Preview: Warriors strap in for a tough stretch
thank goodness Memphis is struggling
There are some points in the season where everything comes to a head. Sure, the games each count the same towards the overall record, but every now and then it all coalesces - generally as the regular season winds to a close. The Golden State Warriors are in just such a situation. Tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies is going to be huge.
The Grizz have been struggling. Ja Morant got injured, the team’s defense is in tatters, and they fired their coach after absolutely imploding after All-Star break. In less than a month, Memphis has gone from one of the stronger teams, to a weak link in the playoffs chase - a fortunate opportunity for the Warriors’ and their tenuous playoff seeding. There aren’t a lot of chances to move up the standings, but Memphis is as close to it gets for low-hanging fruit. But the case for winning this game is even more compelling than that.
After tonight, the Warriors are in for an extremely important/brutal stretch of games. Starting with the Grizzlies, it’s a gauntlet of Western playoff powerhouse team, with the Lakers Thursday, Nuggets Friday, Rockets on Sunday, and then Suns a week from today. Memphis did the Warriors a solid and picked up another loss last night, further opening the window for a Golden State team to avoid the play-in.
Whew. Strap in!
On the injury front, Jonathan Kuminga is listed as Questionable. Though the team has since clarified that it isn’t his same injured ankle, that awkward fall will be a factor for Kuminga but hopefully doesn’t prevent him from getting some more playing time to knock the rust off ahead of the playoffs.
GAME DETAILS
WHO: Golden State Warriors (43-31) at Memphis Grizzlies (44-31)
WHEN: April 1st, 2025; 5pm PDT
WATCH: NBCSBA
Secret Weapons
As the season winds to a close, there aren’t any clear easy answers for the Warriors. Curry and Green, with Butler now added to the mix, should be enough to keep them mostly competitive in any playoff series, but what remains to be seen is how this team can stand up to the post season pressure cooker.
Sure, the big names will be expected to perform, and that will also be the biggest story. Watch Curry, Green and Butler this week and I’m sure you’ll see that they’ve flipped that proverbial playoff switch. These aren’t exactly playoff games, but the general principles are there: it’s time for maximum focus and effort.
Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant are a fine core, but the Warriors aren’t going to wither in front of them. Basketball isn’t just a battle of the biggest stars, each team needs a lot of little things to go right around the edges.
It’s one of the more compelling questions at this point in the Warriors’ dynasty run: which players will show up? The most recent bonus championship wouldn’t have happened without key contributors. From Andrew Wiggins to Otto Porter, there was no shortage of outsized performances that made that pose season run work out so well. So too will it go with this team.
Since I have absolutely no idea what’s about to happen over the next week, let’s explore a short list of players that could be at the epicenter of Golden State’s chase for this year’s X-factor:
Quintin Post: stretch five
Post is an interesting player, and perhaps even a more interesting story. Post was initially chosen by the Warriors in one of those weird cash deals where the team traded away, then re-acquired their draft pick. In this case, Post was signed with the 52nd overall pick and signed on a two-way contract over the summer.
An intriguing player that shot around 43% in his final two college seasons, Post has somehow emerged as one of the more promising rookies in recent memory. It’s not just his skill set, it’s that he and the Warriors seem to be finding a synergy - the stretch five that Golden State has long coveted alongside Curry.
When asked about his steadily increasing playing time and impact, Post was quick to recognize the uniquely mutually beneficial outcome - this isn’t just a super talented kid cooking the opposition, Post fits in a way that reminds me of basketball Darwin.1
But yeah, I noticed this is where right now I'm having a lot of success. Like I said earlier, I feel like I'm doing the team a disservice when I'm not being aggressive with my shot."
When it comes to these surprise impact players, it is often just as much about that player’s fit within the system, and Post and the Warriors have found an especially synergistic set of circumstances. As the game pressure increases, having a reliable stretch five is going to come in handy. He’s also a bit older, profiling as less of a project (versus win now) at the ripe old age of 24.
Podz: what if Monta could pass and was willing to come off the bench?
Look, I don’t want to get too deep into any sort of statistical comparison on this one, but one of the most compelling “what if” storylines to me has always been about Monta Ellis staying on as a discount bench weapon. No regrets from what unfolded, obviously, but the Warriors have frequently been exploited in the minutes that Curry isn’t on the floor. Players at other positions (like Durant) haven’t been the answer, but Podz seems to have that secret sauce. Like Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, there’s an almost prescient ability in Podz’s ability to see the action unfold before it happens.
He draws a ton of charges and is extremely adept at attaching himself to any gaps in the opponents schemes. Sometimes it’s at the rim, other times, he’s shooting three - like he did against the Spurs - whatever the case, the emergence of Podz has been foundational to the increase in Warriors’ odds of success.
Obviously, Monta isn’t a great comp for Podz, but the team has long coveted a dynamic rim pressure guard that can also play defense. Nothing is easy in the NBA, but Podz could be one of the most transformative forces in Golden State if he heats up just in time for a strong post-season push.
Conclusion
Grab this one. Not an easy game, but a must win against a struggling squad.
Music (not) Friday - free tickets (!) to Friday’s Destroy Boys show in Berkeley
This is a fun one.
We got an email from the UC Theatre. They saw our post that talked about the Linda Lindas, and are kind enough to extend an offer for a pair of free tickets to this Friday’s Destroy Boys show.
All you’ve got to do to enter is reply below and say “I’d like to see Destroy Boys”, send me a DM here or on Bluesky, or email the DNHQ inbox to be entered. It’s a pair of tickets that will be yours at the box office. All courtesy of the fine folks down at the UC Theatre in Berkeley.
First paid subscriber to ask for them gets it; otherwise it will go to a random draw announced tomorrow.
I’ve already highlighted this band earlier this month, but even if you don’t like punk, you really should check them out.
Survival of the fittest was never about the toughest tortoise. Evolutionary advantage is a harmonious double-edged equation between organism and environment.
Post-game thread up!
Very excited - going to be at the game in Memphis tonight. First time to see Steph and Co. live.