Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
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Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.
Warriors blow yet another huge lead, fall to… — DEC 2
The Clippers only led for nine seconds and still stole the win.
Asher B. (20 ♡):
I think the Warriors are better than their record. They have faced I believe the hardest schedule of any team, they have had two starters start the season ice fuckin' cold, they are integrating two key pieces in CP and Saric who don't fit their typical style, CP in particular, they are integrating a rookie in playing Podz a lot now, the are trying to figure out the relative balance of using Moody and/or Kuminga vs. Klay Wiggins etc., they are dealing with the injury to CPII, and they actually look pretty damn good lately.
In each of the last few games it really looked like they were starting to click. Every player and Kerr have all shown flashes of figuring it all out.
It's not panic time. Losing in the final seconds is not some sign of the moral collapse of the Roman Empire. It's good to win, not lose (my own personal insight, you're welcome) But sometimes the points come early and not late, rather than the other way around.
Overall: It does not take all that much effort for me to imagine this team figuring it all out and beating everyone in the West and spanking Boston in the Finals 4-1. I'll see you at the parade, look for me, I'll be the one wearing the Warriors gear and waving, you'll see me, come over. and say hi.
TwoRingTest (10 ♡):
Agreed.
We've played some bad basketball in stretches, but unlike the first part of last year (!!), we're starting to also play some dominant basketball at times.
1. Draymond's shooting seems better (small sample size, though).
2. We have a stretch 5 that actually punishes defenses, unlike JMG last year.
3. I think we're pretty legitimately 12 deep (depending on how you feel about Cojo).
4. If Wiggs really was just out of shape, that problem is fixing itself. Just stay away from piranha car doors.
5. Klay's been OK. Not great, but OK. That's probably all we need.
6. JK's regression is a little confounding, but I believe it's temporary.
7. Moods has made the leap. Anybody think he's not a legitimate rotation player now? His defense is far better than it was two years ago.
8. We have 'Flock of Hairdos' Podziemski, who seems to do a little bit of everything. DDV on steroids, basically.
It could go either way, still, but focusing on the negativity is as biased as only seeing the positives. I'd rather focus on what we can be, not what we are during this rough stretch.
Janet (8 ♡):
Daniel, so happy you are back and feeling better (mostly)! Eric, thanks for holding it down! I believe in the Dubs character!
DubsNerd (7 ♡):
Well, at least it's the NBA so we have another game coming up soon to wash this one away. What's that? Next game is Wed??? Rats.
mDuo13 (5 ♡):
I watch games recorded so I can fast-forward the commercials. And lately, I've started to get a really bad feeling when I get to the end of halftime and the recording is less than half over.
This one, there are no excuses. The reffing was fine, maybe even favorable for us overall. (There was a brief stretch during the comeback where some iffy ones didn't go our way, and a couple where I would've liked to have continuation or something in our favor, but we also had some big ones go our way like the clear path on PG13.) The team had a huge lead but it wasn't enough. We held most of the Clippers to pretty inefficient shooting. Podziemski had some trouble guarding Harden without fouling (go figure), which was a big part of their comeback, although Podz did get a sweet steal and breakaway once. Draymond was aggressive but under control and scored a lot while doing great work on defense. Overall it looked like it should've been a win, but the Clippers somehow managed to steal it, mostly through just solid play on both ends. Frustrating.
One consolation is that the Clippers are another team whose SRS is a lot better than their W/L record, and we split two close games against them.
TwoRingTest (5 ♡):
One annoying thing about the in-season tourney ... no fricking games today, because they have to allow a day for travel for all 30 teams for the IST.
Maybe they should just take a poll at the beginning of the season and DQ the four worst teams ... then they all can play each other on the travel days.
At this point, I'd rather watch the Detroit Pistons than do my homework.
ServantOfLuna (4 ♡):
According to this:
http://powerrankingsguru.com/nba/strength-of-schedule.php
We're STILL #1 in strength of schedule played. #2 is the Spurs, which are 0.7 above us in average opponent rank.
AttilaTheHun (4 ♡):
Teams are always as good or bad as their record. You are your record. We can offer explanations for our record. We have missed players due to suspension and injury, for instance. But Dray's suspension reflects who he is and hence part of who the Dubs are, and injuries happen to every team. Bad reffing wouldn't make the difference if we could hold onto a solid lead. If we improve as the season goes on, the record will reflect that.
Borderline and weak teams can point to a strong schedule as one reason for failure because they're not expected to beat title contenders. Teams that are good enough to compete for a title should at least break even with the other strong teams. We're not quite there.
That said, we're not in such bad shape. We have played a lot of close games. We're not far from .500 in a very competitive conference. We're a losing team right now but we're showing signs of improvement. (Then again, other likely playoff teams could improve, too, especially the young teams.) But we're only a quarter of the way through the season. We could surprise a lot of people with a late surge, as in '21-'22. Whether we do or not, we'll still be as good/bad as our record.
Post-game: Warriors cough up big lead, lose… — DEC 2
getting tired of these bad random endings
Focaccia Homer (17 ♡):
I blame my husband for this loss. Before he left, he said: "Oh good. The Warriors are winning." He clearly jinxed them.
Edit to add: Silver lining for every loss, he brings home a treat for me. I think I'll keep him.
MyŠarūnas (12 ♡):
only watched highlights - an amazing 65-point first half, lost the entire lead in the 3rd, with the 4th going back and forth towards a frustrating ending.
