First of three phases almost complete: Warri…
Curry still has 10 to go, may be taking a game off for rest soon
Goofus (15 ♡):
“Curry broke down the coming season into three parts: “the beginning of the year until Klay gets back,” followed by the period of reintegrating Klay, then he hopes a deep playoff run.”
Part 1: Went really well
Part 2 Will be really interesting
Part 3: The last time Steph, Dray and Klay lost a playoff series where they all played the whole series was May 3, 2014
Peter Hood (15 ♡):
And thanks for the Looney support. That dude is a soldier. Loon and Green have been holding down the Center rotation for 45 games, with a record like 36-9. How in the world could anyone criticize that?
Some have fretted over the fact that the rooks haven't gotten much playing time. Last year when Klay got hurt, Warriors had to burn their season plan and they never managed get another in place. This year, they have mapped out a plan which so far has worked to perfection. There has always been a plan for the rooks to get minutes and it's coming. They should all play a key role in keeping vets rested and injecting spirit into games during the dog days. I believe the plan is that Wise, JK & Mood, come playoff time, can all make a contribute at a Patrick McCaw level AT MINIMUM. Anything above that is icing on the cake. Of course, we all expect more, but all Kerr wants is to look down the bench and know he can call anyone's number and get a good 4-6 minute stint on the floor. So, fingers crossed, I'm hoping we start to see these real minutes materialize on the road trip.
That article hit the spot triple D. Shout out to DNHQ, y'all pour content like a a dirty truck stop diner pours coffee.
pengpeiyi (13 ♡):
Oh [Kerr’s] seen lots of double teams. Playing with Michael Jordan and then Tim Duncan I'm sure he witnessed lots of them!
Explain 1 Play: Damion Lee, new Warriors dad…
Even Super Saiyan needs awesome sidekicks
Abaddon (9 ♡):
Steph is such a nice guy, at 1:54 you can see that Rubio and Love are starting a little line dancing and Steph is gamely participating by being the middle guy in the chain. Rubio and Steph are showing perfect form with hands on the outside of the hips of the next man in front, while Love is clearly questing for the next player in the chain he can latch onto.
Sadly, the rest of the players on the court are party poopers, are NOT interested in line dancing, and insist on doing their own dumb basketball things. Lee scores and everyone loses, opportunity lost.
Nellie (6 ♡):
Age is probably the Occam's Razor explanation for this, but there was also a pretty interesting discussion on the latest Dunc'd On podcast about how the sort of thing you're describing might be influenced by the new points of emphasis on foul calls.
Basically, Nate was suggesting that the change might affect guards in two ways: first, by directly reducing their FT attempts; but second, by removing the *threat* of those quick, late changes in direction that used to draw contact and result in a whistle, and thus allowing defenders to track them more closely on drives. In other words, those tricks guards were using to draw contact in the lane were not only getting them to the line, but were forcing defenders to give them more space. Remove the threat of a whistle, you remove the extra space. Remove the extra space, and it becomes harder to finish.
To me, at least, this was an interesting point, and one I hadn't really been thinking about. The play Nate pointed to as an example was actually the one where Steph got T'd up in LA. Immediately after that was the PHO game, where he had a lot of trouble finishing. I wonder if it might be in his head a little bit.
The Western Conference is in shambles and th…
It's all about matchups.
Abaddon (8 ♡):
I don't know if the Nets without Kyrie (or some suitable replacement to run the point so Harden doesn't have to) are really worrisome or not. Unless Harden can roll back time to become closer to peak Houston Harden - which is possible, but right now doesn't seem likely - they really need a good point to run the show so it isn't all on Harden. It's too much for him to run point AND score at a high volume AND play actual defense. If he could do all that, he'd be Steph ;). The supporting cast is dubious at best right now, we'll see if/when Harris gets back, and Mills is occasionally spectacular and always solid - but right now... yeah, just not seeing it. I think Phoenix is clearly a cut above Brooklyn.
