42 games in and no contender has separated themselves all that much from the rest, imo. The only teams I'm currently afraid of, are those young nothing-to-lose teams, with heaps of energy and "must take down warriors" mentality. Such a headache in the regular season
Monte Poole finally wrote what I have been thinking:
“The superpowers of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were for years enough for the Warriors to bully the NBA. With Curry demolishing defenses and Green wrecking offenses, the league was at their mercy.
Precisely halfway through their fourth championship defense in the last nine seasons, the Warriors are discovering those days are over. They are, as Klay Thompson is fond of saying, in the past like a ponytail.
Riding the same formula into battle against a league adjusting its strategies, the Warriors’ 20-21 record illustrates their difficulty navigating the new NBA. Coach Steve Kerr, his staff and the players are discovering that today’s league is a different beast. Their first 41 games have been a tour of humility. The next 41 games, and any that come in the postseason, will determine whether the Warriors can decipher what they have yet to solve.
The source of their troubles is their roster, constructed differently than most others because Curry and Green are such unique talents.
Green’s versatility has allowed them to roll out a 6-foot-6 center and prosper at both ends. Curry’s offensive gravity has allowed the Warriors to stay with non-scorers Kevon Looney and Green and somehow thrive with a “three-out” system.
It's Curry, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins on the perimeter, spacing the floor, leaving non-scorers Draymond and Loon on Throwback Island.
Which is at odds with the most obvious trend in basketball. Offenses, certainly those in the NBA, have in recent years made a hard shift toward four- and five-out systems -- with four or five players capable of firing from distance.
And on the better teams, the non-shooters can finish at the rim. Neither Green nor Looney does that well. They’re terrific screeners with high intellect, and they know how to best unlock the shooters...…
While other teams were chasing long, rangy shooters in the draft, the Warriors chose to use their three recent lottery picks on a project center (James Wiseman), an electric athlete (Jonathan Kuminga) and a wing with two-way potential (Moses Moody). All three entered the NBA as teenagers with thin resumés.”
He makes good individual points but I don't really agree with his conclusion given the obvious counter example. So instead of a snarky one-liner how about this:
If I were to summarize his thoughts, Monte says our roster construction's troubles are due to the unique talents of Curry and Green. This allows us to play 3-out and has caused us, to our detriment, to not chase long, rangy shooters in the draft like the rest of the league is doing.
We're currently #6 in 3P% while being #1 in volume. Not only that, we've drafted Moody and Baldwin. So I don't really see why he would even come to that conclusion to begin with.
IMO, a better conclusion would be: due to the unique style of Steph and Green, it's been harder to find and integrate pieces into the puzzle.
Monte is Mr Warriors Doom & Gloom this season. Every article he writes now is as negative as he can make it. I pretty much ignore his take on things even if there is a bit of truth as his jumping off point.
I think that this article goes looking for the Warrior's problems in all the wrong places. The problem is that two of the guys who the Dubs rely on for offensive spacing and pop have been super unreliable for much of the season, they lost some bench depth, and the rest of the league has gotten significantly better. Curry, Green, and Looney been about as good as they were last year, when the team was good enough to win the championship. There just hasn't been the same buffer when guys get hurt or underperform as there was last season.
While other teams were chasing long, rangy shooters in the draft, the Warriors chose to use their three recent lottery picks on a project center (James Wiseman), an electric athlete (Jonathan Kuminga) and a wing with two-way potential (Moses Moody). All three entered the NBA as teenagers with thin resumés.”
This isn’t inaccurate. And it does boggle the mind why the Warriors built the dynasty with second generation players, great shooters, high IQ players, and successful NCAA players who led deep tournament runs. Then they used their best draft capital for the next run on the exact opposite type of players whose skillsets and tendencies have to change dramatically to fit the current championship winning coach and team formula.
Seems like galaxy brain in overdrive that both asks too much of the coaching staff and devalues the importance of synergy between players and system.
Are we saying PBJ was a lottery pick or that he doesn’t fall under the family knows the sport type. He’s exactly the type they should be going after along with Dante and Ty.
It’s the single digit picks where they went way outside the lines. Moody is half&half (too young, average success, 3&D hopes with slashing that would fit the system.) I’m not saying the kids will fail it’s just going to take extra work.
Fair, I wasn't respecting the 'lottery pick' qualifier. But, Monte's qualifier is a little silly. Why doesn't PBJ count for this point? Just because he was picked 28? Or Rollins (also known as a shooter in college)?
I think you just don’t like the picks in hindsight right now… and probably had some other players you liked better… that’s fine. But I haven’t seen any general point of what the warriors FO fundamentally did wrong that I can’t shotgun giant holes through left and right. Drafting is hard and an inexact science. It’s mostly guesstimates.
Wiseman went out very early in the draft tournament in here. I don’t think it’s controversial to say he wasn’t who most of us would have chosen at the time.
I agree with your basic idea here -- hindsight is certainly clearer than what they saw when the decisions had to be made.
That said, the FO made the choice to go for high-ceiling athletes whom they knew were raw. They /could/ have made safer, lower-ceiling picks or traded the picks for contribute-now vets. I suspect that when they made those picks, they might have been more pessimistic about the core's prospects and didn't think it much of a sacrifice to risk foregoing winning now for the chance to land some potential future superstars.
But with Steph playing like the MVP, Klay and Dray giving just enough at the right time, and Wiggins and Poole leveling up, the expectations of fans is heightened. The Ws won a championship last year with these guys. We'd all love for them to have the best chance to pull it off again. So Warrior fans don't have to call what the FO did fundamentally wrong to feel some buyer's remorse on Wiseman and Kuminga.
Personally, I'm still hopeful for those guys and would prefer that the FO not give them away for some mediocre vet. And I can't see other teams being willing to give up a game-changer for our young guys. So I'm guessing the FO nibbles at the edges (i.e. they could make a move but only a small one). If they find a way to free up an extra roster spot so as to keep Jerome and Lamb and make them playoff eligible, I'm good with that. If they can get a big who can take the heat off Dray and Loon, songs would be composed and sung. And of course, you never have too many long wings.
Good narrative ignoring the fact that they are the defending champs still one of the best lineups in the nba when healthy. Not much to say about the effectiveness of the rest of the roster’s impact on winning off the bench…. Yet
Teams are always looking for long rangy shooters who can defend and do other stuff
The youngsters haven’t achieved their potential yet
Why not bring up that other teams run a bunch of P&R, or that other teams haven’t been to the #^*#~ing Finals every damn year? Oh, right, those facts get in the way of Monte’s tooth gnashing and don’t get as many clicks or allow him to meet word count requirements.
