I had not seen the YouTube channel "Warriors Breakdown" before, do others know it? It seems small but basically our vibe, centers around actual analysis and not hype and shouting. Today's breakdown is at:
Carter's on a ~$10 mil a yr contract, and he's got two more guaranteed years after this. So, we might not be able to get under the 2nd apron this summer if we make this trade without letting Klay walk.
OTOH, if he's any good (I'm not familiar with him, stats look OK), I guess you could trade Loon in the offseason and you'd basically be in the same financial position.
I am sure that the Magic wants to get rid of a center who gives them 11 points and 6 rebounds on 50fg% from the floor and 40% from three for the pleasure of saying they got to meet a point god. This seems imminent.
They’re prob trying to use Fultz and Harris with their FRP… article I saw had them interested in CP3 or Lowry… and that they will look out for a Lowry buy out. I doubt they’re looking to trade us a meaningful rotation player
I think they’ll be forced to make the trade for Lowry if they want him. If he gets bought out I doubt his destination of choice is going to be Orlando (and that’s assuming he gets bought out at all).
From yesterday’s article in the Athletic by Slater about Draymond Green:
Green talks about the conversation Lacob had with him before offering the 4 year contract and Lacob’s expectations from Green. After Green was suspended for hitting Nurkic:
“
> Green holed up in his Los Angeles area home. Two months into a four-year contract that felt risky on the team side, Green had already broken the pledge to Lacob. During Green’s first days away from the team, Lacob called him. Green saw the name on his phone and froze.
> “I couldn’t answer it,” Green said. “I couldn’t talk to him. I did not talk to him. I didn’t call back. I almost hid. He gave me his word and he stuck by it. I gave him my word and I’ve let him down. It was probably a little cowardly. Like, I couldn’t face the music.”
“
The article presents a more balanced picture (how he’s currently handling the refs, players calling for reviews of every single foul, etc), but I thought that Lacob/Green interaction really interesting.
I hope that Draymond is still in therapy or counseling, or whatever treatment he started with. There’s still half a season left and he needs to continue keeping his emotions in check. Opponents will continue to goad and bait him. Referees will scrutinize his every move. Heck, even people in the audience will test him. It will take more than a couple months of treatment to undo years of bad behavior.
Yeah, and his quotes still don't give me a whole lot of confidence. But his play on the court sure makes me think the team has a chance. If they get to the playoffs, every team will do their best to test his willpower- they absolutely have to! Buckle up, I guess...
You're not going to believe this. I was playing my Scrabble app and I got "AWKHSOO" so I felt obligated to play "HAWKS." Then on the *very next turn* I got "MKUOLSI" So I played "LOSE" so in consecutive turns i had put down "Hawks lose." ANd then on my next turn I had "MKUNGIA" so I played "KUMINGA" (for a bingo and 88 points!!) and then on the next turn I had "RECODSX" so I played "SCORES" and then on the VERY NEXT TURN I got "1FMVR12" So I played down "112"
So on consecutive turns I played "Hawks lose Kuminga scores 112" And I felt like such an IDIOT because I only too late saw where I could have played "211" instead. So dumb.
It is a message from the Basketball Gods! These same chips, cued to Kuminga's first possession, likewise prophesy the exact sounds made by the recipients of Kuminga's aggression - rim and defender - and utterances of the witnesses thereof, as captured by the baseline microphones:
KAWOOSH!
SLOIMK!
U AM KING/I AM GUNK (simultaneously thought and said by someone playing defense, or Trae Young)
SEX COD! (You'll have to ask Fitz what he meant by this- but it's not the weirdest nickname he's come up with)
211 (not sure about this one but it is probably chanted by the crowd once Kuminga reaches the number...? Anyway, Asher said this was the right number, and I am tired of being called an Idiot by doctors).
It's always something with them. Usually the name-calling starts right after a responsibility-ducking statement such as "I'm trying to checkout these groceries" or
"How did you get my address" or "I have a doctorate in English Literature". Quacks.
Not sure if anyone has posted this yet but I saw this on Reddit.
This guy speaks to my soul. Did DNHQ interview him back in the day? I can’t remember. Anyways this is beautiful and helps me come to grips with my unending love affair with basketball and this core specifically.
