57 Comments
author

Ok, here's the Game Thread.

https://dubnationhq.com/p/game-thread-damion-lee-will-return?justPublished=true

Not sure if I'll be on for post game, but hope to catch up in time

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Thank you so much for that Tecmo Bowl reference... holy that made me go down a rabbit hole of memories. I had no idea people were still playing and referencing it as recent as 2016. Bo Jackson, Okoye (as BKisforSF mentioned), Ronnie Lott, Barry Sanders, QB Bills, haha...

This was a great article on it. It's amazing that the essence of American football was captured by two Japanese guys that had never watched football prior... and they did it in a such fun, accessible way, without it being completely devoid of strategy. And the lasting effect the game had on lesser known players (that just happened to have some great seasons around 1990!) was a surprise to me.

https://www.theringer.com/2016/11/17/16041044/the-legend-of-tecmo-super-bowl-8824647ea94d

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Forgot to paste a quote from that article

> You could kill off an entire quarter with a single Barry Sanders touchdown run, launch a 100-yard pass with Dan Marino, and send Bruce Smith out to maul blockers en route to crushing a ball carrier halfway across the field. The game never aspired to true-to-life simulation, but it was as addictive as Tetris. As former 49ers running back and Tecmo weapon Roger Craig put it, "That shit was fun."

And also Okoye in TSB... I couldn't stop laughing when he started running players over the other way just for giggles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ocTnhU63AQ

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Sorry one more :p

> That approach led to the creation of a cast of mini superheroes, each of whom had his own heightened set of attributes. In 8-bit form, Joe Montana, John Elway, Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, and Reggie White were unstoppable forces with extraordinary powers. (I’d add Randall Cunningham, Jim Kelly, and Bernie Kosar to that list, but their names didn’t appear due to licensing issues. In TSB, they’re known only as QB Eagles, QB Bills, and QB Browns.)

Expand full comment
author

Come on back buddy!!

> @anthonyVslater

Damion Lee is getting up pregame shots in Charlotte. Practiced fully last night. He looks likely to make his return for the Warriors tonight after a two-game absence because of a hip issue.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Let's see how the team is doing up and down the roster right now.

Steph Curry leads the league in +/- and is near the top of the league in scoring (28.4/game) and 3PM, even though he's shooting a below-his-own-ridiculous-standard 40% from 3. Some of that is because he's somehow upped his attempts from 3 to a career-high 13.3/game. Oh, and his defense is looking better than ever too—like many players on the team, his current DRtg is unbelievably (perhaps unsustainably) good, while his personal fouls committed are way down to 1.5/game (from a career average of 2.4).

Draymond Green is averaging a "triple single" of 8.8 pts, 8.3 reb, and 7.2 ast per game. (He's the only non-point-guard to have at least 7ast and one of 5 guys to have at least 7/7 reb/ast—the others are Westbrook, Harden, LaMelo, Doncic, and Dejounte Murray.) His eFG% is the highest it's ever been, due mostly to him getting to the rim instead of attempting 3's. And, of course, he's anchoring the best defense in the league (but hasn't had to do it alone).

Klay still hasn't played a game, but the excitement for that to change is increasingly palpable.

Andre is #36 in the league in total +/- despite playing a cool 20min/game. He's looking shockingly spry for the oldest rotation player in the NBA, is defending as well as he ever did, and still has magic hands. He's dishing out enough assists/game to compare favorably against his career average in 2/3 as many minutes.

Looney is rebounding and scoring better than he has since at least 2018, including a career high 17 rebounds a few days ago. Otherwise, he's looking pretty unchanged, which is just fine except that the rest of the team is looking so impressive around him.

Damion Lee has missed a few games, but so far has been shooting a career high % from 3 despite taking more attempts than most years and he's been in the midst of a lot of good plays on offense and defense including some clutch shots, and he's on track to be among the league's best for offensive fouls drawn.

Wiggins' scoring and assists are down slightly from recent numbers, but his efficiency is still much higher than his pre-GSW numbers. His defense looks stable but maybe not as stout as it did last year. With how deep this year's team is, he hasn't had to play quite as many minutes but he still came alive against his old team and he hasn't had a "bad" game so far.