100% The take and the actual season have virtually no overlap. Slamming the starters makes zero sense.
Andre literally just set foot on the court.
Really the article is non-sense and even the young player bashing was vague.
The poorly put together argument appeared to be that the core couldn’t build big enough leads for a terrible bench with too many raw youngsters to hold on to.
Nevermind that the bench has gotten better, added Dre, and 2 of the 5 starters just got back into the lineup. Oh and Klay has been a dang monster in 2023.
Has anyone had to play basketball with a shoulder brace and/or compression sleeve? Steph does not look comfortable to me. It could just be rust but his timing seems a little off, shots off, he’s tentative, doesn’t have full ROM. I know it’s to be expected but are we going to have 80% Steph or will we get 100% Steph at some point the rest of the season? I also don’t like how the sleeve looks so maybe that’s what’s really bothering me since he’s been back LOL
You answered your own question, lol. It’s been two games since he returned from a three-week injury. And he looked at lot better in Game 2 than in Game 1.
He was rusty his first game back from injury at the beginning of last year’s playoffs, too. And then vaporized everyone.
Great game from Jordan Poole after a bunch of corkers: 25 pts. on 8/16 shooting, 6 assists, 2 TOs.
Nice to see that kind of line from him again.
I only noticed one out-of control turnover. He was way more under control than he has been the last stretch of games.
Regarding the discussion about Jerome/Lamb. Lamb looks like a keeper - what a find by the front office. I really like Ty Jerome, but I like DDV better. I wonder if Myers might be trying to figure out a way to keep DDV on the roster. If they can't, Jerome would be a decent option.
Is it possible for the Warriors renegotiate DDV's contract into something that he won't opt out of this summer, when his value will be > 4 mil/year?
NBA contracts cannot be renegotiated. The closest equivalent is probably a buyout. He could decline his player option and the Dubs sign him to a new contract in the summer, but there isn't enough money to keep him (~$15-20 mil/yr, 3-4 yrs, I'm guessing)
In my decrepit memory, I seem to only remember one excellent game that DDV had and that was the last one with SA. He has been an underachieving, underperforming, player who would bring energy but no scoring. His efficiency has been poor. I still like him and his energy but he is not a starter. GPII-like rebounding and steals. If some of the other bench players perform well in the 2nd half of the season and they are able to keep the team in games when the starters are resting, DDV will have some value. If they continue to be losers on the road, well then................big changes will be coming.
ddv: 5th in scoring, 2nd in steals, 4th in assists, 5th in rebounds, .373 3pt%, 6th in ws, bpm, vorp... he's been more dependable than poole, who we were hoping would be a 6th man of the year candidate.
not comparing poole's future value to ddv, or taking the game you speak of into consideration. just saying this season, ddv stats are the best of the bench, including poole. he's older than poole, doesn't create as well, or shoot at as high a volume, so of course poole's future value will be higher as curry's usage decreases. but right now, ddv is fitting better into the warriors system than poole, by eye test and counting stats.
He could be paid full mid level but would be worth much more and probably start on numerous teams. He would have to believe a high long term contract would come but at 25 years old he should opt for significant guaranteed money elsewhere. Warriors benefit by showing another example of a player rehabilitating his career
I feel like everything Dray says is part of his negotiation with the Warriors, trying to speak into existence a universe in which he’s getting a 4 year max contract after this season from somebody. My POV is that this is not a likely universe. He’ll be 33 later this season.
I’d say, if the Dubs win another ring and Dray stays healthy and dominant, he could get a 3 year/$60mm total contract from the Dubs, and that would be the best he’d get. Any other outcome and he’d be lucky to get, say, 3 year/$50mm. More likely would be something like 2 years/$35mm. If I’m right then his best choice is to take the player option with the Dubs. I bet he does.
Yeah it’s all a business. But this is not a good mindset to have when your team is trying to go for another ring. Maybe that’s why Green has been off and on in these games. Sometimes he’s sloppy or seems uninterested. I think he really just wants to play with Lebron.
Green out of college was nearly a fully formed player. His skillset kicked in with the Splash Bros very quickly. Jackson & Kerr knew they had someone special here. 4 rings later..........why would Green want to leave? Curry, having a phenomenal year (minus injury), Klay showing signs of being better than ever, Looney at his peak, with Wiggs and Poole going into the future, I'd say the only way he leaves is if the Warrior brain trust decides that he is expendable due to financial considerations and his inability to score undermining his ultimate value. He's no dummy when it comes to his self interest. He's won big with the Dubs and I have no idea why he would choose Lebron over his current situation. I think it's an erroneous idea as Lebron's career will probably end sooner than our Dub elder players will end.
There are teams that will work with him tho. I bet he can go to DET and get a bag by selling them on teaching the youngsters about how to become 16 game players. Imagine that DET gets the first pick… they’ll have tons of cap space and Cade/Ivey/Wemby core. East to convince yourself that Dray can fill the leadership/defensive Swiss Army knife gap.
It would be. Still would like him to take a discount to stay a Warrior though. I’m hoping he takes everything into consideration, not just $$$. I’m afraid pride may get in the way unfortunately.
It was 100% the defensive game plan to give their shooters space and take away the inside. It’s an easy game plan to execute. You would not consider using it against the Kings or other good teams, though.
Thanks for posting! The whole interview is SO good. I could honestly watch Moody talk for hours, he speaks from such a grounded, unhurried place. Everyone else has said it but he really is wise beyond his years.
I know we don't have a roster spot or a positional need right now, but wouldn't Doug McDermott look good in a Dubs' uni? 41.1% career from three and good size (6'6"; not sure about wingspan).
What's he got that PBJ doesn't have? PBJ is $9 mil/yr cheaper and much higher upside. PBJ right now is probably a better wing defender than Dougie McBuckets, and their shooting is roughly equivalent. I think PBJ is better suited as a big, but in this head-to-head, I'd still give the minutes to PBJ.
McDermott would just be in the way of PBJ, Moody, Rollins, Jerome, Lamb, etc.
Then we don't need him thank you very much. We have guys who can shoot. When our defense is good, and we're reasonably healthy, we win. When our defense is not so good, we lose. So I have zero interest in adding players who have turnstile defense.
Yeah, especially if they are veteran players. Sure, we have a number of young players who have suspect defense, but at least we are betting on them developing and improving with time. A veteran are who they are, and won’t improve much, so if they can’t play D from minute one, then we don’t need them.