Cliché - a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
Something can be a cliche but still be true. I think “the game slows down” is short hand for getting better at making quick decisions. If you have half a second to make a decision and it takes you a half a second or more, it feels like everything is coming at you fast. If, on the other hand, you have half a second to make a decision and you can make it in a quarter of a second, it feels like you have plenty of time and it slows down to the point where it comparatively feels like you can see things happening before they do. I never experienced it in basketball, but certainly did in volleyball. Like basketball, you have pre-called plays that change on the fly, defensive coverage responsibilities, reading opposing defenses, etc. When you’ve “seen the pictures” enough and can do a lot of it without thinking through them, it feels like you don’t even have to think.
What I’ve noticed most about Kuminga is that he looks much, MUCH better at making quick decisions on the fly, especially on offense, where previously he was often he looked like he was often running a pre-determined move. His feel for the game is getting better before our eyes.
On defense, last year he was playing with great effort, but being a little too aggressive and picking up fouls. He's learned how to defend without being quite so handsy, not leap at everything (though he still does some of it), and pull his hands back when the guy he is guarding is trying to come up under his arms.
On offense, his handle has significantly improved, and that is allowing him to go into traffic and finish. And, he's not shying away from contact.
TBH, I think the best thing that's happened this year is that Kuminga has shown he can really learn stuff and change what he does. I wasn't sure he could at the end of his first season.
What a long way he’s come since that first year, when he would jump up wildly, usually banging some guy on the shoulder or the side of the head when he came down. All in the past now.
Those are all true if negotiable in degree. But wouldn’t you just ONCE like to hear Kerr say “Maybe, just maybe, and I’m not committing myself here at all, but maybe I could have played him more.” Just once
What evidence would change your mind from this idea that Kuminga was ready to be this good in the playoffs last year? (Because that’s the thesis, correct?)
Video evidence of Kuminga displaying skills, technique and judgment this week that he did not display in the first month of this season and before?
I’m trying to turn this into an interesting question that can be investigated (on video eventually!), as opposed to, with all due respect, repetition of a religious belief that JK should have played in the LA series, whose only evidence is “JK is really good now” and “how much worse could the Lakers series have been, since GSW lost”. Which makes for poor conversation.
It’s a religious belief if “he ought to have been played” cannot be tested by analysis of evidence. That’s why I’m trying to turn it into a thesis where evidence can support it or refute it.
I'm going on a statistical deep dive atm which largely seems to be indicating that Year 2 Kuminga was just as good as Year 3 Kuminga.
Not sure if this is good or bad. It says Kerr was wrong to not play Kuminga in Year 2 because he very well could have been producing like this, but its bad because it indicates that he may not have improved his skillset.
Once I've finished doing the research, I'll drop a VERY LONG comment.
It’s really baffling to me how you keeping seeming to assert that your favorite player has always been this good, since it means he’s never made an effort to listen to his coaches or improve himself.
By this logic, the Warriors should probably trade him since this is as good as he’s going to get.
I never said he’s always been this good, or if I said so that was not my intent. I thoroughly think that he has improved under coaching. That was always obvious. The question is not “did coaching help a young player improve”. The question is “was the young player worth playing many minutes and learning as well, or was it better to play him as little as Kerr did especially during the playoffs.” Obviously Kuminga had a lot to learn and still does and isn’t perfected. That’s not an argument I’d make about anyone. All players need to improve. Do we bench Steph for every turnover or work with him to reduce those?
I don’t find this a difficult distinction, to say that JK was very good but he certainly needed coaching. Do you?
Between “perfect” and “unplayable” there’s a huge gulf. To advocate for more PT and say hey this guy seems like he’s always had a lot of skill is not to say he’s perfect. At all.
If you are saying that Kerr probably mismanaged how he handled Kuminga last year, I think there is a reasonable argument (and I agree with it).
But, people are forgetting ... up until the end of the season, we weren't even sure we were going to make the play-in tourney.
Name me any coach, with pressure to get into the playoffs, and with the second most expensive payroll in basketball (and consequent pressure to perform), who is going to say ... you know, I think I'm going to take the next 20 games and use them to develop Kuminga, and if we fall out of the playoff picture, so be it.
