The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs spent a decade evolving in the shadow of the dynasty Warriors. Now their historic Western Conference Finals collision feels like the future of the NBA.
Reviewing the game, my respect for Draymond grows. He's absolutely the best player or the best kind of player to defend Wemby, strong base, insane wingspan, out of this world defensive IQ.
If we are to compete in Wemby-verse while Steph is around we probably need 1. Dray(at a lower AAV) 2. Sweet shooting big man who won't get bodied(KP or Al) 3. Pesky low center of gravity ball hawks(GP2). 4. Guard who moves well off ball so that 5 out is possible.(Steph)
I'm partly facetious by putting in current Dubs, but I can see why we gave the Spurs trouble this year even in the 3rd game without Steph.
Jason Kidd had four years and well over $40 million left on his Mavericks contract, sources said. Ujiri and Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reached the decision this week to move on.
After getting fired by the Bucks as head coach, Kidd was lead assistant to Frank Vogel in the Lakers championship winning season(19-20). He may not want to be assistant everywhere, but maybe with the Dubs(hometown and Steve Kerr probably the greatest current coach?)
While I get this, I have mixed feelings about it, as (AFAIK) Kidd followed the (court mandated) actions he was assigned for rehabilitation. I understand that’s not sufficient for some, but rehabilitation and reintegration is a really important concept and binning folks for life doesn’t seem great either. Maybe he’s said or done things since then but if so I am unaware of those things?
My understanding is he was charged over it in 2001, and then in the 2007 divorce his ex stated that it continued. This combined with the reporting about some of the stuff he did as the Bucks coach is enough for me to feel he has not earned another chance.
The Warriors tomorrow are beginning their pre-draft workouts at Chase Center with these three players: Louisville guard Ryan Conwell, Tennessee guard Jacobi Gillespie and Houston guard Emanual Sharp. @DaltonJ_Johnson
Here's one I saw, the reporter is legit on Arkansas news so I don't doubt it is true:
> Source: Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, Jr., recently met with the Golden State Warriors; GSW currently holds the 2026 NBA Draft No. 11 pick (lottery 1st round) & would almost certainly need to trade up to select Acuff; I'm told his interview w/GSW was "abso-f***ing-lutely amazing!"
Could be a potential plan (although I'm skeptical they'd trade up in this draft) but if you are trading up that high for a PG I think Flemings is the guy I'd take based on what I've seen, personally.
Are we looking for a PG now? Seems to me we need 2/3 or 3/4 wings with some length.
That said, I have not seen Flemings. If he can defend above his size (6'2.5" at the combine, with a 6'3.5" wingspan), like a young Jrue Holiday, maybe size is less important.
We do need wing depth, but we need that through vets not through rookies. I think a PG makes a lot of sense draft-wise in terms of future plans. We have 2/3/4 covered with Podz/Moody/Gui and depening on how you feel about QP 5 is potentially covered as well. Young core is just missing the PG of the future. Also our only rostered PGs this year were Steph and Pat, Melton/Podz played PG out of necessity but their natural spot is SG so PG is kind of a position of need for us.
I'm optimistic that the refs for the next game will study last night's game as part of their preparation and conclude that there are some actions to stamp out early. That should be good for the Spurs, right? We gotta assume the NBA are anxious to avoid injuries... unless, gulp, they secretly want New York to win the whole thing?
For some reason I have disliked the Knicks for a long time. I liked them once, but that was back in the early '70s when they had guys like Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, Willis Reed, and Earl the Pearl. I was okay with the Knicks beating the Sixers because I don't like the current Sixers either but I wouldn't like to see the them get to the Finals. But then the Cavs have Harden now so... yeah, screw the East this year.
The Portland Trail Blazers are laying off 20% of their staff, according to a source with knowledge of the decision. Staff were told that “the decision came at ownership’s direction."
Well, the Blazers are only worth $4.25 billion, the 22nd in the league whereas the Warriors are valued at $11 billion, the first in the league and among all franchises except for the Dallas Cowboys.
Yeah, fair point. It will be interesting to see what other things Dundon feels are ‘unnecessary’. The constant headlines on how cheap he is cannot be good for the team’s reputation.
