Wiggins can get a bucket, Kuminga can get a bucket. There’ll be some games it looks great and some it doesn’t.
I think the biggest pressure is for Podz to take a step forward as a secondary floor leader. I don’t know if that makes him the quote unquote 2nd fiddle but he’s got to organize the offense in 4th quarters when Steph is sitting and be a threat himself. Like a probably less explosive but better decision making version of Poole in 22
Yeah. It's one of the single points of failure on the team. If Podz can't run the point effectively, then I think we may need to make a trade. Spencer and Beekman are 'break glass in case of emergency' guys, not players you can expect to do it for more than a rare occasion or garbage time.
Fortunately, I think he can. He's smart, and tough, and seems to take instruction. No real reason to think he can't at this point
I'm a bit surprised by all this enthusiasm for Melton et al. Most fanbases would be way more excited by the second year player from the All rookie team, the analytics darling who, when he was on the floor, made the Dubs a near 60 win team. People do realize Podz is likely to lead the team in minutes played, switching between the guard positions. Can't get over how much higher the Dubs' players, management, people around the league etc. , are on him than posters on GSOM and here. Quite striking, actually. I think we all know why, and its one of the reasons I left the Bay (and most of the people I used to know who followed the NBA no longer do so). Depressing.
I know what you mean! I went to my local NBC Bay Area Soorts station and when I couldn't find it, I had a mini freak out. Siri came through when I asked; it's on ESPN.
Great Preseason preview! This new DNHQ writer's got some promise 🤞🏽(But seriously grateful you are able to contribute what you can here PB 🙏 This place is as much a place of solace as it is fandom)
I think if we're going to succeed on offense, it's going to have to look a lot like the '13-14 Spurs when it comes to scoring distribution. Who was the second option for that team? By points per game, Parker (16.7 ppg) was their #1 option. Duncan was second (15.1), followed by Kawhi (12.8) and Manu (12.3).
They didn't really have a true #1, imo, and had four second options instead. The difference for the Dubs is that we have Steph (definitely #1 option) but, like that Spurs team, the secondary scoring load is going to need to be distributed amongst a few guys, without any single player emerging as the clear #2 guy.
Sounds like we are now more like Medusa rather than the previous 3 headed hound Cerberus; while everyone stares and is transfixed by Curry, we use other snakes on the "head of the snake" to attack our enemy!
This pretty much guarantees that KT11 will start for the Mavs.
r/nba
[Charania] Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum is expected to miss three months after undergoing right wrist surgery, sources tell ESPN\. Extended early loss to Mavericks backcourt\.
I thought it was going to be more a question of Klay vs. Marshall, and Klay probably promised the opportunity to start in order to get him to sign the contract... Doncic/Kyrie/PJ are starting. One of Lively/Gafford will start. And it's that SF spot that's open... I suppose there was a world where Exum would have got that spot...
They are going to have a very different defensive system than the switch heavy Warriors, everything is going to be funneled into Lively's rim protection (and Gafford's).
I could see that being beneficial for Klay's game and the Mavericks making that work against a lot of teams. On the other hand it's still hard to see a Doncic/Kyrie/Klay trio dealing with defending the perimeter against the best teams in the league, and the Mavericks certainly need to be trying to win a championship this year.
Not to get too covet-y but man would Lively be the perfect Warrior center, he's like a 7 foot version of (pre-injury) Robert Williams.
I would have thought that Klay would start over Exum in any case as Exum is more of a combo guard and not a SF which is where Klay would be playing on the Mavericks.
I really like both of them. Seem like really good guys who know how to play. I can see Melton having a career year if healthy and KA was born to play in this system.
I can't see Melton playing much along side Steph as the 2 guard. Even when his back was good he was a good, not great shooter. I'm inclined to just play Hield or Moody and live with the consequences. [Edit: And as I posted in the earlier thread, in practice, Green was making his 3s at a much higher percentage than anybody else on the court. I don't know why it isn't launching the ball every time he is left unguarded though I know its just practice]
> I can't see Melton playing much along side Steph as the 2 guard
I sure can! Health permitting (crossing fingers).
Last year aside (back issue and relatively small sample size) Melton shot 38.8% on a shade under five attempts a game the previous three years. Buddy's a significantly better shooter, but Melton isn't chopped liver by any means.
If you're going to compare with Dray, Dray has learned (much like JKidd did) how to make a good percentage of wide open threes. Melton can shoot off the dribble and off the catch and can take and make defended threes. He therefore has to be defended when he's open at the three point line, as opposed to being ignored. Not at all the same thing.
The defense is more important than the offense when paired with Steph, though the 2 guard needs to be able to do both with some proficiency.
