Has anyone read the (tennis) book that Steve Kerr gave to Moses Moody? While I found the sideline interviews during Summer League generally a distraction, I got suddenly pulled in by Cassidy Hubbarth unexpectedly following up on Moody's throwaway line about how coach gave him a book. I think he called it the secret art of playing tennis, though the most similar book I could find was the "The Inner Game of Tennis." In the moment, I thought Moody might trip and say he hadn't read the book at all, but his takeaways made it sound interesting. Anyway, was curious if it's worth a read.
“There was a lot of @SacramentoKings fans and surprisingly they were way more vocal than the Warrior fans. I heard a lot of, ‘Light the Beam!’ … It gave me a lot of gas in the tank too… I appreciate the love and support.”
Well I have something I am interested in discussing to fill the time: Steph and CP0 on the same team. (note: i am leaving out my personal distaste for CP0 as a player and attempting to evaluate basketball situations dispassionately. you know how us fans are known for being so dispassionate in our evaluations, right? right?)
With the known differences in style and known strengths/weaknesses of each player it is my opinion thatSteph and CP0 should basically never share the floor. Here is my reasoning (ignoring the possibility of injury as that changes things). There is general consensus that both would be much more effective in the post season with appropriate load management in the regular season. In addition to occasional days (back-to-backs?) off that includes not too many minutes/game. To me that means 30ish minutes for Steph and <20 for CP0. (will vary on a game by game basis). Them playing together probably does not add more offensive mismatches in the Warriors favor as it does defensive mismatches not in their favor. On top of that, they have a distinctly different style that they excel in. I actually think this is a good thing and will force opposing teams to deal with different looks and I am looking forward to see if we can adjust to their strengths and use it to put pressure on other teams' backups. Imagine last years' team if the bench won their 15 minutes a game most nights? 5 more wins? 10? more rest for everyone?
I am not so sure that the coaching staff will see it that way (although it is clear form comments I have heard that they are planning on CP0 being 6th man, not starting) and am afraid they will try to overlap the two for like 10 minutes a game which will end up overtaxing them during the RS and also not give us much competitive advantage. Thoughts?
I mostly agree, but I also am intrigued by lineups that include CP and Steph, and my guess is that Kerr will test those out. CP has a primary style, to be sure, but he is also adaptable, as he showed in Houston. Say what else you will about him, his BBIQ is all-time level. If he can help get Steph (and everyone else) open looks, maybe he should share the floor in a super small lineup. BONUS: turnover reduction.
I actually kind of like the idea of a CP3, Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green small lineup with CP3 as the primary ball handler. No idea how well it would work out on defense though.
Kerr loves to experiment with different lineups so we can expect to see some with CP3 and Steph. But I agree that CP's main value would be as leader of the bench mob.
So that is more or less how I expect many (including, possible, the coaching staff to think about it). I think that teams are more than just their parts and If I take the starting lineup (Steph Klay Wiggs Dray Loon) and try replacing any of them with CP0 I can't see how the lineup is actually better overall. Take Dray Wiggs or Loon out and just lose so much defense and rebounding that it's hard to see the boost we assume CP0 provides on offense making up for it. maybe against a strong defensive oriented opposing lineup? Take Klay out and you lose a fair amount of D plus long range shooting (gravity) plus knowledge of the system that I don't think it's better. I will say that that lineup has the advantage of providing more rest for Klay, so there's that, but that lineup also feels better with Šarić/JK/TJD in for Dray and Loon to give CP0 more targets to play make and at the point now it's Steph playing with the bench unit which is not really the goal, i don't think.
> So, CP3 is an injury prone back up PG that needs a ton of load management to cover for Steph and his own propensity for injuries and need for load management. Sounds great!
Well yes, but that's why I think they need to carefully consider how to keep them both as healthy as possible for the long run (playoffs) while being as successful as possible in the short run (regular season). And its also why they got Joseph and are probably hoping for LQ on a 2-way: to fill in more of those minutes.
Really they are taking a gamble on JK, Moody, Šarić, GP2, and maybe TJD filling the minutes vacated by DDV, #40, Ty, Poole's extra 15 minutes and hopefully about 5-10 of Klay's minutes. If that doesn't happen then they will get stuck playing everyone too much like last year and all my thoughts about Steph, CP0 won't matter. However , among the 5 of them I thing there's a good chance they do and our old guys (and old looking guys, Loon) can get more rest. Also hope we don't lose Wiggs again.
Sooo... what next now that Summer League is almost over and Wimbledon's come and gone and Steph's done swinging? Will the Bball World Cup be worth watching?? Dog days of summer.... might one have to resort to.... baseball???
I don't really keep up with European women's soccer, but it sounds like it's pretty wide open this year. The US is fielding a good, but not dominant team this year, mostly due to several injuries (Sam Mewis, arguably Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson).
I expect it to be a lot of fun, and for Sam Kerr (excellent Australian player playing in front of her Australian home crowd) to score boatloads of goals.
One of the things that has changed in the last few years is that the US women hardly ever play the main European teams anymore. They don't come to She Believes tournament (they have their own tournament in that window), and the US doesn't go to Europe much ... mostly they play the very fringe Euro teams (Ireland and so on).
The US just doesn't have a chance to measure itself against the best European teams, and European women's soccer is going crazy right now.
So, I would take any comparative ranking with a huge grain of salt. The one thing I remember is that three or four years ago, the Spanish women's team completely dominated a game with the United States. They played the Barcelona style (tiki-taka?) and just played keep away for nearly the whole game. Spain ended up losing 1-0 on a single lapse, but really, the result should have been a Spanish win.
It will be a more interesting WC for that reason. We could be better than the good European teams, we could be worse. I just don't know.
Ah yes... the time difference is gonna make it a bit challenging, but yes! I was sorta following England during Euro 22 but it's no fun this time round without Leah Williamson. :-)
Yes, she's playing this World Cup and the end of the NWSL season (September) and then hanging them up.
I don't really understand why she's on the WWC roster, TBH. I haven't seen that much of her the last couple of years, but what I've had has not been that good.
