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JP tonight in loss to Mavericks: 32 minutes, 6/17 (2/7 from 3), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers, -10.

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Whoa he got 5 boards

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Probably rocking chair defense too, no?

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Nov 16, 2023Liked by Eric Apricot

25k fine for The Peacemaker but got rewarded 2 free throws plus possession in a game where it really came down to one possession...

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My favorite part:

> "Behold of the Tube of You: ..."

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I couldn't believe the Warriors decided not to sign a center in the offseason (Jevale Mcgee?). And now my fears are coming to fruition. Warriors have no chance against these bigger teams. Its pretty obvious. They can't get any good looks. And they can't stop them down low. If we don't acquire a center this year, we can kiss our championship hopes goodbye. And note to Kerr. Please play these young guys more minutes. Just look at their +/-. There is more to basketball than just shooting well from the outside. The level of hustle and energy they inject when they're in the game not only causes turnovers but it clearly boosts the older guys level of play, which is badly needed. Waiting until the game is almost out of hand is too late. Yet each time he does it, they start a comeback.

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It's not that the Dubs decided not to sign JaVale; they reportedly were interested but he preferred the Kings. Dunno why.

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On the Dubs, McGee is the third center, on the Kings, he's the second center.

It comes down to opportunity to play.

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Nov 16, 2023·edited Nov 16, 2023

And therein lies the problem. Warriors have no center. It would be up to kerr to have the wherewithal to play him. Dude averaged nearly 20 points, 4 blks, 10 reb per 36 min for the Warriors in his 2 seasons with him. I call that pretty effective

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TJD is better than McGee

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Not entirely sure what you mean, but to be the second center, whoever it is would have to outplay Dray or Loon. That's not easy. McGee certainly did not outplay either of them when he was here.

And actually, Kerr did play Wiseman a ton when he was available. It just didn't work out very well.

Also, unless a big can defend in space, they are at most a regular season option. The guys who can only defend around the rim get schemed off the court in 5 seconds in the playoffs.

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Name a center we could've gotten that would actually help against the better centers in the league.

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Jevale Mcgee would've made a big difference. A pick and roll alley oop machine. a 7 footer with hops who plays above the rim and blocks like 4 shots per 36 min. Believe it or not he is pretty effective when he's on the court. And he definitely would've helped big time for the warriors. In my opinion....

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Supposedly we tried to sign him but he chose the Kings. Do you actually think he can guard the likes of Joker, Embiid, and I guess you would throw Rudy/KAT in there for an entire game?

Smart teams will play Javale off the floor, spamming PnR against him or going small and he wouldn't be able to camp in the lane.

I like Javale and wish we didn't have to let him go, but he has always only been good for spot minutes. He might be able to help out against teams that don't have elite big men, but if your concern is how do we defend the elite bigs out there, Javale is probably not the answer.

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He could guard them infinitely better than anybody on the dubs not named Draymond, So yes, to answer your question I actually do. I think defensively he is one of the better defensive centers in the league. When he was on the Warriors he affected so many shots in the paint. I'm not calling him a savior. I'm calling him a much needed role player at a position in which the warriors have none. And the lack of a center is really what's losing alot of these games for us

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It has more to do with the overall game, not just on defense. Sure he could do a better job on defense compared to our shorter guys, but that's a pretty low bar, and then it's about the other areas he can help in, which is where he's limited. Joker pretty much had his way with AD last postseason, and AD is a much better and disciplined defender than Javale. However AD can do so much more in other areas compared to Javale, and they still lost that series. Should the Dubs sign someone who might be able to help out a bit in one area versus a guy they think can help out in multiple other areas? The latter seems to be their ideology when it comes to limited cap space, especially with our play style.

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We're talking about the 14th roster spot; even a limited JaVale would have been worthy of that and could have helped us. But he wanted to go to Sacramento instead. Such is life.

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Couldn't agree more. This seems to be the blind spot for Kerr & Cie. No rim protector, just shooters. It used to work and with a little bit of luck, still can, but this is not a scheme I would take to the bank. An aging team needs size. Lakers are all in, so is Minny and Denver.