On the positive, PodZ and Moody continued to impress.
And I like that play where Curry loops around for a DHO from Looney, only he pocket passes to Draymond in the lane. Similar setup later, only Dray cleared out, and the same pass from Looney to JK led to his hammer dunk.
Golden Gate Warrior (11 ♡):
I know there are tons and tons of things to point at in this game....
....but man Klay bouncing the ball off the foot on the opposite side of his body out of bounds during a pivotal moment in the game is like the perfect embodiment and snapshot of this season
Sleepy Freud (10 ♡):
Leads in the NBA tend to dissipate. Ws have had a couple games that went the exact opposite way — big early deficits that they closed and nearly pulled out.
"Old and tired" is gonna be the standard response to every Warrior loss, but I don't really see it. Steph and Dray look great physically to me; Klay looks better (less bad) physically than he did last season; all the old heads are playing less than they did last season, and the young'uns are playing more, and playing well.
It's basically just bad coin-flip luck in close games that's keeping from being like 12-8, and flipping the whole tenor in Dub Nation from, "wow, this year's roster is WAY better than last season's, with Podz and Moody being studs, Kuminga a dynamo, and CP3/Dario a gigantic upgrade on Poole/JMG" (which is all true) to "they're old and tired."
Asher B. (10 ♡):
I have always enjoyed watching the Warrior games and rooting for them. Doing so in the company of DNHQ friends makes it so much more fun. Super fun game. Winning is better to be sure but I just watched: Draymond hit four threes in the first quarter, Steph go supernova at the end of the first half, Klay hit some quick threes, Podz slap down on a Harden classic move, Kuminga throw down a monster dunk, Saric hit some smooth shooting, Moody do everything well, Kerr coaching really well. I don't feel like I have any business complaining. It's a good day to be alive.
fzwinter (9 ♡):
If Dubs hold on against OKC, Sac, and the Clips, they'd be 12-8 and tied with Phoenix. Long season ahead, and lots of good signs even with the late-game collapses
DFiB (9 ♡):
No trading Wiggs.
ServantOfLuna (9 ♡):
According to this:
https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/clutch-traditional
Warriors had the most amount of games played when the score was within 5 points with <5 minutes left to go. They are 8-8 in those games (8-9 if you include today's game).
kinbote (9 ♡):
Sounds about right. It's been quite the stressful/entertaining/horrifying season to date.
Sleepy Freud (9 ♡):
Wiggins came into camp way out of shape (busted ribs reportedly prevented him from working out properly) and is just working his way back. He's 28 and not a different player from the guy two years ago.
As far as JP: give me some combo of Podz, Moody, Kuminga, and CP3 creating shots all day over that guy, especially since they're also playable on defense.
Sleepy Freud (9 ♡):
Yeah, the shot creation of "good JP" at his peak (22 pts per 36 on league-average-ish efficiency) was occasionally useful. But I think if you look at this year's whole roster (the four guys I mentioned plus Saric) it's a slight offensive upgrade, and a huge defensive one (though Saric may be almost as problematic defensively in his own way as JP).
I'd also note that any of BP, MM, or JK could also be primed for a big leap — they're all younger than JP was when he took his leap from terrible to pretty good; and they've all been way better and more efficient at age 20-21 than JP was at the same age.
Explain: the Jonathan Kuminga - Steph Curry… — DEC 1
Bonus video: Moses Moody sets screens in the pick and roll too
Asher B. (14 ♡):
I like both Es1P. It helps me learn where Kuminga is making small mistakes, which I need so that when we have our Tuesday midnight meetings at the malt shop, I have more to talk about. I always get so tongue tied and it gets awkward, having so much to say that I end up saying so little.
Also: I appreciate the sheer sunny optimism of any team counting on James Harden and Russell Westbrook to play good defense. It brightens up my day and reminds me that this can be a world full of hope.
Joe Barely Cares (13 ♡):
To me Podziemski's combination of ball handling, pesky defense, shooting, rebounding, and play making looks to me like Donte Divincenzo on steroids. I love Donte's game and wished he could have stayed, but Podz is turning out to be an upgrade. His future's so bright we'd better wear shades.
cpt nemo (13 ♡):
Apooogies if this was posted earlier - haven’t managed to scroll through yet. But this is a quote from dray on JK in todays slater article in theathletic
“It all started with Jonathan Kuminga giving him a handoff in the corner,” Green said. “JK could have shot it, could have drove it and he went uphill, DHO and got Klay going. I told him in that timeout you just got him 10 points off that one move.”
oxymyron (13 ♡):
[exit perpetual lurk mode] “Butt slap propulsion technology”. bwahahahahaha. Love your style EA. [re-lurk]
TwoRingTest (10 ♡):
Mildly lost in all the good news last night was that Cojo seemed to be coming out of his funk a bit.
The stat line doesn't really show it (22 minutes/1 pt/2 rbs/2 asts), but I thought he played pretty well, especially on defense.
Goofus (9 ♡):
Jason Timpf video is good stuff:
Warriors have been dealing with unfortunate circumstances. Goes through positive signs:
- Draymond shooting well is a ceiling raiser
- Klay scored 20 4 of last 5 games
- Podz love - “straight up rotation player”. Goes through all the things he loves about him.
- Moody playing well. Lists a bunch of great stuff. Fits seamlessly in Warriors offense, great defense.
- Steph love. Better at beating people off the dribble than ever.
