Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
The real All-Star Game was the friends we made along the way
Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.
A Farewell to James Wiseman, plus open thread
Go forth and prosper, except against GSW
Alex (11 ♡):
I think the Wiseman pick turned out marvelously. Even as a cautionary tale to the other young players who learned that playing time was not a birthright but something earned through defense and Staying Ready, Wiseman's presence/plight was likely an influencing factor in the development of our bench players who contributed mightily to our World Freaking Championship. I would not pluck a single tuft from a single wing of any butterfly that came across our path between the 2020 draft and the 2022 Finals. In the vacuum of available playing time stepped JK, OPJ, GP2, and within the howling need for 2nd or 3rd or sometimes 1st playoff scorer, we witnessed the emergence of the mercurial splash phantom JP (who, during this sentence, I have apparently named the Splash Phantom. It has been a slow day at work). No regrets regarding this draft, at all. Our result was perfect.
Aaannnd1 (9 ♡):
Forgot to mention that I really enjoyed this write up about Wiseman.
Being (9 ♡):
I think the salary ended up playing a much larger role than anyone, even the Dubs' brain trust, expected. Any number of scenarios could have played out where the salary wasn't a big deal, but the one scenario where his $12M salary became an enormous anchor did play out.
In retrospect, a pick like LaMelo would've been a safer way to secure a higher floor than Wiseman's 4-yr Smailagic floor. That would've at least secured trade assets that they could use for future value (greater than the 5 2nd round picks that JW ended up netting). And in any scenario where that $12M salary becomes onerous, floor would've been an important decision.
However, it is worth remembering that at the time, Klay's health was very much in question. Dray's ongoing health and performance was, as well. The D'angelo Russel/Wiggins salary slot was also very much in question. And finally, even Steph's health was in question at the time. In that kind of scenario, you look at the $12M salary and realize that you very well could carry a project if needed as any of those max slots could be gone in a couple years.
As it turns out, all the OG's and Wiggs accelerated beyond belief. Poole showed up. So, suddenly, $12M on a project that wasn't showing enough acceleration had to be dumped. It was really the one salary situation and projection for all of the OG's that precluded hanging on to JW's salary, and the one situation that makes the importance of floor over ceiling for a #2 draft asset critical.
So, yah, in hindsight, pick up a player with a higher floor and make sure that you can trade the #2 pick for something of decent value (mid first pick?) even if the player hits his floor. However, given that the chance of all those other things going right (OG Health/Wiggs/Poole) was probably exceedingly low at the time of his draft, and therefore ceiling was more important and salary slot was not.
Run_TMC (9 ♡):
I would NOT prefer Lamelo. Sorry. Very impressive basketball player. Not a defender. not a team first guy, not a defender, and I probably not ever a player on a championship team (unless he changes his style - both play and attitude) NOT a Warrior.
I'd much prefer a good defending role player like GP2 to Lamelo ... oh, hey, that's what we got! (I just really hope he gets back to 100% of what he was for us last year)
Truckeeman (8 ♡):
There's a simple way to avoid 7 game series. Win in 4.
AJ (8 ♡):
LaMelo is destined to be a classic "good stats, bad team" guy. He's a mediocre shooter and plays no D. I have no regrets passing on him.
Goofus (7 ♡):
Somewhere else in the multiverse, Alonzo Knee is out for the season with pain and discomfort in his left ball.
Mr Teal (7 ♡):
I still think that taking GPII second overall in the 2020 draft, but then paying him more like the 8th overall pick (my numbers are wrong here, it's just a for-instance) was definitely a great move by the Warriors FO. It has already paid dividends, á la the 2022 title. Great draft.
tempprofile (7 ♡):
It's worth also mentioning the salary that comes with the #2 pick. You can't draft Haliburton with the #2 pick and then pay him as if he were the #12 pick.
Goofus (6 ♡):
Besides the obvious of how his lack of experience combined with rotten luck trying to play catch up, I think there are two aspects that fly under the radar.
1. The Warriors drafted Wiseman at a time when there were many concerns about the SC/KT/DG core. Klay wrecked his knee, Steph was at an age where a decline was to be expected and Draymond seemed like his body was starting to betray him. We all know now how premature reports of their demise were, but there was a very real chance that they’d need to start over and saw JW is a potential cornerstone.