What a sunday of sports - started with the 20-yr old from spain - carlos alacaraz taking out anti vaxxer djokovic at wimbledon - absolutely loved it - and then Steph doing his things👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾
Any global superstar who actively or even passively used their platform to suggest that staying unvaccinated during a global pandemic was Ok was a BIG no no for me- and unfortunately I was unable to root for him from that moment on. Wiggs on the other hand had reasons, tried to keep it private and ultimately decided to do best for everyone around him.🙏🏾
if its not personal, why's there a party when the "anti-vaxxer" loses? Just like if a conservative cheers when a so called socialist/ "far left" player gets knocked out, doesn't that sound like a jab? Looks like some mixed signals going on here. Let's try to keep things friendly and respectful
Interesting idea--people should not cheer when a team, player, or perspective they dislike loses. I guess everyone around here who was glad when Memphis lost in the playoffs (because of disliking their goonery and thug-life posturing) were inappropriately making it personal.
If we adopt this new idea, most bars are gonna be empty, arenas will be quiet (never a boo shall be heard), and, basically, its the end of sports spectatorship as we know it. And not for the better, in my view.
Back in the real world, there are real consequences when famous people indulge their fears, ignorance, or whims in a pandemic. Say what you will about Kyrie (and, I agree, there's LOTS negative to say about him, including about his antisemitic idiocy), but IIRC he did not try to circumvent the pandemic rules with a fake doctor's certification. He accepted the consequences of his actions until others relaxed the rules as the pandemic conditions were thought to change. Had Jerkovic done the same, and just accepted he can't play in Australia, far fewer would be criticizing him. But that's not what he did. Thus, I see nothing bad, and only good, when people who arrogantly break the rules and put others at risk lose--on the basketball court, on the tennis court, and in the court of public opinion.
What party? No one invited me. In this thread your post is the minority voice, but I don't feel triumphant about that.
And your comparison to a conservative cheering someone being knocked up does not hold up. That's malice toward someone's body based on politics. What we're actually doing is *wanting health* not ill health.
Things are friendly and respectful here, for the most part. But if Steph goes into a permanent shooting slump, we're allowed to say that he sucks. And if someone says he opposes vaccination, we will be saying now and from here on out that he's anti vax. At least, I will.
Not really. Djoko tried to use a "Doctor's note" from Serbia that said he had had COVID in December to request a vaccine exemption to enter another country with a well-publicized requirement that everyone entering has to be vaccinated or have recently had COVID. Questions arose about the timing of his alleged illness, the deadline to commit to the trip, and photos of him interacting without protection with young fans at a local event at the same time he was supposed to have been sick with COVID. It appears that he assumed a common rich person posture of "The Rules Do Not Apply To Me" and while that may work well in Serbia for a national hero, authorities in Australia didn't play along. I doubt there's any celebrity/sports figure who has flouted the vaccine rules as brazenly and with as little regard for others' health as the Novax Djerkovic.
Not really - wiggs took the vaccine - not sure how you call this a double standard on my part irrespective of him (joker) keeping it private or not. If joker had indeed taken the vaccine, i would be fine
Because people give celebrities too much authority/respect on topics they are not experts on. Celebrities spreading anti-vax propaganda influences people to avoid vaccinations. It's not just covid, where unfortunately, the vaccinations developed are not as effective as we might have hoped (but sill vastly superior than nothing). We are talking about many terrible diseases we have (or sadly had) all but eliminated due to vaccinations: measles, mumps, typhoid etc.
Ignorant anti-vax takes are not a political opinion they are are a threat to to world health!
Edit: looked it up. Yeah James' stance questionable but he also got vaccinated. Here's a quote (from the NY Times):
“I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family,” James said. “I know that I was very skeptical about it all, but after doing my research and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited for not only me but for my family and my friends, and that’s why I decided to do it.”
Edit #2: Djokovic not exactly silent on the matter. He is quoted in this BBC article (link below) saying he is opposed to vaccines. There is some nuance in the article but his situation/stance/behavior (never got vaccinated) is way different than Wiggs or LeBron.
Pretty wild to call someone as into humanitarian work as him 'selfish'.
Whose life did he put in danger? Where? When? That's some serious talk, pal.
What about the folks who got vaxxed but still spread the COVID around? It's not like the vaccine's a 100% transmission stopper. And let's not forget Sweden. They had their kids back in classrooms in 2020, pre-vaccine. Were they risking their kids' lives? I'm sure you're boycotting the social democracy up north right? Do you interject that everytime someone says they're visiting Sweden?
Just came back from a trip to Canada, where COVID rules were Australia level strict. But guess what? Whole bar was cheering for Djokovic, chants and all. He's pretty much the top dog in the tennis world. He's the most revered tennis player in the world. Your weird personal issues with him ain't gonna change that, mate. Sorry.
How it started: Vegas record means nothing, but it could give the franchise a nice infusion of positive vibes to kick ass there, kinda like when Dray, Klay and co. kicked ass there in 2012.
That highlight of him putting out of the rough… that’s one big difference between a regular course and tour play…if that’s on tour, that’s deep rough that’s hard to get out of, the pin is 4 paces closer to the edge of the green, and the green is 50% faster
Certain fans on Twitter and other more ‘casual’ platforms that are lobbying for Christian Wood will be the first one to say trade his ass when he inevitably complains about playing time..
I do not remember watching Dale Davis. I see he was 6‘11“ tall. Did he have some of the same skills as his son is showing now? Did he have a different set of skills? TJ D seems to be fairly athletic in a surprising way when he jumps up in the air and notices he’s stuck then whips a pass out on the mark to the other corner.
Man, if TJD get to the level of either his father or uncle Antonio, both solid starters, he would be one of the steals of the draft at 57. As a bonus, Dale was also a Warrior!
Dale D was a very solid PF/C. Really good rebounder and defender. Didn’t have much scoring game other than dunks or put backs. He did set a lot of really good screens for Reggie Miller. If he imparted that skillset to his son we’ll be in great shape.
