#Spencer. We really need a serious outside shooting threat on the second unit to stretch and stress defenses and enable the occasional comeback from a big deficit, or hang on to a lead. If he keeps knocking them down, Kerr will play him, unlike the other guys in this list, even though they might turn out to be better overall players in the long run.
There's a ton of value in a role playing do it all combo forward these days. The one thing i liked about Williams statistical profile is he was incredibly efficient. He shot 66% on 2's! When you're that efficient on low volume it always hints that there might be a little upside there.
I see Klay is scrimmaging with the Bahamas Olympic team. I know people have to live but… if I were him, I would not be risking injury for the next three weeks as he negotiates his last big NBA free agent contract.
True -- but we haven't seen what it means that he's scrimmaging with them. He may be going really easy and enjoying seafood and adult beverages in the Bahamas...
Might be an unpopular opinion but I like the re-invented version of Drummond as far as being a team player goes. Would be nice if we can get him for the minimum.
This is where I start to feel like I really don't know much. It's easier to eliminate the no-hopers and long-shots in the first round than to make relative judgments between guys who all have some game.
But #WILLIAMS, then Bridges for me.
The comments about Bridges being stiff seem dead-on. I didn't see much to differentiate them (both have had good shooting years, but previous not so good ones, both seem like they probably could rebound in the NBA). Defense, who knows.
So, I'm going with the guy who seems to have more upside, just based on athletic tools. I will find out how wrong I am in three years or so.
Just saw the Ringer mock Adem Bona to the Warriors and say "Bona, who's similar to Kevon Looney, could..."
As someone who has watched Bona play, that comparison is absurd lol. Bona is like the most athletic college center I've ever seen, think he got like a 99 rating on his SPARQ assessment or whatever that thing is called which puts him in a percentile compared to other NBA centers who have taken the assessment. Reportedly he had a 48.5 inch vertical in a private workout during the process as well, which would be a record. That right there should make it so you don't compare him to Looney, but they both went to UCLA so I guess The Ringer didn't have a choice.
I think O’Connor has some nice writeups of the conventional wisdom on prospects (hence why I quote him in the Draft Tourney), but I find his Mock Drafts to be quite far off.
People think it's easy to dominate an era. Even with a very strong team like what the Celtics have right now you need A LOT of things to go right each year to win a championship. Look at Denver for example. People were penciling them in as the team to beat moving forward after winning one but losing depth did them in this year. Will they ever make it back or will teams like Minnesota, OKC or a surprise team leapfrog them? We made it look easy but it's really not. Never take our core + Steve Kerr's greatness for granted even if we never win another one with them. 4 freaking chips in 8 years. There are 10 teams in the NBA that has NEVER even seen one in their history.
They seem to think Boston has legs "This Boston crop, while not quite as luminously talented as Peak Steph’s Golden State, have much of their predecessors’ relentlessness, their churning, machine-like air of inevitability. But the peaks of Curry, Durant, and even LeBron have passed; the NBA’s old generation is finally, seemingly, drifting into history, its work done, the legends assured. The new generation is here, and the technocrats of Boston look set to master its performance model for years to come. "
Boston should be competitive but I wouldn't bet on a repeat. . ..
Reminds me of the quote attributed to Gramsci: The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.
It also reminds me of the times between dynasties where every local warlord tries to declare themselves emperor until they get whacked by another warlord
Such blathering word soup... similar things were probably written in 2011 about the Mavs, Heat, and Spurs, and were assuredly written in 2013 about the Heat and Spurs.
The last line is hilarious... people were trying to crown Denver as a dynasty only 12 months ago...
Flavor of the year. Good for them, but let's see them win a couple in a row with this bunch before we start talking dynasty.
I'm hoping we won't see a repeat champion for many years. People have grown complacent about the Warriors' run, and it would do everyone some good to see that it's not that easy to repeat, much less get to six finals in eight years or four championships in that window. That is a lot of mileage on bodies, a lot of short summers, a lot of glory to mess with the chemistry of relationships, a lot of egos to soothe and pockets to fill with gold, a lot of injury luck and finding a way through when you're not lucky.
