Mark Jackson: Stephen Curry's Latest Ankle Injury Not Serious

Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson stopped by the unofficially titled "Ratto and Mr. T Show" on KNBR Thursday to talk all things Dubs, and the never-ending fragility of Stephen Curry's ankle.

Curry was nursing an injured knee after the loss to the Nuggets on Sunday, and while practicing Wednesday before the matchup against the Heat, rolled his ankle. It caused him to be sidelined for arguably the biggest game on the Warriors' schedule this season.

Jackson seemed rather optimistic about the severity of the injury when talking to Tom Tolbert and Ray Ratto.

"I'm not a doctor, first of all, but I don't see it lingering on. I see it as a freak play that happened during shoot around."

As is well documented, Curry has had his share of ankle injuries in his career that has caused him to miss many a game, so it is no overreaction to anticipate the worst for Curry.

He will be a solid candidate for the Western Conference All-Star team in early February.

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Report: Bogut Will Not Return to Warriors on Saturday

Despite last week's report stating that Andrew Bogut would return to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, the fact is he will not be ready by then -- this according to the man, himself.

Bogut sat out Monday's practice, but participated in a limited practice on Tuesday after rehabbing in L.A. since he was shut down by coach Mark Jackson for the now lengthened 7-10 days.

Warriors center Andrew Bogut said there is no way he's playing Saturday. There's still way too much swelling in his left ankle.
— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) November 27, 2012

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Mark Jackson Responds to Charles Barkley's Criticism of Golden State Warriors

TNT's Charles Barkley is not afraid to run his mouth on national television, and he directed his attention towards the Golden State Warriors as his next target this week.

Barkley went on 95.7 The Game Tuesday and talked with Brandon Tierney and Ric Bucher about the Warriors' culture.

“My question is: Is (Stephen) Curry a legitimate point guard?” Barkley asked in an interview with Ric Bucher and Brandon Tierney. “I think he’s a good player, but I don’t think he’s a point guard. That’s the first thing they have to solve.”

“I loved him as a player, but I don’t think he can ever play again,” Barkley said. “I don’t think he can ever be close to the player he used to be. He doesn’t just have injuries. He has major injuries. … His injuries were so major that he’s never going to be able to get back to where he was. I hate that, because he seems like a great kid. But I don’t ever think he can get back to that All-Star level where he was in Milwaukee.”

Critical comments, as expected from Chuck, but was he wrong?

It is pretty common knowledge that the knock on Curry is that he is an undersized two guard that the Warriors are attempting to make into a point guard -- there is no changing that philosophy, either.

On the subject of Bogut, I will stop Barkley when he is lying -- and he's not.

Mark Jackson responded to Barkley's comments with this:

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Golden State Warriors: Andrew Bogut Likely To Miss More Time Than Expected

Andrew Bogut will be sidelined for 7-10 days, according to Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, and thus begins the season we all expected but never wanted to see come to fruition.

Through five games this season, the Warriors have three wins, two losses and two players injured and out for significant time. That is 0.4 players injured per game -- not a good start to the season, by any means.


Brandon Rush tore his ACL vs. the Grizzlies in Game 2 of the 2012-13 NBA season and will be out for the season, and Bogut's injured ankle acted up again so he will be out for awhile to heal.

However, we can safely presume that Bogut will be out for more than the optimistically announced 7-10 days.  While the Warriors are not calling this a "setback" for Bogut, it sure feels like one.

Bogut and the Warriors both conceded that he was rushed back onto the court a little too fast after barely having a training camp, but how fast is fast? Bogut has not played over 18 minutes in any of the four games he has played so far. The worst thing about the situation is that it only took that limited amount of playing time to injure that ankle once again.

Judging by Bogut's somber and dejected mood during the interview Thursday afternoon, we can safely assume that he will be out for closer to a month than 7-10 days.

It appeared Jackson had the same feeling on Thursday, too, a reported by the San Jose Mercury News' Marcus Thompson II.