It’s crazy to ponder the repercussions throughout every corner of the hoops universe of that one ping pong ball bouncing the Spurs’ way and leaving the Blazers with Scoot Henderson (and the Hornets w Brandon Miller, etc.) Like, you could stack up a million brilliant team-building plans devised by a million hoops geniuses (professional and online) and they might not equal the historical and financial impact of that one lucky Wemby pingpong ball.
Rewatching the ending of that game and that was actually a great play drawn up by Mitch Johnson to end OT. Castle popped open perfectly and that should have been game if Harper didn't severely underthrow the lob. Actually a bit of a hospital pass too
Stupendous article. Again, why we pay to read DubNationHQ!
Did anyone else notice that when the announcers in last night's game ran down the B2B MVP's, they omitted Steph Curry? Straight from LeBron to Shai. Hope that gets corrected.
Warriors fans know better than anyone that the best way to guard Wembanyama isn't with tall players with limited mobility, it is with smaller but physical and smart defenders who can get into Wembanyama's body, fight hard for position (with the strength and lower center of gravity to succeed) and bother his dribble. Draymond is the best ever at that (prime Curry/Draymond going against Wembanyama would have been incredible, I think they would have been his stylistic kryptonite), the Thunder obviously don't have Draymond but they went with Caruso for that who we saw harass Jokic in Game 7 last year. And we saw the Spurs running high pick and rolls in crunch time to get Caruso off of Wembanyama and letting Wembanyama attack Williams instead, I don't think they preferred Wembanyama going at Caruso either.
actually this question triggered me -its like you are asking if there is a former warriors we actually root against. Well, I will spill my own beans - I only have one - sadly, for some inert reason KD is not someone I root for to win!
please do it as many times - do one for each of my ten fingers -the only good memory of OKC I have is the great truckers food at the intersection of I40 and I80
Is that Sprewell at the Knicks game?
Reviewing the game, my respect for Draymond grows. He's absolutely the best player or the best kind of player to defend Wemby, strong base, insane wingspan, out of this world defensive IQ.
If we are to compete in Wemby-verse while Steph is around we probably need 1. Dray(at a lower AAV) 2. Sweet shooting big man who won't get bodied(KP or Al) 3. Pesky low center of gravity ball hawks(GP2). 4. Guard who moves well off ball so that 5 out is possible.(Steph)
I'm partly facetious by putting in current Dubs, but I can see why we gave the Spurs trouble this year even in the 3rd game without Steph.
Jason Kidd fired by the Mavs.
shams
Jason Kidd had four years and well over $40 million left on his Mavericks contract, sources said. Ujiri and Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reached the decision this week to move on.
so we can get him then!
Welcome home Kidd.
I don't know if Kidd is the type of guy to take an assistant coaching job
Actually wouldn't mind Vogel as DC.
After getting fired by the Bucks as head coach, Kidd was lead assistant to Frank Vogel in the Lakers championship winning season(19-20). He may not want to be assistant everywhere, but maybe with the Dubs(hometown and Steve Kerr probably the greatest current coach?)
I’m for one would be happy to not have a guy who abused his wife sitting on our bench
While I get this, I have mixed feelings about it, as (AFAIK) Kidd followed the (court mandated) actions he was assigned for rehabilitation. I understand that’s not sufficient for some, but rehabilitation and reintegration is a really important concept and binning folks for life doesn’t seem great either. Maybe he’s said or done things since then but if so I am unaware of those things?
My understanding is he was charged over it in 2001, and then in the 2007 divorce his ex stated that it continued. This combined with the reporting about some of the stuff he did as the Bucks coach is enough for me to feel he has not earned another chance.
And there are probably plenty of up and coming coaches that deserve a chance to coach for the Warriors.
oh - did not know that - then a no no for me too!
That's right, he does have that past of spousal abuse.
maybe not as an assistant for most head coaches, but for Kerr??
The Warriors tomorrow are beginning their pre-draft workouts at Chase Center with these three players: Louisville guard Ryan Conwell, Tennessee guard Jacobi Gillespie and Houston guard Emanual Sharp. @DaltonJ_Johnson
Those guys are projected as mid (Conwell) or late (the other two) 2nd round picks. We currently have the 54th pick in that round.