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Removed (Banned)Nov 16, 2023
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Shooters, not scorers. Saric could qualify if they ran more plays for him.

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Are you really surprised? We haven’t signed a center in ages

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Lol. True. Although it seems like we've always had a token big man. Jevale, Bogut, Boogie, Zaza. Kerr and Dunleavy needed to read the room. They knew how many of these teams have dominant big men this year. Yet they entered the season totally unprepared for it.

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The NBA is suspending Golden State’s Draymond Green for five games, source tells ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1724958316495827213

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Wondering if TJD and/or Podz will ever set foot on the Santa Cruz court again unless it's for rehab

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Dray was mad the last time they were there - maybe this is his way of making sure they don't have to go back.

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Five games is more than I think is equitable but less than I expected.

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I don't know why I didn't expect any suspension. Dumb move by Draymond but I really didn't think he would choke out Gobert, just deter him from fighting. Warriors are jinxed.

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It wasn't grabbing Gobert; it was the choke hold for 9 seconds.

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Yeah, im fine with the grabbing of Gobert and yanking him away.

The continued hold is ridiculous.

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It worked.

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Yeah it worked to help cost us that game and cost us Draymond for 5 more games. Great idea, Dray. All he had to do is grab Gobert around the body and pull him back a few feet (which might be the most he could do, given Gobert's size and strength), enough to give Klay breathing space. That's an accepted peacemaker move. Other players and the officials would have stepped in to finish breaking it up, and Dray would not have even gotten a T.

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Dray is always right. Everything he does is for others. Selfless.

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“Jinx”? No they are “NBA’d”.

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The games he will be missing are: vs. Thunder (x2), vs. Rockets, @ Suns, vs. Spurs (in-season tourney). He will be back on 11/28 for the @ Kings game, which is also an in-season tourney game.

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Well, not great but frankly less than I expected. I'd feel better about it if Rudy got a one gamer as well, I guess the league bought his BS about being a peacemaker by grabbing Klay.

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I'm pretty irked that we didn't come away with the win here, because the bragging rights would have been incredible. (Also, our in-season tournament and overall record could use another W.) As it is, we have to settle for another moral victory that's overshadowed by the moral defeat of Draymond's over-the-top behavior stealing headlines.

But hey, our guy Brandin currently has the 7th highest-scoring game by a rookie this season, after Wemby (2x), Hawkins (2x), Sasser, and Holmgren. He's 16th among rookies in total scoring for the season despite, or 15th on a per-game basis, as well as 10th in rebounds per game, 9th in assists per game, and 2nd to only Holmgren in total +/-. I'm looking forward to seeing him make a legit run at the rookie of the year conversation; with Steph and Draymond out a bit, we could conceivably see both Podz and TJD in the rising stars game during all-star weekend. They've certainly been playing well enough to justify rotation minutes.

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Podz plays with this extreme confidence in his game but at the same time he plays within the system and doesn’t do outlandish stuff. Plenty of room for improvement but if this is what we have to start with I’m good with that. Hopefully he adds a pull up and master that floater in the future.

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He seems to be a quick study and is constantly looking up to the vets for advice. Case in point - after watching CoJo bank in a three in the first half, he figured it out and banked in his own at the 3rd quarter buzzer. Dude's a sponge :)

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He had a few floaters go in this game, looks like he's getting there.

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Yeah it looked pretty good

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And they didn't scratch the ceiling... just regular high arc on them.

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Apparently surveillance footage does not support KOJ's account of where and how things occurred, and it was *not* a hit and run. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

https://www.inquirer.com/news/kelly-oubre-jr-hit-car-76ers-police-evidence-20231115.html

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Umm... from that article: "Police said medics treated Oubre at the scene and transported him to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital".

If the medics were on the scene wouldn't they know where it happened, if not when?

This whole thing is very confusing. I totally understand Oubre being confused as to time and/or place after getting hit, but if there was a freaking medic on the scene, that's some pretty damn good corroboration?

