Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
the week GSW traded for GP2, then didn't, then did, but didn't really get him yet
Helpful hint: Every commenter’s name is a link that leads back to the original comment.
Explain: Moses Moody defense and hustle…
Is Moses out of Steve Kerr's doghouse?
Five Alarm Freddy (18 ♡):
We all know you [EA] are a 16 game player. Hopefully the silver lining on this sub-par season is that, ala Iggy, you can rest a little more.
I know I'm clearly not the only one who appreciates the work you do. Thank you for your sacrifice and for bringing joy to so many.
Eric Apricot (17 ♡):
Maybe I could have done Nagging Dad Explain One Play: “You call that a drive? Why not an And-1? Oh woooooow you didn’t mess up the offense, what do you want, a party? Your cousin made All-Rookie and you can barely get off the bench. You don’t call and you aren’t married yet…”
Sleepy Freud (14 ♡):
JMG TS% by month
Oct .504
Nov .579
Dec .667
Jan .678
Feb .704
Not that low volume, either — 16.4 points per 36 on the season. Also passing, screening, defending, and understanding Kerrball better than ever; and continuing to rip down boards (9.7 per 36).
Getting to the point where he might need a better nickname than "JMG."
GlueAndBold (12 ♡):
I think Ty Jerome might be my favorite Warriors revelation this year. Dude just balls, and the old man hip celebration is pretty great too.
Captain Jack (11 ♡):
I'm really glad they didn't move Moody at the deadline. Be patient with the young fella. He'll come along.
doug chang (11 ♡):
Heeelllloo Everybody!!!!
TM2007 (10 ♡):
I remember that. I also remember many grading the Nets and Lakers high on the free agents they picked up last year, while slighting the Dubs for adding two more rookies, GP2, Otto and Beli. In the end the Lakers got names, but were too old; Harden demanded a trade and the Nets were swept in round one and the Dubs won it all.
It's a great time out!
Warriors win, fans win
TM2007 (19 ♡):
Klay excited about playing tomorrow.
Anthony Slater
@anthonyVslater
Klay Thompson expects to play tomorrow in a back-to-back for the first time: “Yes. I’m so excited.”
Tonkal (18 ♡):
Curry and GP2 on the bench putting the joy back into the team.
One thing this team needs is better vibes going forward. GP2 adds to that even when he's injured.
Eric Apricot (15 ♡):
The Warriors won, that's all that matters. We aren't in position to complain that we didn't win clean enough. I was just hoping GSW could stay near .500 without Steph and they are now 2-2. Tomorrow is a schedule loss so they should be .500 at the All-Star Break.
After that come these 12 games, probably without Steph and GP2.
Thu, Feb 23 @Los Angeles
Fri, Feb 24 vsHouston
Sun, Feb 26 vsMinnesota
Tue, Feb 28 vsPortland
Thu, Mar 2 vsLA
Fri, Mar 3 vsNew Orleans
Sun, Mar 5 @Los Angeles
Tue, Mar 7 @Oklahoma City
Thu, Mar 9 @Memphis
Sat, Mar 11 vsMilwaukee
Mon, Mar 13 vsPhoenix
Wed, Mar 15 @LA
HOU, MIN , POR and OKC are winnable games and maybe they can go 3-1. The other teams should beat GSW, so maybe they go 1-7. That's 4-8, four games under with 12 games to go.
If they can sneak out a couple more games, that's .500 without Steph. If they don't, that's within range of the play-in. If they do even worse, the play-in might be impossible. If they do better, they might move up the standings.
Everything is possible...
fzwinter (14 ♡):
Talk about a team effort! 7 Dubs players had 4 or more assists tonight, and Dubs had 40 total.
Duby Dub Dubs (14 ♡):
Went ahead and snagged a questionable bargain jacket from a street vendor on the way out too
TM2007 (14 ♡):
Anthony Slater
@anthonyVslater
"Klay Thompson may be cleared for his first back-to-back since his return tomorrow in LA vs Clippers. Kerr said he "hopes" Klay will be cleared. Warriors have nine days off after that game for All-Star break."
