Wow, Shey Peddy returned to the Phoenix Mercury today after having ruptured her achilles in August. When it happened I was worried her career might be over. Turns out she missed four games lol.
#EIGHT I think Whitehead might have a higher floor and ceiling. He's a wing with solid size that can really shoot. Like maybe, REALLY shoot. The elevation and stroke look really pretty. His tape is pretty nice, and it's pretty fair to give him some due credit for having a tough year. So floor is a 3 and D wing, and upside is he gets healthy and has some star upside as a shot creator.
Clowney's upside is more like very good starting role player. If you have him as a potentially truly elite defender that would be a very valuable player. Like a JJJ. But if he's more just slim, versatile big that can't shoot that much he's a back of rotation guy.
Going into next season, we're no longer the champs. We'll be trying to catch up to the new defending WC winner and the teams right on their tail. In order to compete with those teams, we have to have a defensive answer for their biggest threats. Off the top of my head, and ignoring the geriatric duo of LBJ and AD, here's an incomplete list of major headaches we need to contain to win the West again:
- Jokic / MPJ
- KD / Booker
- JJJ / Ja
- Ingram / Zion
- Kawhi / PG
- Fox / Sabonis
- SGA / Holmgren
- Naz Reid (probably) / KAT
- others: Kessler, Wemby, Dame, Luka, [obvious name I missed here], ...
While there are some guards / smaller wings on that list, it seems to be dominated by bigger guys, and our current defensive answers to those bigger players are both offensive liabilities.
So, looking ahead beyond next season, we need to roster some big bois that cannot just defend but also be a threat on offense and be a physical force inside. While it'd be nice to have a ton of switchable wings, it won't suffice to get us back to the Finals. None of the guys available at 19 in this draft are going to be THE ANSWER, but they can help to start incrementally filling that gap.
Most clubs don't expect more than that from #19. However, there is more pressure to get it right than with a lottery pick. Plus, the Warriors are deficient in size. To ignore this with an aging core is suicide. Kerr needs to unglue himself from his own trapped system and begin to innovate and think differently. Maybe some new blood in his coaching staff can help. Maybe MDJr. will add some talent that would have been overlooked by the old staff?
Plus, ne could argue the Warriors already have a plethora of switchable wings in Wiggins, GP2, Kuminga and now Moody under team control for 2+ years…and…when he’s in shape and focused, Klay…and oh, yeah Dante if he stays.
I don't get your answer. The Warriors, led by our fearsome starting 5, lost 38 games during the regular seasons and got bounced by a play-in team in the second round, after barely making it out of the first. The specific gaps that need to be filled to prevent a repeat performance are determined by looking at the challenges posed by our opponents / competitors. My main takeaway from this past season: we're lacking two-way bigs and are short on reliable outside shooting off the bench. Feel free to disagree.
All those things contributed both to the starters and bench. This is a team. You can't play the starting 5 for 48 minutes. You need integration and there was hardly any this past season. The starters are also aging. We'll probably see more injuries next season. This is normal stuff. You construct a team with all this in mind. Bad picks and signings didn't help. They need to change things up and not follow the old blue print any longer. Sure, there is some value to the old. It won't be totally discarded but have we ever seen Looney play like he did this year? Double doubles, 20rpg? But we still need help for him. Personally, I want to see Green gone. As my wife said when I asked her what she thought about Draymond, 'bad energy'. Pure and simple, I think.
Going with the grain here: trade the pick. JK, but honestly neither of these guys would really excite me, I guess like vignette says, give the nod to the high upside wing.
Also on the last thread some of you had mentioned concerns about the Willie Cauley Stein comparison on Lively, but honestly if WCS is a comp coming out of college, people forget that WCS could guard 1-5. In that draft replete with quality Cs, I said that before everything was said and done, WCS would be the best Center in that draft class. Obviously i was wrong but just look at WCS highlights at UK and the dude projected ideal modern NBA center on teams that switched everything defensively.