Essentially every coach in the NBA is going to rely on his vets in that situation.
And prior to that, Wiseman was the development priority. Both were projects, but Wiseman was seen as a guy who could fill a critical need, Kuminga had to get past Klay and Wiggs. So, it's understandable that developing Wise was the priority.
TL;DR version. Did Kerr make mistakes? Yes. Were they unreasonable ones, ... no, not in my opinion. They were fairly reasonable choices that did not work out.
It's not about Kerr should have sacrificed the season and developed a guy who hadn't shown him anything. It's about Kerr should have worked with a guy who while flawed, was doing very well last season when played. The reason he was played is that Wiggins wasn't available. Then when Wiggins came back and Kuminga dribbled off his toe one time, Kerr got nervous. Here's a key point: If Kerr's judgment had paid off and the Warriors had thrashed the Lakers, I never would have said a word. But alas.
So, to respond to your prompt: "Name me any coach..." I'd say half the fans on the internet at least have said come on Kerr play Kuminga. And not the casual fans who like a dunk. Those who watch the games and can see with their own two eyes. Kuminga has improved but he was very good last year, too. If you bench him and put in a stud instead and win, I get it. If you bench him and put in players who don't win, isn't it time to say my bad?
Half the fans but no coaches and in addition to that this is hindsight. If you said to a coach: "Hey, you're gonna lose the Lakers series in 6 no matter you you play" that coach is gonna play his young guys the whole time, of course. If you go back and think you can win, you are not gonna play the guy, no matter how talented, who doesn't really know where to be and so disrupts the other players and especially when that guy is currently a little passive on the court (this is not much of a criticism of JK in my mind - young unsure players seem a little passive while they figure it out) and we need his position desperately to hustle on both sides of the ball. Especially when he has really not sone a good job in the previous series which you did win and looked a lot better when he was off the floor. Incidentally I think this why Podz - whom I didn't expect much of, and am happily being proven wrong game by game - was able to get and stay on the court: he somehow skipped the passive part of being unsure.
Just speaking for myself, I really avoid the kind of sports fandom that focuses too much (in my opinion) on the soap opera elements, the operatic personality clash of giants, storylines. I roll my eyes when every great Kuminga game is a Kerr referendum about last season. To me, that’s last season. I am absolutely loving JK’s rise. Maybe it’s because he’s pissed and wants to prove something to Kerr; maybe it’s because he got coached by Kerr. We’re both here for it.
Been reading articles about the ASG snubs, and it occured to me how much dang talent there is in the NBA these days, including a lot of great young players. As a fan of the game, I'm happy to see that.
Even though geographically further to the West, the T-Wolves are really close to a bunch of East teams, but are far away from everyone in the West. The closest WC team for them are the Nuggets, and they are further away than at least 6 EC teams.
ESPN is run by cowards who refuse to see - and report - what ACTUALLY happened. We know the truth. We watched the game, and I still have an angry letter from my HOA, as well as the cries of "Honey, come back into the house" and "Or, at least put on pants" and "Dear Lord, where did you find a trumpet?" echoing in my ears to remind me that there sure as hell was a Victory Parade that I was in, Myself. So, don't listen to the Calendar Nerds and corporate sellouts in Big Sports Reporting. We know what happened, and I invite you to join me in boycotting any news organizations that fail to give us the glory and credit deserved for the championship we just won. I saw what I saw, as did a number of my freshly traumatized neighbors. And anyone from the NBA front office trying to say that Legitimate Championships Are Won In June are welcome to pry these trophies out my - and/or LeBron's - cold, dead fingers.
Remember when the Jan/Feb part of the season was known as “the doldrums” cuz the games didn’t matter all that much, and we just wanted the team to stay healthy so they could get to the playoffs? Yeah… this year these games matter a LOT
After having had the hardest strength of schedule in the NBA so far, the Warriors are now blessed with the third easiest schedule moving forward allowing us to stack up some wins. This is double excellent, because many of our biggest competitors ahead of us to the sixth seed have a difficult SOS ahead of them.
