I wish Wiseman had PBJ's IQ. You can't teach feel for the game. Either you have it or you don't. I saw Kerr say when they first drafted PBJ that he would spend a lot of time in the G league. Bet money he's rethinking that. He better! And btw, PBJ looks taller than 6'9. He Looks to be in the 6'10 range at least. Seeing how he can rebound and pass in addition to his smooth asf shooting, I feel he can be a small ball stretch 5. I hope Kerr tries that with Dray, Klay Steph, and Wiggins. Looks like Bob Myers has struck gold again!! Imo, somebody who should be feeling a little uneasy after PBJ's game is brick shooting Kuminga. If he keeps playing with that low IQ and shooting bricks, he might find himself on the trade block in February. He's still has first round value. If he loses minutes to PBJ, he'll lose that value around the league. I trade the stock market. You have to ALWAYS no when to sell. Just sayin 🤷♂️
Watched the second Japan game this evening. Fun stuff.
Steph was clearly playing like it was an exhibition game. He's going to have to score more efficiently if he wants to get another 50-point game this season. ;)
Draymond's 3 shot is still hella flat, but it went in twice, so OK.
I get the sense that all-star Wiggins is returning this season. He's killing it on defense, shooting it efficiently enough, and dunks with authority. You love to see it.
Looney, what a guy. So glad we kept him. He looks a lot like before, but if anything his BBIQ is even higher. He couldn't seem to find room to score from under the basket this game, but my guess is that's just rust or something.
Poole looks the same on offense and more defensively sound. He doesn't look like a kid who's satisfied with one championship.
JMG looks like the archetypal "unspectacular vet defending his job from rookies". He may have to relinquish some minutes but you know he'll be solid.
Wiseman still has a ways to go to prove he's more than a prospect, but he's definitely on the right track. His hands are still questionable, but his arms add legs are looooong and it looks like he finally knows where to put them. He's definitely going to own since highlight slams before this season is out, but it remains to be seen if his net impact will be good enough yet.
Kuminga's defense looks better than ever! I have a feeling he may plateau or struggle a bit finding his place and balance on offense, but defensively he's looking like he has the potential to be elite. That'll keep him on the floor, and his insane scoring talent will eventually stabilize.
Moody already looks like he's a lock in the rotation, playing those DLee minutes. The audacity of some of those plays late in the second game, hot damn! He's been the quiet kid (or the young old man?) so far but he's clearly got a killer instinct. I love the chemistry he's got going with Kuminga already, too.
DDV looks like a solid rotation player. Game 2 wasn't as great as 1 but he clearly still has smarts & hustle, plays good positional & help defense, and he's figuring out the Warriors system quickly.
Weatherspoon looked reasonable. Nothing all that impressive, but he ran the Warriors system and didn't make a bunch of mistakes.
Trevion Williams, speaking of figuring out the Warriors system, is so fun to watch. The holes in his game probably keep him in Santa Cruz for now, but in addition to passing, he clearly was driving the motion offense (something that was sorely lacking in game 1 when the training-camp non-guaranteed guys were in) and held up OK in the paint.
Quinones, I can't say I'm impressed by. He seemed a little out of sorts.
PBJ, I am impressed that someone this intriguing was available 28th in the draft. Feels like he could be quite the steal if it really was just a health issue.
Rollins, I didn't see anything to be excited about. Really unclear what inspired the team to commit those resources to signing him, but after seeing Poole's improvement year-to-year I can see why the team wants guys on longer contracts.
McClung seems like a borderline NBA guard, who showed a good combination of scoring and creating. Hope he sticks with the organization whether or not he gets the 2-way. His performance in the clutch was legit.
Pat Spencer is also a pretty intriguing guy to have in training camp. I know lacrosse isn't a huge sport compared to basketball, but his success there shows some serious athletic ability and you can see how his basketball fundamentals are solid.
I am probably making this up, but... Do you think the Japan trip commraderie could help some of the fringe guys stay on the SCW bandwagon? Like let's say Travion, McClung, etc -- any chance they forgo other team 2-way offers to play for the Sea Dubs just based on the connections built? I would guess it would be very hard to pass up a 2-way offered by another team, but at the same time I like to dream.
I have multiple homes and majority investment in high end commercial real estate on Moody Island, but damn somebody needs to teach that man a real pump fake.
