Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
7 days that started with hope and ended in resigned reflection and appreciation for the run (so far)
Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.
DNHQ Draft Tourney. Jett Howard (1) vs…
shooter v shooter
Sleepy Freud (13 ♡):
YES.
Fuck you, Lakers. You suck and you should feel sucky.
Aaannnd1 (9 ♡):
Such a great deal of research to produce this tourney. Thanks, EA, for sharing your work and expertise!
Sleepy Freud (8 ♡):
The next time Austin fucking Reaves banks in a three, they should call a technical foul on him for being a lucky POS.
vignette17 (8 ♡):
I expected to like Howard because I didn't know much about Podz. We badly need a 6'8 wing more than a "generous" 6'5 guard. But then you read about a team being much worse when a player is on the floor like with Howard. Then you read about how despite physical limitations how a team was better on defense when Podz was on the floor. The warning bells start sounding.
And then you get to the kicker: 9.7 Rebs/40 for Podz, 3.6 Rebs/40 for Howard. 4 Asts/40 vs 2.6 Asts/40. FTR of .313 vs .227. Podz does all the little things; Howard does not. They seem to be similar caliber of shooters. When it's close, I'm a production over tools guy. Give me Podz, surprisingly.
GreenDray (8 ♡):
I'm ok with drafting an offense-only defensive liability out of Michigan in the first, as long as we also pick up a defensive genius out of Michigan State sometime in the second round.
belilaugh (7 ♡):
Finally a team starts hitting their open threes against the Lakers lol
Eric Apricot (7 ♡):
Sab wrote:
Congratulations, Wardell Stephen Curry.
"Stephen Curry has won the 2022-23 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, as administered and selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA).
Named after the NBA’s second commissioner, the honor is presented annually by the PBWA to a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community."
CONGRATS, STEPH
Eric Apricot (7 ♡):
That’s what this series is for [for learning about the draft]! I have scheduled it to finish before the actual draft, so you can be as irrationally disappointed as any expert
Dub Nation HQ Rooting Guide: Boston Celtics…
Other people’s problems
Arash (21 ♡):
On a side note, my little sis just won first place when it came to the 50 meter dash amongst 4th/5th graders in Northern California!! My brother was one of the best sprinters/high jumpers in California so she's carrying on the legacy!!
TwoRingTest (13 ♡):
That's because it's not funny. It's just bully behaviour.
Locker room behaviour is one step away from some really dark stuff.
Night Night (12 ♡):
Andre is a proto-capitalist crypto assh*le. Yes he was dope with the Warriors, but he’s kinda scum off the court.
g8tgod (10 ♡):
I don't care that much between Boston and Miami, but if it's a forced choice, I'm going Miami.
The clear choice is Denver over LAL. And I'd be glad for Denver to win it all.
georgedime (9 ♡):
I love how all of Miami's role players (Struss, Vincent, Martin) hustle and play competent defense. Two stars can take you a long way when they're surrounded by those types of guys.
DrumRollGyro (9 ♡):
Lol ayyyyy Go MIA and DEN. Give me a low stakes Finals to enjoy.
Night Night (9 ♡):
Yes, the Dubs don’t win 4 championships without Draymond.
And yes, Draymond has also cost the Dubs two lost championships - this year included (imo).
ChemKoala (9 ♡):
I like watching the Heat play purely because it feels like some weird grudge against the entire league and themselves?
belilaugh (8 ♡):
Butler's stamina is miraculous, I don't know how he does it. I really think he turned "wanting it more" into being a superstar lol.
DNHQ Vidcast: How Jordan Poole's playoff…
Is Dub Nation being too dramatically critical of the young JP or is his recent stretch of poor play a sign of a doomed relationship between team and player?
g8tgod (14 ♡):
So glad the Nuggets held on for that game 1 victory. Whatever happens, the Lakers won't use the template of the last two series.
I want these guys to get beaten soundly. I don't generally root for other teams, but in this case: Go Denver!
Eric Apricot (14 ♡):
[why not be a jerk, is this church?] No, it’s my living room full of the best commenters and lurkers on the internet. Agree or disagree but don’t be a jerk.
If you can’t handle that, I’ll be happy to give you a break.
g8tgod (13 ♡):
My interest in the NBA playoffs has gone from a 9 to a 2, but I do have to say: Go Nuggets! Beat the living daylights out of the Lakers. That is all.