So Antonio did not shoot the ball much. TJD said that Woodson did not let him score at Indiana. Does that mean he doesn’t know how to shoot the ball? And won’t be shooting the ball for the Warriors?
Man u never saw the Davis brothers in Indiana? Anyways if you put some film on, KJDs game reminds me more of the other Davis twin (born 5 months apart) Antonio Davis. Close to the basket but rangy big men who could switch and pass at a high level. Antonio would never stop moving and neither would the ball when it got to him
Alright so my friend who watches golf nonstop and who adores Lebron (disclaimer purposes) was posed two questions. Question 1). If Steph retired after this current contract ends and would commit full time to getting his tour card would he ever crack Top 100. His answer? A resolute No. Question 2). If Steph did pursue this avenue and Lebron retired after this season to pursue a full roster spot as a Tight End with an NFL team, who would stand a better chance of either cracking Top 100 (Steph) or making an NFL roster (Lebron) and he said Lebron no doubt. I may lean towards agreeing with him on first point but I don’t even think Lebron makes a practice squad on his own Merit at 40. What say you?
LeBron would get injured immediately if he attempted it. He’s close to 40 and has no football training. Your friend needs to apply the same common sense he is using with golf and Steph.
They’re both pretty much zero chance, but Steph‘s odds are slightly higher because it’s at least a possible decision. He could decide to get serious at golf when he retires and maybe get gold enough for a lower level tour. LeBron ain’t gonna take his 40 year old basketball knees and ankles out to an NFL training camp.
If you turn back the dial to their early 20’s making that choice I think LeBron definitely had the physical tools to learn to play TE.
I think the "LeBron could have played NFL TE" is probably true, but in his 20s, not 40s.
TEs need to remember plays, be a large individual, run, jump, catch, and block (the amount of blocking they do can vary a lot depending on the TE/scheme). All of those other than blocking, LeBron has proven he can do at an elite level. The fact that two of the best TEs in history were essentially just failed basketball players helps the narrative that LeBron could have made it professionally. But now at 40 I don't see him making it nor would he probably want to subject his body to that.
I'd say after flopping like a fish when he gets tackled at TE, every opposing linebacker would make it a point to knock the teeth out ofLeBron so hard he wouldn't last a couple of practice games, let alone make an NFL roster.
This is so abstract, with different goalposts for the different sports, and there's no actual case for Lebron beyond high school sports almost 25 years ago. I think it's a pointless comparison, and in truth just a weird way to express intense faith in all things Lebron.
But, I did think about it more, so here's my second response, the best I can do:
Lebron is still a great basketball player, but he's clearly lost some effectiveness from his peak in the last two seasons. This is a legend who is generally considered to be, even among legends, one of the most brilliant cerebral players and tacticians to ever play the game. So here's the simple question: what has Lebron lost from his game to lessen his effectiveness? Is the mental side of his game deteriorating, or has he already lost a step physically?
It seems obvious the legendary mental side of his game is covering for physical deterioration.
Now think of Jordan, another physically dominant basketball player, trying to switch to baseball based on his raw athletic talent and some years of intense training. Now imagine Jordan trying to do that at 40, haha.
The idea that Lebron could even endure the training required to get himself ready to play in the NFL, training he'd have to start at age 41 and continue to 42 or beyond, trying to rebuild his body and skills for football playing against more experienced 20 year olds, while age is becoming more and more of a factor every year, erasing the gains he's trying to make... I didn't realize how silly this conversation was until I thought about it.
Also thanks for giving us something to talk about JZ :)
I don’t know about (1) but (2) sounds like a fan boy fanboying.
My quick research shows the oldest tight end in football is 38 years old. Every other one is 33 years old or younger. This suggests to me that LeBron’s chances are very close to zero.
So my objective analysis is that LeBron would be trying to do something no other athlete has come close to doing, and Steph would be trying to do something that has been done, so Steph is more likely.
The possible caveat is that LeBron would be a curiosity and gate attraction. Could we not imagine some team signing LeBron and putting him out there for a few plays throughout a game to sell tickets? That kind of stuff has a long history in sports...
Steph has been playing golf since he was a kid and is a scratch golfer. With full time and money to focus on golf he has a better chance of cracking the Top 100 than people think, esp. since he also has the rest of his 30s and early 40s to hit that level.
I know LeBron is a physical specimen but he is almost 40. The last TE to play that long in the NFL was Trey Junkin of the Giants in the 60s. I don’t care what anyone says about what he can endure in the NBA, he would get rocked in the NFL, even at 6’9”. The only way he would make it is if some team signed him on to the 53 as a publicity stunt and each of those spots is waaaaay too valuable to waste on a guy who hasn’t played since high school
Neither one of them make it. Curry might have gotten a tour card if he had given up basketball and concentrated on golf post high school but it is too late now. That said, if Curry did play a non-major tour event, he wouldn't make the cut, but he probably wouldn't post the worst score either. Golf is hard and even the pros have off days. At the recent Barbasol Championship, the leaders are at -20 after 18, but the cut was -3. However the worst score was +23. Curry can shoot that well if he has a good couple of days.
Keep in mind that Steph just won on a 6,700 yard par 72 course that plays even shorter due to the high altitude and also had generous pin placements. Overall he shot 3 under. PGA Tour pros would eat that course up and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a handful of 59s (or lower) and a 54 hole winning score around -25.
Put Steph on a 7,500 yard layout with 480 yard par 4 holes and 225 yard par threes and difficult pins and I think he’d struggle mightily.
With that said, I still think his win at the ACC was remarkable, and fittingly capped off by “hitting an 18 footer at the buzzer.” Guys that have normally won the event have retired from their sports and have had the time to train full time for an event like this one. For Steph to win as an active, top-3 player is an amazing accomplishment.
Update: The last athlete still active in their sport to win this event was Mario Lemieux in 1998
Lebron would be killed on the field, your friend is out there. A guy who spent years avoiding sliding up to the 4 or 5 and guarding larger players for years in the NBA is not going to hold up long past age 40 switching to a completely new sport and trying to get his body to endure the new demands placed on it.