Small sample size but like many here... PBJ just looks mature out there. He gives off trustworthy vibes just like Moody. There was one defensive play where he calmly stayed on his feet to contest, no typical rookie biting on jump fakes and all.
Also really want Trevion Williams to work out, but I know that's further out...
Did you hear that?! That collective pop in the comments on PBJ is like the cracking sound of ball on the sweet spot of the bat. To take a swing at a slider on the 28th pick (2-2 count?) and crush it? Bob Myers take a bow yet again...
PBJ is going to play the league for Smuckers. That shooting! Nice hit-ahead pass to McClung, too.
I liked the defensive energy from Poole and Kuminga.
Little worried about JMG ... gambled on a steal once, and had an obvious reach-in. Not what you want to see from a vet. Early days, though ... maybe he just doesn't know where to be yet.
Rollins seems to be this year's early-season Oubre ... get the ball, shoot the ball. Hope they coach him out of that quickly.
Damn if McClung isn't making me look like an idiot (not that it's hard).
Is this also the open thread? Because the Lakers sound like the anti-Warriors -- with a core of three guys who are all intent on getting theirs. What could go wrong?
The Wizards and Warriors were each told to send a pair of two-player teams out for the 3-point contest. Washington went with Jordan Schakel and Kyle Kuzma, followed by Corey Kispert and Johnny Davis. Both flopped. The Warriors opened with Moses Moody and Jordan Poole, the biggest competitors to Curry and Thompson.
As the first three groups went, an amped-up Thompson stretched near the bench area and wandered around with that anxious muttering vibe he often exudes when he’s trying to get in a zone. Somewhat surprisingly — since the night had been low-effort for all involved to that point — you could tell Thompson was really into it. He wanted to perform well in his only on-court event of the weekend.
Slater continues with a great writeup of the Poole/Klay contract situation and how it serves as a backdrop for their competition, and gives context to phrases like Klay's “It was nice to humble Jordan Poole.”
Also, Klay health update:
The most newsworthy basketball note from the trip came from Thompson. After winning that combo 3-point contest, he was asked about the training staff’s cautionary approach to hold him out of both Japan games. Thompson revealed that he hasn’t yet been cleared to scrimmage as he eases his way back into playing shape.
That slow build up is needed because Thompson didn’t play pickup basketball all summer.
“Popping my Achilles (in a 2020 offseason scrimmage), it was really hard for me to get out there and … mentally, it was hard. It’s hard to explain,” Thompson said. “It’s like a mental block in a way. I’m going to face it one day. But this past season was so taxing, coming back, win a championship and then a month later – Play? It was a lot.”
Thompson called the upcoming week of practices a “big week” for him. Kerr wouldn’t commit to putting Thompson in a scrimmage yet, but he’s already done contact work and should be nearing that stage.
----------
This vid gets kinda emotional in the second half as Klay talks about the mental aspect of returning from his injuries.
Man, seeing the mud on the backs of these guys made me nervous for a sec that Steph would actually spar with them and end up on the ground and risk injury.
I don’t think the moves the Warriors made this offseason made them better, but their improved health and growth of the young guys could very well make this team a lot more formidable.
Once again, the Warriors have to prove they’re worthy defending champions because people don’t seem to want to grant them their dynasty status. ... Now that they’ve returned to the top of the league, the Warriors’ downfall will be prayed for by some in 2023. And if this team is healthy, maybe all you can do is pray that they won’t embarrass you and won’t beat you.
QW. Good showing on Thursday. Only played 5 minutes yesterday, mostly invisible. But I think the coaches already know what they have in him. Still has a solid lead to take this position. Grade: B
LQ: DNP Sunday. Played 8 minutes Thursday. Showed aggressiveness in transition, but mostly invisible. Likely lost some ground. Grade: C+
Challengers:
-----------------------
Mac McClung: sparkplug performance lead to a comeback for the bench. 12 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists, 2 Reb, +20. Seemed more willing to pass than summer league, but I'd still like to see more from him. Definitely challenging LQ for that second 2-way spot at this point. Grade: A-.
