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James Michael McAdoo: Finals Loss Adds Fuel to the Fire

By Angelo Mendoza

Apr 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward James Michael McAdoo (20) reacts after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 133-126. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward James Michael McAdoo (20) reacts after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 133-126. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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James Michael McAdoo sat down with Blue Man Hoop to discuss last season, this offseason, and the season to come.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Kids attending the Golden State Warriors basketball camp last Friday at Kaiser Permanente Arena were ecstatic to see Warriors player James Michael McAdoo, who was able to carve some time out of his offseason to visit Surf City and surprise the young campers.

McAdoo, 23, was picked up by the Warriors in 2014 after a strong showing with their Summer League squad. Later joining Golden State’s D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the 6-foot-9 product out of North Carolina went on to average 19.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks for the Sea Dubs, leading them to their first D-League championship.

McAdoo graduated up to Golden State shortly after, winning an NBA title following the team’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals. Unfortunately, McAdoo and the Warriors were unable to follow up their 2015 title with a repeat performance, losing to the Cavs in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Thinking back to how he and the team felt at the end of last season, McAdoo told Blue Man Hoop that there’s no reason to diminish what the team did in 2016; rather, their inability to finish out their historical regular season with what seemed like a predestined postseason win over the eventual champions only motivates this Warriors team to ensure the 2017 season ends with a much more favorable outcome.

"“We didn’t end the way that we wanted to, but to make it to where we did and to accomplish what we did – I don’t wanna take anything away from that,” said McAdoo. “You know obviously God just didn’t want it for us, so I think it’ll definitely add to the fire, add to the determination that we need going into this up and coming season.”“Congratulations to the Cavs. Obviously they deserved it.”"

It’s tough for anyone to think the Cavs would have the edge on the Warriors this time around. Zaza Pachulia has taken Andrew Bogut‘s place in the starting lineup. Patrick McCaw is looking like a potential replacement for Leandro Barbosa or Brandon Rush. David West could be a filler for Marreese Speights.

Then there’s Kevin Durant, taking over for Harrison Barnes on the wing, suiting up with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to form the greatest trio of scorers the league has ever seen!

McAdoo, however, continues to remain well grounded despite the team’s headline addition. Speaking as just one of the eight players to be retuning to the team, McAdoo said that while he’s certainly looking forward to playing with all the new names on the roster, there could be somewhat of a learning curve early on in the season.

Therefore, he stated that his sole focus this offseason has been on bettering himself and his game, hoping that when his name is called, he’s ready to make an impact.

"“The biggest thing (this offseason) is really just working on my game, working on my individual skill,” said McAdoo. “Obviously, when we come back together as a team, you know, we’ll start to prepare as a team, get ready.”“I mean, that’s the game plan for every offseason: just focusing on myself, trying to get my skill level higher, but also just mentally preparing for this upcoming season, you know? Just really trying to work on the things that I know are gonna be essential to me being on the court and helping the team win.”"

Helping out the coaches at camp, McAdoo participated in some of the drills, passing the ball in to some of the campers as they each had a chance to play one another one-on-one, King of the Hill style. After a bit of joking around about his ability as a point guard, McAdoo explained how much he loved being a part of the camp and the Santa Cruz Warriors family.

"“It’s always fun to come back to Kaiser Permanente, hang out with the kids. You know it wasn’t too long ago that I was here, playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors, so I always love coming to this camp,” McAdoo said.“I did it last year, I always look forward to doing it every summer because I always got a special place for Santa Cruz in my heart.”"

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