After seeing all the 'competitive pettiness confetti' thrown around from the Dubs I thought about The Last Dance and how Jordan used the "Took it personal" to his advantage.
Was this only/more in the second threepeat when he came back from baseball and didn't have anything to prove?
If so then I'm absolutely convinced Steve Kerr (who was on that Bulls team and saw its influence) made it a coaching point for the players to find anything they could as a slide and pin it in their locker to see everyday.
If it's true its a fascinating aspect in the psychology of motivation and performance...
Jun 22, 2022·edited Jun 22, 2022Liked by Eric Apricot
For some reason I got flipped back to a post game sadness thread from March where folks were making predictions and there were lots of 1st and second round ouster predictions but there was also this:
Five Alarm Freddy
Mar 29
I am still holding on to how I felt a few months ago: This team will win it all if healthy. Knowing health is an unknown, I still say the Warriors flip the switch and they release two years of pent up frustration on the league. Warriors in 6 over whoever meets them in the Finals.
Kudos Mr Freddy posting this after a rough loss. I’m especially impressed by 6 games and the perfect pent up frustration call. Which it feels like Dray and Klay might still be doing.
They figured to tiptoe around it for a moment, neither Kevon Looney nor Otto Porter Jr. quite ready to share what they and their Golden State teammates chanted in the giddiness of the visiting dressing room at TD Garden late Thursday.
But enough champagne had been flowing by the time the two Warriors role player reached the interview room, so what the heck.
“You can tell them,” Looney said to Porter, laughing.
Porter didn’t hesitate. “Basically we were saying, ‘[Expletive] you, Draymond!’ That’s what we were saying. But it was fun, though.”
Said Looney: “Fun moment. Draymond has been yelling at us all year.”
Speaking of Kenny Atkinson, this piece suggests Atkinson accepted the CHA coaching job but CHA already had a lot of coaching staff (from Borrego) on 1 yr contracts and tried to force Atkinson to keep the staff so they wouldn’t have to pay them for not working. Hard to tell what’s spin from what side, but CHA is known for being extremely cheap.
Why dismiss Borrego if you're not going to let a new coach bring in his team? You might as well just play it out another year and let them all go at the same time, and hire a new staff next summer.
Anyone know if this is a meme page because there's no way the Hornets are this incompetent right? If they didn't have Lamelo I would kind of understand but unless they want to stunt this growth completely this would be more than a head scratching move
That would be such a stupidly bad trade for the Lakers, it would be unbelievable.
The funny thing is, it wouldn’t exactly be a home run trade for the Nets, either.
Lebron and Westbrook were a terrible fit together. Why would anyone think Lebron and Simmons fit any better? Simmons doesn’t just suck at shooting, he doesn’t even try. He’s had physical problems for the last year plus, and mental issues for longer and harder than that. And sure, Lebron and Kyrie once won a chip together, but that was six years and three significant injuries for Lebron ago. Plus Kyrie is way more of a space cadet now than he ever was then, to the point that people question just how invested he is at being a basketball player anymore. And to do this trade, the Lakers would need to give up their only good player on the right side of 30. Disaster all around.
Brooklyn should be in a far better place than they were after winning this trade in a slam dunk, right? Except they wouldn’t be. AD is super talented and will help them whenever he’s on the court. But after two major leg/foot injuries, who knows how often that will be going forward. And even then, putting Westbrook on their team would cancel out all the good getting AD on their team would bring. Because you know if Westbrook isn’t playing a starter role, he will become a cancer in that locker room. And after all that, Brooklyn still won’t have a leader on that floor or in that locker room. KD doesn’t have the force of will to lead a team, and neither does AD. Westbrook has the force of will, but has no idea what winning basketball looks like and isn’t interested if it means he can’t carry on with his “Now I do what I want” approach to basketball.
That trade wouldn’t build any of those two teams into a championship contender. All it would do is lead to twin train wrecks on both the East and West coasts.
Eh, it would lead to different types of fireworks, though just as explosive probably.
Simmons + Kyrie + Lebron in LA with that fanbase who doesn’t care for any of them (hell, they might even borderline hate Lebron) would be lol.
Westbrook and KD back together in Brooklyn after everything that went down after KD left OKC is even more lol. Plus a side of KD maybe hating the Nets FO for getting rid of all the buddies he wanted to play with when he signed for that franchise to begin with.
I’d say the only winners of that trade would be Warriors fans. And the comedians who use the happenings around the league for memes and jokes.
And it doesn’t really solve any of Brooklyn’s current problems, either.
It’s not ridiculous in the sense that it’s beyond the realm of possibility.
It’s ridiculous in the sense of why both teams would agree to the trade. Or that any of them see that trade as an honest way to become a title contender.