2. With all the talk of “two timelines”, it’s really turned into one-and-a-half timelines. Instead of a rebuild, the core is still here and they have a new core of 20-something guys who are contributing now AND can lead a good team as the OG’s fade. Clearly, they see Poole, Wiggins and Kuminga as fitting the bill. (I’m certain they’d love to keep DDV for this reason, unlikely as it may be and I’d argue Ty Jerome is exactly the type of rare glue-guy role player that they should invest in.) They took most of this season (before his salary escalates) and determined JW’s not on that “1.5” timeline and was unlikely to supplant their existing 20-something current/future contributor who keeps getting improving and is the “moral compass of the team”.
Personally, I think a post-Curry/Klay/Dray era built around Poole, Wiggins, Kuminga, Looney and Ty, with perhaps any Moody/PBJ/Rollins stepping up in the next season or two, is pretty nice. Wiseman was simply too big a question mark (at too big a cost) to bet on him being a meaningful part of it.
Sleepy Freud (6 ♡):
Ty Jerome is basically a poor man’s Ty Haliburton.
Iconic Warriors Dunk Tournament, the Grand…
Last chance to choose between past and present posters
nomdesab (7 ♡):
#wgbc y'all.
Captain Jack (6 ♡):
WAIVE CARUSO!
Sleepy Freud (5 ♡):
OT: the Russell Legend doc is fantastic. What an amazing dude. Lots of great food for thought on topics a lot more important than hoops, but in the hoops realm: the description of his last (1968-69) championship season reminded me a lot of this current Warriors one. The Cs were aging and tired, and finished 4th in the division that season. Here’s hoping our 34 year old superstar can pull a ‘69 Russell.
Gui Santos in All-Star G-League Next Up Game…
Our Guy Gui selected by fan vote for the NBA G League Next Up Game
Eric Apricot (10 ♡):
FYI
**
Q: So why do so many smart people refuse to write off the Warriors?
A: Because their starters still have an elite net rating and when Steph, Klay, and Draymond play and finish all games in a series, they are 4-0 in winning the title.
When those three finish the last game of the season, they are 3-1 in winning titles.
Aaannnd1 (6 ♡):
[On Mac] Takes more than dunking to be an NBA player. When he can set up as many people for points as he does for himself, I will think differently about him.
Qin (5 ♡):
So the only worthwhile thing about this weekend was the slam dunk event that was won by a non NBA player.
They just need to open it up more for the dunk and the 3 pointer. There are a lot of good street ballers out there that just don't have the skills to make it onto a pro court.
JoZeAlvaradoStan (5 ♡):
If tonight’s game is any indication, League gonna be in a dark place when Steph hangs them up
nomdesab (5 ♡):
[Love] Taking his DNP's from Cleveland to Miami. Not bad honestly.
nomdesab (4 ♡):
McAwesome.
Sleepy Freud (4 ♡):
Ugh. Without Steph hitting 14 threes, this game is unwatchable garbage.
Think I'll finish watching the Bill Russell documentary.
Goldarn Staid Worrier (3 ♡):
I watched the whole game. It was harmless fun. Not basketball, just some goofballs goofing around. Peak goofing was Tatum v. Brown while the other 8 guys literally stood around chatting. Still, it amused me. When the guys started bombing from way beyond the 3 point line I giggled. LeBron hit a super long 3 and everyone else was out to out-do him. Mitchell further and Lillard hit one from the mid-court line. Fun! Lebron bounces one off the backboard, catches and dunks. Tatum has to match it. Fun. Silly.
Kinda like the Harlem Globetrotters but without even the slightest pretend defense. I can watch this once every few years, more often when Steph plays.
And it shows what the NBA would be without defense. Pretty much all dunks, and the occasional pointless 3 attempt (cause why risk missing when you can just trot up to the basket and dunk?).
I liked when Doncic was thanked for coming out and playing, and he said something like “I’m just getting in my cardio.” Lols.
The Europeans seemed the least comfortable with this. Markkanen streaked down court relentlessly to catch easy bucks and then dunk. Sabonis and Siakam played some defense. SGA kept passing even when he was standing under the basket with nobody around him, maybe he just assumed he’d get resistance. Jokic was set up to dunk but just did a little lay up. Maybe these guys are just not natural show offs - the US NBA culture sure is different!
