Yah... I read the article, and I’m fully in JK’s court for this. He needed to be in the closing lineup for the Nuggets game. Klay was awful. JK was punishing the kings all game, driving against both Murray and Jokic, getting JM into foul trouble, then you take him out in crunch time while JM goes ballistic? Why!? Yes, I know his +/- was awful but single game +/-, lol. So Wiggs is playing well, then play them both. You think other teams shy away from playing two athletic wings? Kerr is still stuck in his OG’s Uber alles mentality and it’s hurting the team. JK has consistently gotten better the more he plays yet Kerr is stuck in his old ways and habits. It’s absurd that JK has yet to play two games of 30+ minutes back to back in his career.
Someone mentioned this way back in the thread, but it mentioned something about how JK was late in his defensive rotations and wasn't rebounding a lot in the 2nd half. Plus, with Wiggins doing better, Kerr went with Wiggins in crunch time.
Why does it to be Wiggs vs JK? Klay was awful - defensively and offensively. He wasn’t trying half the time on defense and he was taking horribly thirsty shots on offense
Neither Wiggins nor Kuminga spaces out the floor because of their inability to hit jump shots reliably this season. Klay is a shooter and forces the defense to defend him and the three point line, though I wish Moody was in there instead. Unfortunately, Moody has been shooting poorly this month; 42.9% FG (30/70), 8/30 threes.
Agreed they are not quite the same thing in that BBIQ is knowing the right thing to do at the right place and time, whereas feel for the game is more instinctive. That said, knowing the right thing to do would contribute to feel so they are related. Both contribute to success and neither is a predictor of success because there are too many other factors, such as skills, athleticism, work ethic, and coachability.
It's just too bad that per yearly tradition there is going to be some team willing to give the Lakers multiple useful players for bums like D'Angelo Russell
DeAndre Ayton did not play tonight, so the Blazers had Duop Reath as their starting center. Reath had Naz Reid-like stats tonight: 25 points, 9/15 FGs, 3/6 threes, 4/4 FTs, and 9 rebounds (5 off.).
KD will never find true happiness on the basketball court. Makes me appreciate Steph that much more. I think most superstars in the league would have seen it as a reason to jump ship with the injury of Klay/KD's departure. Thankfully he's not built like that.
KD sometimes reminds me of Marvin the Paranoid Android, the ship's robot in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Marvin isn't really paranoid but he's perpetually depressed because he has a "brain the size of a planet" that he is almost never allowed to use. He's just given mundane tasks, and he's constantly complaining.
He found it with the Dubs. I think he finds it with the US National teams.....I think he finds it IN the game. His thinking ABOUT the game and his place in it supports your comment about not finding true happiness on the court.
yes....on the basketball court.....when he was in learning and playing mode.....but perhaps by "true happiness" you mean something that is a little more lasting. If so, then you are absolutely correct, KD didn't have true happiness with the Dubs.
I read JK's comments as a young player continuing to try to find the right balance between scoring and creating for others, and who wanted to be on the court in crunch time (and who, incidentally, got to watch some truly bad basketball by Klay among others who were playing instead). This is a team that employs Draymond, I don't think they're going to really mind a young player who's not a native English speaker giving an honest take about basketball stuff.
Quick look at Statmuse says that they were 11-9 without Kawhi in 2020-2021, 42-40 without him in 2021-22, 11-19 in 2022-23, and 0-2 so far this season. So yeah, the Clippers are mediocre without him.
Geezus. Fox is 7/15 threes, but everyone else on the Kings are 3/25! Murray and Monk are 1/7 each, Barnes and Vezenkov are 0/3 each and Huerter is 1/5.
I don't know why the Kings aren't going inside more. Blazers have the 2nd lowest opponent three point %age in the league but also have the worst opponent two point %age in the league.
So… KD is complaining about the health of his team… and the Suns have no depth, while JK is apparently unhappy with his role and the Warriors have too much depth… Wiggs/CP3/JK and picks for KD and salary filler?
Would be fascinating. If they could do it with Moody instead of Wiggs or JK to keep 1 athletic wing, they'd be the title favs for sure. Steph/Klay/Wiggs/KD/Dray death lineup is pretty nasty.
Hopefully they do do it with Kuminga if it happens. If nothing else, what is going to happen to Kuminga's minutes if KD joins the team (let alone Draymond and GP2 re-joining the rotation) and how do we think Kuminga is going to feel about that?
Although I'm not interested in KD coming back to the Bay tbh, been there done that. I like rooting for a team that isn't miserable.
I'd do the trade in a minute but wonder why would the Suns agree to such a trade? They're all in with their triumvirate of KD/Booker/Beal and are likely patient enough to see what it's like when all three can play together.
