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This is getting crowded, so I’m opening up a new thread at https://dubnationhq.com/p/open-thread-and-iconic-warriors-dunk-b4c?sd=pf

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Dray voted DPOY first team in coaches poll. Wiggs received votes. No GP2.

https://theathletic.com/3698923/2022/10/17/nba-best-defenders-players/

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

GP2 is straight up better than Marcus Smart (defensively), should be an easy first team vote imo.

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Fun second night of NBA action.

- I don’t know if watching the Nets stink it up or the Pels play top notch ball is more fun. Zion looked good, BI better and the team overall was well balanced. And the Nets??? Wake up bros, these games count. The Pels have the Lakers draft pick this season. Oh my, just imagine.

- I’m bummed that GP2 is injured but Portland managed to eke out a win over poor Sacto. They ran a small ball squad the last 5+ minutes and it seemed to work pretty well. Another Dubs innovation continues to spread through the league.

- yea DLee doing DLee things for the Suns. Good for him! Just don’t do it too much 😬.

- I have a little spot in my heart for post-LBJ Cavs and I hope Garland is out briefly. Seems like a very minor injury (eyelid laceration??). This team could be fun. Detroit too.

- Minnesota almost gives the game back to OKC?

- Jazz over Denver. What? Nuggies play Jamal Murray nearly 26 minutes and the rest of the starters 33+ (Ok Aaron Gordon 32:58). Maybe Denver has a little depth problem. If this continues they aren’t going to be healthy come the post season. Stat of the day: Jazz shoot 42% on 3 pointers, Nuggets 22%.

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I'm thrilled for Damion. A pox on all of the so-called Warrior fans who kept running him down the last few years saying that he wasn't an NBA player and was only on the team because of Steph. The expectations were ludicrous. He was a pro and did what the team asked of him. He deserves this chance.

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Jazz/Nuggets feels like an outlier three point shooting result. Jazz were +33 points from the three point line, easily eclipsing the +21 point final margin. Based on just a one game sample, I'd hold off on any real assessments and I expect the Nuggets will be on fire for three in their next game... of course it is against us :p

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Dilly, just leaving Iowa. You've got a great state here!

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Trogdor,

What did you like about it? I'm shopping for a new city to live in. :)

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Just an all around really good vibe. People were super friendly, and it had a good smaller city feel to it. There's essentially no real traffic and you can quickly get from one end of the city to the other. At the same time, it really has a whole lot of amenities for a smaller city. There's a small, but thriving (and reportedly safe) downtown area, several museums and gardens and multiple minor league sports teams there (including a G-league team!).

Also, the surrounding countryside is quite pretty as well. Lots of trees, and a lot less flat than I was expecting.

If I get offered the job there the only thing that would give me any pause to accept (outside of a different offer that I liked better) would be the cold winters!

Oh yes... low cost of living is quite nice as well!

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Summers are pretty cool too. I supposed in an era of global warming that might not be such a bad thing but still.

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Awesome. Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'll have to give it a visit. Might make for a nice summer drive.

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I read recently that Iowa is one of the least expensive states to live in.

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What do people think of reports that the Jazz offered Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and Bogdanovic along with a 2023 first-rounder for Westbrook plus two picks?

Seems almost too lopsided for it to be true…

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

Utah wants rid of their decent veterans and those two lakers picks are likely to be very good….

Oops, missed the pick. Yeah that seems unlikely..

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The Laker picks are for 2027 and 2029, aren't they? Those picks might not be so good. The Lakers have a history of reloading, although in the Jeannie Buss era they could be trash after LeBron retires.

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That sounds like a trade that Lakers fans wish was true. Utah's pick is likely to be much more valuable than anything the Lakers could offer.

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It's probably not Utah's 2023 first round picks.

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If your LA your stuffing all of Russ's things in trash bags before you even get off the phone.

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This clip has Klay showing the twist-to-reveal-the-number-of-trophies feature much better. https://twitter.com/bettykpix/status/1582586608913555461?s=21&t=wVI65GStsRx6Au6QQQCpEg

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Would you like to have Paschanimal back as 15th spot, with a minimum-barelysurvival-nonguaranteed-comeonwerekidding contract? The BalsaWienerdogs have just waived him, and somehow I feel that with the actual roster, if he manages to stay healthy, he might be useful.