Trevion Williams. Eye-popping performance with some sweet passing out of the post. But also flashed a really ugly 3 pt shot twice. Seems to have a better paint game than I expected, tho. Picking up 7 Reb's in 10 minutes for both games, and finishing over the rim once. Also flashed a paint mid-range that looked good. Great showing overall and has moved himself from a fairly certain SCW stash into the 2-way convo. Grade: A-.
Dark horses:
----------------
Pat Spencer: Showed off a lot more athleticism than people expected, as well as some sweet court vision in a dime to PBJ. Still not in the running, but will be interesting to follow in SC this year. Grade: B+.
Ty Jerome: DNP, but just signed. Wing that played for OKC and Suns last 3 years. Last year of 2-way eligibility. Career .344 3Pt shooter averaging 15pt/5a/4r over 36 min. he's NBA level talent who's already proven he can play in this league. Catapults himself into immediate discussion for second 2-way spot. Grade: N/A
* Trevion Williams brought some really good energy hitting the boards (6 rebs in 8 min)
* In addition to the good shooting and nice passing, PBJ just understands how to keep the ball moving... always split second decisions on swinging the ball or making a move.
* Rollins hasn't shown much in terms of scoring but I like his vision.
* Again, Pat Spencer has tree trunks for legs. But, seriously, anyone see him box out that big man under the hoop to get the rebound? Also, he also has a good feel for the team game as well... some really nice reads and passes... probably second nature given his lacrosse background.
I wish Wiseman had PBJ's IQ. You can't teach feel for the game. Either you have it or you don't. I saw Kerr say when they first drafted PBJ that he would spend a lot of time in the G league. Bet money he's rethinking that. He better! And btw, PBJ looks taller than 6'9. He Looks to be in the 6'10 range at least. Seeing how he can rebound and pass in addition to his smooth asf shooting, I feel he can be a small ball stretch 5. I hope Kerr tries that with Dray, Klay Steph, and Wiggins. Looks like Bob Myers has struck gold again!! Imo, somebody who should be feeling a little uneasy after PBJ's game is brick shooting Kuminga. If he keeps playing with that low IQ and shooting bricks, he might find himself on the trade block in February. He's still has first round value. If he loses minutes to PBJ, he'll lose that value around the league. I trade the stock market. You have to ALWAYS no when to sell. Just sayin 🤷♂️
Watched the second Japan game this evening. Fun stuff.
Steph was clearly playing like it was an exhibition game. He's going to have to score more efficiently if he wants to get another 50-point game this season. ;)
Draymond's 3 shot is still hella flat, but it went in twice, so OK.
I get the sense that all-star Wiggins is returning this season. He's killing it on defense, shooting it efficiently enough, and dunks with authority. You love to see it.
Looney, what a guy. So glad we kept him. He looks a lot like before, but if anything his BBIQ is even higher. He couldn't seem to find room to score from under the basket this game, but my guess is that's just rust or something.
Poole looks the same on offense and more defensively sound. He doesn't look like a kid who's satisfied with one championship.
JMG looks like the archetypal "unspectacular vet defending his job from rookies". He may have to relinquish some minutes but you know he'll be solid.
Wiseman still has a ways to go to prove he's more than a prospect, but he's definitely on the right track. His hands are still questionable, but his arms add legs are looooong and it looks like he finally knows where to put them. He's definitely going to own since highlight slams before this season is out, but it remains to be seen if his net impact will be good enough yet.
Kuminga's defense looks better than ever! I have a feeling he may plateau or struggle a bit finding his place and balance on offense, but defensively he's looking like he has the potential to be elite. That'll keep him on the floor, and his insane scoring talent will eventually stabilize.
Moody already looks like he's a lock in the rotation, playing those DLee minutes. The audacity of some of those plays late in the second game, hot damn! He's been the quiet kid (or the young old man?) so far but he's clearly got a killer instinct. I love the chemistry he's got going with Kuminga already, too.
DDV looks like a solid rotation player. Game 2 wasn't as great as 1 but he clearly still has smarts & hustle, plays good positional & help defense, and he's figuring out the Warriors system quickly.
Weatherspoon looked reasonable. Nothing all that impressive, but he ran the Warriors system and didn't make a bunch of mistakes.
Trevion Williams, speaking of figuring out the Warriors system, is so fun to watch. The holes in his game probably keep him in Santa Cruz for now, but in addition to passing, he clearly was driving the motion offense (something that was sorely lacking in game 1 when the training-camp non-guaranteed guys were in) and held up OK in the paint.