The Suns, currently ranked as the 6th seed, are going to have the hardest SOS in the league moving forward after having had the easiest SOS in the league so far. The Jazz, currently ranked as the 10th seed, are going to have the 2nd hardest remaining SOS after having had the eighth hardest SOS in the league so far. Simply by virtue of schedule, these two squads are most likely going to drop games and drop hard.
The Lakers, currently ranked as the 9th seed, has the 9th hardest ranked remaining SOS after having had the 4th most difficult schedule. The Rockets, currently ranked as the 11th seed, have the 15th hardest remaining SOS after having ad the 13th ranked easiest SOS. These two squads are most likely to stay relatively steady in terms of win percentage.
The Mavericks, currently ranked as the 8th seed, have the 17th ranked remaining SOS after having had the 10th hardest SOS. The Pelicans, currently ranked as the 7th seed, have the 23rd ranked remaining SOS after having had the 12 hardest ranked SOS. From schedule change alone, these two teams are going to pick up some wins.
Just off schedule alone, it seems like the Mavs/Pelicans are going to be our biggest competition when it comes to moving up the ranks to try and avoid the play-in tournament. Tbh, I’d be happy to just get into the 7-8th seed in order to give our squad two shots to win their way into the playoffs if it meant we got to rest the old guns more.
IMHO the most exciting of a long list of exciting features of the Goma Lion, is that his intensity, concentration, aggressivity always grow during the game, to peak in the 4 th quarter. And that’s Mamba mentality.
Mamba back in action. And if snake must be, then he’s an anaconda.
Sorry to freeze the enthusiasm buddies, but you might have overlooked that tonight “abbiamo fatto la voce grossa con quelli della piccionaia di Mamphis” (google that if you dare). We got to wait at least Brooklyn to have a real test.
Timpf talks about JK and he says JK’s floor is a top 20 NBA player, like a Jalen Brown. Could easily be a Kawhii level of player. Starts at 48:35.
https://youtu.be/4e61zxJcB7A?si=oMhao33gu7lfXmcR&t=2795
I had not seen the YouTube channel "Warriors Breakdown" before, do others know it? It seems small but basically our vibe, centers around actual analysis and not hype and shouting. Today's breakdown is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQChb5vcJUg
Wonder who it’s about.???
Kuminga
Above as a Joke
Saddiq Bey, Wesley Matthew’s: OUT
Dejounte Murray, De’Andre Hunter: QUESTIONABLE
https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/news/atlanta-hawks-release-injury-report-ahead-of-tonights-matchup-with-the-warriors
Murray getting traded?
Isn’t Saddiq the kind of rando shooter that goes nuclear against us?
Yeah, he did a few years ago with the Pistons already
This basically describes 2/3 of the league.
I think Asher owes JK an apology for that Michael Jordan comp
https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1753832575104070127
The Orlando Magic are showing interest in Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, per
@HPbasketball
-------------------------------------------
I couldn't help it.
CP3 + 2028 Top 5 protected 1st rounder for Wendell Carter Jr & Joe Ingles
Come on. Do it Magic! You'll be getting a Point GOD in return!
Carter's on a ~$10 mil a yr contract, and he's got two more guaranteed years after this. So, we might not be able to get under the 2nd apron this summer if we make this trade without letting Klay walk.
OTOH, if he's any good (I'm not familiar with him, stats look OK), I guess you could trade Loon in the offseason and you'd basically be in the same financial position.
Oooh, finally, a trade I’d actually do! Can we make it top 15 protected, just in case?…
I’d settle for they give us a pick instead.
I am sure that the Magic wants to get rid of a center who gives them 11 points and 6 rebounds on 50fg% from the floor and 40% from three for the pleasure of saying they got to meet a point god. This seems imminent.
Just like the Wolves were willing to trade their 7th pick and Andrew Wiggins for “Deangelo Russell”.
More realistic if we take out WCJ and just make it CP3 for Ingles and Fultz.
Ingles brings all the same “playmaking wing” benefits that mildly appeal to me about Gordon Hayward.
Deal. Fultz is just the kind of Celebrini special we need to get over the top.
Not sure what Ingles has left in the tank, but I know it's not defense.
Peak Ingles was a defensive liability
Touche. But then again: The Wolves
They’re prob trying to use Fultz and Harris with their FRP… article I saw had them interested in CP3 or Lowry… and that they will look out for a Lowry buy out. I doubt they’re looking to trade us a meaningful rotation player
At the very least we need Goga back from them.
