Steve Kerr delighted with his "new" Warriors: "They are in an extraordinary condition"

Intensity in the training camp of the Golden State Warriors at the BYU-Hawaii campus. The Bay Area team participated in a training game on Thursday, and the feelings were very positive.

Coach Steve Kerr is "very pleased" with the physical condition and state in which his team arrived at the camp. Defense and transition offense are a focal point for the 2024-25 NBA season after falling in the rankings last season and not playing their particular style of basketball. For Kerr, the Warriors' performance in that aspect has been unacceptable over the past two seasons.

A play style resembling Chris Paul, which slows down the game and focuses more on setting up a structured offense more often, will not be the product seen on the court this season.

Here are five conclusions from the third day of the Warriors' training camp, which included remarks from Kerr, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson.

Speed and pushing the pace to tire out opponents is back for the Warriors. During Wednesday's practice game, Jonathan Kuminga sprinted down the court to the paint and created an open three-point shot for a teammate. That's an example that pleases Kerr.

Kerr also feels that the Warriors have the right players at the right ages to become a fast team on the court again.

"With [Brandin Podziemski], [De’Anthony] Melton, and our other players handling the ball behind Steph [Curry], we feel it makes a lot of sense to play fast, and we have the right personnel to do it," Kerr said. "But the only way it works is if we take care of the ball and get good shots, and that's what we're working on."

The Warriors lost two future Hall of Famers during the offseason, Paul and Klay Thompson. Both are in the twilight of their careers, at 39 and 34 years old, respectively. Podziemski is only 21, and Melton is 26.

Newcomer Kyle Anderson, 31, can notice the difference compared to his previous teams.

"Obviously, you have to be in shape to play fast," said the man nicknamed Slo Mo. "The first day was a bit tough. I'm going to speak for myself, but I think I've improved over the last two days. It's different being in shape and being in shape for basketball."

"We're flying up the court, getting back on defense in transition. You have to have strong legs." Although Kerr is still keeping the starting lineup a secret, everyone is expected to play in the first preseason game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Everyone except Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins is still ill. He has been seen wearing a mask and shooting on a side hoop after practices.

As Kerr and his coaching staff introduce new configurations and search for the right combinations, he is not concerned about Wiggins' short-term absence.

"That's why he's here," Kerr said. "He's wearing his mask, he's on the sidelines every day, watching exactly what we're doing. We're basically doing things that are very familiar to him, but we're putting terminology on them. We're trying to be more intentional, trying to put some counter actions to things we've already executed."

"It's important that he's here seeing all of this. I'm sure he'll assimilate it."

In addition to improving in transition, Kerr wants the Warriors' identity to return to being an elite defensive team. A healthy Gary Payton II will help a lot. So will the addition of Melton, a 6'2" guard who has bothered opponents with a 6'8" wingspan.

STEVE KERR, PLEASED

Kerr can certainly see moments where the two will be on the court together, causing problems for the opposing team.

"They could be a good pairing on the back of the court, pressuring the ball, playing passing lanes," Kerr said. "Both will be in the rotation, given how good they have looked in the first few days."

Before Melton's season with the Philadelphia 76ers was interrupted by a back injury last season, he was averaging 11.8 points per game. He has had true shooting percentages of 58.1 and 58.0 in the last two seasons and will be in the mix to be the Warriors' starting guard.

"The ball moves when he's on the court," Kerr said. "He's a combo guard, so he can handle the ball or play off-ball. He's a steady shooter. The game just flows with him on the court, and that's important. We can't stagnate; the ball can't stop, and what I see from De’Anthony is that he's a connector. The ball will move when he's on the court. If he's open, he'll shoot it, and that's what we want."

The only trouble Hield had on Thursday was having to do his media session during Curry's shooting practice after the session. Hield has said he wouldn't have been drafted so high if it weren't for Curry, and he's trying to absorb everything he can by watching him as a great shooter.

It has been impossible not to notice the number of shots Hield has been taking in every practice so far. He's working with assistant coach Chris DeMarco, who has been a "big brother" to him for years as his head coach on the Bahamas national team.

But despite how successful Hield has been shooting the ball, he might be making a small change.

"He has a shot with a lot of arc," Hield said of Curry. "They keep saying my shot is too flat. I've shot 40 percent throughout my career. I'm working on keeping my shot higher. I could have a higher percentage."

Hield, who has shot above 40 percent on threes three times in his career and has an exact three-point percentage of 40.0, further explained: "If I get more arc, I could shoot with a higher percentage. I think, as you get older, you want to improve. You can't forget how to shoot, but you can always get better. … When I shoot higher, it looks nicer."

For the second consecutive day, Moses Moody was the last player on the court taking shots. Kerr emphasized naming Moody as a standout player in the practice games during the Warriors' second training session, and where he fits in will be a story to follow.

"I like that he's catching and shooting the ball quickly," Kerr said. "He's a good shooter. I've always felt his shot is his best skill, like if you're a pitcher and your best pitch is your fastball, you have to figure out what your best shot is, and his should be his three-point shot. It takes some time when you're young in the NBA to figure out how to get your shot off, how fast, how much space you have."

"It feels like he has a better feel for catch-and-shoot. He has the space to release it. Set your game with that, and then, when people react, you can attack. He's been doing a great job at it."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Steve Kerr, encantado con sus "nuevos" Warriors: "Están en una condición extraordinaria"