I have come to the conclusion that the Dubs should go ahead and trade JK. I don't see him in their long-term plans as he just doesn't fit the "Kerrball" model, and I'm sure he'd be coveted by a lot of teams due to his athleticism and potential. But with a salary of $6M this year and $7.6M next year, it's hard to trade him for much value unless trade partners are also willing to take on CP3 and/or Wiggs.
I'm also optimistic, after seeing yesterday's game, that we're going to start seeing the old Wiggs show up consistently on this big homestand and that he'll be back in the starting lineup in a few games. Not sure if that means JK is headed to the bench or not - Wiggs could be replacing Looney or Podz in the starting lineup instead. But if JK goes back to the bench, it'll be really interesting to see if that affects his performance.
I don't think Podziemski (or perhaps CP3) would move from the starting lineup until Draymond gets back, they are there to provide the secondary ballhandling. I assume they will just let this lineup ride until Draymond gets back. It's clear Kuminga is currently annoyed, benching just him and not Podziemski as well probably wouldn't go over well with his camp.
Also though, I agree that a Kuminga trade feels inevitable. Perhaps not at the deadline, but I do not think he'll be on the team in the fall. I think it'd be in their best interest too, as I don't know if CP3 is going to be on the team next season and I think CP3 has been a boon to Kuminga's game. Sell high imo.
I see no reason to trade JK. What do you want in the player?
--Low salary? CHECK.
--Team control for multiple years? CHECK
--Can give Dray a rest to keep Dray fresh for the playoffs? CHECK
--Can replace Dray when he inevitably gets suspended or banned? CHECK
--Brings an offensive dimension the team needs and lacks? CHECK
--A top point of attack defender? CHECK
--The only player outside of the OG's with superstar potential? CHECK
Only a foolish GM would trade this player, especially when you have no coach signed for next year (which makes it uncertain whether any Dub will be playing Kerrball in 2024-25)
I just read the Athletic article that so many have commented on in this thread and I fail to see what the big deal is. A guy who English is not his natural language speaks and a bunch of armchair jockeys who obviously weren't there to read expression, body-language, etc. to help interpret his actual meaning pontificate? Please. At most a tempest in a teapot, at worst, undeserved comments that do not serve the team at all. The Kid is 21, from a foreign country and is growing by leaps and bound but clearly isn't there yet with either his game or his English. My 2 cents.
And that he doesn’t know how to talk to media member off the record… and that his team didn’t put out an immediate demand for increased role within hours of the Dubs’ elimination last year… he knows what he’s doing, imo
Let’s hope… cuz he seems like he could really be a great player in a year or two…
In related news, he has zero leverage at the moment… he’s got a team option next year, and then RFA.
I still see this as trying to exert some sort of pressure on the team to gift him more minutes and a bigger role than his play has justified (till very recently). He’s probably also wanting it to be known that he’s going to be dissatisfied with going back to the bench once Dray comes back.
And right there is an example. Upon re-reading my comment I realize that the line I wrote "undeserved comments that do not serve the team at all" can have opposite meanings if I don't (which I didn't) make it clear who I am referring to. To clarify, I was referring to the DNHQ commenters, not Kuminga. English is an incredibly complex language.
Kings are having trouble shooting threes tonight (4/20), but they are making a bunch of two point shots (22/27). Blazers are 6/16 threes so far and 19/28 twos.
I can't agree. Pels were gonna fall behind in standings anyway, and Grizz now are building a narrative that with Ja they are elite (undefeated since he came back) and the league seems to want to help with that cause. Pels getting an L is a nice consolation prize, but I'd prefer that narrative die
Yah... I read the article, and I’m fully in JK’s court for this. He needed to be in the closing lineup for the Nuggets game. Klay was awful. JK was punishing the kings all game, driving against both Murray and Jokic, getting JM into foul trouble, then you take him out in crunch time while JM goes ballistic? Why!? Yes, I know his +/- was awful but single game +/-, lol. So Wiggs is playing well, then play them both. You think other teams shy away from playing two athletic wings? Kerr is still stuck in his OG’s Uber alles mentality and it’s hurting the team. JK has consistently gotten better the more he plays yet Kerr is stuck in his old ways and habits. It’s absurd that JK has yet to play two games of 30+ minutes back to back in his career.
Someone mentioned this way back in the thread, but it mentioned something about how JK was late in his defensive rotations and wasn't rebounding a lot in the 2nd half. Plus, with Wiggins doing better, Kerr went with Wiggins in crunch time.
Why does it to be Wiggs vs JK? Klay was awful - defensively and offensively. He wasn’t trying half the time on defense and he was taking horribly thirsty shots on offense
Neither Wiggins nor Kuminga spaces out the floor because of their inability to hit jump shots reliably this season. Klay is a shooter and forces the defense to defend him and the three point line, though I wish Moody was in there instead. Unfortunately, Moody has been shooting poorly this month; 42.9% FG (30/70), 8/30 threes.