I don't know, I'd be pretty surprised. I think we'll always be capable because of Steph and Draymond but there are still many personnel moves that needs to go right before we're realistically back in the conversation.
#Bridges here, I think he'd fit best with all the best players on our roster.
I feel like Jones shouldn't be that far behind Spencer & Williams here either. He's got good handling/assists/FT%, and the Warriors are definitely a team that could help with his long-range shot mechanics.
Now that the free agency period has officially begun, I would like to make a few things clear:
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here as a guest commenter at DNHQ. I have been made to feel at home, and we have been through the ups and down together.
That said, there are many other fan sites, and to be quite open about it, many of them are dangling rather interesting offers. I'm not at liberty to talk numbers, but let's just say that if DNHQ thinks that I'm going to continue posting five times a week at 25+ words for the next five years without a SERIOUS bump in pay, well...
Look. I just have to keep my options open. I have to feed my family. I'm not saying I'm leaving. I'm just saying that my people are listening for a serious offer. I will be in the Bahamas for the next three months, but DNHQ knows how to find my agent. Don't make me leave. #CrypticTweet
Listen, Asher -- we love you and want you to be a part of this board; we know you can still contribute and want you to finish your career here. But (and I say this with all respect)... you just aren't what you used to be, and we can't pay you based on your previous output. We have some expensive contracts already (not calling out anyone but in addition to Apricot, we're already paying Sleepy and Servant of Luna), and you're going to need to be willing to come off the bench. Some of our young up-and-comers are ready for their chance to break out.
We are hoping you'll take a board-friendly deal to stay, but if you get a can't-refuse offer from GSoM or some other board, we will understand. Just remember: When it's time to go into the Hall, you're wearing a DNHQ t-shirt...
Wow. Wow. That’s how easily I’m forgotten around here, huh? “Young up and comers?” Where were they in 2015? In 2017, 2018, 2022?
I was there, or is that all forgotten now?
“Still contribute?” That’s the best you can say of me? Fuck that. I can still write a post IN THE MIDDLE OF A GAME. Let’s see one of your young people do that.
I’m done here swear to god.
No. No. Don’t beg me. This disrespect. How quickly they forget.
Ever since you had that finger cramp that led you to favor your left thumb, and resulted in that disastrous sprained thumb, your typing accuracy has gone way down.
It used to be that we could count on 50% typing accuracy, and a solid 40% on LONG words. But, this last season, there were many games where the words look like mifls6@st[* ...
I mean, what do we do with that?
Worse, your injuries caused your defense to slip as well. Several times, EA was left alone on an island to defend himself from Paul [ not Chris ].
We tried to reduce your role, and use you in spot situations. The initial results were encouraging, but by the end of the season we were back to seeing glop+%smegget on the page.
We appreciate your long and distinguished service with the DubNationHQ team, but perhaps you recall that your last contract was a very favorable one to you, and included a lifetime supply of dog food for your dog, Ricci.
All said and done, our offer is $15/yr for 2 yrs and a team option at $15 on the third year. If you don't like it, well you can always go and write Ron Desantis' press releases.
> “ We appreciate your long and distinguished service with the DubNationHQ team”
Really? REALLY???
Doesn’t sound like it to me. I am not feeing appreciated at all right now. I have given this site my blood and tears for … like however long… and this is what I get?
And my dog’s name is Ruby.
Good luck with your website. Maybe someone will read it. Not me. I’m taking my talents to South Beach.
BREAKING NEWS: Dub Nation HQ has traded Asher B to the Golden State of Mind for J-RIDAH and 2 future guest list spots for the hottest night club in San Francisco
Somebodies gotta explain to me why KJ Simpson is being so underrated on DubNationHQ?
The man dropped a highly efficient 20 ppg (61 TS%) in one of the hardest conferences in college basketball while also being a highly effective passer (27 AST%) AND an excellent defender (honorable mention for All Pac-12 defense). He also dominated in the combine scrimmages dropping 16 pts/1 ast in the first game and 11 pts/4 ast in the second game.
