Here is my take for receipting purposes - Dray will be fine. He will shed his regular season skin and start moving around in the post season with purpose. Steph will have a huge impact on O and he will settle back in.
Now, will the guys have enough continuity to make a deep run?? I’m not sure but I really hope so!
I love Draymond, but I'm not feeling confident about him right now. He doesn't seem right physically or mentally.
Physically, I worry that he's worn down at this point in the season from being matched against bigger opponents; I don't know if his physical problems are permanent. He may improve with some rest. But he feels like an old 32.
Mentally, he seems off his game right now. Maybe it's just Steph's absence; maybe it's his inability to perform at his expected high level. But he's not a plus player since his return, and time is running out for the playoffs.
I do think this team still has a chance if everything falls just right. But it requires so many things to fall into place. They have to be behind teams like Phoenix and Memphis, not to mention the best in the east. Those teams look like a contender should look. Guys bring it most every night, even with key players missing. They know their roles and they play 'on a string.' The Warriors were there in the first half of the season, but they aren't anymore. I hope they'll get there, but they've only got a few games to find themselves unless we think they can do it in the first round of the playoffs.
The topic of good or bad broadcasters arises occasionally. I would like to put in a plug for Tim Legler. He's always at least tolerable and often really good in his postgame or next day analysis. How about putting him in games? You pair him and Mike Breen and you'd get something worth turning louder, not muting.
If Steph comes back, Klay keeps up his slow progress, Dray recovers his timing/endurance/energy, and Andre, Loon, Wiggins, Poole, Otto, and GP2 stay healthy, I have every confidence we'll be fine in the playoffs. That's a legit 9 man rotation with defensive fundamentals and some offensive oomph.
There are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and there's a bunch of time off between games in the first round. Only challenge will be knocking off the rust in the first round, and having to win a few road games.
There are some teams playing really well in the NBA right now that seem to be in contention for the championship. Then there are the Warriors, who are in a lower tier and will stay there unless something changes. That hurts, and may change, but I think it would be inaccurate to claim otherwise. Not only am I worried about Draymond, I'm worried about Steph, I'm worried about Klay, I'm worried about Wiggins, I'm worried about Kuminga, I'm worried about Iguodala, I'm worried about Kerr pulling it all together, I'm worried about cohesion, I'm worried about defense, I'm worried about offense, I'm worried about special teams. And yet the sun is shining outside and I was told it would be raining right now, so who knows?
Honestly, I really like his clear diagnosis of the game being too fast for him right now, and his holding himself accountable. This is why longterm I tend not to worry about Draymond.
I'm not worried about Draymond. He's playing... fine? Which maybe it's "terrible" by his own standards, but that's why I know he'll sort it out soon enough.
I'm more worried about Wiggins, who has shown flashes of his earlier strong play, but hasn't looked as consistent, especially on defense.
I am also worried about Steph's foot, Andre's whole body, and a little bit about Wiseman's knee.
Are we not supposed to give Draymond time to return from the longest injury-related absence of his career? Is there a different set of rules that applies to him vs. a Klay or any other NBA player trying to play their way back into NBA game shape? Draymond's entire game, indeed his entire career, is predicated upon playing with an energy and passion above and beyond the limitations of his physical tools. Draymond doesn't have to just get into NBA game shape, needs to play at Ludicrous Speed and that doesn't show up in the first scene. I'm gonna pop some popcorn, and when the Warriors go Plaid (uniforms), I'll know he's back.
Maybe it's a good time for a break. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
Maybe we are blessed with high value content and analysis on this site, but I was genuinely surprised by the Andy Liu inspired fire Kerr sentiment all over twitter. You'd think Kerr is one of the worst coaches in the league, ala Keith Smart in 2011. I really had no idea some people genuinely thought that.
Even if he didn't state it, you can tell Draymond is frustrated right now and it may be in part to the lofty expectations he put on himself when talking about his return. Saying he would come back, dominate and lock up the the DPOY award and right the ship with the team. Then Steph gets injured almost immediately.
Just hoping he is truly healthy. That run at the end of last season, the Olympics and the beginning of this season, a lot of wear and tear on his body.
While according to him, his play may be a negative right now, he has to make sure he doesn't compound that, with techs and ejections.
The Dubs will seemingly be going into the playoffs trying to figure it out on many fronts. Just hope they get a first round match up that allows them to do that and still win.
I've been seeing people tweet about Steph getting reevaluated in a few days like they're expecting him back the next day. That's not how it works, not with the Warriors. I hope I'm wrong this time but we'll probably see another "Progress has been made but he will be reevaluated again in another week" post. As far as Draymond goes we'll gladly take the bad with the good. He'll bounce back like always.
Here is my take for receipting purposes - Dray will be fine. He will shed his regular season skin and start moving around in the post season with purpose. Steph will have a huge impact on O and he will settle back in.
