I really want the Warriors to grab Kelly Oubre. He's played in our system before which would radically cut down on the time he needs to get reintegrated and can be a good defensive player with us while also being a player off the bench who can occasionally go off for big games while his bench role improves his efficiency. Plus, he's always been a good dude.
Can *almost* squint enough to support it, but ultimately it feels like too much of a risk of him stealing minutes from Jon and Moses, in roughly the same role, on much lower efficiency.
Deep bench depth is great, so long as the players in question happily accept frequent DNP-CDs on nights when the guys in front of them on the depth chart are ready to go. Can’t really see Tsunami Papi accepting that kind of sporadic role.
As I recall, he really didn't like our system and complained that the Dubs were trying to "put him in a box." Great athlete, but low BBIQ, poor efficiency player. Hard pass. Plus there's no way we can get him for a vet minimum salary.
Bleh. If I'm remembering correctly, meniscus injuries were lingering problems for Marquese Chriss and James Wiseman, and apparently Lonzo Ball too. Seems like a pretty tricky and awful type of injury.
Spoiler alert: tomorrow will be an epic choice for DubsNerd between Patrick O'Bryant and Kent Bazemore.😊 But he has fifteen guys to choose from on Thursday!
Sep 5, 2023·edited Sep 5, 2023Liked by Eric Apricot, Daniel Hardee
From a Celtics blogger watching Team USA v Italy:
“Our team looks like the ‘more than the sum of its parts’ that typifies Steve Kerr teams, particularly in the way we keep very cleverly forcing mistakes or bad-percentage plays from them. We look like the smarter team, finding mismatches and creating open 3-point shots and easy buckets.”
Interesting how non-Warriors fans seem to appreciate Kerr so much more than we do.
I think you mean "...so much more than some of us do."
I spent so many years watching this team and referring to them as "my lovable losers." They were often watchable and always lovable but never champs until Steve Kerr came along. While he's not perfect - are you? - he's the best I've ever witnessed up close.
And yet: the boring and unproductive observation quoted currently has 17 “luvs,” including ones from Eric and Daniel. 😊
It also seems to have provoked a rather empassioned response from you, however boring you insist you found it?
Personally, I think you’re positing a false dichotomy between being an interesting/productive/critical-thinking poster and being an “appreciative cheerleader.” But how about you keep being your fascinating self, and let others offer the conversation whatever they feel like offering?
Don Nelson redux. Not a perfect strategy for every game but so much more fun than plodding iso-ball. And yes, I know there are more than two ways to play.
100-63 is the final. Pretty much everyone looked great except I guess Cam Johnson. (Ant had a super quiet night offensively, but helped set the killer defensive tone early).
Ty Haliburton, my word. Of all the coulda woulda shouldas in recent Ws history, that's the bitterest pill for me to swallow.
Ah well ... at least we didn't trade him knowing full well how rare he was as a player and a person, and after he had said he wanted to be on the team for life, like the Kangz did (yeah, Domas is great, but he's no Haliburton, and four years older).
I can't quite let it go, either. He's already one of the best offensive players in the league, and—call it a hunch—I feel like his ceiling might be a ways off.
The way I came to terms with the #2 pick is that it was 'cosmologically unearned.' By record they were last place, but fundamentally, the Warriors were/are better than the bottom third of the league. 2019 would have been a terrible season had Steph and non-disengaged Draymond played, but I'd hazard they'd have been better than the 20th ranked Kings (31-41) led in total MP by Harry B, Buddy Hield, and Bjelly. In my 'what if .500 reboot season', whoever the Warriors would have drafted with pick 14+ would have been at best 'a guy,' but not a franchise caliber player.
I agree loss was almost mathematically sure, the physical skills are not the same, but a different Italian coach imho would have helped to reduce the delta of loss.
Example- A player of starting five has had the same stat as myself sat on my couch from 3pt (0) in previous 5 games, despite of it he started again today, and strange, his figures on offence remained horrible. ..an unnecessary gift, isn’t it?
Anyway for me today it was really weird to have Kerr on opponent bench!
So in a hypothetical USA Vs Rest of the World matchup for all the marbles, who would you start on each team? Assuming no injuries and players at their current level (e.g. not the LBJ of 10 years ago).