TwoRingTest (13 ♡):
I wouldn't. He's on a long, team-friendly contract, and he's absurdly good at being a primary defender, given his previous reputation.
The only guys I'd consider trading him for would never be on the trading block anyway.
Sleepy Freud (11 ♡):
lolol https://twitter.com/TheCousinSal/status/1658661655189032960
“And with that buzzer-beater 3 pointer Nikola Jokic has now slid into Mark Jackson’s top 20 MVP choices.”
Sleepy Freud (11 ♡):
Periodic reminder that the last Western team not from CA or TX to win the whole thing was…
The 1979 Seattle SuperSonics.
Go Nuggets!!!
ChemKoala (11 ♡):
Nah fuck them kids. Plus Jokic/ the Nuggets are much more fun of a watch than bully ball for me
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
I think it’s a good sign that Kuminga also came away saying he needed to rebound better and be more versatile.
As I read Kerr: Kuminga is just an awkward fit for a lineup today. He’s a plus on-ball defender and epic vertical spacer, but opponents will dare him to shoot a 3 and his handle is shaky beyond one or two straight line drives. He can’t guard centers. That means he has to play the 4. If he plays the 4, he has to be a good rebounder or GSW will get killed on the boards. And even the best bigs, Dray and Loon couldn’t play together in the Lakers series, so there was no place for JK.
The state of the 2023-24 Warriors roster and…
Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts?
ForeverFoyled (18 ♡):
Some people choose the path of agony, and I can't tell others what to do. But I for one am feeling blessed that next year I likely will still have the fortune of watching at least 5 of Curry, Dray, Klay, Looney, Wiggins, Poole, and GP2 represent the Dubs, if not all 7. And that's not to even mention Moody, Kuminga, and the rising guys to track who may still be with us. Soak in the Cancun beams, recharge, ready to bring the joy back in the Fall!
DENVERin4akaSab (16 ♡):
If we can't be delusional fans why are we even here?
DENVERin4akaSab (14 ♡):
Speaking of which...Kerr needs to find some new assistant coaches.
Night Night (12 ♡):
Ringer NBA Show absolutely eviscerating Klay today - and honestly, it’s hilarious.
“Game 6% Shooting Klay” - lolol
And pointing out that Poole was well on his way to earning the next contract, until the punch (Finals performance against the Celtics was real). Done blaming Poole for an organization that punched him in the face and expected anything other than what they received.
And riffing on Embid’s post-loss statements, we need to hold people accountable based on their pay grade. If the Warriors core wants all the money, they are responsible for making all the winning plays. No more blaming the role players and youngsters - their contributions are proportionally expected, and mostly just a bonus.
mDuo13 (10 ♡):
So, after some time to marinate on this season and post-season, here's where I'm at:
1. In the end, it's a make or miss league and the team missed a lot of shots in the playoffs. The good news is, we got a lot of good looks, so the process is still mostly working.
2. By the end, the Warriors looked very tired and frustrated. It was a lot like the '21 season where we had a strong finish to the regular season despite injuries, and then narrowly lost the play-in (to LAL and then Memphis).
3. Moving forward, I think the team's goals should be to get rid of frustration and make basketball fun again. Play smarter, channel frustration in a positive way, and bring back weaponized joy.
[Aside: If we'd beaten the Lakers in 7 for the first round and then lost to the Kings in 6 in round 2, I would have been a lot happier with the outcome of the postseason even though it would be substantially the same for us. But I have more respect for the Kings and what Mike Brown has done with that team, and I do think the tough series against them wore us down and contributed to the outcome of the Dubs/Lakers series.]
How do we free ourselves from being tired and frustrated? It's multi-faceted, so let's look back and see what happened and what we can do about it.
1. Expectations and distractions. Nobody likes losing, but context matters, too. I'm mad we lost to the Lakers because I hate the Lakers and what they stand for. But losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs takes some weight off the team's shoulders. We don't have the burden that comes with defending a title next season. Expectations were also tough for a lot of players individually, too: Poole to live up to his contract, Draymond to fit in with the team and atone for The Punch, Klay to immediately be his former self despite being out of shape, etc. (Tangential, but Wiggins' situation was more complex, but coming back from a tough personal situation to play in the playoffs is not exactly a recipe for success either.)