Yeah, he's only 6'1 with a 6'5 wingspan BUT he more than makes up for that by being one of the most athletic prospects in the combine ranking first in the agility drill/tied for 6th in the standing and vertical leaps.
We've got an extremely well rounded and highly productive/efficient prospect whose also an athletic standout . . . why is he NOT the favorite?
You make a good case. Statistically he's a very good candidate.
To me, it's just a very narrow window to make it in the league as a little guard and it's rare those players offer much positional value. He's short and slim. Even compared to your development success stories for smaller guards like Brunson and Van Vleet, he's thinner than those guys.
So it's really unlikely he ends up as a starter you're happy with. As a backup some teams like that PNR orchestrator type, but a lot prefer a bigger more flexible defensive guy.
Which isn't to say he's not totally worthy of being a 2nd round target. But compare to a guy like Jalen Bridges in this group. Bridges has a very easy path to being a valuable rotation guy and even a starter.
I think it's two things: 1) he's very very short with short arms and a sub-8' standing reach... he's basically the shortest you can be and still have a chance to succeed in the NBA 2) before this year he was kinda bad... the steals were there and the free throw shooting, but his 3pt % was atrocious, the ast:to ratio was not great, his TS% was bad at 50% and his 2pt % was worse than his still bad 49%.
That said he was phenomenal in 23/24, but all the uncertainty of his previous two years coupled with his lil-tiny frame makes him a very risky pick imho. That said, you made me think twice and I might move him up my board a little bit.
NBA.com/NBA Draft Room/Sports Illustrate/Rookie Wire all have him as a second round pick.
To be clear, I wouldn't be surprised if he's selected earlier, but that's also irrelevant. The Draft Tourney has us selecting from a pool of prospects that DNHQ has pre-selected as potentially available on our pick and we select accordingly.
Honestly, it is really the height thing. People noticed the defensive downfall of this team and have pinned it on a lack of size - when it's really a lack of experience and BBIQ, since we insist on filling our roster with young players lacking both, but I digress - and thus any guard will have a hard time convincing Warriors fans.
I'd be fine with Spencer or Bridges. The coin flip goes to #Bridges.
#Spencer. We really need a serious outside shooting threat on the second unit to stretch and stress defenses and enable the occasional comeback from a big deficit, or hang on to a lead. If he keeps knocking them down, Kerr will play him, unlike the other guys in this list, even though they might turn out to be better overall players in the long run.
#Spencer. Out of this group, he far outshines the others. He's not big but he's got the aggressiveness of the Podz and the defense to make him legit.
#Williams
There's a ton of value in a role playing do it all combo forward these days. The one thing i liked about Williams statistical profile is he was incredibly efficient. He shot 66% on 2's! When you're that efficient on low volume it always hints that there might be a little upside there.
I see Klay is scrimmaging with the Bahamas Olympic team. I know people have to live but… if I were him, I would not be risking injury for the next three weeks as he negotiates his last big NBA free agent contract.
I think that's where all the 420 is.
True -- but we haven't seen what it means that he's scrimmaging with them. He may be going really easy and enjoying seafood and adult beverages in the Bahamas...
It's in Houston, so not quite as nice
RIP Willie Mays
Say Hey Kid! Sad day
RIP
I grew up with his name on my lips. Maybe the greatest baseball player I've ever seen.
GOAT ... without a doubt!
Might be an unpopular opinion but I like the re-invented version of Drummond as far as being a team player goes. Would be nice if we can get him for the minimum.
This is where I start to feel like I really don't know much. It's easier to eliminate the no-hopers and long-shots in the first round than to make relative judgments between guys who all have some game.
But #WILLIAMS, then Bridges for me.
The comments about Bridges being stiff seem dead-on. I didn't see much to differentiate them (both have had good shooting years, but previous not so good ones, both seem like they probably could rebound in the NBA). Defense, who knows.
