Well-done, Eric. You had me lmao, particularly the closing commentary. Seems GPII has the full repertoire, from head tapping to head scratching. Unstoppable....
I want to launch an official petition to GP2. Please, Gary, go to Cleveland for the SDC. You might not win, in the end, against Nureyevs like Aaron Gordon or beasts like Ant man, but you’d be the nicest and the funniest and we’d all love it. Please dudes, subscribe.
I seem to have developed a Pavlovian response to the E1P theme music. As soon as I hear “dum dum dum dum boo dee boo dee” I go straight to my happy place.
Also GP2’s head scratch is both hilarious and hella disrespectful (and I’m here for it).
By the way I noticed Kuminga did not scratch his head after windmill dunking the whole Dallas D. Three hypothesis: 1. He looks so good when wide smiling, let’s keep that. 2. The blast wave threw around all defenders. 3. The head scratching might be interpreted as ‘ow! I slammed against the rim’
I drove through Indiana recently. I can confirm that it's a place with people. Presumably some of them root for the Pacers, although I did not actually confirm as much.
Moving to Ohio recently I have learned that there are people here who non-ironically root for the Browns! (Also others who non-ironically root for the Bengals, but this year that actually makes a bit more sense).
Next summer I'll likely be driving through Oklahoma. I'll keep my eye out to see if Thunder fans are a thing, but I have a feeling I might just find a bunch of cupcakes.
You're doing God's work, excellent research out there. But no need to check on Oklahoma -- I've seen some of those Warrior games in OKC when they were good and the place was nuts. I've never seen a Pacer game like that, probably because they've never been any good. Well, they were in the Reggie Miller era, but I can't say I remember what the fans were like. -- Royally, Asher B.
Excellent breakdown Eric. I tap my head to you. No, not in that way. In the other way. Actually in the third way, the Poole Solidarity Head Tap. I do wonder about GPII and his role in the offense. As broken down, he's being asked to play a traditional center role quite a bit -- hang out in the dunker's spot and cut to the basket to finish. And it's interesting to see him being asked in the head tap play to be a guard, to locate beyond the arc and play a ball movement player movement game. I think he's having a bit of trouble learning to play both roles, which is understandable, but so is Steph's frustration, because it's not like the Warrior playbook is NFL-sized. How many specific plays like Head Tap are there, really? Actual question. Ten? Twenty?
I’d guess there are about 10-15 sets which have options and counters within the set. It’s been remarked by scouts that GSW has way fewer set plays than other teams and a lot of the plays are improv around known chunks of actions
Hey, I think this might have been one of the most informative E1Ps ever. By showing the way the play was supposed to work and then contrasting that with an example of when it broke down, I felt like I learned something extra. In addition I had a couple thoughts/takeaways while watching it:
1) This is why I love to watch the warriors so much. Most of their play requires all 5 guys to get everything right and it just looks so amazing when it works.
(1b this is also why some fans get frustrated and start calling for more pick and roll action when the offense isn't running smoothly, because they both don't understand how beautiful the full 5 variable motion offense is and can only think to fix it by something comprehensible in 2 variables)
2) This is why Kerr plays JTA/Lee a lot over Wiseman/Kuminga/GP2/Moody. Not because he necessarily thinks they are better individually, but because they know where to be and how to run the play and that good execution is often more important than good athleticism. Corollary: that is why Draymond and, to a lesser extent, Looney/Bogut/Old Andre type players are so valuable to the warriors (and often get undervalued) because they all, Dray in particular, are high BBIQ players who know how to work together to make the 5 variable offense greater than the sum of it's parts.
Fabulous videos and analysis as always. But on the Indiana play that Steph's furious about, from the video it looks like GP2 has his back to Steph as Steph is tapping his head to call the play. So if there was no audible call too that might explain GP2's failure to execute.
I kinda love that the Warriors are such team oriented smack “talkers.” The wiping the floor celebration, the dunk and three support. All of it has to be so infuriating to go up against that the other teams always seem to play harder against the Warriors.
As Bills Simmons said, “The FU Warriors are back” and they are willing to bring the college level defensive effort pretty much every night.
Some like to attribute opposing teams playing harder to payback for the championship years, but can we really ignore the bench activity and the team celebrations on court right in your face? All we need is Curry getting back to the opponent bench stare down while the ball is still in the air to really amp up the opponent energy.
Because I know Klay is a devoted subscriber/reader of DubNationHQ, I respectfully submit a recommendation celebration. When he hits one of his unconscious zones (min 3+ threes in a row) he pulls out the "Sea Captain" where his left fist is extended palm down (slight left to right motion), while his right fist is then thrusted forward signaling full throttle. Just a thought. Aye Aye!
