First up great game from South Sudan. They came to play (bizarrely got to the arena on the tube with the fans! My brother was on their carriage…)
Their fans were awesome. We were sat next to a group of them with ons guy who was properly going for it. As it became clear this was no walk over a lot of other people got into it and it was really fun. After the game lots of singing and dancing in the public squares. They did their young country proud.
On the US front it was awesome to see Lebron and Steph play on the same team. They clearly were a cut above. Most of the crowd were Lebron / Steph fans judging by jersey/ crowd reaction and they made an effort to put on a show.
On the other hand Embiid looked sloooow. I get he’s working his back from injury but still. I was super unimpressed. Might have been the merciless heckling from the guy sat next to us the other side “Knicks in 6!!” “Brunson cooked your ass!!” Etc etc every time he was at the free throw line. He was yelling so loudly I’m pretty sure Embiid could hear him at one point lol. Which was a lot (seriously felt Harden-esque levels which is not inappropriate given Embiids failure to make a conference finals… maybe even a little harsh on Harden lol given he’s actually played in a Finals)
AD is just better than him…
What struck me as the big difference this time round between the 2012 team who I also saw in person was that in 2012 I remember KD going HAM on a team with prime Bron and Kobe. You just really felt this guy is next. This time you felt old Bron and Steph and then a gulf. Ant-man was fine but you didn’t get that sense. I loved his playoffs but I left feeling there was a bit more hype than body of work there. Not sure US will win the gold if it relies on those two old guys kicking into a higher gear all tournament. If they do it will be an actual achievement rather than a formality.
I wouldn’t want to be a hype-man at a UK venue. We just don’t really go for that rah-rah stuff. He really tried but got nothing.
Oh I will add KD did a shoot around. He didn’t look that far off. If he can play at the Olympics then that’s your big 3 right there, with AD and probably Jrue to D up and Antman off the bench. That should be enough. But Kerr has to play them/ get past Embiid who just bogs the whole thing down…
"Cleveland Cavaliers F/C Evan Mobley has agreed on a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie contract extension that could become worth as much as $269 million"
Up until the Barnes, Wagner and Cade (and now Mobley) contracts, I had blithely imagined we’d be able to extend JK for something on the order of what we gave Poole (about $30M a year). Using up $45-50M of your cap space for a guy who may not even be an above-average NBA starter feels like a whole different thing, especially with the second apron penalties as harsh as they are.
Have to see how he is used and plays next season to determine if he is "a guy who may not even be an above-average NBA starter "...and I agree that right now this would be a fair assessment... but if that is the case, he should not be paid $45-50 million a year, and maybe not even $30 M, by the Warriors.
The only additional data we're going to have before his extension is what he looks like in training camp. The extension deadline is ca. Oct. 20th.
We could do what Beli is suggesting which is just let him go to FA and match any contract he gets, if we think he's worth it. I didn't like that idea, but at $50 mil a yr, you might have to do it. That would be insane money for a guy who hasn't shown he can be a full-time starter yet.
In a sense, the Warriors have done this to themselves by not giving JK the proper playing time to determine if he is going to fit into this system. He is still straddling the fence regarding his worth and playing in this system. It would seem he would do well in a more open system.
I get not playing a guy that showed laziness on many occasions…in a Kerr system, if you’re not doing your part, you will be benched.
He def got a lot better this last season…but still has his short comings. That is mostly because of the lack of playing any college ball. He’s still new to the game, which is both good and bad.
He played for Ignite in the gleague for 2? seasons. I would think you learn something there, too. It's the system here that makes you fit your game into it. Some players will not adjust. KD disliked it. Kerr's system is solid but 'Old' at this point. This system does not admit players who are not plug and play. Otto and Bjeli were plug and play. Paint play in this system is not a focus, it's a support mechanism. This system is machine-like. Athletic players have a hard time with it because they are used to spontaneously creating their game based on circumstance.
