Loved the E1P - it brought a simile to my face. Also, what brought another smile to my face tonight, as I was rewatching last nights game was the fact that I actually saw Jordan Poole finally bring out his great smile. This was right as he was laying on the ground, falling after making a drive to the basket and twisted around to make that assist to Klay, who hit a 3! Lets hope, things get rolling more consistently with him now!
In some sports like figure skating they named the moves after the athletes who came up with them first (eg the Rittberger). So what’s a Curry? Or a Steph?
I think Eric's right, it's the look-away turnaround 3 where Steph knows it's going in, and he's already headed back down the court or trash-talking the other team's bench while the ball's still in the air.
The "chris paul" ankle breaker play - where he moves one way then another, then goes behind the back in a direction opposite to the defender, breaks ankle, and hits a 2 or 3 pointer.
When Curry appears to stumble in traffic, keeps his dribble alive while getting up off the ground, hoists what looks like a prayer as he rises that swishes down the center of the hoop. I've never seen another player do it, and I've seen Steph do it many times.
The one-legged Dirk-style three from the hashmark not long ago might need some sort of Curry moniker too.
An open corner three in front of the opponent's bench with Steph turning to the bench and talking trash immediately after launching the shot while on his way back down court.
5 Observations on Anthony Slater's 5 Observations on the Dubs victory over the Jazz.
1. Steph. Slater notices that Steph is putting up numbers as good or perhaps better than his UMVP year. I noticed that Slater noticed, and gave him a nice friendly pat on the back. Yea, Steph, he's a magician.
2. Klay. Klay dropped 4 three pointers in the late 3rd quarter, elevating the Dubs lead to 11 over 201 beautiful seconds. That's what I call strength in numbers!
3. Slater gives some nice views into the Dray - Poole high pick and roll action in the so-called 'second unit'. I agree - as much as the starters are the drivers of the Warriors' success this year, the second unit has to take the wheel and keep the train on course - or drive it off a cliff.
4. The defense has gone from bad (first 10 games) to middling (second 10 games). Good progress. I'm noticing a lot more stops/blocks/delays on defense, and last night that turned into lots of delightful fast break points.
5. Slater shared Dray's long monologue about the development of the young guys. In essence, lottery guys on other teams get more play because their teams "suck". The Warriors are a different situation of course, so the young guys are going to have a different development progress. As much as I want to agree with Dray, I've learned that the right thing to do (based on my DNHQ education) is to shitcan the young guys and bring in more vets! More vets! No kids!
Also a reminder that they do a Black Friday deal where you can get it for a dollar a month for a year. 12$ a year is worth it imo, based on my experience.
Damion Lee? Aw c'mon, stop that. He was a good Warrior and a decent role player but he is not in the conversation when it comes to top wings. He's a few levels down at least.
Maybe Wiggins is the best for a guy that is going to be making a mere $25m/year over the next 4 years. Wiggins salary this year is right up with the top small forwards, but his new deal makes him look like an incredible bargain when a max salary is pushing $50m/year
Bridges is probably a better offball defender, but yea he definitely had more trouble dealing with Luka's strength than Wiggs
As far as offense, I'd say Bridges is a much better passer but not as capable of an off the dribble shooter (though Wiggs probably shouldnt take many of those anyway)
1. It is very early in the season and this would be by far his most efficient mark ever, so let's wait and see if he sustains even 58-59% TS (which would be a career best for him).
2. He does it on comparatively lower volume than all the guys you mentioned.
3. Most importantly, you are comparing guys who are the primary shot-creators and have all of the attention of the defense on them to a guy who is the 2nd/3rd/4th primary scorer (depending on the night). And the primary scorer on the team is Steph Curry who has been known to attract a lot of attention.
If any of the guys you mentioned got the looks Wiggs does for us, they'd be a lot more efficient. And of course our 2nd unit wouldn't be quite as bad (I believe we play like a <10 win team without Steph on the court this season, in part because we don't generate good shots at all without him).
Bonus: I don't have the exact numbers on hand, but over the course of his Warriors career Wiggins has had really good efficiency with Steph and really bad efficiency without Steph.