So, I'm going with the guy who seems to have more upside, just based on athletic tools. I will find out how wrong I am in three years or so.
Just saw the Ringer mock Adem Bona to the Warriors and say "Bona, who's similar to Kevon Looney, could..."
As someone who has watched Bona play, that comparison is absurd lol. Bona is like the most athletic college center I've ever seen, think he got like a 99 rating on his SPARQ assessment or whatever that thing is called which puts him in a percentile compared to other NBA centers who have taken the assessment. Reportedly he had a 48.5 inch vertical in a private workout during the process as well, which would be a record. That right there should make it so you don't compare him to Looney, but they both went to UCLA so I guess The Ringer didn't have a choice.
Maybe he’s comparing him to HS Looney, who was a far better athlete before his surgeries.
Looney was never close to Bona athletically
These guys are such ridiculous athletes. Being able to do a standing vertical of four feet is utterly insane. That's more than half a body length.
I think O’Connor has some nice writeups of the conventional wisdom on prospects (hence why I quote him in the Draft Tourney), but I find his Mock Drafts to be quite far off.
https://x.com/TheFieldOf68/status/1611212812415541250
"Kevon Looney 2.0"
Ahhh... the "same college" corollary.
Celtics fans celebrating last night by climbing on things, drinking, chanting "Fuck Kyrie!", and jumping into crowds
https://old.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/1diitqm/boston_celebration/
Part 2
https://old.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/1dijb26/bawsten_part_2/
DO NOT do what this guy is doing in this video
https://old.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/1dipew1/boston_fan_gets_snatched_after_destroying/
Even when they were cheering it sounded like booing last night / must be a Boo-stan thing
Man, what a douchebag. Destroying a crossing signal does exactly what?
Your basic $5K mistake (after paying for it, fines and lawyers).
#Massholes
People think it's easy to dominate an era. Even with a very strong team like what the Celtics have right now you need A LOT of things to go right each year to win a championship. Look at Denver for example. People were penciling them in as the team to beat moving forward after winning one but losing depth did them in this year. Will they ever make it back or will teams like Minnesota, OKC or a surprise team leapfrog them? We made it look easy but it's really not. Never take our core + Steve Kerr's greatness for granted even if we never win another one with them. 4 freaking chips in 8 years. There are 10 teams in the NBA that has NEVER even seen one in their history.
the Guardian: Boston’s brilliant technocrats micromanaged their way to the NBA title. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/18/boston-celtics-nba-championship-win-nba-finals-basketball
They seem to think Boston has legs "This Boston crop, while not quite as luminously talented as Peak Steph’s Golden State, have much of their predecessors’ relentlessness, their churning, machine-like air of inevitability. But the peaks of Curry, Durant, and even LeBron have passed; the NBA’s old generation is finally, seemingly, drifting into history, its work done, the legends assured. The new generation is here, and the technocrats of Boston look set to master its performance model for years to come. "
Boston should be competitive but I wouldn't bet on a repeat. . ..
Reminds me of the quote attributed to Gramsci: The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.
It also reminds me of the times between dynasties where every local warlord tries to declare themselves emperor until they get whacked by another warlord
Not enough Gramsci-quoting in sports talk these days.
Such blathering word soup... similar things were probably written in 2011 about the Mavs, Heat, and Spurs, and were assuredly written in 2013 about the Heat and Spurs.
The last line is hilarious... people were trying to crown Denver as a dynasty only 12 months ago...
Flavor of the year. Good for them, but let's see them win a couple in a row with this bunch before we start talking dynasty.
I'm hoping we won't see a repeat champion for many years. People have grown complacent about the Warriors' run, and it would do everyone some good to see that it's not that easy to repeat, much less get to six finals in eight years or four championships in that window. That is a lot of mileage on bodies, a lot of short summers, a lot of glory to mess with the chemistry of relationships, a lot of egos to soothe and pockets to fill with gold, a lot of injury luck and finding a way through when you're not lucky.