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Nope. Paschall had his chance. He didn't work on his game when he needed to, and that told the Ws all they needed to know. He's not good enough for what he'd cost, and his upside is not that high.

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Hard pass on Paschall.

And even harder pass on the Fitz-ism, Paschanimial - that ship has also sailed.

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

Roster spots are guaranteed, so we’d be talking on the order of a $15M outlay for a 4th string tweener forward who can’t defend and would be stealing minutes from Jon and PBJ. EP seems like a cool dude, but no thanks.

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That ship has long sailed my friend.

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My guy DLee making the game-winner, just as we all expected.

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DAMION LEE big hero of the Valley, big 5 last pts in the revenge of game7-FortAlamo of last playoffs! I'm sooo happy for him (yes, in the clutch play he traveled, but reality is what officials say when there's no challenges anymore!). Can you imagine? He put clutch shots in Curry's team, now he throws in clutch shots in Booker's team! We have here your ring!

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OT: I was catching up on some news and saw an update on the Bouknight situation. It was even worse than originally reported. Not only was he passed out after, he said, four shots of tequila (blood alcohol 0.14 once they finally tested him), the engine was running and in drive, he was in the traffic way of a parking lot and - here's the kicker - he was passed out with a gun in his hand. The gun itself was legal but in his hand? And when the cops finally woke him up after an hour of blasting at him with a PA system and lights and airhorns, he drove into the police car in front of him AND the police car behind him before getting out of the car and getting arrested. Scary. Bond was set at $2,500, and he issued the usual pablum apologizing for being a distraction for the team (as if that's what's important with this). That man needs serious help right now.

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He's lucky he didn't get killed. Black men with guns who are perceived as not responding to police orders can meet with undesirable endings.

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I was thinking that too. Very lucky. Plus being drunk and disoriented, per the news story, he wasn't being careful. At least I assume (did not see it in the news) that he must have left the gun in the car when he got out. Otherwise.... Fortunately, it sounds like the cops kept their distance and were patient.

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Put that dude on suicide watch ASAP and for an extended time.

Thats just sad and I sure hope he reaches out and gets help.

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Since it is hilarious in a tragic way, let's rename the franchise 'Charlot'

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HOLY FUCKING SHIT. Well, that explains all the questions I had about the arrest. And that's awful. I hope they get him some serious help.

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To highlight additional info in this article,

"According to court documents obtained from the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court, the 22-year-old Bouknight also faces pending charges for three other separate incidents.

He's due in court on Nov. 29 on charges of speeding, reckless driving and wanton disregard. He has a court date on Dec. 6 for speeding and reckless driving to endanger. And he has a court date on Dec. 13 for reckless driving and wanton disregard."

He's gonna kill himself and/or someone else if he can't get some help. So sad.

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The crazy part is that in North Carolina you can be too intoxicated to drive a car but there is apparently no level of intoxication so high that you can't be trusted with a gun. No charges, perfectly legal, wouldn't want to infringe on the right to bear arms of people too intoxicated to see straight.

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Thats not just an NC thing. It's like that all over.

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Not true, in most states its illegal to handle a firearm while intoxicated

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This all is based on the historical fact that living in North Carolina until very recently was a mostly rural experience with potentially threatening wildlife. Consequently being drunk was no grounds to deny a person some self defense in the form of firearms, even if ineptly used, in case of a bear, wild hog or whatever. Jest sayin...and that is still true in most completely rural areas in the United States, as it should be. But those people should not be driving a car! Whole other story!

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I grew up in NC in the 80s and this was largely not true then. So IDK what you are talking about.

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That was true about NC being rural many decades ago. I remember as a young kid on the Outer Banks, potable water had to be trucked in (one of my chores was to fill jugs at the truck), one paved road on the island, and we kids could pretty much safely run wild (and barefoot) as long as we didn't go diving on shipwrecks—which we did. But that was 60 years ago, and it's a different place now.

Today, most of the residents of North Carolina live in urban and suburban areas, and it's the 15th most densely populated state, with 218 people per square mile as of this year. There are three combined statistical areas with populations over 1.6 million. Charlotte proper has 903,000 as of 2020 and it's the 15th largest city in the USA. That's in the city; the metro area is 2.66 million people.