Poole's break-out season hasn't been *quite* as impressive as the pre-season heralded, but he's started every game while Klay has been out, and has taken that opportunity to score more than before without being a defensive liability. His 3-point shooting has taken a dive back to 31% on as many attempts/36 as last season, which may be a product of getting more defensive attention and minutes against opposing starters. Still, his sleek dribble moves and finishes have gotten him to the rim at a good rate and he's using that to dish out assists in addition to getting his own.

JTA has had the steepest drop-off compared to last year's role, now reduced almost exclusively to Draymond's understudy. Even then, he's gotten onto the court every game so far for an average of 12.4min, which makes his stats a bit noisier to interpret. His shooting percent is down, and we mostly agree it looks like he's pressing a bit, but he still brings big energy every time he's on.

Wiseman is nearing a comeback soon, which brings a complex mix of excitement and apprehension from fans who have no idea how much of a leap his game sense has taken while rehabbing. If he plays like last year, there's probably no place for him in the rotation, but his potential is so great that the team has to at least try and see.

Gary Payton II is red-hot on both ends of the floor, but especially on defense. He's a little short on the rate cutoffs for most all-in-one and defensive rating stats, but with the way things have been trending pretty soon the stats will be reporting him as the best defender or maybe even the best overall player in the league. (Seriously: his sum total +/- is 7th overall for all players despite playing fewer minutes than anyone in the top 60+.) Not bad for a guy who was waived after training camp and barely made it onto the roster.

Bjelica is behind only Curry for total +/- in the league, and part of that is his blistering 50% on threes, the best there is. But he's also shown that he's way more than a spot-up shooter, with the ability to drive to the basket, kick out for assists, and contribute to the team's stifling defense and surprisingly good rebounding. He's not a rim runner or even a rim protector but he's looking like a perfect fit for the Warriors style at center in a comfy 15.5 minutes off the bench each game.

Otto Porter Jr. is also looking like a genius pickup for the front office, shooting an uber-efficient .652 efG%, corralling a superb selection of rebounds in his minutes while spacing the floor (45.9% from three!!) while playing smart defense and ticking off plenty of boxes in the stat sheet in a load-managed 16.8min/game off the bench—and so far so good on his health, the only missed game being a rest on a back-to-back.

Kuminga looks raw yet threatening, and his surprisingly good defense may make him a positive contributor to the rotation in less time than anyone thought. The jump shot is still missing and overall he's (as expected) a work in progress but a very exciting one.

Moody is also showing signs of being a real NBA player in limited minutes, including some smart defense, drives, and jump shooting. He hasn't yet forced his way past any of the impressively solid vets on the team, but he's already looking too good to be relegated to Santa Cruz.

In total, the season could hardly have started better; the team is one lucky bounce away from being undefeated. The team isn't even firing on all cylinders and yet their opponents are being blown out by double digits left and right. The early returns are clear: this team is a contender. If they hold up through this next road trip, all but the most stubborn haters will have to acknowledge that this team isn't just "a" contender but "the" best team in the league. Unstoppable, baby!

Expand full comment

Great post. Small correction - as of today (before the Hornets game), Curry is right at 40% 3 pt. %. per stats.nba.com.

Expand full comment

Yes, what I meant was, he's at 40% but that's below Curry's usual standard (career like 42%)

Expand full comment

Correction, Andre #6 in total +/-, not #36.

Expand full comment

I've been a Wiseman fan for a while . . . but watching Evan Mobely makes me sick to my stomach in jealousy. It would have been beautiful watching Dray/Mobely play defense together.

Expand full comment

He's so good it's absolutely ridiculous. He's the best defensive rookie big since AD. Maybe since Duncan lol?

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

You can't always get what you want.

Expand full comment
deletedNov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

No, but we can still be jealous

Expand full comment

Very close to none. He was never going to fall and the only way was to trade up to the top 3-4 but I doubt those teams even wanted to.

Expand full comment

And they weren’t taking another Center-ish type

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

"All gas, no brakes"? Nah, this team has brakes.

They use them on the other guys.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Beautiful stuff Duby! I do expect a return to earth from our favorite heroes- indeed, I hope for it, as they will need some adversity to truly be forged into greatness. What this start does demonstrate, however, is just how elite their potential is. Exciting times.