2. The two-timeline plan and the offseason in general. This was a big whiff and ultimately responsible for a lot of the team's pain this year. Early on, the team racked up losses in part because Wiseman was so hopeless on defense, DDV+JMG were quite a bit below expectations out the gate, and running the youngsters together wasn't working. Topping that off, Andre's availability was even worse than anticipated. Those losses piled up and gave the team less margin for error as the season went on. Even after switching some things up like sending guys to the G-league and giving Lamb + Jerome as many major league minutes as possible, the center position was tenuous (thank heavens for Loon being an iron man this year) and rotations were weird.
3. Officiating and the team's handling of it. There were a lot of times that it felt like the refs were against us (more than usual). Poole getting picked on early in the season for carries, Draymond getting suspended "for history", and the disparity of calls in the Lakers games 1 and 3. To some extent that's out of the team's control, but it matters how the players respond. Remember when Steph got so mad at Marat Kogut over a no-call and subsequent technical that he went on a rampage ending in an insane dagger shot and Steph "T'ing up" the ref? That's channeling it in a productive way. Poole, on the other hand, seems to have let it tilt him and compound the frustration. I hope the team spends some time thinking about this and how to address it. Some people can be mentored on mindset things like this, and some people can't (aren't willing), so that'll be one of my preferences for how the team handles the roster going forward. Draymond's role in this is especially complicated, since I think he often handles things well enough despite loudly complaining, and I think his barking at the refs is actually productive sometimes, but he sets a terrible example for his teammates and then there are the occasions where he absolutely does not handle things well.
4. The mysterious home/road splits. I can't explain this one, but it seems to have been more than you would expect from just the other problems. I hope someone is taking a look at this though and maybe booking the team some nicer flights or something. I'll also lay some of the blame on the league for scheduling the Warriors the most B2Bs of any team in the league and a pretty tough schedule overall.
As far as the roster goes, I hope we have someone *fun* like JTA or Damion Lee to be a spark on and off the bench, a little more size/bulk in the frontcourt positions to help Looney, and I hope we have Steph Curry. Honestly I would like to keep many of our other guys, too, but the luxury tax makes it complicated. Thankfully, that's not my job, it's Bob's (or whoever else's) so I'll let them handle that and go back to cat curling videos.
Sleepy Freud (10 ♡):
Great recap, EA!
One amendment: I'd change "JaMychal Green, free agent: can probably get a bigger role elsewhere"...
To "even with just the vet min to offer, we can/should probably find someone bigger and better."
Bel (9 ♡):
You gotta love Steph’s signed jersey to Walker…
Night Night (9 ♡):
That’s one hellovasigned jersey. And you know, Walker IV really showed out and deserves his flowers for that late Game 4 performance. From a basketball standpoint, really impressive. Dude single-handedly saved the Lakers’ post-season.
But like Steph said: Never forget, never forgive.
JoZeAlvaradoStan (9 ♡):
Listen i’m of the mindset that if we played anyone in the Western Conference besides the Lakers, we win then its a tossup against the East and yes it has everything to do with free throw disparity. Just anything and everything we could have done offensively and defensively threw us off our rhythm with the way the officials Called the series.
So two things: I like Kumingas and Moodys upside over anything we could get in a realistic trade. I said before that the next core starts with PBJ and Rollins but doesn’t mean Kuminga and Moody cant be meaningful rotation contributors going forward.
IF we can get some size straight up for Poole then id pull the trigger but if we have to trade Poole plus Kuminga/Moody for some marginal talent (or another guard) then thats a NO from me.
Because of my above stated perception on being hamstrung by the officiating I say run it back and try and build more effectively around the margins. I think we are closer to a chip than trying to blow it all up to make it happen. Im in favor of blowing it up only if Draymond/Klay are unwilling to take a team friendly deal bect offseason (assuming Draymond opts in)
belilaugh (8 ♡):
> he sees something that we don't from the outside
We can see it from the outside too. For instance, anyone stand out in this graph?
https://twitter.com/automaticnba/status/1658185107339894800
Also it's starting to seem like people are pretending that Klay didn't hit 301 threes on 41% shooting in the regular season, or that his constant motion isn't a key part of the Warrior offense, or that he didn't play good defense in the playoffs. I don't really get it. Maybe if he didn't really have to carry the offense with Curry and Wiggins out down the stretch of the season and then play big minutes every other day for most of the playoffs, his legs wouldn't have been so shot.
The core is fine and still championship worthy, Curry knows it. Just go get them a bench and a team full of people who have the same goal of winning a championship.
