OT: Not necessarily a big deal but who do you think gets the NBA all-star captain vote in the west? Its gotta be Steph. It shouldn't be LeBron but he is still media darling. So you never know.
One thing I was just noticing is that the top 4 teams in the West have all played more home games than rad games though the Warriors have the smallest differential.
Warriosr: 19-16
Suns: 20-15
Jazz: 21-15
Grizzlies: 21-16
It may not make much difference as the Warriors and Suns do pretty well on the road and the Jazz are actually quite a bit better on the road. In fact pretty much all of the contenders in the West except the Nuggets have had home heavy schedules.
Unclear. He was talking to a ref and made some gesture as he was turning to jog down the court immediately after checking in. Got T’d up and immediately was pleading his case and continued to talk to the ref for the next minute or so after going over to talk to Kerr. The ref pretty much ignored him.
It was pretty mysterious, comparable to that one on the Warriors' bench a few games ago where they weren't even sure who was being called (that was ultimately credited to Kerr?).
He sure didn't look like he was saying something deserving of a tech.
I always wonder what actual statements earn technicals in the NBA. Like, are there particular bad words that automatically get you a tech? Topics, like ones that can get you fined in postgame interviews?
I'm especially curious where they draw the line on trash talking.
Missed the game and about to watch the highlights right now but damn... the things this team is capable of doing at not even close to full strength is terrifying. Pretty much everything we hoped for has happened and now we're just waiting to see how Klay and Wiseman fits into this puzzle.
Some years or some points in the year it can feel like the standings are off, but I would say that the standings right now reflect the eye test -- except that the Bucks will probably rise, having started slow. But the top 8 teams really do seem like they will be the last 8 left in the conf. semi-finals -- Warriors Suns Utah Memphis... Chicago Brooklyn Milwaukee Miami. Do you buy that?
In the West I’ll be very surprised if your top 4 are wrong. In the East I think there’s a bigger possibility of the 76ers getting into the top group. I have a warm spot for this Cleveland team but I’d be even more surprised if their record at the end of the season is very close to the other 4/5. I think the east is more likely to generate a team (from the 5-10 group) that in a surprise upset wins the first round of the playoffs.
I wouldn't argue. It looks like Memphis and Chicago have enough talent to maintain. It's not so much about teams on the rise this year. This seems like the year of dysfunction. A lot of teams we expected to be halfway decent this year just don't seem to have their S together.
I'd say the only question mark on there is Memphis, but they've been healthier and harder working than the other should-be contenders in the West, namely Denver and Los Angeles (the Clippers). So it does feel about right.
Nah, the Lakers will rise to the top. Just you watch! Westbrook will save the franchise and put LeBron and AD on his shoulders for a huge playoff push that will start any day now.
I like how you say this with a straight face so that the world wide inter web picks up on it and will push the Lakers to think it’s true. Special agent “Being”
This game fairly neatly crystallized some of the themes of the change in eras from Big Man Dominant to pace-and-space, three point threat era. Back in the day if you had a guy like Gobert going 9-10 for 20 points and 19 rebounds and Royce O'Neal doing work down low, and both defending at the rim with obviously Gobert being scarier; well ,all that would have added up to killing the Dubs. (To be sure, Utah is not usually like a 90s Knicks team. They have been playing four out with great shooting from three these past couple of years, it's not like they are pure cavemen.) But at least tonight the difference was stark. We were throwing OPJ out there as the biggest player, our player and ball movement were on point, the assists, the great shooting, the speed and switching schemes on defense, clearly won the day. Mitchell and Conley a combined 8-32 and that's not just bad luck. Great win and a bit symbolic of a change in eras.
Great post. One other thing, the Ws kept it close on the boards (40-45), even with Wiggins pulling down a grand total of 0 rebounds. Team effort, most impressive, going up against Gobert without Green.
Last Take. I have always been a staunch supporter of everything Warriors, the system, the culture, the roster building, you name it. I expected this team to be great. But not BEFORE Klay returned or we got significant development and minutes from Wise, JFK & Mood Swing. Just contemplate that for a moment. We have the best record in the league and we still have Klay and 3 lottery picks to add to the mix. That is bat shit crazy. And on that note .... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Counterpoint: one of those lottery picks played meaningful minutes tonight and he won more than he lost on defense, without being a liability on offense either.