I think they’ll be forced to make the trade for Lowry if they want him. If he gets bought out I doubt his destination of choice is going to be Orlando (and that’s assuming he gets bought out at all).
From yesterday’s article in the Athletic by Slater about Draymond Green:
Green talks about the conversation Lacob had with him before offering the 4 year contract and Lacob’s expectations from Green. After Green was suspended for hitting Nurkic:
“
> Green holed up in his Los Angeles area home. Two months into a four-year contract that felt risky on the team side, Green had already broken the pledge to Lacob. During Green’s first days away from the team, Lacob called him. Green saw the name on his phone and froze.
> “I couldn’t answer it,” Green said. “I couldn’t talk to him. I did not talk to him. I didn’t call back. I almost hid. He gave me his word and he stuck by it. I gave him my word and I’ve let him down. It was probably a little cowardly. Like, I couldn’t face the music.”
“
The article presents a more balanced picture (how he’s currently handling the refs, players calling for reviews of every single foul, etc), but I thought that Lacob/Green interaction really interesting.
https://theathletic.com/5205461/2024/02/03/draymond-green-interview-nba-golden-state-warriors/?source=user_shared_article
I hope that Draymond is still in therapy or counseling, or whatever treatment he started with. There’s still half a season left and he needs to continue keeping his emotions in check. Opponents will continue to goad and bait him. Referees will scrutinize his every move. Heck, even people in the audience will test him. It will take more than a couple months of treatment to undo years of bad behavior.
Yeah, and his quotes still don't give me a whole lot of confidence. But his play on the court sure makes me think the team has a chance. If they get to the playoffs, every team will do their best to test his willpower- they absolutely have to! Buckle up, I guess...
You're not going to believe this. I was playing my Scrabble app and I got "AWKHSOO" so I felt obligated to play "HAWKS." Then on the *very next turn* I got "MKUOLSI" So I played "LOSE" so in consecutive turns i had put down "Hawks lose." ANd then on my next turn I had "MKUNGIA" so I played "KUMINGA" (for a bingo and 88 points!!) and then on the next turn I had "RECODSX" so I played "SCORES" and then on the VERY NEXT TURN I got "1FMVR12" So I played down "112"
So on consecutive turns I played "Hawks lose Kuminga scores 112" And I felt like such an IDIOT because I only too late saw where I could have played "211" instead. So dumb.
It is a message from the Basketball Gods! These same chips, cued to Kuminga's first possession, likewise prophesy the exact sounds made by the recipients of Kuminga's aggression - rim and defender - and utterances of the witnesses thereof, as captured by the baseline microphones:
KAWOOSH!
SLOIMK!
U AM KING/I AM GUNK (simultaneously thought and said by someone playing defense, or Trae Young)
SEX COD! (You'll have to ask Fitz what he meant by this- but it's not the weirdest nickname he's come up with)
211 (not sure about this one but it is probably chanted by the crowd once Kuminga reaches the number...? Anyway, Asher said this was the right number, and I am tired of being called an Idiot by doctors).
Wait, why do doctors call you an idiot?
Usually for impulsive surgery demands.
It's always something with them. Usually the name-calling starts right after a responsibility-ducking statement such as "I'm trying to checkout these groceries" or
"How did you get my address" or "I have a doctorate in English Literature". Quacks.
Lollll. Reminds me of the weird doctor on the Simpsons, I believe name of Nick Riviera. Manic and poorly-credentialed.
I remember in one episode a receptionist calls in to say "Doctor, the coroner is on the line for you."
And he replies, "The coroner!? Ughhh, I HATE that guy."
Could have played MV and got him to score 1,005.
DAMN IT now you tell me
Not sure if anyone has posted this yet but I saw this on Reddit.
This guy speaks to my soul. Did DNHQ interview him back in the day? I can’t remember. Anyways this is beautiful and helps me come to grips with my unending love affair with basketball and this core specifically.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/03/the-warriors-according-to-legendary-writer-ishmael-reed/amp/
From Monte poole
“ JK breakthrough revitalizing season “
https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/jonathan-kuminga-breakthrough-revitalizing-season/1698767/
is this the most cliched line in basketball
“JK has just really figured it out, and the game has slowed down for him,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters at FedExForum
JK said the same thing about the game slowing down for him.