I thought it was an obvious tech the moment I saw it. You dunked the ball Gary, run back on D. Or maybe hawk the inbounds. I hate this celebration machismo stuff. Maybe I'm salty after a weekend of football where every first down someone acts like he just discovered uranium. Some coach some time long ago I forget who said "If you ever get in the end zone, act like you've been there before," and I wish GPII would just do that. Steph celebrates like a maniac sometimes, and I love it, but the key is: not into someone's face (that I can remember).
I generally do too. The screaming, flexing, chest pounding, and mean-mugging is silly. This one felt more like GP2 doing his usual head scratch and Goga decided to lock eye contact... GP2 looks like he almost wants to smile... nothing intimidating. But Goga turned serious and made it to be more than it really was.
That empty nester grumpiness is showing yet again! ;D
All the excess celebration stuff used to bug me, too. Then I personally came to the conclusion "eh, it's just a game and they're just having fun. Not my thing, but if that's what makes them happy, whatever." Of course, I don't include taunting in this, as that's not cool. But I dunno... I hardly consider GPII looking at the other guy and scratching his head to really be considered taunting. I see much worse in the NBA all the time with no such response. If that has been LeBron rather than Gary would he have gotten a tech? Maybe, but I kind of doubt it.
LeBron often stares down on opponents (usually smaller than him) that he has dunked on and flexes his arm muscles or assumes his ape-like position, and he never gets a tech.
Taunting is against the rules, and admittedly it's pretty subjective what deserves a tech, but I think we all agree GP2 was rubbing in the fact that he just embarrassed Bitadze. It's no worse than Richard Jefferson getting a tech for just glaring at a dude.
Might be no worse, but certainly doesn't mean either are justified. I mean, Duncan got ejected once for laughing while sitting on the bench! I get the ref in this case was just trying to keep the peace, but it certainly doesn't seem like both parties involved here were equally demonstrative, even though the punishments were the same.
Yes, I know the other dude got ejected because it was his second tech, but the penalty was still just one T. Not that I think he deserved more than he got, just that I don't think GPII's actions meet that level.
GP2 was absolutely taunting. I mean, if Bitzade doesn't respond, maybe they don't call it, but if they're giving Bitzade a tech, they have to give one to the taunter too.
Taunting often begets an escalated response, which can easily spiral into something the league doesn't want to be associated with. The league is trying to stop it before it starts.
This is a good illustration of the fact that plus-minus, like all stats, is only a partial picture. By any eye test, it's a fine list of players, so it seems like the stat is confirming what we suspect and providing something useful. But then again, by this list alone, one would imagine that George Hill is having a better year than say Jokic or Giannis. Not only the eye test but just about every other stat would say that Hill is not half the player they are. So I'm not here to dispute the notion that Steph continues to be a superstar, but also asterisking the evidence.
Pretty sure no one would “imagine that Hill is having a better year than say Jokic and Giannis” based on this info alone. It’s a single piece of data that I think readers here are smart enough to contextualize without need for asterisks.
It's also a good reminder that people attribute too much of Curry's greatness to only his shooting, and that Curry shooting 37% from three on 13 attempts a game might be bad for him but it's still great for anyone else.
Well-done, Eric. You had me lmao, particularly the closing commentary. Seems GPII has the full repertoire, from head tapping to head scratching. Unstoppable....
I want to launch an official petition to GP2. Please, Gary, go to Cleveland for the SDC. You might not win, in the end, against Nureyevs like Aaron Gordon or beasts like Ant man, but you’d be the nicest and the funniest and we’d all love it. Please dudes, subscribe.
Make sure and stay to the ’Wilson tattooed on your forehead’ conclusion, lol. Dead
I seem to have developed a Pavlovian response to the E1P theme music. As soon as I hear “dum dum dum dum boo dee boo dee” I go straight to my happy place.
Also GP2’s head scratch is both hilarious and hella disrespectful (and I’m here for it).
By the way I noticed Kuminga did not scratch his head after windmill dunking the whole Dallas D. Three hypothesis: 1. He looks so good when wide smiling, let’s keep that. 2. The blast wave threw around all defenders. 3. The head scratching might be interpreted as ‘ow! I slammed against the rim’
That smile was pretty great. It looked almost like he realized for the first time that he was in the NBA.
“Sorry, was that your cranium I tattooed with Wilson logo?” Hahahahahahaha snort can’t give up laughing
If I was a Pacers fan, that double head scratch celebration would make me head butt GPII on my own computer screen.
ARE there Pacers fans though? Is that a thing?