Klay was the ultimate plug and play player and fit like a glove next to Curry. A great catch and shoot player who hardly ever dribbled to create his shot. Last season, we saw what happens to a system where the plug and play player no longer plugs and plays. The system breaks. If you can't shoot from distance consistently, spreading the floor collapses. Kuminga is not a stretch player. Dray is not a stretch player. Both are out of 'position' when doing so and the paint and midrange game suffers. Being able to create your shot is an important tactic and JK isn't really encouraged to do so. Same with Dray. Same with Looney. These players kind of cancel each other out. We need much more fluidity in the midrange and paint game. That was why I liked Bolden so much. The guy was everywhere and able to hit 3s, no less. That is a dangerous player. Making players fit to the form is okay if they excel at certain tactics. Klay was perfect. Wiggs has become an unknown. None of the players can replace Klay in this system so the system must change. Podz is not a catch and shoot player and I don't think we want him to be. He's too dangerous as he is. JK is similar. Melton and Hield are not really starters. I don't see the Warriors being able to adapt to the Kerr system any longer as a general fit for the players. Kerr fell on his face with the USA team in the Euro Cup. The players were not adapting well to his style especially Ingram.
Anyway, I'm getting too long winded here so I'll stop.
Agreed. Paying all-star money to somebody who may in fact not be an allstar is really risky. That’s how you get into “top 5 worst contracts in the league”. It feels like if we’re going to max Kuminga, we might as well wait until free agency. If Kuminga never develops a 3 pointer or the ability to create for others or his athleticism declines and he’s simply a starter, paying him max money is pretty crazy.
On the other hand, with the new TV deal the cap is expected to increase by 10% every year, and the salaries can only increase by 8%. This means that the salaries will be decreasing as a percentage of overall cap space, which might basically mean that all deals are reasonable deals.
The Warriors will be able to match any offer so I don't see the harm in waiting until the end of the season. If some other team thinks he is worth $45m/year then I guess he is. Also keep in mind that many teams would have trouble even clearing the cap space to make that offer.
He’s definitely going to give it his all, like many other pro sports players in their contract year. Which is equally as scary, because we’ve seen Wiggins like lackadaisical behavior from JK at times, so he can revert back once paid
And unless we are trading for LM or BI, we are basically stuck w him becoming an all star himself, or just letting him walk for nothing eventually I suppose if they aren’t interested in his future
"There probably will be a movie made about the South Sudan basketball team someday. And the players representing the war-torn young nation added a powerful and dramatic scene Saturday night in a moment the raucous crowd at O2 Arena won't soon forget."
"The Utah Jazz have officially waived guard Russell Westbrook. The move clears the way for Westbrook, a former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star to join the Denver Nuggets. The expected signing has been endorsed by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic."
A bit of a wake up call.....KERR said it was on him/did not prepare the team properly....STEPH had an off shooting game, but did hit the go-ahead LOGO 3pter...lol...LBJ was vintage, as was DAVIS, PUT TEAM ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND CARRIED IT TO THE 1 POINT COMEBACK WIN....
Random optimistic observations based on haphazardly looking at lineup data from last year.
The Curry, Podz, Wiggins, Kuminga and Dray combo was the most used lineup and it was +14.6 per 100 possessions. Which is better than the starters for the Celtics, Nuggets or OKC.
You can swap Moody in for Wiggins and in 27 minutes that lineup was +49.1 per 100.
The 2nd most used lineup was Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Kuminga, Dray (same as the first with Klay in for Podz) and was +18.6 per 100.
The 3rd most used lineup was Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Dray, Looney (same as the 2nd with Kuminga in for Looney). This was -7.1 per 100.
Otherwise, Klay was a big drag on lineups in general. Only really seemed to play well with CP3. Looney and Wiggins were generally drags.
GP2 was probably the most positive lineup guy. After that it was Dray but then Podz and Kuming not far behind. Curry of course, but I think he was dragged down by
Takeaways:
1. At minimum, Podz and Kuminga need to "eat first" next year. (30+ mpg and most likely starting and finishing). Podz we know made a big oncourt impact, but Kuminga wasn't far behind. Both guys "impacted winning" with different combos last year and are at a growth stage where you'd expect them to be significantly better this year.
2. Moody honestly isn't far behind in positive impact. I wouldn't be surprised if he
3. I think the biggest potential development for next year would be if Kuminga and TJD turned into a productive duo. They both were very positive with other combos, but not each other. That would require them to be collectively a little better at D, shooting and decision making. If that happens it makes it a lot easier on Kerr to build out lineups.
I don't think they're going to miss Klay. They'll miss CP3. But I'm not sure they're going to miss figuring out how to fit CP3 style into normal Warrior ball.
