Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
GSW find themselves just in time for All-Star break
Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.
Stephen vs Sabrina 3-point challenge tonight… — FEB 17
Between the 3 Point Contest and the Slam Dunk contest
Eric Apricot (17 ♡):
Catching up on the events… whew I’m so happy that Sabrina shot well, and Steph even better. Lots of haters waiting to dump on Sabrina if she didn’t come through. (And there are still a few legacy idiots ready to dump on Steph.)
Next year, Steph and Sabrina vs Dame and Caitlin?
Run_TMC (12 ♡):
I think Steph just won both 3 point contests :D
Goofus (11 ♡):
I want Steph to do really well and Sabrina to do even better.
There’s more to be gained by SI winning, both for her and the WNBA, than Steph. Given his support for girls and women, he would celebrate her victory along with everyone else.
cpt nemo (9 ♡):
While Sabrina would have tied Dame, the winner of the 3-pt contest Steph would have won the 3-pt contest. Really awesome of the two of them to compete - great fun to watch - Kudoes to Sabrina !
MyŠarūnas (9 ♡):
Whew - tried your recipe! The room is spinning, but the boba really sets it apart.
Abaddon (7 ♡):
After Aaron Gordon lost twice to Zach Lavine I’ve stopped paying attention to the scoring of the dunk contest.
Brandin Podziemski plays in today’s All-Star… — FEB 16
All-Star weekend starts now
Eric Apricot (15 ♡):
I only saw the end of the game. As Team BP was hanging on, a shot away from losing, BP runs ahead down court and sets an early off-ball screen for Wemby, BP tossing the old “take my screen” thumb out. Wemby just looks at him like wtf is that about, and the other guy with the ball doesn’t look at them and drives 1 v 2 and scores. I’m glad BP got drafted by a team which rewards hustle teamwork.
By the way the play I’m talking about is at 6:37 of
Eric Apricot (9 ♡):
Just in case any readers get the wrong idea, Bird was not being valued as a #6 player in his class, he was drafted #6 even though he was going to play the whole next season in college and if he wanted to, he could choose to re-enter the draft the next season. BOS took a huge risk and it paid off when Bird finally signed with BOS before the next draft.
Golden Gate Warrior (9 ♡):
L Take.
She's [Sabrina] already saying she'll shoot from the longer 3pt line. Let her shoot with her own damn ball. My goodness.
Ando (8 ♡):
so, even though she has been using different ball for her entire career, you think that it would be fair for her to have to switch balls now for this contest? Why not just ask Steph to use the women's size ball? Do you think he would still shoot with the same efficiency, if he had to switch to a different ball at the last minute?
belilaugh (7 ♡):
Podz and Wallace seemed to care about winning as much as Wemby didn't care at all about winning and just wanted to look cool lol
belilaugh (7 ♡):
Podz won't admit it but he's probably hated being teammates with Wemby who took the game so casually
Paul (7 ♡):
You are right.
Like I said a minute ago, I apologize.
I was influenced by some old experiences from what seems like another life.😊
And I have had a lot of experience shooting a smaller ball, and it definitely takes an adjustment. Now that I am old I prefer the smaller small.
fzwinter (6 ♡):
Given that he's made enough of a name for himself and all of the teams are aware of him, do you think it's possible that he's just not good enough to be a regular NBA player?
He's great in exhibitions like dunk contest and the Rising Stars (although at age 25, he's hardly a "riser" and by far the oldest guy on the floor), but he still has questionable handles and is a defensive liability. Don't think his offensive explosions are enough to overcome these weaknesses. My 2c anyway.
Abaddon (6 ♡):
“Man, I already love that kid” - say it again Sam
stopnpop (6 ♡):
It's all star weekend... where the competition is for fun and the points don't matter
Post-game: GSW blow giant lead, barely hang… — FEB 15
Thought about making this the first flashy thingie WIN
Eric Apricot (26 ♡):
I just wanted to tell you all that I love you.
Sab Shaw (23 ♡):
"I found out this morning, me and Steve had a good talk about it. And you know, you could do two things. You could pout or you can go out there and respond. And I thought I did the latter very well tonight. Especially no turnovers. I missed a few box outs. But more importantly, I realize I’m going to play a ton of minutes. So you’ve got to let the ego go when you think of coming off the bench and all that. So I mean, I thought about Manu Ginobli. That guy has four rings and gold medal. And he came off the bench his whole career. And I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy. He’s one of the greats.
And I thought I mean, I embraced it before tip. I mean, I deserved it really. I didn’t respond to not playing at the end of the game well last night. I kind of took it out on the assistant coaches. And I apologized to those guys before the game. And I think that really let my guard down. Let me just be myself out there.
Follow up question: Did you feel free out there with your playing?
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Because the moment you worry about what people say or what headlines will be written about being benched or the streak being broken is when you go out there and you don't play with that love, that compassion for your teammates and that freedom that has gotten me to this point. So I realized that I didn't want to go to all-star break on a sour note and have my best game of the season. Hopefully build off it."
https://www.reddit.com/r/warriors/comments/1as0r4w/gordon_klay_thompson_speaks_on_coming_off_the/
Irrationally optimistic (23 ♡):
I liked the part where we failed to lose.
Goofus (22 ♡):
“Vol-klay-no” was right there.
Sab Shaw (17 ♡):
I really would like a real answer on why Kerr isn't playing Moody.
Captain Jack (16 ♡):
What bugs me the most is I believe Steve and the coaching staff is really taking advantage of Moses's professionalism. They know they can keep him in the back until they randomly need him to play crucial 4th quarter minutes and he won't complain.
Captain Jack (14 ♡):
Steve is going to have to spend some time watching film of the games where we blew the lead and figure out the common denominator. This team does not "suck" but we obviously have a problem closing out teams that are willing to fight back. Whether it's rotation decisions to keep guys fresh for crunch time or whatever it is... he needs to solve this problem. I don't believe this is a player problem as much as it's a coaching issue.
JZAlvarado (14 ♡):
We blew a big lead and won. Thats actually a step in the right direction.
Sleepy Freud (13 ♡):
As far as the rest, I’ll just repost the great, epic rant from early in the season by longtime poster Run_TMC…
====
I want to start by saying that this is not written to suggest that people should not criticize Kerr or any coach or authority figure, It is anyone’s right to do so and I am guilty of it myself. However, there seem to be some arguments leveled at Kerr based on fantasy or imagined motivations by entitled fans based on imagined motivations ascribed to Kerr that are both pure speculation and also obviously wrong. These include that Kerr doesn’t like big men, that he doesn’t like rookies, that he prefers low draft picks because he was one and more.
