BREAKING NEWS and I do mean breaking

From The Athletic

The Warriors ruled [GP2] as a failed physical on Friday, and have until Saturday to go through with the deal as a technical pass of the physical or rescind the entire trade.

This was a surprise revelation to the Warriors during the intake process. There have been behind the scenes discussions on Friday about the possibility of amendments to the trade — or fully reversal of the deal. The amount of parties involved (four teams, four players) complicates matters.

Payton, according to sources, had been playing through pain in Portland. Sources added that the Blazers training staff had been pushing him to gut through it, giving him Toradol shots. This had not been relayed to the Warriors during the negotiation process.

Payton had abdominal surgery during the summer. The Blazers initially projected he’d be ready for the regular season. But his rehab lingered, his timeline kept getting pushed back and Payton ended up missing the season’s first 35 games, hinting after his return that he still didn’t feel fully right, mentioning a few setbacks.

Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.

UPDATE: James Wiseman traded for Gary Payton…

The Five Second Round Picks Era is over

• Eric Apricot (31 ♡):

  - I think JW still has potential but he has a WHILE to go.

  - Clearly GSW didn’t develop JW well but I’m not sure what they could do differently. The guy was ALWAYS Injured. He couldn’t play with Steph. He makes more silly turnovers than Moody and MM is stapled to the bench for it. When he turns to pursue drivers his body ends up in all crazy angles. And near the end he was sulking on court when he wasn’t fed the ball in the post.

  - Even though I was completely against drafting him, I don’t think it was a mistake. (WHAT? )

  It was a calculated gamble that he would become a star. I personally thought he had a 10% chance to be a star, 70% chance of being JaVale McGee and 20% chance of being tall Smailagic.

  GSW clearly went for a portfolio of high upside high risk young guys: JW, JK, MM, PBJ, RR. If even one of them is a star then mission accomplished. Looks like JK might be the guy, but you’d never know that to start.

  So you can’t look at one of those picks and say it was wrong. You have to look at all the picks. It would be like saying Steph should never shoot 3s because he missed two. No, you have to look at the overall percentage.

  - now it’s a different issue about whether you can uncover the diamonds while Chasing Wins. It looks hard and it will look bad if Wiseman explodes this year on DET. But, JFK is showing serious signs of life and GSW, you know, won the whole Damn thing last year. So I’d say the jury is still out.

  - I am expecting JW’s highlight reel to look good in DET. But can he play winning basketball? It might be a while.

• Dilip Goswami (21 ♡):

  Ok so we traded Wiseman and got back a proven NBA championship winning (6'2") center. I think that's what the fan base was asking for!

• ServantOfLuna (19 ♡):

  Summary of the trades made before the deadline for the Pacific Division:

  Kings:

  -Got Kessler Edwards and cash. Gave away draft rights to David Michineau to the Nets.

  Suns:

  -Got Kevin Durant and TJ Warren. Gave away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four 1st round picks, and a 2028 pick swap to the Nets.

  -Got Darius Bazeley. Gave away Dario Saric and 2nd round pick to the Thunder.

  Clippers:

  -Got Bones Hyland. Gave away 2024 and 2025 2nd round picks to Nuggets.

  -Got Mason Plumlee. Gave away Reggie Jackson and 2028 2nd pick to Hornets.

  -Got Eric Gordon and three 2nd round picks. Gave away Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies and John Wall to the Rockets (who will be bought out). Danny Green from the Grizzlies goes to the Rockets, too.

  Lakers:

  -Got Rui Hachimura. Gave away Kendrick Nunn and three 2nd round picks to the Wizards.

  -Got D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. Gave away Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, and a 2027 protected 1st round pick to the Jazz. Wolves got Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and three 2nd-Round Picks (2024 lesser of Washington-Memphis, 2025 & 2026).

  -Got Davon Reed and three 2nd round picks (2025, 2026, 2029). Gave away Thomas Bryant to the Nuggets.

  -Got Mo Bamba. Gave away Patrick Beverley and a 2nd round pick to the Magic.

  Warriors:

  -Got Kevin Knox and five 2nd round picks. Gave away James Wiseman to the Pistons. Saddiq Bey goes to the Hawks.

  -Got Gary Payton II. Gave away Kevin Knox and five 2nd round picks to the Blazers.

• Ronaldinho (19 ♡):

  I'm still an optimist on Wiseman, but this is good for both him and the team.

  He needs reps, and he's not going to get them here.

• Goofus (19 ♡):

  >>> For those of you saying we should have just re-signed GP2. First, that’s in the past which we can’t alter. Second, you got a half season to really try Wiseman out. Also, GP2 spent that whole half-season paid by POR to be injured.

  Two more points:

  1. Hanging on to Wiseman waiting for him to ripen was going to get increasingly expensive after this season, so it makes sense to take a one more good look at him this season.

