Jun 2, 2022·edited Jun 2, 2022Liked by Daniel Hardee
"The board is set, the pieces are moving. We come to it at last...
The great battle of our time."
Whatever happens DNHQ, it has been the highest privilege to share this inner sanctum with you all. My heart will either burst with joy or with sadness but I know it will be Gold Blooded like the rest of you. Here's to enjoying The Finals together...
Didn't realize this: the top 3 players in terms of 3-pointers made in these playoffs so far are:
Stephen Curry 60 made (in 16 games)
Klay Thompson 57 made (in 16 games)
Jason Tatum 57 made (in 18 games)
Tatum needed two extra games to match Klay's total, and this is Klay making a comeback from devastating injuries. And I don't think Curry and Klay have shot particularly well these playoffs.
There's been a lot of talk in the media about the torrid 3-point shooting of some teams/players, Doncic, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Celtics, the LOL Suns etc., pretenders all. Let them all just pause and recognize the Splash Brothers, the original and still, easily, the real kings of the 3 point shot.
Anybody with a theathletic sub read that TK article on Lacob? Because something just occurred to me; I'd never done any research on Lacob and I had no idea he grew up a Cs fan in the 60s in Mass, so perhaps the model franchise the dubs were following wasn't the Spurs but secretly those Russell-led Celtics? I think Lacob wants to dominate the NBA like his childhood team. And now I know that MFer is counting the Rangz. 17-7 (think?)
Call me crazy (idgaf) but the dubs can totally win the next 5 of 6 or whatever. That finals games played stats comparison was very telling too, 126-0! WTFart, yo!
What other core right now can even come close to compare? Miami, Milwaukee, Phoenix and now Boston are the only teams with a core number of the players that can say they have finals experience, and only one of those teams has tasted victory so far.
What's even crazier is that the younglings are gonna gain those sweet XP's after we smoke Boston in a gentleman sweep
Numbers for G. Williams and Pritchard look good but they don't put many up. No other rotation player for Celtics hitting 36%. Wondering if Smart, White, and Horford might get Westbrook treatment.
How many of you would have guessed that Kuminga and Horford shot the same percentage from 3?
Dubs far more capable of hitting 3s even with Steph and Klay below 40% for the first time in their careers. 7 rotation players (including Bjelica) above 36%, with Payton just below.
i just really love the fact that GP2 is on the dubs and i’m so glad he’s returning soon. it’s a pleasure watching him play. i feel good about our team going into this battle.
I keep reading and hearing "the Celtics have not lost two in a row" like that some major accomplishment while they seem to lose every other game. You know what other teams hasn't lost two in a row?...
Yes, I prostrate myself before ye and profess that I bespoke these words:
"Sir Loon-alot shalt not start."
With my final breath, as my head is laid down under the purifying eye of the guillotine, I shall bespeak, with a tad more clarity, that which shall be sprawled across my headstone:
"Sir Loon-alot shalt not start ... 'in theory'."
Looney is the perfect backup center for a team that has a starting center, which is something the Warriors did not have this year. The problem the Dubs had this year was not having the core together in the regular season long enough to allow for alternate lineups to develop. Steph-Klay-Dray played a full 11 minutes together in 2022. Thus, the advantages of history and muscle memory drew Looney into more meaningful minutes with the core.
And in my own defense, as the reaper stones my maker's blade and I lay my bad takes before all that stand in judgement of this humble servant of one major blue and gold Baskelball Jones, my desire to have Looney bench bound is not a product of believing Loon shalt not be wortrhy of a starting role. No say I, rather it be that our bench be wanting, and a knight of repute and standing, and wingspan, of Sir Loona-alot shall make of the bench a fury, an army of intangible acts of valor that shall bestow upon this great Warrior nation a blind screen, an offensive rebound, a hard fought victory that will be my final thought as my head bounces, free from attachments (like the rest of my body) across the TNT stage. You can chop off my head, but you can't take my Free-Dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So some version of this has been said several times, but I'll repeat it again: the Celtics have a very good defense. Full stop. The absolutely have the capability to make life very hard for the Warriors' offense. But the Warriors also have an elite offense. Good offense beats good defense in basketball. It won't be easy, but the Warriors offense has the capability to score on any defense.
On the other side, the Warriors also have an elite defense. Full stop. But the Celtics do not have an elite offense. They have an elite player in Tatum, and they have good roll players who can get hot. But overall, they are not elite. They may have elite moments, but they are not nearly as consistent or as versatile as the Warriors offense is.
I think the Celtics absolutely can win this series, but I think more things need to break right for then to win than for the Warriors. As I saw one commenter put it, can the Warriors win in Boston? Yes. If they do so, that means Boston needs to win twice in Golden State. I just don't see this team dropping two home games.
Duby’s preview is up…and we’re all getting more and more excited https://dubnationhq.com/p/preview-when-the-top-two-defenses?s=r
GREAT article on the organization’s role in getting to where we are now ($): https://theathletic.com/3343277/2022/06/02/golden-state-warriors-nba-finals-front-office/
Am I a bad Warriors fan if I am seriously worried about this series?
"The board is set, the pieces are moving. We come to it at last...
The great battle of our time."
Whatever happens DNHQ, it has been the highest privilege to share this inner sanctum with you all. My heart will either burst with joy or with sadness but I know it will be Gold Blooded like the rest of you. Here's to enjoying The Finals together...