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They would have treated him wherever they found him and consider that "the scene".

I don't quite understand how he could be confused about the time/place... I guess maybe he got up and kept walking, only for someone to call the paramedics later? It's a weird scene for sure, and apparently he's just already back to the gym after earlier reporting about him breaking a rib and being out for a long time? Very weird.

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R/NBA is pure comedy right now.

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People are so angry that the Warriors of this era weren’t the Knicks or Lakers.

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Nov 16, 2023·edited Nov 16, 2023

So we're the villains to them, I guess.

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author

FYI, past GSW Coach Mark Jackson was set to do some work as announcer for Knicks MSG Network. However, he just got fired from that apparently because Darren Erman is an assistant coach for the Knicks.

Serious Dub Nation nerds will remember Erman as the defensive assistant coach under Coach Mark Jackson in 2014 for GSW. However, Mark Jackson had cultivated a highly tense and paranoid climate at the management level and Erman was trying to get proof that MJax was trash talking him behind his back to the players and others, and he unwisely decided to secretly record the locker room. Erman lost his job and never forgave MJax. And so that feud sat until today, when apparently Erman got his revenge, a dish best served cold.

Source: https://nypost.com/2023/11/15/sports/mark-jackson-loses-msg-job-after-knicks-ban-him-from-plane/

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So what will the rotation be like without Steph and Green? I think it'll be:

CP3, Klay, Wiggins, Kuminga, Saric

GP2, Podz, Moody, Looney, TJD

No CoJo, please.

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Why no Cojo?

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CoJo was soooooo bad last night. Whatever you saw on TV, it was worse live.

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I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's rusty.

And he did have an injury in training camp.

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Damn, he seems like a likeable dude, but he sure gives off Brad Wanamaker vibes. I really did cringe the entire time he was on the court.

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Was like someone in the crowd won a chance to play on the roster for a day

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He looked like he had no idea what to do other than run around and dribble.

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Well, that and step on the sidelines

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I don't think Looney can play together with TJD, but it's tricky cause we don't have any other 4/5s capable of spreading the floor

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Nope. Wrong. Looney can play with anyone - he just needs to start jacking up 17 shots a game.

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Need Kuminga's shot to reappear... and need to stop playing twin towers.

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CoJo will be needed... He's the non-Steph/non-CP3 PG on the roster...

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I think Kerr would prefer to go with Podz over Joseph

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Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 15, 2023

He is terrible. It was always just waiting for him to mess up, and never waiting very long. He stuck out in this way every time he was in. He did make two threes- I'll give him that.

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Bank!

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Swap looney and kuminga and i think you’ve got it. But i think we also wont be doing much pure hockey substitution full bench unit while they’re both out.

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Eric Apricot

So after the craziness of the beginning, I have to report that the game was a blast to be at. Up until the end, everyone there believed we had a shot to win, and a win in that particular game would have felt as cathartic as a thing can. I have been to many amazing sporting events over the years, and I have *never* felt a crowded as perfectly united as when we all chanted "Refs you suck" last night. My boy got his basketball fan baptism. He is adamant that we actually won that game. I love him.

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I can attest to that synchronized "Refs you suck." Unforgettable.

For some reason public transport seldom goes smoothly for me, That was the case Tuesday, nevertheless it was TOTALLY worth the aggravation :-)

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The whole fanbase is going to have an "us against the world" attitude. Do not go gentle into that goodnight.

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My favorite team, my second favorite poem.

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1st poem, 2nd team?

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They're using this in marketing at Chase. E-40 and a "Bay Area against the World" thing. Maybe you've seen that ;-)

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I am expecting 5 to 10 game suspension. Not only would that mean it's going to be tough to win those games (especially if Steph is also out) but also it resets Dray's conditioning. So a third of the season may be over by the time the erstwhile vaunted 5 man lineup is in sync and that is assuming rest of the four guys stay healthy.

Argh!

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If Dray gets suspended for 10 games, he's not going to be just resting on the couch. He'll stay in shape. It's different from an ankle sprain.