DFiB (8 ♡):
The great thing about the NBA is that there's this giant tournament at the end of the year where teams get to prove they're the best team. As someone whose favorite team used to kinda suck, I get it, it's nice to have your team at the top of the power rankings or considered a favorite. But as someone whose favorite team won a championship while being "not the favorite" and lost a championship while being "the favorite", I advise all to just enjoy watching their team perform during the regular season, knowing that they'll get a chance to prove they're the best at the end of the season.
Bel (7 ♡):
There’s a good article by Powell on the NBA site on Steph’s impact and legacy. This section on the other basketball greats is interesting.
“George Mikan made the NBA widen the lane. Bob Cousy wrote the manual on the pass. Elgin Baylor showed how to play in the air. Chamberlain changed rules. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the league. Tim Hardaway invented the crossover dribble. Allen Iverson caused a cultural shift. Dirk Nowitzki defied European stereotypes. Michael Jordan created the marketing machine. The Dream Team welcomed the world to basketball.
Game-changers all.
Steph Curry moved the game 23 feet from the rim, and beyond.”
There’s no mention of Lebron. LOL!
Explain One Play: Automatic Otto Porter rain…
Splash Cousins unite
pengpeiyi (5 ♡):
Hot take: all of these Explain One Play videos are just going to end up making life easier for whoever needs to gameplan against the Warriors in the playoffs.
Solution: Start throwing in some decoy E1P videos to throw off the coaching staff of other teams who undoubtedly are going to be using these as one of their greatest game prep tools come the playoffs.
Just spitballing here, but maybe create a video with carefully cherrypicked examples showing how leaving Curry open at the three point line is really totally the best way to play defense on him. Maybe we need a video about how Draymond can't guard bigs and so challenging him on D is the best way to score.
Oh, and PLEASE make a video about how Wiggins shooting midrange jumpers is our secret weapon and how other teams should sell out completely on D to stop him from taking those shots. I think that would do all of us a big favor.
Eric Apricot (7 ♡):
Don't worry I'm sure I organically add bad ideas into the E1Ps
(And teams hire Advance Scouts to do a much more thorough and proper job than these...)
Curry doesn't get record (yet), Warriors com…
It got weird, but Golden State goes home happy with another W in their pockets
belilaugh (12 ♡):
> “It’s clear that I’m not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity. …I’m not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that.” -Myles Turner
Warriors need to stay far away from centers who think like this (Christian Wood as well). They need a starting center who is willing to be the best "rotational role player" they can be.
Irrationally optimistic (11 ♡):
I would like this record shizzy to just be done so I can get back to enjoying wins and Steph can get back to dropping 9 threes a night on the regular. I do not like this. I also do not like all the ding dang missed (or at least not made) foul calls.
Fan of the funnest basketball team in the world problems, I know.
mDuo13 (10 ♡):
The good news is we still came away with the win, *and* Steph's 2-point game was back to looking smooth. And we have the best record in the NBA (now there's a "record" worth pursuing). And we have at least 10 guys who contribute to winning basketball on the regular. And no new injuries. And our double-digit home streak continues. And the rooks are developing well in the G-league.
The bad news is, people are still going to be talking about this silly 3pt record for the next few days. And more road games coming up.
Overall, feels like a pretty happy balance.
Curry closes in on record books as Warriors …
McCollum, Lillard both out. Questions abound!
GlueAndBold (12 ♡):
The timing of this comment is bothering me, as I just finished off a bunch of chips and dip.
belilaugh (12 ♡):
I'd argue that Looney is basically the sacrifice that allows these other guys to put up big numbers. I don't think +62.7 happens if JTA is the guy who has to take the elbows from Jonas Valanciunas or Jusuf Nurkic every night when trying to keep them away from the offensive rebound. As long as Looney can stay healthy he's playing a crucial role for the team imo.
If Looney was in his proper role going against guys that were more his size, I think he'd look quite a bit better. Even still, he's 5th in the league in OREB per 36 and 16th in the league in REB per 36. Also getting 2.4 "stocks" per 36 (not sure where that ranks but the 1.4 blocks per 36 is 35th in the league).