4. Not the first to say, Kyle Anderson is going to be so valuable. Dray was just the guy that made a lot of stuff fit and Slo-Mo should have a similar impact.
Thanks for putting this together. I was already pretty optimistic about our current team (read: I think they can make the playoffs, but aren't necessarily contenders).
This gives further reason for optimism.
So, if we don't get Lauri, we don't get Lauri. We'll still see some fun ball along the way.
So, the 2nd most-used lineup - the Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Kuminga, Dray, Smallball/MAX GRAVITY/'Ship lineup - was the MOST-EFFECTIVE LINEUP with +18.6 per 100. My takeaway, no surprise there. Not surprised KLAY did not fare well when playing without the HOF trio together. KERR knew better...
Creative SWAPS, notwithstanding, GOOD LUCK REPLACING KLAY, on the floor.
If you look at duos Klay was negative w everyone but Dray, CP3 and Kuminga. Suggests he was really reliant on very specific teammates to be successful. Not the other way around.
I think they’re gonna be better off w more athleticism, defense and playmaking. They can recreate the lineups that really excelled w an extra great shooter by playing Buddy exactly as much as they want to.
Nonsense. KLAY ‘‘successful” means, and, has meant for 13 years, more opportunities/less dbl-trpl-teaming of STEPH, and a slew of interior and perimeter ops for all…AND VICE VERSA. As for BUDDY, I wish you the best…Anyway, at least you finally had a REVELATION ABOUT WHAT THE HOF CORE TRIO MAXIMUM GRAVITY/BLINDFOLDED CHEMISTRY WAS ALL ABOUT AND THEIR RELIANCE ON EACH OTHER...
What lineups….season was an aberration without Green and Wiggins for a total of about 82 games, Looney not playing, and the young us trying to rookie-learn…
He played fairly well off-the-bench, also, which, along with his normal career-long-late-season-peak, led to his return to the winning lineup that was best, and the end of KERR experimentation; unfortunately, only for the last 20, or, so, games, and, IT WAS TOO LATE. So much for messing with the MAXIMUM GRAVITY OF THE HOF TRIO LINEUP...unless you let the below-the-2d-apron objective dictate KLAY's utilization, i.e. team minus KLAY. You do not replace KLAY with PODZ, as proven by your cursory data. PODZ is a fine player, but, he is not the shooter/scorer KLAY is/KLAY should always have be on the floor when the other TWO of HOF MAX GRAVITY TRIO WERE, on a team struggling for wins/playoffs, not to mention how much it affects STEPH's shooting opportunities....
Great narrative, but that is not what I saw on the court. Now you are at least admitting KLAY performed well off-the-bench. Well, you are right, though you attribute it to gained ''humility''. Fact is KLAY's shot was unfazed; an attribute that made him one of the AT greatest shooters. Moreover, with Dray missing so many games -first with injury, then, suspension - KLAY, AS WELL AS STEPH were affected. In fact the younger guys on the bench set him up better than the young guys in any starting lineup. Injuries, personal problems, and, apron-avoidance-KLAY contact-imperatives, totally messed up the development of the team, and led to too-long KERR experimentation with an eye on a KLAY-LESS FUTURE. By the way, PAUL's half-court/penetration game was all wrong for this team. Initially, I thought it would help, as he would be able to kick out off his penetration, but, it turned out he was better at looking inside and horrible at kicking the ball out. As for defense, maybe KLAY was no longer the best 2-way player in the league, but, he was still a good defender; his experience guarding the best guards over the years helped him.
In sum, I am tired of the effort to discredit KLAY, and the poor treatment he received, on bball terms, for what was CLEARLY A MONEY-SAVING MOVE BY THE FO/KERR, INCLUDED. The last participant in the railroading was probably the BETRAYAL that hurt KLAY the most and made up his mind to move on. HEY, IT IS WHAT Y'ALL WANTED. GOOD LUCK REPLACING HIM WITH 3 PLAYERS AND A NEW SYSTEM.
Haha, S Sudan misses a floater and dunk put back in the last seconds. What a great game from SSD. USA has a lot to work on… These teams will rematch in the Olympics.
Anthony Davis is nimble for a big, tall man and so obviously has good footwork that helps him with defense close to the rim … but IMHO he is mainly an offensive player- and a good one.
