273 Comments

Yeah I'm sure glad at this point I'm kicked out of VOX or I probably would have been anyway this weekend. The hot takes are a little much with the current situation.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

Silver screen and roll article https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/platform/amp/2022/10/8/23394189/lakers-vs-warriors-preview-starting-time-tv-schedule-injury-report-will-draymond-green-anthony-davis says “will play without Stephen Curry, Klay Thomspon and Draymond Green on Sunday” but the linked tweet only mentions Klay: https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina/status/1578123017728630785. Is there some other source saying Steph’s not playing?

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Yo! We got basketball today! I’m excited to have something new at the top of the list of things to discuss… will Wise show out against Davis? Will Kuminga? Poole and Kuminga are starting with Steph cuz Dray and Klay can’t keep their shit together (for completely different reasons, obviously… feel for Klay, it’s hard fighting through that kind of fear), so youth movement phase two in effect. Moody gonna dunk on some fools again? DDV dropping more nasty dimes? JMG gonna get more into the flow? PBJ gonna make another case for minutes? I’m ready. Lock in!🔒

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I’m cool with that. I’d guess: Poole/Moody/Wiggins/Kuminga/Looney. All under 28 starting 5… with DDV, Wise, and PBJ in the rotation… all still very under 28.

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Where?

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

Sorry, if Draymond stays, take his Captain title away and bench him. He’s gotten too many strikes at this point, guy is low key an idiot who talks like he seems to have a good head on his shoulders, it’s deceiving but actions speak louder than words. I’ve defended him for far too long amongst my peers. He needs to receive real repercussions for his actions.

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He’s entering Rodman territory here, imo. Which is fine. We need a young leader at the table, somebody has to step out to make room… I bet Jordan is ready. He’s certainly put in the work, and if he makes a commitment to the organization in the next week, it shows that he’s bigger than this BS.

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Just read notes from Kerr’s presser. I had asked the question earlier and now we have one answer. He said in 30 years in the NBA he has seen 20 fistfights. I’ll leave it to other if that’s “all the time” or “rarely” which depends on your POV.

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Does that include between players on opposing teams? Would also be curious to know how many were in the last 15ish years. I would guess fist fights between teammates rarely happens nowadays, and when they do it rarely ends amicably. The 90s and prior were just a different culture and media landscape. The league, franchises, and players have progressed and decided that team's are better when the players aren't getting into fist fights. I feel like the "fights are common within NBA teams" narrative comes from people trying to cope with what happened by denying what happened was really even a problem.

I'm not suggesting that the situation is irreconcilable, but the alternate reality where this incident didn't happen is undoubtedly better than the one we are in now. I think Steve Kerr would agree that the Bulls would have been just fine without Jordan punching him. This narrative that Jordan had to punch him in order to have respect for him is classic rationalization and we ignore several other instances where Jordan's abuse (verbal or otherwise) were more problematic than with Kerr and didn't end well.

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Not that it matters to the point you are making, but that wasn’t a fight

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I think it was.

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It could have been for sure. It ended too quickly, so we’ll never know. But Poole clearly wasn’t ready for the punch, or he would have braced himself well enough to stay on his feet. I have no doubt in my mind that Poole would have punched back if he’d had the chance, though.

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I expect he would have punched back too.

Still, I don't think a fight has to be long to be a fight. And I don't think Poole being ready for the punch is enough to say it wasn't either. Given the escalating words that were allegedly exchanged by both parties (I do tend to believe TMZ despite the scummy nature of their business model), the push entered them into "potential for a fight" territory rather than the punch imo. I think people understandably want to be as supportive of Poole as possible and one of the methods of doing that appears to be saying that he got sucker punched, but I really do not think that is accurate. Doesn't mean Draymond wasn't wrong for the punch, of course.

I think Lillard is biased because Draymond is his friend just like Fournier was biased calling it a sucker punch because Gobert is his friend, but I don't think Lillard is entirely wrong here:

https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1578843638620037120

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I think the problem is the league allows two guys to bump chests and yell in each other's faces. No foul for that. Like two cowboys in the wild west showing each other they're holding guns ready to draw. But that's a volatile situation where someone can get sucker punched and needs to shove off to feel safe. The shove off is then called for a foul. Poole committed the first foul. That's crazy, it means these guys are locked together until pulled away, with no incentive to submit. I think when two guys are locked chest to chest yelling at each other, the first guy to sit down and face away should get to shoot a free throw. Draymond baited Poole into that shove off because he wanted to punch Poole, but not sucker punch him. There should be a penalty for that sort of baiting.

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Yup… I don’t think it’s that much of a biased take… but maybe I’m biased cuz it’s similar to mine. If Poole is going to be pushing people, he’s at least gotta know he might get something back, even though Dray went unacceptably way over the line.

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The push looked to me like "get outta my face." A pushing match is a reasonable outcome. Throwing a punch at a teammate isn't. They are supposed to be professionals at work, not punks on the street.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

It’s like that scene in Annie Hall where Annie and Alvy are asked by their respective therapists how often they sleep together.

ALVY: Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week.