Here's one I saw, the reporter is legit on Arkansas news so I don't doubt it is true:
> Source: Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, Jr., recently met with the Golden State Warriors; GSW currently holds the 2026 NBA Draft No. 11 pick (lottery 1st round) & would almost certainly need to trade up to select Acuff; I'm told his interview w/GSW was "abso-f***ing-lutely amazing!"
https://x.com/ARHoopScoop/status/2056521345345732690
Could be a chance to snag the Nets pick at 6, given they just drafted a bunch of guards and its a guard-heavy top 10
Could be a potential plan (although I'm skeptical they'd trade up in this draft) but if you are trading up that high for a PG I think Flemings is the guy I'd take based on what I've seen, personally.
Are we looking for a PG now? Seems to me we need 2/3 or 3/4 wings with some length.
That said, I have not seen Flemings. If he can defend above his size (6'2.5" at the combine, with a 6'3.5" wingspan), like a young Jrue Holiday, maybe size is less important.
We do need wing depth, but we need that through vets not through rookies. I think a PG makes a lot of sense draft-wise in terms of future plans. We have 2/3/4 covered with Podz/Moody/Gui and depening on how you feel about QP 5 is potentially covered as well. Young core is just missing the PG of the future. Also our only rostered PGs this year were Steph and Pat, Melton/Podz played PG out of necessity but their natural spot is SG so PG is kind of a position of need for us.
I'm optimistic that the refs for the next game will study last night's game as part of their preparation and conclude that there are some actions to stamp out early. That should be good for the Spurs, right? We gotta assume the NBA are anxious to avoid injuries... unless, gulp, they secretly want New York to win the whole thing?
my order of preference: (1) Spurs, Knicks, cavs and (4) OKC
For some reason I have disliked the Knicks for a long time. I liked them once, but that was back in the early '70s when they had guys like Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, Willis Reed, and Earl the Pearl. I was okay with the Knicks beating the Sixers because I don't like the current Sixers either but I wouldn't like to see the them get to the Finals. But then the Cavs have Harden now so... yeah, screw the East this year.
Portland's (new?) ownership is cleaning house.
Brandon Mullen
@brandonmullen.bsky.social
The Portland Trail Blazers are laying off 20% of their staff, according to a source with knowledge of the decision. Staff were told that “the decision came at ownership’s direction."
Ugh
18 year Trailblazers media vet has been let go.
https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-lets-hear-it-for-the-new
Wow, that’s rough for the Blazers. I have minor gripes with Lacob, but I am very thankful he is not a cheapskate & cares about the team.
Well, the Blazers are only worth $4.25 billion, the 22nd in the league whereas the Warriors are valued at $11 billion, the first in the league and among all franchises except for the Dallas Cowboys.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2025/10/23/the-most-valuable-nba-teams-2025/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&utm_medium=social
Yeah, fair point. It will be interesting to see what other things Dundon feels are ‘unnecessary’. The constant headlines on how cheap he is cannot be good for the team’s reputation.
The basketball gods has not been kind to the PNW in this millennium
It’s crazy to ponder the repercussions throughout every corner of the hoops universe of that one ping pong ball bouncing the Spurs’ way and leaving the Blazers with Scoot Henderson (and the Hornets w Brandon Miller, etc.) Like, you could stack up a million brilliant team-building plans devised by a million hoops geniuses (professional and online) and they might not equal the historical and financial impact of that one lucky Wemby pingpong ball.
Or, to a lesser but still significant extent, Ant Edwards vs James Wiseman vs LaMelo Ball.....
this guy seems like clay bennett 2.0
hoping we dont see seattle return only to have portland depart for kalamanzoo (as he has floated in private apparently)
Kalamazoo, MI? If he said it, he must have facetiously meant "move somewhere else" in general, not specifically to K-zoo.
Rewatching the ending of that game and that was actually a great play drawn up by Mitch Johnson to end OT. Castle popped open perfectly and that should have been game if Harper didn't severely underthrow the lob. Actually a bit of a hospital pass too
Caruso also fouled him.