“You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all”
Big Boss Man- from Pig Pen with the Grateful Dead…
… written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith, first recorded by Jimmy Reed, later by Elvis Presley.
The current US Olympic basketball team has often paired AD with Bam Adebayo playing big and tall, more mobile, and concentrating on defending outside for overall team defense.
Love that song. Jerry Lee Lewis also did a (ahem) “killer” version.
I disagree about AD though. I think he’s one of the better rim defenders in the game, and for a big, that makes him a “real” defender and a good one. If he weren’t, we might have gotten to the WCF two seasons ago.
WNBA All-Star weekend was sooo good. Can’t wait for the Valkyries to join the fray of the “W” next season.
I wish we got Lebron. He and Curry have such an amazing chemistry and aura
Ok some actual reflections…
First up great game from South Sudan. They came to play (bizarrely got to the arena on the tube with the fans! My brother was on their carriage…)
Their fans were awesome. We were sat next to a group of them with ons guy who was properly going for it. As it became clear this was no walk over a lot of other people got into it and it was really fun. After the game lots of singing and dancing in the public squares. They did their young country proud.
On the US front it was awesome to see Lebron and Steph play on the same team. They clearly were a cut above. Most of the crowd were Lebron / Steph fans judging by jersey/ crowd reaction and they made an effort to put on a show.
On the other hand Embiid looked sloooow. I get he’s working his back from injury but still. I was super unimpressed. Might have been the merciless heckling from the guy sat next to us the other side “Knicks in 6!!” “Brunson cooked your ass!!” Etc etc every time he was at the free throw line. He was yelling so loudly I’m pretty sure Embiid could hear him at one point lol. Which was a lot (seriously felt Harden-esque levels which is not inappropriate given Embiids failure to make a conference finals… maybe even a little harsh on Harden lol given he’s actually played in a Finals)
AD is just better than him…
What struck me as the big difference this time round between the 2012 team who I also saw in person was that in 2012 I remember KD going HAM on a team with prime Bron and Kobe. You just really felt this guy is next. This time you felt old Bron and Steph and then a gulf. Ant-man was fine but you didn’t get that sense. I loved his playoffs but I left feeling there was a bit more hype than body of work there. Not sure US will win the gold if it relies on those two old guys kicking into a higher gear all tournament. If they do it will be an actual achievement rather than a formality.
I wouldn’t want to be a hype-man at a UK venue. We just don’t really go for that rah-rah stuff. He really tried but got nothing.
Finally, man Kerrs rotations as a neutral. Lol.
Awesome! In-person reports from across the pond.
Dubnationhq is the Associated Press of the Warriors basketball world.
How do you syndicate a pug?
Oh I will add KD did a shoot around. He didn’t look that far off. If he can play at the Olympics then that’s your big 3 right there, with AD and probably Jrue to D up and Antman off the bench. That should be enough. But Kerr has to play them/ get past Embiid who just bogs the whole thing down…
Players union et al so busy trying to prevent another Warriors dynasty that they have systematically destroyed the NBAs middle class
Can’t wait until OKC et all are waiving players they need because their roster is going to be too expensive 😂. Chickens coming home to roost.
What am I talking about, rhe NBA will probably agree to a “home-grown discount” once Steph retires.
And trying to prevent other teams from accomplishing anything similar to what the Dub Dynasty did.
"Cleveland Cavaliers F/C Evan Mobley has agreed on a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie contract extension that could become worth as much as $269 million"
https://x.com/wojespn/status/1814840035352461537
Damn. Class of ‘21 getting paid.
Up until the Barnes, Wagner and Cade (and now Mobley) contracts, I had blithely imagined we’d be able to extend JK for something on the order of what we gave Poole (about $30M a year). Using up $45-50M of your cap space for a guy who may not even be an above-average NBA starter feels like a whole different thing, especially with the second apron penalties as harsh as they are.
Tough decisions ahead for MDJ and co….
Have to see how he is used and plays next season to determine if he is "a guy who may not even be an above-average NBA starter "...and I agree that right now this would be a fair assessment... but if that is the case, he should not be paid $45-50 million a year, and maybe not even $30 M, by the Warriors.