The only team that should be thinking about doing that trade is Brooklyn, and even they wouldn’t benefit as much from it as people think. The Lakers should hang up and laugh.
I dunno. There are a lot of unknowns that could swing it in the favor of either team.
* If AD stays healthy and neither Simmons nor Kyrie want to play (full-time), then definitely advantage to BKN.
* If AD keeps getting injured and both Simmons and Kyrie want to play, then LAL get the better end of the deal.
Reality will probably settle somewhere in between and that's why I feel it'd mostly be a wash... except maybe it could generate some ratings for both teams because it's something fresh.
I really want to see Poole-Moody-Wiggins-Kuminga-Wiseman all on the floor at the same time this upcoming season. That right there could be a future championship starting lineup.
Next year is just going to be a lot of fun, assuming everyone is healthy, and (a big if) Draymond shows up in shape.
Funnily, I think we might be a little light on shooting if OPJ leaves. We're going to have to hope Moody steps up a bit, if that happens. Or we find a good shooter at a minimum/TPMLE.
I think this year they proved the concept of rebuilding while competing. I would say that Curry's prime is officially not wasted.
This upcoming year should be the "let's do that again" year, but with more of a focus of getting the young guys more playing time and more integrated into the rotation. I'd love to see the minutes of the big 3 reduced to no higher than 30 mpg and a few more rest games mixed in. Let's keep them fresh for the playoffs. All three missed big chunks for rest and injury this year. While that sucked during the season, they were all healthy at the right time.
Wiggins should be the workhorse this next season. He's still young, and it's really a chance to establish the Warriors as HIS team. He doesn't need to be the #1 scoring option, but if we can see Finals Wiggins all season long? He'll be an All-Star AND DPOY candidate. I want to see Wiggins as the best two-way player in the league next year. And being HIS team doesn't mean that it's not also Curry, Klay, Green, etc.'s team as well. It just means that he puts his stamp so much on the game and in his role that everyone associates him as a necessary part of the Warriors' success because of what he uniquely brings to the table.
I want Poole to get 6MOY this year and play starter minutes. Honestly, I'd love to see him play the most total minutes over the season for anyone not named Wiggins. If he can bulk up like Steph and develop Steph-like defense and conditioning then he has the potential to be a HOFer. His shooting is already elite. The rest really just about putting in the work (which it sounds like he does). I think that the Wiggins-Poole tandem can be devastating for the next five+ years in the same way that Draymond-Steph have been.
Kuminga, Moody, and Wiseman should all be playing in the 15-20 mpg range, with lots of run during rest games for the core guys. I want all three of GPII, Loony, and OPJ back next season, but even if they're not we should really want the young guys to be stepping up and taking some of those minutes. If all three of them aren't regular rotation guys during the playoffs next year then I think we should consider that being behind in their development.
As far as FA goes, if the Warriors can get GPII, Loony, and OPJ all to come back (I think GPII being the most likely to leave) then that should essentially fill out the rotation. For the remaining four spots, I'd say leave one open to potentially add someone during the season, likely one spot for our first round pick and then the other two some combination of a ring chasing vet, a second round draft pick, or one of our other guys from this season.
I'm fine with bringing back or letting walk any or all of Bjeli, Lee, and JTA. With the vast majority of the minutes needing to go to the players listed above, there certainly would be value in having guys who know the system and can eat up good regular season minutes coming in to fill out those final roster spots.
The one position that we didn't have on the roster this season (beyond a healthy seven footer) that I'd love to see next year is a true backup point guard. I think Poole can fill that role to some extent, but the lack of a backup floor general definitely hurt us at times. I'd be intrigued if a vet like Ricky Rubio wanted to come take the vet minimum to chase a ring (although I understand he can likely command a much higher salary and a larger role elsewhere). Frankly, the market of UFA PGs looks pretty slim this year and I'm not expecting much.
So let's take a serious look at next years' roster and needs:
G: Steph, Poole
W: Klay, Wiggs, Moody, JK
PF/C: Dray, Wise
Needs:
2 guards
1 wing
2 bigs
Likely returning. I'm going to assume both return in my minutes analysis below.
G: GP2
C: Looney
That leaves:
1 G, 1 wing, 1 big needed,+ 2 bonus slots. (Will teams have 15 roster spots to fill next season or back to 13 + two 2-ways?)
Possible re-signs:
C: Bjeli, W/PF: OPJ
That leaves a strong need for a Guard backup(PG preferably), and maybe another wing and big. One will be the first round draft pick. They also have 2nd round picks, but I'm assuming they stash or trade them.