"I would hope that's it," Jackson said. "But like everything else, it's going to be wait and see. This is a process. Ultimately we're going to stay true to the process, listening to his body and make decisions based on that.

"He doesn't feel like he's 100 percent. He's clearly not. He's going to experience some pain as part of the process, and he's not going to be the Andrew Bogut we know and appreciate right away. And it's frustrating at times."

The odd thing here is that Bogut looked completely fine in his 18 minutes per game. He was contributing to the team and changing the pace of the game when he was on the floor. Evidently, Bogut feels like he has more to give, and that can be good or bad news depending on how the fan interprets that.

"I feel like I'm a liability out there," said Bogut, who initially broke his left ankle in January while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. "I can't rebound, I can't move the way I like to move."

Replacing Bogut is where it gets tricky, as the Warriors were going to need every bit of health they could muster from their roster to have a playoff-worthy season. Already, they have the first player off the bench, Brandon Rush, out for the season and Bogut is looking more and more likely he will be playing closer to 40 games than 60 this year.

Enter Festus Ezeli, who has been extremely productive in place of Bogut's limited time on the floor this season.

However, Ezeli is not the problem, the new back-up center is -- Andris Biedrins.

Biedrins has a total of six minutes and 31 seconds on the floor this season, and for good reason -- Jackson and the Warriors have literally shunned him and his $9 million a year from the team.

We can fully expect the Warriors to continue shunning him, as David Lee and Carl Landry will most likely make up the frontcourt for Golden State in Bogut's absence.

But here we are again, back at the old Warriors' way of doing things.

They rushed Bogut back, lost Rush for the season and gave Stephen Curry and his bum ankles the team fortune.

The mistakes will cost the Warriors, and they will hope to play well enough during these next 7-10 days (more like a month) in order to remain in contention much further than December.

While the players and concept appear in place in Oakland, the logic still remains stuck in losing mode.

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Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry Needs Second Option Mentality

The court was Stephen Curry's on New Year's Eve against the Philadelphia 76ers. Monta Ellis was attending his grandmother's funeral in Mississippi, and Curry was set to be the main scorer for the Warriors.

Curry finished with 21 points on 9 of 15 shooting and looked less like a go-to player and more of someone attempting to be just that. David Lee would be the one to shoot the ball 24 times in that game. Naturally, the Warriors were run out of their own gym by a 76ers squad that seemed to have it all figured out.

But Curry is not a go-to scorer, and it was wrong to put him in that situation and surround him with that much hype. We can date that back to the Warriors drafting him.

Yes, the loss of Ellis in that game hurts, which is the case whenever a team loses their majority scorer for a game, but many expected more than forced shots and awkward turnovers from Curry when the lights were shining on him.

For that reason, it is time we retire any idea of Curry becoming what many thought he could be in the NBA, which was a lights-out shooter that could potentially lead a team. That worked for him at Davidson College. On the Warriors, that role is Ellis' and Curry is just his wingman.

If the 23-year-old wants to take the next step in the NBA, he will need to accept the role of the second option and play like such.

Far too often, we see Curry forcing shots and having the ball in his hands for way too long. His name and the reputation that comes with it may suggest he should have the ball in his hands, but his style of play that translated in the NBA suggests something totally different.

Curry's role should be off the ball and less of the man with the ball in his hands. We all know he can shoot like not many other players in this league, but it is he and coach Mark Jackson's responsibility to set him up to succeed and utilize that skill in the NBA. He can play point guard well, but his game is more suited to a Richard Hamilton-style of play, and it would not take much to develop him into such a player.

Less time with the ball in his hands, but the same amount of shots per game.

For the Warriors to succeed this season, Ellis needs the ball in his hands because good things happen when it does. Curry is not at that level yet.

Meanwhile, let him play the role we know he can play: Maker of shots.

Adding in ball-handling duties and a leader of the team will hopefully come with experience, but right now he does not have it. So why does it appear like it is being forced on him?

The Warriors need to accentuate Curry's skills and abilities, and only then will this team play winning basketball.