At least they have one more year of Horford so they have a chance.
Championships since 2012-13
1. Warriors 4
2. Eight teams with 1
3. Twenty-one teams with 0
>Will they ever make it back or will teams like Minnesota, OKC, a resurgent Warriors squad, or a surprise team leapfrog them?
FIFY :D
We're in the category of the surprise team ATP (fair given our current roster situation)... definitely doable... but it's still TBD
I don't know, I'd be pretty surprised. I think we'll always be capable because of Steph and Draymond but there are still many personnel moves that needs to go right before we're realistically back in the conversation.
but the homer in me is like "Yes, you're damn right."
#Bridges here, I think he'd fit best with all the best players on our roster.
I feel like Jones shouldn't be that far behind Spencer & Williams here either. He's got good handling/assists/FT%, and the Warriors are definitely a team that could help with his long-range shot mechanics.
Every time I see Bridges, I think of Mikal or Miles Bridges.
Or that other dude, Jeff Bridges.
Hey, at least you can be sure we're talking about Jaylin Williams!
#Bridges for me, as I like his versatility.....tho spencer and williams would be decent fallback choices
Now that the free agency period has officially begun, I would like to make a few things clear:
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here as a guest commenter at DNHQ. I have been made to feel at home, and we have been through the ups and down together.
That said, there are many other fan sites, and to be quite open about it, many of them are dangling rather interesting offers. I'm not at liberty to talk numbers, but let's just say that if DNHQ thinks that I'm going to continue posting five times a week at 25+ words for the next five years without a SERIOUS bump in pay, well...
Look. I just have to keep my options open. I have to feed my family. I'm not saying I'm leaving. I'm just saying that my people are listening for a serious offer. I will be in the Bahamas for the next three months, but DNHQ knows how to find my agent. Don't make me leave. #CrypticTweet
So it has come to this...
Listen, Asher -- we love you and want you to be a part of this board; we know you can still contribute and want you to finish your career here. But (and I say this with all respect)... you just aren't what you used to be, and we can't pay you based on your previous output. We have some expensive contracts already (not calling out anyone but in addition to Apricot, we're already paying Sleepy and Servant of Luna), and you're going to need to be willing to come off the bench. Some of our young up-and-comers are ready for their chance to break out.
We are hoping you'll take a board-friendly deal to stay, but if you get a can't-refuse offer from GSoM or some other board, we will understand. Just remember: When it's time to go into the Hall, you're wearing a DNHQ t-shirt...
Wow. Wow. That’s how easily I’m forgotten around here, huh? “Young up and comers?” Where were they in 2015? In 2017, 2018, 2022?
I was there, or is that all forgotten now?
“Still contribute?” That’s the best you can say of me? Fuck that. I can still write a post IN THE MIDDLE OF A GAME. Let’s see one of your young people do that.
I’m done here swear to god.
No. No. Don’t beg me. This disrespect. How quickly they forget.
Shaking my damned head.
"I have to feed my family"
Ok, Spreewell
That one was for you
TRADE ASHER, While his value is still relatively high
Didn’t Sleepy try to trade him a couple of years ago? I think maybe the Logo said no.
Are you sure it isn't you that is relatively high?
Am I sure? No, I'm not
I really don’t think we can get much.
I think your agent has led you astray.
Ever since you had that finger cramp that led you to favor your left thumb, and resulted in that disastrous sprained thumb, your typing accuracy has gone way down.
It used to be that we could count on 50% typing accuracy, and a solid 40% on LONG words. But, this last season, there were many games where the words look like mifls6@st[* ...
I mean, what do we do with that?
Worse, your injuries caused your defense to slip as well. Several times, EA was left alone on an island to defend himself from Paul [ not Chris ].
We tried to reduce your role, and use you in spot situations. The initial results were encouraging, but by the end of the season we were back to seeing glop+%smegget on the page.
We appreciate your long and distinguished service with the DubNationHQ team, but perhaps you recall that your last contract was a very favorable one to you, and included a lifetime supply of dog food for your dog, Ricci.