Steph started 64 games, Dray 46, and Klay 32. I think it would be good to aim for 60 games each out of the big 3. Steph averaged 34.5 MP/G, the highest on the team. Wiggs was next @ 31.9, JP @ 30, Klay @ 29.4, Dray @ 28.90. I'd say a good target for all three is 30 min/g average.
So that's 60 starts, 30 mpg for the big 3. Total of 1800 minutes each.
Wiggs was in 73 games, 31.9 mpg. Let's keep that exactly as it is. 2329 minutes
JP in 76 games, 30 mpg. Let's also keep that exactly as it is. 2283 minutes
Loon was in 82 games, 21.1 mpg. Let's give him a breather, make it 76 games, 20 mpg. 1520 minutes.
GP2 was in 71 games, 16.1 mpg. Let's up that to 76 games, 20 mpg. 1520 minutes
Remaining Avail(counting 1.5 positions as wing): 2675 minutes.
Big minutes: 3320 minutes
Dray: 60 starts, 30 mpg, 1800 minutes
Looney: 76 games, 20 mpg. 1520 minutes
Remaining Avail(counting 1.5 positions as Bigs): 2584 minutes.
Now let's put in the young crew:
Wise: 72 games, 20 mpg, 1440 minutes
JK: 72 games, 25 mpg, 1800 minutes
MM: 72 games, 18 mpg, 1296 minutes
Let's give JK 1/3 big minutes, 2/3rds wing minutes
So:
Wing:
MM: 72 games, 18 mpg, 1296 minutes
JK: 1200 minutes
Remaining Minutes: 179 minutes
Bigs:
JW: 72 games, 20 mpg, 1440 minutes
JK: 600 minutes
Remaining Minutes: 544 minutes
That leaves the following missing minutes:
1369 Guard minutes
179 Wing minutes
544 Big minutes
OPJ, if signed again, would take up both wing and big minutes, and push Klay down to Guard minutes, assuming he plays close to 1400 minutes again. That being said, I'm unsure if there's enough minutes for OPJ or a similar role, given the projected increase in minutes to the young crew.
They will most likely sign a backup PG playmaker ring chaser like Rubio to eat up some of those G minutes. And then their first round draft pick will also eat up 500+ extra minutes.
Honestly, if they do sign vet ring chaser wings and bigs, the most they can promise them is competition for the backup spots and rotation spots. They'd have to outcompete the young guys, or be basically 3rd string rotation players. But they would be fantastic injury insurance.
Jun 21, 2022·edited Jun 21, 2022Liked by Eric Apricot
Your vision for next season aligns well with mine. I don't think Playoff Wiggins can sustain that level of effort all season long; that would be insane and we have plenty of indications that that's not his personality, either. Which, honestly, is OK; as long as he brings it when it counts, I don't mind a more baseline workhorse-like performance the rest of the time. 17p/5r/3a in 35m/g would be a fine season statline for Wiggins. Maybe he's needed even fewer minutes if the Kuminga and Moody are coming along ahead of schedule.
I *really* hope we have GPII back next season; I'd prioritize keeping him even if it means something wild like trading Wiseman to reduce the team's salary load. The eye test and the advanced metrics all agree that he was immensely impactful on winning, moreso than a lot of players earning $10+mil/season. Maybe we get lucky and other teams are too hesitant to pay him out of our price range because they're not sure his success can be replicated outside the Warriors system. Personally, I suspect he would do fine on a common heliocentric spread P&R/5-out offense, and his defense should go anywhere he does as long as he's in good health/shape.
Also: do you think we can do better than Chiozza as backup "true" PG? Chris wasn't as bad as some people complained, but his inability to finish around the rim even after getting past his defender was pretty disappointing. But, he did make smart passes, play effort defense, and have a real tight handle. Someone along the lines of Facundo Campazzo (minus the beef w/ Steph) would probably fit alright.
I could also see a case that Quinndary Weatherspoon might grow into a slightly bigger backup role, given his solid performances in a number of appearances this past season. I just feel like he's behind a bit of a positional logjam, with Lee or JTA being the most likely ones for him to displace, but he's not a clear-cut upgrade over either one yet so it'll be a tough decision I'm glad I'm not in charge of making.
>>>>I *really* hope we have GPII back next season; I'd prioritize keeping him even if it means something wild like trading Wiseman to reduce the team's salary load.
I wouldn't prioritize him over Wiseman, but I definitely think the team should work to keep him. You put GPII, Klay (assuming he's even more back to himself next season), Draymond, Looney, and Wiggins in for a defensive stop toward the end of the game... who's going to score on that lineup? All four of those players (minus Klay) had All-Defensive Team performances over the course of the playoffs.