- Wiggins is playing better.
- Good news that GP2 might not be as bad as feared
“The Warriors are still really good.”
belilaugh (9 ♡):
Regarding the Moody bonus video, I've been wanting the Warriors to use Moody as a screener for Curry for awhile. He is willing to set physical screens and can shoot, dribble, and pass when he gets it. I get why he often doesn't though, because his ability to space in the corner is often more valuable given the personnel they have out there. But when you are guarded by a lollygagging Harden, that's an offer that Curry can't refuse.
Still though, I remember that Dallas game in his rookie season where Dallas tried to hide Doncic on him and put two on the ball when he screened for Curry and Moody made them pay the few times it happened:
Nellie (8 ♡):
Yeah, that's wack. I've enjoyed some of his [Uncle Alchemy] videos when folks here have linked them, but have also picked up on this tone of machismo sometimes.
(Incidentally, because it seems like Wiggs' injury has been a bit of a punchline: Am I the only one who immediately concluded that it must have happened while he was taking care of his kids? Pure speculation, I realize—and I'm not a parent, myself—but doesn't it just feel like the kind of thing that happens when, say, you're getting one kid out the car seat and the other one slams the adjacent door; or when you're holding a toddler in one arm and a diaper bag in the other? Of course it could have happened a million other ways, but regardless I just feel like it's unfair how people so often act affronted or amused when an athlete gets hurt in the course of everyday life.)
Post-game: Warriors bounce back and beat… — NOV 30
GSW somehow avoid meltdown
Being (19 ♡):
https://x.com/anthonyvslater/status/1730468178327929018?s=46&t=9UCJt84jp_HefsXGrxmdqA
Steve Kerr called tonight Jonathan Kuminga’s best game of the season: “He didn’t foul. Not one foul. And he’s out there guarding Kawhi and Paul George. Used his athleticism. Had five rebounds in the first half.”
Captain Jack (17 ♡):
I know fans won’t miss Draymond’s antics when he retires but we’re going to miss his brilliance on the court when he’s locked in. This guy allowed Steve to play a lot of lineups throughout the years because he’s so good at cleaning up mistakes and making things happen. We likely won’t get someone impactful as him on that end for a very long time if ever again. Appreciate the greatness from Steph and Dray while they’re still here. Klay too. One of the greatest trios if not the greatest to ever play the game.
Asher B. (16 ♡):
Oh, whuu ... waht?? Huh?
Sorry, I just ... I just woke up.
I fainted when the refs called Draymond's flagrant a common foul.
Eric Apricot (16 ♡):
Dray thanks the team management for arranging the 11-30-23 game and for arranging with the league that the game happened at Chase so they could celebrate
Doc (15 ♡):
Report from Chase:
-Podz is a revelation of energy. Up off the bench in the first half jumping up and down in front of the vets. He’s like Napoleon Dynamite with puppy energy.
-Podz trying to imitate Klay’s snarl - too good
-When Steph was animated about the bad foul call and got a tech, who restrained him? Podz.
-GP2 looked good in warmups, bouncing on his toes. Injury can’t be that bad.
Ando (14 ♡):
I liked the part where they won the game.
Tonkal (14 ♡):
The second unit is actually more fun to watch. More energy, hustle plays everywhere, ball flying around to find the best shot.
Of course, when the first unit is humming like in the first half vs. the Kings, nothing beats that. We just haven't seen it much this year.
belilaugh (14 ♡):
> I have a feeling Moses Moody will be a lot less of a darling after a game of guarding Paul George
https://twitter.com/NateDuncanNBA/status/1730426750486925765
George had 15 points on 6 for 18 shooting with no FTs or offensive rebounds. Nailed it, Nate.
TwoRingTest (14 ♡):
Run PMK (Podz Moody Kuminga).
Asher B. (13 ♡):
Man, can we give it up for Dunleavy? CP going down and Cojo doing something reasonable. Saric has been killing it. Podz is the first rookie in quite a while to actually play down the stretch. Plus I don't have to watch Jordan Poole any more. Win-win-win-win-win-win
I wish not to be quoted as all in on CoJo. Thanks.
Sleepy Freud (12 ♡):
For a team that a rolls out a Rogues Gallery of Warrior villains from the dynastic era … man, they’re pretty dull, aren’t they?
fzwinter (12 ♡):
So glad there will be no more IST games for the Dubs. I really think that their trying to pad their margins against both SAS and Sac led to some poor on-court and coaching decisions. Tonight, on the other hand, the goal was simply to win the game and the Dubs never let the Clips get within 4 after the Dubs' late first quarter run.
Loved the low turnover (7) number tonight. Two were 24-second violations and one was Steph's lazy left-handed behind-the-back pass that went out of bounds. Much prefer those to live ball turnovers.
Favorite play of the night - Podz drawing the charge on Harden in the backcourt. Harden gave him the "what the hell are you doing, Rook, don't you know who I am" look. Priceless.
Game 19: GSW vs LA Clippers. Coach Ron Adams… — NOV 30
GSW, down a hall of famer, takes on four hall of famers
ServantOfLuna (17 ♡):
Gary Payton II’s MRI revealed a strained right calf, he will be re evaluated in one week.
Chris Paul’s MRI revealed no structural damage to lower leg, but a nerve contusion. He will be out tonight and Saturday against Clippers, at least, Warriors announce.
https://twitter.com/ShaynaRubin/status/1730357108095525201
Wait, so GP2 has a strained calf and not a torn one? Either Shams incorrectly reported the injury, or someone fed him wrong information.
