> Despite peaking as the fourth-best DRTG in the NBA in February, the Warriors have posted the worst DRTG in the league (116.6) over the last eight games.
> That's not a 3-point variance fluke, either. Giving up a ton of points in the paint via late rotations and easy points off TOV
In February they were playing a lot of Draymond at center. Now they are playing a lot of Wiseman at center (although this includes the Memphis games he missed too, but I could have sworn the Warriors played good defense in those games lol). There is a much better version of this team that is available for the playoffs, should they choose to use it (and should health permit them to get there)
Damn! Best I've gotten is 3+5, twice. With 1+4, obviously the pick is Cade and someone else, but with 3+5, what's the move? If the team at 1 were willing to trade it for both of those, would you rather have Cade alone, or two top-5 players?
(Elaborating on some thoughts below, in response to Belilaugh's insights on how different this team looks with Dray at C)...
Otto Porter Jr. was a DNP last night. Is he still a buyout candidate?
Call me the world’s biggest homer in the wake of a 53-point beatdown by a team that had lost 13 of 14 ... but I can *still* squint and see a lineup of Curry-Oubre-Wiggins-[Otto Porter]-Green — with Loon, Lee, Baze, JTA, Poole as the core bench guys — as a verrrry fringe title contender *this year.*
Not a serious contender, obviously, but let’s say “non-zero chance”?
The main case for it of course starts with the fact that Steph Curry is possibly the best player in the NBA right now. That’s a decent starting point in the playoffs. He’s been mostly chilling out in the regular season, playing the right way, getting teammates involved, etc. What if he gets really greedy and starts launching a million threes a game in the playoffs, the way he did in the last couple minutes v. Miami? He also seems well-rested and peaking right now, which hasn’t always been the case with him at this point in the season. Tanned, rested, and ready.
Then there’s smallball. We don’t do it much right now, largely to preserve Dray’s body over the long regular-season haul. What if we do it for 30-35 mpg in the playoffs? That’s where Porter comes in: a rugged 6-8 “smallball big” who’s an excellent rebounder (9.0 per 36 this season) and 40%+ three-point shooter, at high volume. Porter-Wiggins-Oubre-JTA-Lee bring back the old switch-everything look we had with Klay-Barnes-Iguodala-Livingston-BRush. Poole plays the Barbosa role. Loon is Bog’z.
Worth remembering that Steph+Dray have not lost a playoff series without some insanely extenuating circumstances since 2014. They’re 20-2 in playoff series since then, with none of those series wins coming without KD. And of course, the two series losses were both complete BS.
Anyway, I say let’s keep our draft pick *and* win the chip this year. Or ... we can just tank for Suggs.
dream is nice. GM wants to keep this plan. A more realistic option could have been Theis. he was gettable. a good defensive C with high IQ thats shoot the 3.
bulls want to compete, i dont see why they will release porter now.
Fortunately, the Bulls don’t have Porter. The tanking Magic do.
Terrence Ross might be a “a guy to watch” ... if he wasn’t under contract for the next two seasons after this one. He’s a marginally more limited player than Porter, too — a skinny 6’-6” bench microwave, even if really good in that role. He’s basically a rich man’s Poole, not a rugged 6’-8” guy who can crash the glass and guard 2-4 like Porter.
But more importantly, he’s not available, unless you want to wait till next season (the trade deadline has passed, ICYMI); and can identify some comparable salaried Warriors ($10-12M$ who the Magic might be interested in. Porter’s only under contract for the next five weeks, so exactly the type of guy who might negotiate a buyout.
But feel free to whine about players the Warriors failed to acquire on the past, and to pine away (post trade deadline) for players that are under long-term contract, as opposed to pondering current and future moves the Warriors could conceivably make. Very “realistic.”
I wish curry and green would go to kerr and lacob and tell them to stop this nonsense, we can compete this year we've shown it multiple times.
A curry oubre wiggins otto/jta green lineup matches up good with the lakers and nets too, we can do it
I don't buy our 22nd offense at all, especially with wiggins having a career shooting year. We could definitely be top 12 offense if we used proper rotations throughout the year
Some might disagree with you but I don't. I think there is a very good smallball roster on this team, and I think the Warriors discovered something when they were forced to play JTA at center in February too. Who knows if they'd have enough gas for multiple playoff rounds but I've long believed that if this team could get to the 7/8 seed and win that play-in game and draw the Suns, that they could beat the Suns. Ayton wants no part of matching up with Draymond at center, CP3 isn't trying to run with the Warriors, and that team is super inexperienced. Winning one playoff series before Klay comes back would be enough to re-establish the Warriors in the eyes of free agents and disgruntled stars, I'm thinking.