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Golden State Warriors: The Difference This Season

It has not been the easiest start to the 2011-12 NBA season for the Golden State Warriors. Three games in four nights, and all of them against teams penciled into the NBA playoffs before the season began.

However, Golden State played tough in a loss against a hyped Los Angeles Clippers team on Christmas night, then dominated both the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks -- two Eastern Conference powerhouses.

So what do we make of this Warriors team led by Mark Jackson, Mike Malone and Monta Ellis so far?

They're not bad, to start.

In fact, we can argue the Warriors are one of the better teams in the NBA by how well they have played through the first three games of the season. Of course, they have not left Oracle Arena yet, so there is still a little left undiscovered.

What we do know is that this team can contend with the best. They are doing that by playing improved defense, the traditional electric offense and, most of all, a bench filled with depth.

The depth on the bench is the reason Golden State is a thrill to watch thus far and the difference in how they play on the court compared to recent seasons.

No more Vladimir Radmanovich, Jeremy Lin or Acie Law. Give me Dominic McGuire, Brandon Rush and Kwame Brown.

In the past, we saw the "filler roles" they put into the hands of Radmanovich or "insert player name here." Joe Lacob, Mark Jackson & Co. are acquiring players with meaning, not just players to fill a few minutes before Ellis and Curry get their breaths back.

McGuire shut down Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday night, Rush put up 19 points against the Knicks in just 26 minutes and Kwame Brown put up respectable rebounding numbers against both Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah.

Yes.....Brown. For how many people were shouting down that acquisition, he is still 6'11" and 270 pounds. I am pretty sure the Warriors can find a role for him.

And Brown is exactly what this Golden State team is all about so far: Players with a specialty and succeeding in that respective part of the game.

Brown rebounds, McGuire guards the prototypical 6'7"-6'9" small forward, Ish Smith plays for his next contract and Rush can score.

Leave everything else up to the starters, who are fulfilling their roles, as well. But the sole reason the Warriors have been impressive thus far this season is because they can rely on their bench to produce when called upon.

It is a luxury Golden State has not had in awhile, and it is thanks to careful planning and managing from the Warriors' front office that has the team from Oakland looking ahead to bigger and better things in 2012.

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Jim Harbaugh Vs. Mark Jackson: Which Bay Area Coach Has the Brightest Future?

Two of the Bay Area's professional sports teams have jumped on the phenomenon of hiring young, hip coaches to run their teams. They did so in hopes of jumping the gun on the next big thing in coaching. In the case of these two coaches, the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors may have struck it rich.

Jim Harbaugh played 14 seasons in the NFL, most notable for the Chicago Bears, but his new chapter as a head coach may be the highlight of his NFL career.

After four years as head coach at the University of San Diego, Harbaugh was named to the same position at Stanford University, in hopes of turning their program around. He did just that, as well as make QB Andrew Luck a bonafide star.

This past offseason, he was tabbed by the San Francisco 49ers to become their next coach, only to be barred by the 2011 NFL Lockout.

In the case of Mark Jackson, he and Harbaugh have similar paths to the head coaching seat.

Jackson, like Harbaugh, played professionally. However, Jackson's NBA career spanned 17 seasons, and he finished third on the all-time assists list.

This is where these two professional head coaches differ on their paths to the hot seat, though.

While Harbaugh seemingly worked his way up the coaching ranks, Jackson talked his way up it as a game commentator. How that plays into their careers as professional head coaches, we will find out.


Harbaugh Vs. Jackson

However, even at the earliest point in both these men's coaching careers, we can speculate. In fact, we can easily see who has the brighter future between these two by simply noticing how they got to where they are today.

Both Harbaugh and Jackson have excellent futures as head coaches in their respective sports. Let's get that out of the way.

They are both smart, respected men with immense knowledge of the game they dominated during their playing days.

How does that translate to the sidelines, though?

The truth is it does a little, but great coaches do not just fall out of the NFL or NBA and straight to the head coaching spotlight and become great.

For head coaches to become successful, there needs to be a learning period away from the game, in a sense.