I really want the Warriors to grab Kelly Oubre. He's played in our system before which would radically cut down on the time he needs to get reintegrated and can be a good defensive player with us while also being a player off the bench who can occasionally go off for big games while his bench role improves his efficiency. Plus, he's always been a good dude.
Can *almost* squint enough to support it, but ultimately it feels like too much of a risk of him stealing minutes from Jon and Moses, in roughly the same role, on much lower efficiency.
Deep bench depth is great, so long as the players in question happily accept frequent DNP-CDs on nights when the guys in front of them on the depth chart are ready to go. Can’t really see Tsunami Papi accepting that kind of sporadic role.
I do too but it's not happening
I'm down as long as he's cool with being a 3rd stringer! I'll ride my flying pig to go watch him play.
As I recall, he really didn't like our system and complained that the Dubs were trying to "put him in a box." Great athlete, but low BBIQ, poor efficiency player. Hard pass. Plus there's no way we can get him for a vet minimum salary.
OT: Sources: Pelicans' Trey Murphy III has left meniscus injury: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38334096/sources-pelicans-trey-murphy-iii-left-meniscus-injury
Ugh, hope it isn't serious.
Bleh. If I'm remembering correctly, meniscus injuries were lingering problems for Marquese Chriss and James Wiseman, and apparently Lonzo Ball too. Seems like a pretty tricky and awful type of injury.
Ooooof, hoping it’s a smooth recovery
OT but slow nba news period so:" Money, social media and trust issues: why loneliness stalks the NBA" draws a lot from interview with Kelly Oubre Jr. Nothing too surprising here really IMO but for those looking for nba stories that aren't about trades or how someone sucks: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/sep/05/money-social-media-and-trust-issues-why-loneliness-stalks-the-nba
They’re very addicted to social media seemingly compared to other sports.
Pretty good for a relatively short article on a difficult, serious topic. More respect to Oubre for being willing to talk about it.
Only Zaza Pachulia (#27) days until training camp starts.
Not to distract, but we're JTA days until the in season tournament championship! [ducks]
Love this daily item!
Same.
Spoiler alert: tomorrow will be an epic choice for DubsNerd between Patrick O'Bryant and Kent Bazemore.😊 But he has fifteen guys to choose from on Thursday!
Yep, tough choice tomorrow!
Bazemore did the better bench celebrations.
… but (afaik) never had his car filled with popcorn in a mildly sadistic rookie hazing ritual. 😞
pretty sure it WAS Bazemore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96TunAqmC2M
Oh that was O'Bryant! I remember the incident but not whose car it was.
Top 25 Players of Last 25 Years: How Shaquille O'Neal became the most DOMINANT ever | Hoops Tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXJJwOSNyKA
Shaq at #5, I am guessing Steph will be at #4 behind LeBron, Kobe, and Duncan.
Sounds like a pretty bad list if it has Kobe over Curry.
Don't know that it will, I'm just guessing. We'll see!
😂 Haha! Is there some caffeine in that Warriors Kool-Aid? 😳
From a Celtics blogger watching Team USA v Italy:
“Our team looks like the ‘more than the sum of its parts’ that typifies Steve Kerr teams, particularly in the way we keep very cleverly forcing mistakes or bad-percentage plays from them. We look like the smarter team, finding mismatches and creating open 3-point shots and easy buckets.”
Interesting how non-Warriors fans seem to appreciate Kerr so much more than we do.
"...so much more than we do"
I think you mean "...so much more than some of us do."
I spent so many years watching this team and referring to them as "my lovable losers." They were often watchable and always lovable but never champs until Steve Kerr came along. While he's not perfect - are you? - he's the best I've ever witnessed up close.
That’s absolutely what I mean!
I’m with you.
Re: US team presumably?
Yeah, sorry, just clarified!
It's a good litmus test, though.
Kerr has his faults, but those who say he's even a mediocre coach are not people I feel compelled to take seriously.
That's cause they aren't serious people
And yet: the boring and unproductive observation quoted currently has 17 “luvs,” including ones from Eric and Daniel. 😊
It also seems to have provoked a rather empassioned response from you, however boring you insist you found it?
Personally, I think you’re positing a false dichotomy between being an interesting/productive/critical-thinking poster and being an “appreciative cheerleader.” But how about you keep being your fascinating self, and let others offer the conversation whatever they feel like offering?
Fwiw: I appreciate you, Night Night. 😊
Haha, true.