Cliché - a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
Something can be a cliche but still be true. I think “the game slows down” is short hand for getting better at making quick decisions. If you have half a second to make a decision and it takes you a half a second or more, it feels like everything is coming at you fast. If, on the other hand, you have half a second to make a decision and you can make it in a quarter of a second, it feels like you have plenty of time and it slows down to the point where it comparatively feels like you can see things happening before they do. I never experienced it in basketball, but certainly did in volleyball. Like basketball, you have pre-called plays that change on the fly, defensive coverage responsibilities, reading opposing defenses, etc. When you’ve “seen the pictures” enough and can do a lot of it without thinking through them, it feels like you don’t even have to think.
What I’ve noticed most about Kuminga is that he looks much, MUCH better at making quick decisions on the fly, especially on offense, where previously he was often he looked like he was often running a pre-determined move. His feel for the game is getting better before our eyes.
But, true in this case, I think.
On defense, last year he was playing with great effort, but being a little too aggressive and picking up fouls. He's learned how to defend without being quite so handsy, not leap at everything (though he still does some of it), and pull his hands back when the guy he is guarding is trying to come up under his arms.
On offense, his handle has significantly improved, and that is allowing him to go into traffic and finish. And, he's not shying away from contact.
TBH, I think the best thing that's happened this year is that Kuminga has shown he can really learn stuff and change what he does. I wasn't sure he could at the end of his first season.
What a long way he’s come since that first year, when he would jump up wildly, usually banging some guy on the shoulder or the side of the head when he came down. All in the past now.
Those are all true if negotiable in degree. But wouldn’t you just ONCE like to hear Kerr say “Maybe, just maybe, and I’m not committing myself here at all, but maybe I could have played him more.” Just once
WTF would anyone say that, like once or ever?
Because admitting fault would be the sign of a good leader?
What evidence would change your mind from this idea that Kuminga was ready to be this good in the playoffs last year? (Because that’s the thesis, correct?)
Video evidence of Kuminga displaying skills, technique and judgment this week that he did not display in the first month of this season and before?
I’m trying to turn this into an interesting question that can be investigated (on video eventually!), as opposed to, with all due respect, repetition of a religious belief that JK should have played in the LA series, whose only evidence is “JK is really good now” and “how much worse could the Lakers series have been, since GSW lost”. Which makes for poor conversation.
No, that is not the thesis. I have not said that Kuminga was this good in the playoffs last year.
I have said that he ought to have been played.
I don't view my thoughts on the subject as constituting a religious belief, but it seems others do.
Sounds like people want me to stop talking about it. I can do that.
It’s a religious belief if “he ought to have been played” cannot be tested by analysis of evidence. That’s why I’m trying to turn it into a thesis where evidence can support it or refute it.
I'm going on a statistical deep dive atm which largely seems to be indicating that Year 2 Kuminga was just as good as Year 3 Kuminga.
Not sure if this is good or bad. It says Kerr was wrong to not play Kuminga in Year 2 because he very well could have been producing like this, but its bad because it indicates that he may not have improved his skillset.
Once I've finished doing the research, I'll drop a VERY LONG comment.
It’s really baffling to me how you keeping seeming to assert that your favorite player has always been this good, since it means he’s never made an effort to listen to his coaches or improve himself.
By this logic, the Warriors should probably trade him since this is as good as he’s going to get.
I never said he’s always been this good, or if I said so that was not my intent. I thoroughly think that he has improved under coaching. That was always obvious. The question is not “did coaching help a young player improve”. The question is “was the young player worth playing many minutes and learning as well, or was it better to play him as little as Kerr did especially during the playoffs.” Obviously Kuminga had a lot to learn and still does and isn’t perfected. That’s not an argument I’d make about anyone. All players need to improve. Do we bench Steph for every turnover or work with him to reduce those?
I don’t find this a difficult distinction, to say that JK was very good but he certainly needed coaching. Do you?