>>>>Maybe we get lucky and other teams are too hesitant to pay him out of our price range because they're not sure his success can be replicated outside the Warriors system.
I wonder about this as well (although I agree GPII would play great just about anywhere). Which players have actually played better *after* leaving the Warriors? HB, maybe, but really not by much. JaVale McGee, perhaps. The Warriors did wonders for his career. Damian Jones, certainly, although that's such a peripheral example it's almost not even worth bringing up. Even Kevin Durant hasn't been as good post-Warriors as he was on the Warriors. The post-Warriors drop off is real.
>>>>[D]o you think we can do better than Chiozza as backup "true" PG?
I hope so. I mean, Chiozza was okay in small stretches. The best I can say for him is that I don't think he lost games for us. He did what was asked of him, and did his best not to let the wheels fall off when he was on the court, which is about all you can ask of a two-way player. But at the end of the day, he's a two-way player and I doubt he'll ever be anything more than that. It would be nice to have an actual NBA player out there running things when Steph is off the floor who hopefully is at least 6' tall.
I really like what you've written here. I don't think Poole's shooting is necessary elite yet, but leading the league in FT% goes a long way toward making me a believer.
I think he's an elite shooter, but he's not yet as consistently elite as we'd like him to be. When he's hot he's a flame thrower, and he clearly has more to learn, but he shot 50.8% from the field and 39.1% from the three in the playoffs, scoring 17 ppg in "only" 27.5 minutes per game. He showed up when it mattered, and I think he's only going to get better.
Man, comparing dynastic eras, and realizing that the Bulls went only two years between two three year runs, I'm realizing that it was a long damn time between titles. Three years is forever in NBA time. I kept on feeling like it was only two years, but that's between Finals appearances, and not actual titles. No wonder so many pundits wrote them off. From inside the Dubs' echo chamber, I kept on feeling they just needed Steph/Klay/Dray healthy and some role players to step up, so they were close. But I get it now why so many people wrote them off. Boy does it feel good to be back on top.
Ros Gold-Onwude interviews Vince Carter, touches on some warriors topics, the draft and Vince has some anecdotes about when he was drafted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kYmWLi5QNU
I am seeing the floated contract of 4 years, 100 million for Poole? I think from Letorneau's article?
Locking up Poole for less than D'Angelo Russell (who didn't work out but netted Wiggins and a top 3 protected pick in a stacked draft) would be ridiculous imo, I don't really believe that contract will be anywhere close to what he gets.
correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the bonus of extending this offseason means that he gets a raise, one year earlier. If you prorate that out over the future years, it can be effectively like getting a higher starting salary.
You guys really think the Lakers will try to run it back with Westbrook? No way Lebron will allow that unless he's already content with his rings and is only playing just to be in LA
Ultimately I feel like there will be a team cheap enough to want that massive expiring contract and opportunity to dump some long term money. But who knows for sure.
Heart of Gold: The Golden State Warriors' Remarkable Run to the 2022 NBA Title” is a 128-page commemoration, produced together with Triumph Books, that makes sure these memories are always at hand.
Somehow fitting that a book about the Curry Warriors would have the same name as a spaceship which used the Infinite Improbability Drive, a wonderful new method of crossing interstellar distances in a mere nothingth of a second. Steph generates his own gravity, bends the laws of probability, and crosses vast distances on the court like they were nothing, his Warriors erasing opposing leads and build their own in mere seconds. Makes sense that a ship Joey Light-Years paid for would have a top-notch hyperspace drive.
In other news, a woman tried to give Steph a kiss at the parade, and it wasn’t me 😂 😂 😂
Must’ve lost her mind because that’s some creepy behavior.
After seeing all the 'competitive pettiness confetti' thrown around from the Dubs I thought about The Last Dance and how Jordan used the "Took it personal" to his advantage.
Was this only/more in the second threepeat when he came back from baseball and didn't have anything to prove?
If so then I'm absolutely convinced Steve Kerr (who was on that Bulls team and saw its influence) made it a coaching point for the players to find anything they could as a slide and pin it in their locker to see everyday.
If it's true its a fascinating aspect in the psychology of motivation and performance...
For some reason I got flipped back to a post game sadness thread from March where folks were making predictions and there were lots of 1st and second round ouster predictions but there was also this:
Five Alarm Freddy
Mar 29
I am still holding on to how I felt a few months ago: This team will win it all if healthy. Knowing health is an unknown, I still say the Warriors flip the switch and they release two years of pent up frustration on the league. Warriors in 6 over whoever meets them in the Finals.
Kudos Mr Freddy posting this after a rough loss. I’m especially impressed by 6 games and the perfect pent up frustration call. Which it feels like Dray and Klay might still be doing.