DNHQ Vidcast: What went wrong for the…
WE'VE GOT SOME THOUGHTS.
Stefano Gelati (12 ♡):
Every season comes to an abrupt end, and it always surprises me. So it was this year, plus this time I have to deal with an intoxication of bad basketball, bad team play, bad luck. This year, as I already wrote, it was not 'my' team.
I wish you all a lovely summer, full of dreams (-> Iannis) and recovered enthusiasm.
Vi voglio bene,
Stefano
DrumRollGyro (11 ♡):
So, Nuggets are the only team I wouldn’t be upset to win it all. Miami is my second choice. Please no Boston team ever and especially please no Lakers
Ando (11 ♡):
Throw that phone away
Patrick Murray (11 ♡):
Thanks! Fortunately we had a really long conversation so there are some more coming!
Usually though it’s just busy lives and scheduling problems that prevent us doing it more regularly. Daniel and Duby at least have the excuse they’re always writing. So I’m afraid it’s probably me - for the same reason I hung up my pen at Forbes 18 months or so ago, I’m now spending most of my waking hours chasing a toddler around…
DFiB (11 ♡):
1. Start off preseason with a chemistry bomb of a punch
2. Start off season with a BUNCH of dudes looking to prove they are up for bigger roles than last year, from Klay on down… trying to show the coaching staff they can do more than they’re asked instead of earning trust by starting in their given role
3. Wiggins exit
4. Steph injury
5. Wiseman trade & GP2 fiasco
6. Steph injury 2
7. Wiggins return just completely absorbs minutes of guys who’d been fighting tooth and nail through the really intense end of year playoff push
No chemistry or time for development of joy.
alv66 (9 ♡):
Proposed revised sentence: "nick wright... offends me."
Nellie (9 ♡):
Draymond on the podcast, regarding his future: "I know the business side of it, I know all the penalties that lie ahead with the CBA... I think winning is worth it, and I know we still can win."
Mr Teal (9 ♡):
On the trade Poole wagon. But not for same reasons as a lot around here. His offense varies from really bad to great. And I have been pretty ok with him trying to figure it out because his athleticism allows for a lot of things most can't do. And there's a chance that someday he could be pretty incredible offensively.
But his lack of effort on D is a HUGE red flag for me. It's not that he's bad at D. It's that his effort at that end is ridiculous. Lazy.
Worse than 90% of the grade school girls I used to coach. Sometimes he does stupid shit that leads to a foul just so he doesn't have to guard someone.
His D is so bad, that when the Lakers whole game plan was to go at Curry every trip down the court to tire him out, as soon as Poole came in, they set aside that plan, and went at Poole to go for the sure points.
But it's worse than that. Because this lack of effort brings the energy of all the Dubs down, while breathing life into the other team. I hate it.
And the fact that Kerr gave him minutes when this was happening is maybe the only thing that has ever really bothered me about Kerr's coaching.
Post game thread: Warriors run out of…
Some cold shooting, and a relentless Lakers team proved too much
Eric Apricot (35 ♡):
Ahhhh well. You can’t win them all. LOTS of interesting decisions await us in the offseason. Thanks for sharing this exciting and painful season with me.
Ando (28 ♡):
I liked the part where I got to watch Steph Curry play basketball.
Swiggmeister (27 ♡):
Warriors are still the most joyful team in the league to watch when they’ve got it going. I have nothing but love for these guys. If we are on the back side of the mountain, we had a hell of a ride. 6 Finals and 4 championships in 9 years is a whole lot to be grateful for. In that run no other team has won more than once and only the Cavs made it to the Finals more than once. I feel at peace with this, and my only remaining fervent hope is that the Nuggets obliterate the Lakers in embarrassing fashion 👍😊
Klaymatic37 (27 ♡):
Wonder warrior of the year for me is Looney. Dude showd a toughness all year we can all be proud of. For klaymatic37 to fan as hard as he can, he's got to believe in his guys.
Loondog exemplified everything I love to see this season.
belilaugh (26 ♡):
Alright well then. Was clear that Wiggins could not guard LeBron and LeBron knew it and the Warriors had no other answers to guarding LeBron except perhaps a permanently benched 20 year old who is butting heads with the coach. Was clear that Curry and Klay's legs were shot and they were missing extremely wide open jumpers in a way they never have in a game of that magnitude. Was clear that Draymond wasn't up for it when he only played like 13 minutes in the first half (and we found out he had a calf injury). Was clear that the Lakers were running the Warriors off the floor by the end of the game and that they they were a step slow guarding everything hence all the fouls.