The only additional data we're going to have before his extension is what he looks like in training camp. The extension deadline is ca. Oct. 20th.
We could do what Beli is suggesting which is just let him go to FA and match any contract he gets, if we think he's worth it. I didn't like that idea, but at $50 mil a yr, you might have to do it. That would be insane money for a guy who hasn't shown he can be a full-time starter yet.
In a sense, the Warriors have done this to themselves by not giving JK the proper playing time to determine if he is going to fit into this system. He is still straddling the fence regarding his worth and playing in this system. It would seem he would do well in a more open system.
I get not playing a guy that showed laziness on many occasions…in a Kerr system, if you’re not doing your part, you will be benched.
He def got a lot better this last season…but still has his short comings. That is mostly because of the lack of playing any college ball. He’s still new to the game, which is both good and bad.
He played for Ignite in the gleague for 2? seasons. I would think you learn something there, too. It's the system here that makes you fit your game into it. Some players will not adjust. KD disliked it. Kerr's system is solid but 'Old' at this point. This system does not admit players who are not plug and play. Otto and Bjeli were plug and play. Paint play in this system is not a focus, it's a support mechanism. This system is machine-like. Athletic players have a hard time with it because they are used to spontaneously creating their game based on circumstance.
Only played half of one season, 13 games, for the Ignite
Klay was the ultimate plug and play player and fit like a glove next to Curry. A great catch and shoot player who hardly ever dribbled to create his shot. Last season, we saw what happens to a system where the plug and play player no longer plugs and plays. The system breaks. If you can't shoot from distance consistently, spreading the floor collapses. Kuminga is not a stretch player. Dray is not a stretch player. Both are out of 'position' when doing so and the paint and midrange game suffers. Being able to create your shot is an important tactic and JK isn't really encouraged to do so. Same with Dray. Same with Looney. These players kind of cancel each other out. We need much more fluidity in the midrange and paint game. That was why I liked Bolden so much. The guy was everywhere and able to hit 3s, no less. That is a dangerous player. Making players fit to the form is okay if they excel at certain tactics. Klay was perfect. Wiggs has become an unknown. None of the players can replace Klay in this system so the system must change. Podz is not a catch and shoot player and I don't think we want him to be. He's too dangerous as he is. JK is similar. Melton and Hield are not really starters. I don't see the Warriors being able to adapt to the Kerr system any longer as a general fit for the players. Kerr fell on his face with the USA team in the Euro Cup. The players were not adapting well to his style especially Ingram.
Anyway, I'm getting too long winded here so I'll stop.
Agreed. Paying all-star money to somebody who may in fact not be an allstar is really risky. That’s how you get into “top 5 worst contracts in the league”. It feels like if we’re going to max Kuminga, we might as well wait until free agency. If Kuminga never develops a 3 pointer or the ability to create for others or his athleticism declines and he’s simply a starter, paying him max money is pretty crazy.
On the other hand, with the new TV deal the cap is expected to increase by 10% every year, and the salaries can only increase by 8%. This means that the salaries will be decreasing as a percentage of overall cap space, which might basically mean that all deals are reasonable deals.
The Warriors will be able to match any offer so I don't see the harm in waiting until the end of the season. If some other team thinks he is worth $45m/year then I guess he is. Also keep in mind that many teams would have trouble even clearing the cap space to make that offer.
He’s definitely going to give it his all, like many other pro sports players in their contract year. Which is equally as scary, because we’ve seen Wiggins like lackadaisical behavior from JK at times, so he can revert back once paid
And unless we are trading for LM or BI, we are basically stuck w him becoming an all star himself, or just letting him walk for nothing eventually I suppose if they aren’t interested in his future
Ugh…JK really will command this much? I guess if he does, that means he had a break out all star season
Lol, sports radio hosts out there saying Steve Kerr needs to be fired after that exhibition game.
"sports radio hosts" - such a low bar ;)
I’d love to see another coach try to scheme a bunch of malcontent all world players
But even still, its a GD practice game. Hilarious.
That South Sudan game was about as much fun as you can have watching an exhibition game. Epic.
"There probably will be a movie made about the South Sudan basketball team someday. And the players representing the war-torn young nation added a powerful and dramatic scene Saturday night in a moment the raucous crowd at O2 Arena won't soon forget."