All said and done, our offer is $15/yr for 2 yrs and a team option at $15 on the third year. If you don't like it, well you can always go and write Ron Desantis' press releases.
Miguel Dunheaving, Jr.
> “ We appreciate your long and distinguished service with the DubNationHQ team”
Really? REALLY???
Doesn’t sound like it to me. I am not feeing appreciated at all right now. I have given this site my blood and tears for … like however long… and this is what I get?
And my dog’s name is Ruby.
Good luck with your website. Maybe someone will read it. Not me. I’m taking my talents to South Beach.
BREAKING NEWS: Dub Nation HQ has traded Asher B to the Golden State of Mind for J-RIDAH and 2 future guest list spots for the hottest night club in San Francisco
The joke’s on DNHQ, since there *aren’t* any hot night clubs in SF!
— J-RIDAH
I can neither confirm nor deny this rumor.
Yeah, but you unfollowed Eric on snapchat...
That was not me. I have someone who handles my social media accounts and we are looking into this situation. Heads will roll
I'm sure... since you don't even have an email address.
I'm on the #Bridges train but also think we can get Spencer as an undrafted FA too. That would be a nice draft haul.
Somebodies gotta explain to me why KJ Simpson is being so underrated on DubNationHQ?
The man dropped a highly efficient 20 ppg (61 TS%) in one of the hardest conferences in college basketball while also being a highly effective passer (27 AST%) AND an excellent defender (honorable mention for All Pac-12 defense). He also dominated in the combine scrimmages dropping 16 pts/1 ast in the first game and 11 pts/4 ast in the second game.
Yeah, he's only 6'1 with a 6'5 wingspan BUT he more than makes up for that by being one of the most athletic prospects in the combine ranking first in the agility drill/tied for 6th in the standing and vertical leaps.
We've got an extremely well rounded and highly productive/efficient prospect whose also an athletic standout . . . why is he NOT the favorite?
You make a good case. Statistically he's a very good candidate.
To me, it's just a very narrow window to make it in the league as a little guard and it's rare those players offer much positional value. He's short and slim. Even compared to your development success stories for smaller guards like Brunson and Van Vleet, he's thinner than those guys.
So it's really unlikely he ends up as a starter you're happy with. As a backup some teams like that PNR orchestrator type, but a lot prefer a bigger more flexible defensive guy.
Which isn't to say he's not totally worthy of being a 2nd round target. But compare to a guy like Jalen Bridges in this group. Bridges has a very easy path to being a valuable rotation guy and even a starter.
I think it's two things: 1) he's very very short with short arms and a sub-8' standing reach... he's basically the shortest you can be and still have a chance to succeed in the NBA 2) before this year he was kinda bad... the steals were there and the free throw shooting, but his 3pt % was atrocious, the ast:to ratio was not great, his TS% was bad at 50% and his 2pt % was worse than his still bad 49%.
That said he was phenomenal in 23/24, but all the uncertainty of his previous two years coupled with his lil-tiny frame makes him a very risky pick imho. That said, you made me think twice and I might move him up my board a little bit.
I'm reading he might go 22-35, making it unlikely we'll have the chance to scoop him up.
NBA.com/NBA Draft Room/Sports Illustrate/Rookie Wire all have him as a second round pick.
To be clear, I wouldn't be surprised if he's selected earlier, but that's also irrelevant. The Draft Tourney has us selecting from a pool of prospects that DNHQ has pre-selected as potentially available on our pick and we select accordingly.
Honestly, it is really the height thing. People noticed the defensive downfall of this team and have pinned it on a lack of size - when it's really a lack of experience and BBIQ, since we insist on filling our roster with young players lacking both, but I digress - and thus any guard will have a hard time convincing Warriors fans.
Voting for #bridges, otherwise I’m most intrigued by Spencer. If we can get a 3-and-D rotation player with the draft pick I would be super happy.
I can’t get over Jones height at 6’4.5’’, although his wingspan does partly make up for it