Gotta give it up to the Thunder. Knocked off the Bulls on the road tonight by 14 after beating the 76ers on the road by 19 the previous night. SGA's becoming a monster and with Giddey and their trove of draft picks, they could be a contender pretty soon. Guessing they'll seamlessly just take the Grizzlies' place once they are ready.
They're on a roll this month. Crushed the Celtics, lost to Magic, beat the Wizards, beat the Mavericks (without Doncic), lost a close one to Heat, beat the 76ers, and beat the Bulls. Their next games are against the Nets, Pacers, Kings, Nuggets, Hawks, and Cavs before we face them.
So nice to finally have an easy win with Steph and Klay getting to sit out the 4th quarter and none of the starters managing 30 minutes.
Judging from how Zack Collins looked tonight, I hope the Wiseman + Moody for Collins trade talk dies a quick death. Just happy that Collins didn't hurt Draymond on that long pass. Wasn't a dirty play but still quite dangerous.
Guessing that Andre's dunk landing will keep him out of the lineup for the next game, but with a B2B coming up, perhaps he'll be able to play in Washington. Let's hope JFK is able to play on Sunday.
Just saw that WastingCurrysPrime! had similar things to say 3 minutes earlier.
Don't think anyone wanted to throw in Moody? I didn't, anyway. I'd personally sooner part with Wiseman than Moody, if there's an available big man the FO really likes (e.g. Collins, Vanderbilt, Muscala, or other).
I'm not totally averse to keeping Wiseman, either — especially if the slow start to his career allows them to sign him to a cheap-ish extension somewhere in the Looney range. But paying almost $100M in salary + taxes to keep Wiseman around next season is kind of hard for me to imagine. Who knows, tho...
You're right - I'm seeing Wiseman + Rollins for Collins in trade chats and not Moody. I just worry that Wiseman would go Robert Parish on us if we traded him.
To me Zach Collins is a mediocre at best backup with not much upside at age 25. He's another big body but I don't think he will see much playoff action if we get him. If Wiseman can stay healthy — admittedly a big if — and we can be patient, I think by this time next season he'll be significantly better than Collins in every aspect of the game. Myers will have egg all over his face if he makes that deal.
No guarantee Collins stays healthy for the playoffs either. He's had a lot of injuries.
You could probably say the same for Wise, but he's younger, and the Dubs know exactly what his medical situation is. So far, the knee hasn't seemed to be a ongoing issue.
I wasn’t interested in Zach Collins even before tonight, and certainly not for Wiseman lol. Tonight just confirmed my thoughts that he’s not a guy worth trading for at all. If people think Collins is going to be that mythical veteran that comes in and makes their consternation all go away, they got another thing coming, and HARD.
I don't need a "mythical veteran that comes in and makes [my] consternation all go away," personally. I don't even have much consternation. I just want a big who can bring to this year's title chase a bit of what we lost with the departures of Otto and Bjelica. I think Collins has some of their qualities (can hit a three, set screens, make nice passes from the high post, e.g.) Muscala might even be better, but is a bit old. Poeltl's good, but probably just a half-season rental. Vanderbilt's intriguing, but a bit undersized. Or maybe there's someone no one has thought of...
In any case, Monte Poole, who's fairly clued in, seems to think some kind of a trade will "almost certainly" happen.
The trade deadline is Feb. 9, so they've got three weeks. They can take one more look at Wiseman and Kuminga after they are back. I very much doubt that they will trade before the deadline, unless the team goes into some kind of freefall.
Still hoping they trade nobody. Giving up two prospects and probably a pick or two for a rotation-level vet (Collins, Olynyk, ?) seems like a very high price, particularly when the big need (rim protection) may get a bit smaller as Wiseman gets better. I'm not saying he's going to be good by April 15, but could he soak up some fouls and give Looney a breather? I think that's still very possible.
Yeah, it’s real easy to see Wise being able to play 5-7m in early round games against a specific match up when the coaches really drill tendencies and reps on that specific matchup. That’s enough from your #9 or #10 guy.
There’s a lot of reasons from an outsider perspective to think that a trade should and will almost certainly happen. Any insider info behind Poole’s belief there?
So, uh, Zach Collins’ audition as the Warriors’ 2022 trade deadline impact acquisition didn’t go so well, huh guys?
Honestly, if this is all he can offer, I’d think trading even Rollins for him 1-1 would be a fleecing of the Warriors lol. Let alone a guy like Wiseman, like some folks seem desperate to do.
I think I may be the only one here hot for Collins, lol.
He was pretty bad tonight, but that doesn't mean it's "all he can offer." He's been really good this season, overall. Nice combo of shooting, efficiency, passing, and shotblocking. Not a stud or anything, but 6'-11" with a 9'-3" standing reach, and significantly more playable than Wiseman or JGreen, which is all I think we really need to fill out the playoff rotation (other than guaranteeing Lamb's and Jerome's contracts).
If Steph's 15 points on 28.6% 3fg and 3 assists is "all he can offer," maybe we should be starting Donte over him? ;-P
Guessing that as long as Steph, Poole, and DDV are healthy, the Dubs won't guarantee Jerome and put him on the playoff roster. I think we got an indication of that tonight with Jerome inactive. He's a great insurance policy and I think he's probably going to be able to sign a two-year guaranteed contract with someone next year, but unless one of the key guys goes out he's probably more of a luxury than a needed playoff contributor. Thinking he's on the road trip just to play the second game of the B2Bs that Klay, and possibly Steph, might miss.
As for Collins, if he's only getting 21 minutes per game on a bad Spurs squad, how impactful do you think he can be? Perhaps he could get starter minutes should the Spurs trade Poeltl, but Collins is now 25 and has never played big minutes.
Wondering what Klay would think of a Collins trade.
Jerome to me is our new Shaun Livingston. We could *potentially* live without him this season alone due to the presence of Donte and Andre ... but what happens next season when Andre retires and Donte bolts for more money?
I for one never want to relive the Brad Wanamaker, Nico Mannion, Ky Bowman, or Chris Chiozza experience. Gotta keep Ty Jerome, imo.
We might get an indication if the Dubs move Rollins before the trade deadline as salary filler. If Rollins stays on the roster this year, it's likely that he's penciled in for a greater role in '23-'24 which would make Jerome expendable.
Not sure about the Livingston comparison. Jerome's got a good three ball, something Livingston never had, but Livingston, in addition to smoothly running the offense, was a far better defensive player than Jerome and matched up well against 3s and some 4s.
