WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — Golden State Warriors training camp officially began yesterday and once again we beheld the sight of Stephen Curry shooting his picture-perfect jumpers along with the rest of the defending champs.
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RT @LetsGoWarriors: Here at #Warriors HQ for first practice of 2015-16. I'll be reporting at @LetsGoWarriors… pic.twitter.com/DtOxC69k9g
— LetsGoWarriors (@LetsGoWarriors) September 29, 2015
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On the near court by the entrance, where David Lee spent the bulk of his five years shooting around with the Warriors, was newcomer Ben Gordon. Gordon, according to NBA insider Bobby Marks, will have 50% of his undisclosed salary guaranteed if he makes it to the first regular season game without being waived.
Gordon was draining three after three:
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The first thing that Warriors PR head Raymond Ridder told reporters was that Leandro Barbosa was stuck in Brazil with visa problems, but that they would be resolved within 24 to 48 hours.
Steve Kerr got the interviews started. Per Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, Kerr said that Andre Iguodala would continue to come off the bench:
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Kerr also said there could be situations, such as in the NBA Finals, when Iguodala would enter the lineup.
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“Nothing is set in stone, but we won 67 games, so I don’t think we’ll change the starting lineup to start the season,” Kerr said. “Why would we? Why would we change what we did last year when we had as much success as we did?”
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Kerr also told Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle the following about how last year Kerr had two two-a-days during training camp just because it was a new Warriors staff and there was a lot to cover, as well as the newly acquired power forward Jason Thompson:
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Thompson was acquired from Philadelphia on July 31. The 6-foot-11, 250-pounder played his first seven seasons in Sacramento.
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“He’s a good player,” Kerr said. “He’s big and strong, and he runs dribble-handoff stuff well. He can make that elbow jumper, runs the floor well and plays hard. Jason is going to help us. I like him.
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Meanwhile, Curry was just about done with his free throw shooting and concluded it with this display of “summer legs”:
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BallIsLife picked up the Vine we posted and compared it to Earl Manigault‘s “double dunk”.
SINow’s “Extra Mustard” also picked up the Vine, as did Dime Magazine.
As Kerr finished off his interview, Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area got a chance to speak with Shaun Livingston about hanging out with Barbosa during the summer:
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Livingston also praised Gordon in his own way. When asked how Gordon played in practice, Livingston responded, “”Psssh, I came in the league with Ben so I know, you know what I mean?…He hit a couple shots. He can heat up fast.”
Gordon was up next. Per Simmons:
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“I just want to come here and see if I can be in a winning situation. The past few years for me have been tough, but I think I fit in well here.”
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Gordon isn’t fooling himself about the challenges that he faces. The Warriors have 13 guaranteed contracts, and James Michael McAdoo is considered a lock to make the roster. That leaves six players competing for one spot in camp.
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“The league is so much about being in the right situation, being with the right group of guys that mesh with your talents and skills,” Gordon said Tuesday.
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We asked Gordon about his vegan diet. Turns out, we were Marc Spears‘ muse, as he probed deeper and asked Gordon if signing with the Warriors was a gamble:
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“Basketball is a gamble,” Gordon said. “You shoot some, you make some. I’ll take my chances here.”
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Incidentally, training camp is being sponsored by Yoatz, an “oats + yogurt” organic company, and they offered some free samples in the hallway (aka “The Blue Mile”) next to the gym:
RT @poormanscommish: Back at #Warriors HQ for 2015-16 first practice. Sponsor @YoatzUSA in the house… pic.twitter.com/06J5wvCaiS
— LetsGoWarriors (@LetsGoWarriors) September 29, 2015
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(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @poormanscommish)
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