I have no idea about golf though lol, your friend may be right on there.
But wait... rostered on an NFL team. So it would count if he got on for celebrity and didn't play much? Are we talking succeed in some way in the NFL or just get on a roster any way you can? Also, I really don't follow golf, but top 100 worldwide for golf sounds pretty high, what percentile of all pros would that put someone in? Are these similar achievements at all?
Yea that is key. USA has 29k professional golfers. Top 100 is top 0.3%.
There are around 21000 NCAA-I plus NFL players. Meaning the equivalent metric for LeBron is to become a top 75 player in the NFL, or roughly a top 2-3 player on any NFL team (since there are 32 teams). No way LeBron does that
Well, very unlikely Lebron would last a full season without his body breaking down even if he did make it. I know nothing about golf, but curious why he thinks it is a strong No. Just thinking if Steph changed his offseason work out to focus solely on things that would make him better at golf, his insane work ethic would pay some dividends. Is golf just a "you got it or you don't" thing, and there aren't any grinders who worked their butts off and improved to be decent players? If putting in the work does make a difference, I'd bet on Mr. Puts In The Work.
Well a). Do you like boxing and b). If you don’t, how do you suppose we fill the next two months of dead time?
Also while hypothetical, the talk a decade ago was that the possibility existed of Lebron retiring and then playing football. Now Warriors fans discussing Steph being a competent tour professional so maybe i should have asked which more feasible: Steph beong a top 100 golfer in 3-4 years or Lebron being a rostered tight end had he retired 10 years ago
Fine but lots of pro athletes blew the lid off of it in all sports they touched at the high school level. I’m sure if Steph had wanted to play baseball, his beyond-elite hand eye coordination could have killed it as a hitter and his dead-eye aim could have killed it as a pitcher. All we have are what these athletes decided to focus on. Lebron is elite but I’m happy he’s the star for other fanbases, as Curry is much more the type of magician and human I like to root for.
I was talking to someone recently who did not know that the Warriors had won any championships in the last 10 years (but did know that they are a team), didn't know who Steph Curry was, but did know that LeBron was a Laker. This was man in his 40s with a couple teenage kids, is decently interested in athletics/sports in general, I was kind of mystified.
I don't want to rain on Steph's parade, but if they were playing stroke play, he would have lost by 3 strokes. No shame in that as Mardy Fish is pretty much a full time golfer these days.
IMHO there’s something to be said for awarding the rarer shots with more than a linear scale. There have now been five hole in ones in the 30 year ACC, is that really worth just one more point than a birdie that happens at least that many times in one round?
On a non-golf note, I LOVED this long post from QJ Peterson behind the scenes at summer league, including agent / coach / SL coach interactions. Rooting for him now.
Who knew love of the game could also translate into mini basketball?
That was a great read and a refreshing take after all the cynical news I’ve been reading in sports lately (mainly around club soccer and college football).
Has anyone read the (tennis) book that Steve Kerr gave to Moses Moody? While I found the sideline interviews during Summer League generally a distraction, I got suddenly pulled in by Cassidy Hubbarth unexpectedly following up on Moody's throwaway line about how coach gave him a book. I think he called it the secret art of playing tennis, though the most similar book I could find was the "The Inner Game of Tennis." In the moment, I thought Moody might trip and say he hadn't read the book at all, but his takeaways made it sound interesting. Anyway, was curious if it's worth a read.
“There was a lot of @SacramentoKings fans and surprisingly they were way more vocal than the Warrior fans. I heard a lot of, ‘Light the Beam!’ … It gave me a lot of gas in the tank too… I appreciate the love and support.”
Stephen Curry on the fans at the @ACChampionship
https://twitter.com/kirstenlizmoran/status/1680714792099774464
Kings fans: https://media.tenor.com/UR83vI6QgVgAAAAC/no-spongebob-squarepants.gif
These opposing fans should know by now that Steph thrives when they cheer against him.
Well I have something I am interested in discussing to fill the time: Steph and CP0 on the same team. (note: i am leaving out my personal distaste for CP0 as a player and attempting to evaluate basketball situations dispassionately. you know how us fans are known for being so dispassionate in our evaluations, right? right?)
With the known differences in style and known strengths/weaknesses of each player it is my opinion thatSteph and CP0 should basically never share the floor. Here is my reasoning (ignoring the possibility of injury as that changes things). There is general consensus that both would be much more effective in the post season with appropriate load management in the regular season. In addition to occasional days (back-to-backs?) off that includes not too many minutes/game. To me that means 30ish minutes for Steph and <20 for CP0. (will vary on a game by game basis). Them playing together probably does not add more offensive mismatches in the Warriors favor as it does defensive mismatches not in their favor. On top of that, they have a distinctly different style that they excel in. I actually think this is a good thing and will force opposing teams to deal with different looks and I am looking forward to see if we can adjust to their strengths and use it to put pressure on other teams' backups. Imagine last years' team if the bench won their 15 minutes a game most nights? 5 more wins? 10? more rest for everyone?
I am not so sure that the coaching staff will see it that way (although it is clear form comments I have heard that they are planning on CP0 being 6th man, not starting) and am afraid they will try to overlap the two for like 10 minutes a game which will end up overtaxing them during the RS and also not give us much competitive advantage. Thoughts?
I mostly agree, but I also am intrigued by lineups that include CP and Steph, and my guess is that Kerr will test those out. CP has a primary style, to be sure, but he is also adaptable, as he showed in Houston. Say what else you will about him, his BBIQ is all-time level. If he can help get Steph (and everyone else) open looks, maybe he should share the floor in a super small lineup. BONUS: turnover reduction.
I actually kind of like the idea of a CP3, Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green small lineup with CP3 as the primary ball handler. No idea how well it would work out on defense though.
Kerr loves to experiment with different lineups so we can expect to see some with CP3 and Steph. But I agree that CP's main value would be as leader of the bench mob.