This isn't a knock on Jerome - he's been fantastic this year. He's solid distributing the ball and surprisingly good as a scorer. Not sure about his contributions on the defensive end but he and Lamb are about as good as anyone could hope for for two-way guys, and they've both played their way into more lucrative contracts moving forward.
I like Jerome. Not too worried about losing him. 2-way players become RESTRICTED free agents next off season. I doubt he's getting offers much over minimum so why wouldn't he want to stay where he has a good chance of winning a chip every year. DDV is the guy most likely to go elsewhere because he's playing himself into a 7-figure contract that the Dubs can't afford. Jerome isn't the defender that DDV is, but he's a solid backup ball handler. Perfect for the second unit.
He's not gonna stay with the Dubs with Steph, Poole, and Rollins on the roster. He's here this year because Rollins isn't ready, but next year might be a different story. But he's played well enough that some teams will want him.
I have not seen anything in Rollins that makes me think he sticks. But regardless, an extra point guard (Jerome) just means that Poole can slide over to SG, which is what he does best anyway.
Jerome is staying. I would bet more money on he and Lamb being on the team next year than Wiseman, TBH (and I like Wiseman).
Not only is Rollins not very good (so far), he is not a point guard by any stretch of the imagination. As things stand right now, I prefer Jerome to Rollins even as a shooting guard.
See below: Bjelica, Otto, and Kuminga combined for 659 playoff minutes at the 4-5 in last year's playoffs. Even given an expanded role for JK, and some minutes at the 4 for Lamb, I don't really trust JGreen or Wiseman to absorb those minutes this season.
I trust JMG is figuring it out… and we’ve also got Dre. Wiseman has a longer way to go to figure it out but on the right track. I just don’t trust that your Poeltls or Collins’s are going to be meaningfully better… and we CAN lean on the top of the roster a little more than we did last season too, imo. Even eliminating Wise from the playoff rotation: JK plays 350 minutes, JMG plays 100, Dre plays 100, and Dray/Loon each play 50 more…
I’m sorry, but I’m not impressed by anything Collins has done, either for tonight, this year, or for his career. He’s literally a warm body that has no hope to ever see significant minutes in the playoff rotation of a title contender. In short, he’s JAG: just a guy.
If we trade for Collins, he will be lucky to see more minutes in the playoffs this year than Chiozza did last year. Full stop.
All NBA players (and all NBA bloggers, etc.) are literally warm bodies, lol.
I'm not married to Collins per se, or to dumping Wiseman. But I do think another playable big or big wing is close to a need. Bjelica, Otto Porter, and Kuminga combined to play 659 minutes in last year's playoff run. Who do we think picks those up this season? Even if we bump Kuminga from last year's 138 to 300 or so ... are we comfortable giving 500+ minutes in the heat of playoff battle to Wiseman and/or JGreen?
Kuminga is getting at least 20-25 minutes a night in the playoffs (Personally, I think he might get even more, but I think we can all agree that he gets at least that much, since our wing depth beyond Wiggs and Klay is limited at best). Let’s assume 6 games a series for 4 series, so 24 games. That is anywhere from 480 to 600 minutes in the run. Which might leave scraps for Wiseman and JMG, maybe 100 or so if they are lucky.
If anything, the lack of defensive hustle and inability to mesh that JMG has shown thus far makes him a serious candidate to be gotten rid of, Wannamaker style. We brought in JMG because he was supposed to be a ready-made depth piece who could supposedly shoot the 3, defend, and provide effort. Well, he’s shooting 26.5% from 3, his defensive ability is severely lacking, and his effort is worse. So if he’s not providing any of the things he was brought in to provide despite getting over a quarter’s worth of time a night to do it (14.9 minutes, to be exact), then why is he still on this roster?
I’m a huge Kuminga fan … just not sure he’s ready to take on the minutes of Bjelica, Otto, AND last year’s Kuminga in this year’s playoffs. Need a bit more shooting and size off the bench, imo.
42 games in and no contender has separated themselves all that much from the rest, imo. The only teams I'm currently afraid of, are those young nothing-to-lose teams, with heaps of energy and "must take down warriors" mentality. Such a headache in the regular season
I feel like we would put them in their place if we took them more seriously, as we have the Grizzlies for instance.
Monte Poole finally wrote what I have been thinking:
“The superpowers of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were for years enough for the Warriors to bully the NBA. With Curry demolishing defenses and Green wrecking offenses, the league was at their mercy.
Precisely halfway through their fourth championship defense in the last nine seasons, the Warriors are discovering those days are over. They are, as Klay Thompson is fond of saying, in the past like a ponytail.
Riding the same formula into battle against a league adjusting its strategies, the Warriors’ 20-21 record illustrates their difficulty navigating the new NBA. Coach Steve Kerr, his staff and the players are discovering that today’s league is a different beast. Their first 41 games have been a tour of humility. The next 41 games, and any that come in the postseason, will determine whether the Warriors can decipher what they have yet to solve.
The source of their troubles is their roster, constructed differently than most others because Curry and Green are such unique talents.
Green’s versatility has allowed them to roll out a 6-foot-6 center and prosper at both ends. Curry’s offensive gravity has allowed the Warriors to stay with non-scorers Kevon Looney and Green and somehow thrive with a “three-out” system.
It's Curry, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins on the perimeter, spacing the floor, leaving non-scorers Draymond and Loon on Throwback Island.
Which is at odds with the most obvious trend in basketball. Offenses, certainly those in the NBA, have in recent years made a hard shift toward four- and five-out systems -- with four or five players capable of firing from distance.
And on the better teams, the non-shooters can finish at the rim. Neither Green nor Looney does that well. They’re terrific screeners with high intellect, and they know how to best unlock the shooters...…
While other teams were chasing long, rangy shooters in the draft, the Warriors chose to use their three recent lottery picks on a project center (James Wiseman), an electric athlete (Jonathan Kuminga) and a wing with two-way potential (Moses Moody). All three entered the NBA as teenagers with thin resumés.”
Yea let's just ignore that the starting five, which includes two non shooters, are still the most dominant five man lineup.
No need to be nasty. I just think he’s looking for patterns. For a future patterns.
Just presenting a counterpoint is all.
He makes good individual points but I don't really agree with his conclusion given the obvious counter example. So instead of a snarky one-liner how about this:
If I were to summarize his thoughts, Monte says our roster construction's troubles are due to the unique talents of Curry and Green. This allows us to play 3-out and has caused us, to our detriment, to not chase long, rangy shooters in the draft like the rest of the league is doing.