Goldarn Staid Worrier (13 ♡):
Let’s see, my favorite moments from the game:
Klay diving to the basket for a 2 hand slam.
Moody comes in, pulls a GP2 and takes the ball away from the Wiz, off and running.
Wiggins facing up and stopping Porzyngas. Some big boy defense.
Wiggins abusing defender after defender.
All kinds of crazy balls and players flying everywhere, turns into a DDV 3.
Klay draining it.
4th quarter, the answer to ‘where is scoring coming from?’ is LOONEY of course.
40 assists, and 50% 3 point shooting.
FT differential only -6.
JMG playing ok. Not missing layups or 3s. Proving my doubts wrong!
Wizards never giving up, even down a bunch with 2 minutes to go and Warriors don’t crumble. YAY!
ServantOfLuna (13 ♡):
Here's a highlight of the final possession by the Mavs where the Wolves defense discombobulated Kyrie and Luka.
stopnpop (12 ♡):
Alex Espinoza IV
@AlexEspinozaIV
Ty Jerome said “Draymond kinda lit into us in a timeout. From there Donte was picking up full court, JK was picking up full court.”
Asher B. (12 ♡):
1-0 in the GPII Era 2.0!!!
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
Dedicated staff come around and throw shirts directly into the high sections, probably because you need special high altitude training to survive up there
The deal goes through! Payton back with…
Trade for injured guard fits well with odd season
Goofus (21 ♡):
I can’t even remember the last time these guys won a championship.
nomdesab (19 ♡):
For maximum enjoyment for what's left of the season, I have lowered my expectations. What will happen, will happen. So, whatever.
Duby Dub Dubs (18 ♡):
At the game. Ellis jersey and a black Ivy Room beanie. Hit me up if you see me please.
We deep in the nosebleeds, my daughters school doing th3 anthem
Stefano Gelati (14 ♡):
I was right about to give up and go back to bed (5 am here), when the Moody changed.
georgedime (13 ♡):
DDV is so damn good man. So consistent and solid all season, and has been an iron man outside of that early injury. He's basically our new Iguodala: one of the best all around glue players in the league. Gotta find some way to keep him through Steph's few remaining elite years
Golden Gate Warrior (10 ♡):
I've been JMGs harshest critic - I have to give him his due.
And I'm not going to focus on the shots made - shots may fall or they won't.
What I loved seeing in the second half was his attention to detail on defense, his incredible hustle, and moving the ball incredibly well within the framework of the system.
He could go 0-7 next game but if he does all the other stuff the right way, I'll be super happy with him.
Hope his wrist is okay!
funleavyfotofun93 (10 ♡):
Play PBJ you cowards!
Duby Dub Dubs (10 ♡):
My seats are so bad I can't even see the score lmao
Feels like we are winning
TwoRingTest (10 ♡):
I'm not sure if the Warriors can keep up this Toredol pace.
Duby Dub Dubs (10 ♡):
Looks like Wiggins is good to go! Listed as "available " in recent injury report
TM2007 (10 ♡):
Kylen Mills
@KylenMills
"MYERS ON 2-WAYS VS BUYOUT: GM Bob Myers says the Warriors will look at who’s available on the buyout market, the skill sets of the 2-way players (Anthony Lamb & Ty Jerome) & evaluate if adding someone or converting is the right move. Will look at all options."
Anthony Slater
@anthonyVslater
Bob Myers on the possibility of a buyout big man: “It doesn’t matter if he’s 7-feet tall or 8-feet tall. Any buyout conversation has to be done in collaboration with the coaching staff. Because why bring a player in if they’re not going to use him?”