Didn't realize this: the top 3 players in terms of 3-pointers made in these playoffs so far are:
Stephen Curry 60 made (in 16 games)
Klay Thompson 57 made (in 16 games)
Jason Tatum 57 made (in 18 games)
Tatum needed two extra games to match Klay's total, and this is Klay making a comeback from devastating injuries. And I don't think Curry and Klay have shot particularly well these playoffs.
There's been a lot of talk in the media about the torrid 3-point shooting of some teams/players, Doncic, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Celtics, the LOL Suns etc., pretenders all. Let them all just pause and recognize the Splash Brothers, the original and still, easily, the real kings of the 3 point shot.
Anybody with a theathletic sub read that TK article on Lacob? Because something just occurred to me; I'd never done any research on Lacob and I had no idea he grew up a Cs fan in the 60s in Mass, so perhaps the model franchise the dubs were following wasn't the Spurs but secretly those Russell-led Celtics? I think Lacob wants to dominate the NBA like his childhood team. And now I know that MFer is counting the Rangz. 17-7 (think?)
Call me crazy (idgaf) but the dubs can totally win the next 5 of 6 or whatever. That finals games played stats comparison was very telling too, 126-0! WTFart, yo!
What other core right now can even come close to compare? Miami, Milwaukee, Phoenix and now Boston are the only teams with a core number of the players that can say they have finals experience, and only one of those teams has tasted victory so far.
What's even crazier is that the younglings are gonna gain those sweet XP's after we smoke Boston in a gentleman sweep
How much of a chance does Klay have guarding Tatum? Is it possible he can do it and Wiggins guards the speedier Brown instead?
3 pt. percentage - 2021-22 regular season
CELTICS
Tatum 35.3%
Brown 35.8%
Smart 33.1%
White 30.6%
Horford 33.6%
G. Williams 41.1%
Pritchard 41.2%
DUBS
Curry 38.0%
Thompson 38.5%
Poole 36.4%
Wiggins 39.3%
Kuminga 33.6%
Porter 37.0%
Green 29.6%
Payton 35.8%
Bjelica 36.2%
Moody 36.4%
Lee 33.7%
Numbers for G. Williams and Pritchard look good but they don't put many up. No other rotation player for Celtics hitting 36%. Wondering if Smart, White, and Horford might get Westbrook treatment.
How many of you would have guessed that Kuminga and Horford shot the same percentage from 3?
Dubs far more capable of hitting 3s even with Steph and Klay below 40% for the first time in their careers. 7 rotation players (including Bjelica) above 36%, with Payton just below.
JJ Reddick and Mikal Bridges thought Butler's game-ending 3 was a good shot. Interesting perspectives: https://youtu.be/jHWgXOz5XkY?t=1099
i just really love the fact that GP2 is on the dubs and i’m so glad he’s returning soon. it’s a pleasure watching him play. i feel good about our team going into this battle.
WARRRRRRRIIIIIIIOOOOORRRRRRRRRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I keep reading and hearing "the Celtics have not lost two in a row" like that some major accomplishment while they seem to lose every other game. You know what other teams hasn't lost two in a row?...
Coach Nick made a video on the Celtics' key to success in the playoffs. He believes that the X-factor for the team is Marcus Smart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pV-Qay4c-k
There’s an amazing letter from GP2’s mom to him, unfortunately in the Athletic where only subscribers can see it. It is amazingly moving and a testament to the person he is, which as she says, shines forth with his smile. It’s very moving. https://theathletic.com/3341295/2022/05/31/mom-gary-payton-ii-letter/?source=user_shared_article
Looney Tunes.
Yes, I prostrate myself before ye and profess that I bespoke these words:
"Sir Loon-alot shalt not start."
With my final breath, as my head is laid down under the purifying eye of the guillotine, I shall bespeak, with a tad more clarity, that which shall be sprawled across my headstone:
"Sir Loon-alot shalt not start ... 'in theory'."
Looney is the perfect backup center for a team that has a starting center, which is something the Warriors did not have this year. The problem the Dubs had this year was not having the core together in the regular season long enough to allow for alternate lineups to develop. Steph-Klay-Dray played a full 11 minutes together in 2022. Thus, the advantages of history and muscle memory drew Looney into more meaningful minutes with the core.
And in my own defense, as the reaper stones my maker's blade and I lay my bad takes before all that stand in judgement of this humble servant of one major blue and gold Baskelball Jones, my desire to have Looney bench bound is not a product of believing Loon shalt not be wortrhy of a starting role. No say I, rather it be that our bench be wanting, and a knight of repute and standing, and wingspan, of Sir Loona-alot shall make of the bench a fury, an army of intangible acts of valor that shall bestow upon this great Warrior nation a blind screen, an offensive rebound, a hard fought victory that will be my final thought as my head bounces, free from attachments (like the rest of my body) across the TNT stage. You can chop off my head, but you can't take my Free-Dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So some version of this has been said several times, but I'll repeat it again: the Celtics have a very good defense. Full stop. The absolutely have the capability to make life very hard for the Warriors' offense. But the Warriors also have an elite offense. Good offense beats good defense in basketball. It won't be easy, but the Warriors offense has the capability to score on any defense.
On the other side, the Warriors also have an elite defense. Full stop. But the Celtics do not have an elite offense. They have an elite player in Tatum, and they have good roll players who can get hot. But overall, they are not elite. They may have elite moments, but they are not nearly as consistent or as versatile as the Warriors offense is.
I think the Celtics absolutely can win this series, but I think more things need to break right for then to win than for the Warriors. As I saw one commenter put it, can the Warriors win in Boston? Yes. If they do so, that means Boston needs to win twice in Golden State. I just don't see this team dropping two home games.