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40605243/lebron-james-layup-helps-us-dodge-upset-south-sudan
There needs to be a food truck with S. Sudanese morsels preparing the way for legitimacy.😁
"The Utah Jazz have officially waived guard Russell Westbrook. The move clears the way for Westbrook, a former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star to join the Denver Nuggets. The expected signing has been endorsed by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic."
https://x.com/MikeAScotto/status/1814803829616955748
Utah sure doesn't like Westbrook. They've now waived him twice and the fans racially taunted him as an opposing player.
LM trade incoming!
Or not…
That was an awesome game to be at in person. Definitely not what I was expecting!
A bit of a wake up call.....KERR said it was on him/did not prepare the team properly....STEPH had an off shooting game, but did hit the go-ahead LOGO 3pter...lol...LBJ was vintage, as was DAVIS, PUT TEAM ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND CARRIED IT TO THE 1 POINT COMEBACK WIN....
Fun game. South Sudan is for real. Thor from Hornets almost "hammered" (ugh) the new, maybe dream team.
Random optimistic observations based on haphazardly looking at lineup data from last year.
The Curry, Podz, Wiggins, Kuminga and Dray combo was the most used lineup and it was +14.6 per 100 possessions. Which is better than the starters for the Celtics, Nuggets or OKC.
You can swap Moody in for Wiggins and in 27 minutes that lineup was +49.1 per 100.
The 2nd most used lineup was Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Kuminga, Dray (same as the first with Klay in for Podz) and was +18.6 per 100.
The 3rd most used lineup was Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Dray, Looney (same as the 2nd with Kuminga in for Looney). This was -7.1 per 100.
Otherwise, Klay was a big drag on lineups in general. Only really seemed to play well with CP3. Looney and Wiggins were generally drags.
GP2 was probably the most positive lineup guy. After that it was Dray but then Podz and Kuming not far behind. Curry of course, but I think he was dragged down by
Takeaways:
1. At minimum, Podz and Kuminga need to "eat first" next year. (30+ mpg and most likely starting and finishing). Podz we know made a big oncourt impact, but Kuminga wasn't far behind. Both guys "impacted winning" with different combos last year and are at a growth stage where you'd expect them to be significantly better this year.
2. Moody honestly isn't far behind in positive impact. I wouldn't be surprised if he
3. I think the biggest potential development for next year would be if Kuminga and TJD turned into a productive duo. They both were very positive with other combos, but not each other. That would require them to be collectively a little better at D, shooting and decision making. If that happens it makes it a lot easier on Kerr to build out lineups.
I don't think they're going to miss Klay. They'll miss CP3. But I'm not sure they're going to miss figuring out how to fit CP3 style into normal Warrior ball.
4. Not the first to say, Kyle Anderson is going to be so valuable. Dray was just the guy that made a lot of stuff fit and Slo-Mo should have a similar impact.
Thanks for putting this together. I was already pretty optimistic about our current team (read: I think they can make the playoffs, but aren't necessarily contenders).
This gives further reason for optimism.
So, if we don't get Lauri, we don't get Lauri. We'll still see some fun ball along the way.
Thanks.
So, the 2nd most-used lineup - the Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Kuminga, Dray, Smallball/MAX GRAVITY/'Ship lineup - was the MOST-EFFECTIVE LINEUP with +18.6 per 100. My takeaway, no surprise there. Not surprised KLAY did not fare well when playing without the HOF trio together. KERR knew better...
Creative SWAPS, notwithstanding, GOOD LUCK REPLACING KLAY, on the floor.
If you look at duos Klay was negative w everyone but Dray, CP3 and Kuminga. Suggests he was really reliant on very specific teammates to be successful. Not the other way around.
I think they’re gonna be better off w more athleticism, defense and playmaking. They can recreate the lineups that really excelled w an extra great shooter by playing Buddy exactly as much as they want to.
Too bad DUBS BALL is not played in duos…or, rather, glad it is not…
It's played 5 on 5. When Klay was one of those 5 last year the offense was a little worse and the defense was much worse.`
Looking at lineup data is a very inexact science, but there's not much mystery around Klay being a big negative last year.