Link to vid:
GlueAndBold (10 ♡):
Everybody keeps talking about how it's about the Toradol. It is about him being too injured to play, according to the Warriors medical staff. The league is going to investigate that, because if he really was too injured to play, then the Blazers falsely marketed him as healthy and playable. The Toradol is connected to that because it helped GP2 play through the pain, but it is not the main issue at least from my perspective.
Connected to this is the issue that "too injured to play" means playing on it could make things worse. If that's what happened, and he is more injured with deeper ramifications from those injuries because of how the Blazers (mis)handled this, then that too can play into potential consequences for Portland, I imagine.
Update: Warriors accept trade, Gary Payton II…
ICYMI
Goofus (27 ♡):
“Getting it orally doesn’t count.”
Bill Clinton
Dilly (21 ♡):
Now we wait to see if Love or Saric get bought out.
[Having Love means never having to say Saric.]
Sleepy Freud (17 ♡):
Hmm … does he mean to “play well” before 3 months?
Or to play “well before” 3 months?
Both, I hope!!!!
TDR (16 ♡):
So Shams is saying the trade is a Go. I am not surprised by that. I just hope the investigation is successful because the Warriors deserve compensation for the stunt that Portland tried to pull.
Run_TMC (15 ♡):
Why is that the solution rather than: don't lie about the health of the players when arranging a trade?
Captain Jack (13 ♡):
Looking forward to seeing GP2 back on the team, whether it's celebrating with our guys or on the floor hounding opposing guards. We needed a personality like him back.
stopnpop (12 ♡):
Larry Beil
@LarryBeilABC7
Warriors are confident GP2 will be healthy enough to play well before the 3 month estimate.
TheseGuysAreF’ingGIANTS! (10 ♡):
Let’s face it: the return on this trade for the Warriors is atrocious from a traditional value standpoint. 2nd pick turns into an injured 30 year old player with about 2 seasons of NBA experience.
But when we look at it more closely:
1) James Wiseman is a massive winner if Detroit makes him a starter the way they said. Detroit doesn’t need to worry about wins and Wiseman is free to explore his NBA game now.
2) GP2 could be the difference in the playoffs if the Warriors can get there. No player other than Curry made a bigger on court difference last year.
3) Adding a guy who wants to be here and subtracting one for whom being here was costing him $ on his next contract with every DNP is a massive bench realignment.
4) The move brings the roster into balance for the next two years. With vet, prime, and young guys.
5) Wiseman and Kuminga were brutal together and then never got to play together after that except for garbage time. More minutes for Kuminga should be a good thing in the youth movement.
6) Non-passing C is the lowest valued position in the game. Not having to worry about an Ayton type situation is a good reason to never draft a C in a position where they will expect a max. But failing that, trading them before that 2nd contract, is a net positive for the long term books.
7) The Warriors still have Steph Curry
Post-game thread: Steph-less Warriors lose to…
Just trying to stay at .500 until Steph gets back…
Eric Apricot (19 ♡):
I’m not happy, but I’m not nearly as down as most of you in here.
As soon as Steph went down, I’ve expected a team that is going to struggle to stay above .500 until he gets back.
Klay can win you a game and lose you the next one. Wiggins is not nearly the player he was, as he works himself back from injury. Draymond is actually playing pretty well. Poole is still figuring out how to play under control and to manage a game and he’s improving. Moody played with mega energy for the 15 seconds he was out there.
Now that Lakers team is not a bunch of chumps. They got a LOT better from the trades and by subtracting Russ. They played well for a team that has no time to gel.
And in the end, the difference in that game was two lucky rebounds that went straight to Rui for open jumpers.
So maybe it’s depressing to feel like GSW without Steph is as good as the new LAL without LeBron. But it’s kind of what I’ve been expecting.
I’m just hoping they can stay within range of the play-in until Steph gets back, Wiggins gets healthy and maaaybe (getting ahead of myself) GP2 gets back in time to contribute for a final kick. Then sneak into the playoffs and have a punchers chance in every series.