  2. Not signing GP2 in the off-season meant we got DDV

• cpt nemo (18 ♡):

  they must have not gone on klays boat - it would have fallen off the edge

• stopnpop (18 ♡):

  This season so far:

  * PoA defense iffy

  * Lack of lob threat

  GP2:

  * 99th percentile PoA defender

  * Is a lob threat. I was on the POR broadcast last night and they were mentioning how GSW got him a lot of dunks and how POR was under-utilizing him in that regard. (Great broadcast team, btw).

• DFiB (18 ♡):

  Loved the emotional voyage I observed on DNHQ here:

  1. Eh, ain't nothing happening today...

  2. What? Bey? For Wiseman? Weird, but kinda ok-ish, I guess...

  3. Huh? Wise for GP2? LOLZ, that's hilarious.

  4. OK, Bey might be ok!

  5. OMGWTFBBQ!!!! WE GAVE UP WISEMAN FOR SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICKS!?!?! NOOOO!!!

  6. We are possibly/probably getting OG?!?!?!

  7. WAIT BUT NOT FOR KUMINGA!!!!!! NOOOOO!!!!

  8. GP22222222!!!!!!!!!!!! YYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!

• Klaymation (17 ♡):

  Brilliant marketing move, getting GPII back is the palette-cleanser for the hard-core fans like us who are crushed by the abandonment of the Wiseman dream.

• Goofus (16 ♡):

  Monte Poole’s take on the Wiseman deal is pretty solid: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-james-wiseman-trade-admission-mistake-abandonment-vision

  One thing he mentioned that we sort of gloss over; when they drafted Wiseman, there was a lot of uncertainty around the core three.

  Turns out Curry, Klay and Dray’s current collective effectiveness three years later is something close to best case scenario based on what we knew then.

• Alex (15 ♡):

  He obviously had to choose 27 mil (14 after taxes) over 12 mil (6 after taxes) for probably his main career earnings. Getting him back and him getting paid what he deserves at the same time is really the best of all possible worlds.

• Alas Phood Fight (15 ♡):

  Saving money on Payroll? -- GREAT

  Getting GP2 back? --- AWESOME.

  Wiseman dropping 30/20 on the Warriors 3 years from now, winning the game on a block followed by a coast to coast rim rattling dunk at the buzzer and turning to Kerr and saying, "Take a seat, Bitch!" --- PRICELESS.

• DubsNerd (15 ♡):

  He's worth whatever they pay him for his work with Loon Dog

• GlueAndBold (15 ♡):

  I could be wrong, but I think this site might be getting more traffic than any of the SBN NBA blogs.

  • Eric Apricot (15 ♡):

    Certainly more quality comments than most SBN blogs

• ServantOfLuna (15 ♡):

  People don't realize that despite his height, GP2 is the most deadly center in the NBA.

• JoZeAlvaradoStan (15 ♡):

  Lol everyone playing cap guru/statisticians today with all the concurrent moves we made and are upset, but if you were to tell me at the beginning of season that we could trade GP2 straight up for Wiseman when our bench was a$$ i would have probably been asking what other draft picks we would need to throw in there to make it happen. To be fair now I didnt necessarily want Wiseman moved but this was a good move to make. forget the sunk cost

• Sleepy Freud (14 ♡):

  We got two legit, tough, two-way, veteran (but not old) Kerrball five-man units now. No more "if player X develops in time," "if Kerr trusts player Y to defend," "if Andre is healthy," etc.

  1. Best Starting 5 in the NBA

  2. Poole, Payton, DiVincenzo, Kuminga, JGreen

  Mix and match in a zillion different interesting ways, but you don't need more than ten guys in the playoffs. Maybe add a buyout big for injury insurance if a really interesting one shakes out. Or just guarantee Jerome or Lamb with spot #15. Either way: bring it on.

• Backpack23 (14 ♡):

  I am so fricken excited for that. Can you imagine the ovation he’s going to get from our home crowd when he subs in? Epic

This next thread is the real-time reactions by Dub Nation to the trickle of trade news. It’s kind of fun to just read the comments chronologically…

Everything is changing; do the Warriors have…

Can this group get it done? The rest of the NBA is in a massive arms race.

• Sleepy Freud (19 ♡):

  Love it.

  Seems on the surface like a logjam of guards; but I can see plenty of lineups with Payton or DDV as the de facto 3, since both rebound like forwards and can defend 1-3. Klay is also also basically a forward these days, more suited to banging with the Paul Georges and Kawhis of the world than to chasing little guys around the perimeter.

  Steph, JP and Ty are the 1-2s; Wiggs and Kuminga move up ladder a lot of the time to the 4; Green, Loon, and JaMychal are the 5s.

  Losing James is a little sad, to be sure, but we still got a veritable playpen full of kids (JP, JK, MM, PBJ, RR) to keep us warm.

• GlueAndBold (19 ♡):

  Whatever. We have GP2 back and everyone gets to stop griping about Wise.