Horrid. Absolutely horrid. Probably the worst low post defender I’ve seen in a warriors uni in the last 20 years and we had Dragan Bender for a limited run here in 2020
More detail. His jump shot, NBA Ready, size and ball-handling(?!) we’re scored 9, while his athleticism, defense, quickness, leadership and potential were scored 7 (very pedestrian)
And his lack, thereof. This was a big issue for him in his early years. Wouldn't go to the basket. He's also a subpar rebounder, career-wise. This was the first year that I remember him going for rebounds and making more passes than usual. His shooting was always the prime weapon and he also learned to defend but I never considered him a complete player. Steph and Wiggs are the only complete players the Warriors have. Let's get rid of the emotional attachments that many seem to cherish so dearly and which tend to prevent change.
I believe Keyontae Johnson is the young man whose heart stopped a few years ago during a game. It was speculated at the time that it might have been related to long covid, but I don't know if that was ever confirmed. Great to know he's well enough to continue pursuing his dream. I hope he gets drafted and has a career.
Big guy, plays both 4 and 5, defensive versatility, 'plays with an edge', can finish through contact, good rebounding and passing, potential floor stretcher. Clowney sounds like a situational contributor even on today's team, for short stints, and could grow into a key rotation piece. Whose minutes would Whitehead take, even if he were healthy?
Vogul to the Suns. Seems like a good move. Suns will be better next year, especially if they can fill out the roster around their new core a little better with a full off season.
Monty has to coach a rebuilding team in Detroit. They had to pay a premium to get him to take that deal. As I recall he turned them down initially and they upped the ante.
#8. Surprised with the Clowney love. Way too raw and there is nothing about his game currently that projects into any meaningful minutes on this squad this yr. Will just be caught behind Draymond, Looney, PBJ, Kuminga and whatever other big man they sign.
Don't you think that PBJ and JFK have a long way to go to be considered a big man? I know PBJ has length but zero experience playing in the paint with big boys. It's a totally different mind set which he is totally unprepared for, imo. I see little defensive prowess or playmaking vision. He seems to be a shooter, a catch and shoot guy. Not someone I would build around.
Just another big semi slow footed body to put in at the 5 (ala Bjeli). Just saying that by the time Clowney is playable, IF Draymond still here, thats 3 bodies ahead of him whose 5 is the best position for them.
Hope so. But, as always, I should add that I know zip about college bball, and I don't really know if what he showed on the highlight film would transfer to the NBA soon.
Like a middle reliever, just looking for a player who can immediately eat minutes in the regular season and help Big 3, with some upside. Upgrades over third big that was supposed to be Wiseman (Lively?) or stretch 4, Lamb/JMG (Murray?) would be realistic expectation.
I just dont see the high reward with Clowney but then again I tuned in to Alabama games to watch Miller. Or rather the floor right now is not conducive to playability with this squad in the next couple years and the potential ceiling not high enough IMo to wait on. Like Beli I find Whiteheads ceiling more intriguing
Wow, Shey Peddy returned to the Phoenix Mercury today after having ruptured her achilles in August. When it happened I was worried her career might be over. Turns out she missed four games lol.
#EIGHT I think Whitehead might have a higher floor and ceiling. He's a wing with solid size that can really shoot. Like maybe, REALLY shoot. The elevation and stroke look really pretty. His tape is pretty nice, and it's pretty fair to give him some due credit for having a tough year. So floor is a 3 and D wing, and upside is he gets healthy and has some star upside as a shot creator.
Clowney's upside is more like very good starting role player. If you have him as a potentially truly elite defender that would be a very valuable player. Like a JJJ. But if he's more just slim, versatile big that can't shoot that much he's a back of rotation guy.
Going into next season, we're no longer the champs. We'll be trying to catch up to the new defending WC winner and the teams right on their tail. In order to compete with those teams, we have to have a defensive answer for their biggest threats. Off the top of my head, and ignoring the geriatric duo of LBJ and AD, here's an incomplete list of major headaches we need to contain to win the West again:
- Jokic / MPJ
- KD / Booker
- JJJ / Ja
- Ingram / Zion
- Kawhi / PG
- Fox / Sabonis
- SGA / Holmgren
- Naz Reid (probably) / KAT
- others: Kessler, Wemby, Dame, Luka, [obvious name I missed here], ...
While there are some guards / smaller wings on that list, it seems to be dominated by bigger guys, and our current defensive answers to those bigger players are both offensive liabilities.
So, looking ahead beyond next season, we need to roster some big bois that cannot just defend but also be a threat on offense and be a physical force inside. While it'd be nice to have a ton of switchable wings, it won't suffice to get us back to the Finals. None of the guys available at 19 in this draft are going to be THE ANSWER, but they can help to start incrementally filling that gap.
