There are of course many theories as to why the Warriors did not play to their presumed potential this regular season; and multiple theories can be true at once. But to my mind the most compelling one is mental exhaustion.
Honestly, even I get a bit tired rooting for a team through tight games, tense moments, playoff series. You know, just a bit. And I'm just a fan, not responsible for anything. The players? Steph, Klay, and Draymond have been to six Finals, extreme high pressure moments that lasted months. In particular, the last few years have required incredible mental fortitude to persist and prevail through Klay's two devastating injuries, covid, being a terrible team, reacclimating to new teammates, contract issues, media chatter about them being done; and somehow scaling the mountain again in 2022.
It's just human nature to not be able to get up for every regular season game the following year. In every profession, doing a thing for a decade with top focus is asking a lot.
Yet this also gives me great hope, because of the "turn it on in the playoffs" concept. We have the players, we have the coach, we have the talent, we have the experience. What we need are the focus, and hey, some road wins.
There is no other current team as able to coast in the regular season and turn it on in the playoffs. Because to do that, you have to have a core that has gotten it done many times before and can throttle the intensity back up. Of course we don't want the Dubs to do this to themselves, to be fighting for some ignominious "hope I don't play-in" spot. But if they show their true selves in the playoffs, I will once again be walking away with the Larry O'Brien for my fandom efforts.
I experienced no stress regarding the Clippers-Blazers game this afternoon by getting involved in doing something else & totally forgetting about it until a few minutes ago. Would that I could treat the Dubs-Blazers game the same way tomorrow...
Thanks EA, I have such a big grin on my face watching that CA! I would love some more "pause the video and predict the next move" type scenarios to test the BBIQ acumen you are helping me build too 🤓🙏🏽
The NBA has announced Hawks vs Celtics and Laker vs Jazz as their nationally televised games tomorrow. Probably should showcase Pels vs Wolves, since both have something to play for. Whoever wins that game, wins the tiebreaker if the Wolves hold their big lead on the Spurs.
So do we want the clips to lose today? If they lose we're less likely to end up in the play in but more likely to end in the 5 spot. I feel like best case scenario is that clips/lakers/dubs/pels all win out and we stay in 6...
With a Dubs win against the Blazers tomorrow, they can go 8-2 in their final 10 games, marred only by their last minute choke against the Wolves and by their loss in Denver where Klay's 3 in the last couple of seconds didn't fall. So they're not all that far from a 10-game winning streak to enter the post-season. And I hear this Wiggins fellow is a pretty good basketball player. Momentum, anyone?
I have never quite understood what "protected" means, in the sense of a trade involving draft rights, but I have never been gutsy enough to admit it. If Dallas owes the Knicks a "Top-10-protected pick," what does that mean? Does it mean that if Dallas is among the 10 worst teams, they don't have to send that pick to the Knicks? Or the opposite, that they do? And if they don't have to send it, do they have to send something else?
1. No disagreement with any point regarding Looney's excellent work on the boards, but it is worth adding that this is yet another example of the gravity of Steph and Klay. Looney secures a lot of rebounds because big men who could be in prime position to fend him off are caught up in the Warrior offense, the threat of the outside shot, the switching, and often Looney times it so he's got prime position for a rebound amid all the chaos.
2. The Warrior with the best rebounding instincts has got to be DeVincenzo. Swear to God as soon as the ball goes up he's racing to the spot where the rebound is going to be.
3. You may be asking, "Why don't they teach Kuminga these skills, since they want to make him more of a rebounder?" Answer: they keep trying, but he keeps asking "Why not just jump over everyone?" And no one has a good answer for that.
There are of course many theories as to why the Warriors did not play to their presumed potential this regular season; and multiple theories can be true at once. But to my mind the most compelling one is mental exhaustion.
Honestly, even I get a bit tired rooting for a team through tight games, tense moments, playoff series. You know, just a bit. And I'm just a fan, not responsible for anything. The players? Steph, Klay, and Draymond have been to six Finals, extreme high pressure moments that lasted months. In particular, the last few years have required incredible mental fortitude to persist and prevail through Klay's two devastating injuries, covid, being a terrible team, reacclimating to new teammates, contract issues, media chatter about them being done; and somehow scaling the mountain again in 2022.