Peter Hood (11 ♡):
I think a lot of people miss, it's not about who should start (Tim K.: "Looney has earned it.) or who finishes (we all know that's Dray). Wiseman's contribution is being a physical presence who put a body on the likes of Jokic, Embiid, Ayton, etc. for a 16-20 minutes PLUS outrun them all in transition. He may be the weak link, but those minutes save Draymond and Looney who would otherwise wear down in any long series. Like a Bishop on a chess board, Wiseman is limited in what he can do, but outside the Queen, no other piece has the physical reach of the Bishop (corner to corner). His limitations mean you may not use him to close a match, but that doesn't mean his skills can't be employed successfully during the match as part of a larger game strategy.
Explain One Play: Jonathan Kuminga levitates…
Still learning, still sparkling
Peter Hood (10 ♡):
Jk's: zero to rim crashing speed + height & length + weight & chest-to-chest strength + highly developed handles in traffic + way advanced for his age versatility around at the rim = a downhill player for the ages. Think Franz Klammer 1976 Olympics at Innsbruck. He's taking NBA players one on one from the 3-point line to the rim with authority. Wait until he really knows how to move properly in the system, and WITH the system. Curry-Klay-Wiggs-JK-DayDay. Now imagine him receiving the ball in the space created by this group. Or the open looks that will be generated when defenders try to help off of the shooters.
And J-Dub isn't even in the picture yet. I understand that there is a lot of potential thrown out there, but even if we take a best guess middle of the road projection of where these young guys will end up, it's really hard to comprehend. I have never seen a team with this much depth, diversity of skill, diversity of experience, quality and versatility in my life. Come playoff time, think of all the different ways the Warriors could attack on offense and defend. You could spend a day coming up with different rotations for different match ups. a healthy Klay, Wiggins & more experienced JK on the wings? Throw in GP II & Dray for a defensive stand.
The Warriors are 35-9 in their last 44 games. When they beat Portland, that's a .800 winning percentage in 45 games. And that is with Klay and 3 lottery picks on the bench. This isn't Light Speed, this is Ludicrous Speed.
The Warriors are about to go plaid.
GlueAndBold (7 ♡):
You realize the only reason these proposed trades exist is because Sabonis is cheap and Wiggins is good, right? There’s really no reason to break up a team that is 20-4.
Abaddon (6 ♡):
Really liked what I saw of Kuminga and the excellent breakdown only bolstered that feeling. I know there's going to be plenty of derps and head-scratchers ahead, but really looking forward to some more WOW moments as well.
The growing power of the Curry-Wiggins shoot…
Unanimous and Maple Jordan made it rain on Orlando last night.
Arash (28 ♡):
"I enjoy every single day, because finally I found a spot where I feel comfortable and very happy."
- Nemanja
Duby Dub Dubs (18 ♡):
No one deserves to take victory laps on Wiggins resurgence more than Daniel. Great article. I'm a Wiggins convert, though they keep stamping "denied" on my application to visit Wiggins island.
I'm pretty shocked, but not so delusional that I've got anything bad to say about Wiggins at this point. He's doing so well here! I just can't wait for the full squad.
belilaugh (16 ♡):
I really love that you can pinpoint the exact moment Wiggins elevated his game as the moment he dunked on KAT. It's like he exorcised a demon and was free to start using his athleticism like nature intended.
Hope he keeps it up because if Wiggins is going to shoot 42% from three on 5 attempts a game, no one is beating the Warriors.
Sleepy Freud (15 ♡):
JP just gets better at everything, by the month. He’s burgeoning.
Explain One Play: Andrew Wiggins runs the He…
Plus the First and Second Laws of the Warriors Jungle
Sleepy Freud (17 ♡):
Let's play Player A / Player B.
Player A: 22.2 pts per 36 on .591 ts (.416 from 3)
Player B: 22.6 pts per 36 on .526 ts (.266 from 3)
Only one of the two is a 6’-8” 26 y.o. freak athlete who runs all day, never gets hurt, and happily locks down the other team's best players (from CP3/Spida to Kawhi/LeBron) for by far the #1 defense in the league.
A is Two-Way Wiggs; B is Bradley Beal.
Yet somehow: all off-season the brainiacs were castigating Bob Myers for not **throwing in Wiseman, Kuminga, Riley, Ryan, and Canon Curry** for the pleasure of making that swap — thereby teaming Steph with a 6'-3" defensive liability whose three ball has weirdly deserted him for four seasons now (.351, .353, .349, .266).