It feels like these critics have too much of their own self esteem wrapped up in the success of the Warriors and when they don’t win, they are so angry about feeling bad about the loss that they start spewing ridiculous vitriol at Kerr, the players or whomever. Now, this is the internet so, I guess, more power to them, but, as someone who coaches a high school varsity sport (not basketball) I would like to present some counter points:
Kerr wants to win. Period. He doesn’t want to win less because he wants to play some journeyman 2-way player or because he doesn’t want a competent big man or any other stupid motivation these keyboard psychiatrists come up with. Now he may not be making the most optimal choices in your opinion but ANY post suggesting he is not making a decision based on what he thinks will result in winning basketball is stupid, ignorant, self-centered and totally fabricated. Every time one of these posters/callers etc. criticize Kerr’s motivation they invalidate anything else they have to say.
Kerr is not afraid to play young players. They just have to be ready. In the 2020 draft redux post a poster claimed Kerr wouldn’t have played Halliburton if we’d sensibly drafted him. Then claimed that playing Podz this year was only a reaction to not playing Wiseman. The facts. Wiseman did play, even started, as a rookie. Now, 4 years later, he still isn’t a very good basketball player. Kuminga still makes weird annoying mistakes that make it hard to feel confident in him (I believe in growth and feel like, in combination with his obvious talent, JK’s BB IQ will grow and turn him into a really good, if not great player, but he’s not there yet). Moody is working his way into a defined role and, yeah, it may have taken too long in some people’s eyes, but that’s what happens when you have proven talent on the team. Poole got plenty of opportunity and leeway. All coaches are going to depend more on their proven players until the younger ones prove they can do it better. That Kerr hasn’t recognized exactly where that line is, is a legitimate criticism. That he hates rookies is not.
Kerr likes big men … who can contribute to warrior basketball. Bogut, Ezeli, Mo Buckets, West, JaVale, Pachulia, Cousins, Looney, not to mention all the ones we tried to develop that didn’t work like McAdoo, Damian Jones, Jordan Bell, etc. Remember when he got criticized for playing Varejão too much instead of going small? It’s hard to find good big men who can play in this system. Fair to say we might have missed on one or two that could have helped like, MAYBE, a Hartenstein or someone, but not sure you can lay that at Kerr’s feet.
So, In my opinion, you don’t like his rotations? Fair (but probably mostly wrong). Think he has some hidden agenda or has some psychological barrier to making winning decisions? You are <edited to remove offensive phrase> outside the bounds of reasonable discourse and are not contributing to meaningful dialog about the team or season.
====
Anyway, thanks for stopping by!
Ando (12 ♡):
I liked the part where they won the game.
Game 41*: GSW @ Utah. Rescheduled game. Fight… — FEB 15
Last game before the All-Star Break
Anthony Young (10 ♡):
Hey, beat them twice in a short period of time on their home floor. That is hard.
Abaddon (9 ♡):
And had to fly home and play the clippers in between. A miracle they came out of this stretch 8-2 honestly.
Eric Apricot (9 ♡):
Warriors leads: double the digits, double the stress
Podz People (8 ♡):
Whelp. Use TJD to build the lead and then make sure to close with a lineup that has no rebounding to ensure another nail biter! Yay!
ServantOfLuna (7 ♡):
Honestly, going 7-2 in 9 games in 14 STRAIGHT FUCKING NIGHTS WITH THE TEAM TRAVELLING BETWEEN EACH OF THE GAMES is nothing short of impressive.
Asher B. (7 ♡):
Not Collins! That guy is my Warrior Wonder!!
Abaddon (7 ♡):
Team is clearly running on fumes, the all star break is coming in the nick of time.
Captain Jack (6 ♡):
This makes no sense but this has got to me one of the more demoralizing wins we’ve had lol
Post-game: Warriors blow lead vs Clippers… — FEB 14
Always close enough to hurt
belilaugh (14 ♡):
> Seems like an odd game to focus on negative Podz
I've been focusing on it all season because if they are trying to win a championship they are going to have to figure the closing lineup out. I never said that I didn't think Podz should play at all or that he shouldn't play backup PG. I think against a team like the Clippers he should not be closing and provided video from the game to make the case.
> Curry also is sometimes too short to get rebounds and has plays where he is scored on.
Right, but when you have one of those guys out there it is something you can scheme around (see Curry in the 2019 series against the Rockets with all the pre-switching or Curry with the tag defense on LeBron in the 2017 Finals). When you have two of those guys out there at the same time it becomes pretty difficult to prevent the other team from getting a matchup they want.
Curry and four strong, lengthy defenders seems like a closing lineup that the Warriors should have some interest in exploring imo, that's how they've won championships.
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
Furthermore, Kerr collaboratively works on rotations with the other coaches and has always delegated the actual minute to minute rotations to someone else (I believe it used to be Mike Brown) so it is very possible that Kenny does the rotations for every game anyway.
As far as I can tell, every team’s fan base complains about every coach’s rotations after a loss.
belilaugh (10 ♡):
Podz' lack of size/athleticism makes him unable to bother either Zubac or Westbrook:
Podz' lack of size forces an out of control contest that Powell evades with a pump fake before burying a three:
Harden blowing by Podz to draw Draymond before kicking to an open three point shooter:
Podz too short to get a crucial defensive rebound:
Podz is not good enough defensively to close against a team like the Clippers in the playoffs playing the 2 imo. I The Warriors do actually have a prospect who profiles as a two-way wing with playoff size for a game like this and yet they've buried him on the bench behind Lester "52% TS on the season" Quinones and have him looking over his shoulder with every shot. The Curry/Moody/Wiggins/Kuminga/Draymond lineup has played all of 1 minute together, how absurd is that? Moody guarded the top Clippers very well in previous matchups, and yet he clearly wasn't even in the planned rotation for this game until Quinones stunk it up?
I have no idea what they are doing. I think Moody would have fared better in every one of the above clips than Podz. I would buy the argument that currently Moody's shot is too broken to put him out there to close, but why is there zero organizational focus on trying to get him back to the best version of himself? And if there is zero organizational focus on doing that, then why the fuck didn't they trade him last week?