Both Jackson and Harbaugh have done that.

Harbaugh took the coaching job at the University of San Diego, where he was able to learn coaching at a lower level, and Jackson was an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, where he was able to analyze the game from the sidelines.

However, when it comes down to who has the brighter future as head coach in their respective sport, it comes down to experience.

Harbaugh has that.

While Jackson had the better professional career, Harbaugh resurrected the University of San Diego's football program, as well as Stanford University's elite Pac-10 program. More than anything, though, he developed Andrew Luck into an NFL quarterback while still in college.

Harbaugh will be a great coach in the NFL based on the fact he played in the NFL and coached an NFL game throughout his time as a head coach in college. Those two jobs prepared him to run an NFL game in the NFL, finally.

That is not to say Jackson cannot be a great NBA head coach in his own right.

However, it may take a little longer for him to adjust to the NBA head coaching scene, seeing as he has never coached basketball at any level.

While Harbaugh may be the better head coach in the future, Jackson may already be one step ahead.

The new Warriors' head coach has been blessed with an owner that has a passion for winning, at any costs. Jackson was given an immaculate staff of NBA coaches and advisers that can help him in his first season.

In that regard, Jackson is ahead of Harbaugh without either of them even coaching a professional game yet.

There is no telling where either of these coaches' careers will go, but the future is bright in the Bay Area for the first time in a long time.

The 49ers and Warriors have hopefully found head coaches that can lead their teams for a very long time, and both men have the preparation and knowledge to do so.

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Proof the Golden State Warriors Are Shopping Monta Ellis

Fan speculation and simulated trade rumors have been running rampid since Golden State Warriors adviser Jerry West hinted at a possible Monta Ellis trade this summer.

There have been confirmed reports that teams are interested in Ellis, but every proposed deal seen on the internet has come from pure fan speculation and not confirmed reports.

Nevertheless, fan speculation has fueled a more personal view of the Ellis trade scenarios, and on Monday the public got their first look at a "real life" proposed trade for Ellis this summer.

The proposal, reported by DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony, had Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and

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Golden State Warriors: Hiring Mike Malone As Assistant Reveals More Than We Think

Joe Lacob and his Golden State Warriors hired Mark Jackson as their head coach on Monday, and with it came mixed reactions.

Jackson has zero coaching experience and quickly made the jump from game commentary to coaching. However, he brings a new, young and noticeable face to the Golden State Warriors franchise.

Fact.

There had to be some kind of gimmick, right?

Certainly the Warriors would not hire an NBA commentator, with monotone catch phrases such as "Mama, there goes that man" and "hand down, man down," without something to help ease the pain to their extremely loyal fan base.

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Mark Jackson Brings A New Face To the Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors named Mark Jackson their next head coach on Monday evening. After many possible candidates, it was decided that Jackson would get his first shot at coaching an NBA team in Golden State.

"After an extensive search and a great deal of consideration, we have come to the conclusion that Mark Jackson is the best coach for this team," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said. "He will bring a youthful and fresh approach to our team and the fact that he enjoyed a stellar playing career, where he served most of that time as the leader of some very successful teams, will prove invaluable in the long run."

He pretty much summed it up, I'd say.

Jackson had everything Warriors owner Joe Lacob wanted in his first head coach since taking over the team. He wanted someone trying to get his first shot in the NBA, and Jackson seemed to fit the exact mold and direction that Lacob wants to take this team.

A big name with a big personality.

He also brings a little notoriety to the Warriors. Since becoming an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, Jackson has coined phrases such as "Mama, there goes that man" and "hand down, man down," and has become a fan favorite because of it.

Jackson has some work ahead of him, though.

He may have a big name in the basketball business, but it will still be his first year as a head coach of an NBA team.

"I am really elated about this opportunity and I'm looking forward to the challenge of building the Warriors into a perennial contender," Jackson said.

He chose the right word with "challenging."

It will most definitely be a challenge, whether the basketball world decides if Jackson was the best man available for the job or not.

