Game 12. DEN 114, GSW 104. Entire team looks winded; Steph throws 35 points to the wind
Game 12. DEN 114, GSW 104. Entire team looks winded; Steph throws 35 points to the wind
High altitude? Ennui? Who can say
Frankly, I’m just hoping the team can hover around .500 until the All-Star Break and then make a push.
In-Game Notes
I could only peek into the first quarter for a few plays here and there, but every one made me slap my forehead
DEN letting GSW hang around... dangerous choice
GSW is not great about finding Wiseman when he’s got a small sealed
Wow I’ve never seen someone reverse dunk without jumping. Jokic below the rim above the rim
I’m glad Paschall didn’t try any of this little handoff passes to Wiseman under the basket. GSW is 0-for-the-season on those.
Hey they called a cheap ass moving screen on the opponent.
Interesting twist on Motion Weak PNR at 2.4.00.
Oubre nearly threw the ball in through the front rim. I’ll need a force diagram on that one
Have to watch tape, but a lot of those passes look telegraphed and picked off.
Gaaaaaah. I tell you, zero internal wraparound passes have gotten to Wiseman. ZERO. STOP.
eyes cramping from the eyerolls. GSW lucky to be down 11. But if DEN keeps letting GSW hang around, they can play a LOT better than this, without even playing smarter
Wiseman follows two eye rolling plays with one eye popping play. Probably worth for entertainment value but not great for winning
Bol isos Steph. Somehow Steph wins despite being 2 feet shorter
Wiseman seems to do better when he nails someone with the screen instead of slipping. He never seems open on the slip or ready to catch.
Warriors probably lead the league in blocks rocketing off the backboard at > 40 mph
Dray + COVID + high altitude = trouble? Yes a natural conjecture
What what what on the Steph throwaway logo 3
Damion breaks up the 3 on 1!
DEN should be up by 20, but they have bailed out GSW with some crap shot selection
Q3.3.30. I like that fake handoff into a DHO to Steph.
Well, kind of hurts to be completely outwitted every possession, but the effort is there. Looks like everyone’s running on fumes though
Nice pass from Wana to Baze
DEN *really* letting GSW hang around
yes the bench has been a real nice surprise
DEN messing around by going small against the Baby Muppets
Not going to give full player grades for this game, which I only just got around to watching earlier today, but my impressions:
- The defense early on was getting roasted by cuts and drives. There were a bunch of ones that should not have been that easy, but I couldn't pinpoint why seemingly everyone was getting beat. Sometimes the shots were contested but Denver made all the tough layups.
- Jokic continues to be an absolute joy to watch. One of the most mesmerizingly unique players in the game.
- Steph looked pretty hot early; I was disappointed the rest of the team weren't looking for him more. Felt like he also had a lot more breathing room compared to the last few games. You can just feel the difference between Denver's D and Tor/Ind/LAC.
- Looks like Oubre is gradually learning to play the Warriors offense, though he's still not automatic on setting screens for guys.
- Wiseman looked more controlled as well. Jokic obviously outplayed him but that was expected. But I caught more glimpses of him developing a two man game with Steph, he looked like he belonged on the court, and he struck a good balance of using his jumper when it was available and other approaches when it wasn't.
This team is still a work in progress and you hate to see all the missed layups and defensive mixups. But this is one of those games where, if we had the baseball series runback immediately, I'd feel good about our odds.
The NBA is considering adding another two-way slot as a COVID response per Shams. It's a bit pathetic of a COVID response but regardless, isn't this a perfect opportunity to add Spellman? They wouldn't even have to cut Smailagic to do it so they could still cut him if they decided to use the DPE.
Pros:
-Eligible for a two-way since he has four years or fewer of NBA experience, and presumably available since he got waived last week and no one has signed him.
-Can shoot, which this team really needs.
-Plays the 4/5, which is different from the other two-way guys. When Paschall was out, that center rotation was looking really thin.
-Unique skillset among Warrior backup bigs, a position from which shooting could really help relieve the pressure on Curry given how entrenched Green/Wiggins/Oubre are in the other spots.
-Spent half a season in the system and seemed happy at the time.
-Could supplant Smailagic as the "future bench shooting big" and convince the Warriors to take the L and move on.
Cons:
-Every team would have another two-way contract so there would be competition for him, and maybe another team like the Blazers or Nets can promise more playing time opportunities.
-GSW/MIN/NYK all traded him or cut him, only the Warriors know for sure if they were happy or sad to do so.
-Who knows where his fitness/weight is at and how ready he is to play.
The last con is the huge question mark of course, but presumably the Warriors could get some info on that before they'd sign him?