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NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Marquese Chriss, Knicks Coaching Hunt
May 20, 2020
The Golden State Warriors have struggled throughout the 2019-20 season, but much of the reason for that could be the injuries that have sidelined star guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
It's not a formula for success when the Splash Brothers have played a combined five games, all of which belong to Curry.
However, it also gives the Warriors reason to believe the 2020-21 season will be different. Curry and Thompson should be healthy, they'll have a top pick in the NBA draft to add one of the best players in the class and perhaps they'll be back on their way to championship contention after one down season.
But Golden State will have some decisions to make regarding some players' potential long-term futures with the franchise, including Marquese Chriss, who will be entering a contract year in 2020-21.
Here's some of the latest buzz surrounding Chriss and more from around the NBA.
What does future hold for Chriss with Warriors?
Chriss may have four seasons of NBA experience, but he's still only 22 and won't turn 23 until July. And although the former first-round draft pick has yet to play up to his potential, there's still time for him to break out and become a top center in the league.
According to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Warriors view him as "a potential franchise building block," and think that the 6'9" power forward's skill set makes him a good fit in the team's lineup.
"The front office is so optimistic about his future, according to multiple sources, that it would be comfortable entering next season with him as the starting center," he wrote.
Chriss hasn't had many starting opportunities since his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns, who selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 draft. In his first year, he averaged 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 82 games (75 starts).
After two seasons in Phoenix, the University of Washington product struggled to get minutes in 2018-19, when he played for the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers. But he signed with the Warriors this season and has had better success, averaging 9.3 points and a career-high 6.2 rebounds in 59 games, while shooting a career-best 54.5 percent from the field.
If Chriss continues to improve and the Warriors opt to sign him to a long-term deal and make him part of their core, perhaps it will be a decision that pays dividends for both him and the team.
So, it will be intriguing to watch how he might perform with increased opportunities next season while trying to prove himself as a starter for Golden State.
Where do the Knicks stand in their coaching hunt?
In 44 games as the New York Knicks' interim head coach this season, Mike Miller has led the team to a 17-27 record. But there's a lot of uncertainty about who will be in charge of the team next year and beyond, and it's sure to continue to be a hot topic in the leadup to the offseason.
A decision may not be coming soon, though, as SNY's Ian Begley recently noted that he anticipates the Knicks will interview numerous candidates during their search.
"I think it's premature to say that [Tom] Thibodeau—or anyone else—is a lock to get the job," Begley wrote. "I'd expect the Knicks to talk to several candidates before making a hire."
Thibodeau has been a rumored name since Leon Rose was hired to serve as Knicks president in early March. The coach is believed to have a close relationship with Rose, who previously worked as a player agent.
From 2010-15, Thibodeau served as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, going 255-139 and leading them to the playoffs in each of his five seasons. However, his stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016-19 was less successful, as they went 97-107 under him in three seasons.
While rumors will continue to swirl about who New York's next head coach could be, Begley doesn't think there will be many updates until the Knicks begin to schedule interviews with candidates, which he doesn't anticipate happening until the NBA makes a decision on the 2019-20 season.