute.

“I don’t do nicknames or catchphrases,” Hurwitz said. “That takes away from the game. It is a reflection of how our fans want to be treated. They are smart and loyal.”

Changing PA announcers in the NBA doesn’t happen very often. Since 2010, only four teams until Tuesday changed PA announcers. Those teams were the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the last team to change announcers was the Spurs, who made the change in 2013.

Bottom line is, everyone has to remember that there are no guarantees in life. Working for a professional sports franchise is great. However, when change inevitably comes, it can come without warnings. Players are traded with no notice. The same goes for employees who work for the team.

The Chinese have an age-old philosophy about this sensitive topic that goes like “One door closes and another door opens.”

So I am certain Hurwitz will be just fine.

3 reasons why the Warriors’ signing of DeMarcus Cousins won’t work out

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Photo credit: @DimeUPROXX

By: Ana Kieu

When DeMarcus Cousins joined the Golden State Warriors, this forced many NBA fans to let out a heavy sigh, as the unstoppable force got even more unstoppable. Cousins reportedly signed a 1-year deal worth $5.3 million, which isn’t one of the biggest contracts, but still far less than what he likely could’ve earned with another team.

Cousins technically didn’t do anything he wasn’t allowed to do, according to the NBA salary cap structure. But this debatable fact hasn’t stopped fans from judging Cousins in a similar way like they likely did with Kevin Durant, who did something almost identical  a few years ago.

But here’s the question: Why did the Warriors sign Cousins? Obviously, the signing of Durant was helpful, but is Cousins the real deal?

Here are 3 reasons why the Warriors’ signing of Cousins won’t work out.

1. Is Team Chemistry An Issue?
The Warriors are apparently treating Cousins like he’s the next big thing when that title should be given to Durant.

Sure, Steph Curry may have called Cousins the third Splash Brother, but that doesn’t mean that he’ll be a positive force on the Warriors’ roster.

According to Twitter, Durant may not be Cousins’ biggest fan. Additionally, Draymond Green had a few words with Cousins before the deal was signed, and admitted that they’d need to put their differences aside in order to succeed.

So is the deal really worth the potential team chemistry issues that might arise? Either the Warriors signed Cousins because they know he’s not going to be around for a long time or he’ll be with the team long after Green, Durant and Klay Thompson sign contracts with other teams?

2. He’s Probably Not Going To Stay
On the topic of a short-term stay or an extended lodge, this isn’t likely going to be a long-term relationship between Cousins and Golden State. Regardless of where the Big Four end up, will Cousins really be around for the long run?

There has been speculation that the rest of the NBA didn’t come calling for Cousins and that’s why he signed with the Warriors. If that’s true, this will be nothing more than a showcase year to prove that Cousins isn’t injured. However, if he turns out to be successful, he might get a max contract next summer, but many players who need to prove that they’re worth the big bucks turn out to have no loyalty towards a team.

3. Warriors Have No Moves Remaining
The signing of Cousins was arguably the Warriors’ biggest move this summer. Some fans may suggest the Warriors won’t need to do anything else, but that might not be true, and even if they do, they can’t right now.

If you think that the signing of Cousins automatically means saying goodbye to Nick Young and Jamal Crawford, think again. The Warriors are losing to key players off their bench.

That being said, Cousins’ deal uses up the Warriors’ luxury tax mid-level exception. That means there will be less help from the bench, especially if Cousins recuperates from his injury and spends more time on the court than the Big Four. An injury to any one of these guys could be devastating as there will be fewer options in the backups department.

Sportstalk podcast at Diplomat Steakhouse in downtown Sacramento

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Cast: Michael Duca (mlb.com and host), Jeremy Kahn (SF Giants and Oakland Raiders reporter), Jeremy Harness (SF Giants and PGA reporter), London Marq (Sacramento Kings and SJ Earthquakes reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Sacramento Kings reporter), Charlie O (Oakland A’s and Sacramento Kings reporter), Lee Leonard (producer).