Not sure how realistic a Porter buyout is but that would certainly change the calculus if they could get him.
Cunningham would be such an absurdly good fit with the Warriors lol, he could easily play alongside Curry and alongside Poole. I'm a big fan of Suggs but it's no contest imo, if the Warriors miraculously acquire the #1 pick I'm taking him and not thinking twice about it.
I think I'd try for that, yeah. Is that enough value for the #1?
Mavs traded the #5 and a top 5 protected pick the following season for the #3 to get Doncic.
Sixers traded the #3 and a protected pick the following season to get #1.
So maybe it's enough? I guess it depends on how "generational" of a prospect Cunningham is considered to be. From what I've heard, his (very good) college numbers probably undersell him because he was playing on a team with pretty poor spacing. His only real flag is his high number of turnovers, so perhaps that's a partial reason why.
Regardless, getting #4 and #11 probably isn't happening lol.
For a second, I thought you meant the Warriors had to finish with a 1-20 *record* to keep their pick, and got very confused for a second!
As for players, I think Suggs is more athletic than Halliburton, and Green a much better shooter than Edwards, just not nearly as big. As for what the Warriors need, here would be my top choices (not that I think the W's will have the chance to get all of them, of course):
1a (not happening). Cade
1b. Suggs
2. Mobley
3. Barnes
4. Moody
5. Giddey
6. Kispert
7. Keon Johnson
8. Wagner
9. Green
As much as we could use shooting, Klay (*knocks on wood with crossed fingers*) will help with that next year, even if he's still moderately limited. So will Poole's continued development. But maybe even more than that, I think the dearth of high level passing has been a major loss this season and last, which is why I'd prioritize guys like Suggs, Barnes, and Giddey (and maybe Wagner) over someone like Green, who I think is going to take a few years to mature and learn how to play within a system. One project is enough for now.
I just don't think Kispert is worth a lottery pick. I think for a team in the Warriors' position who will have only a few opportunities to add playmaking for the rest of Curry's tenure, you gotta shoot for the stars a bit more. I don't really know if Kispert can create his own shot or create shots for others. Floor spacing is valuable but I think a team like the Warriors could still add Wayne Ellington types in free agency in the future (or Justinian Jessup types late in the draft or Ryan Taylor types from the G-League).
I get the take that the Warriors shouldn't have multiple projects on the roster but imo if they are trying to win now, they should probably just be trading the picks for immediate help anyway.
My hot take on that UCLA game is that Jaquez is a better pro prospect than Juzang. He's got a really interesting skillset. And also that if Riley's wingspan is long enough, he can be a rotation player in the NBA as well. He's a bit undersized though, so those arms need to be long enough lol.
My cold take is that if the Warriors want Suggs on the roster next season, they better start tanking because he's not going to be available for the Minnesota pick. His three point shooting is a bit of a concern but he has everything else.
Maybe whoever was guarding Jaquez was doing a better job than outsized Suggs,but Juzang reminded me of James Harden last night, especially in crunch time.
Last night felt like the 2019 Finals. The Warriors lost, but I wasn't really upset because I knew they had given it everything they had. Same with UCLA. Maybe a bit sad at how things turned out, but it wasn't like the 2016 Finals where I turned the game off immediately and didn't read anything sports-related for a week outside of GSOM.
I hope UCLA is back, gotta see how they build on this though, and who is on the roster next season. The excitement is definitely back though, and you gotta give Cronin a lot of credit for that.
And yeah, it's not a knock on Juzang who I think can make it too, I just really like Jaquez's game.
The people on Bruins Nation who thought he was a terrible hire are idiots, especially given the consistency he built at Cincinnati. I get everyone was pissed at how the search went down, but the fact that they made the FF in year two when Dixon (and Cal/UK) didn't even make it to the tourney, and Barnes and UT got bounced just shows how wrong people were about Cronin.
I loved the hire because you had a hard nosed, Midwestern workhorse who would demand defense, fundamentals and intensity from his team (sound familiar?) which hasn't been there since the Howland years. He took a bunch of Alford recruits and made them complete players. What happens when he actually gets 5 star recruits? I'm frickin pumped for UCLA, and I hope you can take solace in that.
Looks like a combination. Some of the writers were going to split off and do their own thing but that never materialized. The guy who's supposed to be managing their blog (and SC/Cal/Stanfords?) is on paternity leave so other writers have been filling in
Jessup played four years at Boise State, and is currently playing as well as Ball did straight out of high school. At this point he doesn't seem to have the same potential as Green.