"If Steph wins in the bubble, do they discredit it?" - Rich Paul
Everyone else: YES
Link: https://www.si.com/nba/2023/09/05/lakers-lebron-james-steph-curry-rich-paul-debate-question
If Steph won in the bubble, that would be one of the greatest achievements ever, since his Dubs finished 15-50 in the regular season :)
Yeah, incredible that not a single person has ever downplayed even one of Steph's accomplishments, but I guess the world is just unfair like that.
Poor LeBron... he's had such a tough go of it... nobody loves him.
🪱He’s eating million dollar worms!🪱
LeBaby gonna LeWahhhhh
Of course that's his agent talking, not LB, who admires Steph. (Or did I miss a LB comment?) But LB whines about lots of other things.
LBJ had Steph's fake body at the doorstep of a Halloween party... #forgivebutneverforget
Don Nelson redux. Not a perfect strategy for every game but so much more fun than plodding iso-ball. And yes, I know there are more than two ways to play.
100-63 is the final. Pretty much everyone looked great except I guess Cam Johnson. (Ant had a super quiet night offensively, but helped set the killer defensive tone early).
Team USA certainly took its frustrations on Italy.
Ty Haliburton, my word. Of all the coulda woulda shouldas in recent Ws history, that's the bitterest pill for me to swallow.
Ah well ... at least we didn't trade him knowing full well how rare he was as a player and a person, and after he had said he wanted to be on the team for life, like the Kangz did (yeah, Domas is great, but he's no Haliburton, and four years older).
I do regret not taking Hali. I've never regretted passing on LaMelo.
I can't quite let it go, either. He's already one of the best offensive players in the league, and—call it a hunch—I feel like his ceiling might be a ways off.
It hurts to watch Haliburton play, knowing that we could have had him instead. It just makes the whole Wiseman fiasco more maddening.
The way I came to terms with the #2 pick is that it was 'cosmologically unearned.' By record they were last place, but fundamentally, the Warriors were/are better than the bottom third of the league. 2019 would have been a terrible season had Steph and non-disengaged Draymond played, but I'd hazard they'd have been better than the 20th ranked Kings (31-41) led in total MP by Harry B, Buddy Hield, and Bjelly. In my 'what if .500 reboot season', whoever the Warriors would have drafted with pick 14+ would have been at best 'a guy,' but not a franchise caliber player.
Don't poke holes in my copium please
No, you are correct. It was like Final Destination for draft picks
Watch your back Wise! 👀
In this analogy Wiseman is the treetrunk that comes crashing through our car windshield
Is there a mercy rule in FIBA? :p
If so, a Haliburton between-the-legs alley-oop to Banchero to put your team up 83-44 should probably be a trigger. :-)
USA 73, Italy 36
Villanova (Bridges, Brunson, Hart) 38, Italy 36. Bridges in particular is on fire.
Hard to beat Team USA unless you can beat them up physically, which Italia seems to lack the personnel to do.
I agree loss was almost mathematically sure, the physical skills are not the same, but a different Italian coach imho would have helped to reduce the delta of loss.
Example- A player of starting five has had the same stat as myself sat on my couch from 3pt (0) in previous 5 games, despite of it he started again today, and strange, his figures on offence remained horrible. ..an unnecessary gift, isn’t it?
Anyway for me today it was really weird to have Kerr on opponent bench!
Lithuania is out after getting clobbered by Serbia, despite going 5-0 in group play.
Ouch! 9/28 from 3, after hitting their first nine v. Team USA. Three-point variance is a thing.
USA takin it out on Spain [edit] Italy up 46 to 24(!) at the half. How about that defense?
Taking it out on Spain by pounding Italy. 😊
This is called the reverse Hannibal.
Hey it’s early :p
So in a hypothetical USA Vs Rest of the World matchup for all the marbles, who would you start on each team? Assuming no injuries and players at their current level (e.g. not the LBJ of 10 years ago).
2017 death lineup but with LeBron instead of Andre.
US: I’d probably just go Steph-Tatum-Kawhi-LeBron-Durant and let them figure out the positions.
World: Luka-SGA-Giannis-Jokic-Embiid, and let them figure out the Jokic+Embiid thing.
Suboptimal lineup balance in both cases, but I’d want my five best guys out there.
Does Kerr coach the Rest of the World because he was born in Lebanon?