Aaannnd1 (9 ♡):
Would have been nice to have someone protecting the rim, grabbing rebounds, making put backs, guarding other players and swatting away shots, setting hard screens, rolling to the basket, swatting down lobs, and SCORING. G too bad they don’t have somebody like that. Oh wait, he was on the bench the entire game….really don’t get it. :( Pain and sadness on TJD Atoll. :(
Golden Gate Warrior (9 ♡):
I know people have gotten hyped up with the winning streak but for me, this is who the Warriors have shown us they are.
I'm just happy they were competitive for 3 quarters with a top tier team. The Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the league.
Clippers kinda sleep walked through this game at 65% effort with no Klaw and still won.
Green has helped the defense but you cannot expect to win when you give up that many easy o boards to Westbrook, don't box out, and constantly leave the corner three wide open.
I felt, even at the time, the end of the 2nd Quarter
was going to come back to haunt them. Should have gone up something like 15 or 16 but instead the Clippers came back and cut it to 7 before the break. That was huge with their identity and history of handing over games.
Tough stuff.
Tonkal (8 ♡):
Klay is playing like old Westbrook: thinks he has to make something happen every possession, is part of the main action on offense, shoots shots he thinks he can make (but can't hit them at a justifiable rate), low basketball IQ, low positional awareness, gets lost on defense.
He needs to play like the new Westbrook: comes off the bench, knows his role, limits his shots, moves the ball, plays team defense.
Until he can do that, he needs to play 10-15 minutes so as not to shoot the Warriors out of games and not compromise the defensive side of the court.
TwoRingTest (8 ♡):
I have regained my equanimity.
Let's beat Ainges Mangies, take a nice week off, and get ready for the stretch run.
Also, I think it's kind of fun that Kenny Atkinson, who half of us were ready to fire earlier this season because we were blaming the bad defense on him, is now the popular backup QB, because he subbed in our young guys for one game. :)
Asher B. (8 ♡):
I feel like you're picking on the wrong guy on the wrong night. Brandin was 9-12 from the field for 25 points, 5-5 from three, with 7 rebounds and 8 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul committed, two drawn charges. I'm on Team Moody but I have never seen him play like that. You're right, Moody is the better defender but it's a tradeoff. Really the right call might have been more GPII but he also fouled Harden on a three, that was ghastly.
I'd love to see much less Klay, much more Moody, and let Podz Podz.
Bel (8 ♡):
GP2 should have been playing in the 4th quarter instead of Klay to help with defense, especially when the Clippers were shooting the lights out.
Being (7 ♡):
DNHQ seems to get really quiet nowadays the day after a loss. The losing, and the repetitive nature this team has of blowing big leads really saps a lot of enthusiasm for the team, doesn't it?
Well, we have one more game, heading into the ASB, and it's eminently winnable. The Jazz are starting to tank, have lost 3 in a row, and could be easy pickings if the Dubs doesn't let the SEGABABA fatigue and altitude get the best of them. It's a great game for TJD, Moses, and other young'uns to put in some strong minutes and prop up this team on this amazing February run where they've only lost 2 games so far.
The new lineup and new attitude Dubs armed with its new athletic defense faced its biggest challenge last night and came up just short, in part, due to some interesting rotation choices from Steve. But also, they just didn't defend well enough in Q4. This road was never gonna be without bumps. The question is how the boys respond. I bet they win this and continue with their February win streak, en route to their 12-2 February. Let's Go, baby!
Eric Apricot (7 ♡):
Oh yeah, I definitely have a longstanding gripe about Moody’s playing time. Coaches are not beyond criticism. But the best criticism acknowledges the massive number of factors and trade offs involved and also the vastly larger amount of data gathered and experimenting that happens behind the scenes.
mDuo13 (7 ♡):
Tough ending to an otherwise good game, but all in all, it's been a pretty nice stretch for the Dubs. Lots of games, mostly on the road, all squeezed together, and the Dubs have won or been really close in every one of them. Maybe you can even consider it lucky that we have another one tomorrow so that we have a chance to not go into the all-star break on a bad note. (Admittedly, it could be tough on a road b2b in altitude, but I believe.) I'll take an ending like this over a game that ends with the Flashy Thing any time... probably, I think. Have we used the flashy thing lately? I can't seem to recall...
JZAlvarado (7 ♡):
The part about Klay that I have noticed this year is that as soon as he senses he’s having a bad game shooting, every other part of his game suffers: defense, rebounding, decision making. I get hes never excelled at rebounding and hes had some games where hes played passable defense in spite of bad shooting, but as a whole, everything tanks once he just doesn’t have a feel for his shot.
Game 54: GSW vs LA Clippers. Second to last… — FEB 14
The hottest team in the league vs the new Strength In Numbers
TwoRingTest (13 ♡):
If Moody takes Klay's minutes in the second half, we probably win.
If TJD takes Saric's minutes, we probably win.
If we put GPII in to close, just to give us a second plus POA defender, I think we win.
The rotation decisions are getting really hard for me to understand.
cpt nemo (8 ♡):
Also as I said earlier. Kerr appears and TJD disappears.
KlaysPaperAirplanes (7 ♡):
I like JK taking that T... With Dray hot on his heels.
Protect Dray.
wonderyearsballer (7 ♡):
Yes, it’s hard to throw shade when toenail clippers are such an important and well-designed component of modern hygiene and grooming. I guess the franchise picked an unassailable symbol to identify with.
FromMunichWithLove (6 ♡):
Lol, I am writing his name that often that my phone knows it and it’s enough to type Ku and its auto-completed.
belilaugh (6 ♡):
But I wish his push was a little more forceful tbh lol
Asher B. (6 ♡):
What a Lue-ser
belilaugh (6 ♡):
That's straight up imo
Asher B. (6 ♡):
Hey all I just got here and we’re ahead and all the comments are super angry. The DNHQ experience I guess
Being (6 ♡):
I'm looking forward to this game. They passed the first litmus test of the Suns game. They showed that they will make some noise in the playoffs. But, I truly believe this team will be able to compete against the top tier teams in the league. That's why I predicted a 12-2 February, which they are still on-track to accomplish. The most likely second loss is either this game or the Nuggets game, but they could sneak a win in both and drop the Lakers or Knicks game. So, this game and the Nuggets game comprise the second litmus test for this team. I want to see them win at least one of these two games vs the top tier teams in the West. If they can go 1-1 vs. the Nuggets/Clippers, and 5-0 the rest of the field, they'll accomplish the 12-2 February, and prove my Nostradamus bonafides.