Sportstalk is proud to podcast at The Diplomat Steakhouse at 1117 11th Street in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to our hosts: owner Ramesh Prasad, Marketing Patrick Harbison, Manager Chriss Lamm, Assistant General Manager Danielle “Feisty Spice” Feist, Event Concierge Aimee Spaulding, and Kaitlin Deathriage.

Being diplomatic is our brand’s core binding. We are intuitive when in conducting your dining experience, and can achieve peaceful resolutions to any quandary while facilitating intriguing discussion with anyone on the map. We broadened the scope and magnified the habitual steakhouse fare. We resolve differences by implementing international fusion cuisine to please any and all palates. We strive to achieve a peaceful atmosphere, and our ingenuity gives us the edge to connect to any guest.

Restaurateur, Ramesh Prasad, has has dined worldwide in the vast ever occurring steakhouse traditional fine dining concepts. Complacent with their predictability, he manifested his vision into reality. Sacramento is in the prime of revitalization, and developing a signature steakhouse is pioneering the industries’ cravings.

Warriors notes: The good news keeps on coming

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Photo credit: youtube.com

By: Ana Kieu

The back-to-back defending champion Golden State Warriors have faced a few setbacks so far this offseason, like when their head trainer, Chelsea Lane, left Oakland for a reportedly better job with the Hawks in Atlanta. Lane was arguably one of the most important Warriors even though she wasn’t a player or coach, as she reportedly juggled multiple roles: psychologist, doctor, adviser, trainer, friend and even a part-time comedian.

Anyways, Golden State isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. They recently re-signed head coach Steve Kerr to a contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the agreement weren’t released.

Warriors president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers told NBA.com, “We’re excited to have Steve under contract and poised to lead our team for the next several years … Under his guidance, we’ve been fortunate enough to win three NBA titles in four years and his ability to thrive in all facets of his job is certainly a primary reason for our success. He’s a terrific coach, but more importantly an incredible human being.”

Despite the lack of details, Kerr is the right fit for the Warriors, who have won three championships in four seasons. Kerr also owns a playoff mark of 63-20 or .759, which is currently the highest winning percentage in NBA history amongst head coaches who have coached a minimum of 25 playoff games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kerr is the 25th head coach in Warriors’ history and the 20th since the team moved to California in 1962. And, if things continue to work as planned, Kerr will continue to hold down a coaching gig in Oakland.

Also, Golden State appears to be on the right track when it comes to navigating the perplexing free agent market, as they’ve signed NBA star DeMarcus Cousins and Swedish big man Jonas Jerebko along with some other lesser known ballers.

In addition, ESPN reported that Warriors’ Kevin Durant won the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, given annually to an athlete whose leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. Durant started the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, which aims to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic and social programs. Durant also committed $10 million to a local chapter of College Track–a program that helps disadvantaged students attend college, in Suitland, Maryland, donated $1 million to tornado victims in Oklahoma in 2013, and built basketball courts around the world for low-income youth.

Anywho, many sources have speculated that the Warriors’ dynasty may come to an end in the near future, and while that could happen–as no team will continue to dominate forever–they’ve been having a pretty good summer and can possibly do some damage on other teams this coming season.

Jonas Jerebko reportedly makes an easy decision to join Warriors

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Photo credit: clutchpoints.com

By: Ana Kieu

Not all NBA players are fortunate enough to make easy decisions to join other pro basketball teams, but Jonas Jerebko was apparently fortunate to do such a thing.

Jerebko, also known as “the Swedish Larry Bird,” is a Kinna, Sweden, native. The 31-year-old is far from a young rookie, but he’s a 36.3% 3-point shooter who shot 41.4% from beyond the arc with the Utah Jazz last season. Those aren’t exactly excellent numbers, but they’re not going to be labeled as draft bust type of numbers anytime soon…unless if he starts to fall behind for whatever reason it may be.