Now, will the guys have enough continuity to make a deep run?? I’m not sure but I really hope so!
I love Draymond, but I'm not feeling confident about him right now. He doesn't seem right physically or mentally.
Physically, I worry that he's worn down at this point in the season from being matched against bigger opponents; I don't know if his physical problems are permanent. He may improve with some rest. But he feels like an old 32.
Mentally, he seems off his game right now. Maybe it's just Steph's absence; maybe it's his inability to perform at his expected high level. But he's not a plus player since his return, and time is running out for the playoffs.
I do think this team still has a chance if everything falls just right. But it requires so many things to fall into place. They have to be behind teams like Phoenix and Memphis, not to mention the best in the east. Those teams look like a contender should look. Guys bring it most every night, even with key players missing. They know their roles and they play 'on a string.' The Warriors were there in the first half of the season, but they aren't anymore. I hope they'll get there, but they've only got a few games to find themselves unless we think they can do it in the first round of the playoffs.
The topic of good or bad broadcasters arises occasionally. I would like to put in a plug for Tim Legler. He's always at least tolerable and often really good in his postgame or next day analysis. How about putting him in games? You pair him and Mike Breen and you'd get something worth turning louder, not muting.
If Steph comes back, Klay keeps up his slow progress, Dray recovers his timing/endurance/energy, and Andre, Loon, Wiggins, Poole, Otto, and GP2 stay healthy, I have every confidence we'll be fine in the playoffs. That's a legit 9 man rotation with defensive fundamentals and some offensive oomph.
There are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and there's a bunch of time off between games in the first round. Only challenge will be knocking off the rust in the first round, and having to win a few road games.
Robert Williams III apparently has a meniscus tear... they're saying he'll be out for "a minimum of several weeks"...
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-boston-celtics-center-robert-williams-iii-to-miss-several-weeks-with-knee-injury-155104584.html
There are some teams playing really well in the NBA right now that seem to be in contention for the championship. Then there are the Warriors, who are in a lower tier and will stay there unless something changes. That hurts, and may change, but I think it would be inaccurate to claim otherwise. Not only am I worried about Draymond, I'm worried about Steph, I'm worried about Klay, I'm worried about Wiggins, I'm worried about Kuminga, I'm worried about Iguodala, I'm worried about Kerr pulling it all together, I'm worried about cohesion, I'm worried about defense, I'm worried about offense, I'm worried about special teams. And yet the sun is shining outside and I was told it would be raining right now, so who knows?
Honestly, I really like his clear diagnosis of the game being too fast for him right now, and his holding himself accountable. This is why longterm I tend not to worry about Draymond.
Player A: 48.1 FG% 41.4 3PT% 66.1 FT% 57.9 TS%
Player B: 40.9 FG% 30.0 3PT% 54.8 FT% 47.9 TS%
I'm not worried about Draymond. He's playing... fine? Which maybe it's "terrible" by his own standards, but that's why I know he'll sort it out soon enough.
I'm more worried about Wiggins, who has shown flashes of his earlier strong play, but hasn't looked as consistent, especially on defense.
I am also worried about Steph's foot, Andre's whole body, and a little bit about Wiseman's knee.
Are we not supposed to give Draymond time to return from the longest injury-related absence of his career? Is there a different set of rules that applies to him vs. a Klay or any other NBA player trying to play their way back into NBA game shape? Draymond's entire game, indeed his entire career, is predicated upon playing with an energy and passion above and beyond the limitations of his physical tools. Draymond doesn't have to just get into NBA game shape, needs to play at Ludicrous Speed and that doesn't show up in the first scene. I'm gonna pop some popcorn, and when the Warriors go Plaid (uniforms), I'll know he's back.
Maybe it's a good time for a break. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
Maybe we are blessed with high value content and analysis on this site, but I was genuinely surprised by the Andy Liu inspired fire Kerr sentiment all over twitter. You'd think Kerr is one of the worst coaches in the league, ala Keith Smart in 2011. I really had no idea some people genuinely thought that.
Even if he didn't state it, you can tell Draymond is frustrated right now and it may be in part to the lofty expectations he put on himself when talking about his return. Saying he would come back, dominate and lock up the the DPOY award and right the ship with the team. Then Steph gets injured almost immediately.
Just hoping he is truly healthy. That run at the end of last season, the Olympics and the beginning of this season, a lot of wear and tear on his body.
While according to him, his play may be a negative right now, he has to make sure he doesn't compound that, with techs and ejections.
The Dubs will seemingly be going into the playoffs trying to figure it out on many fronts. Just hope they get a first round match up that allows them to do that and still win.
I've been seeing people tweet about Steph getting reevaluated in a few days like they're expecting him back the next day. That's not how it works, not with the Warriors. I hope I'm wrong this time but we'll probably see another "Progress has been made but he will be reevaluated again in another week" post. As far as Draymond goes we'll gladly take the bad with the good. He'll bounce back like always.