What is your favorite Warriors game? Plus…
Looking for ideas for future videos
Nellie (13 ♡):
This thread is great. I was all set to come in here and say (somewhat boringly, given its recency) Game 4 of the 2022 Finals, but y'all have made great cases for a bunch of others. Games 6 and 7 agains the Thunder in 2016, clinchers against the Rockets in '18 and '19...
Still, remember the valedictory atmosphere around here before Game 4? Everyone trying to comfort themselves with talk of what a heroic, unlikely run it had already been, how the core—if they had to go down—had shown themselves to be warriors to the end. Felt like the whole world was preparing to crown the Celtics, and then Steph came out (on an injured foot!) like, "Nah, I'm taking this."
I like to think I watch sports with a pretty healthy sense of its relative (un)importance, but I lost all perspective during that game. For years, W's fans had been insisting that Steph already belonged it the sport's inner circle, that he had nothing left to prove to anyone, but it turned out *we* were the ones underestimating him. There was another level he could reach after all, and watching him do it (with the help of some clutch shots by Klay, ballsy coaching by Kerr, and a career-altering performance by Wiggins) was absolutely epic and unforgettable.
Duby Dub Dubs (9 ♡):
> 2015 Klay 37. Two words, you know the quarter.
This is my request. One of the coolest sports events I ever had the honor of being in attendance for
Alas Phood Fight (9 ♡):
Any game where Kerr sits all the starters, throwing his young players to the Lions, where he merely goes through the motions as coach, and the young guys pull out an improbable win. Now that's my kind of fun.
Klaymatic37 (8 ♡):
Watching the rockets choke missing 27 3s in a row was priceless.
They ain't that good
pooryorick (8 ♡):
Also, if I’m allowed a “really can’t pick just one”, any Dray$ playoff performance where he completely neutralizes then shuts down then owns Anthony Davis or Blake Griffin. Dray$’s way of saying to his teammates “I’m going to clean this kitchen up so my Chef can get to work”.
Bemused (8 ♡):
I like the improbable and audacious wins. Christmas Day 2019 against the Rockets. Damion Lee on a 2-way outplays Harden and proves he belongs. Dray goes for 20 and plays killer defense. A scrappy group of nobodies piles on.
Dan goutz (7 ♡):
Game 6 OKC. How the hell did we come away with that series?! Still baffles me to this day. I still think of that OKC team as the only team to truly "beat" the dubs during the run
Eric Apricot (7 ♡):
Quite a few people have asked me for a celebration audit compilation, and I always think that is less fun than it seems, but I will probably bow to the will of the people
pooryorick (7 ♡):
Well, we lucked out and had tickets to the Klay’s return game last year. Great seats in the corner across from the bench where we saw his iconic “dunk” and also him running toward us from half court beating his chest. We had our 45 yo nephew with us for his first ever Warriors game as a celebration of his sobriety. The stars sure aligned that day. It was awesome.
Iconic Warriors Dunk Tournament Elite Eight…
they thunder, we ponder
Goofus (10 ♡):
One dunk sent Dubs fans to heaven,
And it ended AK-47,
It made Jazz fans hopes curdle,
When Davis showed off his girdle,
On 1-to-10 scale, eleven
Alex (9 ♡):
I think more accurate to call it a punchees chance?
belilaugh (9 ♡):
#ONE, easy call for me. People remember that series like the Warriors won it because of that dunk even though they lost it 4-1 lol.
WarriorsGoldenGirl (7 ♡):
This was a hard one! I really appreciate how these dunks perfectly encapsulate their respective eras of amazing Dubs basketball. Baron's was a stupendous callback to 90's tough guy, individual play - strong arming over any obstacle. But the Dray/Steph/KD play will always own my heart and imagination. It's the epitome of the beautiful game - vision, timing, seamless teamwork to complete a thrilling play. Definitely Baron's was the more significant one, but damn, I love poetry in motion.
ChemKoala (5 ♡):
I'll take "basketball's changed" for $100 Alex
Chasing Rings... (5 ♡):
Happy 60th Birthday MJ from NBA.com
People always talk about his hang time but what stands out to me that gave him an extra dimension was his hand time being able to palm the ball 🖐🏿 Has anyone done it better?