Alex (13 ♡):
Just a quick note for anyone feeling despair. This team has looked like poo going into the all star break every year even back to the Durant years.
I'm not sure where I'd put their chances of a 2023 title at this point, or even getting out of the play-in... or even making the playoffs at all, since anything below 6th seed means you've got a somewhat random shot at making the playoffs.
But in the end it all comes down to how much time Steph is injured, and how much the starters are playing up to the ability we know they have (like Wiggins still struggling after this injury, Klay trying to play smart and not selfish without Steph, and Draymond trying to consistently care about regular season games all year.)
And, to a lesser extent I think, it also comes down to how much the beginning of the season went even worse than expected, thanks to the front office betting heavily on 2nd year youngins and Kerr maybe making a point by playing them on their own for ten games.
Anyway, my point is these things aren't necessarily "this team will never be good again" things. Though of course they could be if the fellowship is broken and guys start to check out long term. These are "things are tough this season, can they find a way through" types of challenges, which are really stressful to watch in these days when every season could be the core's last dance. But these types of challenges aren't any more proof of whatever player being washed, or the team finally being figured out, than the same dog day struggles were back in 2018, 2019, 2020, and yes, even last season around the all star break.
fzwinter (13 ♡):
It's hard to fathom, but the Dubs are becoming unwatchable in their current form.
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
Short of some player being super hot, Kerr will never sit Klay for the 4th quarter. He's explained that players are people and his job is to give them as much confidence as he can. And I understand your frustration but I disagree with all parts of your comment.
DFiB (11 ♡):
Kerr and Dray press conferences… they are tired… and accepted where they are. I’m not sure that’s a good or bad thing. They need the ASB.
JoZeAlvaradoStan (9 ♡):
For Dino:
@wojespn
ESPN Sources: The Golden State Warriors are working with the NBA on a way to complete the four-team trade and still preserve their rights to pursue recourse on how Gary Payton II’s medical information was shared to them at the time of the deal.
Chasing Rings... (9 ♡):
Friends, DubFans, Subscribers, lend me your ears, err eyes...
I truly believe this team has the confidence, nay arrogance, that if they get to The Playoffs, they are good enough to take on all comers and win it all.
Sure these regular season defeats are meddling. Sure the team doesn't appear to be vibing. Sure these injuries suck and the coaching staff have no idea what they are doing(/s).
But until I see the OG'S defeated in a best of 7 series, I am still a We Belieber.
The FACT that they traded Wise (whatever the end result) means they are going ALL IN on this season and that things ARE going to change.
The ASB will be a nice breather before our last push. You can expect a lot of changes coming So Keep Calm and get Curry On.
"We have not yet begun to fight!"
Truckeeman (9 ♡):
This whole season reminds me of the Post-Christmas Warriors last season. Steph sat out for awhile. The team looked uncoordinated and lousy. They played pretty poorly all through those first months of the year. But they had an 18 - 2 cushion to start the season. Still, that was similarly awful basketball to watch.
As much as I don't like watching this basketball, I don't think there is any blame there. The other teams are trying, too. They've been watching the Dubs win over and over and are jazzed to beat them. The Warriors appear to have a Championship hangover. The stars may have made a bunch of (in some cases erroneous) judgments about what caused them to win.
Only one thing needs to happen - the Dubs have to make the playoffs. At this point, that's not a slam dunk. It would be nice to see them put together some wins - I thought they were going to go undefeated until Steph's return.
Eric Apricot (8 ♡):
That was cute for the first 5 seconds of video. But if you're going to do an interview with a young civilian, you HAVE to pre-record it and edit it down. You already have Van Gundy and Jackson who can barely talk about the game and spend all their time either old man griping or play backseat ref
stopnpop (8 ♡):
FWIW his agent is also Dame's agent... there might be some conflict of interest there...
