View from the ‘Dubble’

Over the past week, the Golden State Warriors hosted a voluntary minicamp–though the organization has had some fun referring to it as the ‘Dubble’. With the Chase Center acting as host facility, the time spent at minicamp has been crucial for the team.

Though Stephen Curry and Draymond Green opted to sit out, the majority of the roster was able to play together for the first time since March. The camp also shone a spotlight on the Dubs’ health. As a team riddled with injuries, it had to be useful to check in on Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney’s status. Of course, the minicamp wasn’t all serious. From golf to gaming, the Warriors were able to have fun in usual team spirit. Let’s whip around the news circuit to get a sense of the stories, status updates, and shenanigans from the Dubble.

The Return of Klay Thompson:

Obviously, Thompson’s return was the largest story coming out of the Dubble. Having missed the entire 2020 season with an ACL Injury, Dubs fans could only appreciate him as an occasional postgame interviewer and full-time dog dad. It’s clear that despite his absence, Thompson remained his usual self, both on the court and off. 

Per Anthony Slater, the Splash Brother was able to practice without restrictions. The film of Thomspon working out seems to back this, as he looks very much like the Klay of old in his workouts.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Klay return without a classic anecdote. 

If you needed any more indications that Thompson will be back to his pre-injury form, I’m not sure you’re going to get a better sign.

First impressions:

It’s easy to forget just how much turnover the Warriors’ roster has gone through. Shockingly, they’ve only retained four members of their 2019 Finals team (though that’s less shocking when you consider that the past year has felt like a decade). That means that this training camp was a much-needed chance to develop some chemistry between the newer Dubs and players like Thompson and Stephen Curry, who played a total of four games last season. This is especially important given the Warriors will be starting a new Small Forward in Andrew Wiggins, and could look to shake things up at the Center slot. 

GIVE US ALL THE HYPE: 

The Warriors staff was not shy about doling out praises to whichever players they were asked about. Steve Kerr raved about Marquese Chriss’ development, whose goal is to flesh out his post arsenal in order to fit better alongside the Splash Brothers. Kevon Looney professed that the last time he enjoyed his present level of health was several years ago. Eric Paschall got in on the fun, garnering PJ Tucker comparisons from the staff. If that wasn’t enough to wet your appetite, Wiggins is apparently in fantastic shape. If even half of those rumors bear some fruit in the regular season, this team is about to strike fear in the hearts of every team that isn’t already planning for the Warriors revenge tour.

New Faces:

In order to bolster scrimmage rotations, the Warriors invited several new faces to play alongside the regular crew. Of those new to the Blue and Gold, Jonathan Simmons is the most recognizable. Simmons is most known for his time playing effective minutes for the San Antonio Spurs, but be warned: asking a group of Orlando Magic fans about him will result in the next four hours of your life being consumed listening to complaints.

The Warriors have had success as a role player rehabilitation center, and Simmons will certainly need to capitalize off that for his long-term future. As for the other newbies to the Dubble, Roger Moute a Bidias and Ryan Taylor are interesting as approximations for Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry, and should allow the Warriors to run plays designed for the two of them.

Dubble Entertainment:

Of course, this wouldn’t be a Warriors venture without some degree of entertainment. By far the leader in innovation was Damion Lee, who kept himself busy by attempting golf trick shots from his apartment.

Jordan Poole brought his infectious energy to the court, though his commitment to high-fiving imaginary fans is worthy of a sports Oscar.

But the player who got the best deal was clearly Juan Toscano-Anderson, who was able to hook up a game of NBA 2K to the Chase Center’s massive JumboTron. 

While the pace of play at the voluntary camp was lowkey at best, the time spent together will still pay dividends at the onset of next season. The Dubs will have to sit back and watch the Lakers represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, but you can bet that next season they will set their sights on the Larry O’Brien trophy. Though it will be a long road back to a title, we’ve just witnessed their first steps on the journey. As new faces pile onto the roster, excitement can only grow from here.

As a final note, congratulations to former Warrior Harrison Barnes, who was honored today with the NBA Cares Community Assist Award.