It's funny - I loved Giannis' comments yesterday when I first heard them. But after waking up today, I realized that I didn't actually agree. In professional sports, as in life, there is success and failure. If you set a common goal (e.g., win the championship), and you miss the mark so badly (e.g., get gentleman-swept in the first round to the 8th seed, after blowing back-to-back double digit 4th quarter leads), it's hard to see how that's not failure. You can learn and grow and come back stronger next year, but you still failed this time.
Love Giannis, but imagine if KD or Lebron or even Steph had said the same thing. I think they would be torn to shreds by the media and general public.
It’s about seeing failure in a negative light and the connotation it carries. I agree with the essence of what Gianns said, but also agree that it was definitely a failure for them this season. But that’s not bad. You learn and grow from failures. Failure is the first step to success.
ICYMI: The no-call Flagrant 1, Monk hits Draymond in face, unnecessary contact to head/neck while player is in the air. 5 points swing at a crucial moment. Draymond would have been ejected for this. Are there other angles of this? It's hard to find, NBA probably trying to bury it.
Interesting that Len is their most positive player. Maybe because he offers some semblance of interior defense...He's probably pulling up Monk's and Lyles' numbers as well.
Lyles might be a good comparison for pbj, either be a big wing that can board over guards guarding you or get strong enough to play some small ball five minutes
I just saw this: Kevon Looney: Only $3,000,000 guaranteed in 2024/25, HoopsHype has learned. Guarantee increases to full if his team wins the 2023 or 2024 NBA championship or if not waived by the day that is seven days before the 2024/25 moratorium period.
- How Curry's injury (Monk running through screen) looks in 48 hours? Hopefully not a big deal
- How much pain Fox feels on his injured finger in 48 hours? Given it is a fracture, I doubt any change will be there.
- We come out sloppy and lacaidiscal because we think we got them. If Dray still comes off the bench (I think he will), that won't be an issue.
- Kings playing frantic and super physical leading some injury to our guys or Dray getting another Flagrant.
- Steph surving Q4 unscathed given high minutes he has been playing. Even beyond that, couple of days extra restt would be nice. Hopefully Grizz win G6 (yuck).
When Kings get eliminated (hopefully G6), Sabonis and Mike Brown better point the finger at themselves. Dubs especially Loon. deserve all the credit for getting us G3 but if Dray hadn't been suspended, I don't think Dray sees the value in coming off the bench. That adjustment changed the series.
In other news, this was a HELL of a postgame presser from Giannis. His answer to the first reporter's question, about whether the season was a failure, couldn't have been more eloquent and genuine. The Bucks are lucky to have him (at least until he joins GS!).
I noticed this game, Davion Mitchell is not only remarkably good at staying with Steph in 1-on-1 situations, the way the Kings position themselves when they trap Steph makes it really hard for him to get his signature pass through to Draymond for the 4-on-3. Hoping other teams don't take notice because that's going to make life harder overall if it happens more consistently.
GP2 and Moody both had some great stretches of play this game. Wiggins was good throughout but especially in the clutch. Klay's foul trouble was kind of BS (I thought at least one of them was an excellent vertical contest) but somehow nobody fouled out. re:GP2, I feel pretty vindicated about my comments earlier in the season that we needed a roster move to push us over the top and I even called out that GP2's and Wiseman's salaries matched back in like Nov.
I hope the narrative after the game doesn't commit too hard to "the series is over, the Kings lost" because it feels like the more confident the Dubs get the sloppier they'll be to start game 6, and I do not want to see Sacramento fans in a game 7. (Nor do I want us to risk an injury in any games we can avoid.)
Still, feels real good to get the win. Even moreso seeing what happened to Milwaukee.
This season is wild. When (not if) Kings get eliminated and assuming Lakers win at home, that would make it 4 out of 7 top seeded in league getting eliminated (Mil, Mem, Cle, Sac)
Parity makes the play-ins/playoffs much more fun, but the regular season meaningless. As the NBA tries to squeeze as much money as they can out of the product, some parts go dry.
Yeah, I think it’s time to recognize that the regular season doesn’t matter anymore. Teams just want to stay healthy and be playing good basketball by the time the playoffs roll around.
It’s kind of sad on the one hand because the product seems a bit worse. But in a sport and culture where winning a championship is all that matters to most, I totally see the impetus behind it.
New gold blooded article: https://dubnationhq.com/p/the-warriors-are-tearing-away-at
It's funny - I loved Giannis' comments yesterday when I first heard them. But after waking up today, I realized that I didn't actually agree. In professional sports, as in life, there is success and failure. If you set a common goal (e.g., win the championship), and you miss the mark so badly (e.g., get gentleman-swept in the first round to the 8th seed, after blowing back-to-back double digit 4th quarter leads), it's hard to see how that's not failure. You can learn and grow and come back stronger next year, but you still failed this time.
Love Giannis, but imagine if KD or Lebron or even Steph had said the same thing. I think they would be torn to shreds by the media and general public.