Speaking of Jessup (and since we're talking prospects in here), he played tonight against a team with an 18 year old Australian named Josh Giddey who put up a near triple double (2 assists shy). Never really seen him play except in highlights but he's a 6'8 PG who should be available in the teens, so he will presumably be in consideration for the Warriors with their own pick (unless they start tanking hard to get into the top 10, but maybe he'll end up top 10 as well).
I believe the knock on him is his shooting. Your PG needs to shoot, but at 6'8 I'm guessing he can play multiple positions and if he could pull off playing PF, it wouldn't matter as much. No clue about his defense.
Here's a video of him, the passing talent is obvious:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/josh-giddey-1.html Here are his stats, appears to rebound very well for a guard, but the shooting percentages are really ugly. So who knows. I'm also very intrigued by Franz Wagner regardless of his stinker against UCLA, another guy with great height.
I sure do! IMO you can only develop guys so far by playing them in a loosing strategy/culture. They need to experience and see behaviors of winners and learn how to grind it out.
Obviously time on the court is important, but like all things this season, you walk this line between practical experience and being part of a winning team.
So how did Stephen develop then when the dubs were something like 60 games under .500 in his first three seasons?
This idea you can’t develop players in a losing culture is one I often see posited but never with any accompanying evidence. It strikes me as a “common sense” type take. People say it. Others agree. But no ones really examining it critically.
I tried to tweet message you but it was restricted. Is the @EricApricot to be used in a general tweet that all 5 of my followers can see?
My newest question for the mail bag is the following:
Kerr referenced that they are still struggling to find good lineup combinations so deep into the season. We know that unusual sources have influenced lineups in as big a moment as the NBA finals, so who knows if fan sites might also be a source of extra eyes for regular season lineup combinations that the coaches might be too close to see.
Have you considered a lineup type voting tournament like the draft one (which seemed to actually come to a solid conclusion even if it was sadly ignored by the FO.)
Oubre has actually been consistently good in Draymond at the 5 lineups even without Curry. Wiggins, Draymond and Curry have supposedly killed it together without the other current starters on the floor. Etc.
Maybe the Warriors have a film room guy who subscribes to LGW and can set Kerr on to more effective lineup combinations with LGW’s help?
I disagree (based on what I’ve seen, which is limited). He was like the 6th best player on the floor last night. He wasn’t knock down, and really doesn’t do much of anything else besides shoot.
Look at the game logs for the season. Kispert is a consistent double figure scorer, good rebounder, and passer. Suggs doesn't even come close to Kispert's scoring %s.
Does a lot of good little things. But probably the quality (or lack) of his catch and shoot 3 pointer will separate him (or not) from Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Kispert with a gigantic catch and shoot 3 with 5 min to go.
Suggs showing some good defense, fighting through and around screens. There’s been a lot of motion offense so Suggs has not made much impact on O recently. Last drive was a charge.
Tanking is a strategy that goes against everything an athlete and professional sports player has learned in his career and life. It is a form of cheating which Americans readily embrace as something 'creative' or 'justified' like cheating on your taxes. No one can convince me that players like Lebron and Curry are capable of this and will conspire to 'not execute' their games. Klay too, is a non cheater. Of course, the coach can always sit these players and 'construct' a strategy for tanking. Kerr doesn't really strike me as this kind of personality, either. So, I'm not buying into this.
I'm also not buying into this draft as being the answer to any of our problems that plague this team. Mobley might be the best choice of the top 5 but that will be an enormous stretch for the Warriors to select him if they get the chance. I see the best opportunity in trading out with teams that are desperate to add some future talent to their stagnant lineups and getting some key players that can fit into this system of Kerr's right away. There is some talent in the draft and if we cherry pick and really get lucky, we can bolster our team for the future. But contending for the championship next season? I don't see this happening at all. Playoffs, yes, but no cigar. Using Wiseman or whoever in a trade deal is very much on the table in my book.
Hate to break it to you, but the Dubs are currently tanking. And, as noted below, the Dubs clearly tanked for HB. I remember watching the standings very closely that year — and routing for the tank.
It may “go against everything” (whatever that means) but it happens all the time. The Warriors dynasty kicked into gear by tanking for Harrison Barnes. I actually kind of enjoyed that season. :-)
If the tank is on, just keep playing Oubre. His shooting percentages are abysmal. He’s athletic, but that’s about it. He has no bbiq. He’s as good as gone next year because he thinks he’s much better than he actually is. I had high hopes for him, but he hasn’t played well almost all season. I wish they traded him.
I’d hate to see a tank. I’d like to have watchable Dubs ball for the next few months, participation in play-in and maybe a shot at taking out a top seed in the first round. If the dubs sit Steph and Dray for long stretches I’ll be hard pressed to watch a lot of games.