So the gun laws there today are not because people have to be able to shoot wild hogs, it's because it's the South, and gun culture is sacred.

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And that of course is also true (that gun culture is sacred) in most rural areas throughout the U.S. Thank you for your update on North Carolina; I had no idea it was so densely populated. As an entirely spoiled person who lives in central beachy California, the concept of dealing with *any* of the weather they deal with on the East Coast is quite hideous. Its either insanely hot and humid or hurricaning or snowing or tornadoing. It would be worth joining the Lakers (God forbid!) to avoid that for a year or two :)

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How tf did the Suns pull that off they were dead in the water start of the third

S/o to DLee with more championship DNA than the rest of Phoenix’s roster combined

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

Still think Warriors win in 2019 if DLee was there to bust the Box and 1.

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That’s what I cried out into the void for that playoff run! Dlee was on two-way and all they had to do was let McKinney go….which they did the following season…

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

Hypothetical, let's assume that the Dray situation behind the scenes is worse/much worse than we think. Crowder is available. Would he be worth it? Something like..

Warriors get Crowder (expiring contract), Saric (expiring contract, salary filler), and Portland future 1st (2026+)

Blazers get Draymond

Suns get Jerami Grant

Crowder gets a starting role and provides some semblance of Dray's defense, but also stretches the floor better than Dray. We lose Dray's playmaking and passing. Long term, Kuminga becomes the starting PF. Near term, we save on luxury tax and possibly get under the tax when the cap spikes after the new TV deal.

The situation might be fine, but for entertainment's sake, would that deal be worth it?

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I think Crowder is washed. He's been around some really good teams (Celtics, Suns, Jazz) but if he's that good, how come he gets moved around so much (additional stints with Mavs, Cavs, Heat, and Grizz)? That's 7 teams in 10 years. Not Ish Smith territory (yet) but getting there.

And he gives off the vibe of a good 3 point shooter, but he's 34.6% from three in his career and shot just about that last year (34.8%).

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That’s probably above league-average 3P% for a PF

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There is no real downside to keeping Dray as his contract is also expiring unless he opts in in which case you can work a trade then.

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True but Draymond does have a 15% trade kicker so it's going to cost more to trade him.

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I mean, you cant really replace dray. He’s practically the best defender in the league.

Is it realistic to hope that kuminga gets really really good on D?

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No, but it's entirely possible that Draymond declines his option and leaves at the end of this season. TBH, that might be best for both parties. Best for us would be for him to pick up his option. Best for Dray would be a nice extension with us, which we can't really afford. The compromise is he plays out this season and gets the contract he wants somewhere else this offseason.

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

Nope. As annoying as Draymond has gotten off the court his fit with us on the court is historically great and cannot be replaced so unless he demands a trade/leaves in FA there's no realistic offer that would be worth it. Unless Giannis or Jokic is offered then sure.

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They get Draymond, Wiseman, JK, and a few other useful pieces and we get Giannis. That’s the only “who says no?” I can imagine.

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

??

The Bucks say no without a moment’s hesitation.

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Nah. Draymond is the absolute ceiling. You ride him hoping to win the chip.

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Oct 20, 2022·edited Oct 20, 2022

Yea I figured. There really isn't a Draymond trade that makes us better, but we'll have to live with him possibly walking for nothing.

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We'll drive off that bridge when we come to it. If Draymond walks, it relieves some of the financial pinch and we can extend Wiseman, for one thing.

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Uh. no.

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author

Let’s check in on Steph’s reaction to D Lee’s game winner: https://twitter.com/thewarriorstalk/status/1582955272384888832?s=61&t=420dI9qxVJT9V68JLscJVA

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It sounds like Ayesha called it, but Steph was too busy screaming to confirm and "give credit where credit is due"

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That was awesome. I love Steph. He is so psyched for Dame.

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Just saw a "Damion Lee-lard" comment and I'm ashamed I never thought of that

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I thought the "L" was a "T" and got a little upset initially...

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Lakers should have signed Lee instead of Juanito

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Would not have moved the needle one bit.

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