Most clubs don't expect more than that from #19. However, there is more pressure to get it right than with a lottery pick. Plus, the Warriors are deficient in size. To ignore this with an aging core is suicide. Kerr needs to unglue himself from his own trapped system and begin to innovate and think differently. Maybe some new blood in his coaching staff can help. Maybe MDJr. will add some talent that would have been overlooked by the old staff?
What is this, Dunleavy's burner account?! 😝
Plus, ne could argue the Warriors already have a plethora of switchable wings in Wiggins, GP2, Kuminga and now Moody under team control for 2+ years…and…when he’s in shape and focused, Klay…and oh, yeah Dante if he stays.
Do you think Dante will opt in?
🤷🏼♂️ Seems like there aren’t THAT many (good) teams with the cap room to offer hi. big money.
"Bigger guys...."
To me, that means at least 6'7" and strong.
I was referring to “While it'd be nice to have a ton of switchable wings, it won't suffice to get us back to the Finals.“.
I don't get your answer. The Warriors, led by our fearsome starting 5, lost 38 games during the regular seasons and got bounced by a play-in team in the second round, after barely making it out of the first. The specific gaps that need to be filled to prevent a repeat performance are determined by looking at the challenges posed by our opponents / competitors. My main takeaway from this past season: we're lacking two-way bigs and are short on reliable outside shooting off the bench. Feel free to disagree.
All those things contributed both to the starters and bench. This is a team. You can't play the starting 5 for 48 minutes. You need integration and there was hardly any this past season. The starters are also aging. We'll probably see more injuries next season. This is normal stuff. You construct a team with all this in mind. Bad picks and signings didn't help. They need to change things up and not follow the old blue print any longer. Sure, there is some value to the old. It won't be totally discarded but have we ever seen Looney play like he did this year? Double doubles, 20rpg? But we still need help for him. Personally, I want to see Green gone. As my wife said when I asked her what she thought about Draymond, 'bad energy'. Pure and simple, I think.
Going with the grain here: trade the pick. JK, but honestly neither of these guys would really excite me, I guess like vignette says, give the nod to the high upside wing.
Going against the grain here. #EIGHT. Give me the raw, high upside wing over the raw, high upside big who may or may not eventually be a 5.
qq Eric -- I see we went from 6v11 to 8v9, you didn't forget about 7v10 (Murray vs. Rupert) did you?
:D
Scheduled for tomorrow. Substack makes it annoying to reschedule articles and I didn’t think anyone would notice!
*hands over coupon for 20% off the DNHQ Store*
*Fine print: offer valid only in Estonia*
Better than the complimentary re-read of the article I found a genuine error in.
/mutters about feeling slighted
*gives goofus TWO coupons for 20% off the DNHQ Store in Estonia*
*Fine Print: must be redeemed in person*
*frames coupon and gazes upon it contentedly*
*coupon suddenly shreds itself Banksy-style*
Nope give me miller, lively or Murray over both
Also on the last thread some of you had mentioned concerns about the Willie Cauley Stein comparison on Lively, but honestly if WCS is a comp coming out of college, people forget that WCS could guard 1-5. In that draft replete with quality Cs, I said that before everything was said and done, WCS would be the best Center in that draft class. Obviously i was wrong but just look at WCS highlights at UK and the dude projected ideal modern NBA center on teams that switched everything defensively.
He’d be a top prospect all over again.
I’m picturing WCS with a motor and think Javale 2.0 and feel better
Had the tools, but not the motor
He was unbelievably soft during his stint with the Dubs lol
Horrid. Absolutely horrid. Probably the worst low post defender I’ve seen in a warriors uni in the last 20 years and we had Dragan Bender for a limited run here in 2020
Lively is not WCS. No worries.
The leap from college to the NBA in motor requirements seems a lot bigger for Centers than most people realize.
Someplace to find the original scouting report on Klay? If such a thing even existss.
Google gave me Draft express.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Klay-Thompson-5490/
Thnx
https://www.nbadraft.net/players/klay-thompson/
More detail. His jump shot, NBA Ready, size and ball-handling(?!) we’re scored 9, while his athleticism, defense, quickness, leadership and potential were scored 7 (very pedestrian)
"Recevied a one game suspension due to a marijuana possession charge"
Wouldn't this make him a better fit in The Bay?