It’s about seeing failure in a negative light and the connotation it carries. I agree with the essence of what Gianns said, but also agree that it was definitely a failure for them this season. But that’s not bad. You learn and grow from failures. Failure is the first step to success.
big steph love even from Max K here: https://youtu.be/9mXe-OFlKlg
ICYMI: The no-call Flagrant 1, Monk hits Draymond in face, unnecessary contact to head/neck while player is in the air. 5 points swing at a crucial moment. Draymond would have been ejected for this. Are there other angles of this? It's hard to find, NBA probably trying to bury it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/130b0s7/highlight_monk_hits_draymond_in_the_face_no_foul/
Wow, just found out Bud didn't take a timeout at the end of regulation with 0.5 seconds left. That's mental.
Net on-off per 100 possessions this series (min. 50 minutes played)
KINGS
1. Len +23.2
2. Monk +19.2
3. Lyles +18.3
4. Huerter +3.2
5. Mitchell -2.8
6. Murray -7.5
7. Fox -11.9
8. Barnes -28.3
9. Sabonis -29.6
====
WARRIORS
1. Curry +46.6
2. Looney +21.4
3. Thompson +15.1
4. Wiggins +7.3
5. Green +6.0
6. Poole -1.0
7. Payton -12.7
8. DiVincenzo -24.5
Steph’s +46.6 is just insane!
Interesting that Len is their most positive player. Maybe because he offers some semblance of interior defense...He's probably pulling up Monk's and Lyles' numbers as well.
I think it's because he mostly plays when Steph is on the bench
Exactly why RAPM was always better than on-off +/- (for huge sample sizes.)
Lyles might be a good comparison for pbj, either be a big wing that can board over guards guarding you or get strong enough to play some small ball five minutes
Being ever a worrier, I am worried about G6 😀. Besides Shaq, RJ also thinks this is going 7 games.
I just saw this: Kevon Looney: Only $3,000,000 guaranteed in 2024/25, HoopsHype has learned. Guarantee increases to full if his team wins the 2023 or 2024 NBA championship or if not waived by the day that is seven days before the 2024/25 moratorium period.
#WINITFORLOOOOOOON!!!
Full amount being?
A Bargain Basement $9,000,000
Five things worry me about G6.
- How Curry's injury (Monk running through screen) looks in 48 hours? Hopefully not a big deal
- How much pain Fox feels on his injured finger in 48 hours? Given it is a fracture, I doubt any change will be there.
- We come out sloppy and lacaidiscal because we think we got them. If Dray still comes off the bench (I think he will), that won't be an issue.
- Kings playing frantic and super physical leading some injury to our guys or Dray getting another Flagrant.
- Steph surving Q4 unscathed given high minutes he has been playing. Even beyond that, couple of days extra restt would be nice. Hopefully Grizz win G6 (yuck).
Episode V: The Empire's streak is back!
Episode VI...
Return of the Klay Guy
Dum, dum, dum, dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum...
Return of the Splashi
Return to the Cancun
When Kings get eliminated (hopefully G6), Sabonis and Mike Brown better point the finger at themselves. Dubs especially Loon. deserve all the credit for getting us G3 but if Dray hadn't been suspended, I don't think Dray sees the value in coming off the bench. That adjustment changed the series.
So Sa-get-boned-is, thank you.
In other news, this was a HELL of a postgame presser from Giannis. His answer to the first reporter's question, about whether the season was a failure, couldn't have been more eloquent and genuine. The Bucks are lucky to have him (at least until he joins GS!).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOMlq8AucOQ
I noticed this game, Davion Mitchell is not only remarkably good at staying with Steph in 1-on-1 situations, the way the Kings position themselves when they trap Steph makes it really hard for him to get his signature pass through to Draymond for the 4-on-3. Hoping other teams don't take notice because that's going to make life harder overall if it happens more consistently.
GP2 and Moody both had some great stretches of play this game. Wiggins was good throughout but especially in the clutch. Klay's foul trouble was kind of BS (I thought at least one of them was an excellent vertical contest) but somehow nobody fouled out. re:GP2, I feel pretty vindicated about my comments earlier in the season that we needed a roster move to push us over the top and I even called out that GP2's and Wiseman's salaries matched back in like Nov.
I hope the narrative after the game doesn't commit too hard to "the series is over, the Kings lost" because it feels like the more confident the Dubs get the sloppier they'll be to start game 6, and I do not want to see Sacramento fans in a game 7. (Nor do I want us to risk an injury in any games we can avoid.)
Still, feels real good to get the win. Even moreso seeing what happened to Milwaukee.
I think Dray coming off the bench has led to TOVs in first six minutes being dialed down. And that's big.
This season is wild. When (not if) Kings get eliminated and assuming Lakers win at home, that would make it 4 out of 7 top seeded in league getting eliminated (Mil, Mem, Cle, Sac)
Wild!!
Parity makes the play-ins/playoffs much more fun, but the regular season meaningless. As the NBA tries to squeeze as much money as they can out of the product, some parts go dry.
Yeah, I think it’s time to recognize that the regular season doesn’t matter anymore. Teams just want to stay healthy and be playing good basketball by the time the playoffs roll around.
It’s kind of sad on the one hand because the product seems a bit worse. But in a sport and culture where winning a championship is all that matters to most, I totally see the impetus behind it.
@belilaugh I was told I should worry after game 2???
There's no @-ing on the site, stupid
I better get some popcorn.
Is Mike Bud gone next season?
Probably should've been gone a while ago, but KD's big feet saved him
Should be
Maybe? Good question tho...