So that is more or less how I expect many (including, possible, the coaching staff to think about it). I think that teams are more than just their parts and If I take the starting lineup (Steph Klay Wiggs Dray Loon) and try replacing any of them with CP0 I can't see how the lineup is actually better overall. Take Dray Wiggs or Loon out and just lose so much defense and rebounding that it's hard to see the boost we assume CP0 provides on offense making up for it. maybe against a strong defensive oriented opposing lineup? Take Klay out and you lose a fair amount of D plus long range shooting (gravity) plus knowledge of the system that I don't think it's better. I will say that that lineup has the advantage of providing more rest for Klay, so there's that, but that lineup also feels better with Šarić/JK/TJD in for Dray and Loon to give CP0 more targets to play make and at the point now it's Steph playing with the bench unit which is not really the goal, i don't think.
> So, CP3 is an injury prone back up PG that needs a ton of load management to cover for Steph and his own propensity for injuries and need for load management. Sounds great!
Well yes, but that's why I think they need to carefully consider how to keep them both as healthy as possible for the long run (playoffs) while being as successful as possible in the short run (regular season). And its also why they got Joseph and are probably hoping for LQ on a 2-way: to fill in more of those minutes.
Really they are taking a gamble on JK, Moody, Šarić, GP2, and maybe TJD filling the minutes vacated by DDV, #40, Ty, Poole's extra 15 minutes and hopefully about 5-10 of Klay's minutes. If that doesn't happen then they will get stuck playing everyone too much like last year and all my thoughts about Steph, CP0 won't matter. However , among the 5 of them I thing there's a good chance they do and our old guys (and old looking guys, Loon) can get more rest. Also hope we don't lose Wiggs again.
Sooo... what next now that Summer League is almost over and Wimbledon's come and gone and Steph's done swinging? Will the Bball World Cup be worth watching?? Dog days of summer.... might one have to resort to.... baseball???
There’s also the WNBA if you need more basketball in your life
You just said baseball. You wash your mouth out.
👿
Giants trade for Shohei? That would keep my brain entertained for a while!
Women's World Cup!
Women's World Cup starts in three days.
I don't really keep up with European women's soccer, but it sounds like it's pretty wide open this year. The US is fielding a good, but not dominant team this year, mostly due to several injuries (Sam Mewis, arguably Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson).
I expect it to be a lot of fun, and for Sam Kerr (excellent Australian player playing in front of her Australian home crowd) to score boatloads of goals.
I don't really expect the US to win this one.
Looks like Nielsons grace note data analysis with milions of simulations predicting a USWNT has highest chance of winning at 18% 😁
https://theathletic.com/4694555/2023/07/17/uswnt-womens-world-cup-favourites/?source=user_shared_article
One of the things that has changed in the last few years is that the US women hardly ever play the main European teams anymore. They don't come to She Believes tournament (they have their own tournament in that window), and the US doesn't go to Europe much ... mostly they play the very fringe Euro teams (Ireland and so on).
The US just doesn't have a chance to measure itself against the best European teams, and European women's soccer is going crazy right now.
So, I would take any comparative ranking with a huge grain of salt. The one thing I remember is that three or four years ago, the Spanish women's team completely dominated a game with the United States. They played the Barcelona style (tiki-taka?) and just played keep away for nearly the whole game. Spain ended up losing 1-0 on a single lapse, but really, the result should have been a Spanish win.
It will be a more interesting WC for that reason. We could be better than the good European teams, we could be worse. I just don't know.
Ah yes... the time difference is gonna make it a bit challenging, but yes! I was sorta following England during Euro 22 but it's no fun this time round without Leah Williamson. :-)
I think she's gonna retire after this season.
Yes, she's playing this World Cup and the end of the NWSL season (September) and then hanging them up.
I don't really understand why she's on the WWC roster, TBH. I haven't seen that much of her the last couple of years, but what I've had has not been that good.
World Cup Futbol!
Will the Bball World Cup be worth watching??
Yes!
How many Warriors will be there?
No Warriors in the US team
Kerr? We can see who responds well to his coaching and rumor mill who's coming over to the Dubs in the future
Yes, Coach Kerr for USA
Looks like Cory Joseph is part of Team Canada and Gui is with the Brazilian squad.
None, I think.
don't know... I'll watch for the basketball and international competitiveness...
similar to World Cup futbol
Team Canada's got a starting backcourt of SGA and Jamal Murray. Not too shabby...
What a sunday of sports - started with the 20-yr old from spain - carlos alacaraz taking out anti vaxxer djokovic at wimbledon - absolutely loved it - and then Steph doing his things👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾
Why the personal attack on Djokovic?
Any global superstar who actively or even passively used their platform to suggest that staying unvaccinated during a global pandemic was Ok was a BIG no no for me- and unfortunately I was unable to root for him from that moment on. Wiggs on the other hand had reasons, tried to keep it private and ultimately decided to do best for everyone around him.🙏🏾
Djokovic did keep it private like Wiggs. It became public when he wasn’t allowed at the Australian Open. You just have a double standard.
Calling someone who is anti vax an "anti vaxxer" is not a personal attack. It's simply repeating what he has done and said.
if its not personal, why's there a party when the "anti-vaxxer" loses? Just like if a conservative cheers when a so called socialist/ "far left" player gets knocked out, doesn't that sound like a jab? Looks like some mixed signals going on here. Let's try to keep things friendly and respectful
Interesting idea--people should not cheer when a team, player, or perspective they dislike loses. I guess everyone around here who was glad when Memphis lost in the playoffs (because of disliking their goonery and thug-life posturing) were inappropriately making it personal.
If we adopt this new idea, most bars are gonna be empty, arenas will be quiet (never a boo shall be heard), and, basically, its the end of sports spectatorship as we know it. And not for the better, in my view.