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It's going to be more than 10 games. The original penalty shocked Warriors fans as overkill. The suspension will as well.

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I'd be surprised if its more than 5 games tbh. Normally, I would put this type of thing at 3 games but lets tack on two more games since its Draymond and his history.

5 games would be best guess.

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Maybe. I'd expect 8 games at this point.

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dont worry, Kerr is there to ensure we have a strong group of players who will be ready to...... keep warming the bench :-)

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Removed (Banned)Nov 15, 2023
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> other teams are looking at the aging and undersized Dubs like a plate of slow braised short-ribs

If they are, they got something coming to them*

*Trash talk contingent on Wiggins not being Wing Wiseman

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He’s not wing wiseman just yet cause he still has some defense

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https://x.com/anthonyvslater/status/1724904009449054690?s=46&t=uin-bDCpAMkWQkABBJ4tFA

Steph ruled out tomorrow. Will be reevaluated later this week. #RampUpSeason

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I can’t imagine the ramp up from a 2 game absence will be too long… prob playing the second Thunder game.

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Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 15, 2023

I have a sinking feeling that the punishment the league gives to Draymond will be precedent-setting and surprisingly horrible. Like, nothing would surprise me at this point. 20 games? 25? 50? The season? They have targeted him, just like teams target him.

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Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 15, 2023

I'd guess 5.

....I hope less... cause any more the team defense will be hopeless.

Ok, maybe not. Cause we have GP2. Why can't Dray be Truly nice as GP2?

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More Trayce is not a bad thing. That guy can defend anyone but the most elite bigs.

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Looking forward to more Trayce minutes. Dude needs more experience.

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I don't understand why Draymond keeps on getting himself in trouble. He's an elite defender, but everyone in the NBA knows that he has a short fuse and will do anything to get him out of the game by arguing, shoving, or even fighting with him and his teammates.

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Gobert admitted he was thinking about Draymond getting ejected before the game. No doubt the whole team was.

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That's why. He will keep getting targeted and it will keep working.

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I'm afraid Gobert's comments after the game will play a role. He's saying Dray was trying to choke him out, but just wasn't good at it so didn't succeed. On the other hand I'm sure Dray and anyone on his side will argue that if Dray really wanted to injure him, then he would've really tried harder to choke him out or swung/dragged him to the ground. His main goal was to pull Gobert off and that was it.

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Yes

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Yeah, Dray was using a mobilization tactic. Gobert is such an ass, but he is clearly being listened to.

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Yeah. The more I'm seeing it posted around the more I'm starting to head that way. Maybe not 50 but I can definitely see a 10-15 game suspension. If it was a 1-2 game slap on the wrist they would have already announced it.

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They're definitely considering the # of games. I do bet it's closer to 10 than 1, but I'd be bit surprised if it was more than 10... but repeat offender and all...

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Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 15, 2023

I worry he's going to be a bigger and bigger liability for the team. Other teams know how to take him out. It's been done multiple times in the playoffs, and now in the IST. I am 100% convinced by the timing of it and by comments and demeanor of the TWolves afterward that this was a coordinated strategy, and that it was ultimately effective. Why wouldn't teams do stuff like this? Honor? Ha!

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He and the team, need to collaborate with the refs here. Establish some acceptable way he can get their attention to over the line behaviors. It's fair for people to try to instigate, but there's got to be a line. And no, slapping his ankle while he's trying to inbound a play is beyond the line. As is grabbing his ankle with the eitirety of your 250 pound body. The NBA authorities want Dray to appeal to them, and he's going to have to do that... as emasculating as that's going to feel.

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Whats the ankle thing?

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I can't find the video right now, but after a made Sacramento basket, Malik Monk was lying on the floor next to Draymond while he was trying to inbound the ball, and Monk slapped him on the ankle. A far more minor infraction than Sabonis wrapping his whole body around Draymond's ankle, but still instigatory behavior, completely unnecessary, and a technical foul or whatever it is to touch an inbounder.

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