We're currently #6 in 3P% while being #1 in volume. Not only that, we've drafted Moody and Baldwin. So I don't really see why he would even come to that conclusion to begin with.
IMO, a better conclusion would be: due to the unique style of Steph and Green, it's been harder to find and integrate pieces into the puzzle.
He’s looking so hard he’s starting to see things that don’t exist.
Monte is Mr Warriors Doom & Gloom this season. Every article he writes now is as negative as he can make it. I pretty much ignore his take on things even if there is a bit of truth as his jumping off point.
I think he is looking fir pagterns.
I think that this article goes looking for the Warrior's problems in all the wrong places. The problem is that two of the guys who the Dubs rely on for offensive spacing and pop have been super unreliable for much of the season, they lost some bench depth, and the rest of the league has gotten significantly better. Curry, Green, and Looney been about as good as they were last year, when the team was good enough to win the championship. There just hasn't been the same buffer when guys get hurt or underperform as there was last season.
While other teams were chasing long, rangy shooters in the draft, the Warriors chose to use their three recent lottery picks on a project center (James Wiseman), an electric athlete (Jonathan Kuminga) and a wing with two-way potential (Moses Moody). All three entered the NBA as teenagers with thin resumés.”
This isn’t inaccurate. And it does boggle the mind why the Warriors built the dynasty with second generation players, great shooters, high IQ players, and successful NCAA players who led deep tournament runs. Then they used their best draft capital for the next run on the exact opposite type of players whose skillsets and tendencies have to change dramatically to fit the current championship winning coach and team formula.
Seems like galaxy brain in overdrive that both asks too much of the coaching staff and devalues the importance of synergy between players and system.
Time will tell.
Explain to me how Moody can be characterized as anything but a “long, rangy shoooter”. I’ll wait…
Or PBJ.
Are we saying PBJ was a lottery pick or that he doesn’t fall under the family knows the sport type. He’s exactly the type they should be going after along with Dante and Ty.
It’s the single digit picks where they went way outside the lines. Moody is half&half (too young, average success, 3&D hopes with slashing that would fit the system.) I’m not saying the kids will fail it’s just going to take extra work.
Fair, I wasn't respecting the 'lottery pick' qualifier. But, Monte's qualifier is a little silly. Why doesn't PBJ count for this point? Just because he was picked 28? Or Rollins (also known as a shooter in college)?
Monte’s whole article is silly. Cause the Warriors definitely aren’t left behind.
I think you just don’t like the picks in hindsight right now… and probably had some other players you liked better… that’s fine. But I haven’t seen any general point of what the warriors FO fundamentally did wrong that I can’t shotgun giant holes through left and right. Drafting is hard and an inexact science. It’s mostly guesstimates.
Wiseman went out very early in the draft tournament in here. I don’t think it’s controversial to say he wasn’t who most of us would have chosen at the time.
I agree with your basic idea here -- hindsight is certainly clearer than what they saw when the decisions had to be made.
That said, the FO made the choice to go for high-ceiling athletes whom they knew were raw. They /could/ have made safer, lower-ceiling picks or traded the picks for contribute-now vets. I suspect that when they made those picks, they might have been more pessimistic about the core's prospects and didn't think it much of a sacrifice to risk foregoing winning now for the chance to land some potential future superstars.
But with Steph playing like the MVP, Klay and Dray giving just enough at the right time, and Wiggins and Poole leveling up, the expectations of fans is heightened. The Ws won a championship last year with these guys. We'd all love for them to have the best chance to pull it off again. So Warrior fans don't have to call what the FO did fundamentally wrong to feel some buyer's remorse on Wiseman and Kuminga.
Personally, I'm still hopeful for those guys and would prefer that the FO not give them away for some mediocre vet. And I can't see other teams being willing to give up a game-changer for our young guys. So I'm guessing the FO nibbles at the edges (i.e. they could make a move but only a small one). If they find a way to free up an extra roster spot so as to keep Jerome and Lamb and make them playoff eligible, I'm good with that. If they can get a big who can take the heat off Dray and Loon, songs would be composed and sung. And of course, you never have too many long wings.
I think part of the assertion is usually that they screwed up the 20 and 21 drafts and learned their lesson a bit
Oh, puhleaze.
Edit: Basically, what he's saying is that they drafted players who don't complement the core very well, and are long-range development projects.
Tell me something I don't know. The Warriors drafts have been for maximum future potential, not how well they fit this year or next.
Good narrative ignoring the fact that they are the defending champs still one of the best lineups in the nba when healthy. Not much to say about the effectiveness of the rest of the roster’s impact on winning off the bench…. Yet
Lots of words to say:
Warriors are 20-21
Steph and Dray are unique talents
Teams are always looking for long rangy shooters who can defend and do other stuff
The youngsters haven’t achieved their potential yet
Why not bring up that other teams run a bunch of P&R, or that other teams haven’t been to the #^*#~ing Finals every damn year? Oh, right, those facts get in the way of Monte’s tooth gnashing and don’t get as many clicks or allow him to meet word count requirements.
You must really hate him.
No… it’s a BS take, imo. Do you want to discuss the merits of the take further?
100% The take and the actual season have virtually no overlap. Slamming the starters makes zero sense.
Andre literally just set foot on the court.
Really the article is non-sense and even the young player bashing was vague.
The poorly put together argument appeared to be that the core couldn’t build big enough leads for a terrible bench with too many raw youngsters to hold on to.
Nevermind that the bench has gotten better, added Dre, and 2 of the 5 starters just got back into the lineup. Oh and Klay has been a dang monster in 2023.
The offense hasn't been great in a while.
The defensive dropoff this year, not sure what's up with that.
Has anyone had to play basketball with a shoulder brace and/or compression sleeve? Steph does not look comfortable to me. It could just be rust but his timing seems a little off, shots off, he’s tentative, doesn’t have full ROM. I know it’s to be expected but are we going to have 80% Steph or will we get 100% Steph at some point the rest of the season? I also don’t like how the sleeve looks so maybe that’s what’s really bothering me since he’s been back LOL
i don't like how the sleeve makes targeting his shoulder easier. he was even called for a foul where the screener purposely bumped his left shoulder
“ I know it’s to be expected”
You answered your own question, lol. It’s been two games since he returned from a three-week injury. And he looked at lot better in Game 2 than in Game 1.
He was rusty his first game back from injury at the beginning of last year’s playoffs, too. And then vaporized everyone.