Small but important knit for us Gen Xers: Okoye was the guy you ran over people with in Tecmo Bowl. Bo would just blow by everyone

Expand full comment
author

Hahah was Okeye on the Chiefs?? I just couldn't remember on the spur of the moment

Expand full comment

That’s the one. The Nigerian Nightmare!

Expand full comment

If they want to go 82-1 and sweep the post-season without adversity, I’ll consider their greatness to be sufficiently forged.

Expand full comment

We are going to be 14-2 by the time we come home. I don't fear the Nets (atleast till Kyrie comes back). It will be battle of two offensive powers but we got better D. If Steph and Dray don't f-round, we can get it. KD is going to be in 'revenge' mode against his pal Dray and frenemie Steph. So too have to be our guys.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by Eric Apricot, punk basketball

Apricot, the "New Explain One Play" URL is */subscribe. If someone is already subscribed, it should redirect E1P page or directly take to E1P page where subscription password needs to be added again.

Just wanted to go back and look at split cut videos. Looking at Joe's video. And I think 'modified' split cut is simply a screen and people running around 😃.

Expand full comment
author

I’ll check out the URL.

What Joe calls Modified Split is what I call a Triple or Three-Man Split. One cuts to basket, one takes a pindown to pop out.

I call the two man splits just plain split cuts or post splits if the passer is in the post.

Expand full comment

Thanks. So the difference between 2 and 3 man (say) post split cut is that in the latter, the player 1 who enters the ball in post to player 2, then sets pin-down screen for player 3 who is popping out while player 4 dives to the basket. In case of two man split, there is no pin-down screen. I guess above mentioned pin-down can be set by player 5 also.

Also I am pretty sure that I asked the same question last year.

Expand full comment
author

Vanilla versions of:

Split cut: enter to passer, one player screens for the other for spot up.

Triple split: enter to passer, one player screens for the other for spot up, third player dives.

For each play, can mix in different inside screens for variation, can have player reject the offball screen and cut backdoor to basket.

There are examples of both in most of my videos… here’s one with the basics:

https://dubnationhq.com/p/explain-one-play-stephen-curry-does

Expand full comment

Thanks. I will checkout that E1P. Instinctually, I thought the split part of split cut was two players coming together and "splitting" (so to say) in different directions (one diving and one popping).

Expand full comment

Scratch 'simply a screen and people running around' comment. I see the split cut now. But what about it is 'modified'?

Expand full comment

Maybe it’s modified because it’s a 3 person split cut instead of a two person split cut?

Expand full comment

URL= URL text

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

It was a three point overtime loss when Steve Kerr wouldn't put Steph back in after he'd logged two 12 minute quarters already. Big whoop. Steve Kerr makes no mistakes and this wasn't one. BTW, if you want a good laugh, take a look at the 538 season predictions.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-nba-predictions/

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

I've been having a fun time watching their model furiously rewrite its expectations for the team as the season goes on.

https://img.mduo13.com/538-revises-gsw-expectations.png

Expand full comment
author

I'm about to start an online petition for 538 to pull back their model for a few years of internal development. It's just not good at predicting stuff

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

IIRC they are historically pretty good with their Senate predictions.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Damn, that's a real nice play breakdown by Viray. Warriors able to mix and match their concepts and sets to a more advanced degree now that they have better fitting pieces and more continuity and it is messing with opponents' defenses. Thanks for including that for those of us who don't spend a lot of time on Twitter.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

This road trip will be a good test. It may not be as hard as Duby made it out to be, since we don't play Philly on the trip (they're at Chase on 11/24) and finish the trip with Cleveland and Detroit (B2B) after the Nets game this Tuesday.

Expand full comment

Cleveland will a good test. We will either get manhandled by their size or we'll run them out of the building with our speed. I'm interested to see this one.

Expand full comment

I think the Warriors will run a lot of teams out of the building. They'll run the AARPers out. We won't know until it happens but they might run the Jazz out.

Expand full comment

According to their schedule, the Cavs will be playing the Nets on Wednesday evening before flying back to Cleveland to face the Warriors on Thursday. Will the back-to-back have any effect on the Cavaliers?