DFiB (5 ♡):
Nah... the TV adjusts the crowd volume accordingly. The crowd was super alive, and then reached another level. Like maybe they're were in a little lull of a post climax bliss because the game had already been won... it was super loud all damn game, and then got EVEN LOUDER WHEN BD DUNKED ALLLLL OVER A PERENNIAL DOPY candidate, and fans #WEBELIEVE'd that we should have been up 3-0, and were one home game away from taking back the series momentum. It was an incredibly special moment.
Now I kinda want these Warriors to go into the playoffs with a 42-40 record and #WEBELIEVEAGAIN the @#$@#$ out of these playoffs.
Damn, I went back and looked at the team splits for that year... Nellie was sooo ahead of his time, playing 5 out and shooting a bunch of 3s... most in the league even with very mediocre 3pt shooting, it worked because even a 33% 3pt shot was good offense back then, just nobody else realized it... and Don didn't quite realize how much he should push it.
stopnpop (5 ♡):
I was there and I had to yell to talk to my friend seated next to me. Crazy loud! And I didn't see anyone sit down even during half-time!
Chasing Rings... (5 ♡):
There can be only #ONE
kinbote (5 ♡):
The Dray to Steph to KD dunk is like watching the Blue Angels fly really close to each other: a fascinating display of excessive power and technique.
The Baron Davis dunk has the plucky underdog appeal, plus it's just an incredible dunk, so #ONE it is.
Explain One Name: tell the story behind your account name…
I’m not going to quote any because there were about 50 fantastic comments in this. Go and read the entire thread.
Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open…
the week GSW traded for GP2, then didn't, then did, but didn't really get him yet
Chasing Rings... (22 ♡):
So in the unlikely event of The Menu lineup: Curry, Lamb, Green, Green, and PBJ, I pledge to make and eat said inspired menu for the next game (mine: Lamb Curry, 2 sides of Greens, and a PBJ inspired dessert). Heart if you want to join the pact! #themenumob 🍽🏀🧑🍳
Edit: if we all end up eating from The Menu lineup we will know for sure Steve Kerr reads our posts!
TwoRingTest (15 ♡):
I prefer mine al Donte.
Chasing Rings... (9 ♡):
Corn on Lacob?
Aaannnd1 (14 ♡):
Anyone else find this discussion group addictive? As soon as I open my iPad, I go immediately to my inbox to see if there are comments from other members. Then I read all the sports stuff first and save the best for last. That is DNHQ. if there are fewer than 50 comments, I am devastated. During downtime When the Warriors are not playing, I am bored.
This is a group I do not know at all from all over the world: Greece, Italy, Germany, Japan, Cascadia, Illinois, Hawaii, Missouri, Kansas?, Idaho, Iowa, more states?, all over California, all over the Bay Area. I do not know these people but I’m addicted to their comments. Why?
Klon (14 ♡):
So I crunched the numbers - over the last baker's dozen games played, the Warriors are 7th in ORTG and 21st in DRTG. In the period since Steph went down, the Warriors are fourth in ORTG and 25th in DRTG. It may be a bit churlish given the nature of the sample size, but it feels like we are missing Steph's defense more than his offense.
TM2007 (13 ♡):
Some Bob quotes during his segment on 95.7 The Game today:
Bob Myers on the three ways he evaluates Golden State's defense:
"One, are we competent. Two, our effort. Three, our scheme... That's simple, that's every sport, ever."
Can Golden State run the table after heading into the NBA All-Star Break at 29-29?
Bob Myers: "We're going to find out."
Bob Myers on the championship core:
"The special thing about this group is when you're able to [win it all] this many times, there's a belief, a confidence, like a boxer, where they haven't been knocked out yet."
"I'm here at the facility, [Curry] is here rehabbing... Steph is so uniquely disciplined and motivated without anyone telling him. His level of discpline to return, is his own. He wants it. He wants to be back. He will return as soon as possible."
Bob Myers via @SteinyGuru957
GlueAndBold (11 ♡):
How many folks are gonna be watching Wiseman on the Pistons this afternoon? I plan to.
Eric - this weekly greatest hits feature is so nice. When I get too busy to keep up with the conversation, this reassures me I’m not missing too much. A good read. Thanks.
For 1% of you, Hyunjung seems to have flown to join SCW straight into the game and just been firing the ball with no conscience. At halftime, 1-7 but with 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK. NEW DEFENSIVE STOPPER INCOMING?