Oh wow. Lots of road games out of which 3 are against good teams. Two good teams at home. We are 3 games ahead in loss column. I think we hold on to third seed unless Mavs (who are 4 games behind us) some how they magically catch up
Mavericks beat the Timberwolves 110-108. Wolves fall to the #7 spot and are 0.5 games behind the Nuggets while the Mavericks are now 1 game behind the Jazz.
Really hoping it's more precautionary than reactionary, but it sure seems like Kerr would've put Andre in at least a couple more times lately if that were an option.
On the plus side, he's still playing 10× more minutes per season than Udonis Haslem?
Did not foresee the dubs dealing with, yet again, more adversity once Dray was back. I still believe, deep in my core, that THIS squad mostly healthy, is still the team to beat, but the universe has a funny way of gifting and then punishing these dubs at every turn since Klay came back
Is Anfernie Simons a good comp for Jordan Poole? Not stylistically I mean but is Jordan Poole going to need to be a featured guard and if he is, do you think that would be
A). On another team
B). Klay on another team. Poole starting SG
C). Klay as the starting SF once Wiggins contract is up
It's a tough call. I really don't love Curry/Poole/Klay defensively but perhaps that is my inherent basketball bias and that lineup can just outscore you.
Would Poole be cool with being a conditional starter? Probably not, but maybe it's better than being a full time bench player in his eyes?
Well he was pegged as another Lou Williams/Jordan Clarkson but it seems maximizing his usage means featuring him as a prominent part of the starting lineup. However, will he bring as much value to a starting lineup lacking either Klay or Wiggins or do we try to maximize value by trading him and keeping Wiggins/Klay?
Simons' main advantage over Poole is the three point shooting, then again that's a pretty big advantage in today's game. We'll see if Poole can get anywhere near 40+% on 8 threes a game like Simons is doing this season.
Which isn't to say Poole doesn't have advantages over Simons because Poole is already one of the best finishers in the NBA.
Yeah and I should have phrased my question better. I just think Poole, like Simons, needs to be a starter. I don’t think they’re very comparable as far as playing style. I think Simons is a better bball player right now and I also think Thompson obviously is probably less replaceable than McCollum (or at least pre injury)
This game kinda sorta reminds me of watching games in the bad old 80s and 90s, warriors finding a perplexing a super deflating way to lose a basketball game…
According to Utah's schedule, they are currently in a 6-game road trip. They beat the Knicks last night and lost to the Nets tonight. The rest of their road trip:
For the Warriors to stay in the 3 seed, definitely. But in the scenario where they get passed I'd much rather have it be the Mavericks than the Jazz passing them.
Warriors have three games before that game so if they go 3-0 or 2-1 I'll perhaps root for the Jazz. 1-2 or 0-3 and I'm just going to root for who I want to pass them harder lol.
Wolves and Nuggets are tied at #6 in the Western Conference with a 42-30 record. If the Wolves beat the Mavs tonight, they'll be 0.5 games behind the Mavs.
Wasn't able to watch the game yesterday (a blessing in disguise?). So, why were Lee and Toscano both DNP? Meanwhile, Chiozza played 19 minutes, made one attempt, and had zero points. What is the coaches' love affair with Chiozza? He brings nothing to the offense.
He makes drives (that would be threatening if he were taller), and draws the defense (but doesn't force them to commit because he's too short), and he moves the ball (but without truly threatening, it's just movement for the sake of movement)
So, yeah... I have a hard time seeing what he's offering more than JTA, who can "facilitate" some. Lee isn't as much a facilitator, though.
One player looks to pass instead of shooting the ball, and the other isn't sure whether to shoot or to pass but is taller than the other. JTA is better than Chiozza, but he's been frustrating to watch this season.
Just fretting about the post season, TOs and clunky starts to 1st Qs I’ve come to accept are probably just two byproducts of Kerrball but I think they’re going to kill us this year in the Playoffs
I'm not a supporter of Dray and Looney starting the game together. I would shorten the game for Looney and not have him come in until the 6 min mark of the 1st. This will make Looney fresher by the end of the game. I just think one of those guys has to be on the floor at all times for defensive reasons. And 2 guys who aren't a scoring threat isn't how I would match up with other teams to start the game. I think this is one off the things that has contributed to the Dubs slow starts.
They've got to do something about the flat starts... it's too much of a pattern. You're just not going to win games by giving good opponents 5+ point leads every game...
My only optimistic view is: we're running the same plays at the beginning of the game to test out how the opponents are defending us. If so, the realities of a playoff series could resolve it, to where we're only testing how they're defending us for the first 5 minutes of the first game, and then the rest of the games will be more "in the flow" (i.e. we start the second game knowing how they're going to approach us).
With Dray, Klay, GP2 the first three off the bench.
That to me should be the core playoff rotation, with more situational/matchup-dependent minutes for JK, Andre (if healthy), Bjelly, Moody, JTA, and DLee.