Between “perfect” and “unplayable” there’s a huge gulf. To advocate for more PT and say hey this guy seems like he’s always had a lot of skill is not to say he’s perfect. At all.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/6037fea34d316243ca57de50eb27868d/tumblr_oa9d26cgrr1tpafe6o1_500.gif
If you are saying that Kerr probably mismanaged how he handled Kuminga last year, I think there is a reasonable argument (and I agree with it).
But, people are forgetting ... up until the end of the season, we weren't even sure we were going to make the play-in tourney.
Name me any coach, with pressure to get into the playoffs, and with the second most expensive payroll in basketball (and consequent pressure to perform), who is going to say ... you know, I think I'm going to take the next 20 games and use them to develop Kuminga, and if we fall out of the playoff picture, so be it.
Essentially every coach in the NBA is going to rely on his vets in that situation.
And prior to that, Wiseman was the development priority. Both were projects, but Wiseman was seen as a guy who could fill a critical need, Kuminga had to get past Klay and Wiggs. So, it's understandable that developing Wise was the priority.
TL;DR version. Did Kerr make mistakes? Yes. Were they unreasonable ones, ... no, not in my opinion. They were fairly reasonable choices that did not work out.
It's not about Kerr should have sacrificed the season and developed a guy who hadn't shown him anything. It's about Kerr should have worked with a guy who while flawed, was doing very well last season when played. The reason he was played is that Wiggins wasn't available. Then when Wiggins came back and Kuminga dribbled off his toe one time, Kerr got nervous. Here's a key point: If Kerr's judgment had paid off and the Warriors had thrashed the Lakers, I never would have said a word. But alas.
So, to respond to your prompt: "Name me any coach..." I'd say half the fans on the internet at least have said come on Kerr play Kuminga. And not the casual fans who like a dunk. Those who watch the games and can see with their own two eyes. Kuminga has improved but he was very good last year, too. If you bench him and put in a stud instead and win, I get it. If you bench him and put in players who don't win, isn't it time to say my bad?
Half the fans but no coaches and in addition to that this is hindsight. If you said to a coach: "Hey, you're gonna lose the Lakers series in 6 no matter you you play" that coach is gonna play his young guys the whole time, of course. If you go back and think you can win, you are not gonna play the guy, no matter how talented, who doesn't really know where to be and so disrupts the other players and especially when that guy is currently a little passive on the court (this is not much of a criticism of JK in my mind - young unsure players seem a little passive while they figure it out) and we need his position desperately to hustle on both sides of the ball. Especially when he has really not sone a good job in the previous series which you did win and looked a lot better when he was off the floor. Incidentally I think this why Podz - whom I didn't expect much of, and am happily being proven wrong game by game - was able to get and stay on the court: he somehow skipped the passive part of being unsure.
The game seems to slow more and more every time you give him minutes isn’t that strange
You mean progressively over the last 4 years? Color me shocked! Shocked I say!
Well, DNHQ sure seems to slow down when you play tired arguments more.
I don't know what that means.
Just speaking for myself, I really avoid the kind of sports fandom that focuses too much (in my opinion) on the soap opera elements, the operatic personality clash of giants, storylines. I roll my eyes when every great Kuminga game is a Kerr referendum about last season. To me, that’s last season. I am absolutely loving JK’s rise. Maybe it’s because he’s pissed and wants to prove something to Kerr; maybe it’s because he got coached by Kerr. We’re both here for it.
It means when you say positive things about the Warriors with/without evidence, everyone is happy to hear them repeated.
When you say negative things about the Warriors with/without evidence, all of a sudden they're tired arguments based on "religious" beliefs.
Please don’t explain what I meant.
Damn. Brandon Miller is really Paul George 2.0
Been reading articles about the ASG snubs, and it occured to me how much dang talent there is in the NBA these days, including a lot of great young players. As a fan of the game, I'm happy to see that.
Expansion is well over-due, at least to 32 teams.
This Warrior fan sitting in Seattle would really like to see teams in Seattle and Vegas.
Seattle and Vegas and move New Orleans and Memphis to the Eastern Conference.
Even though geographically further to the West, the T-Wolves are really close to a bunch of East teams, but are far away from everyone in the West. The closest WC team for them are the Nuggets, and they are further away than at least 6 EC teams.
