Explain: Stephen Curry's big block beats Bucks (with some big shots)
Explain: Stephen Curry's big block beats Bucks (with some big shots)
No Giannis? Who cares, GSW needs every win it can get
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The Golden State Warriors pulled off a huge last minute comeback against the Giannis-less Milwaukee Bucks on 2023.03.11.MIL-GSW. We break down the plays down the stretch at the end of regulation time.
With Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, and Donte DiVincenzo. Also with Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Jevon Carter, Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles.
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Nice to see the Warriors get the job done against Milwaukee Saturday night. Hopefully they will continue the good play against the Suns tonight. I hope they win it all this year, but as an objective observer (ex-D1 player, HS\College assistant and head coach who did both jobs at both of those levels for more years than I can recall.) I believe that this is not their year. You can blame injuries, you can point at the Wiggins extended absence (which is looking more and more likely as one which will rob him of this season-which is unfortunate, but which also has been handled correctly by both the player and management, this team is not capable of sustaining periods of excellent play. The largest reason for this is the split in the locker room caused by the play and antics of Jordan Poole, and the diminished leadership role of Draymond Green caused by the incident where he punched Poole's lights out. Management made a huge mistake paying Poole out when they did. He is an offensive talent with much potential, but there is a legitimate question as to his 3 point shooting ability, he is a walking turnover, he is not even an average modern NBA player on the defensive end and he is more concerned about his personal stats than the team goals. Draymond knew this and while hitting in was not the appropriate pathway to making Poole understand, it did point out his considerable concern about the young man and the fact that he believed him to be a detriment with regard to the team culture. The Warriors have a decision to make after this season. If they want to drain everything they can from the Steph\Klay\Draymond\Looney championship oriented core, they need to move Poole. If they believe that Poole is the answer, they need to move Draymond. Lacob needs to defer, and just let the people running the club do their job. Poole is only happy when they win AND he has a big night. His Rick the Rapper persona is on full display then. Grinning and bouncing around. He plays no defense, unless you are a fan of his matador act, when other players cover for his man or the man he should have switched onto sailing through the heart of the defense unimpeded. He is not physically strong enough to bang really and he has no interest in building up his body or more importantly his psyche in order to impact the game in that fashion. He doesn't see the floor consistently, he does not understand what it means to give up a good shot or a horrible shot, in order to get a teammate a great shot. Every good coach has faced this dilemma. You have a kid who has talent, but is not coachable because he smiles in your face and nods and say's 'I got it coach.' Nothing is scarier than players who say that all the time. It means that they view the coach and team culture as something that does not affect them or matter with regard to how they view the game. Poole is arrogant and condescending with the press, especially with regard to the misogynistic way he answers questions from female reporters and analysts. He is simply not a fit for a championship team, and in my view he never will be. he shot well enough last season to be a good sixth man. But his turnovers and defense were more hidden when he played with the second team, against second tier talent. This season he has started too many games, and his weaknesses have been exposed. He is playing against the best guard or wing defensively and he is getting torched. He could improve if he were more humble, and aware and intuitive and self-critical. But he is who he is. The choice is clear. I think that with the right add ons the Warriors could win two or three titles in the coming years. But lets be clear. Steph and Draymond are wearing down. What used to be one or two games missed because of injuries, are becoming two to three weeks or a month. They are aging. Better bench support would extend their careers. Kuminga and Donte have been awesome. Payton is a Warrior both in terms of play and attitude. So are Kuminga and Donte. Poole is not. I think the time to rectify mistakes is as soon as they are recognized. They won't get much for Draymond unless he is traded to San Antonio or Sacramento or dare I say it the Knicks. Most teams don't know how to fit him into their system. They don't know how to utilize his exceptional basketball intelligence. Their defenses are not sophisticated enough to utilize Draymond's skills as the defensive leader AND centerfielder. Their guards want the ball in their hands so they can pound it up and down. I would hope that Steph and Klay and Draymond would finish their careers at Golden State. That probably will not happen. And that speaks to the modern game and the general level of basketball knowledge in front offices and owners suites across the modern NBA. They could get any pieces they need or want in exchange for Poole. Plus they dump his stupidly large salary. It would be a an easy call really. But Lacob has a huge ego and he believes that he understands the game. He doesn't even understand his own team. That is the tragedy of this season. They have had bad luck with injuries. But most of the damage is self inflicted. The player's begged him to give Payton a contract. He thought Poole was better. Poole and Payton don't even play the same game.
Okay, I’ve heard the sad hypothesis of locker room turmoil for the Wiggins lapse. I can’t believe it. A locker room where there are Curry, Iguodala, GP2 , with guys of Livingston’s and Myers’ moral gauge just outside the door, CANNOT be destroyed by a single incident.
Although much crueler for Wiggy, I stand on my initial hypothesis, that of a very serious illness of a very close familiar. We all know how an early age tumor can be quick and merciless, how a case of heavy autism can blow up the whole equilibrium of a family.
But then, why hide it?
What do ya think?