Choose your own adventure: Warriors have…
Trade in limbo, Curry out, and a game scheduled for tonight.
Eric Apricot (19 ♡):
FYI Daniel, Duby and Patrick chat about the GP2 saga at
Goofus (16 ♡):
If the league asked me to arbitrate and assuming the Warriors still want him, I’d say let the trade go through, but make Portland pay his salary + taxes until Payton takes the floor.
Goldarn Staid Worrier (15 ♡):
Much depends on the final medical reports that we don’t have access to. But unless the docs are saying 90%+ full recovery by next season, the Dubs have to cancel the deal. I love GP2 and watching him last season was a blast. Healthy GP2 is a great addition to the team. But injured GP2, and possibly permanently injured GP2 is worth nothing. Trading Wiseman for nothing is not a good trade.
We’ll know what the medical reports say based on what the FO decides. But keeping GP2 and HOPING he will recover one day is not a winning strategy.
Goofus (14 ♡):
Did anyone waive back?
PlainCandleLight (14 ♡):
Another random ending…
OGG Gurl (12 ♡):
Oh great, so I've been unproductive this morning for no reason
OGG Gurl (12 ♡):
I was going to say the same but every time he makes another three, the record is broken
aayler (12 ♡):
close enough to hurt
AttilaTheHun (11 ♡):
Is that the silence of the Lamb?
Shawyer (11 ♡):
I want it to go through because Wiseman doesn't deserve all the shit coming his way if he stays here. He's a very young man and by all accounts an outstanding person and teammate. I feel so bad for him as a human being and can't imagine how I could have handled it at his age.
nomdesab (10 ♡):
SSL is reporting LeBron is in a lot of pain from his foot injury. So just shoot him up with powerful pain killers/antiinflammatories and get him back out there, Portland?
achiappanza (10 ♡):
I dislike the frequent use of "sunk cost" in reference to Wiseman.
Sunk cost analysis means "Don't make future decisions based on past ones you can't take back." In truth, EVERY player under contract is a sunk cost. Stephen Curry is a sunk cost. The contracts are guaranteed and the draft picks are gone.
The Warriors can reasonably hope to get better value for JW than an injured GP2 while looking ONLY AT THE FUTURE.
I say we avoid the Worst Case Scenario of getting damaged goods for $25 million *and* giving up JW because that's clearly an overpay. It doesn't matter how much better GP2 fits; if he's not a solid lock for the full playoffs, then back out. Now everyone knows JW is tradable in the offseason and Joe won't be asking unreasonable prices.
Shawyer (10 ♡):
I know it's a joke, but JW doesn't deserve that. He's done nothing wrong and handled this amazingly well for a 21-year-old.
Ando (10 ♡):
I don't have any Oregon ties, but I do have some Nevada cummerbunds.
nomdesab (10 ♡):
Wow. I've never read this piece GPII wrote after Brooks broke his elbow:
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/gary-payton-ii-golden-state-warriors-nba-basketball
Gary Payton II - James Wiseman trade in…
We were happy, back in the good old day of Feb 9
Asher B. (19 ♡):
Hi Jamesie!!
It's me!! Hi, sweetie! I'm so sorry I said all those mean things or whatever yesterday about breaking up or whatever. I totally totally TOTALLY didn't mean it. You KNOW I love you sooooo much!!! G**y means nothing to me. It was just a fling, I swear it was just a ( wait for it ) *physical* thing.
Please be my Valentine baby! I know there's no hard feelings!!
Love you love you xoxoxo
Bob
PS My dad said he's all done with that restraining order stuff so you can totally come over whenever!!!
crusty quips (18 ♡):
I would just like to say with the utmost sincerity, Fuck You to the Blazers training staff and FO. You are unprofessional sacks of garbage and I hope that your skullduggery makes teams unwilling to do business with you and free agents unwilling to sign. Not to mention the stupidity of thinking this chicanery would not be found out instantly by the Warriors medical team upon a physical which is standard practice for every player who gets traded.