This is not meant to disparage Wiggins at all (I think he is having an all-star calibre season), it is just that you are comparing one of the best 3 and D players in the league (him, Mikal and OG in whatever order are the top 3 imo) to proper stars/superstars.
Depends on the definition of wing, but he's balling. The whole "Kawhi when healthy" thing I understand, but at this point I think of as "too many years of waiting."
I'd rather have, as a guy on my team, Wiggins than Butler, Booker, or Levine.
But I'd rather have Paul George, KD, and certainly Tatum or Giannis, if counted
I don't know if SBNation article knows all, but here's their list. They have LeBron at 1, which needs some consideration, he's had a bit of a career. They also like DeRozan and Middleton above Wiggins which I contest heartily.
Oh and to my mind Jerami Grant has vaulted himself several spots since the posting of this list, at the outset of the season.
Nov 26, 2022·edited Nov 26, 2022Liked by Eric Apricot
1. I've heard the expression that the give and go (for a layup) is the oldest play in basketball. It seems like the give and go to relocate is one of the newest, with Steph being the premier artiste. Is it that new, or is he just making it famous?
2. Anthony Lamb's celebration is much like his on-court game. It's solid, it's appropriate, it's heartfelt, but it's not quite how the Warriors do it. I have no doubt that in time it will come on board.
3. I would have to say that at least four times in the video clip, Jordan Poole **CARRIED***
Nov 26, 2022Liked by Eric Apricot, punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
So I went to the Sea Dubs game last night. I think I will add some thoughts about what I saw, but first I wanted to let y’all know I met Trevion Williams after the game and got a picture of him with my daughter. He was a really nice guy. I told him that I love the way he plays basketball. That he reminds me of the joy I had watching Arvydas and Vlade. I also, leaned in and told him I was a member of the “Trevion Army” who pushed hard for him to come to the Warriors. He laughed and said he appreciates the love. Last thing I told him was to be patient, he is a perfect fit for this team and his time will come. During the game he had some of his passing wizardry and also nailed a top of the key three. His touch around the rim was suspect but he is such an interesting player.
So, to the rest of the “Trevion Army” just know he is aware of us. Stay strong all.
P.S. They gave out replica championship rings. These things are pretty damn cool. My wife is panicking because she thinks I may never take it off.
I love this. Next time you talk to Trevion, tell him to work on his defense. That's what they're waiting on.
Great story about the replica rings. Just checking: You didn't put it on /instead/ of your wedding ring, did you? If not, who cares if you ever take it off? LOL
Loved the E1P - it brought a simile to my face. Also, what brought another smile to my face tonight, as I was rewatching last nights game was the fact that I actually saw Jordan Poole finally bring out his great smile. This was right as he was laying on the ground, falling after making a drive to the basket and twisted around to make that assist to Klay, who hit a 3! Lets hope, things get rolling more consistently with him now!
I noted that smile too! He was definitely having fun. Yay!
In some sports like figure skating they named the moves after the athletes who came up with them first (eg the Rittberger). So what’s a Curry? Or a Steph?
At this point I think any and every 3 pointer should be known as a Steph.
That's not fair to Klay.
I think Eric's right, it's the look-away turnaround 3 where Steph knows it's going in, and he's already headed back down the court or trash-talking the other team's bench while the ball's still in the air.
The "chris paul" ankle breaker play - where he moves one way then another, then goes behind the back in a direction opposite to the defender, breaks ankle, and hits a 2 or 3 pointer.
When Curry appears to stumble in traffic, keeps his dribble alive while getting up off the ground, hoists what looks like a prayer as he rises that swishes down the center of the hoop. I've never seen another player do it, and I've seen Steph do it many times.
The one-legged Dirk-style three from the hashmark not long ago might need some sort of Curry moniker too.
The look-away turnaround is going to be known as a Steph and it basically already is referred to as that.
The logo shots often have announcers saying the player “thought he was Curry”.
An open corner three in front of the opponent's bench with Steph turning to the bench and talking trash immediately after launching the shot while on his way back down court.
Audacious pull-up logo 3's.