More importantly, if they can go 1-1 vs the Nuggets and Clippers, they show that they can compete with the top-tier championship contenders this year. I'd argue that beating the Suns shows they can make noise in the playoffs, but beating the Nuggets or Clippers really cements them as a serious 'chip threat come playoff-time.
12-2 February, baby. Here we come!
Warriors officially climb above .500 and into… — FEB 13
WE BELIEVE
stopnpop (16 ♡):
> It was ~6 feet short
What about the shot?
Aaannnd1 (14 ♡):
CNN….some were children.
My family safe.
Eric Apricot (14 ♡):
That article was funny. With this clickbait, it’s sometimes interesting to boil down the actual objective claims.
They have a source that says Lacob and Buss (the GSW and LAL owners) discussed whether LeBron was available, Buss told Lacob to call LeBron’s camp, and LBJ said he didn’t want to discuss a trade.
That’s the entire story. That would be boring, so there’s a lot of biased ketchup thrown on it, like the implication that GSW and Dray was frantically trying to make it happen.
GovernorStephCurry (12 ♡):
https://nbarankings.theringer.com/
Notice the small errors here. JK at 85, but they list him as ringless. Show some respect to world champion, Jonathan Kuminga!
Ando (12 ♡):
[On net rating] What about the rim rating? Backboard rating?
Kelly Wheaton (9 ♡):
There's something special happeing. The warriors have been strengthened by the crucible of fire. They have come realize they can only do this together. Vet and youth, all are needed to bring what they have to forge the team. They are supporting each other and getting the job done. They are working hard, having fun and entertaing too. I believe they could do this.
Explain One Play: Klay Thompson gaggle action… — FEB 13
Klay takes what the defense gives.
ServantOfLuna (10 ♡):
"It was wonderful to be in Belgrade with [Deki's] family. Everything was beautiful. So important for us to be there with them. Deki meant so much and did so much for us...We needed to be there."
- Steve Kerr on his trip to Serbia for Coach Deki's funeral
https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1757576003164266817
g8tgod (9 ♡):
Nice to see a Klay-based E1P. Got to strike while the iron is hot! And kudos to KT for playing smart basketball. If he can adapt to a new role, the core could live on for a bit.
Ws are rolling at long last. Miles to go before we sleep, but I'm fanatical enough to think that this could be epic...
Sleepy Freud (8 ♡):
Kawhi out tomorrow. Now let’s not get complacent!
Abaddon (8 ♡):
Interesting anecdote starting 4:49: "...and then, Steph Curry made a key call, in the second half that I thought really unlocked Klay. That was, we ran this play called Oklahoma where it's a double screen and then Klay goes in, so Klay's the first screener, I'm the second screener, Steph comes off both screens and then I pin in for Klay, and Klay came and hit the three, and he was like "YES!", crazy fist pump, maybe even been like a double, and from there it was just kinda flowing for him, and I thought that was a huge call by Steph. It's also funny because I'm not even sure JK and Wigs even know what that play is, it's like an old play we had from way back in the day, and when Steph called it, he just said it to me and I'm like "Klay, Klay, come here, right here", and so us three know what we're running, and we just tell JK and Wigs "hey, just go to the corner" and we run the play. And I think that's just funny. Because #1, it's just how long we've been playing together, like oftentimes we'll call plays that's not really in the playbook this year but that we know, that we've run once upon a time. And it's always funny putting guys in positions that obviously hasn't been there all the years and just kinda telling them just yo go stand there. That was a little funny nugget from last night's game".
I think it was probably this play: https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=336&GameID=0022300769&Season=2023-24&flag=1&title=Thompson%2027%27%203PT%20Jump%20Shot%20(12%20PTS)%20(Curry%208%20AST)
Eric Apricot (6 ♡):
I’m pretty sure Dray’s talking about Q3.11:20.
1. I did not know it was called Oklahoma
2. I did not think of this a completely new play, as it’s conceptually very close to a similar play on the wing with a stagger screen into a flare out.
3. I did notice that the first two plays out of halftime were for Klay and that it got him going.
OakTownWs (4 ♡):
Best yt comment on this video:
“I pray
Everyday
For a video
By you”
Post-game: Warriors thump Jazz on the road… — FEB 12
Trayce Jackson-Davis and Moody are back from the missing
Eric Apricot (32 ♡):
I just wanted to tell you all that I love you
Ando (29 ♡):
I like the part where they won the game.
Sleepy Freud (27 ♡):
Payton's first two games off the shelf...
29 minutes, 22 points on 9-9 fg, 3-3 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 1 tov, +8.
ServantOfLuna (22 ♡):
Klay remembers Deki after the team's first game in Utah since his passing: “We miss Deki so much. He was the best guy...incredible professional career, a great father, great husband, a better friend. I just miss his presence. I miss talking about sailing with him. We think about him every time we put this uniform on, he's always going to be in our hearts.”
https://twitter.com/nbcswarriors/status/1757261904668672415
DFiB (20 ♡):
Wiggins, in his last 11 games, is a +105 in 326 minutes (+11.5 per 36 min).
Abaddon (19 ♡):
Wiggins 17 points… all is right in the world. Well in the Warriors world at least.
DFiB (18 ♡):
Warriors just out rebounded the 2nd leading rebounding team in the NBA on the road, at elevation, with all their size... #theytoosmallernuh
Sleepy Freud (18 ♡):
3 games back of the #5 seed in the loss column. Best team in the West over the past 10. Get these last two before the break and keep it rolling...
Game 53: GSW @ Utah. The fight for the… — FEB 12
Beating the Jazz is crucial for GSW playoff hopes
Eric Apricot (20 ♡):
<<
Thompson will be a free agent after this season; he turned down a multiyear extension last summer, opting instead to bet on himself for a bigger payday after this season. But as he struggles and the youngest Warriors solidify their places in the rotation, it’s unclear what Klay’s next contract—or role—will look like. But Thompson says he’s open to a reduced role if it means staying with the only franchise he’s suited up for.
“Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that,” he tells me. “I’ll be 35 next year. At 35, coming off the ACL and an Achilles [tear] and still have the ability to be a really good player. Maybe not the guy who scored 60 in three quarters and scored an NBA record 37 points in a quarter, but still a great threat out there. I’ve modeled my game after Reggie [Miller] and Ray [Allen], and those guys were incredibly effective until their late 30s. So I plan on kind of following that mold.”
>>
Klon (20 ♡):
@anthonyVslater
Steve Kerr will not coach the Warriors tonight in Utah. He is in Serbia for Dejan Milojevic’s services. Kenny Atkinson will be the acting head coach. Also in Serbia for the service: Mike Dunleavy, Chris DeMarco, Ron Adams, Zaza Pachulia, Rick Celebrini
Nellie (18 ♡):
W's didn't make an actual trade at the deadline, but somehow they seem essentially to have swapped:
> the worst player in the NBA through the season's first half (Wiggins) for a super athletic, defensively-minded small forward (also Wiggins);
> a talented-but-frenetic and inconsistent young wing (Kuminga) for an an absolutely relentless driver / transition menace (also Kuminga);
> a head case power forward who, for all his talent, creates a bunch of spacing issues for the offense (Draymond) for a legendary skeleton-key point-center (also Draymond);
> and a lovable cheerleader in street clothes (GPII) for the best POA defender in the NBA (also GPII).
So glad I'm not the GM of this team, because I would have made about a hundred dumb trades by now lol.
urlyadoptr (15 ♡):
Nice to see them put their foot on the throat of the other team to put it away instead of toying with stats and getting turnovers
SD (14 ♡):
It must be hard for the players to not be able to attend :(
Captain Jack (13 ♡):
Watching the Shanahan Niners on the big stage makes me feel glad to watch the Warriors finish the job multiple times in the Steph era.
Abaddon (13 ♡):
A nugget from the Hoops Collective; per Brian Windhorst the Warriors are on a 12 game streak of 50+ paint points, which is the 2nd longest in the NBA this year and the longest the Warriors have seen in 25 years.
Clutch Steph Curry, Contender Cavs & Mavs Found Something?! | The Hoop Collective:
Golden Gate Warrior (12 ♡):
I remember everyone (myself included) saying that Draymond coming back doesn't automatically fix the Warriors defense. No single person could.
.....but... for the most part...after a couple of games....it kiiiinda did?
DubsNerd (12 ♡):
I was already thinking it might be a tough emotional game as the first time back in SLC since Deki passed away. Hopefully they can channel that as positive energy.
belilaugh (11 ♡):
The result of a lot of hard work from Kerr tbh. There was no way to reach this point benching Klay in the fifth game of the season, Klay had to arrive at the same conclusion himself for the franchise to transition forward in a manner that was dignified for all parties involved.
Warriors beat Suns 113-112 as Curry, Green… — FEB 11
Ain't no party like a Golden State party cuz a Golden State party don't stopppp!
Nellie (20 ♡):
I'm so glad there's lasting video evidence of that shot, and the game thread confirming that all y'all saw it too, because last night it felt like it might have been some kind of religious vision, or like a UFO sighting—or like in 'Moby Dick' when the cabin boy glimpses the fathomless ocean—and I was destined to wind up as a holy fool in a market square, babbling incoherently, testifying to the glory of what I saw.
PS– I fucking love Gary Payton II
Goldarn Staid Worrier (12 ♡):
I used to be a big Niner fan. This loss would have made me sad 15 years ago. But I haven’t watched a game in 7 or 8 years and I’m fine with it. I actually think it’s kinda cool for Mahomes and KC to win again. Dynasties are interesting! But I am pretty psyched to resume paying zero attention to football. Heck, I would not have watched a second of the Super Bowl if wasn’t on a TV in the restaurant I ate in tonight.
The NBA is the only sport worth watching these days. And the Dubs, well, they ain’t bad.
Klaymatic37 (11 ♡):
... I need a night cap. My sports rule, enjoy being pouty, it's part of being a sports fan, for a day then move on.
I get to move on to a dubs team that is fun to watch again. I'll be OK 👌
DFiB (11 ♡):
I think Podz leading by example by doing everything the staff wants from him and getting rewarded with minutes has been instrumental to JK’s growth.
DFiB (11 ♡):
Has it been mentioned yet? Dubs last 10 games: #5 offensive rating, #3 defensive rating, #2 net rating
boba_balla (11 ♡):
GP2 was everywhere last nite. It was so great to see him back and have an immediate impact on both ends.
Abaddon (9 ♡):
> But I am pretty psyched to resume paying zero attention to football.
Hear hear. Big game in Utah tomorrow night!
Sab Shaw (9 ♡):
Taylor Swift is probably going to save our democracy. Niners lost, but the country will win in November.
Goldarn Staid Worrier (9 ♡):
49ers would have won if they had Steph.
OakTownWs (9 ♡):
I like kevin durant.
I love his respectful smile reaction to steph’s gamewinner.
I’m lightly annoyed that Dray screams in his face instead of screaming at Nurtic (i know he wasnt in the game but scream in his direction on the bench)
I also am still worrying about moody.
Hardee: another perfect opportunity to tell your gear getting lifted story (steph stole their souls like the time …)?
Love the article as usual :)
MB (9 ♡):
Great article, but think you maybe buried the lede: Harrison Barnes is third on that game winners list?!?
Shawyer (9 ♡):
The "bang bang" game remains the best NBA game I've ever seen.
Explain: Steph Curry's absurd game winning 3… — FEB 11
don't take these special moments for granted
Eric Apricot (23 ♡):
[On breaking down ref mistakes] Thanks for the suggestion… you might have noticed I don’t really cover blown calls in my videos. I get a lot of similar requests to yours.
These are my personal beliefs, I’m not trying to police how others enjoy the game:
- In my opinion, straight up ref mistakes will even out over time.
- There are enough mistaken calls during a game that you can’t point to a single mistake as a reason for losing. So in the end, it’s misleading to zoom into a small number of ref mistakes
- It is incredibly hard to ref, and they are much much better at it than anyone complaining about the reffing.
- The refs have all their calls audited by the league office anyway.
- (Bonus note: the public Last Two Minutes report is a self-justifying joke. But I digress.)
- There is no anti-Warriors ref conspiracy. That would be stupid for a league to intentionally make their most popular team lose.