Ok....I'll be patient and wait for the vaporization...but if it doesn't happen tomorrow I'll be asking the same question, hahahaha
Great game from Jordan Poole after a bunch of corkers: 25 pts. on 8/16 shooting, 6 assists, 2 TOs.
Nice to see that kind of line from him again.
I only noticed one out-of control turnover. He was way more under control than he has been the last stretch of games.
Regarding the discussion about Jerome/Lamb. Lamb looks like a keeper - what a find by the front office. I really like Ty Jerome, but I like DDV better. I wonder if Myers might be trying to figure out a way to keep DDV on the roster. If they can't, Jerome would be a decent option.
Is it possible for the Warriors renegotiate DDV's contract into something that he won't opt out of this summer, when his value will be > 4 mil/year?
NBA contracts cannot be renegotiated. The closest equivalent is probably a buyout. He could decline his player option and the Dubs sign him to a new contract in the summer, but there isn't enough money to keep him (~$15-20 mil/yr, 3-4 yrs, I'm guessing)
The only way it seems possible is if the Warriors trade Poole this summer and talk DDV into the idea that they will pay him the year after.
No. He’s gone. Enjoy him while he’s here.
In my decrepit memory, I seem to only remember one excellent game that DDV had and that was the last one with SA. He has been an underachieving, underperforming, player who would bring energy but no scoring. His efficiency has been poor. I still like him and his energy but he is not a starter. GPII-like rebounding and steals. If some of the other bench players perform well in the 2nd half of the season and they are able to keep the team in games when the starters are resting, DDV will have some value. If they continue to be losers on the road, well then................big changes will be coming.
ddv: 5th in scoring, 2nd in steals, 4th in assists, 5th in rebounds, .373 3pt%, 6th in ws, bpm, vorp... he's been more dependable than poole, who we were hoping would be a 6th man of the year candidate.
Sorry, but DDV is nowhere close to Poole's value. He has one good game and went from chump to champ overnight?
not comparing poole's future value to ddv, or taking the game you speak of into consideration. just saying this season, ddv stats are the best of the bench, including poole. he's older than poole, doesn't create as well, or shoot at as high a volume, so of course poole's future value will be higher as curry's usage decreases. but right now, ddv is fitting better into the warriors system than poole, by eye test and counting stats.
I do!
Me too!
He could be paid full mid level but would be worth much more and probably start on numerous teams. He would have to believe a high long term contract would come but at 25 years old he should opt for significant guaranteed money elsewhere. Warriors benefit by showing another example of a player rehabilitating his career
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1614297995142463490
I feel like everything Dray says is part of his negotiation with the Warriors, trying to speak into existence a universe in which he’s getting a 4 year max contract after this season from somebody. My POV is that this is not a likely universe. He’ll be 33 later this season.
Take a look at contracts for 33 year olds in the NBA. Very very few more than 2 years or $20mm/ year (right now: Curry, Horford, Conley). 32 year olds? 1 (Durant), tho D. Rose got 3 years/$14mm per year. https://www.spotrac.com/nba/contracts/sort-value/signed-age-33/limit-100/
I’d say, if the Dubs win another ring and Dray stays healthy and dominant, he could get a 3 year/$60mm total contract from the Dubs, and that would be the best he’d get. Any other outcome and he’d be lucky to get, say, 3 year/$50mm. More likely would be something like 2 years/$35mm. If I’m right then his best choice is to take the player option with the Dubs. I bet he does.
Yeah, I’ve been saying that the player option might be a bit of pride-swallowing, but opting out and getting less would be even more pride to swallow.
Yeah it’s all a business. But this is not a good mindset to have when your team is trying to go for another ring. Maybe that’s why Green has been off and on in these games. Sometimes he’s sloppy or seems uninterested. I think he really just wants to play with Lebron.
Green out of college was nearly a fully formed player. His skillset kicked in with the Splash Bros very quickly. Jackson & Kerr knew they had someone special here. 4 rings later..........why would Green want to leave? Curry, having a phenomenal year (minus injury), Klay showing signs of being better than ever, Looney at his peak, with Wiggs and Poole going into the future, I'd say the only way he leaves is if the Warrior brain trust decides that he is expendable due to financial considerations and his inability to score undermining his ultimate value. He's no dummy when it comes to his self interest. He's won big with the Dubs and I have no idea why he would choose Lebron over his current situation. I think it's an erroneous idea as Lebron's career will probably end sooner than our Dub elder players will end.
No way
It just sounds more like "I know it's about to get expensive but if you want to keep me then I'm down but if not ,no hard feelings"
See my other comment. He WISHES he is about to get more expensive. He’s not.
May he's practicing 'lucky girl syndrome' and creating his reality. Everything works out for him...
There are teams that will work with him tho. I bet he can go to DET and get a bag by selling them on teaching the youngsters about how to become 16 game players. Imagine that DET gets the first pick… they’ll have tons of cap space and Cade/Ivey/Wemby core. East to convince yourself that Dray can fill the leadership/defensive Swiss Army knife gap.
The Lakers come off of Westbrook
That would be a great outcome for Dray. (Going to Detroit to mentor the kids).
It would be. Still would like him to take a discount to stay a Warrior though. I’m hoping he takes everything into consideration, not just $$$. I’m afraid pride may get in the way unfortunately.
Semi-serious comment about a not-very-serious game.
It still seemed to me like our defense was not very good last night. And, those weren't exactly the Sacramento Kings out there.
It's just that last night the Spurs defense was even a couple of levels worse.
It was 100% the defensive game plan to give their shooters space and take away the inside. It’s an easy game plan to execute. You would not consider using it against the Kings or other good teams, though.
Anybody catch Moses Moody on the Point Forward Podcast?
Had a hearty LOL when Turner was talking about the Pat McCaw syndrome lmao
Link timestamp to that part: https://youtu.be/s272JBUdJ5k?t=1607
Thanks for posting! The whole interview is SO good. I could honestly watch Moody talk for hours, he speaks from such a grounded, unhurried place. Everyone else has said it but he really is wise beyond his years.
Bruuuuuh lol. I wonder if Moody knows who McCaw is
I’m guessing NO! That blank look says it all. Haha. Moody seems like a deep thinker, wise beyond his years.
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming
MWAH HA HA HA HA
So why are Clippers #6 and we are #7 when both are . 5 (22-22 and 21-21) and we are 1-0 in head to head match up?
damn, when was the clipper game? this season has been a blur. i thought we haven’t seen them yet.
NBA app has us at 6 and Clips at 7 fwiw
More wins
Klay only attempted 10 shots… and Moody played WELL. Maybe this thing can work!