It’s obvious that Golden State isn’t wasting any time, as they signed Jerebko to a one-year, $4.2 million just days after Utah waived him. Jerebko spent the 2017-18 season with the Jazz. Jerebko also played for the Boston Celtics (2015-17) and Detroit Pistons (2009-15) in the NBA along with Angelico Biella (2007-09), Plannja (2006-07), and Boras (2005-06) in his native Europe.

Of course, Jerebko isn’t on the same level as a healthy DeMarcus Cousins, but the Swedish big man can bring some much-needed depth to the Warriors’ frontcourt. Jerebko has a pretty good ability to shoot the ball, which is going to be vital for a Warriors squad that has struggled to score at times.

According to The Mercury News, Jerebko is optimistic towards Cousins’ Achilles recovery While that’s a good thing, as no one would welcome an unfriendly teammate, only time will tell. Let’s see when Cousins’ target return date will be announced and if he can achieve it.

Jerebko added, “I want to show that its possible to come from Sweden and play for a team like Golden State.”

Jerebko is reportedly going to train in Michigan and return to the Bay Area by the start of the Warriors’ training camp in September.

Warriors head trainer Chelsea Lane to leave Oakland for Atlanta

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Photo credit: knbr.com

By: Ana Kieu

According to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, Golden State Warriors’ head trainer Chelsea Lane is leaving Oakland for Atlanta. Her new position is the Executive Director of Athletic Performance and Sports Medicine for the Atlanta Hawks.

Lane has worked with the Warriors for three seasons, and was reportedly very popular among the players for her holistic approach as well as honesty. Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala were two of her biggest supporters. She was the only woman in the NBA to head a team’s training staff.

The Warriors reportedly attempted to keep Lane, but she was interested in a bigger position with the Hawks.

“She’s been amazing, especially for me,” Curry said earlier this year. “Just thinking about all that I’ve been through this year with the ankle and the knee and all that type of stuff, she’s just kept me sane.”

Before joining the Warriors, Lane–a Australian native–worked with the New Zealand national track and field program.

Heat beat the Kings 86-76 in the final game of the California Classic

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
kings-heat
Things got rough under the basket in the Heat vs Kings game Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

The Heat handed the Kings their second loss in the California Classic 86-76. Sacramento tried to close the gap late in the fourth quarter, but their effort was too little too late.

Three things we learned in this game:

Here some of the key stats for the Kings:

Here are some numbers on the Heat’s winning performance:

Coach Lewis’ thoughts on the game:

MB3FIVE meets with the media after the game:

Up next for the Kings

The Kings will practice on Friday and then travel to Las Vegas to get ready for the Summer League Tournament. Sacramento will play its first game on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 pm PDT when they will face the Phoenix Suns. That game can be seen on ESPN.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: DeMarcus didn’t have much patience with his former head coaches and the media when in Sacramento

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streamingaddict.net file photo: Former Sacramento King DeMarcus Cousins had his moments of disagreements with the writers, media, and officials. What will he be like with Golden State.

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

With the Warriors brass looking at the LeBron James move to Los Angeles, did the Warriors feel obligated to make a counter move? Not necessarily. The Warriors two seasons ago are a team that ended up winning 73 games and built on their success and ended up going after Kevin Durant. It’s how every season they would go into the free agency period and find guys who are going to make an immediate impact on this team.

The Warriors are never going to stop they’re going to look into free agency this season and they did it they found that not one NBA team looked at DeMarcus Cousins. The reporting was that Cousins, who didn’t get any calls, basically said the two teams he was interested in were the Warriors and the Celtics. They were the two teams who had the best chances of making the championship finals. Cousins agent literally called up the Warriors and inquired about coming to Golden State and here he is.