- I *do* believe in systematic flaws in reffing, like rewarding the crap Harden was pulling, all the fouls from running into defenders in slightly non-square stances, whatever floppy hell the Lakers are doing now, whatever leads Steph to not get calls. These things should be addressed at a league level.
- Probably yes there is some ref bias against certain players (Foster v CP3, everyone vs Dray)
- But most importantly, it’s not fun for me to analyze ref mistakes and it contributes to a whiny culture. I’d rather focus on appreciating things coaches and players have under their control which are hard to notice.
Goldarn Staid Worrier (19 ♡):
I was really wondering about the Steph winning shot celebration. What did it mean? Bathroom maneuvers, per EA? Or, I’m too tired to jump around, maybe I’ll just take a seat? A quadruple flex (both arms, both legs)? Or bragging about pretty impressive flexibility (don’t try that one at home, kids, without proper loosening up exercises)? I decided, that no, it was none of those.
This is a Sumo Wrestler big man stance. I’m mighty, nobody can move me, says Steph, I am the earth and you all may continue to circle my gravitational power.
DubsNerd (11 ♡):
So, we beat the hottest team in the West who was at full strength, and didn't need some flukey deal where they had an off night like the Pistons beating the Kings a few days ago. And, we should be a better team when at full strength. The bench was good, but I kinda forget how dominant they were in that stretch where the non Steph starters were all struggling and CP and Dario and others would come in and quickly erase the deficit.
Hoping they win the next two, and then go full Pop and don't even fly the OGs to Utah for the B2B, and our young guys run the Jazz off the court for an unexpected win. Then go 27-1, followed by another 16-1 run in the playoffs.
Also world peace would be nice. And a Taycan, while we are at it.
belilaugh (9 ♡):
Draymond's defense is really amazing in these videos. And I only realized after the tenth time watching that shot that if Curry had taken a dribble like a normal human being, Booker might have been able to affect the shot. Alien.
Also though, the Suns weren't deliberately hunting matchups for the entire crunch time, but they did in the play at 7:25 in Eric's video. It is way too easy for Booker on this play to get what he wants when both Curry and Podziemski are on the floor, there's no "tag defense" you can play with Curry or Podz if the other defender is Podz/Curry. And then Booker takes advantage of Podz' lack of size/speed to get a clean look in the paint despite the lurking Draymond. Curry is obviously not going anywhere in this lineup but I don't feel like it should be so final that Podz is a mainstay closing games, especially when you have stats like these (which I'd agree needs more context but I don't think can be dismissed entirely):
https://twitter.com/ThePackageJG/status/1756040713240760452
Podz also has a 53.7% TS at the moment. Most of these plays in this E1P video have the ball in Curry's hands or Draymond's hands. And we know the bread and butter of the playoff crunch time offense is the Curry/Draymond two man game and the 4 on 3. Podz adds value with his ballhandling/passing but that value does get reduced off of the ball, and his shorter stature can make his off the catch threes easier to contest.
I think Kerr should be exploring alternatives with an eye toward defending teams with multiple off-the-dribble options like the Clippers and Suns in the playoffs. I don't know what is going on with the Moody situation but they at least have to try out GP2 in that role now that he's back.
Sab Shaw (9 ♡):
Eric going scorched Earth with "Ted Cruz Jr." I approve.
Post-game. STEPH! That is all — FEB 10
Other great stuff happened in a playoff intensity game but still
Eric Apricot (28 ♡):
I just wanted to tell you I love you!!
Captain Jack (26 ♡):
GP2 came back after a month layoff and played a perfect game to help us win.
Asher B. (26 ♡):
In case no one has said it here lately: GARY PAYTON IS BACK AND WAS STRAIGHT UP FANTASTIC
Asher B. (24 ♡):
According to StatMuse, Brandin Podziemski is the youngest player IN NBA HISTORY to reach 20,000 charges drawn. Congrats, BP. Bit of an obscure stat but hey, you earned it.
Ando (24 ♡):
I liked the part where they won the game.
Chadara (22 ♡):
Just have to say .... I think Draymond played a tremendous game!
Scoring, assisting, rebounding, defense, intensity charging up the team, and he set a great screen to get Steph free for the last minute shot.
As valauble as anyone on the court.
Asher B. (20 ♡):
Until the last shot, a weirdly inspiring candidate for play of the game was: Draymond gets the rebound under the basket off a Steph miss, and *immediately* finds Steph in the corner for an instant reload three. That was one of the most all time mind meld of all their many mind meld plays.
DrumRollGyro (18 ♡):
Dray keeping his cool and having an amazing game beginning to end instead of getting tossed was the difference between a loss and a win.
Also Curry hitting one of his nastiest daggers ever and that’s saying something. That may be one of his Top 10, and he’s probably got the hardest Top 10 ever to make.
rcknfn_needs_3moears (17 ♡):
So Kerr has never trotted out this lineup - I guess because of suspension and injury. He needs to try it out - at the very least in SEGABABA games where Klay can sit.
Steph-Moody-Wiggs-JK-Dray
Captain Jack (17 ♡):
"Wah wah wah I tried to antagonize him to get him ejected but failed miserably"
Sab Shaw (15 ♡):
We're in a play-in spot. 😏
Captain Jack (14 ♡):
TBH I was cool with Nurk doing the "too small" taunt and battling Draymond on the court as long as he wasn't doing anything dirty but attacking him off the court like that is low. Sore loser. Have fun watching the game from the bench when it's closing time.
Abaddon (14 ♡):
And here I thought Big Baby had retired from the league.
fzwinter (14 ♡):
Another game with Good Wiggs tonight. He was tenacious on D and got some good inside buckets. Hoping he continues to improve his 3 ball, but 2-way Wiggs is back!
fzwinter (14 ♡):
Too small Dubs outrebounded the Suns 51-41.
Previous game outrebounded Pacers 49-30.
Before that outrebounded 76ers 52-40.
Outrebounded Nets 60-38.
I'd say their rebounding correlates well with winning. More of that, please
(Prior game, tied Hawks 57-57 and lost in OT)
Abaddon (13 ♡):
Th OKC double-bang three went in with .6 seconds remaining. Clearly the Wiggins foul was necessary to ensure the same time left on the clock here.
Gringogoatee (13 ♡):
One of those games where I was rooting more for defense than offense, and man did the Dubs deliver! I mean, Durant is always a bucket, Booker was incredible. We, of course, have Mr. Wardell who is known to have a way with the orange orb. But the stops were where my heart sang. The energy was off the charts. This is why I love basketball!