Heck ... even this stupid fanboy seriously entertained the notion (though IIRC, I stopped just short of Canon Curry), so I can’t LOL too hard.
Asher B. (16 ♡):
Perhaps coincidentally, I also want $107 million for two years this offseason.
Peter Hood (10 ♡):
Know everyone is high on JK, for good reason, he's gonna be a PROBLEM, but I think everyone (meaning most media) is truly sleeping on Wiseman. People seem to talk about him as if he is still playing as poorly as he was last year despite the fact that he has yet to step on the court. He has a very clear role in the short term and its a role he can fill easily. With Curry, Klay and now Three-Way Wiggs stretching the floor, Andre, Poole, Dray, JTA playing ping pong with the ball, JK threatening the rim from the 3 point line, the sky is figuratively and literally the limit. JDub and GPII are gonna be slapping hands above the rim like Milli Vanilli at the Grammy's (sorry, I couldn't find the video). On defense, he just has to be active early on position in the post, maintain verticality, allow his size and length to do the work for him, just be an obstacle with a 7'6" wingspan and the best hair in the NBA. On offense, all he has to do is set screens and rim run and he's gonna be dunking biscuits in gravy like he's at a Golden Coral. A Golden State Coral that is.
Abaddon (9 ♡):
He's obviously having a down year. But I have to say, nothing against him, but I was NEVER on the Beal train. Like not even straight up for Wiggins, because of fit. I would expect over time Wiggins will trend down and Beal up from where they are right now, but even so would be very happy the team didn't make that move.
Dubs smash!! (Sorry Orlando)
Wiggins gets his Klaynadian passport, Warriors just too much
storytellinsabrina (18 ♡):
Joe Viray
@JoeVirayNBA
·
36m
Wiggins: "I'm in a groove. I love my teammates. I love winning. Right now we're winning."
belilaugh (16 ♡):
Poole with a bad shooting night but 7 rebounds and 7 assists to 1 turnover. Impacting the game when the shot isn't falling>>>
Sleepy Freud (16 ♡):
Still good with picking Kuminga over Wagner.
Eric Apricot (12 ♡):
First relaxing game in a long time
Explain One Klay: How Klay Thompson scored 6…
Fifth Anniversary special
Asher B. (11 ♡):
Only one thing I kept thinking as I was watching this: God I miss Klay.
I was working out today and some ABC channel was showing Game 6 against Toronto just to retraumatize me while I was sweating away. But that game made me think. Going back to that year, here's what had happened. Durant went down previously in the playoffs and every genius like me knew his career was over, or at least his career as an elite player. That was a certainty because although I'm not a doctor I know my sports injuries, trust me. Then Klay went down and geniuses like me knew he would be back in a year because he's younger. Then Iguodala was gone and geniuses like me knew we'd never see that dynasty lineup again, because I know that basketball is a business. After that it was pretty clear when Steph got injured that he and Draymond would never be on a contending team again, because geniuses like me could see that their window had closed and Father Time is undefeated. So, going back to that Game 6, a lot of the game it's Steph Klay Iguodala Draymond and Looney. Obviously, we will never see all five of those guys on the floor again, playing at a high level, because I know what I'm talking about and all of my predictions are -- wait, what? He did? He what? They are????!???
tempprofile (11 ♡):
The Warriors could use that dude. I'm thinking that that sequence kind of puts the lie to the idea that Thompson can't create his own shot. He can, he just doesn't do it by dribbling defenders to sleep.Granted, every shot had an assist but moving without the ball, knowing where the screeners are and knowing how to get in a position such that the ball handler can get the ball to you is still creating your own shot. There are a lot of ways to add value on the court without being an elite ball handler.
SoCalJusticeWarrior (4 ♡):
And the season he got injured, he was really beginning to solidify his ability to create his own shot, which is part of why it was so devastating for him to go down when he did. He was on the brink of a breakthrough as a player. If we had that version of Klay after KD left, we still would’ve been a super dangerous team.
Dub Nation HQ Comments of the Week & Open Thread
I love these, Apricot. I always find a few good threads/comment that I missed out on.