Back in the real world, there are real consequences when famous people indulge their fears, ignorance, or whims in a pandemic. Say what you will about Kyrie (and, I agree, there's LOTS negative to say about him, including about his antisemitic idiocy), but IIRC he did not try to circumvent the pandemic rules with a fake doctor's certification. He accepted the consequences of his actions until others relaxed the rules as the pandemic conditions were thought to change. Had Jerkovic done the same, and just accepted he can't play in Australia, far fewer would be criticizing him. But that's not what he did. Thus, I see nothing bad, and only good, when people who arrogantly break the rules and put others at risk lose--on the basketball court, on the tennis court, and in the court of public opinion.
What party? No one invited me. In this thread your post is the minority voice, but I don't feel triumphant about that.
And your comparison to a conservative cheering someone being knocked up does not hold up. That's malice toward someone's body based on politics. What we're actually doing is *wanting health* not ill health.
Things are friendly and respectful here, for the most part. But if Steph goes into a permanent shooting slump, we're allowed to say that he sucks. And if someone says he opposes vaccination, we will be saying now and from here on out that he's anti vax. At least, I will.
> Djokovic did keep it private like Wiggs.
Not really. Djoko tried to use a "Doctor's note" from Serbia that said he had had COVID in December to request a vaccine exemption to enter another country with a well-publicized requirement that everyone entering has to be vaccinated or have recently had COVID. Questions arose about the timing of his alleged illness, the deadline to commit to the trip, and photos of him interacting without protection with young fans at a local event at the same time he was supposed to have been sick with COVID. It appears that he assumed a common rich person posture of "The Rules Do Not Apply To Me" and while that may work well in Serbia for a national hero, authorities in Australia didn't play along. I doubt there's any celebrity/sports figure who has flouted the vaccine rules as brazenly and with as little regard for others' health as the Novax Djerkovic.
Not really - wiggs took the vaccine - not sure how you call this a double standard on my part irrespective of him (joker) keeping it private or not. If joker had indeed taken the vaccine, i would be fine
“Anyone who even passively suggested it was ok to be unvaccinated”
Should we be bringing up Wiggs’ stance everytime his name is mentioned?
Sure, if you also include that he ultimately decided getting vaccinated was the right choice.
Do you know anything else about him?
Because people give celebrities too much authority/respect on topics they are not experts on. Celebrities spreading anti-vax propaganda influences people to avoid vaccinations. It's not just covid, where unfortunately, the vaccinations developed are not as effective as we might have hoped (but sill vastly superior than nothing). We are talking about many terrible diseases we have (or sadly had) all but eliminated due to vaccinations: measles, mumps, typhoid etc.
Ignorant anti-vax takes are not a political opinion they are are a threat to to world health!
So you must hate Lebron and bring that up everytime he’s mentioned? Same with Wiggs?
Lebron took it - he just dis not want to talk about it either way - he emohasized several times he wanted to keep it a private matter
Is leBron anti-vax? Wiggs got vaccinated.
Edit: looked it up. Yeah James' stance questionable but he also got vaccinated. Here's a quote (from the NY Times):
“I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family,” James said. “I know that I was very skeptical about it all, but after doing my research and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited for not only me but for my family and my friends, and that’s why I decided to do it.”
Edit #2: Djokovic not exactly silent on the matter. He is quoted in this BBC article (link below) saying he is opposed to vaccines. There is some nuance in the article but his situation/stance/behavior (never got vaccinated) is way different than Wiggs or LeBron.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59897918
Absolutely correct - also this article sums up why even at wimbledon so many were rooting against him. Selfish on and off the court at the expense of other peoples lives. https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Novak_Djokovic/107657/novak-djokovics-selfish-behavior-is-why-he-will-never-be-revered-like-federer-nadal/
Pretty wild to call someone as into humanitarian work as him 'selfish'.
Whose life did he put in danger? Where? When? That's some serious talk, pal.
What about the folks who got vaxxed but still spread the COVID around? It's not like the vaccine's a 100% transmission stopper. And let's not forget Sweden. They had their kids back in classrooms in 2020, pre-vaccine. Were they risking their kids' lives? I'm sure you're boycotting the social democracy up north right? Do you interject that everytime someone says they're visiting Sweden?
Just came back from a trip to Canada, where COVID rules were Australia level strict. But guess what? Whole bar was cheering for Djokovic, chants and all. He's pretty much the top dog in the tennis world. He's the most revered tennis player in the world. Your weird personal issues with him ain't gonna change that, mate. Sorry.
How it started: We’re gonna go 7-0
How it’s going: We went 1-6
How it started: Vegas record means nothing, but it could give the franchise a nice infusion of positive vibes to kick ass there, kinda like when Dray, Klay and co. kicked ass there in 2012.
How it’s going: Vegas record means nothing. 😊
Highlights: Best of Stephen Curry at American Century Championship | Golf Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agHMTdIgrpM
That highlight of him putting out of the rough… that’s one big difference between a regular course and tour play…if that’s on tour, that’s deep rough that’s hard to get out of, the pin is 4 paces closer to the edge of the green, and the green is 50% faster
He is so special.
Certain fans on Twitter and other more ‘casual’ platforms that are lobbying for Christian Wood will be the first one to say trade his ass when he inevitably complains about playing time..
Oh good, someone else for Draymond to slug.
Reportedly, he's a locker room nightmare.
Mo Bamba is the most optimistic upside for James Wiseman
I do not remember watching Dale Davis. I see he was 6‘11“ tall. Did he have some of the same skills as his son is showing now? Did he have a different set of skills? TJ D seems to be fairly athletic in a surprising way when he jumps up in the air and notices he’s stuck then whips a pass out on the mark to the other corner.
Man, if TJD get to the level of either his father or uncle Antonio, both solid starters, he would be one of the steals of the draft at 57. As a bonus, Dale was also a Warrior!
I think there will be a place for TDJ on the Dubs.
Dale D was a very solid PF/C. Really good rebounder and defender. Didn’t have much scoring game other than dunks or put backs. He did set a lot of really good screens for Reggie Miller. If he imparted that skillset to his son we’ll be in great shape.
He’d just be a C in todays game.