• Captain Jack (17 ♡):

  JP and GP2 doing a jersey swap last night is pretty funny now

• Nellie (17 ♡):

  How's this angle: W's just traded for the best point-of-attack defender in the NBA ☺️

• Captain Jack (16 ♡):

  I'll be keeping a close eye on Detroit from now on. Still a huge fan of Wiseman and really interested to see how he'll develop with actual playing time.

• Duby Dub Dubs (15 ♡):

  I kinda respect how little the Warriors care about adding size

• Goofus (14 ♡):

  So Portland was merely a rehab assignment for GP2

• Captain Jack (13 ♡):

  GP2 is actually a 7fter so I don't see where this talk of a logjam is coming from

• JefeNelson85 (13 ♡):

  That's like saying goodbyes but heading in the same direction in the parking lot.

  Just to go home as roommates.

• Eric Apricot (13 ♡):

  I think Wiseman still has a ton of potential and I understand why GSW drafted him and why his development has unfolded in stutters between injuries and illness.

  I just have to say, my straight gut reaction to the Wiseman trade is relief.

• Tookie007 (12 ♡):

  Fk OG Anuobye, we got JONATHAN FKING KUMINGA!!!!!

Update: KD TRADED TO SUNS. Post-game thread…

Oh well, just gotta stay around .500 until Steph is back

• Being (13 ♡):

  The two timeline plan and the championship core.

  So why are the Dubs so mediocre this year? Is the two timeline plan at fault? The bench and the 2-timeline plan have taken the blame, but I'm not sure it holds up.

  Honestly, Kerr has barely played the 2nd timeline at all these past few months (Except JK who is holding his own), and they've still been mediocre. We all thought it was the bench, and if you look at TK's WAR numbers I posted down-thread, it certainly seems like that's been part of it. However, it's definitely not just the bench.

  There's another theory I've heard mentioned. I don't remember where I've read it, but it's been at least 2 different sources. It basically goes: The league has finally caught up to the Dubs. It took the league 8 years and 4 championships, but there's now a plethora of teams that play Kerr-similar ball. Gone are the days of ISO ball. Now everyone is playing 5-out with screening actions, off-ball movement, cuts, etc. And with the advent of everyone playing it, defenses have also adapted and caught up.

  One of the things that always made the Dubs' special was Kerrball and especially how Dray and Steph fit beautifully into it. And the Dubs still play it better than anyone else, but rather than +12 better than everyone else, now they're only +6 better than the rest of the league. On top of that, the bench isn't doing well, so they're only +3. On top of that, the core is injured or old or resting, so then it's +0, and the Dubs are a .500 team.

  If that's indeed the case, maybe the truth is that come playoff time, the Dubs won't be able to just "turn it on" and go back to a +12 team. Maybe they're stuck at +6 advantage when they have a full playoff rotation. And that may not be enough to dominate and win the 'chip anymore. We won't know till the playoffs, but it certainly feels like there's a good chance they won't be good enough.

  Would selling off the whole 2nd timeline and signing good rotation pieces instead fix the problem? I dunno. It might boost their +6 advantage to +8, maybe? That seems like it might push their 'chip odds from 20% to 25%. It might have netted them a few extra wins, and they'd be competing for 3/4 seed instead of play-in.

  Perhaps Myers sees this, and he realizes that with the way the league is going and the way the core is aging, that without the second timeline, their 'chip odds each season will only get lower and lower even if they're going all-in. +6 this season, maybe +4 next season, +2, and then 0?

  Perhaps he realizes that the only way to get back to being a frontrunner for a championship is for the second timeline to truly pan out. And sure, even if it seems like Moody and Wiseman have a <10% chance each of panning out to become a great 3 & D wing and an All-Star, respectively, that holding onto all of these chips, and hoping that they develop into strong complementary pieces is the only way to truly raise that competitive advantage back into the stratospheric levels of +10, +12 they had during the championship seasons.

• DFiB (12 ♡):

  JP's month-by-month splits are insane...

  https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629673/advanced

  Increasing net & offensive rating every month, increasing rebound rate every month, TO ratio dropping every month since November, TS% good every month except November...

• Captain Jack (9 ♡):

  I hope people never mention KD and Steph under the same breath again when comparing legacies. I'm so grateful to have a superstar like Steph on our side. He could have easily jumped ship like KD or Lebron in 2019 when everybody went down but stayed and embraced the grind. Even if we don't win another title with 30 I'm still happy. (Obviously I want more) 4 titles delivered in a career is plenty. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

• Chaos_Samedi (9 ♡):

  Is this still a warriors blog? How in thr hell is any curry fan scared of cp3 book kd n ayton?!? We beat KD down 3-1 when he had a better team

  Then he does now

  We are the champions until someone knocks us out of the playoffs.

  Give me a 8 man playoff rotation of curry, klay wiggins draymond looney poole donte kuminga over anybody in the league

• jeckyllhouse (9 ♡):

  I still believe in theory in the ability of this Dubs core to beat anyone, including the Suns with KD, but boy their actual performance this year does put that faith to the test

• Klaymatic37 (8 ♡):

  A reason for optimism is that in the playoffs, soft fouls stop being called.