Goofus (17 ♡):
Let’s win this one for Goofus on his birthday!
They’re 4-2 over the last 20 years when they play on 11/30.
Eric Apricot (16 ♡):
This is a little odd, but I only just realized GSW is 8-10. (Yeah yeah, too much flashy thing.) It feels like they’re 3-15. 8-10 is actually not bad for coming out of the hardest schedule in the league with a new team just gelling and with lots of player absences (some self-inflicted).
I understand that the GP2 and CP3 injuries could be season altering, and a lot is going to be riding on Kuminga, and that last loss was like watching all our heroes’ brains age into jello in front of our eyes.
But all things considered, there’s plenty of reason to expect the rest of the season to go better… absent any more injuries or idiotic suspensions.
Lightsx3 (15 ♡):
Jimmy Butler with the kickout, reviewed refs gives him 3 fts. Steph does same with no landing space, after review refs say offensive foul. It's hard not to believe the leagues not out to get us.
https://twitter.com/devinthelab/status/1730004127630164419?s=46&t=SBW3XJi-eEDBr6FtvDfngg
Captain Jack (15 ♡):
https://twitter.com/DevInTheLab/status/1729983571560137214
It's an offensive foul though.
Janet (12 ♡):
Dubs will surely win today 11/30/23.
https://x.com/doubler_pr/status/1730290198096048569?s=46&t=qNSterE8PO_Ycn4gEV2X5w
belilaugh (12 ♡):
I think if I'm trying to actually go through Kerr's thought process to close that game, he was thinking that they needed both Wiggins and Draymond to be available to guard Fox and Monk which meant Looney had to be on Sabonis. So he wasn't looking to go small (which almost certainly means Draymond guarding Sabonis) and have Moody or Klay guarding one of Fox or Monk.
That's why in Kerr's interview with 95.7 yesterday, when he said he made a mistake by taking Moody out, he said his mistake was that he should have left Klay on the bench for a few minutes and seen if Moody could keep it rolling.
Personally I disagree with his take and think you sub Looney out and just close with Curry/Moody/Wiggins/Klay/Green and look to out-offense them. I think Kerr underestimated how offensively devastating it would have been to put Moody in one corner and Klay in the other corner and run high PnR with Curry and Green (with Wiggins doing that quick outlet to get it back to a rolling Green thing that they do, and then crashing the glass). The Warriors haven't often had two knockdown shooters in each corner since the KD days, yes I agree Moody hasn't done enough to be considered that yet generally but in that moment he was absolutely rolling.
Defensively it leaves you with some vulnerabilities (specifically Moody guarding one of Fox/Monk, although he defended both well in that game in the few instances he was switched on) but ultimately, you have Draymond and the Kings don't.
g8tgod (11 ♡):
Nice to see the Ws bounce back.
I'll also say that that's the best game I've seen Russell Westbrook play in YEARS. If he's going to be a GPII-like energy guy off the bench, using his athleticism to disrupt the opponent, I think he's got something. I've taken shots at him for years, but good on him for reinventing himself as a useful player.
belilaugh (11 ♡):
Don't know if people have notice but Moody's on ball defense has been top notch in this game. I've seen him stop all three of Harden, Kawhi, and George so far.
belilaugh (11 ♡):
Kawhi vs Draymond is incredible TV tbh
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
Need Looney to dust off the old Harden containment module
TwoRingTest (10 ♡):
I went to do the dishes, come back and we're up 6.
Anybody else need their dishes done?
thesarunas (10 ♡):
I've been trying to work out why Kerr praising Moody during his last post-game conference annoyed me so much and I think it's this: it's getting into love-bombing territory. Manipulation-by-flattery to mask his own shortcomings. He stopped short of saying Moody has a nice personality.
Just play the man, he's more than earned it. And yes, man, not boy. He has two high-school teammates who are by now bona-fide leaders/starters on their respective teams.
Gary Payton II has torn right calf, out weeks… — NOV 29
Get well soon, GP2
Nadav (14 ♡):
I’m a subscriber and I came here to learn that GP2 is fine so someone isn’t doing their job right.
Eric Apricot (14 ♡):
League has innovated so hard on reviews of GSW plays. Immaterial, hot stove contact, going back to past plays... probably lots I’m forgetting. And I’ll never forgive the ok of LeBron’s slide tackle of Steph in 15 Finals.
DubsNerd (13 ♡):
“I saw something a while back that I really liked; ‘A fool looks for happiness in the distance while a wise man grows it under his feet,’” Moody said recently. “A wise man is going to sit here and try to make his situation better. That’s something I try to live on.”
Damn, pretty wise for a 21 year old.
BadlyBrowned (12 ♡):
OT: Well, at least Kissinger is dead
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
Hello, I see you’re new here. It’s very bad form to jump on a site and spam comments with links to your newsletter. For instance, you would be banned from a subreddit for doing this.
I’m going to leave your past posts up, so you get a little advertising but I’ll ban you if you post any more links or advertise your substack.
Being (5 ♡)
lol. yer such a softie. I woulda already applied da ban hammer.
cpt nemo (10 ♡):
OTOH - Steve Kerr was on 957 the game and and said this
1. He said he made a mistake removing moody
2. He said it was mistake to challenge Stephs kick. But he made a clear dig at the NBA refs. SGA had kicked Wiggs in OKC game and was not called for foul and so they felt confident.