So Antonio did not shoot the ball much. TJD said that Woodson did not let him score at Indiana. Does that mean he doesn’t know how to shoot the ball? And won’t be shooting the ball for the Warriors?
https://youtu.be/R7JCrlY32p8
Man u never saw the Davis brothers in Indiana? Anyways if you put some film on, KJDs game reminds me more of the other Davis twin (born 5 months apart) Antonio Davis. Close to the basket but rangy big men who could switch and pass at a high level. Antonio would never stop moving and neither would the ball when it got to him
I thought the same thing about TJD being a little bit more like uncle Antonio
Alright so my friend who watches golf nonstop and who adores Lebron (disclaimer purposes) was posed two questions. Question 1). If Steph retired after this current contract ends and would commit full time to getting his tour card would he ever crack Top 100. His answer? A resolute No. Question 2). If Steph did pursue this avenue and Lebron retired after this season to pursue a full roster spot as a Tight End with an NFL team, who would stand a better chance of either cracking Top 100 (Steph) or making an NFL roster (Lebron) and he said Lebron no doubt. I may lean towards agreeing with him on first point but I don’t even think Lebron makes a practice squad on his own Merit at 40. What say you?
40yo Lebron is getting hit in the legs once in a practice and his football career will end before it ever got anywhere.
LeBron would get injured immediately if he attempted it. He’s close to 40 and has no football training. Your friend needs to apply the same common sense he is using with golf and Steph.
They’re both pretty much zero chance, but Steph‘s odds are slightly higher because it’s at least a possible decision. He could decide to get serious at golf when he retires and maybe get gold enough for a lower level tour. LeBron ain’t gonna take his 40 year old basketball knees and ankles out to an NFL training camp.
If you turn back the dial to their early 20’s making that choice I think LeBron definitely had the physical tools to learn to play TE.
I think the "LeBron could have played NFL TE" is probably true, but in his 20s, not 40s.
TEs need to remember plays, be a large individual, run, jump, catch, and block (the amount of blocking they do can vary a lot depending on the TE/scheme). All of those other than blocking, LeBron has proven he can do at an elite level. The fact that two of the best TEs in history were essentially just failed basketball players helps the narrative that LeBron could have made it professionally. But now at 40 I don't see him making it nor would he probably want to subject his body to that.
I'd say after flopping like a fish when he gets tackled at TE, every opposing linebacker would make it a point to knock the teeth out ofLeBron so hard he wouldn't last a couple of practice games, let alone make an NFL roster.
This is so abstract, with different goalposts for the different sports, and there's no actual case for Lebron beyond high school sports almost 25 years ago. I think it's a pointless comparison, and in truth just a weird way to express intense faith in all things Lebron.
But, I did think about it more, so here's my second response, the best I can do:
Lebron is still a great basketball player, but he's clearly lost some effectiveness from his peak in the last two seasons. This is a legend who is generally considered to be, even among legends, one of the most brilliant cerebral players and tacticians to ever play the game. So here's the simple question: what has Lebron lost from his game to lessen his effectiveness? Is the mental side of his game deteriorating, or has he already lost a step physically?
It seems obvious the legendary mental side of his game is covering for physical deterioration.
Now think of Jordan, another physically dominant basketball player, trying to switch to baseball based on his raw athletic talent and some years of intense training. Now imagine Jordan trying to do that at 40, haha.
The idea that Lebron could even endure the training required to get himself ready to play in the NFL, training he'd have to start at age 41 and continue to 42 or beyond, trying to rebuild his body and skills for football playing against more experienced 20 year olds, while age is becoming more and more of a factor every year, erasing the gains he's trying to make... I didn't realize how silly this conversation was until I thought about it.
Also thanks for giving us something to talk about JZ :)
I don’t know about (1) but (2) sounds like a fan boy fanboying.
My quick research shows the oldest tight end in football is 38 years old. Every other one is 33 years old or younger. This suggests to me that LeBron’s chances are very close to zero.
https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/oldest-tight-ends-in-the-nfl-this-year
These golf coaches and pros think Steph has an outside chance of making a pro cut as he is now. That sounds pretty far away from Top 100.
https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/stephen-curry-professional-golf-17338415.php
However, there are cases of players making the Tour and being successful at age 47 and older and making the Top 100 (and even Top 5): https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-top-late-bloomers-in-golf-presented-by-raymond-james
So my objective analysis is that LeBron would be trying to do something no other athlete has come close to doing, and Steph would be trying to do something that has been done, so Steph is more likely.
The possible caveat is that LeBron would be a curiosity and gate attraction. Could we not imagine some team signing LeBron and putting him out there for a few plays throughout a game to sell tickets? That kind of stuff has a long history in sports...
Definitely, but that’s not what the LeBron worshipper is talking about…
I say your friend is a dumbass. Respectfully.
Steph has been playing golf since he was a kid and is a scratch golfer. With full time and money to focus on golf he has a better chance of cracking the Top 100 than people think, esp. since he also has the rest of his 30s and early 40s to hit that level.
I know LeBron is a physical specimen but he is almost 40. The last TE to play that long in the NFL was Trey Junkin of the Giants in the 60s. I don’t care what anyone says about what he can endure in the NBA, he would get rocked in the NFL, even at 6’9”. The only way he would make it is if some team signed him on to the 53 as a publicity stunt and each of those spots is waaaaay too valuable to waste on a guy who hasn’t played since high school
What a bunch of hypotheticals that are meaningless
They’re both all time athletes, maybe the best ever (Curry hand eye coordination, Lebron as a physical specimen/longevity)
So your answer?
Neither one of them make it. Curry might have gotten a tour card if he had given up basketball and concentrated on golf post high school but it is too late now. That said, if Curry did play a non-major tour event, he wouldn't make the cut, but he probably wouldn't post the worst score either. Golf is hard and even the pros have off days. At the recent Barbasol Championship, the leaders are at -20 after 18, but the cut was -3. However the worst score was +23. Curry can shoot that well if he has a good couple of days.