They figured to tiptoe around it for a moment, neither Kevon Looney nor Otto Porter Jr. quite ready to share what they and their Golden State teammates chanted in the giddiness of the visiting dressing room at TD Garden late Thursday.
But enough champagne had been flowing by the time the two Warriors role player reached the interview room, so what the heck.
“You can tell them,” Looney said to Porter, laughing.
Porter didn’t hesitate. “Basically we were saying, ‘[Expletive] you, Draymond!’ That’s what we were saying. But it was fun, though.”
Said Looney: “Fun moment. Draymond has been yelling at us all year.”
https://www.nba.com/news/draymond-green-brings-familiar-energy-defense-to-help-warriors-claim-2022-nba-title
I bet Draymond loved this actually.
Speaking of Kenny Atkinson, this piece suggests Atkinson accepted the CHA coaching job but CHA already had a lot of coaching staff (from Borrego) on 1 yr contracts and tried to force Atkinson to keep the staff so they wouldn’t have to pay them for not working. Hard to tell what’s spin from what side, but CHA is known for being extremely cheap.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039350-latest-nba-intel-the-divide-between-kyrie-irving-and-brooklyn
If this is true, it's kind of befuddling.
Why dismiss Borrego if you're not going to let a new coach bring in his team? You might as well just play it out another year and let them all go at the same time, and hire a new staff next summer.
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1539268753178955776
Anyone know if this is a meme page because there's no way the Hornets are this incompetent right? If they didn't have Lamelo I would kind of understand but unless they want to stunt this growth completely this would be more than a head scratching move
Westbrooks agent earning his keep by pumping the rumor mill
The real reason Kenny decided to stay? Haha
I love it when ridiculous trades are proposed for OTHER teams.
E.g. AD + WB for Kyrie + Simmons, LOL!
https://youtu.be/uaDQy42qs1g?t=123
Holy cannoli!
That would be such a stupidly bad trade for the Lakers, it would be unbelievable.
The funny thing is, it wouldn’t exactly be a home run trade for the Nets, either.
Lebron and Westbrook were a terrible fit together. Why would anyone think Lebron and Simmons fit any better? Simmons doesn’t just suck at shooting, he doesn’t even try. He’s had physical problems for the last year plus, and mental issues for longer and harder than that. And sure, Lebron and Kyrie once won a chip together, but that was six years and three significant injuries for Lebron ago. Plus Kyrie is way more of a space cadet now than he ever was then, to the point that people question just how invested he is at being a basketball player anymore. And to do this trade, the Lakers would need to give up their only good player on the right side of 30. Disaster all around.
Brooklyn should be in a far better place than they were after winning this trade in a slam dunk, right? Except they wouldn’t be. AD is super talented and will help them whenever he’s on the court. But after two major leg/foot injuries, who knows how often that will be going forward. And even then, putting Westbrook on their team would cancel out all the good getting AD on their team would bring. Because you know if Westbrook isn’t playing a starter role, he will become a cancer in that locker room. And after all that, Brooklyn still won’t have a leader on that floor or in that locker room. KD doesn’t have the force of will to lead a team, and neither does AD. Westbrook has the force of will, but has no idea what winning basketball looks like and isn’t interested if it means he can’t carry on with his “Now I do what I want” approach to basketball.
That trade wouldn’t build any of those two teams into a championship contender. All it would do is lead to twin train wrecks on both the East and West coasts.
> All it would do is lead to twin train wrecks on both the East and West coasts.
So, status quo
Eh, it would lead to different types of fireworks, though just as explosive probably.
Simmons + Kyrie + Lebron in LA with that fanbase who doesn’t care for any of them (hell, they might even borderline hate Lebron) would be lol.
Westbrook and KD back together in Brooklyn after everything that went down after KD left OKC is even more lol. Plus a side of KD maybe hating the Nets FO for getting rid of all the buddies he wanted to play with when he signed for that franchise to begin with.
I’d say the only winners of that trade would be Warriors fans. And the comedians who use the happenings around the league for memes and jokes.
KD and AD would be a pretty interesting pairing. Westbrook is dead weight.
I assume by WB, you mean RW?
Westbrook
Honestly it’s kinda not ridiculous
It’s a horrific trade for the Lakers.
And it doesn’t really solve any of Brooklyn’s current problems, either.
It’s not ridiculous in the sense that it’s beyond the realm of possibility.
It’s ridiculous in the sense of why both teams would agree to the trade. Or that any of them see that trade as an honest way to become a title contender.
The only team that should be thinking about doing that trade is Brooklyn, and even they wouldn’t benefit as much from it as people think. The Lakers should hang up and laugh.
> It’s a horrific trade for the Lakers.