They can't possible be as bad as they were in the Toronto game and the first 12 minutes of that game were watchable even if you get the expected outcome when you field your G-league team to play an NBA game.
To be honest, I don't think you need to sit them much to do a mini-tank. Our guys are already 2.5 wins behind the eighth seed and I don't particular like our odds in two play-in games, one of which would be guaranteed to be a road game. Our roster evidently isn't good enough to go on long winning streaks, so just keep playing what you've got and lottery balls are sure to bounce.
They become a lot better when you put Draymond at center in place of Wiseman (and move Wiggins to the 4, Oubre to the 3, and perhaps Lee to the 2 for extra shooting) and when they play Curry heavy minutes. You don't want Draymond having to guard guys like Jonas Valanciunas night in and night out but for a single game elimination he can do it and do it very well. The only question is if Draymond will be going into the play-in game fresh or if the lack of a sturdy center rotation this season has worn him out.
No guarantees of anything in a single elimination format though, of course. Only takes one off Curry game or hot Doncic game and you might be cooked. But I'd definitely take the (healthy) Warriors over any of the Grizzlies, Spurs, or Mavericks in a 7 game series.
Heck, I still think a lineup of Curry-Oubre-Wiggins-[Otto Porter]-Green — with Loon, Lee, Baze, JTA, Poole as the core bench guys — has a non-zero chance of winning a title *this year.*
Not great, obviously, but not zero.
Stephen Curry is probably the best player in the NBA right now, and that’s a decent place to start.
Steph/Dray have not lost a playoff series without some insanely extenuating circumstance since 2014. They’re 20-2 in playoff series since then, and of course, the two losses were both complete bullshit.
This is very true... and our record with Curry and Dray on the court together THIS SEASON backs this up, even despite all the playing Wiseman as a starter, and all the other costly growing pains the team has been enduring this year.
Yeah Mobley certainly looked better when they played each other, but I'm not sure he will always be. Tough with 7 footers because unlike more regular sized players they don't get selected from the herd early if they lack skills. I didn't want Wiseman, but that was mostly a timeline issue, and not just because we have a 30 year old + core. Even more importantly I just think that the next five years will see more and more 'athletic' guys his size. It has long been rare to find people that big who move well. I think that is changing. Opportunity cost issue at base. To me, he seems like a future solid starter but maybe not the difference maker you want at #2.
https://twitter.com/wcgoldberg/status/1378751411257757698
> Despite peaking as the fourth-best DRTG in the NBA in February, the Warriors have posted the worst DRTG in the league (116.6) over the last eight games.
> That's not a 3-point variance fluke, either. Giving up a ton of points in the paint via late rotations and easy points off TOV
In February they were playing a lot of Draymond at center. Now they are playing a lot of Wiseman at center (although this includes the Memphis games he missed too, but I could have sworn the Warriors played good defense in those games lol). There is a much better version of this team that is available for the playoffs, should they choose to use it (and should health permit them to get there)
In other news, I just spun the Sim Lottery wheel on Tankathon and got the Ws the #1 and #5 picks on my *first spin.*
Imma just leave up the page and not spin again. You can thank me in advance. :-)
Damn! Best I've gotten is 3+5, twice. With 1+4, obviously the pick is Cade and someone else, but with 3+5, what's the move? If the team at 1 were willing to trade it for both of those, would you rather have Cade alone, or two top-5 players?
(Elaborating on some thoughts below, in response to Belilaugh's insights on how different this team looks with Dray at C)...
Otto Porter Jr. was a DNP last night. Is he still a buyout candidate?
Call me the world’s biggest homer in the wake of a 53-point beatdown by a team that had lost 13 of 14 ... but I can *still* squint and see a lineup of Curry-Oubre-Wiggins-[Otto Porter]-Green — with Loon, Lee, Baze, JTA, Poole as the core bench guys — as a verrrry fringe title contender *this year.*
Not a serious contender, obviously, but let’s say “non-zero chance”?
The main case for it of course starts with the fact that Steph Curry is possibly the best player in the NBA right now. That’s a decent starting point in the playoffs. He’s been mostly chilling out in the regular season, playing the right way, getting teammates involved, etc. What if he gets really greedy and starts launching a million threes a game in the playoffs, the way he did in the last couple minutes v. Miami? He also seems well-rested and peaking right now, which hasn’t always been the case with him at this point in the season. Tanned, rested, and ready.