I'm not sure what you're basing this on (maybe things I haven't seen), but I thought Melton had a great game. At times, he was a one man disruptor on defense.
I'm basing it on Melton's career shooting. Between Dray, Melton, Wiggins, GPII, TJD, Looney, Moody, and JK I have not the slightest doubt that the Warriors have the ability to play lockdown defense. However somebody other than Curry has to put the ball in the hoop and as much as I've been on Wiggins Island, I don't have that much confidence in him as the 2nd scorer.
We'll have to see. But, it's going to be a little strange if Kerr says at the beginning of preseason that he's emphasizing defense, and then sticks Hield in the starting lineup next to Steph (who really needs some defensive protection these days).
I still think it's going to be Melton.
And, if Waters keeps this up, I think he might get the nod before Hield. Waters' defense seemed OK to me (what little I noticed it, TBH), and the shooting is looking good so far.
It's Melton and if it's not Melton, it's Podz. They've mentioned Hield being "in the competition" but I don't really believe them, it's either going to be their big MLE signing or the guy they spent all summer hyping up.
It's Melton, and if it's not Melton, it's Melton... and if it's still somehow not Melton, it's Podz... unless JK has a real 3-ball, in which case, maybe it's Wiggins. But it's Melton.
Waters is king of the forgotten man, but I could definitely see him playing a lot of minutes with Steph. He didn't get much of a chance to play with OKC, but he shot the ball well when he did and he has the size to be a good defender.
I've been camped out on Waters Island ever since he was acquired. If he continues to perform as he did against the Clips, I may have to start construction on a cabin.
Warriors need less Hield, not more imo. I'm fine with him as a specialist off the bench, not super interested in him being a featured member of the rotation although I assume that will happen.
"One of the reasons we are excited to get Buddy Hield is because we will run some of the same stuff that we ran for Klay for Buddy," Kerr told ESPN. "Draymond and Steph will be looking for him on the perimeter when they're playing with him.”
Sounds like Kerr sees him out there with the big dawgs
He's a very one-dimensional player with shitty shot selection, defense, decision making, whatever else you want to name. The contract isn't egregious and the Warriors will need that one dimension (which he's elite at otherwise he wouldn't be in the NBA) so I'm not suggesting he doesn't play at all but the idea of Buddy Hield will always be better than the reality, kinda Westbrook-y in that sense. He should be lower down in the depth chart than I think Warrior fans are currently putting him, at least imo.
I honestly don't have a read on how much Kerr is actually going to play him, but I can certainly see a world where fans are bemoaning how much he is playing by like December.
I think Hield will be, as you say, a specialist off the bench. When we need scoring and spacing right NOW, he's that guy. His defense supposedly improved last year, and he didn't suck on D in the first preseason game, but I want to see more before concluding he's not a liability there.
You said Melton was a “good” shooter, which he is. Why does Steph need a great shooter next to him? Especially at age 36/37, he needs a really good defensive player next to him.
You can’t win if you can’t stop anybody.
If Green could/would shoot the 3 at 40% on decent volume it would make a big difference.
I have come to the conclusion that his identity is defense and passing, and he has a tough time mentally letting go and firing up 3’s. I wish he would be able to change that, but it can be tough. It is also tough because it takes a lot of physical effort to play D and be a point forward the way he does, so those wide open 3’s get tougher as the game goes on.
I think Melton will get a lot of consideration playing next to Steph. Kerr wants another ball handler who can also score and attack the basket. He plays with pace but the problem is he's not a very efficient shooter/scorer. Moody is the only player with size that can shoot the 3 but he is not known for his ball handling. Hield's best days are long gone. He can shoot the 3 but his efficiency kind of sucks. Excellent ft shooter. The team is expecting good things out of JK as far as scoring and I agree that Draymond should be shooting more. He developed shyness for many years but can actually hit 3's and drive to the basket. He needs to be pushed.
I think that Waters might develop into that 3 point threat that we all love but the rest of his game has to withstand the NBA level if he's going to play in Kerr's system. I don't see Wiggs shooting 20ppg anymore as I don't think he will get that many touches. I'd like to see him post up more and of course defend.
By TS% his .571 career has been right around league average for his entire career and virtually the same as Klay’s .574 without the benefit of playing next to the player with the most gravitational pull in NBA history.
Hield's been shooting 58% TS over the last three years, so not only are his best days not "long gone" as far as being an efficient scorer, he's actually MORE efficient in his most recent three-year stretch than over his career.