I dunno. There are a lot of unknowns that could swing it in the favor of either team.
* If AD stays healthy and neither Simmons nor Kyrie want to play (full-time), then definitely advantage to BKN.
* If AD keeps getting injured and both Simmons and Kyrie want to play, then LAL get the better end of the deal.
Reality will probably settle somewhere in between and that's why I feel it'd mostly be a wash... except maybe it could generate some ratings for both teams because it's something fresh.
I think it feels that way because both teams need to do something... anything.
I really want to see Poole-Moody-Wiggins-Kuminga-Wiseman all on the floor at the same time this upcoming season. That right there could be a future championship starting lineup.
Next year is just going to be a lot of fun, assuming everyone is healthy, and (a big if) Draymond shows up in shape.
Funnily, I think we might be a little light on shooting if OPJ leaves. We're going to have to hope Moody steps up a bit, if that happens. Or we find a good shooter at a minimum/TPMLE.
I think this year they proved the concept of rebuilding while competing. I would say that Curry's prime is officially not wasted.
This upcoming year should be the "let's do that again" year, but with more of a focus of getting the young guys more playing time and more integrated into the rotation. I'd love to see the minutes of the big 3 reduced to no higher than 30 mpg and a few more rest games mixed in. Let's keep them fresh for the playoffs. All three missed big chunks for rest and injury this year. While that sucked during the season, they were all healthy at the right time.
Wiggins should be the workhorse this next season. He's still young, and it's really a chance to establish the Warriors as HIS team. He doesn't need to be the #1 scoring option, but if we can see Finals Wiggins all season long? He'll be an All-Star AND DPOY candidate. I want to see Wiggins as the best two-way player in the league next year. And being HIS team doesn't mean that it's not also Curry, Klay, Green, etc.'s team as well. It just means that he puts his stamp so much on the game and in his role that everyone associates him as a necessary part of the Warriors' success because of what he uniquely brings to the table.
I want Poole to get 6MOY this year and play starter minutes. Honestly, I'd love to see him play the most total minutes over the season for anyone not named Wiggins. If he can bulk up like Steph and develop Steph-like defense and conditioning then he has the potential to be a HOFer. His shooting is already elite. The rest really just about putting in the work (which it sounds like he does). I think that the Wiggins-Poole tandem can be devastating for the next five+ years in the same way that Draymond-Steph have been.
Kuminga, Moody, and Wiseman should all be playing in the 15-20 mpg range, with lots of run during rest games for the core guys. I want all three of GPII, Loony, and OPJ back next season, but even if they're not we should really want the young guys to be stepping up and taking some of those minutes. If all three of them aren't regular rotation guys during the playoffs next year then I think we should consider that being behind in their development.
As far as FA goes, if the Warriors can get GPII, Loony, and OPJ all to come back (I think GPII being the most likely to leave) then that should essentially fill out the rotation. For the remaining four spots, I'd say leave one open to potentially add someone during the season, likely one spot for our first round pick and then the other two some combination of a ring chasing vet, a second round draft pick, or one of our other guys from this season.
I'm fine with bringing back or letting walk any or all of Bjeli, Lee, and JTA. With the vast majority of the minutes needing to go to the players listed above, there certainly would be value in having guys who know the system and can eat up good regular season minutes coming in to fill out those final roster spots.
The one position that we didn't have on the roster this season (beyond a healthy seven footer) that I'd love to see next year is a true backup point guard. I think Poole can fill that role to some extent, but the lack of a backup floor general definitely hurt us at times. I'd be intrigued if a vet like Ricky Rubio wanted to come take the vet minimum to chase a ring (although I understand he can likely command a much higher salary and a larger role elsewhere). Frankly, the market of UFA PGs looks pretty slim this year and I'm not expecting much.
So let's take a serious look at next years' roster and needs:
G: Steph, Poole
W: Klay, Wiggs, Moody, JK
PF/C: Dray, Wise
Needs:
2 guards
1 wing
2 bigs
Likely returning. I'm going to assume both return in my minutes analysis below.
G: GP2
C: Looney
That leaves:
1 G, 1 wing, 1 big needed,+ 2 bonus slots. (Will teams have 15 roster spots to fill next season or back to 13 + two 2-ways?)
Possible re-signs:
C: Bjeli, W/PF: OPJ
That leaves a strong need for a Guard backup(PG preferably), and maybe another wing and big. One will be the first round draft pick. They also have 2nd round picks, but I'm assuming they stash or trade them.
Steph started 64 games, Dray 46, and Klay 32. I think it would be good to aim for 60 games each out of the big 3. Steph averaged 34.5 MP/G, the highest on the team. Wiggs was next @ 31.9, JP @ 30, Klay @ 29.4, Dray @ 28.90. I'd say a good target for all three is 30 min/g average.