  Last night was frustrating to watch

  Also, Kerr needs to get back to coaching like he usually does. He always emphasized giving everyone minutes here and there to keep everyone invested in the outcomes of games.

  He's getting away from his own coaching philosophies this season.

• Truckeeman (8 ♡):

  I disagree with your take on Kerr's system. It was never all small-ball, but it was about keeping the ball and players moving and finding the best shot. That often meant a layup under the basket. I've seen more hero ball in the 4th quarter this year - including Steph, Klay and Jordan - and it is just not as effective.

• Sleepy Freud (7 ♡):

  Personally, I hope they don't consider quasi-tanking any season in which Steph is healthy and in his late prime.

  The infusions of talent in LA, Dallas, and (especially) Phoenix make the road significantly tougher than it looked a few days ago, but the Warriors core has also vanquished all these guys (LeBron, Durant, Luka, Jokic, Ja e.g.) at the highest levels.

  Tim Legler isn't giving up on the Warriors this season, and neither imho should we.

• GlueAndBold (7 ♡):

  The KD trade changes nothing, as the biggest opponents the Warriors face are themselves. The potential for this team is still championship level. I don’t know if they can achieve it, but they were always gonna have to beat the league to get there. GO DUBS!

• ServantOfLuna (7 ♡):

  I still think the Nuggets are the team to beat. They got a point center in Jokic and guys who can shoot lights out beyond the arc (KCP, MPJ, and Brown).

Point guard Poole could be the breakthrough…

Curry's not done for the season, and neither are the Warriors

• Goofus (22 ♡):

  Has anyone bothered to tell Steph that every time he gets hurt, he’s wasting Curry’s prime?

• Goofus (17 ♡):

  >>> Jordan Poole has had a rough season. Which was not all that weird, considering he started off the season getting punched in the face by Draymond Green.

  While getting punched in the face sucked, I’m increasingly convinced that all the ball-handling calls was the main driver of Poole’s struggles. I have no problem at all with the refs calling the game correctly, but it really seemed to catch Poole off-guard. I think it was Belilaugh who said (paraphrasing) “If they’re going to call those on Poole, he’s screwed. That’s his game.”

  Having to adjust your game like that might be akin to moving from college to the pros and suddenly the 3-point like is further out. The difference is you’d have time to practice the deeper 3. In the last couple of games, he’s seeming more comfortable with the ball in his hands and controlling his pace much better.

  I’m hopeful that he’s taken another step forward to go along with what appears to be improving defense. That would make his extension a bargain.

• TheseGuysAreF’ingGIANTS! (15 ♡):

  Poole won my heart when he drove to the rim drawing 3 Thunder players and he kicked it out to Klay for the open three. Keep it up young man.

  My wife laughed at me because that game brought a tear to my eye: Klay looked as good as I have ever seen him and everyone stepped up in their roles keeping the D flying and the ball humming. It was nice to see Klay being the star he was on track to being.

• Eric Apricot (14 ♡):

  That site gets paid per click, so they have to do that. This site gets paid via subscriptions, so when we troll, it’s out of love

• Jonah Stein (13 ♡):

  This month is really important because aside from Klay's scorching hot shooting against OKC, he had a great January. Once he got hot and started drawing double/triple teams, Klay turned the ball over a couple of times but he also made some great passes. He also had what (to my eye) was his best defensive game of the year. Locked in, a nuisance, and generally part of how the Warriors slowed down Shai.

  GSW needs everyone to step up in Steph's absence and if Klay can be the guy who does it for 5-6 games then he could really return to pre-injury form, when he was arguably the best 2-way guard in the league.

• GlueAndBold (12 ♡):

  Poole simplifying what he does when he has the ball is a very good development. He's got crazy moves, but he seemed to always want to use all of them all the time.

• Five Alarm Freddy (12 ♡):

  “but I think the important thing to remember here is that the pattern of asking for more - and getting it - is at the heart of why Poole is valued so highly in Golden State.“

  This statement is why I believe in the direction of this team, the players, the coaching staff, the front office, etc… Outside of catastrophic injuries and questionable league rulings, the core of this team has a history of getting it done. I will ride with that until I am proven wrong.

Explain One Play: Nuclear Klay Thompson…

He appears to be getting healthier

• ServantOfLuna (18 ♡):

  Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s partnership: “This isn’t two 23-year-olds trying to see who will be the alpha. This is Luka’s team. It will be Luka’s team.”

Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan

Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s partnership: “This isn’t two 23-year-olds trying to see who will be the alpha. This is Luka’s team. It will be Luka’s team.”

9:32 PM ∙ Feb 7, 2023

---

4,053Likes240Retweets

• Kidd, do you have any idea what kind of player Irving is?

• DFiB (15 ♡):

  In his last 14 games, JP's shooting 40.4% from 3, and reduced his turnovers from 3.4 per game to 2.9 per game. Yeah, it's not a huge sample size, and it's slightly cherry-picked, but it's 25% of the season so far, so it's not irrelevant either.