Stupendous article. Again, why we pay to read DubNationHQ!
Did anyone else notice that when the announcers in last night's game ran down the B2B MVP's, they omitted Steph Curry? Straight from LeBron to Shai. Hope that gets corrected.
They were only counting the non-unanimous back-to-back MVPs
This 7 footer got benched two minutes into the game because he's unplayable against Wembanyama. That's rough.
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4222252/isaiah-hartenstein
It's the playoffs and he's a center, it's not rough that's standard procedure
Warriors fans know better than anyone that the best way to guard Wembanyama isn't with tall players with limited mobility, it is with smaller but physical and smart defenders who can get into Wembanyama's body, fight hard for position (with the strength and lower center of gravity to succeed) and bother his dribble. Draymond is the best ever at that (prime Curry/Draymond going against Wembanyama would have been incredible, I think they would have been his stylistic kryptonite), the Thunder obviously don't have Draymond but they went with Caruso for that who we saw harass Jokic in Game 7 last year. And we saw the Spurs running high pick and rolls in crunch time to get Caruso off of Wembanyama and letting Wembanyama attack Williams instead, I don't think they preferred Wembanyama going at Caruso either.
Idk he was +2 for the game. Think it was more that the Thunder felt they were having success playing small against Wemby with Dort/Caruso.
He was played for defense but not offense. Apparently he doesn't space the floor enough with Wembanyama out there.
@daniellHardee - great and timely article - you have captured the future - question is, can the warriors be the spoilsport for at least one season!
I'd settle for one series - take one of the two out.
Harrison Barnes and Lindy Waters III could get rings...
I'm OK with this.
actually this question triggered me -its like you are asking if there is a former warriors we actually root against. Well, I will spill my own beans - I only have one - sadly, for some inert reason KD is not someone I root for to win!
not unhappy about that - just not OKC
Is there a single poster here rooting for OKC? 😂
Yeah me. Just like the team better and Wemba is not fun for me to watch.
Every Okie I personally know or have met are just jerks. So that's one of the main reasons why I am rooting against the Thunder!!
Not I, but after what I just saw I do sort of want the series to go 7. Give me as much of that as possible.
As much as I'd love to see that I'd prefer OKC to leave ASAP. I don't want these dudes repeating
Only married people root for OKC.
No we don't.
Ando didn't say ALL married people but ONLY married people. TBH, his comment went right over my head, I don't get it, but that's probably me.
Abaddon asked if "single" people are here is rooting for OKC.
Let's go Knicks
for me its a simple double whammy -OKC and SGA - the combination is absolutely unbearable!
I think that's a bannable offense
(....crickets)
Don't think there's a single person rooting for OKC that doesn't live there lol
Jinx lol
*is there a single person outside of OKC
I *almost* wanna trade Steph to the Spurs so he can tack on 2-3 more rings.
He’d be an incredible fit there, too — way better than Fox. Steph for Fox and their future picks from SAC and ATL?
"trade Wemby to the Warriors". Fixed it for you.
I suggested this earlier in the year lol. Him and Wemby would be special
I don't want the Spurs to get too far ahead of us in total chips lol
It would be smart--and I would hate it. The life of an irrational fan...
Whoa, Castle had 11 turnovers! Is that a record?
Harper made up with 24-11-6 and 7 steals!!!!!
interviewer to wemby - are you the best player in the world
Wemby - there are 8 billion people in this world!
I love this guy!!
True. But how many of them are 7-4 with an 8-foot wingspan and are agile and athletic?
yes, but there have been 7’ 4” players who could not come close!
It's the "agile and athletic" that really does the work in that question.
Currently flying over Oklahoma, and I made sure to flip the bird. Not super proud of it, but also not ashamed enough to not share it.
Never forgive OKC for stealing Thunder from the Dubs
Or at least until we get Bridgey as new mascot
And, stealing the Sonics from Seattle. That's just wrong.
Franchises come and go. Mascots are forever
please do it as many times - do one for each of my ten fingers -the only good memory of OKC I have is the great truckers food at the intersection of I40 and I80