Quinones, I can't say I'm impressed by. He seemed a little out of sorts.
PBJ, I am impressed that someone this intriguing was available 28th in the draft. Feels like he could be quite the steal if it really was just a health issue.
Rollins, I didn't see anything to be excited about. Really unclear what inspired the team to commit those resources to signing him, but after seeing Poole's improvement year-to-year I can see why the team wants guys on longer contracts.
McClung seems like a borderline NBA guard, who showed a good combination of scoring and creating. Hope he sticks with the organization whether or not he gets the 2-way. His performance in the clutch was legit.
Pat Spencer is also a pretty intriguing guy to have in training camp. I know lacrosse isn't a huge sport compared to basketball, but his success there shows some serious athletic ability and you can see how his basketball fundamentals are solid.
Overall I'm excited for the season to get going!
I am probably making this up, but... Do you think the Japan trip commraderie could help some of the fringe guys stay on the SCW bandwagon? Like let's say Travion, McClung, etc -- any chance they forgo other team 2-way offers to play for the Sea Dubs just based on the connections built? I would guess it would be very hard to pass up a 2-way offered by another team, but at the same time I like to dream.
I have multiple homes and majority investment in high end commercial real estate on Moody Island, but damn somebody needs to teach that man a real pump fake.
Small sample size but like many here... PBJ just looks mature out there. He gives off trustworthy vibes just like Moody. There was one defensive play where he calmly stayed on his feet to contest, no typical rookie biting on jump fakes and all.
Also really want Trevion Williams to work out, but I know that's further out...
Did you hear that?! That collective pop in the comments on PBJ is like the cracking sound of ball on the sweet spot of the bat. To take a swing at a slider on the 28th pick (2-2 count?) and crush it? Bob Myers take a bow yet again...
So, how many "diamonds in the rough" do we have?
I'm totally OK with this but I'm thinking it's up to six at this point with Poole's diamond already being polished.
Yes I know some of our current group are top 10 picks but they were still the "high ceiling" type that you had to trust could take that next step.
Light Years.
Finally watched the game.
PBJ is going to play the league for Smuckers. That shooting! Nice hit-ahead pass to McClung, too.
I liked the defensive energy from Poole and Kuminga.
Little worried about JMG ... gambled on a steal once, and had an obvious reach-in. Not what you want to see from a vet. Early days, though ... maybe he just doesn't know where to be yet.
Rollins seems to be this year's early-season Oubre ... get the ball, shoot the ball. Hope they coach him out of that quickly.
Damn if McClung isn't making me look like an idiot (not that it's hard).
Is this also the open thread? Because the Lakers sound like the anti-Warriors -- with a core of three guys who are all intent on getting theirs. What could go wrong?
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34704309/lakers-big-3-new-mantra-pushing-pace-offense-thrive-get-go
These comments are on fire! Godzilla has risen again, quite comically, in Japan. Live action content, what a wonderful world.
I LUV lil mac...12 mins of flawless sparkplug bball....
For those that didn't get to watch the 3-pt contest, Slater has a good write up of it here:
https://theathletic.com/3648134/2022/10/02/warriors-japan-stephen-curry-jordan-poole/
Gotta love the Athletic beat writers:
The Wizards and Warriors were each told to send a pair of two-player teams out for the 3-point contest. Washington went with Jordan Schakel and Kyle Kuzma, followed by Corey Kispert and Johnny Davis. Both flopped. The Warriors opened with Moses Moody and Jordan Poole, the biggest competitors to Curry and Thompson.
As the first three groups went, an amped-up Thompson stretched near the bench area and wandered around with that anxious muttering vibe he often exudes when he’s trying to get in a zone. Somewhat surprisingly — since the night had been low-effort for all involved to that point — you could tell Thompson was really into it. He wanted to perform well in his only on-court event of the weekend.
Slater continues with a great writeup of the Poole/Klay contract situation and how it serves as a backdrop for their competition, and gives context to phrases like Klay's “It was nice to humble Jordan Poole.”
Also, Klay health update:
The most newsworthy basketball note from the trip came from Thompson. After winning that combo 3-point contest, he was asked about the training staff’s cautionary approach to hold him out of both Japan games. Thompson revealed that he hasn’t yet been cleared to scrimmage as he eases his way back into playing shape.