Chasing Rings... (14 ♡):
"One time in a million, a coin will land on its edge, but all it takes to knock it over is a vagrant breeze, a vibration, or a slight blow. James M. Wiseman, a human coin, on edge for a brief time in the Twilight Zone."
Eric Apricot (13 ♡):
[On readers who didn’t check in for the last two days] They will be perfectly caught up, in a sense
Eric Apricot (13 ♡):
It’s a good thing I didn’t put up a James Wiseman Warrior For Life poll today
Goldarn Staid Worrier (13 ♡):
Silver lining: GP2 gets paid $18mm the next two years no matter what happens.
Mikayla (12 ♡):
I’m really high. Is this really happening?
I think I’d rescind. I think if we don’t have a win now player for this year having A PLAYER is better than nothing. I wonder if what I just said made sense.
JoZeAlvaradoStan (12 ♡):
Be curious to get Festus Ezellis insights into Portlands medical staffs handling of his own injury that became career ender
Loon Gehrig (12 ♡):
If this happened to the KD trade, the entire NBA would just turn into the last scene of Dr. Strangelove.
Stefano Gelati (10 ♡):
The best option now, in my opinion, is to keep the trade. GPII might not play until this summer, but his presence on the bench would be as precious for morale and motivation, as it has been the presence of Iggy for experience and basketball competence. Hell, imagine how he could lift the hearts at Chase when we'll be fighting for playoffs! I say that is a net win over having there a quiet and sad seven footer.
Duby Dub Dubs (10 ♡):
whoever said "choose your own adventure" <-- I owe you a beer or something. Thanks for the wacky idea. Hope you all don't hate the "preview" lol
ServantOfLuna (10 ♡):
Dammit. We could've gotten one of the best defenders in the league, and it turns out that not only is he still dealing with injury, but the Blazers medical staff urged him to play through the pain while injecting him with drugs. Blazers should be punished for this. Have them forfeit their draft picks to the Warriors or something.
Update: GP2 fails physical, Warriors have…
bad losses, Steph injury, Kyrie, KD, Wiseman-GP2, kind of a lot
Eric Apricot (18 ♡):
I’m working on a new thread gathering all the info we know. This will give you enough time to delete or edit anything awkward you’ve ever written about James Wiseman
Eric Apricot (16 ♡):
I just wanted to say I’m glad I could share the happiest 20 hours of the season with you all before it all went to hell
stopnpop (14 ♡):
GP2 will wear number 8
hammystyle (13 ♡):
I'm really excited for GP2 and DDV combos. DDV isn't a great 1:1 defender. He's soli, but not a true shutdown guy. He's a great mayhem defender. If there's loose balls or bad passes he sniffs those out at an elite level. GP2 creates mayhem.
The bench has been searching for an identity all season. Those two together; pressing, trapping, stripping, running would be like a college basketball vibe. Like a couple upperclassmen guards in the SEC who'd just terrorize teams
Sleepy Freud (12 ♡):
So ... Dario Šarić anyone? In his latest Athletic piece, Hollinger seems to think he might get bought out by OKC. 6'-10" skilled big who hits threes and FTs, drops dimes, rebounds. If we're looking for a 5-15 mpg Bjelica replacement, he seems about as perfect as it gets. Could play "big ball" alongside either Dray or Loon in a pinch; and like Bjelly, would work well in Kerrball "inside-out" configurations, with guys like Gary and Jon slashing to the rim.
Added bonus: if we found ourselves facing Phoenix in the playoffs, he'd presumably be motivated to stick it to them.
DFiB (12 ♡):
Wiseman playing against the Poeltl-less Spurs tonight, 4pm PST!
hammystyle (12 ♡):
Asa a side note...I still kind of like the Nets roster?