Agree that should be playoff core, but I'm pretty sure that Steph/Klay/Dray/Looney are going be fine starting together... and having Wiggins start with them as "defender of opponent's best wing" sounds like the right approach.
I'd toy with putting GP2 out there against Memphis or something, since he'd be much better matchup against Ja, and it would force Memphis to use up some of their clock to get him switched off, but I don't see the need to start Poole and Porter over Klay & Dray.
That's a really good point. I think, if healthy, the Dubs will be very tough to beat in any 7-game series as they have so much talent and lineup flexibility to make adjustments.
Timberwolves remaining schedule:
3/23- vs. Suns
3/25- vs. Mavericks
3/27- @ Celtics
3/30- @ Raptors
4/1- @ Nuggets
4/3- @ Rockets
4/5- vs. Wizards
4/7- vs. Spurs
4/10- vs. Bulls
Nuggets remaining schedule:
3/22- vs. Clippers
3/24- vs. Suns
3/26- vs. Thunder
3/28- @ Hornets
3/30- @ Pacers
4/1- vs. Timberwolves
4/3- @ Lakers
4/5- vs. Spurs
4/7- vs. Grizzlies
4/10- vs. Lakers
Jazz remaining schedule:
3/23- @ Celtics
3/25- @ Hornets
3/27- @ Mavericks
3/29- @ Clippers
3/31- vs. Lakers
4/2- @ Warriors
4/5- vs. Grizzlies
4/6- vs. Thunder
4/8- vs. Suns
4/10- @ Blazers
Oh wow. Lots of road games out of which 3 are against good teams. Two good teams at home. We are 3 games ahead in loss column. I think we hold on to third seed unless Mavs (who are 4 games behind us) some how they magically catch up
Mavericks remaining schedule:
3/23- vs. Rockets
3/25- @ Timberwolves
3/27- vs. Jazz
3/29- vs. Lakers
3/30- @ Cavaliers
4/1- @ Wizards
4/3- @ Bucks
4/6- @ Pistons
4/8- vs. Blazers
4/10- vs. Spurs
Mavericks beat the Timberwolves 110-108. Wolves fall to the #7 spot and are 0.5 games behind the Nuggets while the Mavericks are now 1 game behind the Jazz.
via Hardwood Paroxysm & Tankathon, remaining strength of schedule:
Dubs: 13th toughest
Jazz: 4th toughest
Mavs: 28th(!) toughest
Nuggets: 18th toughest
Wolves: 8th toughest
in the loss column, Warriors are:
up 3 on the Jazz
up 4 on the Mavs
up 6 on the Nuggets
up 7 on the Wolves
11 games remaining…
A game to watch is Utah at Dallas on Sunday with the 4th seed on the line.
Tankathon ranks 6 games in the "easiest" portion of the remaining schedule:
@ORL
@SAC
@SAS
@WAS
@NOP
LAL
that's pretty road-heavy, and all but one (LAL) on one side of a back to back
Massive home win for the Mavs against the streaking TWolves. This could be the difference for them retaining 5th/4th seed.
Warriors should absolutely want to face the Nuggets and not either of these hot teams.
I want no part of jokic n big wings when we dont have a big big, I rather have kat choke against dray
The Twolves are on fire and would be personally motivated to pull the upset.
I don't think Denver believes they can beat our full strength team.
I feel you but kat going to get destroyed by draymond, jokic on the other hand might eat him up
I also don't want to face Patrick Beverly in the first round.
TWolves are on a 26-11 run.
Does anyone know why Andre cannot play?
Really hoping it's more precautionary than reactionary, but it sure seems like Kerr would've put Andre in at least a couple more times lately if that were an option.
On the plus side, he's still playing 10× more minutes per season than Udonis Haslem?
The lakers are so old that… oh wait…
Mavericks took a 15+ point lead early in the 3rd quarter, but the Wolves clawed back to make it a close game again.
Did not foresee the dubs dealing with, yet again, more adversity once Dray was back. I still believe, deep in my core, that THIS squad mostly healthy, is still the team to beat, but the universe has a funny way of gifting and then punishing these dubs at every turn since Klay came back
We are by far the best team in the league when healthy, we were the best before klay got back n dray went down
Is Anfernie Simons a good comp for Jordan Poole? Not stylistically I mean but is Jordan Poole going to need to be a featured guard and if he is, do you think that would be
A). On another team
B). Klay on another team. Poole starting SG
C). Klay as the starting SF once Wiggins contract is up
Signs so far point to Steph/Poole/Klay being a viable lineup, so that's where my vote goes.
It's a tough call. I really don't love Curry/Poole/Klay defensively but perhaps that is my inherent basketball bias and that lineup can just outscore you.
Would Poole be cool with being a conditional starter? Probably not, but maybe it's better than being a full time bench player in his eyes?
Well he was pegged as another Lou Williams/Jordan Clarkson but it seems maximizing his usage means featuring him as a prominent part of the starting lineup. However, will he bring as much value to a starting lineup lacking either Klay or Wiggins or do we try to maximize value by trading him and keeping Wiggins/Klay?