Look, I get complaining about the refs is dumb and annoying. But my goodness, why does it feel like we've gotten a poor whistle in like 10 consecutive games? I'll never understand why Steph never gets the landing space call. Or the hit after release call. Like when they reversed the Embiid-Steph call on replay? Do I not understand what a foul is?
Steph's literally the most entertaining player in the NBA and teams have said they have to rely on fouling to beat him. MVPs, all-time great, multi-time champ, best selling jersey. Every single retired player's favorite player. Still can't buy a whistle. I don't really buy the Under Armor conspiracy theory. But I do sort of buy the he's too good at FT's theory. The refs don't want to give Steph 10 free points so they're super cautious with the whistle, but when Mitchell only shoots 80%, it's not as egregious in their minds.
They said something like 19 refs (over half?) are call ups or replacements due to covid. There are going to be a lot of bad calls for the foreseeable future.
I get what your saying, but foul calls always seem to be unfair. I can recall a few missed ones last night that the Dubs committed (the one on Clarkson seemed obvious though I never saw the replay). I think Steph definitely doesn’t get the calls other guys get, but I also think Draymond and Andre both get the benefit of the doubt on a number of possible fouls because they are usually so damn good on defense.
I don’t buy into the Nike/UA/Steph is too good conspiracy stuff... that said after Steph “T’d up the ref” there seemed to be a number of suspicious calls.
In the end I will say this, I am sure other teams fans think we get away with more calls. It’s the price of being good.
Most of the weird calls lately? Pretty sure it's not as bad as it feels, as there's some mistakes in our favor we're oblivious to, which should balance out the ones that go against us. The fact that they have so many backup refs in the rotation lately due to covid protocols is probably a contributing factor.
But yeah, the lack of landing space fouls to protect Steph, that one feels unfair. It's extra worrisome since he's got a history of ankle injuries. Maybe it's not as bad as it looks to us because he often intentionally falls for safety—so sometimes what looks like a foul to us isn't actually as bad as it looks. But it looks pretty bad more often than not.
As for body bumps around the basket, I don't see why he doesn't get more and-1's on those. I do wonder if some of that is that his finishing ability is so magical that he loses all the "well, it went in, so it must not have been a foul" cases.
On the same subject, I wonder how much worse Steph's FTA numbers are if you subtract all the technical fouls he shoots. Feels like overall they might be as much as like 10% of his total. I'd bet no other high volume player has a higher percentage of his free throws come from not even being fouled.
I think your 2nd paragraph is a great point. I remember one non-call on a Steph 3 that I thought was an obvious call, but upon replay looked like Steph just fell backward (as he’s want to do) with no contact.
think it's not just that he's too good at free throws, but that he's too good at hitting threes even when a dude comes through & tackles him, makes the foul seem less bad
okay, one more from twitter, feat Andre talking about Klay in scrimmages & this amazing quote: "I'd rather lose at a high level than win a bad game" (I always suspected Andre felt that way, the man is an artist)
Fantastic W for the W's! Was nice to get through another game down the clutch. And I know it's the New Years but every time I see a new clip of Klay shooting all I hear is "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶
Kinda felt like the Jazz were lagging in the first half. Playing two nights in a row always slows you down a step. Luckily the coffee they chugged at half time only lasted through the third quarter.
Nail biter and a very entertaining game. What could be more satisfying than beating a top team on their own court? SMACK!
Keep on doing what you are doing, Eric. You guys are tremendous, and your deadpan delivery is an added bonus!
OT: Not necessarily a big deal but who do you think gets the NBA all-star captain vote in the west? Its gotta be Steph. It shouldn't be LeBron but he is still media darling. So you never know.
Never mind. Fans decide the captain.
"The captains will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference".
So… LeBron
One thing I was just noticing is that the top 4 teams in the West have all played more home games than rad games though the Warriors have the smallest differential.
Warriosr: 19-16
Suns: 20-15
Jazz: 21-15
Grizzlies: 21-16
It may not make much difference as the Warriors and Suns do pretty well on the road and the Jazz are actually quite a bit better on the road. In fact pretty much all of the contenders in the West except the Nuggets have had home heavy schedules.