Wow, K Johnson was a -40 in his 31 minutes tonight against the Dubs
I know we don't have a roster spot or a positional need right now, but wouldn't Doug McDermott look good in a Dubs' uni? 41.1% career from three and good size (6'6"; not sure about wingspan).
No.
What's he got that PBJ doesn't have? PBJ is $9 mil/yr cheaper and much higher upside. PBJ right now is probably a better wing defender than Dougie McBuckets, and their shooting is roughly equivalent. I think PBJ is better suited as a big, but in this head-to-head, I'd still give the minutes to PBJ.
McDermott would just be in the way of PBJ, Moody, Rollins, Jerome, Lamb, etc.
Definitely would love someone like him. Also feel that way about Saric from the suns
My usual question: How good is his defense?
Turnstile
Then we don't need him thank you very much. We have guys who can shoot. When our defense is good, and we're reasonably healthy, we win. When our defense is not so good, we lose. So I have zero interest in adding players who have turnstile defense.
Yeah, especially if they are veteran players. Sure, we have a number of young players who have suspect defense, but at least we are betting on them developing and improving with time. A veteran are who they are, and won’t improve much, so if they can’t play D from minute one, then we don’t need them.
I've thought the same for several years.
Gotta give it up to the Thunder. Knocked off the Bulls on the road tonight by 14 after beating the 76ers on the road by 19 the previous night. SGA's becoming a monster and with Giddey and their trove of draft picks, they could be a contender pretty soon. Guessing they'll seamlessly just take the Grizzlies' place once they are ready.
SGAs on my ballot for AS next to Steph. He is a monster that involves his team, unlike other WC monsters (cough cough Luca & Ja)
They're on a roll this month. Crushed the Celtics, lost to Magic, beat the Wizards, beat the Mavericks (without Doncic), lost a close one to Heat, beat the 76ers, and beat the Bulls. Their next games are against the Nets, Pacers, Kings, Nuggets, Hawks, and Cavs before we face them.
they beat the Thunder!??? We talkin' bout practice?
Oops. Fixed.
So nice to finally have an easy win with Steph and Klay getting to sit out the 4th quarter and none of the starters managing 30 minutes.
Judging from how Zack Collins looked tonight, I hope the Wiseman + Moody for Collins trade talk dies a quick death. Just happy that Collins didn't hurt Draymond on that long pass. Wasn't a dirty play but still quite dangerous.
Guessing that Andre's dunk landing will keep him out of the lineup for the next game, but with a B2B coming up, perhaps he'll be able to play in Washington. Let's hope JFK is able to play on Sunday.
Just saw that WastingCurrysPrime! had similar things to say 3 minutes earlier.
Don't think anyone wanted to throw in Moody? I didn't, anyway. I'd personally sooner part with Wiseman than Moody, if there's an available big man the FO really likes (e.g. Collins, Vanderbilt, Muscala, or other).
I'm not totally averse to keeping Wiseman, either — especially if the slow start to his career allows them to sign him to a cheap-ish extension somewhere in the Looney range. But paying almost $100M in salary + taxes to keep Wiseman around next season is kind of hard for me to imagine. Who knows, tho...
You're right - I'm seeing Wiseman + Rollins for Collins in trade chats and not Moody. I just worry that Wiseman would go Robert Parish on us if we traded him.
To me Zach Collins is a mediocre at best backup with not much upside at age 25. He's another big body but I don't think he will see much playoff action if we get him. If Wiseman can stay healthy — admittedly a big if — and we can be patient, I think by this time next season he'll be significantly better than Collins in every aspect of the game. Myers will have egg all over his face if he makes that deal.
No guarantee Collins stays healthy for the playoffs either. He's had a lot of injuries.
You could probably say the same for Wise, but he's younger, and the Dubs know exactly what his medical situation is. So far, the knee hasn't seemed to be a ongoing issue.
It’s validation for the brain trust if he takes off down the road. Worth it to avoid more potential Varejão style playoff moments.
Collins defense sometimes looks worse than Wisemans unfortunately oops wrong Collins! Deleting…later
Yeah, we posted quickly one after the other.
I wasn’t interested in Zach Collins even before tonight, and certainly not for Wiseman lol. Tonight just confirmed my thoughts that he’s not a guy worth trading for at all. If people think Collins is going to be that mythical veteran that comes in and makes their consternation all go away, they got another thing coming, and HARD.
I don't need a "mythical veteran that comes in and makes [my] consternation all go away," personally. I don't even have much consternation. I just want a big who can bring to this year's title chase a bit of what we lost with the departures of Otto and Bjelica. I think Collins has some of their qualities (can hit a three, set screens, make nice passes from the high post, e.g.) Muscala might even be better, but is a bit old. Poeltl's good, but probably just a half-season rental. Vanderbilt's intriguing, but a bit undersized. Or maybe there's someone no one has thought of...
In any case, Monte Poole, who's fairly clued in, seems to think some kind of a trade will "almost certainly" happen.
The trade deadline is Feb. 9, so they've got three weeks. They can take one more look at Wiseman and Kuminga after they are back. I very much doubt that they will trade before the deadline, unless the team goes into some kind of freefall.
Still hoping they trade nobody. Giving up two prospects and probably a pick or two for a rotation-level vet (Collins, Olynyk, ?) seems like a very high price, particularly when the big need (rim protection) may get a bit smaller as Wiseman gets better. I'm not saying he's going to be good by April 15, but could he soak up some fouls and give Looney a breather? I think that's still very possible.
Yeah, it’s real easy to see Wise being able to play 5-7m in early round games against a specific match up when the coaches really drill tendencies and reps on that specific matchup. That’s enough from your #9 or #10 guy.
There’s a lot of reasons from an outsider perspective to think that a trade should and will almost certainly happen. Any insider info behind Poole’s belief there?
🤔
So, uh, Zach Collins’ audition as the Warriors’ 2022 trade deadline impact acquisition didn’t go so well, huh guys?
Honestly, if this is all he can offer, I’d think trading even Rollins for him 1-1 would be a fleecing of the Warriors lol. Let alone a guy like Wiseman, like some folks seem desperate to do.
I think I may be the only one here hot for Collins, lol.
He was pretty bad tonight, but that doesn't mean it's "all he can offer." He's been really good this season, overall. Nice combo of shooting, efficiency, passing, and shotblocking. Not a stud or anything, but 6'-11" with a 9'-3" standing reach, and significantly more playable than Wiseman or JGreen, which is all I think we really need to fill out the playoff rotation (other than guaranteeing Lamb's and Jerome's contracts).