Expand full comment

Mobley, Allen, and Garland are gonna be a handful, that's for sure. Not as worried about Markkanen. Hoping for a blowout so Cavs can go really big with Tacko Fall.

Expand full comment

Also curious to see how we do against Mobley offensively and if we can make him look lost

Expand full comment

Yeah… I really want to see Mobley against Steph (and Kuminga against Mobley)

Expand full comment

Hornets stats:

Offense:

2 in points scored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (113.8)

3 in points in paint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (50.6)

4 in fastbreak points!!!!!!!!!!!! (15.2)

10 in offensive efficiency!!

18 in shooting % (44.7%)

3 in three point % !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (37.2%)

24 in two point % (49.3%)

12 in off. rebound % (23.3%)

26 in def. rebound % (74.7%)

29 in total rebound % (47.9%)

23 in opponent blocks (5.6)

19 in opponent steals (8.4)

4 in assists!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (26.1)

10 in turnovers!! (13.9)

Defense:

30 in points allowed (116.0)

27 in opponent points in paint (48.3)

21 in opponent fastbreak points (13.4)

27 in defensive efficiency

27 in opponent shooting % (46.7%)

19 in opponent three point % (35.1%)

30 in opponent two point % (55.9%)

15 in blocks (4.9)

4 in steals!!!!!!!!!!!!! (9.5)

28 in opponent assists (25.9)

6 in opponent turnovers!!!!!!!!! (16.8)

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

Jordan Poole is statistically struggling from beyond the arc at 31%. But he’s only taken 99 3PA so far, and is 6/20 from the corners, where last year, he was a 60% shooter from the corners. If he makes 2 or 3 more, his 3P% stats look better… and he’s killing it inside the arc. He’s gonna be alright, just needs some shots to go down.

Expand full comment

Before last game he was 36% on catch and shoot 3s, 22% on pullup 3s

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

It’s a well-known fact that artists suck at Pictionary. Tell them to draw a flower and they’ll spend the first 5 minutes drawing a beautiful vase before even thinking about the flower that goes in it.

Expand full comment

Yeah but those twins who went to art school together will probably figure out it's a flower based on the outline of the vase.

Expand full comment

Steph Curry and the Deathly 3 Pointers:

Where he currently stands: 2896

Magic number to pass Allen: 78

3's this season total: 64

3's per game thus far: 5.3

Additional games needed at this pace: 15

Record-breaking game at current pace: December 13th at Indiana

Expand full comment

Maybe I’m the only one, but I think the regular+playoffs record he just broke is as impressive (if not more so) than the “regular season only” that we’re all tracking. I’m actually more excited about 3,000.

Expand full comment

Why not both (all)?

Expand full comment

Pace needed to break record in x number of games:

8 games: 9.75+ -Nov. 28 @ LAC

9 games: 8.66+ -Nov. 30 @ Phoenix

10 games: 7.8+ -Dec. 3 vs. Phoenix

11 games: 7.09+ -Dec. 4 vs. San Antonio

12 games: 6.5+ -Dec. 6 vs. Orlando

13 games: 6+ -Dec. 8 vs. Portland

14 games: 5.57+ -Dec. 11 @ Philadelphia

15 games: 5.2+ -Dec. 13 @ Indiana

16 games: 4.88+ -Dec. 14th @ NYK

17 games: 4.59+ -Dec. 17 @ Boston

18 games: 4.33+ -Dec. 18 @ Toronto

19 games: 4.10+ -Dec. 20 vs. Sacramento

20 games: 3.9+ -Dec. 23 vs. Memphis

Expand full comment

I expect a push to help him do it at home…

Expand full comment

Would like it at home.....or at the Garden. Can't overshadow Klay's return vs, Sac.

Expand full comment

Klay getting 38 in a quarter against Sac is the only way lol

Expand full comment

Klay is getting 15 3s in 24 minutes in his return game

Expand full comment
deletedNov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2021Liked by punk basketball

I remember going through a Wendy’s drive thru in the 90’s. I started eating my burger and was horrified thst it was cold. Then I realized it was cold because there was lettuce, tomato, and pickle, but no hamburger patty.

That was the last time I ate at Wendy’s.

Expand full comment
author

Welcome back to the internet age!!

Expand full comment