Make no mistake about it, this was Lacob's man that will lead the Warriors in a new direction. A direction that Lacob had planned the entire time.

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Golden State Warriors: Mike Budenholzer and the Top 5 Coaching Candidates Remaining

It seems as though the Golden State Warriors are in no rush to hire the next head coach of their new and improved franchise. Owner Joe Lacob has come forward and said that the NBA Draft date of June 23 is not the deadline for a new coach, although that seems to be the deadline for every other team without a current leader.

The soap opera that is the Warriors' coaching job took another twist this last week when Gregg Popovich's 14-year assistant in San Antonio, Mike Budenholzer, was interviewed by Lacob for the Golden State position.

To date, only two candidates have been interviewed by Lacob, which is supposed to mean something. Those two candidates are ESPN talking head Mark Jackson and Spurs assistant coach Budenholzer, who are perceived to be the two front-runners for the job.

The scenario took another twist when Lacob said not long ago that he would prefer a first-year head coach. That would narrow down the field to Brian Shaw, Budenholzer and Jackson, right?

Odds are the head coaching hoopla in Golden State will not stop until the end of the NBA Finals, in which case Lacob can go and interview Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey.

Here are the top five coaching candidates in what appears to be the leaderboard for the next Warriors head coach.



5. Lawrence Frank

Frank has yet to interviewed by Lacob, which seems to be the deciding factor in this job candidacy.

He is also not a first-year head coach, which is another characteristic that seems to be a deciding factor.

Frank's resume does not lie, however.

He has experience coaching the New Jersey Nets in their elite days with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson, but the 0-16 start in 2009 may sink him for many job openings.

Frank is a smart coach that loves the X's and O's of the game. He could help the Warriors by knowing how to coach the run-and-gun style of play that could be resurrected with Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry in the backcourt.



4. Brian Shaw

As much as Shaw's coaching hype rose since the Los Angeles Lakers job opened and closed last month, it sure has fallen hard.

There have not been many rumors of Shaw to a certain team or even Shaw to the Warriors, for that matter.

Still, he was Phil Jackson's assistant in L.A. and that means the world to people in basketball.

Shaw would be a first-year head coach, which Lacob prefers, but why has he not personally interviewed him then?

I cannot help but think Jerry West's recent hiring has something to do with that.



3. Dwane Casey

As I said before, the Warriors will be holding off on seriously talking to Casey until he is done with the NBA Finals, as many teams are.

Casey is a candidate for the Toronto Raptors' job, as well.

The assistant to Rick Carlisle in Dallas has had one head coaching stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2005-06, finishing with a one and a half season record of 53-69.

Casey boasts a sort of military style of coaching with an emphasis on defense, something the Warriors could use a healthy dose of in 2011-12.

Whether the Warriors are seriously intrigued by Casey will not be found out until after the NBA Finals, though, which is set to end anytime between June 9 and 14.



2. Mike Budenholzer

The newest candidate in the Warriors coaching saga may be the new leading candidate.

Reports are that Budenholzer was interviewed by Lacob the other day. He is one of only two candidates to do that.

Budenholzer has no head coaching experience, but what he does have is the blessing of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the form of a 14-year coaching bond in San Antonio.

Popovich, like Phil Jackson, is the creme de la creme of head coaches in the NBA, which is why any association with either one of them is high praise.

Because of the interview with Lacob, Budenholzer is said to be one of two front-runners for the job in Golden State.



1. Mark Jackson

The man that coined the phrase "Mama, there goes that man" is said to be the leading candidate for the Warriors head coach.

Why not?

By the way he talks on ESPN, I am sure Jackson gives one impressive interview.

Again, Jackson is one of two candidates to get an interview with Lacob.

He would be a first-year head coach, as well as getting one of the first official interviews with Lacob, and those two assets may nudge him just ahead of Budenholzer for the proverbial clubhouse lead.

As far as when the Warriors will finally choose their next head coach, expect it to be somewhere between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the NBA Draft on June 23. But as far as I am concerned, these five candidates are the only ones being considered for the job, and only three of them actually have a shot.

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