Easier for me to take when it looks like that tbh, while I think the Warriors probably still win this series if only they didn't fumble Game 6 against the Kings, this was not a team that was going to be able to fight for another month and a half for a championship. They were running on fumes. It's hard to repeat in the NBA, it's even harder when you have a core all above 30 years old and no bench.
Got more to say eventually but given that all the quotes after the game seem to be pointing to the idea of keeping the band together, I'm not too broken up about this loss. They got the legacy completing championship last season, and they'll be back next season with the two timeline bullshit hopefully put to bed for the most part.
Go Nuggets/Heat though.
Daniel Hardee (25 ♡):
I'm so proud of this team and I'm so ecstatic to share space with yall. We are forever an Empire!!¡!!!!!
The Sword Of The Morning (25 ♡):
If this is the last game for this core, then what a ride it's been. Beyond the wildest imaginations of any fan. People will be killing Klay and Dray (and Poole) a lot after this series, but even as an arch pessimist I'm kinda in a "Don't cry cos it's over, smile cos it happened" mood.
And we'll get to watch Steph Curry play basketball next year. That's enough for me.
Nadav (24 ♡):
Eleven things about the 2022-2023 Warriors:
1. I think this is the crossroads for JP. He can work his butt off on defense or remain a marginal player. Even if he does the work, his lack of BBIQ may be too much to overcome.
2. It’s not impossible for me to picture Klay coming back next year with stronger legs and more efficiency. It’s also not impossible to picture him smoking joints on his boat all summer.
3. @Loon_Rebel5 you are a beautiful, promethean, old school, old soul, medieval philosopher of rebounding and defense. Truth on the boards.
4. Feeling really good about Moody (remember Chris Duarte? Me neither!).
5. I’m a little bit ashamed of how quickly I forgave Draymond for PUNCHING HIS TEAMMATE).
6. I resolve to remember that these players are actual living people who are literally doing their best.
7. wtaf was Iggy doing all year? I’m trying to picture going into work for 9 months but not actually working. I appreciate his savviness and don’t begrudge him the easy money (at all), but it seems almost pathological to be able to do that.
8. I will always love you, Iggy.
9. I hope we don’t lose Kuminga. I’m not sure I’d stick around if I were him, but I want to root for a team he’s on.
10. First name Stephen, last name Curry, he came into my life now everything is less blurry!
11. Thanks, DNHQ, you’re the best!
Captain Jack (23 ♡):
also, want to give a quick shout out to DDV. that was most likely his last game as a warrior. he struggled in the playoffs but it was a pleasure to watch him in the regular season. one of the few somewhat consistent warrior this season. i don’t think we bring back the 4 guard look again especially if JP returns so his story with us is most likely over. good luck on your next stop and thank you for everything!
Eric Apricot (22 ♡):
Well, it’s the morning after and I don’t feel nearly as bad as I thought I would. This season had more drama and tension and conflict than usual, and the season finale was a downer ending and ended on a cliffhanger about what will happen in the offseason, but I watch the show because I love many of the characters and their camaraderie and what they stand for, not because I need each show to have a happy ending.
Also, a regular reminder to self: to stay in this healthy balanced perspective, avoid all NBA hot take merchants and Warriors Twitter.
ndubs (22 ♡):
The bright side is that we got to watch Steph Curry play for our team. The dude defines the word "Superstar" and his basketball (even when not its finest) make me love the sport. I'm thankful he's on the dubs.
I won't mention the other side.
belilaugh (21 ♡):
One more comment for the night.
Thank you Andre Iguodala for coming to the Warriors and jumpstarting the dynasty. Incredibly fun player to watch, incredibly selfless player willing to go to the bench when Kerr asked him, and incredibly clutch time and time again (shout out Max Kellerman).
Still remember this pass, it will stick with me forever because it was just so cool and I was so excited about how good they were going to be with him in the fold:
alv66 (17 ♡):
"Jonathan Kuminga says his biggest offseason priority is rebounding so he can 'be like Loon one day.'"
https://twitter.com/DaltonJ_Johnson/status/1657457489531551744
It's not out of reach to think he can be a hybrid of Loony and Wiggins, right?