Then there’s smallball. We don’t do it much right now, largely to preserve Dray’s body over the long regular-season haul. What if we do it for 30-35 mpg in the playoffs? That’s where Porter comes in: a rugged 6-8 “smallball big” who’s an excellent rebounder (9.0 per 36 this season) and 40%+ three-point shooter, at high volume. Porter-Wiggins-Oubre-JTA-Lee bring back the old switch-everything look we had with Klay-Barnes-Iguodala-Livingston-BRush. Poole plays the Barbosa role. Loon is Bog’z.
Worth remembering that Steph+Dray have not lost a playoff series without some insanely extenuating circumstances since 2014. They’re 20-2 in playoff series since then, with none of those series wins coming without KD. And of course, the two series losses were both complete BS.
Anyway, I say let’s keep our draft pick *and* win the chip this year. Or ... we can just tank for Suggs.
Happy Easter! :-)
dream is nice. GM wants to keep this plan. A more realistic option could have been Theis. he was gettable. a good defensive C with high IQ thats shoot the 3.
bulls want to compete, i dont see why they will release porter now.
A guy to watch is Ross.
Fortunately, the Bulls don’t have Porter. The tanking Magic do.
Terrence Ross might be a “a guy to watch” ... if he wasn’t under contract for the next two seasons after this one. He’s a marginally more limited player than Porter, too — a skinny 6’-6” bench microwave, even if really good in that role. He’s basically a rich man’s Poole, not a rugged 6’-8” guy who can crash the glass and guard 2-4 like Porter.
But more importantly, he’s not available, unless you want to wait till next season (the trade deadline has passed, ICYMI); and can identify some comparable salaried Warriors ($10-12M$ who the Magic might be interested in. Porter’s only under contract for the next five weeks, so exactly the type of guy who might negotiate a buyout.
But feel free to whine about players the Warriors failed to acquire on the past, and to pine away (post trade deadline) for players that are under long-term contract, as opposed to pondering current and future moves the Warriors could conceivably make. Very “realistic.”
my bad, i tough he was still on the bulls! and that ross is a FA next season lol . hes realistic,
I wish curry and green would go to kerr and lacob and tell them to stop this nonsense, we can compete this year we've shown it multiple times.
A curry oubre wiggins otto/jta green lineup matches up good with the lakers and nets too, we can do it
I don't buy our 22nd offense at all, especially with wiggins having a career shooting year. We could definitely be top 12 offense if we used proper rotations throughout the year
Some might disagree with you but I don't. I think there is a very good smallball roster on this team, and I think the Warriors discovered something when they were forced to play JTA at center in February too. Who knows if they'd have enough gas for multiple playoff rounds but I've long believed that if this team could get to the 7/8 seed and win that play-in game and draw the Suns, that they could beat the Suns. Ayton wants no part of matching up with Draymond at center, CP3 isn't trying to run with the Warriors, and that team is super inexperienced. Winning one playoff series before Klay comes back would be enough to re-establish the Warriors in the eyes of free agents and disgruntled stars, I'm thinking.
Not sure how realistic a Porter buyout is but that would certainly change the calculus if they could get him.
*Nine of those series wins without KD, not none!!
Wish I could give you 10 Likes :)
But why Suggs? Cade Cunningham+Jalen Green !!
Cunningham would be such an absurdly good fit with the Warriors lol, he could easily play alongside Curry and alongside Poole. I'm a big fan of Suggs but it's no contest imo, if the Warriors miraculously acquire the #1 pick I'm taking him and not thinking twice about it.
Say Warriors get #4 and #11, would you try to trade those for the #1?
I think I'd try for that, yeah. Is that enough value for the #1?
Mavs traded the #5 and a top 5 protected pick the following season for the #3 to get Doncic.
Sixers traded the #3 and a protected pick the following season to get #1.
So maybe it's enough? I guess it depends on how "generational" of a prospect Cunningham is considered to be. From what I've heard, his (very good) college numbers probably undersell him because he was playing on a team with pretty poor spacing. His only real flag is his high number of turnovers, so perhaps that's a partial reason why.
Regardless, getting #4 and #11 probably isn't happening lol.
Yeah, at least in stuff I've read they say Cade not quite a Luka-level star but damn I love what his fit would be on the Warriors.
For anyone keeping score:
2015: NOP, MEM, HOU, CLE
2016: HOU, POR, OKC
2019: HOU, POR
You can actually make it even 10 straight series wins without KD if you count POR 2017, when he was hurt and missed the first two games.
Two bullshit losses: CLE 2016, TOR 2019. I don’t even count those.
For a second, I thought you meant the Warriors had to finish with a 1-20 *record* to keep their pick, and got very confused for a second!