5 Observations on Anthony Slater's 5 Observations on the Dubs victory over the Jazz.
1. Steph. Slater notices that Steph is putting up numbers as good or perhaps better than his UMVP year. I noticed that Slater noticed, and gave him a nice friendly pat on the back. Yea, Steph, he's a magician.
2. Klay. Klay dropped 4 three pointers in the late 3rd quarter, elevating the Dubs lead to 11 over 201 beautiful seconds. That's what I call strength in numbers!
3. Slater gives some nice views into the Dray - Poole high pick and roll action in the so-called 'second unit'. I agree - as much as the starters are the drivers of the Warriors' success this year, the second unit has to take the wheel and keep the train on course - or drive it off a cliff.
4. The defense has gone from bad (first 10 games) to middling (second 10 games). Good progress. I'm noticing a lot more stops/blocks/delays on defense, and last night that turned into lots of delightful fast break points.
5. Slater shared Dray's long monologue about the development of the young guys. In essence, lottery guys on other teams get more play because their teams "suck". The Warriors are a different situation of course, so the young guys are going to have a different development progress. As much as I want to agree with Dray, I've learned that the right thing to do (based on my DNHQ education) is to shitcan the young guys and bring in more vets! More vets! No kids!
https://theathletic.com/3936989/2022/11/26/warriors-beat-jazz/
Also a reminder that they do a Black Friday deal where you can get it for a dollar a month for a year. 12$ a year is worth it imo, based on my experience.
EDIT: "They" meaning The Athletic.
I'm leveraging my post in the previous thread:
Wiggins TS is 60.9% on 14 attempts a game and he's our best on ball defender.
In other words, he's pretty close to perfect as a 3 and D player.
Who, besides him, is really in that kind of rarified air?
Kawhi (when healthy)
Paul George
Jimmy Butler
Most of the other topflight wings (Booker, Levine, KD maybe) fall out of the conversation because their defense is just adequate.
Am I missing anyone?
Derrick White if you consider him a wing, Bridges, if Butler qualifies then so does Shai... Damion Lee.
Damion Lee? Aw c'mon, stop that. He was a good Warrior and a decent role player but he is not in the conversation when it comes to top wings. He's a few levels down at least.
Tworingtest didn’t say top wings, they said “close to perfect 3 and D” and implied that they were talking about this year with the TS%
Well, this year DLee is rated as good or better than Wiggs defensively by raptor/bpm/epm, and has a better TS% and 3pt%
PS Brandon Ingram has entered the chat
nvm. Stupid post. As the comments below say, I was forgetting about a whole bunch of better/as good players.
Maybe Wiggins is the best for a guy that is going to be making a mere $25m/year over the next 4 years. Wiggins salary this year is right up with the top small forwards, but his new deal makes him look like an incredible bargain when a max salary is pushing $50m/year
Mikal Bridges is similar to Wiggs, imo
I feel like wiggins is much better defensively due to strength and maybe a little more versatile offensively
Bridges is probably a better offball defender, but yea he definitely had more trouble dealing with Luka's strength than Wiggs
As far as offense, I'd say Bridges is a much better passer but not as capable of an off the dribble shooter (though Wiggs probably shouldnt take many of those anyway)
A few things:
1. It is very early in the season and this would be by far his most efficient mark ever, so let's wait and see if he sustains even 58-59% TS (which would be a career best for him).
2. He does it on comparatively lower volume than all the guys you mentioned.
3. Most importantly, you are comparing guys who are the primary shot-creators and have all of the attention of the defense on them to a guy who is the 2nd/3rd/4th primary scorer (depending on the night). And the primary scorer on the team is Steph Curry who has been known to attract a lot of attention.
If any of the guys you mentioned got the looks Wiggs does for us, they'd be a lot more efficient. And of course our 2nd unit wouldn't be quite as bad (I believe we play like a <10 win team without Steph on the court this season, in part because we don't generate good shots at all without him).
Bonus: I don't have the exact numbers on hand, but over the course of his Warriors career Wiggins has had really good efficiency with Steph and really bad efficiency without Steph.
This is not meant to disparage Wiggins at all (I think he is having an all-star calibre season), it is just that you are comparing one of the best 3 and D players in the league (him, Mikal and OG in whatever order are the top 3 imo) to proper stars/superstars.