This offseason, the FO, coaching staff, and players need to make the actual decisions that they were (understandably) able to push down the road last summer because they won the championship. For the FO, either you are all-in on the next 3 years, or you are not. Everyone on the team, from Steph to Poole to JK, deserve to know the answer to this question.
The players also need to decide: either they are all-in, or they are not. That starts with Klay and Draymond either negotiating contract extensions at more sustainable salaries, or leaving for elsewhere.
As we've seen repeatedly now, this indecisive middle ground serves nobody. We were damn fortunate to get a ring despite the questionable decision-making.
MyŠarūnas (16 ♡):
In sad hindsight, it's actually wildly amazing that they did as well as they did. Defending a championship is widely known to be extra difficult due to mental and physical fatigue, and having that target on your back. Then so, so many team issues - besides the punch was the leak of the video, which curdled the internal trust. Poole getting called for palming and traveling on all his favorite moves. JW looking sadder and sadder on the sidelines. JMG weird health stuff. The GPII trade and bizarro Blazers scandal. Wiggins' personal disappearance is fairly unprecedented in modern sports. The bonkers home/away disparity. The pending Dray and Bob Decisions... Given all this (and more, I'm sure) did we maybe over-perform?
carter (16 ♡):
Well...all I can say now is Go Nuggets. Reasons to root for Denver: Malone was a Dubs assistant and is given credit by Dray and Steph for his defensive tutelage. Gordon went to Mitty High in San Jose and not a lot bay area high schoolers find their way to the NBA. Jokic is amazing and his unselfish style refreshing, but he needs to win to real be recognized for what he is: A true all-timer. Most importantly, however, the Nuggets are not the God damn Lakers.
rcknfn (16 ♡):
This disappointing loss comes no where close to G7 in 2016. That just crushed me for days till KD news came out.
In the end it's just basketball and none of guys have an injury which will keep them out for a season or such. So that makes me happy.
Faye (16 ♡):
You’re the best group of internet strangers a girl could hope for when deciding to go all in on a new-to-me team in my mid 30’s.
Can’t wait to try and understand the draft better with you all this summer!
ServantOfLuna (15 ♡):
Draymond Green said Bob Myers stopped him from re-entering the game late:
"Bob stopped me. He said, 'We're down 22 points, six minutes to go.
You go back out there and you tear your calf and do rehab the rest of the summer trying to chase a 22-point lead. We're not doing it.'"
https://twitter.com/KNBR/status/1657254694480412673
Bel (15 ♡):
If we were to be honest with ourselves, I think we didn’t really expect to go far in the playoffs given how average we were in the regular season. But I’m thankful for some of the thrilling games we had against the Kings and Lakers, and the still brilliant performances of Steph, which will never get old.
DrumRollGyro (14 ♡):
Please front office: value maximizing the Curry Era. That’s all.
Sleepy Freud (13 ♡):
Playoff Loondawg: **18.8** rebounds per 36 minutes (in 13 games, despite being under the weather for a few of them).
Tim & Chris Burger (13 ♡):
Before I log off for the night/morning, I just want to say thank you all, and thank you DNHQ site contributors and overseers! I’d been away from posting awhile because I use hand me down technology, and at some point last off season my old devices got aged out to the point of being unable to load the comments section on each article. Thankfully I got newer hand me downs so I could partake in comment reading and posting again in time for playoffs. Not that I was prolific at it previously anyway, but getting back on the train’s been fun. Thanks all for keeping it choo choo-ing along!
Alas Disembodied Spirit (13 ♡):
Do I blame Curry for not being Superman 48 minutes a game? No.
Do I blame Klay for having dead legs? No. Y'all remember him when Curry was out? Did he just forget how to fucking shoot? No. His legs were gone. Who manages his minutes?
Do I blame Poole for absolutely sucking? Yeah, a little. But his game regressed big time this year. Was his shot off because maybe, just maybe, his jaw was rearranged by his teammate before the season began? What if your supervisor sucker punched you, knocked your ass out, everyone in the world saw it, your supervisor wasn't punished and you had to shut up about it to keep your job. Oh yeah, and he gets a special Championship ring. So, am I surprised Poole fell apart after a year of dealing with that bullshit? No.
Do I blame Kuminga, JMG, Wiseman for not playing in the playoffs? No.
Do I blame Looney for being the only center, despite averaging only 22-24 minutes regularly these last couple years, for playing every game, for being bumped up to 30 minutes a game because Kerr refused to ever give any other big man in the organization any minutes? No.