As for players, I think Suggs is more athletic than Halliburton, and Green a much better shooter than Edwards, just not nearly as big. As for what the Warriors need, here would be my top choices (not that I think the W's will have the chance to get all of them, of course):
1a (not happening). Cade
1b. Suggs
2. Mobley
3. Barnes
4. Moody
5. Giddey
6. Kispert
7. Keon Johnson
8. Wagner
9. Green
As much as we could use shooting, Klay (*knocks on wood with crossed fingers*) will help with that next year, even if he's still moderately limited. So will Poole's continued development. But maybe even more than that, I think the dearth of high level passing has been a major loss this season and last, which is why I'd prioritize guys like Suggs, Barnes, and Giddey (and maybe Wagner) over someone like Green, who I think is going to take a few years to mature and learn how to play within a system. One project is enough for now.
I just don't think Kispert is worth a lottery pick. I think for a team in the Warriors' position who will have only a few opportunities to add playmaking for the rest of Curry's tenure, you gotta shoot for the stars a bit more. I don't really know if Kispert can create his own shot or create shots for others. Floor spacing is valuable but I think a team like the Warriors could still add Wayne Ellington types in free agency in the future (or Justinian Jessup types late in the draft or Ryan Taylor types from the G-League).
I get the take that the Warriors shouldn't have multiple projects on the roster but imo if they are trying to win now, they should probably just be trading the picks for immediate help anyway.
I don't see Johnny Juzang on the list, but man, the kid can shoot under pressure. Played 45 minutes last night, and in constant GSW style motion.
My hot take on that UCLA game is that Jaquez is a better pro prospect than Juzang. He's got a really interesting skillset. And also that if Riley's wingspan is long enough, he can be a rotation player in the NBA as well. He's a bit undersized though, so those arms need to be long enough lol.
My cold take is that if the Warriors want Suggs on the roster next season, they better start tanking because he's not going to be available for the Minnesota pick. His three point shooting is a bit of a concern but he has everything else.
Maybe whoever was guarding Jaquez was doing a better job than outsized Suggs,but Juzang reminded me of James Harden last night, especially in crunch time.
Oh that was an amazing game to watch...except for the end. Proud of those boys Beli...I'd say UCLA basketball is back, would your agree?
Love Jacquez, he can do it all.
Should read Jaquez*
Last night felt like the 2019 Finals. The Warriors lost, but I wasn't really upset because I knew they had given it everything they had. Same with UCLA. Maybe a bit sad at how things turned out, but it wasn't like the 2016 Finals where I turned the game off immediately and didn't read anything sports-related for a week outside of GSOM.
I hope UCLA is back, gotta see how they build on this though, and who is on the roster next season. The excitement is definitely back though, and you gotta give Cronin a lot of credit for that.
And yeah, it's not a knock on Juzang who I think can make it too, I just really like Jaquez's game.
Hell of a run.
The people on Bruins Nation who thought he was a terrible hire are idiots, especially given the consistency he built at Cincinnati. I get everyone was pissed at how the search went down, but the fact that they made the FF in year two when Dixon (and Cal/UK) didn't even make it to the tourney, and Barnes and UT got bounced just shows how wrong people were about Cronin.
I loved the hire because you had a hard nosed, Midwestern workhorse who would demand defense, fundamentals and intensity from his team (sound familiar?) which hasn't been there since the Howland years. He took a bunch of Alford recruits and made them complete players. What happens when he actually gets 5 star recruits? I'm frickin pumped for UCLA, and I hope you can take solace in that.
Ok, back to the Dubs tank discussion...
That site looks like a ghost town now, did people move somewhere else like GSOM? Or did it just die out after the Vox changes?
Looks like a combination. Some of the writers were going to split off and do their own thing but that never materialized. The guy who's supposed to be managing their blog (and SC/Cal/Stanfords?) is on paternity leave so other writers have been filling in
Jalen Green is doing pretty dang good. It seems at least as well as Ball did in AUS. And G-League might be comparable to NBL
If that is true we need to factor Justinian Jessup into our future.
Jessup played four years at Boise State, and is currently playing as well as Ball did straight out of high school. At this point he doesn't seem to have the same potential as Green.
Just a shooter probably. My comment was more about comparing the leagues than the players.
Speaking of Jessup (and since we're talking prospects in here), he played tonight against a team with an 18 year old Australian named Josh Giddey who put up a near triple double (2 assists shy). Never really seen him play except in highlights but he's a 6'8 PG who should be available in the teens, so he will presumably be in consideration for the Warriors with their own pick (unless they start tanking hard to get into the top 10, but maybe he'll end up top 10 as well).
I believe the knock on him is his shooting. Your PG needs to shoot, but at 6'8 I'm guessing he can play multiple positions and if he could pull off playing PF, it wouldn't matter as much. No clue about his defense.