It’s a shame Vancouver didn’t keep their team. Mind boggling to me Memphis received it.
It feels soooo good waking up knowing that we've won the NBA championship ....
< checks ESPN >
What, we just won a random game in Feb, against an injury-depleted team? What was I watching last night?
ESPN is run by cowards who refuse to see - and report - what ACTUALLY happened. We know the truth. We watched the game, and I still have an angry letter from my HOA, as well as the cries of "Honey, come back into the house" and "Or, at least put on pants" and "Dear Lord, where did you find a trumpet?" echoing in my ears to remind me that there sure as hell was a Victory Parade that I was in, Myself. So, don't listen to the Calendar Nerds and corporate sellouts in Big Sports Reporting. We know what happened, and I invite you to join me in boycotting any news organizations that fail to give us the glory and credit deserved for the championship we just won. I saw what I saw, as did a number of my freshly traumatized neighbors. And anyone from the NBA front office trying to say that Legitimate Championships Are Won In June are welcome to pry these trophies out my - and/or LeBron's - cold, dead fingers.
#WeBeChampionship
#stilllookingformypants
There's 82 championships within a season.. for us. At the minimum.
So you're not wrong.
There haven’t been too many winning streaks this year… only 2 prior to this one. So winning a game after winning a game feels special. Sigh…
exactamende
Remember when the Jan/Feb part of the season was known as “the doldrums” cuz the games didn’t matter all that much, and we just wanted the team to stay healthy so they could get to the playoffs? Yeah… this year these games matter a LOT
After having had the hardest strength of schedule in the NBA so far, the Warriors are now blessed with the third easiest schedule moving forward allowing us to stack up some wins. This is double excellent, because many of our biggest competitors ahead of us to the sixth seed have a difficult SOS ahead of them.
The Suns, currently ranked as the 6th seed, are going to have the hardest SOS in the league moving forward after having had the easiest SOS in the league so far. The Jazz, currently ranked as the 10th seed, are going to have the 2nd hardest remaining SOS after having had the eighth hardest SOS in the league so far. Simply by virtue of schedule, these two squads are most likely going to drop games and drop hard.
The Lakers, currently ranked as the 9th seed, has the 9th hardest ranked remaining SOS after having had the 4th most difficult schedule. The Rockets, currently ranked as the 11th seed, have the 15th hardest remaining SOS after having ad the 13th ranked easiest SOS. These two squads are most likely to stay relatively steady in terms of win percentage.
The Mavericks, currently ranked as the 8th seed, have the 17th ranked remaining SOS after having had the 10th hardest SOS. The Pelicans, currently ranked as the 7th seed, have the 23rd ranked remaining SOS after having had the 12 hardest ranked SOS. From schedule change alone, these two teams are going to pick up some wins.
Just off schedule alone, it seems like the Mavs/Pelicans are going to be our biggest competition when it comes to moving up the ranks to try and avoid the play-in tournament. Tbh, I’d be happy to just get into the 7-8th seed in order to give our squad two shots to win their way into the playoffs if it meant we got to rest the old guns more.
In honor of one actor at yesterday's game:
"Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
Kuminga Stats Pre-Haircut: 13 ppg/4 rpg on 28% from deep.
Kuminga Stats Post-Haircut: 21 ppg/66 rpg on 45% from deep.
Imagine how good Kuminga could be if he went bald.
A reverse Samson effect
How about Wiggins stats Post-Kuminga Haircut?
66rpg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suck it Wilt
We need to get Klay a barber.
#BaldWiggins
#AndrewBaldwin
#upcomingDurantReunion?
Clearly we’ve been overly focused on his development as a scorer.
IMHO the most exciting of a long list of exciting features of the Goma Lion, is that his intensity, concentration, aggressivity always grow during the game, to peak in the 4 th quarter. And that’s Mamba mentality.
Mamba back in action. And if snake must be, then he’s an anaconda.
Sorry to freeze the enthusiasm buddies, but you might have overlooked that tonight “abbiamo fatto la voce grossa con quelli della piccionaia di Mamphis” (google that if you dare). We got to wait at least Brooklyn to have a real test.
You can’t curb my enthusiasm!
Le Nets sono altri piccioni da spennare.