Klay at the 3 or off the bench with kuminga at the 3
Simons' main advantage over Poole is the three point shooting, then again that's a pretty big advantage in today's game. We'll see if Poole can get anywhere near 40+% on 8 threes a game like Simons is doing this season.
Which isn't to say Poole doesn't have advantages over Simons because Poole is already one of the best finishers in the NBA.
Yeah and I should have phrased my question better. I just think Poole, like Simons, needs to be a starter. I don’t think they’re very comparable as far as playing style. I think Simons is a better bball player right now and I also think Thompson obviously is probably less replaceable than McCollum (or at least pre injury)
This game kinda sorta reminds me of watching games in the bad old 80s and 90s, warriors finding a perplexing a super deflating way to lose a basketball game…
According to Utah's schedule, they are currently in a 6-game road trip. They beat the Knicks last night and lost to the Nets tonight. The rest of their road trip:
3/23- @ Celtics
3/25- @ Hornets
3/27- @ Mavericks
3/29- @ Clippers
3/27 is a big one
Mavs moving up the standings & an easier schedule, need Jazz to lose the rest but win that one
For the Warriors to stay in the 3 seed, definitely. But in the scenario where they get passed I'd much rather have it be the Mavericks than the Jazz passing them.
Warriors have three games before that game so if they go 3-0 or 2-1 I'll perhaps root for the Jazz. 1-2 or 0-3 and I'm just going to root for who I want to pass them harder lol.
larry-david.gif
2-2 highly likely…
Nets beat the Jazz 114-106. Jazz is now 2.5 games behind us.
Wolves and Nuggets are tied at #6 in the Western Conference with a 42-30 record. If the Wolves beat the Mavs tonight, they'll be 0.5 games behind the Mavs.
And Utah losing in Brooklyn, might the Wolves somehow get a home playoff series? Yet another reason to be happy their pick conveyed last year, lol.
Wasn't able to watch the game yesterday (a blessing in disguise?). So, why were Lee and Toscano both DNP? Meanwhile, Chiozza played 19 minutes, made one attempt, and had zero points. What is the coaches' love affair with Chiozza? He brings nothing to the offense.
believe it or not, Cheese and Bjeli were both pretty useful last night. Kerr really prioritizing playmaking with Curry out
He makes drives (that would be threatening if he were taller), and draws the defense (but doesn't force them to commit because he's too short), and he moves the ball (but without truly threatening, it's just movement for the sake of movement)
So, yeah... I have a hard time seeing what he's offering more than JTA, who can "facilitate" some. Lee isn't as much a facilitator, though.
From the little that I’ve seen, Weatherspoon seems to play better than chiozza
I would echo this sentiment
Looks way better in nba and g league tbh and looks like a better shooter then his numbers show imo
One player looks to pass instead of shooting the ball, and the other isn't sure whether to shoot or to pass but is taller than the other. JTA is better than Chiozza, but he's been frustrating to watch this season.
Yes he has...
Just fretting about the post season, TOs and clunky starts to 1st Qs I’ve come to accept are probably just two byproducts of Kerrball but I think they’re going to kill us this year in the Playoffs
I'm not a supporter of Dray and Looney starting the game together. I would shorten the game for Looney and not have him come in until the 6 min mark of the 1st. This will make Looney fresher by the end of the game. I just think one of those guys has to be on the floor at all times for defensive reasons. And 2 guys who aren't a scoring threat isn't how I would match up with other teams to start the game. I think this is one off the things that has contributed to the Dubs slow starts.
They've got to do something about the flat starts... it's too much of a pattern. You're just not going to win games by giving good opponents 5+ point leads every game...
My only optimistic view is: we're running the same plays at the beginning of the game to test out how the opponents are defending us. If so, the realities of a playoff series could resolve it, to where we're only testing how they're defending us for the first 5 minutes of the first game, and then the rest of the games will be more "in the flow" (i.e. we start the second game knowing how they're going to approach us).
They’ll never do it, but:
Steph, Poole, Wiggs, Porter, Looney
With Dray, Klay, GP2 the first three off the bench.
That to me should be the core playoff rotation, with more situational/matchup-dependent minutes for JK, Andre (if healthy), Bjelly, Moody, JTA, and DLee.
Agree that should be playoff core, but I'm pretty sure that Steph/Klay/Dray/Looney are going be fine starting together... and having Wiggins start with them as "defender of opponent's best wing" sounds like the right approach.
I'd toy with putting GP2 out there against Memphis or something, since he'd be much better matchup against Ja, and it would force Memphis to use up some of their clock to get him switched off, but I don't see the need to start Poole and Porter over Klay & Dray.
That's a really good point. I think, if healthy, the Dubs will be very tough to beat in any 7-game series as they have so much talent and lineup flexibility to make adjustments.
Dubs gave up nine points last night in the last 3 seconds of quarters.
Need to work on our 3-second defense!