Does "a second scoring option" mean "someone we're going to give the ball a lot" or "someone who's got the green light to jack up a lot of shots" or something else? Doesn't the nature of the system determine who will shine? A defense focused on creating turnovers and getting fast-breaks would seem to play to JK's strengths; a constant motion offense to good catch and shoot players.
I guess it's partly "who can get a bucket" when the opposing defense toughens up, which is why Wiggins is a logical answer and the rest are a bunch of question marks. Curious to see if free Moody and 4th year JK can make leaps....
Agree Wiggins and JK would be the best options for this team to try to emphasize. Both have shown willingness to initiate individual offense when they found it necessary or appropriate. Hoping to see them realize their best results!
And who doesn't wilt under the spotlight if they need someone to bail out the offense when the shot clock is winding down and Steph either isn't out there or doesn't have it that night
I think 16ppg from both Moody and JK will be expected and doable provided Kerr gives them the playing time. Jacking up shots is what Klay was doing and it didn't work any longer. We need to develop rhythm with the new guys and defensive presence both with the starters and bench. Scoring will come as the games flow. We've never lacked it. It's fun to see how all this develops.
Even if we primarily rely on Wiggs and JK for secondary scoring, they may have to be supplemented by multiple players chipping in off the bench rather than scoring big numbers every night a la Klay.
I appreciate your final comment. If we keeping worrying about winning a championship or "wasting Curry's prime" we'll miss the fun seeing how all this develops.
I quite agree. One of the fun things about this team is getting to see what happens. They have a lot of intriguing pieces. Time to see how they fit together and who makes the leap...
Game thread coming 6:30...
Wiggins can get a bucket, Kuminga can get a bucket. There’ll be some games it looks great and some it doesn’t.
I think the biggest pressure is for Podz to take a step forward as a secondary floor leader. I don’t know if that makes him the quote unquote 2nd fiddle but he’s got to organize the offense in 4th quarters when Steph is sitting and be a threat himself. Like a probably less explosive but better decision making version of Poole in 22
Yeah. It's one of the single points of failure on the team. If Podz can't run the point effectively, then I think we may need to make a trade. Spencer and Beekman are 'break glass in case of emergency' guys, not players you can expect to do it for more than a rare occasion or garbage time.
Fortunately, I think he can. He's smart, and tough, and seems to take instruction. No real reason to think he can't at this point
I'm a bit surprised by all this enthusiasm for Melton et al. Most fanbases would be way more excited by the second year player from the All rookie team, the analytics darling who, when he was on the floor, made the Dubs a near 60 win team. People do realize Podz is likely to lead the team in minutes played, switching between the guard positions. Can't get over how much higher the Dubs' players, management, people around the league etc. , are on him than posters on GSOM and here. Quite striking, actually. I think we all know why, and its one of the reasons I left the Bay (and most of the people I used to know who followed the NBA no longer do so). Depressing.
At any rate
I don't know where I can watch this game....
I know what you mean! I went to my local NBC Bay Area Soorts station and when I couldn't find it, I had a mini freak out. Siri came through when I asked; it's on ESPN.
720pstream
It's on ESPN, supposedly.
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors
Hope you find a TV!
Edit: You are Sac, right? Sorry, I forgot about local rights. Not sure where it would be for you.
Okay. For some reason I thought it started at 6:30. Doesn't start till 7:30.
Or if I can watch it...
Great Preseason preview! This new DNHQ writer's got some promise 🤞🏽(But seriously grateful you are able to contribute what you can here PB 🙏 This place is as much a place of solace as it is fandom)
Starting or closing: curry, melton, waters, Kuminga, green.
Downside is green at center but otherwise that would be fun!
Curry, Moody, Wiggins, Kuminga, Green
I think if we're going to succeed on offense, it's going to have to look a lot like the '13-14 Spurs when it comes to scoring distribution. Who was the second option for that team? By points per game, Parker (16.7 ppg) was their #1 option. Duncan was second (15.1), followed by Kawhi (12.8) and Manu (12.3).
They didn't really have a true #1, imo, and had four second options instead. The difference for the Dubs is that we have Steph (definitely #1 option) but, like that Spurs team, the secondary scoring load is going to need to be distributed amongst a few guys, without any single player emerging as the clear #2 guy.
Sounds like we are now more like Medusa rather than the previous 3 headed hound Cerberus; while everyone stares and is transfixed by Curry, we use other snakes on the "head of the snake" to attack our enemy!
This pretty much guarantees that KT11 will start for the Mavs.
r/nba
[Charania] Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum is expected to miss three months after undergoing right wrist surgery, sources tell ESPN\. Extended early loss to Mavericks backcourt\.