They have the deepest group of wings/shooters in the league. Even just pairing Bridges with DFS is a really nasty pair. To have those two and sprinkle in Cam Johnson, Joe Harris and Royce O'Neal. They've got a blossoming defensive force in Claxton. I think Cam Thomas is more like Jordan Clarkson than a star in the making, but he's obviously hot right now.
Within this is Ben Simmons. Now he just may never be the same guy. Maybe it's the back, maybe he's just lost his edge. But if you could get him back to where he was his first couple years where he looked like a poor man's version of Giannis with more passing ability....this would be the ideal type of lineup for him to have around him. Great shooters, great defenders. I think it'd be a nice story if he got back to that level, and this was a really solid team around him.
GlueAndBold (11 ♡):
From DetroitBadBoys:
“Sometimes, narratives take over facts verifiable from play by play data. For example, about James Wiseman not being good in the pick and roll, here is what NBA's play by play stats tell us for this season:
21 games, 1.2 roll possessions per game, 1.6 pts per roll possession, 78.3 FG%, 8% FT frequency, ZERO TOV frequency, 80% score frequency
Let us compare to Beef Stew:
42 games, 2.2 roll possessions per game, 1.2 pts per roll possession, 55.7 FG%, 23.7% FT frequency, 6.2 TOV frequency, 58.8% score frequency
And to Jalen Duren:
48 games, 1.3 roll possessions per game, 1.33 pts per roll possession, 71.4 FG%, 18% FT frequency, 8.2 TOV frequency, 67.2% score frequency
Among players who have at least one roll possession per game this season, Wiseman has the highest PPP.
So maybe there is something there?”
Dilly (11 ♡):
Am I the only one still riding the post-trade "GPIIisBACK!!!" high?? Finding it difficult to concentrate or get anything done besides scroll DNHQ comments.
GlueAndBold (11 ♡):
But they fine in the west, lol
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
My brief take on GP2 is beyond the immaculate vibes, if we got back 2021-22 GP2, this would be tremendous for all the reasons we've hashed out: point of attack D, amazing steal hands, smart cutter and better than expected 3s for a so-so shooter, much increased lineup flexibility, playoff pressure ready.
So, it's a matter of health. He's had significant injuries since the championship so I don't take for granted that he can do everything he did last year.
This season (and maybe for the foreseeable future), the Warriors will go as far as the rehab room takes them.
boba_balla (10 ♡):
High-level summary:
When you're over the cap, like we have been for the longest time, there are only a few ways for us to sign free agents to our active roster:
1) Re-sign own players if we have their bird rights.
2) Sign guys using the Mid-level exception
3) Sign guys to veteran's minimum
This is why each offseason we only have the latter 2 options to sign new players, i.e. GP2 (last year), Otto Porter, DDV, JMG, etc.
When KD left, he could've left outright and even without his contract on our books, we would have been over the cap so still only have the latter 2 options to sign new players. By signing and trading him for D'Lo, we kept that "salary slot" available for us if we ever wanted to trade D'Lo, which we eventually did to get Wiggins (and also the pick that lead to JK). Had KD not helped facilitate that sign-and-trade for D'Lo, we never would have been able to get Wiggins and JK (without trading any of the other players we had at the time), so that was a big factor in the KD sign-and-trade.
Of course by doing all of that, with Steph/Klay/Dray constantly getting better, their contracts each time they were extended kept going up, resulting in our huge payroll now, along with that salary slot that we kept when KD left lol.
hammystyle (10 ♡):
Fun thought - if the Warriors play new on paper West Champions Phoenix Suns in a playoff series we now have Wiggins and Kuminga to guard KD for most of the game, and GP2 and Donte to guard Booker.
Who do they have to guard Steph now?
TheseGuysAreF’ingGIANTS! (10 ♡):
The cool thing about GP2 is that when he’s on the floor with Curry and Dray or Curry and Loon the net rating is +20-30.