Do I blame Bob Meyers for being an incredible GM or Lacob for fronting the highest payroll in the NBA? Nope.
Hmmm? Sorry y'all. I guess it's my fault.
TM2007 (Temp) (13 ♡):
Proud of DDV today. He showed up and he and Steph kept the Dubs in it early on. Tough postseason, but in a do or die game he did his best to lay it all out there.
rcknfn (13 ♡):
Love you all. DNHQ is the best bunch of crowd to go ride on with.
Rest up OGs, Wiggs and Loon. Hopefully we see you again.
Preview: Warriors have a plan that seems to…
One game at a time!
MyŠarūnas (16 ♡):
We have a history of video coordinators being clutch. Therefore, GPII will save our season tonight. He will be a 2-way, annoying, bouncy Iguodala. May he scratch his head into the history books.
Bel (15 ♡):
Klay must splash it tonight. Period.
Sleepy Freud (14 ♡):
> “He hasn’t been as dominant in these playoffs as we saw last year”
Wiggs playoffs per 36:
Last season: 17.0 pts on .544 TS, 7.7 reb, 1.9 ast, 1.1 stl, 1.0 blk, +13.2 net on-off
This season: 18.3 pts on .550 TS, 6.2 reb, 2.0 ast, 0.9 stl, 1.3 blk, +20.4 net on-off
Sleepy Freud (13 ♡):
Do not go gently into that good night!
dinohealth (13 ♡):
0351 AM in GREECE....ALMOST TIME FOR GAMETIME AND BREAKOUT OF GAME SIX KLAY TO PAVE THE WAY FOR GAME SEVEN STEPH....NUFF SAID, EXCEPT....
DRAIN THEM DUBS.
Arash (13 ♡):
Let us not go quietly into this dark night.
Warriors, let us rage against the dying of the light.
Chasing Rings... (13 ♡):
For me (to cope with these high stakes), I'm gonna watch this one like an old Western movie. Our posse, Coach Kerrsidy's Wild Bunch (TIL actually had a Kid Curry in it!), who's been the main gang round these parts is trying to settle a score with their ol nemesis, LeBum and his mercenary hired gun side kicks. They have to travel to the mean streets of Los Angeles where the poor and entertainment deprived townsfolk are out for blood and a spectacle. But they also have to watch out for the Sheriff's who are liable to take bribes and are not to be trusted. Can our rag tag bunch of outlaws win in a do or die shoot out? Stay tuned...
Duby Dub Dubs (13 ♡):
I do.
FUCK CHRIS PAUL!!!!
Sleepy Freud (12 ♡):
Warriors are much more graceful losers than Dub Nation.
Chasing Rings... (12 ♡):
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE:
- Killer Klay the 6th
- The baby faced Assassin
- Money Green
- Maple Jordan
- The PooleDance Kid
- Loony Looney
DENVERin4akaSab (12 ♡):
"It's a lot of pain, but once you get in your head that it can't get worse, it's kind of like, 'All right, I can deal with it,'" Looney explained. "Once I got that confirmation from the doctor that I couldn't get worse, that I couldn't die on the court, I knew I might be able to play through it.
"I missed a game with it, so had to wait a little for the pain to go down a little bit. I don't know what Wiggs is thinking, but I know it's a lot better."
Sleepy Freud (12 ♡):
I love him lots! I hope he kicks ass tonight, the Warriors win, and he gets a couple of good sharp elbow shots into LeBron’s ribcage in the process.
DENVERin4akaSab (12 ♡):
We've worked really hard to deny CP3 a ring you know? We ain't giving him one now. LOL.
Warriors punish Lakers in Game 5, trail 3-2…
Did the champs just figure the Lakers out??
Duby Dub Dubs (14 ♡):
Hello DNHQ. I'm sorry, I tried. It's four minutes past midnight and I just got back from a show. The preview needs better eyes than I have.
It Will be up around 8am tomorrow instead of the normal 6am time slot.
Daniel Hardee (11 ♡):
THIS MAN IS A TRUE WARRIOR
AttilaTheHun (11 ♡):
Note from Dr Seuss to Charles Barkeley about the Warriors:
“They’ve proved they ARE persons, no matter how small. And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of All!”
cpt nemo (10 ♡):
Just FYI - I am currently watching Dubs-Sac game 7 - yes, we need that on-the-road-fuck-off-home-crowd dubs team tomorrow night!