  In other news, Klay is starting to shoot and defend well more consistently, and Wiggins is showing more and more signs of regaining form. If we can these three unlocked to go along with the improved bench play from Kuminga, DDV, and JMG, we're gonna be fine till Steph comes back and then great once he does...

• pooryorick (15 ♡):

  It seems pretty apparent to me after watching last night’s game that even though he can’t do it all the time in every game during the regular season when Dray$ decides to shut down an opponent’s offense he is singularly capable of doing so just like Steph is still capable of doing to a team’s defense. If he can get enough help on the offensive end hopefully he’ll make it into the Playoffs with at least half a tank (and we be good).

• Goofus (14 ♡):

  Dray’s Podcast is must see/hear!

• Talks about the game, Klay’s performance and especially effusive (and seemingly genuine) praise for Poole “His best game”. Went on for quite a while, called out his great defense and that 3 of his 4 turnovers were simply trying to force-feed Klay when the game was over, so it was effectively just 1.

  Talks about Steph’s injury.

  Breaks down the Kyrie trade.

  Dude killed it, very insightful and funny little moments (including giving Klay shit about the crazy shot he took and slapping his hands like it was a good shot that should’ve gone in).

• Captain Jack (11 ♡):

  Oh, Kyrie is going to burn that MotherFer down and will be on the first flight to LA after their season ends

  https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/04/30/multimedia/30xp-meme/29xp-meme-superJumbo-v3.jpg

• crusty quips (11 ♡):

  Klay has looked tremendous since 2023 hit. Both his offense and defense are noticeably improved since the start of the season and since his return last season. Getting spun up to 100% just in time for the post-ASB playoff push.

• Dan goutz (9 ♡):

  I just want to see Wise succeed. I think he can be a real fun player once he's ready.

• Goofus (9 ♡):

  Chris Vernon talking about Kyrie with KOC on The Ringer (it’s probably a little sexist):

  “To GMs, Kyrie is like the hot woman who, no matter how many times you see her get married, divorced and burn the house down, there’s gonna be guys who say, ‘Yeah, but she’s hot’.”

• Goldarn Staid Worrier (9 ♡):

  Watching Klay bomb away last night was a total joy.

  Now let's talk about the ghosts of Dubs past present and future:

  Past: We came into the season with high hopes. Our youth movement was in full swing, we had just won a championship, and there was no reason our veterans couldn't continue to crush the league. Yes, we were sad to lose OPJ, GP2 and Bjeli (5, 8 and 10 in regular season minutes; 7, 8, 9 in the playoffs), but they all started the season injured or out of the league, so really, how bad a loss was it? And maybe the kids could step up more and DDV and JMG could fill in the gaps.

  Present: Warm and fuzzies off last night's win, but the current iteration of the Warriors is still what it is. Which is a team right around .500. And without their GOAT Curry, awfully big shoes to fill. This is a team that has won recently with consistent play, lights out shooting, and strong defense. It's also a team that has lost recently with inconsistent play, erratic shooting and offensive decision making, and poor defense. It's a .500 team. Expecting anything very different is the work of abject pessimism or blind love. Moving on to ...

  Future: The fanboys are wrong, but so are the naysayers. The vets are still solid. Kerr is a proven good coach. Poole, JK, DDV and JMG can all contribute. TyJo and Lamb are found money between the couch cushions. This squad is capable of beating very good teams. But they also will make mistakes. They will have less room for these inevitable errors. Klay/Pool/Wiggins cannot carry the team on offense every night. More injuries wold be disastrous. The Dubs are on the knife's edge. A few wins or losses, powered by a very small number of on-court decisions, could mean the difference between a guaranteed playoff spot, the play-in, or watching the post-season from the outside.

  For those who can't enjoy the ongoing spectacle, the drama of uncertainty, the almost certain highs and lows, I feel for you all. I'm more of a fair-weather fan myself for sure. But I will watch all the games because I'm addicted and I need the regular drip. This year. I will hope for the best for sure and will savor the good moments. But this stumbling push towards the playoffs is who the Dubs are.

• Klaymatic37 (8 ♡):

  Noice! Haha, I've maybe mentioned this once, but I was roommates with Westbrook in college randomly. I can never figure out if I am rooting for him or can't stand him (how I felt in college too) 🤣

Postgame party thread: Klay goes nuclear…

What if everything's just ok?

• Faye (29 ♡):

  Warriors have a 5-0 record this season when me or my partner are at the game.

  And good news. We’ve got two more games in February. It’s a tough job standing every scoring play and booing the refs, but I’m honored to play my part 🙏

• Asher B. (26 ♡):

  In case you missed it:

  — Draymond Green blocked two shots but neither under the basket, unbelievable instincts flying at shooters.

  — Andrew Wiggins got annoyed at SGA and decided he’s not allowed to score

  — Klay!!!!! OK you probably didn’t miss that.