That probably cost him a point in “leadership” considering it was over a decade ago when weed was a bigger deal.
> On the other hand, Thompson's limitations show in his ability to finish around the basket
So Klayups have always been a thing!
And his lack, thereof. This was a big issue for him in his early years. Wouldn't go to the basket. He's also a subpar rebounder, career-wise. This was the first year that I remember him going for rebounds and making more passes than usual. His shooting was always the prime weapon and he also learned to defend but I never considered him a complete player. Steph and Wiggs are the only complete players the Warriors have. Let's get rid of the emotional attachments that many seem to cherish so dearly and which tend to prevent change.
Thnx
> Warriors draft workout on Monday
> -Dereck Lively II (Duke)
> -Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
> -Colin Castleton (Florida)
> -Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)
> -Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)
https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1664696310476460033
I believe Keyontae Johnson is the young man whose heart stopped a few years ago during a game. It was speculated at the time that it might have been related to long covid, but I don't know if that was ever confirmed. Great to know he's well enough to continue pursuing his dream. I hope he gets drafted and has a career.
Big guy, plays both 4 and 5, defensive versatility, 'plays with an edge', can finish through contact, good rebounding and passing, potential floor stretcher. Clowney sounds like a situational contributor even on today's team, for short stints, and could grow into a key rotation piece. Whose minutes would Whitehead take, even if he were healthy?
#NINE
> The Warriors will work out Dereck Lively II on Monday.
> Wirey big man out of Duke.
https://twitter.com/jdumasreports/status/1664690773235998725
Holy shit, the Warriors are working out a 19 year old?
Kicking tires is cheap
Excellent. So far Lively would be my favorite pick of the tourney.
Vogul to the Suns. Seems like a good move. Suns will be better next year, especially if they can fill out the roster around their new core a little better with a full off season.
The Suns and Frank Vogel are finalizing a five-year, $31 million contract to make the 2020 championship coach the new head man in Phoenix
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1664672362904825856
So a better coach and half the price Monty got in Detroit?
Sounds like a great deal for Phoenix.
Monty has to coach a rebuilding team in Detroit. They had to pay a premium to get him to take that deal. As I recall he turned them down initially and they upped the ante.
#8. Surprised with the Clowney love. Way too raw and there is nothing about his game currently that projects into any meaningful minutes on this squad this yr. Will just be caught behind Draymond, Looney, PBJ, Kuminga and whatever other big man they sign.
Don't you think that PBJ and JFK have a long way to go to be considered a big man? I know PBJ has length but zero experience playing in the paint with big boys. It's a totally different mind set which he is totally unprepared for, imo. I see little defensive prowess or playmaking vision. He seems to be a shooter, a catch and shoot guy. Not someone I would build around.
Just another big semi slow footed body to put in at the 5 (ala Bjeli). Just saying that by the time Clowney is playable, IF Draymond still here, thats 3 bodies ahead of him whose 5 is the best position for them.
My perspective is that no draftee (at pick 19) is going to swing the needle one way or the other next year.
I still continue to look at getting as much talent as we can for the post-Steph years as being a valid use of the draft picks.
Do you think Lively might be able to play some “Javale 2.0” minutes his rookie year just being a rim presence and vertical spacer?
definitely. Who else do they have?
Hope so. But, as always, I should add that I know zip about college bball, and I don't really know if what he showed on the highlight film would transfer to the NBA soon.
Like a middle reliever, just looking for a player who can immediately eat minutes in the regular season and help Big 3, with some upside. Upgrades over third big that was supposed to be Wiseman (Lively?) or stretch 4, Lamb/JMG (Murray?) would be realistic expectation.
I can see that perspective, but imo that's the case for taking Whitehead.
The ankle scares me, but yeah. Both these picks seem high risk/high-ish reward players to me.
I just dont see the high reward with Clowney but then again I tuned in to Alabama games to watch Miller. Or rather the floor right now is not conducive to playability with this squad in the next couple years and the potential ceiling not high enough IMo to wait on. Like Beli I find Whiteheads ceiling more intriguing
#NINE for need in some non-Looney minutes, and what Benvolio said :)