I thought it was going to be more a question of Klay vs. Marshall, and Klay probably promised the opportunity to start in order to get him to sign the contract... Doncic/Kyrie/PJ are starting. One of Lively/Gafford will start. And it's that SF spot that's open... I suppose there was a world where Exum would have got that spot...
They are going to have a very different defensive system than the switch heavy Warriors, everything is going to be funneled into Lively's rim protection (and Gafford's).
I could see that being beneficial for Klay's game and the Mavericks making that work against a lot of teams. On the other hand it's still hard to see a Doncic/Kyrie/Klay trio dealing with defending the perimeter against the best teams in the league, and the Mavericks certainly need to be trying to win a championship this year.
Not to get too covet-y but man would Lively be the perfect Warrior center, he's like a 7 foot version of (pre-injury) Robert Williams.
Or a taller, longer Joakim Noah. I love the hustle and “dog” to Lively’s game.
If only Wiseman could have been like 85% of Lively. 😢
Instead now we have Lively trying to be like Wiseman:
https://x.com/bobbykaralla/status/1843450412386410556
Solid box score for Wiseman in the Pacer preseason game yesterday by the way, I could see their style of play suiting him well.
*KT31
Never ;)
I would have thought that Klay would start over Exum in any case as Exum is more of a combo guard and not a SF which is where Klay would be playing on the Mavericks.
Listened to Melton and KA being interviewed.
I really like both of them. Seem like really good guys who know how to play. I can see Melton having a career year if healthy and KA was born to play in this system.
It's like those two were built in a lab to play Kerr Ball. I have no doubt they'll be closing out many games this year
I can't see Melton playing much along side Steph as the 2 guard. Even when his back was good he was a good, not great shooter. I'm inclined to just play Hield or Moody and live with the consequences. [Edit: And as I posted in the earlier thread, in practice, Green was making his 3s at a much higher percentage than anybody else on the court. I don't know why it isn't launching the ball every time he is left unguarded though I know its just practice]
> I can't see Melton playing much along side Steph as the 2 guard
I sure can! Health permitting (crossing fingers).
Last year aside (back issue and relatively small sample size) Melton shot 38.8% on a shade under five attempts a game the previous three years. Buddy's a significantly better shooter, but Melton isn't chopped liver by any means.
If you're going to compare with Dray, Dray has learned (much like JKidd did) how to make a good percentage of wide open threes. Melton can shoot off the dribble and off the catch and can take and make defended threes. He therefore has to be defended when he's open at the three point line, as opposed to being ignored. Not at all the same thing.
The defense is more important than the offense when paired with Steph, though the 2 guard needs to be able to do both with some proficiency.
I'm not sure what you're basing this on (maybe things I haven't seen), but I thought Melton had a great game. At times, he was a one man disruptor on defense.
I'm basing it on Melton's career shooting. Between Dray, Melton, Wiggins, GPII, TJD, Looney, Moody, and JK I have not the slightest doubt that the Warriors have the ability to play lockdown defense. However somebody other than Curry has to put the ball in the hoop and as much as I've been on Wiggins Island, I don't have that much confidence in him as the 2nd scorer.
We'll have to see. But, it's going to be a little strange if Kerr says at the beginning of preseason that he's emphasizing defense, and then sticks Hield in the starting lineup next to Steph (who really needs some defensive protection these days).
I still think it's going to be Melton.
And, if Waters keeps this up, I think he might get the nod before Hield. Waters' defense seemed OK to me (what little I noticed it, TBH), and the shooting is looking good so far.
It's Melton and if it's not Melton, it's Podz. They've mentioned Hield being "in the competition" but I don't really believe them, it's either going to be their big MLE signing or the guy they spent all summer hyping up.
It’s Melton like ice cream in July!
It's Melton, and if it's not Melton, it's Melton... and if it's still somehow not Melton, it's Podz... unless JK has a real 3-ball, in which case, maybe it's Wiggins. But it's Melton.
We're mind-Melton.
Waters is king of the forgotten man, but I could definitely see him playing a lot of minutes with Steph. He didn't get much of a chance to play with OKC, but he shot the ball well when he did and he has the size to be a good defender.
I've been camped out on Waters Island ever since he was acquired. If he continues to perform as he did against the Clips, I may have to start construction on a cabin.
Warriors need less Hield, not more imo. I'm fine with him as a specialist off the bench, not super interested in him being a featured member of the rotation although I assume that will happen.
"One of the reasons we are excited to get Buddy Hield is because we will run some of the same stuff that we ran for Klay for Buddy," Kerr told ESPN. "Draymond and Steph will be looking for him on the perimeter when they're playing with him.”