  — Jordan Poole checked the roster and realized he’s a point guard

  — Donte went for 15 points 7 assists 4 rebounds on 4-8 from three and tenacious D

  — JaMychal Green has officially shed the old snakeskin and is a brand new rattlesnake out there. It’s like we acquired a guy at the trade deadline but we already had him

• JoZeAlvaradoStan (20 ♡):

  Listen on the real though (not the high Dopamine levels talking) we do not need to be giving up draft picks and/or selling low on Wiseman/Moody for Thybulle or Vanderbilt. Let this group mesh while Steph is out again.

• nomdesab (18 ♡):

  Only 2 players in NBA history have hit 12+ threes in a game more than once.

  The Splash Bros.

• PG (17 ♡):

  Read down about 20 comments and not one "tip o’ the hat" to Jordan Poole who had one of his best games as a Warrior. Cerebral, inclusive, and relatively turnover free. The game finally looked as if it slowed down enough for him to understand it. Now that's what I'm excited about. Kudos JP.

  I was really concerned about what a JP/JK Warriors lead team would look like in the future of the franchise and yesterday gave me a glimmer of hope.

• Duby Dub Dubs (16 ♡):

  got a lunch date with my buddy that runs a shirt shop. I've got some DNHQ merch pipeline plans in the works here.

• Goofus (15 ♡):

  JMG now 8-for-15 on 3 pointers since coming back

• DraymondWantsItMore (14 ♡):

  Great fu#&ing game. This game reminded me that steph has been getting a little iso-heavy as of late especially in crunch time. Tonight poole was pass-first and the ball kept moving the whole night (doesn't hurt that we shot like 96% from 3). This isn't a "we play better without steph" stupid take but maybe a "steph can play a even better when he gets back" take.

Open thread: Steph out through All-Star Break…

Could have been worse with Steph’s injury

• DubsNerd (25 ♡):

  Lol, Marc Stein reporting that Joe Tsai nixed any Kyrie trade to the Lakers because that is where he wanted to go. Get that man a special seat on the petty bus - I love it

• FromMunichWithLove (21 ♡):

  Over at Nets Daily they seem to be mostly fine with this trade. And: „Texas is Flat. You have to drive a long way to fall off“. 😂

• nomdesab (17 ♡):

  From Mavs Moneyball:

  auerback

  Celtics fan here....You guys just got a first class ticket on the Titanic.

  My condolences.

• dinohealth (16 ♡):

  The best thing that ever happened to KD, is when the magnanimous Stephen stepped back from his PRIME-TIME GAME, B2B MVP SEASONS/HISTORIC UNANIMOUS SELECTION, to make KD a winner. Nuff said.

• Asher B. (16 ♡):

  Don't you DARE call the Durant-Irving-Harden Big Three Experiment a failure. It's too early to tell.

• GlennR (16 ♡):

  A moment of silence for Dallas.

Postgame thread: Warriors get a win, but…

MRI scheduled, prayers up.

• Basketbum (15 ♡):

  Ty Jerome and DDV both handle this job. Different styles but both good assists/turnover ratios especially Ty.

• Asher B. (11 ♡):

  Warriors are the worst great team I've ever seen in my life.

• Asher B. (10 ♡):

  Game to game, eleventh seed, fifth seed, 8th seed, near the playoffs, in the playoffs, out of the playoffs, three game winning streak, four game losing streak ... so this is what it's like to be Portland all these years.

• ServantOfLuna (9 ♡):

  Steve Kerr said the Warriors are done starting small and are committed to the bigger lineup with Draymond/Looney: "I'm going back to it...Came to the conclusion that our best bet is to start with the bigger lineup. We know that five-man unit is the #1 or #2 lineup in the NBA."

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater

Steve Kerr said the Warriors are done starting small and are committed to the bigger lineup with Draymond/Looney: "I'm going back to it...Came to the conclusion that our best bet is to start with the bigger lineup. We know that five-man unit is the #1 or #2 lineup in the NBA."

4:20 AM ∙ Feb 5, 2023

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• GlueAndBold (9 ♡):

  Wretched season? We are so spoiled.

• AttilaTheHun (9 ♡):

  We have 29 games left. Fourth seed through 13th are 4 games apart, and we're a game and a half out of 4th. Three seasons ago we only won 15 all season and DLo and Paschall were our "stars." Life is not so bad.

• Backpack23 (8 ♡):

  He was fantastic and everything we hoped on day 1. Keep it up JMG!

• Sleepy Freud (8 ♡):

  I might give it to JaMychal — without him having his best game of the season, we're probably looking at our most disastrous loss in a season full of them.

• ServantOfLuna (7 ♡):

  JaMychal Green on some of his struggles this season: “Feel like I just got in my own way. Overthinking.”

  He added that now he's playing more "free."

95.7 The Game @957thegame

JaMychal Green on some of his struggles this season: “Feel like I just got in my own way. Overthinking.” He added that now he's playing more "free."