Here's a video of him, the passing talent is obvious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCPydrfgVzw
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/josh-giddey-1.html Here are his stats, appears to rebound very well for a guard, but the shooting percentages are really ugly. So who knows. I'm also very intrigued by Franz Wagner regardless of his stinker against UCLA, another guy with great height.
One more, here are his highlights against Jessup's Hawks from this past game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtmmvDcGaak
Good take
I would rather us fight for the play in games and get real first round playoff experience then tank, our team needs to get back to winning habits
I’m sure everyone on the team agrees with you.
I sure do! IMO you can only develop guys so far by playing them in a loosing strategy/culture. They need to experience and see behaviors of winners and learn how to grind it out.
Obviously time on the court is important, but like all things this season, you walk this line between practical experience and being part of a winning team.
So how did Stephen develop then when the dubs were something like 60 games under .500 in his first three seasons?
This idea you can’t develop players in a losing culture is one I often see posited but never with any accompanying evidence. It strikes me as a “common sense” type take. People say it. Others agree. But no ones really examining it critically.
An SC Select:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNOpXh-F5DK/?igshid=13f2q8w3tvbkt
Checking out Suggs, Kispert in the UCLA-Gonzaga semifinals. Quite a game. Kispert threw down a surprise dunk in traffic.
Dear Eric Apricot,
I tried to tweet message you but it was restricted. Is the @EricApricot to be used in a general tweet that all 5 of my followers can see?
My newest question for the mail bag is the following:
Kerr referenced that they are still struggling to find good lineup combinations so deep into the season. We know that unusual sources have influenced lineups in as big a moment as the NBA finals, so who knows if fan sites might also be a source of extra eyes for regular season lineup combinations that the coaches might be too close to see.
Have you considered a lineup type voting tournament like the draft one (which seemed to actually come to a solid conclusion even if it was sadly ignored by the FO.)
Oubre has actually been consistently good in Draymond at the 5 lineups even without Curry. Wiggins, Draymond and Curry have supposedly killed it together without the other current starters on the floor. Etc.
Maybe the Warriors have a film room guy who subscribes to LGW and can set Kerr on to more effective lineup combinations with LGW’s help?
Only seen him twice, but not at all impressed by Kispert
Agree. Let's hope somebody in front of the Minny pick takes him over suggs
He is one of of the better players in this draft.
I disagree (based on what I’ve seen, which is limited). He was like the 6th best player on the floor last night. He wasn’t knock down, and really doesn’t do much of anything else besides shoot.
Look at the game logs for the season. Kispert is a consistent double figure scorer, good rebounder, and passer. Suggs doesn't even come close to Kispert's scoring %s.
Does a lot of good little things. But probably the quality (or lack) of his catch and shoot 3 pointer will separate him (or not) from Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Kispert just missed 1 of 2 late FTs though. UCLA’s Juzang and Campbell are going a little nuts with scrappy iso scoring down the stretch
Kispert with a gigantic catch and shoot 3 with 5 min to go.
Suggs showing some good defense, fighting through and around screens. There’s been a lot of motion offense so Suggs has not made much impact on O recently. Last drive was a charge.
4 min to go. Random ending coming.
Kispert with a huge steal. Then Suggs leaves Juzang to (over?)help and Juzang hits a massive 3 on the kick out.
Oooo Suggs responds with a big elbow fadeaway to tie. Just assume any scores from now are gigantomungous.
Then HOLY MACKERAL, Suggs with a block of an open dunk, a sweet bounce pass for a fast break dunk.
Juzang responds getting to the same baseline spot that got that near-dunk before. Kispert follows with an offensive rebound and put back. WOW.
Wow, one second left, Juzang called for a charge. OT.
Nobody's stopping Johnny J tonight. He can turn into James Harden.
The OT has been dominated by others, but that Suggs block into a bounce pass was an insanely gutsy confident play with 2 min left in a tie game
Tanking is a strategy that goes against everything an athlete and professional sports player has learned in his career and life. It is a form of cheating which Americans readily embrace as something 'creative' or 'justified' like cheating on your taxes. No one can convince me that players like Lebron and Curry are capable of this and will conspire to 'not execute' their games. Klay too, is a non cheater. Of course, the coach can always sit these players and 'construct' a strategy for tanking. Kerr doesn't really strike me as this kind of personality, either. So, I'm not buying into this.