ANNIE: Constantly. I'd say three times a week.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

😂 😢

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Phillies take down the Cards in one of the Wild Card Series. Poof.............

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And that ends Pujols' stellar career. But he had a helluva second half of the season. That man had better get in the HOF on the first ballot when he's eligible. It's a no-brainer.

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I'm a huge fan of Bryce Harper

Today is a nice day

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So what do people think of James Harden taking significantly less money so the Sixers could bring in additional help? It's less common for sure, but the likes of Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowtizki also famously gave up millions as they got older so their respective teams could retool. And these two are franchise cornerstones. You all probably know where I'm going with this, but just generally, as much of a "Warrior villain" as Harden was during his Rocket years, I have to say mad respect for what he did.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

He got 68/2 years over 45/1 year, so he’s got more guaranteed money coming. And he looks like hes slowing down. He’s 33yo, is widely known for not taking great care of his body, has had repeated hamstring injuries the last few years, and they’ve taken away the best part of his game (non basketball moves to get FTs). I’m not that convinced he’s completely altruistic here…

Who would give a 34yo James Harden 30m/year next offseason? If the answer is “nobody”, then he’s not making any financial sacrifice.

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How much do people think a 35yo harden gets after two more years?

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

Exactly right. He basically added a second year at $23 million rather than flaming out this year and not being able to get anything near that as a free agent. Wouldn't be surprised to see him take his fat suit and park it on the bench next year. Plus he gets credit for looking out for "his team" even though the best way he could help his team is to get in shape and put a little effort in on the defensive side, which is unlikely.

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Bad for players when other players take pay cuts.

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He did the right thing. Hopefully, this kind of action should be more common. On the Warriors, does Klay deserve as much money as he is making? I'm sure there are many who do not think so, but he does have a contract.

BTW, why is Klay not playing? Is there something we the fans are not aware of?

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I read Klay is not yet game ready. He had avoided off season scrimmages due to the reminder of his Achilles injury before, and is not yet in playing shape. Team is being cautious and does not want to push him before his body has adjusted.

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I just hope they're being extra careful with Klay, but it is a bit odd.

Let's just say Klay and Draymond deserve whatever they've earned on their contracts to date for what they've contributed to the team (though one could also say that playing within the Warriors system has been just as good and rewarding for their careers). It's what they ask for next that's the question now. Do they need that extra mil or 10 mil for a rainy day at the future expense of a Kuminga or a Moody or a Wiseman? As per spotrac, Draymond - projected guaranteed career earnings to date: $183 million. Klay, $266 million (not counting endorsements).

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

But is the earnings to date the same as the current net worth? I saw numbers for Klay , Draymond, and Wiggins current net worth that were much lower. Only 35-50M, poor guys.

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I suppose net worth figures on the internet are just guesses and the real numbers would depend on how they've invested their wealth over the years. I imagine Draymond would be very financially savvy. In any case, for an old man who scrapes together what he can for a league pass each year, I freely confess that I am unable to fathom such numbers so don't know what I'm talking about :)

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

It’s easier to specify career earnings, of course. I guess estimated net worth requires some knowledge of what various players have done with their money. Given the sorts of expenses that are attributed to basketball players… Coaches, dietitians, yachts, parties, athletic equipment, chefs, travel, etc. it seems logical that they have spent a fair amount of their earnings, and do not necessarily have that full $183 million to invest. So my guess is that the estimates of their net worth have some basis in reality. Maybe not. Regardless, to people like you and me, even $35 million seems like plenty and would allow a basketball player to take 10 million less one year as they had towards retirement. Maybe not.

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Fair point, and I realize I'm completely out of my depth with such things and it is not my place either to talk about them. NBA players and the even richer NBA owners inhabit a stratosphere that I don't understand so I'll just get back to my ho-hum existence and figure out how to pay the auto repair bill.

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Staggering numbers. It's enough to twist your pov towards elitism in many ways.

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Wow. I never heard that Cohan didn't take the highest offer, but rather the guy he thought would run the team better. I just assumed Lacob and Guber outbid Ellison.

Good for Cohan.

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Lacob explained the buying process on Iguodala's podcast, mentions that Cohan didn't want to get pushed around by Ellison as a reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKMU_X92crg

Somewhere around 10-12 minutes or so, I forgot.

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Geez... Still mind-blowing that he outplayed Ellison.

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Kerr said Kuminga had the best practice he’s ever seen him have and earned tomorrow’s start at power forward.

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I'm all prepared to eat a dinner of fried crow, baked crow, fricasseed crow.

With a side of crow pudding for dessert.

[ I had concerns about Kuminga's work ethic and focus over the summer ]

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TwoRing. Why did you question his work ethic? He was back and forth playing for his national team, summer league, etc....Of course, "rumors" but one should NEVER believe negative rumors about Warriors' players - only positive ones.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

It had nothing to do with the rumors, just what I observed.

What I saw over summer was:

1. A guy jacking up a lot of shots, many of them ill-advised.

2. That really off game he had in summer league (which even he described as a bad game).

3. Going overseas to train (at the time, I did not know that was because his national team was training there).

4. No work on defense that I could see, which I felt (and still feel) is the key to him staying on the court.

Needless to say, I was largely wrong (though I still think the shot selection isn't entirely explained by summer league's lack of practice time, and the national team being so bad that he had to take shots).