ServantOfLuna (9 ♡):
If we don't make it out of round 2, I want the Nuggets to beat the Lakers and win this year's championship. Jokic deserves at least one in his career.
belilaugh (8 ♡):
Best player in the world is between him and Curry
Aaannnd1 (8 ♡):
So LeBron cracked, basically, Wiggins’s sternum, and that is OK. ( It was a purposeful push, if you look at the replay. ) While Looney accidentally hit Anthony Davis in the head, and that’s called a dirty play.
It takes a real bully to try to hurt Andrew Wiggins. And let’s remember what’s behind the sternum if LeBron decides to hit him again. I’m fed up with all these bullies. I didn’t like Bill Laimbeer and Charles Oakley, inter alia, and I don’t like the bullies of this era. It’s not just “sport”, at some level it’s vicious. The warriors should vigorously protest and Le Bron should be suspended and fined. Like that’s gonna happen. Do the Warriors ever vigorously protest anything?
Goofus (7 ♡):
[On knowing Dr Seuss] No, long time ago and I was in high school. His wife was friends with my mom, so he was just an acquaintance to me. He’d signed a poster from an art exhibit of his work for me, which I still have. I remember one line was something along the lines of “It’s up on a wall, inside of my hall, where it can be seen and admired by all.”
Explain: Steph Curry hunts Anthony Davis so…
herding cats
Truckeeman (21 ♡):
[On AD] He looked in real distress. Report was his balance was upset from the forearm to the head. If you've ever had that happen, you know it's not a laughing matter. It was an appropriate non-call (incidental contact from rebounding efforts), but that doesn't mean it didn't create real, if temporary, damage.
Let's not be dickish fans.
Sleepy Freud (17 ♡):
HELLLLLOOOOOOO EVERYBODY!!!
Asher B. (16 ♡):
Once again as with most E1Ps:
I saw all of this, but I didn't see any of this.
GlueAndBold (14 ♡):
That was an absolutely exquisite E1P wherein I learned things and I laughed out loud.
Dilly (13 ♡):
Thanks so much for this - especially the cat curling. [Only one of my crew might be game.]
Sanctorum (13 ♡):
Come for the pick and roll, stay for the cat play.
That must have been one heck of a BART ride home. Thanks as always, EA!
DFiB (12 ♡):
I suspect these "Warriors staffers" were the team neurologists, since I read somewhere that the home team is supposed to have neurologists available to the visiting team. They're paid by the Warriors, so a reporter can factually call them "Warriors staffers". But they're doctors, so doing their doctor job as required by their hippocratic oath and their official duty to the league & visiting teams. But whatever, let's make it sound like the Warriors are weirdly sending random staff members to try to see if they can get AD ruled out for the next game. That'll trigger some clicks!
vignette17 (11 ♡):
And I would hope that this discussion board has higher standards to aspire to than talk show radio.
mDuo13 (10 ♡):
Well, I know what sport I'm watching after these playoffs.
g8tgod (10 ♡):
Agree that this is serious and not to be made sport of. But I found the quick assessment that Davis didn't have a concussion puzzling. Something is off here.
Klaymation (9 ♡):
You know Tom Tibodeau is your coach when Jalen Brunson and *checks notes* Quentin Grimes play all 48 minutes.
DENVERin4akaSab (8 ♡):
Wiggs.
Your new game points total is 25 now.
Okay?
GlueAndBold (8 ♡):
I'm worried about AD. If they play him tomorrow and he was concussed, bad things could happen. And I'm not a doctor, but I have a hard time believing he wasn't concussed based on the symptoms he exhibited. Also, fuck Shaq, Chuck, and SAS for laughing at him.
DFiB (8 ♡):
They were there to be available to the Lakers' staff if the Lakers staff wanted ANYTHING AT ALL. Need a non-standard bandaid? Splint? Or maybe a wheel chair? Warriors staff will be able to get it faster than the Lakers staff, simply because they know the building better.
AKChaz (8 ♡):
As a curler....I can attest to the difficulty of curling cats v. stones.
fotd (8 ♡):
Finally got my wife to watch one on the promise of a cat ending.
Still chuckling.
Lots of premature "they counted us out" talk from both teams up 2-0 right now. Doing interviews like Steph did last year after winning the chip. It's still the CF only. These series are not even close to being over. I think they'll both go to 6+.
Good to see everything's still going as planned.