That slow build up is needed because Thompson didn’t play pickup basketball all summer.
“Popping my Achilles (in a 2020 offseason scrimmage), it was really hard for me to get out there and … mentally, it was hard. It’s hard to explain,” Thompson said. “It’s like a mental block in a way. I’m going to face it one day. But this past season was so taxing, coming back, win a championship and then a month later – Play? It was a lot.”
Thompson called the upcoming week of practices a “big week” for him. Kerr wouldn’t commit to putting Thompson in a scrimmage yet, but he’s already done contact work and should be nearing that stage.
----------
This vid gets kinda emotional in the second half as Klay talks about the mental aspect of returning from his injuries.
https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1576146353217945600?s=20&t=Ox7qWqawVfR5K8zGs5ykPQ
https://twitter.com/warriors_jp/status/1576381276335939585?s=20&t=OFhXXsSgJqd-EaSvtbEGbQ
Man, seeing the mud on the backs of these guys made me nervous for a sec that Steph would actually spar with them and end up on the ground and risk injury.
Golden State Warriors offseason recap: Grades, preseason tier, changes, end of 2022-23 goal
By Zach Harper:
https://theathletic.com/3580549/2022/10/01/warriors-offseason-recap/
Grade: C+
I don’t think the moves the Warriors made this offseason made them better, but their improved health and growth of the young guys could very well make this team a lot more formidable.
Once again, the Warriors have to prove they’re worthy defending champions because people don’t seem to want to grant them their dynasty status. ... Now that they’ve returned to the top of the league, the Warriors’ downfall will be prayed for by some in 2023. And if this team is healthy, maybe all you can do is pray that they won’t embarrass you and won’t beat you.
This machine is still unstoppable at times.
Two-way Scorecard after Japan
Frontrunners:
-----------------
QW. Good showing on Thursday. Only played 5 minutes yesterday, mostly invisible. But I think the coaches already know what they have in him. Still has a solid lead to take this position. Grade: B
LQ: DNP Sunday. Played 8 minutes Thursday. Showed aggressiveness in transition, but mostly invisible. Likely lost some ground. Grade: C+
Challengers:
-----------------------
Mac McClung: sparkplug performance lead to a comeback for the bench. 12 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists, 2 Reb, +20. Seemed more willing to pass than summer league, but I'd still like to see more from him. Definitely challenging LQ for that second 2-way spot at this point. Grade: A-.
Trevion Williams. Eye-popping performance with some sweet passing out of the post. But also flashed a really ugly 3 pt shot twice. Seems to have a better paint game than I expected, tho. Picking up 7 Reb's in 10 minutes for both games, and finishing over the rim once. Also flashed a paint mid-range that looked good. Great showing overall and has moved himself from a fairly certain SCW stash into the 2-way convo. Grade: A-.
Dark horses:
----------------
Pat Spencer: Showed off a lot more athleticism than people expected, as well as some sweet court vision in a dime to PBJ. Still not in the running, but will be interesting to follow in SC this year. Grade: B+.
Ty Jerome: DNP, but just signed. Wing that played for OKC and Suns last 3 years. Last year of 2-way eligibility. Career .344 3Pt shooter averaging 15pt/5a/4r over 36 min. he's NBA level talent who's already proven he can play in this league. Catapults himself into immediate discussion for second 2-way spot. Grade: N/A
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jeromty01.htmlat
Final rankings for both 2-way spots. Numbers represent likelihood of landing the 2-way:
QW: 70%
TJ: 40%
LQ: 30%
McM: 30%
TW: 20%
PS: 5%
Other: 5%
Some random thoughts on the new guys...
* Trevion Williams brought some really good energy hitting the boards (6 rebs in 8 min)
* In addition to the good shooting and nice passing, PBJ just understands how to keep the ball moving... always split second decisions on swinging the ball or making a move.
* Rollins hasn't shown much in terms of scoring but I like his vision.
* Again, Pat Spencer has tree trunks for legs. But, seriously, anyone see him box out that big man under the hoop to get the rebound? Also, he also has a good feel for the team game as well... some really nice reads and passes... probably second nature given his lacrosse background.