Keep in mind that Steph just won on a 6,700 yard par 72 course that plays even shorter due to the high altitude and also had generous pin placements. Overall he shot 3 under. PGA Tour pros would eat that course up and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a handful of 59s (or lower) and a 54 hole winning score around -25.
Put Steph on a 7,500 yard layout with 480 yard par 4 holes and 225 yard par threes and difficult pins and I think he’d struggle mightily.
With that said, I still think his win at the ACC was remarkable, and fittingly capped off by “hitting an 18 footer at the buzzer.” Guys that have normally won the event have retired from their sports and have had the time to train full time for an event like this one. For Steph to win as an active, top-3 player is an amazing accomplishment.
Update: The last athlete still active in their sport to win this event was Mario Lemieux in 1998
I agree with your assessment. Specializing in one sport is difficult. In two: almost impossible
Makes you appreciate guys like Deion and Bo. It’s also a different time though as sports have become even more specialized since they were out there
And Ohtani!
Lebron would be killed on the field, your friend is out there. A guy who spent years avoiding sliding up to the 4 or 5 and guarding larger players for years in the NBA is not going to hold up long past age 40 switching to a completely new sport and trying to get his body to endure the new demands placed on it.
I have no idea about golf though lol, your friend may be right on there.
But wait... rostered on an NFL team. So it would count if he got on for celebrity and didn't play much? Are we talking succeed in some way in the NFL or just get on a roster any way you can? Also, I really don't follow golf, but top 100 worldwide for golf sounds pretty high, what percentile of all pros would that put someone in? Are these similar achievements at all?
Yea that is key. USA has 29k professional golfers. Top 100 is top 0.3%.
There are around 21000 NCAA-I plus NFL players. Meaning the equivalent metric for LeBron is to become a top 75 player in the NFL, or roughly a top 2-3 player on any NFL team (since there are 32 teams). No way LeBron does that
My bad, I wrote out my answer only to scroll down and you basically said the same thing. 🫡
No. Pure merit not Tim Tebow
Tebow won a playoff game. LeBron would require a literal miracle to match that.
Tebow was passable… I agree he wasn’t great shakes, but “Tebow” is not a level LeBron could achieve.
Well, very unlikely Lebron would last a full season without his body breaking down even if he did make it. I know nothing about golf, but curious why he thinks it is a strong No. Just thinking if Steph changed his offseason work out to focus solely on things that would make him better at golf, his insane work ethic would pay some dividends. Is golf just a "you got it or you don't" thing, and there aren't any grinders who worked their butts off and improved to be decent players? If putting in the work does make a difference, I'd bet on Mr. Puts In The Work.
Your friend is a delusional.
I can't even with these questions. We talk about Lebron here too much lol.
Well a). Do you like boxing and b). If you don’t, how do you suppose we fill the next two months of dead time?
Also while hypothetical, the talk a decade ago was that the possibility existed of Lebron retiring and then playing football. Now Warriors fans discussing Steph being a competent tour professional so maybe i should have asked which more feasible: Steph beong a top 100 golfer in 3-4 years or Lebron being a rostered tight end had he retired 10 years ago
"I dunno- I'm making this up as I go" - a hero of box office yore
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/amp/nfl/news/lebron-james-football-stats-highlights-offers/1j5kizsbgigp1jxzou6p01y9g
Fine but lots of pro athletes blew the lid off of it in all sports they touched at the high school level. I’m sure if Steph had wanted to play baseball, his beyond-elite hand eye coordination could have killed it as a hitter and his dead-eye aim could have killed it as a pitcher. All we have are what these athletes decided to focus on. Lebron is elite but I’m happy he’s the star for other fanbases, as Curry is much more the type of magician and human I like to root for.
I was talking to someone recently who did not know that the Warriors had won any championships in the last 10 years (but did know that they are a team), didn't know who Steph Curry was, but did know that LeBron was a Laker. This was man in his 40s with a couple teenage kids, is decently interested in athletics/sports in general, I was kind of mystified.
He could succeed Oprah or Ellen easily.
Nuggets sign Jay Huff to 2-way. https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1680627089932709888?s=20
bummer, had hoped the Warriors could bring him in on a 2-way with the enticement of the 15th spot unlike with the nuggets who are filled.
Damn. Wanted him!!
Bugs Bunny *No
I don't want to rain on Steph's parade, but if they were playing stroke play, he would have lost by 3 strokes. No shame in that as Mardy Fish is pretty much a full time golfer these days.
This Stableford scoring is way more fun, and players would have played holes differently with stroke play…
Did he beat Dell (w/ handicap)?
Yeah, he won the family competition going away.
Steph 75 (75 +0)
Dell 60 (48 +12)
Seth 58 (13 +45)
Clearly the tournament of a lifetime for the GOAT!
Poor Seth
IMHO there’s something to be said for awarding the rarer shots with more than a linear scale. There have now been five hole in ones in the 30 year ACC, is that really worth just one more point than a birdie that happens at least that many times in one round?
> I don't want to rain on Steph's parade
Don’t worry - you’re not ;)
Doesn't matter. Different rules, different game. He won the game he was playing. If he were playing Speed Golf he probably wouldn't have won either.
The 'Ship Golf Trophy is Large and Wide enough for Steph to drop 30 footers in...with a bball...
DUB fans everywhere celebrating Steph's eagle finish with no time on the clock.... a walkoff perfect finish to...Summer League....lol
Looking forward to video highlights, particularly the last holes.....must have been special to see it...
Live was great but the highlights should be special too. So much drama!
On a non-golf note, I LOVED this long post from QJ Peterson behind the scenes at summer league, including agent / coach / SL coach interactions. Rooting for him now.
https://twitter.com/nba_newyork/status/1680684982648356866?s=61&t=P_FoYb59qpl6sz-fj5Z51g
So many explanation marks haha.
I counted 106 exclamation points!!!
Who knew love of the game could also translate into mini basketball?
That was a great read and a refreshing take after all the cynical news I’ve been reading in sports lately (mainly around club soccer and college football).
That was really rad to read! His positivity is super endearing