Thank you!
Gearing up for the big Podz-Jaquez “feel for the game” showdown on Thursday.
Also, a question: is “BBIQ” the same thing as “feel” (I don’t think so) and, if not, which is more effective at predicting success in the NBA?
Agreed they are not quite the same thing in that BBIQ is knowing the right thing to do at the right place and time, whereas feel for the game is more instinctive. That said, knowing the right thing to do would contribute to feel so they are related. Both contribute to success and neither is a predictor of success because there are too many other factors, such as skills, athleticism, work ethic, and coachability.
Kuminga >
Play that man and stop playing with him
~30 games into the season and the Suns, Lakers, and Kings have all allowed more points than they’ve scored.
It's just too bad that per yearly tradition there is going to be some team willing to give the Lakers multiple useful players for bums like D'Angelo Russell
I'm almost willing to bet they'll land Bogdanovic and Beef Stew for DLo, Christian Wood and Gabe Vincent because I don't know why
That happens and I'm calling the FBI to look into racketeering charges
DeAndre Ayton did not play tonight, so the Blazers had Duop Reath as their starting center. Reath had Naz Reid-like stats tonight: 25 points, 9/15 FGs, 3/6 threes, 4/4 FTs, and 9 rebounds (5 off.).
It’s Reath’s time of year. Mistletoe and Santa probably did great this week too.
9/5 FGs seems less like Naz Reid and more like Jesus of Naz-Reath. 😇
👏
I fixed my comment.
I am a fan of D Reath since watching him in the first GSW-POR game!
Have been a Reath admirer since I spotted his NBL stats when checking in on Jessup.
Receipts: https://dubnationhq.com/p/perks-predicts-how-will-the-warriors-c6a/comment/39108262
I think he was a Dubs recruiting miss that could have filled a "big" need.
KD will never find true happiness on the basketball court. Makes me appreciate Steph that much more. I think most superstars in the league would have seen it as a reason to jump ship with the injury of Klay/KD's departure. Thankfully he's not built like that.
KD sometimes reminds me of Marvin the Paranoid Android, the ship's robot in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Marvin isn't really paranoid but he's perpetually depressed because he has a "brain the size of a planet" that he is almost never allowed to use. He's just given mundane tasks, and he's constantly complaining.
He found it with the Dubs. I think he finds it with the US National teams.....I think he finds it IN the game. His thinking ABOUT the game and his place in it supports your comment about not finding true happiness on the court.
KD found true happiness with the Dubs?
yes....on the basketball court.....when he was in learning and playing mode.....but perhaps by "true happiness" you mean something that is a little more lasting. If so, then you are absolutely correct, KD didn't have true happiness with the Dubs.
I read JK's comments as a young player continuing to try to find the right balance between scoring and creating for others, and who wanted to be on the court in crunch time (and who, incidentally, got to watch some truly bad basketball by Klay among others who were playing instead). This is a team that employs Draymond, I don't think they're going to really mind a young player who's not a native English speaker giving an honest take about basketball stuff.
Davion Mitchell pulls a rebound in garbage time — his 125th in the past two seasons, in 1,733 minutes.
Podz has 130 rebounds in 546 NBA minutes.
There are a number of reasons Mitchell's seen fewer minutes every season, and that's one of 'em I'm sure
Blazers beat the Kings 130-113. Blazers move to 8-21 and 4-10 at home, while the Kings fall to 17-12 and 6-7 on the road.
Clippers-Hornets is a surprisingly close game. Are the Clippers this bad without Kawhi?
Quick look at Statmuse says that they were 11-9 without Kawhi in 2020-2021, 42-40 without him in 2021-22, 11-19 in 2022-23, and 0-2 so far this season. So yeah, the Clippers are mediocre without him.
Geezus. Fox is 7/15 threes, but everyone else on the Kings are 3/25! Murray and Monk are 1/7 each, Barnes and Vezenkov are 0/3 each and Huerter is 1/5.
Impressively unbalanced attack by the Kings tonight in PDX:
Fox + Sabonis: 75 points
All other Kings combined: 34 points (with no one in double figures)
Dubs about to move within 2.5 games of SAC.
I don't know why the Kings aren't going inside more. Blazers have the 2nd lowest opponent three point %age in the league but also have the worst opponent two point %age in the league.
So… KD is complaining about the health of his team… and the Suns have no depth, while JK is apparently unhappy with his role and the Warriors have too much depth… Wiggs/CP3/JK and picks for KD and salary filler?
Would be fascinating. If they could do it with Moody instead of Wiggs or JK to keep 1 athletic wing, they'd be the title favs for sure. Steph/Klay/Wiggs/KD/Dray death lineup is pretty nasty.