Sounds like Kerr sees him out there with the big dawgs
He's a very one-dimensional player with shitty shot selection, defense, decision making, whatever else you want to name. The contract isn't egregious and the Warriors will need that one dimension (which he's elite at otherwise he wouldn't be in the NBA) so I'm not suggesting he doesn't play at all but the idea of Buddy Hield will always be better than the reality, kinda Westbrook-y in that sense. He should be lower down in the depth chart than I think Warrior fans are currently putting him, at least imo.
I honestly don't have a read on how much Kerr is actually going to play him, but I can certainly see a world where fans are bemoaning how much he is playing by like December.
Kerr's rotations are gonna be shitty most likely
I think Hield will be, as you say, a specialist off the bench. When we need scoring and spacing right NOW, he's that guy. His defense supposedly improved last year, and he didn't suck on D in the first preseason game, but I want to see more before concluding he's not a liability there.
You said Melton was a “good” shooter, which he is. Why does Steph need a great shooter next to him? Especially at age 36/37, he needs a really good defensive player next to him.
You can’t win if you can’t stop anybody.
If Green could/would shoot the 3 at 40% on decent volume it would make a big difference.
I have come to the conclusion that his identity is defense and passing, and he has a tough time mentally letting go and firing up 3’s. I wish he would be able to change that, but it can be tough. It is also tough because it takes a lot of physical effort to play D and be a point forward the way he does, so those wide open 3’s get tougher as the game goes on.
I think Melton will get a lot of consideration playing next to Steph. Kerr wants another ball handler who can also score and attack the basket. He plays with pace but the problem is he's not a very efficient shooter/scorer. Moody is the only player with size that can shoot the 3 but he is not known for his ball handling. Hield's best days are long gone. He can shoot the 3 but his efficiency kind of sucks. Excellent ft shooter. The team is expecting good things out of JK as far as scoring and I agree that Draymond should be shooting more. He developed shyness for many years but can actually hit 3's and drive to the basket. He needs to be pushed.
I think that Waters might develop into that 3 point threat that we all love but the rest of his game has to withstand the NBA level if he's going to play in Kerr's system. I don't see Wiggs shooting 20ppg anymore as I don't think he will get that many touches. I'd like to see him post up more and of course defend.
Hield’s efficiency kinda sucks? Based on what?
By TS% his .571 career has been right around league average for his entire career and virtually the same as Klay’s .574 without the benefit of playing next to the player with the most gravitational pull in NBA history.
Hield's been shooting 58% TS over the last three years, so not only are his best days not "long gone" as far as being an efficient scorer, he's actually MORE efficient in his most recent three-year stretch than over his career.
Streaky. He's shooting well tonight, though.
Does "a second scoring option" mean "someone we're going to give the ball a lot" or "someone who's got the green light to jack up a lot of shots" or something else? Doesn't the nature of the system determine who will shine? A defense focused on creating turnovers and getting fast-breaks would seem to play to JK's strengths; a constant motion offense to good catch and shoot players.
I guess it's partly "who can get a bucket" when the opposing defense toughens up, which is why Wiggins is a logical answer and the rest are a bunch of question marks. Curious to see if free Moody and 4th year JK can make leaps....
Agree Wiggins and JK would be the best options for this team to try to emphasize. Both have shown willingness to initiate individual offense when they found it necessary or appropriate. Hoping to see them realize their best results!
> Does "a second scoring option" mean
Someone who can consistently score points in the 20-ish range on at least average if not better efficiency. IMO.
And who doesn't wilt under the spotlight if they need someone to bail out the offense when the shot clock is winding down and Steph either isn't out there or doesn't have it that night
Yeah, I think I roll all of that into "consistently", but it isn't unfair to call it out specifically.
I think 16ppg from both Moody and JK will be expected and doable provided Kerr gives them the playing time. Jacking up shots is what Klay was doing and it didn't work any longer. We need to develop rhythm with the new guys and defensive presence both with the starters and bench. Scoring will come as the games flow. We've never lacked it. It's fun to see how all this develops.
Even if we primarily rely on Wiggs and JK for secondary scoring, they may have to be supplemented by multiple players chipping in off the bench rather than scoring big numbers every night a la Klay.
> Jacking up shots is what Klay was doing and it didn't work any longer
Reminder that Klay scored 21.7 points per 36 on just a smidge (-0.004) below league-average True Shooting last year.
I appreciate your final comment. If we keeping worrying about winning a championship or "wasting Curry's prime" we'll miss the fun seeing how all this develops.
Life.
I quite agree. One of the fun things about this team is getting to see what happens. They have a lot of intriguing pieces. Time to see how they fit together and who makes the leap...