3. He did say they are 2 for 10 in challenges and looking at replays they still can’t understand why they are losing those challenges.
It is clear there is disconnect between the coaches seeing replays and assessing fouls versus how the refs are calling it for the DUBS.
Loon's Statue (9 ♡):
Pretending like the officials had no impact on a game in which 50+ fouls were called and 70+ FTs were shot seems like willful ignorance to me, but sure, let's pretend like the refs have no impact on the game, that's loser shit apparently
Nadav (7 ♡):
I’m with Asher on this. Refs are gonna make mistakes (and sometimes have emotional reactions and, ahem, personal beefs) and even if the mistakes are more or less randomly distributed, fans notice and remember the ones that confirm their suspicion that their team was treated unfairly because it eases the cognitive dissonance that arises from their team losing.
Post game Zen #14: CP3 and GP2 injured… — NOV 28
barkeep, I'll need another shot of Satori
cpt nemo (18 ♡):
Why did lacob sign Dray
- because he loves Tech guys :-)
Eric Apricot (16 ♡):
On the coaching moves down the stretch, my ranking for frustration:
1. Not preparing the team to handle the press at the end. This is the exact same press GSW had done against SAC at the end of every quarter. This one is a straight inexcusable F.
2. That challenge on the Curry foul. I thought they checked plays on the bench on video replay before challenging? This cost them a crucial timeout that they had clearly been hoarding since they declined to challenge some bad calls earlier. I give this a D-.
3. Subbing out Moody. Made me mad, but it's so easy to second guess this kind of thing. Since the vets he bet on all made big turnovers down the stretch, this gets a C-.
On to the next game...
JZAlvarado (13 ♡):
All jokes aside (no i really don’t want Kerr fired) I think what im a little fed up with is how Draymond just uses the “well this is who I am” persona to justify him losing his sh!+ at the most inopportune moments. He always seems to be at the Center or both in game and in season meltdowns continually. He seems to be the common thread consistently
MyŠarūnas (12 ♡):
Understandable overreactions abound - that was an epic collapse with many contributors. After a night's sleep, I'm mostly worried about the injuries and I'm choosing to focus on the positives:
Wiggins coming back to himself - I tend to forget how good he is, and how often he bails out broken possessions with a variety of in-control, old-fashioned twos. He's got that Tim Duncan/KD bored killer vibe behind his maple-sweet smile.
Moody - Yes, I am deeply offended that Kerr violated the "feed-the-hot-hand" rule that is the foundation of "Strength in Numbers" BUT I'm also really happy that Moody keeps turning his game up, from mistake-free but quiet, to heady defensive opportunist, to all that plus deadly sniper.
Draymond's back - OK, he did lose his temper again and lost the game with his butterfingers, but first he broke up a three on one - with this mind! Defense like no one else's.
BadlyBrowned (12 ♡):
Feels like Curry being so good this late in his career makes it feel like Dray and Klay can be that too, but reality is Curry is the exception.
The ego's of Klay and Dray dealing with their decline gonna decide how the end of this dynasty goes.
Captain Jack (12 ♡):
Moody after hitting back to back HUGE 3s to keep the Dubs ahead gets subbed out while Klay who can't really guard a cone anymore gets to close the game out.
Also, the Kings had been trapping Steph all game and we were somehow not ready for that to close out the game? That's straight up on coaching. Disgusting.
DFiB (11 ♡):
I abhor this media blitz to try to be the one who correctly called "the end of the Warriors"... then I remember that they did the same annoying stuff with the Spurs trio for like 10 years running. Yet another piece of evidence of how great these guys are.
Asher B. (11 ♡):
Let's not overreact, friends. This is the theater of the one point loss. If it had been a one point win the vibe here would be completely opposite. Of course, there were problems tonight and we've named them. But I am actually super encouraged.
That was actually the first *Warrior TM* game I've seen in a long time. There was a long stretch in the second quarter when they finally looked like themselves, crushing a good team. Wiggins is back, that's huge. Moody will get more playing time, there's no way even Kerr will be that dull witted about it. Draymond when he's not being a moron can still dominate. CPII and GP3 will be back and showed today what they add.
I'm not deaf to the various flaws but this team just showed that at their best they are a championship team. it's about playing their best more often. I liked what I saw tonight.
bobbita (11 ♡):
I'm not mad we didn't make it to the tourney. I'm not even mad we didn't win. I'm mad that Kerr makes such stupid decisions time after time. Barely plays Moody even though he ALWAYS shows out when he plays. Keeps in Klay when he's stinking it up just cause he's done stuff in the past. Idk how he doesn't have this team prep'd for traps with no timeouts to end the game though I'll put most of the blame on the team since we dumb like that.
AJ (11 ♡):
When will they realize that Moody needs to play 20-25 minutes a game? FFS.
pooryorick (10 ♡):
The sky is not falling. The sun is setting.
Captain Jack (10 ♡):
Draymond losing his shit in that 4th quarter really screwed us too. You can see him not being able to control this temper.
Captain Jack (9 ♡):
https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1729684394493763965
Meanwhile Steph is getting tackled on every play without a call.
Asher B. (9 ♡):
That Wiggins putback was the pivot point. In the next few months this team will round into shape and we'll all try to pinpoint the exact moment when the team starting kicking it into high gear. We just saw it.