If Steph's 15 points on 28.6% 3fg and 3 assists is "all he can offer," maybe we should be starting Donte over him? ;-P
Guessing that as long as Steph, Poole, and DDV are healthy, the Dubs won't guarantee Jerome and put him on the playoff roster. I think we got an indication of that tonight with Jerome inactive. He's a great insurance policy and I think he's probably going to be able to sign a two-year guaranteed contract with someone next year, but unless one of the key guys goes out he's probably more of a luxury than a needed playoff contributor. Thinking he's on the road trip just to play the second game of the B2Bs that Klay, and possibly Steph, might miss.
As for Collins, if he's only getting 21 minutes per game on a bad Spurs squad, how impactful do you think he can be? Perhaps he could get starter minutes should the Spurs trade Poeltl, but Collins is now 25 and has never played big minutes.
Wondering what Klay would think of a Collins trade.
Jerome to me is our new Shaun Livingston. We could *potentially* live without him this season alone due to the presence of Donte and Andre ... but what happens next season when Andre retires and Donte bolts for more money?
I for one never want to relive the Brad Wanamaker, Nico Mannion, Ky Bowman, or Chris Chiozza experience. Gotta keep Ty Jerome, imo.
Yeah I agree. Ty has done enough to get himself a deal. I hope we have him on the roster into next season
We might get an indication if the Dubs move Rollins before the trade deadline as salary filler. If Rollins stays on the roster this year, it's likely that he's penciled in for a greater role in '23-'24 which would make Jerome expendable.
Not sure about the Livingston comparison. Jerome's got a good three ball, something Livingston never had, but Livingston, in addition to smoothly running the offense, was a far better defensive player than Jerome and matched up well against 3s and some 4s.
This isn't a knock on Jerome - he's been fantastic this year. He's solid distributing the ball and surprisingly good as a scorer. Not sure about his contributions on the defensive end but he and Lamb are about as good as anyone could hope for for two-way guys, and they've both played their way into more lucrative contracts moving forward.
I haven't seen anything to indicate that Rollins can play the point. That's why we'll need to keep Jerome around. He's a perfect fit.
I like Jerome. Not too worried about losing him. 2-way players become RESTRICTED free agents next off season. I doubt he's getting offers much over minimum so why wouldn't he want to stay where he has a good chance of winning a chip every year. DDV is the guy most likely to go elsewhere because he's playing himself into a 7-figure contract that the Dubs can't afford. Jerome isn't the defender that DDV is, but he's a solid backup ball handler. Perfect for the second unit.
And Jerome is 25, he has plenty of productive years ahead.
He's not gonna stay with the Dubs with Steph, Poole, and Rollins on the roster. He's here this year because Rollins isn't ready, but next year might be a different story. But he's played well enough that some teams will want him.
I have not seen anything in Rollins that makes me think he sticks. But regardless, an extra point guard (Jerome) just means that Poole can slide over to SG, which is what he does best anyway.
Jerome is staying. I would bet more money on he and Lamb being on the team next year than Wiseman, TBH (and I like Wiseman).
Not only is Rollins not very good (so far), he is not a point guard by any stretch of the imagination. As things stand right now, I prefer Jerome to Rollins even as a shooting guard.
How many minutes do you think Collins would get in the playoffs, when Looney and Draymond split time at C?
See below: Bjelica, Otto, and Kuminga combined for 659 playoff minutes at the 4-5 in last year's playoffs. Even given an expanded role for JK, and some minutes at the 4 for Lamb, I don't really trust JGreen or Wiseman to absorb those minutes this season.
I trust JMG, he's a difference maker, and when he comes back #dubnation will be the better for it. I feel the same about Wise. Collins? Feh.
I trust JMG is figuring it out… and we’ve also got Dre. Wiseman has a longer way to go to figure it out but on the right track. I just don’t trust that your Poeltls or Collins’s are going to be meaningfully better… and we CAN lean on the top of the roster a little more than we did last season too, imo. Even eliminating Wise from the playoff rotation: JK plays 350 minutes, JMG plays 100, Dre plays 100, and Dray/Loon each play 50 more…
I’m sorry, but I’m not impressed by anything Collins has done, either for tonight, this year, or for his career. He’s literally a warm body that has no hope to ever see significant minutes in the playoff rotation of a title contender. In short, he’s JAG: just a guy.
If we trade for Collins, he will be lucky to see more minutes in the playoffs this year than Chiozza did last year. Full stop.
I’ve always liked Collins. I think injuries have undone him, but I personally wouldn’t trade Wise for him
All NBA players (and all NBA bloggers, etc.) are literally warm bodies, lol.
I'm not married to Collins per se, or to dumping Wiseman. But I do think another playable big or big wing is close to a need. Bjelica, Otto Porter, and Kuminga combined to play 659 minutes in last year's playoff run. Who do we think picks those up this season? Even if we bump Kuminga from last year's 138 to 300 or so ... are we comfortable giving 500+ minutes in the heat of playoff battle to Wiseman and/or JGreen?
Kuminga is getting at least 20-25 minutes a night in the playoffs (Personally, I think he might get even more, but I think we can all agree that he gets at least that much, since our wing depth beyond Wiggs and Klay is limited at best). Let’s assume 6 games a series for 4 series, so 24 games. That is anywhere from 480 to 600 minutes in the run. Which might leave scraps for Wiseman and JMG, maybe 100 or so if they are lucky.
If anything, the lack of defensive hustle and inability to mesh that JMG has shown thus far makes him a serious candidate to be gotten rid of, Wannamaker style. We brought in JMG because he was supposed to be a ready-made depth piece who could supposedly shoot the 3, defend, and provide effort. Well, he’s shooting 26.5% from 3, his defensive ability is severely lacking, and his effort is worse. So if he’s not providing any of the things he was brought in to provide despite getting over a quarter’s worth of time a night to do it (14.9 minutes, to be exact), then why is he still on this roster?
I’m a huge Kuminga fan … just not sure he’s ready to take on the minutes of Bjelica, Otto, AND last year’s Kuminga in this year’s playoffs. Need a bit more shooting and size off the bench, imo.
But we shall see.
Yeah it’s been a rough ride for JMG. I remember peak JMG, I always wanted him in a dive uni, but we havent seen that yet and may not ever
Keeping hope alive!
And as I recall, he hated the Warriors a lot when he was with Portland. Never could stand the guy.
Probably still hates the Warriors. Maybe it’s a Trojan horse play?
Lol he was always so chippy! But I liked him anyway