Dub Hub: Warriors’ assistant Kenny Atkinson reportedly a candidate for Cavs head coaching vacancy

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Friday, May 24th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is considered a candidate for the Cavaliers coaching vacancy following the firing of head coach J.B. Bickerstafff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
• 76ers reportedly interested in signing Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
• Santa Cruz Warriors named 2023-24 G-League Franchise of the Year.

The Golden State Warriors coaching staff may experience some significant changes this offseason. Following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ decision to fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Warriors’ assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is a potential candidate for the vacancy.

Atkinson has been an assistant coach with the Warriors for the past three years, starting with their championship season in 2021-22. His name has frequently surfaced in connection with various head coaching opportunities, including earlier this offseason when he was linked to the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching position.

Although Atkinson has yet to seriously consider any of these openings, the Cavaliers’ job could be particularly appealing to him as it offers the chance to reunite with former players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, both of whom he coached during his tenure as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, May 24th:

Warriors News:

Cavaliers fire coach J.B. Bickerstaff after five seasons | ESPN

Cleveland wants a fresh approach, and president of basketball operations Koby Altman and general manager Mike Gansey will embark on a coaching search.

Altman and Gansey will start to formulate a list of candidates in the coming days, but one to watch is Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, who led the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs with current Cavs Allen and Caris LeVert.

76ers aiming to pursue a familiar path this offseason: trying to add another All-Star to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey | Yahoo Sports

The Sixers, sources said, took note of Indiana’s two-year splurge for Bruce Brown that then became the biggest salary headed back to Toronto in exchange for Siakam. Veteran wings like Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would fall on the Sixers’ list of targets for similar one-plus-one contracts, sources said. Striking out on a big-time wing would also leave the door open for Philadelphia to consider taking back a player such as Zach LaVine, sources said, in the event Chicago or another team is willing to attach draft capital to move off salary. Kyle Kuzma will be another advanced wing player on the trade market, although Washington’s asking price for the veteran scorer prior to February’s trade deadline was too rich for most rival teams.

Draymond begrudgingly admits Gobert will be Hall of Famer | NBC Sports Bay Area

“What I will say is this. I think Rudy Gobert has gotten a lot better defensively now than what he was years ago. This year was the first time that I thought he actually deserved to win Defensive Player of the Year.”

Green believes Gobert stepped his defensive game up this season instead of previously being the beneficiary of more favorable assignments.

“And so this one, I actually think he deserved,” Green said. “The other ones? It was a matter of him blocking weakside blocks, because it wasn’t like someone was posting him up and he’s blocking a shot. No, it’s like you drive, he comes weak side and he blocks it. I think he earned this one this year, but all of the other years I was a little skeptical of.”

“I f*cked this season off, and I have to be better” – Draymond Green accepts blame on why the Warriors failed this season | Basketball Network

Draymond Green wholeheartedly shouldered the responsibility of being one of the critical reasons why the 2023-24 season ended as a frustrating failure for the Golden State Warriors. As he appeared in the latest episode of Point Game with John Wall & C.J. Toledano, Dray admitted that the Dubs would’ve been better and in contention if he managed to play more games.

“When I really take a step back and look at it from an honest advantage point, I gotta play. I gotta be out there. I played 55 games this year which is not nearly enough to help this team be successful. I played 55 games, [and] we’re 46-36. So if I don’t miss 27 games, we win half those games. Half of 27, we’re a 50-plus win team. It’s a totally different ball game,” Dray confessed.

“For me, it’s just understanding the stakes, understanding where my growth need to be, and being available for my team.”

Santa Cruz Warriors named 2023-24 G-League Franchise of the Year

NBA News:

Can Anthony Edwards turn the Wolves into America’s new favorite TV team? | The Athletic

I know what you are thinking: “This was a Game 7 featuring the defending NBA champions and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Of course people were going to tune in.” I’m not here to argue with you. But what was unique was the level of interest for two franchises who play in media markets outside of the top 10. Minneapolis-St. Paul is the No. 13 media market as defined by Nielsen. Denver is No. 15. Their tussle topped the New York Knicks versus Indiana Pacers — an Indiana rout — Game 7 earlier that day by two million viewers.

Something interesting is happening with the Timberwolves because of Edwards. At least that’s how I see it. They look like a national draw because of Edwards (and because they are winning).

More than nostalgia: How NBC thrived and ESPN failed with the NBA | Sports Media Watch

Perhaps a bit melodramatic, yet it effectively lays out the stakes and the historical context for the teams and their stars. This year’s Pacers-Knicks Game 7 opened with Stephen A. Smith yelling about “orange and blue skies” while jostling with Spike Lee, leading into a comparably brief open by Mike Breen:

Madison Square Garden will be packed and loud for this do-or-die matchup. [Sound of fans chanting “Let’s Go Knicks.”] For the Knicks and the Pacers, it all comes down to one game. For one team, a single victory and it’s onto the conference finals. For the other, a defeat means the season is suddenly over.

ESPN is oddly detached from the stakes, oddly uninvested in the players’ journeys and what the game means. ESPN is uninterested in telling the viewer why he or she should care about Tyrese Haliburton — or even Jalen Brunson, really, given most of the network’s Knicks talk has focused on Smith’s fandom.

Breen, who worked for the NBA on NBC, has the experience and skill to write and perform an actual tease. He simply was not given the time, as ESPN deemed it better spent on Smith.

Celtics go up 2-0 vs. Pacers behind Jaylen Brown’s 40-point night

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Steph Curry named to 10th career All-NBA team

Curry led the league with 357 three-pointers this season, and almost won the free-throw percentage crown before Klay Thompson stole his title in the final game. He averaged 26.4 points and shot over 40% from behind the arc for the 13th time in his career.

He’s now the Golden State Warriors’ franchise leader in All-NBA selections, though he actually passed Rick Barry for that crown with his 7th All-NBA berth three years ago. Barry made it six times, Neil Johnston and Wilt Chamberlain made five All-NBA teams each, and Joe Fulks, Paul Arizin and Chris Mullin are in the four-timers club.

A tweet to end the week:

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.