I don’t know about the other teams, but it seems like the Warriors have played quite a few totally rad games.
Glad to see that the Rockets are still the Rockets. A messy launch failure
My God! Who do we put on DeMar ‘white death’ DeRozan in the clutch in Chicago? I say 2wWiggs. And YG in regular time.
It won't matter if they are down 15.
Sorry if I duplicate any other thread. Can you please explain to me the T to Iguodala?
Unclear. He was talking to a ref and made some gesture as he was turning to jog down the court immediately after checking in. Got T’d up and immediately was pleading his case and continued to talk to the ref for the next minute or so after going over to talk to Kerr. The ref pretty much ignored him.
It was pretty mysterious, comparable to that one on the Warriors' bench a few games ago where they weren't even sure who was being called (that was ultimately credited to Kerr?).
He sure didn't look like he was saying something deserving of a tech.
I always wonder what actual statements earn technicals in the NBA. Like, are there particular bad words that automatically get you a tech? Topics, like ones that can get you fined in postgame interviews?
I'm especially curious where they draw the line on trash talking.
I think it’s pretty subjective half of the time.
Missed the game and about to watch the highlights right now but damn... the things this team is capable of doing at not even close to full strength is terrifying. Pretty much everything we hoped for has happened and now we're just waiting to see how Klay and Wiseman fits into this puzzle.
LETS F**KING GO!!
OT Just noticing that the now 1st place Bulls at 24-10 would be in 4th place behind Utah in the West.
Some years or some points in the year it can feel like the standings are off, but I would say that the standings right now reflect the eye test -- except that the Bucks will probably rise, having started slow. But the top 8 teams really do seem like they will be the last 8 left in the conf. semi-finals -- Warriors Suns Utah Memphis... Chicago Brooklyn Milwaukee Miami. Do you buy that?
In the West I’ll be very surprised if your top 4 are wrong. In the East I think there’s a bigger possibility of the 76ers getting into the top group. I have a warm spot for this Cleveland team but I’d be even more surprised if their record at the end of the season is very close to the other 4/5. I think the east is more likely to generate a team (from the 5-10 group) that in a surprise upset wins the first round of the playoffs.
I wouldn't argue. It looks like Memphis and Chicago have enough talent to maintain. It's not so much about teams on the rise this year. This seems like the year of dysfunction. A lot of teams we expected to be halfway decent this year just don't seem to have their S together.
I'd say the only question mark on there is Memphis, but they've been healthier and harder working than the other should-be contenders in the West, namely Denver and Los Angeles (the Clippers). So it does feel about right.
Nah, the Lakers will rise to the top. Just you watch! Westbrook will save the franchise and put LeBron and AD on his shoulders for a huge playoff push that will start any day now.
Lakers are hardly an existential threat. You're pulling our leg again, this is just more Being and Nothingness.
I like how you say this with a straight face so that the world wide inter web picks up on it and will push the Lakers to think it’s true. Special agent “Being”
This game fairly neatly crystallized some of the themes of the change in eras from Big Man Dominant to pace-and-space, three point threat era. Back in the day if you had a guy like Gobert going 9-10 for 20 points and 19 rebounds and Royce O'Neal doing work down low, and both defending at the rim with obviously Gobert being scarier; well ,all that would have added up to killing the Dubs. (To be sure, Utah is not usually like a 90s Knicks team. They have been playing four out with great shooting from three these past couple of years, it's not like they are pure cavemen.) But at least tonight the difference was stark. We were throwing OPJ out there as the biggest player, our player and ball movement were on point, the assists, the great shooting, the speed and switching schemes on defense, clearly won the day. Mitchell and Conley a combined 8-32 and that's not just bad luck. Great win and a bit symbolic of a change in eras.
Great post. One other thing, the Ws kept it close on the boards (40-45), even with Wiggins pulling down a grand total of 0 rebounds. Team effort, most impressive, going up against Gobert without Green.