Captain Jack (9 ♡):
Just to be clear: I'm very frustrated with Steve's decisions this game and honestly I disagree with some of his decision making in certain aspects of the game too but we're rolling with him. He ain't getting fired nor do I want him to go.
GreenDray (9 ♡):
Long-time fan of Klay here, but he should have sat most of the fourth quarter. He was involved in so many key bad plays:
- Moving screen which was not needed wiped out Moody's 3
- Didn't come back for the ball when Steph was trapped in the backcourt last minute
- Miscommunication with Dray on bounce pass on that last turnover - Klay was supposed to be open in the corner
- missed shots were short
- brain-fart travel earlier in the game
While he played great early, at some point he ran out of juice and started counting on magical championship DNA to try to make things happen as effortlessly as they used to before his injury. He's now a 20-min a game player.
Game 18: GSW @ Sacramento. The Chris Paul … — NOV 28
All the In-Season Tournament tiebreaker details here
Klaymatic37 (16 ♡):
A coworker can't go to the clippers warriors game this weekend, so hopefully full squad is playing since I get to go now.
Never seen the dubs play in the curry era live!
Captain Jack (15 ♡):
I know we need a win in general but I WANT THIS ONE SO BAD NOW. Don't care about the IST JUST GET THE W. FUCK THESE REFS.
Abaddon (13 ♡):
You're batting zero for facts here. Dray didn't kick LeBron, he "nut punched" him. Of course, he didn't actually contact him, and it seemed like he was gesticuating wildly and it wasn't intentional. Yes, Draymond kicked Adams, but that wasn't intentional. And that happens not infrequently. LeBron kicked Andre in the balls in 2017 and nobody said anything about it because Andre isn't a sad human being like LeBron (and Brian Windhorst):
(starting at 40s, apologies for the trashy video).
As for Sabonis, yes, when Sabonis grabbed his foot as Dray was trying to step over him and NOT step on him, he stomped on his chest. This was after multiple instances of Draymond behind held on the ground by Sabonis as the Kings executed a fast break. Sabonis later dunked with both hands and swung from the rim. I don't have a problem with it personally.
None of that has anything to do with Draymond putting Rudy in a choke hold other than the fact that Rudy was unharmed.
Honestly by far the worst thing Dray has done was sucker-punch Poole and we wouldn't have known about how bad that was if video wasn't leaked. I could wish for a better response from him on that one, for sure.
AJ (11 ♡):
As a long time CP3 hater, I was aware of the Scott Foster beef but had no idea the depths of it or the specific stats. It's very clear that Foster can't ref any of his games and probably should be fired. I'd be saying this even if CP3 was on another team and I still didn't like him.
Five Alarm Freddy (11 ♡):
Ok, so I have always thought Scott Foster was a questionably corrupt prick based on what I saw and read.
If it is true about Chris Pauls' kid, he needs to be forced out of the league- like 7 years ago. He is not impartial. How can Chris Paul have a clear mind knowing this guy is calling a game? Adios Scott Foster. Your time here is done. Good riddance.
Abaddon (10 ♡):
Klay getting testy with a reporter asking him if "he [and Andrew Wiggins] should be benched" is not "in on himself and not the team", unless you're looking really hard for a gotcha.
g8tgod (9 ♡):
More on how questionable it is that Foster refs CP3 games -- or any NBA games at all --
mDuo13 (8 ♡):
I get the impression that the NBA is caught in a common pitfall with regards to the Scott Foster situation, because when he's not being an asshole he's actually a very unusually skilled referee. He's one of the most experienced refs, he has excellent court vision, and he's wise to a lot of the sneaky little tricks guys use to grift for calls in their favor. (I have no doubt that part of his animosity with Chris Paul comes from how CP3 works the rules and the refs.) Until this season, I actually tended to be relieved when he was the crew chief because I think he's generally called games fairly for us. We've seen how bad junior refs can be.
But, like a toxic "10x developer" at a tech company, the "soft" costs of tolerating Scott Foster are greater than they appear. Personal beefs with players, appearance of impropriety re:betting/Donaghy, his reputation as "the extender" and so on—these are not only bad for the league's reputation, they set a bad example for other refs, and can impede or discourage refs with more integrity from gaining status within the league. Not to mention the disappointment fans feel when a star player is ejected for things that shouldn't be a big deal.
GlueAndBold (8 ♡):
If the honking/swearing/yelling story is accurate, then I think you are assigning way too much blame to CP3 here, and trust me, I was never a CP3 fan before he came to the Dubs- FAR FROM.
GlueAndBold (8 ♡):
You're missing the power play aspect here. The relationship between a ref and an NBA player has a major power component. For someone who has the authority to hurt you professionally to attack your kid- that's a very big deal. For CP3 to want to fight Scott Foster after that? That's honestly not that crazy a reaction. I'm sure his kid was traumatized by the incident. It totally makes sense to me that there would have been mediation and stuff like that as fallout.
How Will Stephen Curry Age? (2023 update) — NOV 27
using RAPTOR, Nash, Miller, Price, Abdul-Rauf and Dell
Sleepy Freud (31 ♡):
Another weekly reminder: championships over the past ten years.
1. Less-than-Ideal Warriors 4
2. Six franchises tied at 1
3. 23 franchises tied at 0
😊
Abaddon (25 ♡):
...or we could be in a world where Steph Curry set the world on fire in New York, or Milwaukee, or was consigned to purgatory in Minnesota, and we were stuck with Monta Ellis.