So that's 60 starts, 30 mpg for the big 3. Total of 1800 minutes each.
Wiggs was in 73 games, 31.9 mpg. Let's keep that exactly as it is. 2329 minutes
JP in 76 games, 30 mpg. Let's also keep that exactly as it is. 2283 minutes
Loon was in 82 games, 21.1 mpg. Let's give him a breather, make it 76 games, 20 mpg. 1520 minutes.
GP2 was in 71 games, 16.1 mpg. Let's up that to 76 games, 20 mpg. 1520 minutes
That puts us at:
Guard minutes: 6503 guard minutes
Steph: 60 starts, 30 mpg, 1800 minutes
Klay (1/2 guard & 1/2 wing): 30 starts, 30 mpg, 900 minutes
JP: 76 games, 30 mpg, 2283 minutes
GP2: 76 games, 20 mpg, 1520 minutes
Total Avail: 7872.
Remaining Avail: 1369 minutes. (roughly Chiozza + DLee in 21-22)
Wing minutes: 3229 minutes
Klay (1/2 guard & 1/2 wing): 30 starts, 30 mpg, 900 minutes
Wiggs: 73 G, 31.9 mpg, 2329 minutes
Remaining Avail(counting 1.5 positions as wing): 2675 minutes.
Big minutes: 3320 minutes
Dray: 60 starts, 30 mpg, 1800 minutes
Looney: 76 games, 20 mpg. 1520 minutes
Remaining Avail(counting 1.5 positions as Bigs): 2584 minutes.
Now let's put in the young crew:
Wise: 72 games, 20 mpg, 1440 minutes
JK: 72 games, 25 mpg, 1800 minutes
MM: 72 games, 18 mpg, 1296 minutes
Let's give JK 1/3 big minutes, 2/3rds wing minutes
So:
Wing:
MM: 72 games, 18 mpg, 1296 minutes
JK: 1200 minutes
Remaining Minutes: 179 minutes
Bigs:
JW: 72 games, 20 mpg, 1440 minutes
JK: 600 minutes
Remaining Minutes: 544 minutes
That leaves the following missing minutes:
1369 Guard minutes
179 Wing minutes
544 Big minutes
OPJ, if signed again, would take up both wing and big minutes, and push Klay down to Guard minutes, assuming he plays close to 1400 minutes again. That being said, I'm unsure if there's enough minutes for OPJ or a similar role, given the projected increase in minutes to the young crew.
They will most likely sign a backup PG playmaker ring chaser like Rubio to eat up some of those G minutes. And then their first round draft pick will also eat up 500+ extra minutes.
Honestly, if they do sign vet ring chaser wings and bigs, the most they can promise them is competition for the backup spots and rotation spots. They'd have to outcompete the young guys, or be basically 3rd string rotation players. But they would be fantastic injury insurance.
Great post (deserving of full article status),
but me no do maths in the offseason. Or, actually, during the season either.
Your vision for next season aligns well with mine. I don't think Playoff Wiggins can sustain that level of effort all season long; that would be insane and we have plenty of indications that that's not his personality, either. Which, honestly, is OK; as long as he brings it when it counts, I don't mind a more baseline workhorse-like performance the rest of the time. 17p/5r/3a in 35m/g would be a fine season statline for Wiggins. Maybe he's needed even fewer minutes if the Kuminga and Moody are coming along ahead of schedule.
I *really* hope we have GPII back next season; I'd prioritize keeping him even if it means something wild like trading Wiseman to reduce the team's salary load. The eye test and the advanced metrics all agree that he was immensely impactful on winning, moreso than a lot of players earning $10+mil/season. Maybe we get lucky and other teams are too hesitant to pay him out of our price range because they're not sure his success can be replicated outside the Warriors system. Personally, I suspect he would do fine on a common heliocentric spread P&R/5-out offense, and his defense should go anywhere he does as long as he's in good health/shape.
Also: do you think we can do better than Chiozza as backup "true" PG? Chris wasn't as bad as some people complained, but his inability to finish around the rim even after getting past his defender was pretty disappointing. But, he did make smart passes, play effort defense, and have a real tight handle. Someone along the lines of Facundo Campazzo (minus the beef w/ Steph) would probably fit alright.
I could also see a case that Quinndary Weatherspoon might grow into a slightly bigger backup role, given his solid performances in a number of appearances this past season. I just feel like he's behind a bit of a positional logjam, with Lee or JTA being the most likely ones for him to displace, but he's not a clear-cut upgrade over either one yet so it'll be a tough decision I'm glad I'm not in charge of making.