I drove through Indiana recently. I can confirm that it's a place with people. Presumably some of them root for the Pacers, although I did not actually confirm as much.
Moving to Ohio recently I have learned that there are people here who non-ironically root for the Browns! (Also others who non-ironically root for the Bengals, but this year that actually makes a bit more sense).
Next summer I'll likely be driving through Oklahoma. I'll keep my eye out to see if Thunder fans are a thing, but I have a feeling I might just find a bunch of cupcakes.
Mmmm... cupcakes with snake sprinkles are the best.
You're doing God's work, excellent research out there. But no need to check on Oklahoma -- I've seen some of those Warrior games in OKC when they were good and the place was nuts. I've never seen a Pacer game like that, probably because they've never been any good. Well, they were in the Reggie Miller era, but I can't say I remember what the fans were like. -- Royally, Asher B.
My understanding is Indiana is basketball crazy, but more for high school and some Indiana U. Pacers have fan loyalty but not intensity.
I *think* one of the problems with the Pacers play that Steph got mad about is that GP2 was looking away and didn't see the play call.
Excellent breakdown Eric. I tap my head to you. No, not in that way. In the other way. Actually in the third way, the Poole Solidarity Head Tap. I do wonder about GPII and his role in the offense. As broken down, he's being asked to play a traditional center role quite a bit -- hang out in the dunker's spot and cut to the basket to finish. And it's interesting to see him being asked in the head tap play to be a guard, to locate beyond the arc and play a ball movement player movement game. I think he's having a bit of trouble learning to play both roles, which is understandable, but so is Steph's frustration, because it's not like the Warrior playbook is NFL-sized. How many specific plays like Head Tap are there, really? Actual question. Ten? Twenty?
I’d guess there are about 10-15 sets which have options and counters within the set. It’s been remarked by scouts that GSW has way fewer set plays than other teams and a lot of the plays are improv around known chunks of actions
Thanks -- I feel really good about my guess. But it's also harder on you, you have less obvious stuff to break down.
Haha, no way, the GSW offense is by far the most fun one to analyze and watch!
Hey, I think this might have been one of the most informative E1Ps ever. By showing the way the play was supposed to work and then contrasting that with an example of when it broke down, I felt like I learned something extra. In addition I had a couple thoughts/takeaways while watching it:
1) This is why I love to watch the warriors so much. Most of their play requires all 5 guys to get everything right and it just looks so amazing when it works.
(1b this is also why some fans get frustrated and start calling for more pick and roll action when the offense isn't running smoothly, because they both don't understand how beautiful the full 5 variable motion offense is and can only think to fix it by something comprehensible in 2 variables)
2) This is why Kerr plays JTA/Lee a lot over Wiseman/Kuminga/GP2/Moody. Not because he necessarily thinks they are better individually, but because they know where to be and how to run the play and that good execution is often more important than good athleticism. Corollary: that is why Draymond and, to a lesser extent, Looney/Bogut/Old Andre type players are so valuable to the warriors (and often get undervalued) because they all, Dray in particular, are high BBIQ players who know how to work together to make the 5 variable offense greater than the sum of it's parts.
Fabulous videos and analysis as always. But on the Indiana play that Steph's furious about, from the video it looks like GP2 has his back to Steph as Steph is tapping his head to call the play. So if there was no audible call too that might explain GP2's failure to execute.
Well that's probably also a failing on GP2 for not looking to Curry to know what play they're running.
I kinda love that the Warriors are such team oriented smack “talkers.” The wiping the floor celebration, the dunk and three support. All of it has to be so infuriating to go up against that the other teams always seem to play harder against the Warriors.
As Bills Simmons said, “The FU Warriors are back” and they are willing to bring the college level defensive effort pretty much every night.
Some like to attribute opposing teams playing harder to payback for the championship years, but can we really ignore the bench activity and the team celebrations on court right in your face? All we need is Curry getting back to the opponent bench stare down while the ball is still in the air to really amp up the opponent energy.
Bring it!
Because I know Klay is a devoted subscriber/reader of DubNationHQ, I respectfully submit a recommendation celebration. When he hits one of his unconscious zones (min 3+ threes in a row) he pulls out the "Sea Captain" where his left fist is extended palm down (slight left to right motion), while his right fist is then thrusted forward signaling full throttle. Just a thought. Aye Aye!
That double tech still doesn't make any sense to me. Are you not allowed to look at people and scratch your head?
I thought it was an obvious tech the moment I saw it. You dunked the ball Gary, run back on D. Or maybe hawk the inbounds. I hate this celebration machismo stuff. Maybe I'm salty after a weekend of football where every first down someone acts like he just discovered uranium. Some coach some time long ago I forget who said "If you ever get in the end zone, act like you've been there before," and I wish GPII would just do that. Steph celebrates like a maniac sometimes, and I love it, but the key is: not into someone's face (that I can remember).