All in all I like where we are....
Goofus (19 ♡):
RAPTOR: Steph will see a pretty dramatic decline in ‘21 and ‘22 and…
Steph: Yo RAPTOR, I killed those projections and am as good as ever.
RAPTOR: As I was saying, this decline will continental into the ‘23-24 season and…
Steph: I’m currently killing your projections for this season, too. Are you not entertained?
RAPTOR: …the drop off is sure to be even more pronounced as we…
Steph: JFC, pay attention!
Five Alarm Freddy (18 ♡):
Great stuff EA. Thanks for pulling all this together. It is truly mind blowing what Steph has been able to achieve the past couple of years. He has transformed his body, elevated his defense and shown no signs of running out of his magical fairy dust that he sprinkles on himself every morning. We are witness to greatness. Anything and everything we get from him at this point is gravy. Basketball Gods please bless 30.
DubsNerd (18 ♡):
OT, some quotes from Wiggs in the Chron:
Wiggins’ struggles: Wiggins has struggled mightily this season, but he finds hope in his outside shooting over the past four games. He has made nine of his 18 attempts from 3-point range during that span.
This leaves his shooting percentage beyond the arc at 25.5%, still well off his career average (35.2%). Wiggins, who hasn’t averaged fewer than 16.9 points in his nine previous seasons, is averaging only 11.8 so far this season.
“It’s been a little slow start, but my game is coming along,” he said. “My shot is feeling better and my rhythm is feeling better with every game, just getting better and better and back to my normal self.”
FromMunichWithLove (18 ♡):
He will not age. Never. Ever. Not gonna happen. Closing my ears with my hands and singing LaLaLa. Loudly.
Asher B. (13 ♡):
The 538 projection logic fails right from the first by comparing Steph Curry to human mortals.
Goldarn Staid Worrier (12 ♡):
Fascinating write up, I love these kinds of look-backs and updates. But I'm pretty confused about Curry's long term prospects. I consulted BBREF 2040 through my future view time scanner and it showed Steph playing through age 43, with only diminished play after his 2029-2030 season. I guess you can update again then.
DFiB (12 ♡):
Don't forget Jokic! 2nd round picks were sooo cheap back then, we could have easily bought a pick or traded future 2nd round pick to get him too.
Janet (12 ♡):
Wow and thanks for the great analysis. Especially liked the player comparisons. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was such a joy to watch live and his career went by so fast. Right now I will remain comfortably in denial about Steph.
AJ (12 ♡):
Also my approach to myself aging
mDuo13 (11 ♡):
Speaking of things aging, I compared my preseason predictions to the current Western Conference standings, and... well, the Wild West is real.
Notes: SRS (simple rating system) is from bball-ref and SOS (strength of schedule) is from power rankings guru.
Prediction→Current
1→4. Denver: I don't feel bad about this prediction. At only 1.5 games back despite missing Murray a few, Denver is still poised to take back the top seed before the season is over.
2→6. Sacramento: This was admittedly a hot take back then, but it's maybe not that far off considering they've recently gotten Fox back and looked good again. On the other hand, the West is every bit as crowded as was foretold, so it's unclear if they have the oomph to stay as high as expected.
3→7. Lakers: The supporting cast has not looked good this season but it does seem like they have more or less righted the ship following a very bad start.
4→10. Golden State: I can't explain what's been going on, other than some variance and a draining early schedule (2nd hardest SOS). I do expect us to climb back up the rankings soon, as supported by our 5th place in SRS.
5→11. Clippers: The Harden trade and resulting adjustment period (?) has thrown off my estimate for this team, but SRS has them 6th, so maybe they'll also bounce back.
6→3. Phoenix: despite injuries troubles, they've looked great. Nurkic has been a better fit than I expected, the supporting cast is up to the task so far, and their strength of schedule so far (2nd easiest) has also benefited them.
7→9. New Orleans: Actually about where I expected, maybe for different reasons (Zion healthy but McCollum injured, not vice-versa).
8→14. Memphis: I figured they would have a rough start to the season, but this is way beyond. I was accounting for them missing Adams and Morant, but apparently the losses of Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson are a bigger deal than anyone gave them credit for.
9→2. OKC: They grow up fast. Rookie of the year frontrunner Holmgren is just one of several reasons for this situation, though a soft SOS (25th-hardest) might be another. Still, their excellent SRS (almost tied with 1st) suggests they're destined for better than just a play-in bout.
10→5. Dallas: I feel like this placement in particular is a SOS-induced mirage, at 27th-hardest and the only winning record with a negative SRS.
11→1. Minnesota: The biggest surprise of the season for me. Apparently they've figured out how to play Gobert and KAT together, Conley has looked spry at age 36, and Kyle Anderson has been a nice pickup too. I still expect them to drop a couple places in the standings before all is said and done, but all the metrics (#1 in SRS, 12-hardest SOS) and the wins against top teams point to Minnesota being an actual contender this season.
12→12. Utah: Hey, looks like I was right about this one thing.
13→15. San Antonio: Wemby has been more exciting but just as error-prone and inefficient as expected.
14→13. Portland: Yup, they're rebuilding.
15→8. Houston: Big miss here. I was writing off Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun as busts (despite being high on Sengun pre-draft) and VanVleet+Brooks as overpays. But Brooks has been efficient, Sengun has arrived (statistically their best player), and the Rockets might even climb higher in the standings yet (3rd in SRS, 18th-hardest schedule).