Being (12 ♡):
I watched the 40 minute replay version and it feels like they would have won this going away if not for Klay. I’d really love to see Moses get some of Klay’s minutes. I love Steph heroics, but if not for Klay they wouldn’t have needed those heroics tonight.
TwoRingTest (12 ♡):
yeah, I thought the too small thing was funny. But, ripping someone after the game is just petty (and not in a good way).
Regardless, the Dubs aren't going to have any problem getting up for a Suns series, if it comes down to that.
ForeverFoyled (12 ♡):
I didn't have much of an opinion before this game, but after tonight I'm quickly considering Nurkic to be one of the biggest clowns in the NBA.
dinohealth (12 ♡):
Need to get something off my chest:
-STEPH has nothing to prove.
-Neither does DRAY; different team as soon as he got back.
-Neither does KLAY; let me tell you, we would have beat that Canadian team if Klay had not gotten hurt, had another ring...even without KD.
-It was real hard to read all the pre-trade deadline doubtful THOMASES and other pundit-johnny-come-latelies in here putting KLAY and WIGS on the trade block. Without the play of those two, no 4th ring.
-NOW let us focus on trying to have a run to the top 6 at least as good as PHOENIX's run that go them there.
-'SHIP TEAM AND DUBS FOREVER
SD (12 ♡):
It feels fantastic to get that win against a good team. What an incredible shot by Steph.
Game 52: GSW vs Phoenix. First-game-back trap… — FEB 10
We believe?
Goofus (14 ♡):
With four games left before the ASB, here’s my plan:
Win at least three games, enter the break above .500 and then keep winning after the break.
They really ought to include me in strategy sessions as I clearly could add a lot.
DrumRollGyro (13 ♡):
Please stay healthy for the rest of the year GP. The team has needed your game and spirit
ServantOfLuna (12 ♡):
FYI, Suns had the #1 offense in the league in the past 10 games. So beating them and cooling their incredibly hot offense tonight was huge.
Sleepy Freud (12 ♡):
Not sure .500 has felt this good since the We Believe season.
belilaugh (12 ♡):
It is very satisfying to watch GP2 play
JZAlvarado (12 ♡):
Happy to report that they turned my youngest into a mini Ben Simmons (Phila pre-injury) and now as the tallest player on her team she is handling the rock and distributing to her teammates. Sadly her team got blown out today and she pulled a Draymond on me Circa OKC 2016 saying that I have her all messed up in the head for suggesting to look to pass first rather than shoot as she was doing last few games
Sab Shaw (12 ♡):
Spent the morning removing and replacing the grease and speed board in my 20 year old stand up mixer. Good times.
Let's get another W tonight.
urlyadoptr (10 ♡):
Suck it Book!
DrumRollGyro (10 ♡):
Steph Curry I love you so much bro
belilaugh (10 ♡):
The league really doesn't know who butters their bread trying to ruin that incredible Curry shot with a foul that is never called in that situation
MyŠarūnas (10 ♡):
Are you seeing Podz defend Booker? Serious hounding defense.
Sleepy Freud (10 ♡):
Word.
The stats showing the enormous FT disparity (for and against) over the past couple seasons between the Lakers and every other NBA team are truly gross.
https://twitter.com/AndrewDBailey/status/1755815280016814447
Lakers +753, and the #2 team in the NBA (NYK) are +320.
They don’t include the full list, but we can assume the Warriors are #30. F*** the NBA.
Post-game: Warriors blow out Pacers in… — FEB 8
Steph Curry blazing hot first half
fotd (34 ♡):
Yes, Steph is unreal.
Yes, JK is growing by leaps and bounds.
Yes, there are about 16-17 GMs kicking themselves for passing on BP.
Yes, the other part-time Sea Dubs are ready for prime time.
And, yes, Wiggins has remembered how to play basketball
BUT, none of this translates to wins without the return of a mature and brilliant Draymond Green.
Keep it up guys.
boba_balla (32 ♡):
GP2 available for tomorrow!
https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1756116101795356810
Eric Apricot (32 ♡):
I just wanted to tell you that I love you
cpt nemo (28 ♡):
A big shout out to JK- yeah he was good - but did you see what he did for TJD and his Indy fans - JK could have dunked - but no - he lobbed it for TJD for a dunk and first points - this 21 yo is becoming a leader
Podz People (19 ♡):
We all saw Curry put the fear of Curry into the Pacers early in that game, and they exhausted themselves trying to double the ball out of Steph’s hands and then had to scramble to cover from there.
But then the youthful energy and movement on both sides of the ball allowed the Warriors to build a lead when Curry was making shots instead of just staying level, and the Pacers eventually ran out of gas as the chaos inevitably overwhelmed them.
Hopefully this road trip reminds Kerr what truly unlocks his team and makes them The Warriors. The crazy turnovers make no sense in a stale game of vets, but when players and the ball are flying around with such energy even opposing fans have to gaze on in awe, an occasional turnover is simply part of the avalanche that overwhelms.
This trip has shown us a glimpse of The Warriors. A glimpse was enough to overwhelm, what if they show us this for the rest of the season? Oh the sights we could see.
AttilaTheHun (18 ♡):
The team has NEVER been bullied by the fans when it comes to personnel. Fans just like to think our opinions matter. They don't.
b.p. (15 ♡):
Kerr has in the past insisted that they can't have more than a 10-man rotation for "rhythm" reasons. But I say F that noise, I want to see a 13-man rotation where the role players just mash the turbo button the WHOLE TIME they are on the floor and then sub out after like 3 minutes for fresh legs who do the same exact thing. Prove it won't work, Coach!
Goofus (15 ♡):
At one point last night, it was the kids with Looney. I really wanted Kerr to sub in TJD for Looney so we could have a glimpse into the future. I would have asked them if Trump won the election and we need to start making plans to leave the country.
fzwinter (15 ♡):
In the Dubs' latest blowout wins, lineups with the deep reserves like Lester and Gui have actually expanded the Dubs' leads in the non-Steph minutes from about 3 minutes left in the third quarter to about 8 minutes left in the fourth. Seems like as soon as Steph comes back in, the Dubs get sloppy (Steph in particular) and the opponent closes the gap. But it's great that, compared with last year, the Dubs haven't had their leads rapidly evaporate when Steph is on the bench. Really enjoying guys like Lester and Gui starting to look like NBA players. And when they're paired with Podz and Kuminga, the level of effort on defense is off the charts.