Last Take. I have always been a staunch supporter of everything Warriors, the system, the culture, the roster building, you name it. I expected this team to be great. But not BEFORE Klay returned or we got significant development and minutes from Wise, JFK & Mood Swing. Just contemplate that for a moment. We have the best record in the league and we still have Klay and 3 lottery picks to add to the mix. That is bat shit crazy. And on that note .... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Counterpoint: one of those lottery picks played meaningful minutes tonight and he won more than he lost on defense, without being a liability on offense either.
Look, I get complaining about the refs is dumb and annoying. But my goodness, why does it feel like we've gotten a poor whistle in like 10 consecutive games? I'll never understand why Steph never gets the landing space call. Or the hit after release call. Like when they reversed the Embiid-Steph call on replay? Do I not understand what a foul is?
Steph's literally the most entertaining player in the NBA and teams have said they have to rely on fouling to beat him. MVPs, all-time great, multi-time champ, best selling jersey. Every single retired player's favorite player. Still can't buy a whistle. I don't really buy the Under Armor conspiracy theory. But I do sort of buy the he's too good at FT's theory. The refs don't want to give Steph 10 free points so they're super cautious with the whistle, but when Mitchell only shoots 80%, it's not as egregious in their minds.
</rant>
They said something like 19 refs (over half?) are call ups or replacements due to covid. There are going to be a lot of bad calls for the foreseeable future.
I get what your saying, but foul calls always seem to be unfair. I can recall a few missed ones last night that the Dubs committed (the one on Clarkson seemed obvious though I never saw the replay). I think Steph definitely doesn’t get the calls other guys get, but I also think Draymond and Andre both get the benefit of the doubt on a number of possible fouls because they are usually so damn good on defense.
I don’t buy into the Nike/UA/Steph is too good conspiracy stuff... that said after Steph “T’d up the ref” there seemed to be a number of suspicious calls.
In the end I will say this, I am sure other teams fans think we get away with more calls. It’s the price of being good.
Most of the weird calls lately? Pretty sure it's not as bad as it feels, as there's some mistakes in our favor we're oblivious to, which should balance out the ones that go against us. The fact that they have so many backup refs in the rotation lately due to covid protocols is probably a contributing factor.
But yeah, the lack of landing space fouls to protect Steph, that one feels unfair. It's extra worrisome since he's got a history of ankle injuries. Maybe it's not as bad as it looks to us because he often intentionally falls for safety—so sometimes what looks like a foul to us isn't actually as bad as it looks. But it looks pretty bad more often than not.
As for body bumps around the basket, I don't see why he doesn't get more and-1's on those. I do wonder if some of that is that his finishing ability is so magical that he loses all the "well, it went in, so it must not have been a foul" cases.
On the same subject, I wonder how much worse Steph's FTA numbers are if you subtract all the technical fouls he shoots. Feels like overall they might be as much as like 10% of his total. I'd bet no other high volume player has a higher percentage of his free throws come from not even being fouled.
I think your 2nd paragraph is a great point. I remember one non-call on a Steph 3 that I thought was an obvious call, but upon replay looked like Steph just fell backward (as he’s want to do) with no contact.
It is the only way to level the playing field against Steph. And he still wins. Sooo.... it ain't gonna change.
think it's not just that he's too good at free throws, but that he's too good at hitting threes even when a dude comes through & tackles him, makes the foul seem less bad
That instantly made me think of Waterboy playing as a Steph defensive stopper
okay, one more from twitter, feat Andre talking about Klay in scrimmages & this amazing quote: "I'd rather lose at a high level than win a bad game" (I always suspected Andre felt that way, the man is an artist)
https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1477506327861608450?s=20
"Bro, he doesn't dribble". LMAO
Amazing offense!! 39 assists, 53% from the field as a team, 53% from three also! And .002% from FT amazing night.
Fantastic W for the W's! Was nice to get through another game down the clutch. And I know it's the New Years but every time I see a new clip of Klay shooting all I hear is "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶
Kinda felt like the Jazz were lagging in the first half. Playing two nights in a row always slows you down a step. Luckily the coffee they chugged at half time only lasted through the third quarter.
Nail biter and a very entertaining game. What could be more satisfying than beating a top team on their own court? SMACK!
Is it just me, or did the Jazz announcers sound bored tonight?
There's a surprise. After all the recent F&K bashing.
LOL