When he’s on the floor with Dray and Looney together they are +16
When they go small and he’s on the floor with Curry and Poole they are +21
So if the Warriors issue was that they are still trying to find those rotations that work best together. GP2 is a connector that allows them to play big or small with success.
nomdesab (9 ♡):
So Kerr told Pistons coach Casey that Big Jim was on a different timeline than the team as a whole.
So there was a third timeline? #lightyears
TheseGuysAreF’ingGIANTS! (9 ♡):
[new Wiseman nickname] How about The Big Hypothetical?
UPDATE: James Wiseman traded for Gary Payton…
The Five Second Round Picks Era is over
Eric Apricot (32 ♡):
- 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!
Sleepy Freud (19 ♡):
Dare ya to watch this highlight reel and not be totally fvcking stoked:
Note how many dunks, tough finishes, big shots, steals, and blocks came during huge playoff games, against our potential nemeses (Jokic, Smart, Tatum, Bane, CP3, etc.) I had totally forgotten, for example, about the (effectively) series-clinching three he hit in Game 5 v. Denver with 1:05 left and the Warriors up only 2. If that series goes back to a Game 6 in Denver, who knows how the rest of the playoffs plays out.
Warriors in last year's playoffs with Payton on court: +15.0
Warriors in last year's playoffs with Payton on the bench: +3.1
Top 10 rated players in the NBA last season by RAPTOR:
1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. Embiid
4. Gobert
5. Curry
6. Doncic
7. (Tie) GP2 and Butler
9. Tatum
10. Jrue
cpt nemo (19 ♡):
they must have not gone on klays boat - it would have fallen off the edge
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
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.
Everything is changing; do the Warriors have…
Can this group get it done? The rest of the NBA is in a massive arms race.
GlueAndBold (20 ♡):
Whatever. We have GP2 back and everyone gets to stop griping about Wise.
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.
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
Captain Jack (14 ♡):
GP2 is actually a 7fter so I don't see where this talk of a logjam is coming from
Goofus (14 ♡):
So Portland was merely a rehab assignment for GP2
ServantOfLuna (14 ♡):
The Blazers are trading Gary Payton II to the Warriors for five second round picks, sources tell ESPN.
The Warriors are routing Kevin Knox to the Blazers via multi-team deal with the Pistons, sources tell ESPN.
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.
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.
DFiB (11 ♡):
I've noticed those calls have diminished quite significantly... once again, they set a focus on calling something and then just go back to not calling it after a month. I guess I have noticed more overall travels called for pivot foot mistakes...
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 [sfgate.com] 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.
Klon (11 ♡):
>Kareem is looking old.
To paraphrase a certain Jedi Master: “When 75 years old, you reach… look as good, you will not.”
Captain Jack (11 ♡):
He has been dancing a little less with the ball and keeping it moving around when nothing is happening. Very important to keeping this offense humming. One thing I can say for sure is if we keep moving that ball around consistently good things WILL happen.
Asher B. (10 ♡):
I am not certain, but it appears to me possible that Klay Thompson done lost his goddamn mind lately.
12 threes last time, 6-12 tonight at half, January was his best month ever... I do believe he done: Lost. His. Goddamn. Mind.
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.”
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.
last night of games before the All star break - 3 Games in all
--> Washington beat the Timberwolves - thats good for the warriors
--> Suns and clippers just got underway - clippers leading 12-5 with 7:40 in first quarter - unfortunately one has to win even though I want both to lose
--> Bucks beat the bulls
I really do think Love would be a good addition. Defensive rebounding has been a huge issue, and he can still grab boards with the best of them. Plus it will help the veterans' mentality to add another vet piece. He gives another big body who can bang with centers if needed. Basically souped-up Bjelica.
And the Warriors have been linked to him multiple times in the past, so they will definitely inquire. Just have to hope he's their choice. But the Lakers would not shock me, even if it's the worst option for him with Bamba/AD/LBJ/Vanderbilt/Rui at the 4/5.