Klaymatic37 (14 ♡):
I liked this and then unliked it so I could like it again!
Abaddon (14 ♡):
OT: just saw this morning that DDV is 4th (!) in the NBA in made three pointers, only two behind Tim Hardaway in 3rd, and is shooting 42% from deep. I had no idea he was shooting this well for the Knicks! Happy to see him succeed, glad he's in the East.
DFiB (14 ♡):
Really impressive win. End of a 5-in-7 on the road. Against the best team of the trip, a team that gets up and down the floor, and leads the league in offensive rating. And they won from the jump, never trailed, never let the lead dip once they took it. They even missed a metric ton of makable layups, and it just didn't matter.
Maybe recency bias, but easily the best win of the season from my perspective, if for no other reason than the defense showed up again. For the 3rd game in a row. This time against arguably the best offensive team in the league. Feels like that's gonna become more of the norm than the trash defense from the earlier part of the year. Dray for MVP?
Also, everybody noticed the Dray complaining to the ref incident, right? It was awesome that JK stepped in to grab the guy. It was even awesome-er that there was clearly positive facial expression & body language between Dray & Kogut afterward!
Mr.Plow (13 ♡):
I'll have you know that I once posted on GSOM that they should re-sign Steph and they ended up doing so 3 months later. Coincidence?
Nellie (13 ♡):
Oh my god, Stephen Curry. That first half was basically pornography.
Explain One Play: the Kuminga - Steph Curry… — FEB 6
the one that ends with a hovercraft dunk
Goldarn Staid Worrier (15 ♡):
He’s a 2 that plays the 1 except when he plays the 3. In some plays he starts off, then switches on, the focuses on boards. So 3 + 2 + 1 = 6. He plays the 6.
g8tgod (14 ♡):
I think my recalibration of my fandom is pretty much complete. I'm not worried about the Warriors' potential playoff seeding -- just enjoying watching the young guys grow while Steph Curry barely ages. And the cherry on the sundae of any Golden State win is E1P. Delectable!
Ando (14 ♡):
The same stuff over and over again. Ho-hum. If I had a nickel for every NBA blog that mentioned French Existentialism, I’d have…five cents. Thanks for keeping it original EA. :)
belilaugh (11 ♡):
Last 6 games Draymond has averaged 33 MPG and Kuminga has averaged 36 MPG and both almost exclusively have played in the frontcourt. Wiggins also gets some time as a 4 when healthy and Klay can as well, let's say like 8 frontcourt minutes between the two which might be wildly inaccurate. That leaves about 19 minutes of frontcourt minutes available, with Looney, Saric, TJD, and even perhaps Santos still to account for.
That's the math for why TJD isn't playing much, since people keep bringing it up. Draymond moving to center has changed the calculus of the team. Now that Saric is back from his illness it's even more crowded than it's been the past few games (although this same math opens the possibility of Saric being traded, I think).
TwoRingTest (8 ♡):
I was going to write a post about the Philly game, but ultimately, none of it has any meaning at all, so I skipped it.
I'm now smoking a Gaulois, drinking a pastis, and writing an increasingly self-referential letter with a lot of long words.
belilaugh (8 ♡):
He's a 4
Goofus (8 ♡):
From Brady’s Player’s Grades at GSOM; “… Podz; over his last three games, he’s played 111 minutes and dished out 22 assist… without a single turnover.”
Someone will have to explain to me why he’s not a point guard.
Podz People (7 ♡):
Spacing. In the 4th there was a Kuminga iso on the block where the whole team was outside the 3 point line on the weak side. But the Nets ignored Santos so Kuminga was about to get doubled. Santos moved from the 3 point line to the dunkers spot and his defender moved to cut of the passing lane to Gui allowing Kuminga to get his shot off over only one defender. The timing and danger of the cut created more space for Kuminga than standing around as far away as possible. What really leads to spacing?
DFiB (7 ♡):
What leads to spacing? Everybody off ball being a threat that needs attention.
TwoRingTest (7 ♡):
So, you're saying the Curry - Kuminga connection is Camus-ing along?
Goofus (6 ♡):
I think it would be less sad if Klay was more self-aware and we didn’t have to worry about his feelings or ability to accept a Kyle Korver role.
Sleepy Freud (6 ♡):
PF for sure, imo.
Sleepy Freud (6 ♡):
Given our packed current schedule, I think it's a wise move (and not just cos we won). Stick with Steph-Dray-JK as the core Big 3 starters; mix and match after that as needed. We get the chemistry that comes with sticking to a consistent core starting lineup, but also the energy and fresh legs that come with using the full 14-man roster.
Abaddon (6 ♡):
Trayce with the celebration equivalent of rubbing your tummy while patting your head - showing he has no problem doing two separate actions at the same time. Well done, young man!
Being (5 ♡):
A lot of this is premature. JK has had an incredible Jan and Feb. the big question is what happens when the league adjusts and scouts him, treating him as the second option? Can he sustain this run over the rest of the season.
If he’s actually morphed into a 25 ppg , 33 mpg, 6/7 rpg regular contributor at high efficiency for the rest of the season, that’s totally different beast than having a career month and then reverting to something more along his season averages. That beast is arguably better than JB, but he needs to prove that it’s actually the new norm rather than simply a career month.
The NBA will adjust. We’re seeing it already. How JK adjusts back will be must watch TV over the rest of the season.
GlennR (5 ♡):
So Steph gave a Sartre pick so that Kuminga could go Søren high?
(Okay, Kierkegaard is Danish, not French, but still existentialist.)
For those worried about losing Klay:
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/klay-thompson-rumors-magic-cited-as-possible-free-agent-destination-for-warriors-legend-per-report/
Pertinent passage:
"Thompson won't generate anything close to a max offer, but something like that two-year, $48 million offer he turned down in the offseason makes plenty of sense for Orlando if Golden State won't step up to the plate."
So, if the Warriors aren't even willing to match the low offer they already put on the table, the Magic are prepared to swoop in at a number that Thompson already declined? That's the story? There's absolutely no "there" there...
Folks - just for fun - and given that leflake is playing headgames - see # 23, 28, 37,40, 47
https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-players-best-winning-percentage-ever/