DeMarcus’ past with officials and head coaches:
Cousins didn’t have much patience for officials and was continuously at the top of the charts for technical fouls after getting called for fouls when he played with the Sacramento Kings. Cousins had a hard time trying to control his emotions on the court. I also attended one of the Warriors-Pelicans games and Cousins had previous run ins with some of his former coaches when at the Kings and instead of the Kings trading Cousins that head coach would end up being fired.

Physically, he has the tools and the skill set to take the center position and he’s got that talent that very few in the NBA centers have and in the history of the league. He can also get out to the three-point line and hit a three. Cousins is a fantastic skills player. He just can’t keep his head in the game long enough to maximize his impact.

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Warriors down the Kings 71-54 Tuesday in game two of the California Classic

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
GSW Over Sac
Damian Jones shoots over Harry Giles III on Tuesday night Photo: @Warriors

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Warriors beat the Kings 71-54 Tuesday night in a game where Sacramento lacked the energy they showed in their victory on Monday night.

Here is a look at the Warriors’ stats:

GSW over Sac 2
Warriors number one draft pick Jacob Evans made his pro debut in the game Photo: @Warriors

The Kings had some individual stats that they will like to remember.

Point guard Frank Mason represented the Kings in the postgame press conference.

SAC 7-2
The Kings found Warriors crowded under the bucket on every shot Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Here is Summer League head coach Larry Lewis’ postgame analysis.

UP NEXT

  • No games on July 4th
  • Thursday 12 Noon: Warriors vs. Lakers
  • Thursday 2:00 PM: Heat vs. Kings

Warriors’ signing of DeMarcus Cousins will be beneficial

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Photo credit: @boogiecousins

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

After news broke that four-time NBA All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins had signed with the world champion Golden State Warriors agreed to the one-year veteran’s minimum of $5.3 million on Monday, it’s like the Warriors delivered a massive gut-punch to the rest of the NBA.

Golden State already have four All-Stars in back-to-back Finals: MVP Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson; so adding a player like Cousins was the rich getting richer.

Sure there are some risks involved when you do bring Cousins into your locker room, such as his reputation of being a malcontent, unhappy, a bully and destructive, mainly from his time in Sacramento when things didn’t go right and the losses started to mount up.

The Kings missed the playoffs every year after selecting Cousins with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft after one season at Kentucky.

Also, the torn Achilles tendon that Cousins is currently rehabbing. Cousins himself said that he is targeting being ready for full basketball activities by training camp. Most people are expecting Cousins to be on the court by end of December or early January.

Before the injury, Cousins was having a monster season for New Orleans, averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 48 games for the Pelicans.

For most teams, that timetable for a star player’s return is almost catastrophic, but not for Golden State. The Warriors, who lost fan-favorite in center JaVale McGee to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, can plug in four-year man Kevon Looney, who agreed to return to Golden State on a one-year minimum deal on Tuesday to fill the void in the middle. Looney’s ability to defend guards along with bigs was key for Golden State in the playoffs.

ESPN was the first to report the news on Looney’s contract. The Warriors are also hoping that third-year center Damian Jones makes the leap and contribute on a nightly basis. The 7’0″, 245-pound Jones showed some flashes last season in limited action.

Once healthy, Cousins will play with the ultimate chip on his shoulder after not receiving an offer from any team during the early stages of free agency as most teams had major concerns regarding Cousins’ injury. Cousins’ former team, the Pelicans, didn’t offer him a contract, and according to those in the know around the Pelicans, didn’t want Cousins to return.

So if you’re Cousins, the opportunity to play on the Warriors with the benefits of competing for a championship and having fun while rehabbing is just too much to pass up right? Also if Cousins plays well for Golden State, especially come playoff time when he would be greatly useful for scoring easy baskets inside, then a team will be willing to pony-up a hefty contract for “Boogie.”

For Golden State, Cousins potentially solves the one position that has been a glaring weakness during a four-year run that has produced three titles (first coming in 2015), and back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.

With the strong bond and the accountability that the Warriors’ locker room prides itself on, Cousins should be a model citizen.