I expected a butt-kicking. I had limited expectations for that game. And in a lot of ways, my expectations were exceeded.

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

My main hopes for GSW-MIL - Warriors show a lot of defensive energy - Wiseman doesn’t get sidelined with fouls - Steph shoots better than his traditional Xmas stinker - It’s close past halftime https://t.co/idbrQA6SrI

Duby Dub Dubs @Punk_Basketball

PREVIEW! heh, you see, the headline is a play on words. Like presents under the tree, but also 'present' as in 'the now's https://t.co/Y48fFbKOX0

December 25th 2020

7 Likes

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

Update: ✅ D energy not bad ✅✅ Wiseman was excellent ↔️ Steph shot his Xmas crap avg (but created a ton of good shots too) ✅ It was a game until mid-3rd MIL said, well we better wrap this up if we want to rest Q4 Moral: you can mostly get what you want and still not be happy https://t.co/PnNmF3XIGe

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

My main hopes for GSW-MIL - Warriors show a lot of defensive energy - Wiseman doesn’t get sidelined with fouls - Steph shoots better than his traditional Xmas stinker - It’s close past halftime https://t.co/idbrQA6SrI

December 25th 2020

9 Likes

Yep, you can lower your expectations and still not be happy.

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater

Steve Kerr: "We just had two good days of practice with our execution, working on getting into offense, hard cuts and reads. We did not execute much of anything. It was kind of just scattered and disorganized. I'm disappointed in that and need to take the blame for that."

December 25th 2020

3 Retweets17 Likes

But to be honest, there was a lot to like about Wiseman’s developing game. The guy literally has not had proper practices with the team and he looks like he is a plus on the court on offense, and is not worse than everyone else in a kind of ramshackle defense.

I hate to tell you this, but I thought there was excellent focus in Half 1 on Stephen Curry and James Wiseman on offense. You can’t get much more focus (though the execution could obviously improve, with everyone clanking shots everywhere).

I’m expecting a better, closer game against the Bulls. If not, then warning sirens will be going off everywhere in Dub Nation that hasn’t already abandoned ship.

Anyway, here’s a vent thread. Please, be kind to each other and forgive each other — for this thread — if people are extra whiny, judgmental, unhinged, etc etc. In normal thread, I expect some self-control, but maybe we need this little space today.

Merry Christmas!

In-Game Notes

• Merry Christmas everyone! This game is probably going to hurt, but it will hurt less with friends

• Wiseman goes straight at Giannis and gets the FTs!!

• Ooooo that’s the dream with Steph-Wiseman PNR, that big sweeping dunk

• No idea why Oubre was pinching in on that play to give up the open 3

• Wiseman with the open 3 with 23 seconds on the clock. SWISH

• Giannis back at Wiseman, foul watch: 1 foul

• Interesting to leave Wiseman in with 2 fouls

• Uh... was that really a foul on JW??

• ABC helpfully disabled rewind on my Sling set up so I can’t comment

• I like how Chriss and Wiseman are trying to dunk everything on the short roll w Steph

• Okay, I can accept that Wiggs / Oubre drive action, it was after the attempted Steph handoff.

• Steph is shooting like Xmas Steph, but he is setting a tone with hard nosed defense.

• Q1.5.55. Interesting, I think Mulder and Curry were unsure who was pinning down for whom. Works either way.

• HORNS Handoff, but Oubre shoots right away... feeling it after his first three of the year… Oh wait he didn’t... haha, he’s just shooting like it

• Steph-Mulder-Lee... felt like they were scrambling with good energy on D, but Middleton kept firing in 3s over the top.

• MIL still keeps putting two on Steph. Lifetime achievement respect, because Steph is looking luck to hit rim right now. Man, they even foul him for 3FTs. That might help Steph get going. Steph stays converting the gravity into open drives for Wiseman and Chriss.

• JTA with a nice find of Damion Lee in the corner. That Chriss screen didn’t look too illegal?

• Wiggins has a way of slowing the play down, even when it’s a fast break when you should push to keep the advantage, or on the PNR when your guy gets stuck on the screen. Maddening.

• Haha Chriss was dying to fire that 3.

• WOW Mulder with the recovery block!!

• Tbh I like the increased Curry focus in Q1. Improved from BKN game. GSW just not hitting good open shots.