He's clearly addressed my main concern, which is that at least his on-ball defense is better than last year. If he can continue to improve on his on-ball defense and team defense, then the shooting can come later.

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Thanks for your response. He's really young, and has little family support - as far as I can tell - here in the USA. Maybe I'm wrong about that. But that could certainly lead to a less focussed human. I think he's got the right mentors with the Dubs, though.

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For sure ... also, once Kerr said that JK was doing everything they wanted to over the summer, I stopped worrying.

And in the two Japan games, JK was playing great D. I am no longer worried.

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With me it was Summer League and him sitting on the floor slapping it, bitching as the play was happening around him.

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Cool.

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If JK wants it, look out. This could be a wild moment.

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Let's face it, this incident is a culmination of Draymond's state of mind that we've all seen over the years. He should be suspended, put in a therapeutic program, and re-evaluated after the New Year. The team needs to suffer this as well because they've done nothing over the years to help prevent a situation like this from occurring. The team has to take some responsibility for this and the NBA should step in as well. It's time to stop this kind of behavior. This ain't football or hockey.

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I disagree entirely. I think your comment is almost incomprehensible.

What specifically in "Draymond's state of mind that we've all seen over the years" was actionable? That he is an aggressive defender? That he yells at team-mates when they make mistakes? That he had an in-season podcast? That he was a valued member of "Team USA"?

Absent a good answer to this, there is no cause for making the team "suffer." There is no reason for the NBA to step in. There is no evidence that punitive/therapeutic actions on the part of individuals, teams or the league will "stop this kind of behavior."

What would you have done differently if you'd had Kerr/Myers/Lacob's power?

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The team needs to suffer…who all do you include in this? The rookies, new vets, new coaches and young players? Only long term employees like Ron Adams? Or would you aim at Kerr, Bob, the medical staff, and all the admins including Kurt Lacob? How many individuals do you think should suffer to prevent this type of situation from re-occurring?

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I didn't mean individually. The management, overall. Dray is already suffering, Poole is suffering his wounds. Kerr is suffering the lack of Dray and his whole strategic use of the lineup. Lacob & Cie must bear the responsibility.

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Oh, got it now. You mean management should suffer/pay the price for this.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

Man, Steve is freaking pissed

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At who?

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Dray, the leaker, media. I wouldn't want to be the next person on his bad side.

One thing is for sure Bob, Steve and Steph (and others in background) are going to do their darnest best to not let this derail the GSW culture, another chance at the chip and growth of young guys.

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I did not get the impression that he is pissed at the media, other than perhaps TMZ. (I didn't hear him comment specifically on that.) He knows they're doing their job, and I don't think he minds their questions, he's just not going to say anything he thinks should be kept within the team.

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Wonder if they have Poirot on the case?

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Those little grey cells are at work.

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But first a nice cup of hot chocolate

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WWTLD? (What would Ted Lasso do?)

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I feel a lot of this come down to how Jordan feels about draymond going forward.

This puts a lot on pressure on him he doesn't deserve, yet I imagine the team will follow Jordan's lead.

Mind you, there is what he says publicly and the body language behind the scenes. The team will know what his true feelings are and that will dictate whether draymond can truly integrate back into the team.

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Pressure he doesn’t deserve… but he’s wanted to be a leader, so it’ll be good practice. I’m not really worried about Jordan

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I watched the entirety of Draymond's media session today and I found it sincere in regards to Draymond's self-awareness and his contrition. He said all the right things, which is a positive step in righting the team's ship. Unfortunately it's the smallest of the necessary steps, as more will depend on Draymond's actions, and even more on Jordan's response to the situation and his relationship with Draymond. There's a lot of mostly negative speculation about both causes and outcomes related to this incident from all over the NBA world right now but I'm going to continue to have some faith in the team culture to repair what has been broken.

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author

Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lowe-post/id986595124?i=1000581942934

Only real info so far is Zach saying his sources say Poole was definitely not trolling Dray about his coming contract.

Says too early for trade machine, but thinks LAL, DAL, DET could be targets, and floats Dray to LAL, Myles Turner to GSW and RWB to IND

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Oct 8, 2022·edited Oct 8, 2022

*Conspiracy Theory Warning* FO purposely leaked the video. They have to deal with Draymond doing these things all the time. But they have to outbid FOs that don't know the extent of Draymond's in-house drama. The leak brings Draymond's price down, making him easier to keep, saves Lacob millions, and justifies Poole earning more, which he would have anyway.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

This leak is a horrible look for the Warrior organization (and Poole and Draymond and everyone else), I cant imagine this was part of a coordinated front office strategy. I think the likeliest answer is a low salaried employee looking for a payday.

EDIT If this was intentional, then the front office is full of morons imo.

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Oct 9, 2022·edited Oct 9, 2022

Pretty sure that “conspiracy theory” (or some variant thereof) has been the standard assumption of most people since the leak occurred.

(Fwiw. I basically buy it).

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