I'm also not buying into this draft as being the answer to any of our problems that plague this team. Mobley might be the best choice of the top 5 but that will be an enormous stretch for the Warriors to select him if they get the chance. I see the best opportunity in trading out with teams that are desperate to add some future talent to their stagnant lineups and getting some key players that can fit into this system of Kerr's right away. There is some talent in the draft and if we cherry pick and really get lucky, we can bolster our team for the future. But contending for the championship next season? I don't see this happening at all. Playoffs, yes, but no cigar. Using Wiseman or whoever in a trade deal is very much on the table in my book.
You tank by sitting your best players.
A tactic that goes against everything in competitive sports. Again, this is a type of cheating that lawyers would argue over endlessly.
Hate to break it to you, but the Dubs are currently tanking. And, as noted below, the Dubs clearly tanked for HB. I remember watching the standings very closely that year — and routing for the tank.
Watching this Atlanta game, I see no evidence of tanking. I'm not saying some teams don't do it, but the Warriors are clearly not.
It may “go against everything” (whatever that means) but it happens all the time. The Warriors dynasty kicked into gear by tanking for Harrison Barnes. I actually kind of enjoyed that season. :-)
Pretty clear that all we need to do to tank is sit Steph. We are rich in potential tank commanders.
If the tank is on, just keep playing Oubre. His shooting percentages are abysmal. He’s athletic, but that’s about it. He has no bbiq. He’s as good as gone next year because he thinks he’s much better than he actually is. I had high hopes for him, but he hasn’t played well almost all season. I wish they traded him.
No tank on. Oubre doesn't fit the system mold that Kerr wants. We need another 3 point shooter with accuracy.
I wonder how he ranks in the league in getting his shot blocked in the paint. I bet it is pretty high
God bless, thanks for the distraction!
Really good draft resource: https://www.thestepien.com/
I’d hate to see a tank. I’d like to have watchable Dubs ball for the next few months, participation in play-in and maybe a shot at taking out a top seed in the first round. If the dubs sit Steph and Dray for long stretches I’ll be hard pressed to watch a lot of games.
Tony Jones from Utah said Utah fans mostly want to avoid Warriors in the first round. They have Steph Curry PTSD 😆
They can't possible be as bad as they were in the Toronto game and the first 12 minutes of that game were watchable even if you get the expected outcome when you field your G-league team to play an NBA game.
To be honest, I don't think you need to sit them much to do a mini-tank. Our guys are already 2.5 wins behind the eighth seed and I don't particular like our odds in two play-in games, one of which would be guaranteed to be a road game. Our roster evidently isn't good enough to go on long winning streaks, so just keep playing what you've got and lottery balls are sure to bounce.
They become a lot better when you put Draymond at center in place of Wiseman (and move Wiggins to the 4, Oubre to the 3, and perhaps Lee to the 2 for extra shooting) and when they play Curry heavy minutes. You don't want Draymond having to guard guys like Jonas Valanciunas night in and night out but for a single game elimination he can do it and do it very well. The only question is if Draymond will be going into the play-in game fresh or if the lack of a sturdy center rotation this season has worn him out.
No guarantees of anything in a single elimination format though, of course. Only takes one off Curry game or hot Doncic game and you might be cooked. But I'd definitely take the (healthy) Warriors over any of the Grizzlies, Spurs, or Mavericks in a 7 game series.
Heck, I still think a lineup of Curry-Oubre-Wiggins-[Otto Porter]-Green — with Loon, Lee, Baze, JTA, Poole as the core bench guys — has a non-zero chance of winning a title *this year.*
Not great, obviously, but not zero.
Stephen Curry is probably the best player in the NBA right now, and that’s a decent place to start.
Steph/Dray have not lost a playoff series without some insanely extenuating circumstance since 2014. They’re 20-2 in playoff series since then, and of course, the two losses were both complete bullshit.
This is very true... and our record with Curry and Dray on the court together THIS SEASON backs this up, even despite all the playing Wiseman as a starter, and all the other costly growing pains the team has been enduring this year.
I know this was a rough draft but I still felt like adding a few thoughts. I haven't necessarily watched that much of these guys either.
I think Suggs is a lot faster than Haliburton.
I think Wagner has more defensive potential than Gallinari.
I don't quite see Klay with Kispert, he seems more like a Joe Harris type to me.
I think Mobley has a better feel for the game defensively than Wiseman in addition to the passing.
Yeah Mobley certainly looked better when they played each other, but I'm not sure he will always be. Tough with 7 footers because unlike more regular sized players they don't get selected from the herd early if they lack skills. I didn't want Wiseman, but that was mostly a timeline issue, and not just because we have a 30 year old + core. Even more importantly I just think that the next five years will see more and more 'athletic' guys his size. It has long been rare to find people that big who move well. I think that is changing. Opportunity cost issue at base. To me, he seems like a future solid starter but maybe not the difference maker you want at #2.