4:32 AM ∙ Feb 5, 2023

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Complacent, or trusting? Warriors roll into…

No Luka Doncic tonight, Golden State could use a win real bad

• Daniel Hardee (17 ♡):

  This is the quinntessential Triple D piece: full of useful informational tidbits sandwiched by hilariously self-aware prose. I love working here with All-Stars like him and Apricot, and I love the comment section for being an artillery barrage of interesting thoughts.

  I'm sure the Warriors players and coaching staff are quite aware of the fortress we have built here at DNHQ, and my driving hope is that we can figure out a way to convince the Dubs to let James Wiseman dominate.

• GlueAndBold (12 ♡):

  describe steph curry shooting a three in the style of david attenborough:

  "Steph Curry, the dynamic point guard of the Golden State Warriors, is a master of the three-point shot. As he moves across the court, he surveys the scene with a hunter's focus, his eyes constantly scanning for an opening.

  With a grace and fluidity that is truly awe-inspiring, Curry lifts his arm and releases the ball. The crowd holds its breath as it soars through the air, a perfect arc that speaks to the hours of practice and dedication that have honed his skills.

  As the ball finds its target, the arena erupts in a frenzy of excitement. Curry has struck again, adding yet another feather to his already impressive cap. It is a moment of pure basketball artistry, a testament to the power and beauty of human performance.

  In this brief instant, the ball, the court, and the crowd are all unified in their admiration of the incredible talent that is Steph Curry. For those who appreciate the finer aspects of the game, this is a sight to behold, a celebration of skill and precision that will remain etched in the memories of those who witness it."

• Sleepy Freud (11 ♡):

  I know we didn't have Steph, but the five guys the Mavs had on the floor were fucking terrible. And they put a 13-0 run on us late in the 4th?

  I hated this win. Blehh.

• Alex (9 ♡):

  Steph Curry is ok. Steph Curry is ok. You know who is ok? Steph Curry. Because he is ok. Everything is fine. Though to be on the safe side, I should probably eat everything in the freezer.

• WarriorsGoldenGirl (8 ♡):

  Loon god came down from the heavens to save the W! Hallelloonjah!

• Duby Dub Dubs (8 ♡):

  Bao was a success!!

Duby Dub Dubs @Punk_Basketball

I MADE BAO!

2:49 AM ∙ Feb 5, 2023

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• DubsNerd (8 ♡):

  Genuine question here for people that know more than I do - what was the issue with JW in the 2 plays in Sam's clip? I'm on team-JW, so maybe I'm being biased, but it seems like he missed a shot, and then got ignored by his teammates - and therefore should be out of the rotation? Oh, and in between, instead of sulking, he ran back and got a good contest leading to a missed 3 on the other end. I'm guessing for the first shot, you'd want him to back down the smaller player and get a closer shot rather than settle for a hook shot, but for the second possession, not sure what you'd want to see him do different. I'd be really interested in a constructive breakdown so I can understand more what people see as the issue.

• Sleepy Freud (8 ♡):

  The issue is that Sam is a hot take artist without much hoops insight. He’s not quite as annoying as his cohort Andy — whose commentary consists largely of F bombs, empty catch phrases, absurd oversimplification, and hyperbole — but he’s still more of a Twitter comedy act than an actual hoops analyst. Hating on Wiseman is part of their schtick.

  Of course, I “hate listen” to the two of them fairly often, so they’re obviously doing something right, lol.

• Alex (7 ♡):

  This game is going to come down to an MRI.

Back-to-back losses for Warriors, but…

YOU CAN'T KILL THE HOPE OF THIS FANBASE, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THE WARRIORS GET EMBARRASSED!

• Chaos_Samedi (15 ♡):

  Kuminga has climbed back up to 33% from 3 on the season and has improved a lot from the corners hitting them at 37% this year, that is awesome

• Chasing Rings... (14 ♡):

  I find the lack of Wiseman props... disturbing.

  Guy who's been marred in hopeless/unplayable/trade talk comes back from a month plus injury and plays... solid(?). He appears to be playing more physical and willing to set screens, changes shots in the paint, runs the floor and demands the ball under the hoop. Baby steps and Big strides :) I doubt I could reach but here's a pat on the back young man 👋

• Sleepy Freud (12 ♡):

  In two years he'll be as old as Draymond was a rookie. And ... Draymond was not very good as a rookie.

• nomdesab (10 ♡):

  It's all good. We appreciate you.

• Mr Teal (10 ♡):

  Just catching up on everything. Chuck on TNT talking about Brooks: "You can't be out here committing loose balls fouls."

• DubsNerd (10 ♡):

  No Luka tomorrow. Good, that means I can relax because if this year's team has taught me one thing it is that they never ever overlook an opponent missing a key player or two

• Ilikefoodtrucks (10 ♡):

  OT: From the Guardian "‘Defense is a lost art’: has the NBA’s offensive explosion gone too far?"

  https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/feb/03/nba-offensive-revolution-scoring-defense

  Kerr comments:“I think maybe there’s been an overcorrection to what was happening 20 years ago,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “I played in the NBA finals [with the Spurs] in ‘03, so 20 years ago this June, and the final scores were like 72-65, and it was ugly. And I think the league did an amazing job of loosening up the game, creating more freedom.”