• Q2.11:05. Good old (new) HORNS Handoff. Wiggs gets a decent drive try. And POOLE HITS A THREE. Are we allowed to do that??

• I’m not sure JTA can stick in the NBA, but he just does so many little things well. He gets the hustle balls, he finds the open man, he plays hard defense. He just can’t blow by people and shoot, which I admit are significant parts of basketball...

• Q2.8.30. Gah. GSW runs the Motion Strong Zipper play (used to be a staple of KD playbook), but Wiggs surveys the floor, lets the D settle, then attacks, finds Looney(!!!!) for a corner 3. Clank.

• Wiseman in before Steph... let’s see what happens

• Wiggs-Wise PNR, solid enough screen to get Wiggs to the basket. Wiseman with an incredible soaring helpside block ... we’re past the statute of limitations for a goaltending call, right?

• Wiggs man, wait for a screen. Why are you isoing Middleton? I can accept the iso on a mismatch but yeesh. Wiggs goes to the ground to get a jump ball.

• Q2.4.40. Interesting play... Wiseman up in Delay spot to run play, Steph doesn’t go for weakside split as usual, but cuts back across for an open 3. Unfortunately, next two plays, MIL walks up to the rim and delicately places the ball in the hoop, like a baby chick.

• Interesting Q2.3.50. Steph goes weak side drawing lots of attention, then waves at Oubre to take advantage on the strong side with a PNR with Wiseman. Not smooth, but bailed out with a foul.

• Steph-Wise PNR. Gets Damion open 3. Next.. Paschall open corner 3 miss, but... YES THE WISEMAN PUTBACK DUNK. THEN THE 3 FROM THE TOP OF THE KEY.

• Another Steph-Wise PNR. Wise with the strong drive, fouled.

• Wiseman is the real real deal. Last game he got most of his 19 points in Le Temps de Garbage. This is an actual impact game. I love it.

• Middleton just thinks Steph has no influence on his shot, and I think he’s right.

• Lopez misses the 3 in the WAR OF THE STRETCH FIVES

• I thought Wiseman could be this good, EXCEPT I was really not expecting his 3 point shot to be real. Wiseman still has low hanging fruit to pick for defensive dominance, too.

• The whole “Dubs will defend like hell and then counterattack with flaming pace and athleticism” hasn’t really come together at all. But the Steph-Wiseman PNR can keep them in games in the halfcourt, even when Steph is off from 3.

• Steph’s off the dribble 3 is off, but he’s grinding in other areas, and he’s still getting open shots for people all over the court. He’s on track for a 30-8-4 game, which I would take given his being out of sorts

• I’m not completely sure why the Bucks are just waltzing in and getting easy layups, but if GSW can fix that, and if Giannis can please stay ice-cold, then this might be a game.

• 11:50. There’s that long Wiseman cut into a PNR play. Interesting.

• GSW has to settle down. Too many out of control plays.

• What is up with this floor, people are falling down everywhere

• Wiseman and Giannis having a real slug fest getting position on the glass. Good to see Wiseman getting in there.

• Wiseman stops Giannis one on one. Giannis dipped into the bag too

• Jrue Holiday is beating the crap out of Steph off-ball.

• He gets way up there, but that pass was a roof scraper. Not sure if Wise got bodied on the way up

• Steph with a JaVale height alley oop for Wiseman... too high. limit testing I guess.

• Wiggs. Do. Not. Iso. Middleton. Yee. Sh.

• Hey a proper Motion Weak PNR with Wise-Steph. Steph with FT shot. Steph on break, hits the floater. Good to see him see the ball go through the net.

• Resting Wiseman 6 min into Q3. I wonder if he’ll go all Q4. Steph with Looney... trying to mix and match combos...

• JTA breaking up the lob pass. I just really like his awareness.

• JTA almost gets the steal and then goes head over heels in the stands, down 23

• Mulder 3. Weird seeing a 3 pointer fall.

• Very interesting, Kerr going with the Wiseman / Chriss Twin Towers lineup

• Okay, preseason almost over. Bulls game will be the real measure of where the team is.

• Q4.2.00. Head Tap call. Will it be the old KD zipper play? Yes it is! Then Wiseman air balls a three, ruining his perfect 3P%. I think Wiseman is tired because he’s missed almost everything in garbage time

• Wiseman with an impressive grab-ball-block, then almost goes full court. Just wait until they let this guy practice properly!