In short, with what I know now, I'd revise my predictions on: Minnesota (++), OKC (++), Memphis (--), Houston (+), Sacramento (-). Tentatively (-) on both LA teams, and maybe, maybe (+) for Dallas. Which, for better or for worse, makes the Pacific Division a lot less terrifying than expected: I predicted 5 of the top 6 Western teams to be Pacific Divs, but everyone except Phoenix is underperforming so far.
Sure is a crazy league!
Chasing Kings... (10 ♡):
I just re-read my journal entry from 2 years ago: "Watched SC30 do what he does. Such a privilege 🤍"
So I looked up what game it was and it was the game against the Clippers where he got T'd up and then went "Psycho Steph" and T'd up ref 😂
cpt nemo (10 ♡):
Awesome topic and analysis
🙏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Tonkal (10 ♡):
OT: Washington Wizards visit Detroit Pistons today in a "somebody's got to win" game. Wizards are currently on a 9 game losing streak, Pistons on a 13 game losing streak.
kinbote (10 ♡):
James Wiseman vs. Jordan Poole revenge game!
Abaddon (10 ♡):
Kareem played 74 games his final season at age 41, and was an outlier. Nobody approached that until LeBron. Nolan Ryan went 12-6 at age 44 and played two more years. Nobody else has come close. George Blanda retired at age 48. Sure, that was a different era... but probably a tougher one on longevity.
Sometimes outliers are just outliers. We won't really know until years later whether LeBron and Brady are just outliers or more indications of a broader trend.
Captain Jack (6 ♡):
https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1729325960741421358
Keegan Murray doubtful for the Kings tomorrow. Alex Len out. Keon Ellis questionable. Warriors have an empty injury report. Everyone available.
Being (6 ♡):
Wow. some good injury and availability news for once.
Eric Apricot (6 ♡):
I think people are piling on a bit with Poole, but these Poole memes have serious plot twists and perfect comedic timing
belilaugh (6 ♡):
Exactly, some of these are works of art.
Eric Apricot (6 ♡):
Need to start calling it the MMXX draft
DFiB (6 ♡):
> the “down times” of 2019-2023 for any other team’s stretch.
Indeed. Only extremely entitled Warriors fans would consider a 4 year stretch that included a championship as down times...
fzwinter (6 ♡):
Got that right. He'll keep hooping until he joins the PGA Senior Tour when he hits 50.
hammystyle (5 ♡):
Steph doesn’t really have a comparison in basketball. No ones dominated to this extent based on preternatural skill and feel over the physical.
He’s more like Joe in Football. Or Ben Hogan in golf. My favorite that makes a lot of sense in my mind is Greg Maddux. A sneaky good athlete and all around player who dominated by being the best ever at one thing.
Maddux was the best for a long time. Then among the best for a while. Then was basically good but not all star level until he decided to stop playing.
Abaddon (4 ♡):
Love analysis like this! Great job.
Small sample and maybe confirmation bias, it doesn’t seem coincidental that the point guards suffered more injuries than the off-ball catch and shooters. My recollection is most of Steph’s injuries have happened on-ball, with the exception of the most recent shoulder injury. I’m discounting his early ankle issues as a different class of problem.
Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open… — NOV 26
Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.
Nellie (18 ♡):
Some people might roll their eyes, but I think it's a lovely gesture for the city of Akron to open a museum in honor of the second best basketball player to have been born in the city.
Goofus (11 ♡):
5 minutes of GP2 being a shot-blocking menace
DubsNerd (8 ♡):
Thanks, he always talks like someone with enough self awareness that he'd be under control, and then the game starts.
ChemKoala (6 ♡):
lmao what is our schedule. It's like the schedule maker was a Cavs fan
belilaugh (6 ♡):
The claims about Wembanyama having too high of a center of gravity to really operate down low in the NBA might have some real merit to them. One of the top posts on r/nba says that he has only attempted 40 shots at the rim in half court offense situations in his first 14 games.
The other issue is that he's not a very good shooter but he chucks a lot of them and has a negative A/TO ratio. If the body type prevents him from being a force down low (I'm not sure how much weight he can put on without putting himself at bigger risk for injury), then he's going to have to improve a lot as a shooter and playmaker otherwise how good of an offensive player is he?
Hard to nitpick his defense though.
ForeverFoyled (5 ♡):
Your comment made me have the random thought: do any advanced stats track passes specifically for assists vs TO? Shaq also has a negative assist to TO ratio, but I'm guessing most TO are not in passing situations but just times he got stripped down low/etc. For a guy like CP3, A/TO may reflect how successful his passing is, but for a lot of other guys A/TO really may have little to do with passing.
Asher B. (5 ♡):
If "operating down low" means posting up or slow drives and bully ball, then I agree that he isn't quite built that way, at least not yet. But his potential as a roll man on a pnr seems sky high, so to speak. Same with step through stuff or other moves like spins that lead to finishes not quite at the basket: hooks, pushes, scoop shots, midrange. He should be able to get below the foul line on offense quite readily and then it's a matter of can he finish well if he's not dunking.
Thank you, Pelicans, for turning Sacramento into Sacra-meant-to.
Fun fact: the Warriors have a better net rating than the Kings, Mavericks, or Lakers.
Bonus: the Clippers have a better net rating than the Bucks.