Nonsense. KLAY ‘‘successful” means, and, has meant for 13 years, more opportunities/less dbl-trpl-teaming of STEPH, and a slew of interior and perimeter ops for all…AND VICE VERSA. As for BUDDY, I wish you the best…Anyway, at least you finally had a REVELATION ABOUT WHAT THE HOF CORE TRIO MAXIMUM GRAVITY/BLINDFOLDED CHEMISTRY WAS ALL ABOUT AND THEIR RELIANCE ON EACH OTHER...
What lineups….season was an aberration without Green and Wiggins for a total of about 82 games, Looney not playing, and the young us trying to rookie-learn…
He played fairly well off-the-bench, also, which, along with his normal career-long-late-season-peak, led to his return to the winning lineup that was best, and the end of KERR experimentation; unfortunately, only for the last 20, or, so, games, and, IT WAS TOO LATE. So much for messing with the MAXIMUM GRAVITY OF THE HOF TRIO LINEUP...unless you let the below-the-2d-apron objective dictate KLAY's utilization, i.e. team minus KLAY. You do not replace KLAY with PODZ, as proven by your cursory data. PODZ is a fine player, but, he is not the shooter/scorer KLAY is/KLAY should always have be on the floor when the other TWO of HOF MAX GRAVITY TRIO WERE, on a team struggling for wins/playoffs, not to mention how much it affects STEPH's shooting opportunities....
Great narrative, but that is not what I saw on the court. Now you are at least admitting KLAY performed well off-the-bench. Well, you are right, though you attribute it to gained ''humility''. Fact is KLAY's shot was unfazed; an attribute that made him one of the AT greatest shooters. Moreover, with Dray missing so many games -first with injury, then, suspension - KLAY, AS WELL AS STEPH were affected. In fact the younger guys on the bench set him up better than the young guys in any starting lineup. Injuries, personal problems, and, apron-avoidance-KLAY contact-imperatives, totally messed up the development of the team, and led to too-long KERR experimentation with an eye on a KLAY-LESS FUTURE. By the way, PAUL's half-court/penetration game was all wrong for this team. Initially, I thought it would help, as he would be able to kick out off his penetration, but, it turned out he was better at looking inside and horrible at kicking the ball out. As for defense, maybe KLAY was no longer the best 2-way player in the league, but, he was still a good defender; his experience guarding the best guards over the years helped him.
In sum, I am tired of the effort to discredit KLAY, and the poor treatment he received, on bball terms, for what was CLEARLY A MONEY-SAVING MOVE BY THE FO/KERR, INCLUDED. The last participant in the railroading was probably the BETRAYAL that hurt KLAY the most and made up his mind to move on. HEY, IT IS WHAT Y'ALL WANTED. GOOD LUCK REPLACING HIM WITH 3 PLAYERS AND A NEW SYSTEM.
Was kinda rooting for South Sudan tbh, oh well
Steph gonna shoot 1000 shots before they wrap up pre-Olympics with Germany.
Haha, S Sudan misses a floater and dunk put back in the last seconds. What a great game from SSD. USA has a lot to work on… These teams will rematch in the Olympics.
What was that absurd logo 3 from Steph lol. I think that was the loudest roar from the crowd tonight
USA needs to play better defense... especially on the exterior.
South Sudan shot 42% from 3 pt.
Similar to GSW recent issues defending the three.
Adebayo, Holiday and White are the only real defenders on the roster.
"Adebayo, Holiday and White are the only real defenders on the roster." AD says hello.
Anthony Davis is nimble for a big, tall man and so obviously has good footwork that helps him with defense close to the rim … but IMHO he is mainly an offensive player- and a good one.
“You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all”
Big Boss Man- from Pig Pen with the Grateful Dead…
… written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith, first recorded by Jimmy Reed, later by Elvis Presley.
The current US Olympic basketball team has often paired AD with Bam Adebayo playing big and tall, more mobile, and concentrating on defending outside for overall team defense.
Love that song. Jerry Lee Lewis also did a (ahem) “killer” version.
I disagree about AD though. I think he’s one of the better rim defenders in the game, and for a big, that makes him a “real” defender and a good one. If he weren’t, we might have gotten to the WCF two seasons ago.
OK, fair assessment of AD's rim protection...
I do think the USA Olympic team needs much better perimeter defense to defend against 3 point shooting which almost beat them today.
Despite the US best (non) effort on the boards, they win.
ESCAPES
I said it before Rafertee