>>>>I *really* hope we have GPII back next season; I'd prioritize keeping him even if it means something wild like trading Wiseman to reduce the team's salary load.
I wouldn't prioritize him over Wiseman, but I definitely think the team should work to keep him. You put GPII, Klay (assuming he's even more back to himself next season), Draymond, Looney, and Wiggins in for a defensive stop toward the end of the game... who's going to score on that lineup? All four of those players (minus Klay) had All-Defensive Team performances over the course of the playoffs.
>>>>Maybe we get lucky and other teams are too hesitant to pay him out of our price range because they're not sure his success can be replicated outside the Warriors system.
I wonder about this as well (although I agree GPII would play great just about anywhere). Which players have actually played better *after* leaving the Warriors? HB, maybe, but really not by much. JaVale McGee, perhaps. The Warriors did wonders for his career. Damian Jones, certainly, although that's such a peripheral example it's almost not even worth bringing up. Even Kevin Durant hasn't been as good post-Warriors as he was on the Warriors. The post-Warriors drop off is real.
>>>>[D]o you think we can do better than Chiozza as backup "true" PG?
I hope so. I mean, Chiozza was okay in small stretches. The best I can say for him is that I don't think he lost games for us. He did what was asked of him, and did his best not to let the wheels fall off when he was on the court, which is about all you can ask of a two-way player. But at the end of the day, he's a two-way player and I doubt he'll ever be anything more than that. It would be nice to have an actual NBA player out there running things when Steph is off the floor who hopefully is at least 6' tall.
I really like what you've written here. I don't think Poole's shooting is necessary elite yet, but leading the league in FT% goes a long way toward making me a believer.
I think he's an elite shooter, but he's not yet as consistently elite as we'd like him to be. When he's hot he's a flame thrower, and he clearly has more to learn, but he shot 50.8% from the field and 39.1% from the three in the playoffs, scoring 17 ppg in "only" 27.5 minutes per game. He showed up when it mattered, and I think he's only going to get better.
Man, comparing dynastic eras, and realizing that the Bulls went only two years between two three year runs, I'm realizing that it was a long damn time between titles. Three years is forever in NBA time. I kept on feeling like it was only two years, but that's between Finals appearances, and not actual titles. No wonder so many pundits wrote them off. From inside the Dubs' echo chamber, I kept on feeling they just needed Steph/Klay/Dray healthy and some role players to step up, so they were close. But I get it now why so many people wrote them off. Boy does it feel good to be back on top.
Ros Gold-Onwude interviews Vince Carter, touches on some warriors topics, the draft and Vince has some anecdotes about when he was drafted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kYmWLi5QNU
I am seeing the floated contract of 4 years, 100 million for Poole? I think from Letorneau's article?
Locking up Poole for less than D'Angelo Russell (who didn't work out but netted Wiggins and a top 3 protected pick in a stacked draft) would be ridiculous imo, I don't really believe that contract will be anywhere close to what he gets.
4/$100m means that first year starting at $22m, assuming max 8% annual raises.
I figure Poole looking to get $25m that first year, so something like 4/$112m.
If he's looking to get the full max with a starting year at $30+m....ooof.
correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the bonus of extending this offseason means that he gets a raise, one year earlier. If you prorate that out over the future years, it can be effectively like getting a higher starting salary.
You guys really think the Lakers will try to run it back with Westbrook? No way Lebron will allow that unless he's already content with his rings and is only playing just to be in LA
Ultimately I feel like there will be a team cheap enough to want that massive expiring contract and opportunity to dump some long term money. But who knows for sure.
I'm not saying this is right in any universe, but I have a weird feeling they'll somehow get Westbrook for Brogdon and Turner. Don't ask me how.
Lakers will have to give up some serious picks to do that and the Lakers don't want to do that. Gonna be very interesting to see what happens....
Heart of Gold: The Golden State Warriors' Remarkable Run to the 2022 NBA Title” is a 128-page commemoration, produced together with Triumph Books, that makes sure these memories are always at hand.
Somehow fitting that a book about the Curry Warriors would have the same name as a spaceship which used the Infinite Improbability Drive, a wonderful new method of crossing interstellar distances in a mere nothingth of a second. Steph generates his own gravity, bends the laws of probability, and crosses vast distances on the court like they were nothing, his Warriors erasing opposing leads and build their own in mere seconds. Makes sense that a ship Joey Light-Years paid for would have a top-notch hyperspace drive.
Kerr interviewed by Zach Lowe https://youtu.be/OTKwTaWkSSA
I like this: Hunter Felt at The Guardian "Every NBA team should have a Designated Heel like Draymond Green" https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jun/21/draymond-green-golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-feud
Parade on nbcs bay now.