Are you impartial to the Kelly Oubre Jr chefs kiss?
He earned himself a tech for that last season! Lol
> I hate this celebration machismo stuff.
I generally do too. The screaming, flexing, chest pounding, and mean-mugging is silly. This one felt more like GP2 doing his usual head scratch and Goga decided to lock eye contact... GP2 looks like he almost wants to smile... nothing intimidating. But Goga turned serious and made it to be more than it really was.
That empty nester grumpiness is showing yet again! ;D
All the excess celebration stuff used to bug me, too. Then I personally came to the conclusion "eh, it's just a game and they're just having fun. Not my thing, but if that's what makes them happy, whatever." Of course, I don't include taunting in this, as that's not cool. But I dunno... I hardly consider GPII looking at the other guy and scratching his head to really be considered taunting. I see much worse in the NBA all the time with no such response. If that has been LeBron rather than Gary would he have gotten a tech? Maybe, but I kind of doubt it.
LeBron often stares down on opponents (usually smaller than him) that he has dunked on and flexes his arm muscles or assumes his ape-like position, and he never gets a tech.
The double T was a head scratcher for sure
ISWYDT lol.
Taunting is against the rules, and admittedly it's pretty subjective what deserves a tech, but I think we all agree GP2 was rubbing in the fact that he just embarrassed Bitadze. It's no worse than Richard Jefferson getting a tech for just glaring at a dude.
Might be no worse, but certainly doesn't mean either are justified. I mean, Duncan got ejected once for laughing while sitting on the bench! I get the ref in this case was just trying to keep the peace, but it certainly doesn't seem like both parties involved here were equally demonstrative, even though the punishments were the same.
Yes, I know the other dude got ejected because it was his second tech, but the penalty was still just one T. Not that I think he deserved more than he got, just that I don't think GPII's actions meet that level.
GP2 was absolutely taunting. I mean, if Bitzade doesn't respond, maybe they don't call it, but if they're giving Bitzade a tech, they have to give one to the taunter too.
Taunting often begets an escalated response, which can easily spiral into something the league doesn't want to be associated with. The league is trying to stop it before it starts.
I would argue that Jefferson foul was also total BS, and I am far from an RJ fan. I disagree with the standards around taunting, though.
I'm trying not to obsess about it, but that was a terrible call that arguably cost us the game. Terrible.
Even while Steph is figuring out the shooting, he's still practically lapping the field in terms of impact on the scoreboard. Season plus-minus:
1. Steph Curry +439
2. Rudy Gobert +344
3. George Hill +323
4. Mike Conley +318
5. Darius Garland +312
6. Mikal Bridges +307
7. Chris Paul +305
8. Nikola Jokic +288
9. Giannis Antetokounmpo +256
10. Jrue Holiday +251
Note that Steph and Jokic are also the only two without a teammate in the top 10 (though Wiggs, Poole, Porter, and Green are all in the Top 25).
This is a good illustration of the fact that plus-minus, like all stats, is only a partial picture. By any eye test, it's a fine list of players, so it seems like the stat is confirming what we suspect and providing something useful. But then again, by this list alone, one would imagine that George Hill is having a better year than say Jokic or Giannis. Not only the eye test but just about every other stat would say that Hill is not half the player they are. So I'm not here to dispute the notion that Steph continues to be a superstar, but also asterisking the evidence.
Pretty sure no one would “imagine that Hill is having a better year than say Jokic and Giannis” based on this info alone. It’s a single piece of data that I think readers here are smart enough to contextualize without need for asterisks.
Of course, agreed. I'm just talking about the limitations of stats. Do you say "Dayta" or "Dahta?" I never know which one is right.
Hmm 🤔 depends if you’re referring to the Star Trek character. Then it’s clear cut!
It's also a good reminder that people attribute too much of Curry's greatness to only his shooting, and that Curry shooting 37% from three on 13 attempts a game might be bad for him but it's still great for anyone else.
I dunno, I think Curry has lost it and teams can start leaving him wide open now. 😜
Comparison point: James Harden has not shot above 37% from three since 2014-15
1) hey! Wiggs + Poole + Porter + Green + Steph is 5 people, and that's a whole lineup!
2) I always had my doubts about Gobert, but maybe I'm being too hard on him in light of his +344?
3) Suns are tough >.<
So... Jokic to the Warriors then?
Depends on who we give up. Bjelica I'd part with because they play the same position, so Jokic would make Bjeli a bit redundant. Who else?