It's just human nature to not be able to get up for every regular season game the following year. In every profession, doing a thing for a decade with top focus is asking a lot.
Yet this also gives me great hope, because of the "turn it on in the playoffs" concept. We have the players, we have the coach, we have the talent, we have the experience. What we need are the focus, and hey, some road wins.
There is no other current team as able to coast in the regular season and turn it on in the playoffs. Because to do that, you have to have a core that has gotten it done many times before and can throttle the intensity back up. Of course we don't want the Dubs to do this to themselves, to be fighting for some ignominious "hope I don't play-in" spot. But if they show their true selves in the playoffs, I will once again be walking away with the Larry O'Brien for my fandom efforts.
I experienced no stress regarding the Clippers-Blazers game this afternoon by getting involved in doing something else & totally forgetting about it until a few minutes ago. Would that I could treat the Dubs-Blazers game the same way tomorrow...
Thanks EA, I have such a big grin on my face watching that CA! I would love some more "pause the video and predict the next move" type scenarios to test the BBIQ acumen you are helping me build too 🤓🙏🏽
If we beat the Kings round 1 and Lakers end up 7th and beat the Grizzlies we'll actually have homecourt advantage for a series, just a thought
The NBA has announced Hawks vs Celtics and Laker vs Jazz as their nationally televised games tomorrow. Probably should showcase Pels vs Wolves, since both have something to play for. Whoever wins that game, wins the tiebreaker if the Wolves hold their big lead on the Spurs.
Blazers up 70-64 over the Clippers at the half. Kawhi is -8 in 17 minutes.
So do we want the clips to lose today? If they lose we're less likely to end up in the play in but more likely to end in the 5 spot. I feel like best case scenario is that clips/lakers/dubs/pels all win out and we stay in 6...
Nuggets starters are getting smoked by the Jazz so far.
With a Dubs win against the Blazers tomorrow, they can go 8-2 in their final 10 games, marred only by their last minute choke against the Wolves and by their loss in Denver where Klay's 3 in the last couple of seconds didn't fall. So they're not all that far from a 10-game winning streak to enter the post-season. And I hear this Wiggins fellow is a pretty good basketball player. Momentum, anyone?
Coincidentally, Warriors Breakdown video focused on Looney as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By1vr5lYAJc
I have never quite understood what "protected" means, in the sense of a trade involving draft rights, but I have never been gutsy enough to admit it. If Dallas owes the Knicks a "Top-10-protected pick," what does that mean? Does it mean that if Dallas is among the 10 worst teams, they don't have to send that pick to the Knicks? Or the opposite, that they do? And if they don't have to send it, do they have to send something else?
In case you are wondering about the possible playoffs outcomes this weekend, the NBA clarifies the situation with this simple 64-row table https://twitter.com/nbapr/status/1644761679404605440?s=61&t=P_FoYb59qpl6sz-fj5Z51g
1. No disagreement with any point regarding Looney's excellent work on the boards, but it is worth adding that this is yet another example of the gravity of Steph and Klay. Looney secures a lot of rebounds because big men who could be in prime position to fend him off are caught up in the Warrior offense, the threat of the outside shot, the switching, and often Looney times it so he's got prime position for a rebound amid all the chaos.
2. The Warrior with the best rebounding instincts has got to be DeVincenzo. Swear to God as soon as the ball goes up he's racing to the spot where the rebound is going to be.
3. You may be asking, "Why don't they teach Kuminga these skills, since they want to make him more of a rebounder?" Answer: they keep trying, but he keeps asking "Why not just jump over everyone?" And no one has a good answer for that.
Jordan's uncle* with better-written-than-usual ode to Looney: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/kevon-looney-cemented-warriors-stabilizing-shadow-centerpiece
* No, not really
Rookie Quinones learned a valuable rookie lesson about championship celebrations. I expect his skills to ramp up in the playoffs.
Love E1Ps like this that pick a new specific part of the game like OREBs and focus in, awesome work as always EA!