  Kerr added: “But I think we’ve just gone a little too far. I think that the rules have really been geared towards giving the offensive player the advantage. It’s become much more difficult to play defense in the NBA now.”

• TheseGuysAreF’ingGIANTS! (9 ♡):

  So offensive in so many ways! A multifaceted offensive genius.

• achiappanza (9 ♡):

  I get the sense that a non-trivial amount of people (Not all bandwagoners) are jaded with high expectations and will always be willing to trade the future for the present as long as Steph's still playing. I still feel the scars from 40 years in the desert and remain in the "Never Suck Again" camp. It's a privilege to be turned from a "How are they going to blow it?' to a "How are they going to win it?" fan and I'm not going to lose that halfway through a defending champion season without serious player loss as a factor.

  Having said that, NONE of the previous teams that made the Finals were this far back at this point in the season. Just as a four game win streak would have tremendous power, so would a four game losing streak.

Warriors melt down late, early, and often

lack of depth and concerning patterns rear their ugly heads in loss to Nuggets

• WGBC (9 ♡):

  I was told that we just need 2 (or was it 3?) of this group to hit (JMG/DDV/JK/JW/MOODY/PBJ) for our 7th and 8th man and we'd contend. Well I'd say JK/DDV have been awesome, and Lamb/Ty have combined for another hit. I'm not sure if roster construction is the issue. And I don't think Curry/Klay/Green have declined. It just seems the league is tough this year. I enjoyed this game. I hope we make the playoffs so we can roll the dice. It does feel like a simple 0-10 run in game 2 could bump us from the playoffs, but that's life for a normal NBA team. I don't think adding a guy worse than DDV/JK is going to change our playoff seeding drastically, of effect our playoff destiny.

• Alex (8 ♡):

  If they had won this game on a tough back to back in Denver without Dray and Klay, the Nuggets would have been rightfully horrified and everyone here would have been laughing maniacally. This was a tougher one than the toughest game in a playoff series would be.

  It sometimes seems like we're a little addicted to the dopamine hit of looking like the easy best team in years past, and can't take watching the ups and downs of a really competitive west this year and a team that was always going to take most of the season finding itself, once they let GPII, Otto, D Lee and Beli go.

• Chaos_Samedi (8 ♡):

  Why is there doom and gloom over a b2b loss in denver with no klay or dray? Lol 99% of the teams in the league would have lost this. Save the dook and gloom until we lose 4 games in a series in the playoffs, until then we are the champions

• Steph's Ankle (8 ♡):

  No need to overreact to this L. This game was a long shot against the best in the West. It’s a back to back at altitude and we were missing both our heartbeat and a splash bro. Denver has a great home record of 24-4. It would have been a huge upset to get a win.

  So that being said, Warriors need to string together some wins. The next 5 games are 4 at home and 1 away. If they can go 4-1, that should put them back in the playoff hunt. Pray for a healthy Draymond.

• TM2007 (8 ♡):

  It was fun, until it wasn't. Can't be mad at this loss. Hopefully our next two match ups against Denver won't be on a back end of a back to back and the Dubs are at full strength. Bounce back Saturday.

• georgedime (6 ♡):

  What the nuggets did to us tonight reminds me of past great warriors team. Play in 1st-2nd gear in the first half and them ramp it up in the 3rd, blow out the opponent and end the game

• AttilaTheHun (5 ♡):

  Y'know, Denver is simply better than we are this season, and Jokic is a two-time MVP who might get his third this year. They beat most teams at home. Had we won in their house, that would have been an upset.

  In the bigger picture, we talk about how great our core is, and with good reason. "Four rings" and all that. We can cite the numbers for the starting lineup with Looney. Yet most of the close games we lose in the 4th quarter or OT are lost by the core, not the young 'uns (except Poole). Early in the season the bench mob was bad but now that's not the biggest problem. It's usually the core falling short in the end.

  As for Wiseman, about whom we hear all this moaning at DNHQ, whatever his shortcomings, I doubt he's responsible for one loss this season. He's getting to be playable now, if he just could get enough minutes to get fully back from his recent injury and find a groove. Food for thought.

• UneasySquirrel (5 ♡):

  It's almost like a groin injury, then two back-to-back respiratory illnesses over two+ weeks, then a brief stint of playing, then a third illness, will negatively affect your stamina, fitness, and explosiveness for some time, and it's possible that he did lose weight - I suspect it's likely, although not a drastic amount or anything like that. The dude is still coughing a bit, and was playing in freaking Denver on a back to back. I don't know why people seemed to expect him to come back originally and be all good. Coming back from injury + illness and hitting a wall that wasn't there before sucks to play through, it just takes time and minutes and conditioning.