Depends on the definition of wing, but he's balling. The whole "Kawhi when healthy" thing I understand, but at this point I think of as "too many years of waiting."
I'd rather have, as a guy on my team, Wiggins than Butler, Booker, or Levine.
But I'd rather have Paul George, KD, and certainly Tatum or Giannis, if counted
I don't know if SBNation article knows all, but here's their list. They have LeBron at 1, which needs some consideration, he's had a bit of a career. They also like DeRozan and Middleton above Wiggins which I contest heartily.
Oh and to my mind Jerami Grant has vaulted himself several spots since the posting of this list, at the outset of the season.
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2022/10/12/23379192/nba-player-rankings-wings-forwards-lebron-durant-kawhi-tatum
Tatum’s better than all those guys (including Wiggs, incredible as Wiggs is).
Plus of course Giannis, depending on whether you consider him a wing.
Ah, yes, forgot about Tatum and Brown.
1. I've heard the expression that the give and go (for a layup) is the oldest play in basketball. It seems like the give and go to relocate is one of the newest, with Steph being the premier artiste. Is it that new, or is he just making it famous?
2. Anthony Lamb's celebration is much like his on-court game. It's solid, it's appropriate, it's heartfelt, but it's not quite how the Warriors do it. I have no doubt that in time it will come on board.
3. I would have to say that at least four times in the video clip, Jordan Poole **CARRIED***
the team.
All hail the return of Explain One Bench Celebration.
Copying a comment from the game thread:
Abaddon
12 hr ago
Worth remembering these units have not had a lot of time together yet. Timely passing etc takes some time to build good chemistry
After watching E1P: change etc to “running the play correctly, …”
Love this angle of the Steph layup: https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1596393133335404544. Has a bit of the bench celebration at the end.
I love that the camera person panned over to the bench. Hilarious!
Bruce Fraser with that look...
Oh yea: Follow the Bouncing Lamb. Love it!
Great clip.
Markkanen fouls Steph three times on his way to the basket. Steph counters with his mouth guard dangling from his lips.
Eric,
They need to add a 'bench celebration vertical leap' metric to the combine. Can you write them a memo?
So I went to the Sea Dubs game last night. I think I will add some thoughts about what I saw, but first I wanted to let y’all know I met Trevion Williams after the game and got a picture of him with my daughter. He was a really nice guy. I told him that I love the way he plays basketball. That he reminds me of the joy I had watching Arvydas and Vlade. I also, leaned in and told him I was a member of the “Trevion Army” who pushed hard for him to come to the Warriors. He laughed and said he appreciates the love. Last thing I told him was to be patient, he is a perfect fit for this team and his time will come. During the game he had some of his passing wizardry and also nailed a top of the key three. His touch around the rim was suspect but he is such an interesting player.
So, to the rest of the “Trevion Army” just know he is aware of us. Stay strong all.
P.S. They gave out replica championship rings. These things are pretty damn cool. My wife is panicking because she thinks I may never take it off.
hey so, why are they called the seadubs? Is it like Santa Cruz Warriors --> SCW --> ...? CW --> sea dub?
No like Sea as in Monterey Bay.
I love this. Next time you talk to Trevion, tell him to work on his defense. That's what they're waiting on.
Great story about the replica rings. Just checking: You didn't put it on /instead/ of your wedding ring, did you? If not, who cares if you ever take it off? LOL
Better yet, have your daughter tell him to work on his defense! 😊
"I think I will add some thoughts about what I saw".... So, what about the game and our SC guys?
https://youtu.be/4cz9L6nRfVU?t=5485
Bruh i've been to like ten SC Warrior games. I work above the retail/sales office and hang out with them sometimes. Never. Met. One. Player.
What am I to them, some kind of Laker fan? What is this hate? How can I repair this would-be relationship? Because I'm sick with envy.
Sir, look within yourself. Consider consulting a therapist. Oh wait, you are one.
OTOH, rent a cute little kid.
I totally need grandkids that's the TICKET
The key was FAF bringing his daughter. Trev can't say no to that
TREVION ARMY SALUTES YOU