Hopefully they do do it with Kuminga if it happens. If nothing else, what is going to happen to Kuminga's minutes if KD joins the team (let alone Draymond and GP2 re-joining the rotation) and how do we think Kuminga is going to feel about that?
Although I'm not interested in KD coming back to the Bay tbh, been there done that. I like rooting for a team that isn't miserable.
I'd do the trade in a minute but wonder why would the Suns agree to such a trade? They're all in with their triumvirate of KD/Booker/Beal and are likely patient enough to see what it's like when all three can play together.
I have come to the conclusion that the Dubs should go ahead and trade JK. I don't see him in their long-term plans as he just doesn't fit the "Kerrball" model, and I'm sure he'd be coveted by a lot of teams due to his athleticism and potential. But with a salary of $6M this year and $7.6M next year, it's hard to trade him for much value unless trade partners are also willing to take on CP3 and/or Wiggs.
I'm also optimistic, after seeing yesterday's game, that we're going to start seeing the old Wiggs show up consistently on this big homestand and that he'll be back in the starting lineup in a few games. Not sure if that means JK is headed to the bench or not - Wiggs could be replacing Looney or Podz in the starting lineup instead. But if JK goes back to the bench, it'll be really interesting to see if that affects his performance.
I don't think Podziemski (or perhaps CP3) would move from the starting lineup until Draymond gets back, they are there to provide the secondary ballhandling. I assume they will just let this lineup ride until Draymond gets back. It's clear Kuminga is currently annoyed, benching just him and not Podziemski as well probably wouldn't go over well with his camp.
Also though, I agree that a Kuminga trade feels inevitable. Perhaps not at the deadline, but I do not think he'll be on the team in the fall. I think it'd be in their best interest too, as I don't know if CP3 is going to be on the team next season and I think CP3 has been a boon to Kuminga's game. Sell high imo.
I see no reason to trade JK. What do you want in the player?
--Low salary? CHECK.
--Team control for multiple years? CHECK
--Can give Dray a rest to keep Dray fresh for the playoffs? CHECK
--Can replace Dray when he inevitably gets suspended or banned? CHECK
--Brings an offensive dimension the team needs and lacks? CHECK
--A top point of attack defender? CHECK
--The only player outside of the OG's with superstar potential? CHECK
Only a foolish GM would trade this player, especially when you have no coach signed for next year (which makes it uncertain whether any Dub will be playing Kerrball in 2024-25)
I'm not sure if KD wants to play with Draymond....
Lotta people here living in the past.
Could just make it Wiggs, Dray, JK and picks … better match, salary-wise. Resulting rotation:
Steph-Podz-Klay-KD-TJD
Bench: CP3, GP2, Moody, Saric, Loon + ?
Losing a lot of athleticism on the wing with JK and Wiggs, but … I’d probably do it. Not sure why Phoenix would…
To pair Dray and Nurk, of course!
Lol. Might need to be a three-way deal with Dray routed to the LeBrons and something like Hachimura/Vanderbilt routed to Phoenix?
Need to get the Clips and Kings in on this one, then… make it an all pacific division trade
Warriors might be inclined to trade Draymond at this point, if they could get KD in return.
I guess Draymond would then destroy the Suns from inside out.
I wouldn't be upset about that. 😏
Considering what he said about Draymond, I doubt he wants to re-engage. Interesting thought exercise though.
Wait, interesting thought exercise? Didn't you just tell me "BOO!" in all caps when I suggested a Kuminga trade lol:
https://dubnationhq.com/p/game-29-gsw-vs-portland-plus-open/comment/45965563
Yes
Yes.
I just read the Athletic article that so many have commented on in this thread and I fail to see what the big deal is. A guy who English is not his natural language speaks and a bunch of armchair jockeys who obviously weren't there to read expression, body-language, etc. to help interpret his actual meaning pontificate? Please. At most a tempest in a teapot, at worst, undeserved comments that do not serve the team at all. The Kid is 21, from a foreign country and is growing by leaps and bound but clearly isn't there yet with either his game or his English. My 2 cents.
You’re acting like he learned English this year
And that he doesn’t know how to talk to media member off the record… and that his team didn’t put out an immediate demand for increased role within hours of the Dubs’ elimination last year… he knows what he’s doing, imo
Let’s hope… cuz he seems like he could really be a great player in a year or two…
In related news, he has zero leverage at the moment… he’s got a team option next year, and then RFA.
I still see this as trying to exert some sort of pressure on the team to gift him more minutes and a bigger role than his play has justified (till very recently). He’s probably also wanting it to be known that he’s going to be dissatisfied with going back to the bench once Dray comes back.
I’ll restate my hottake that he’s traded before the start of next year.
It looks and sounds like more than “English isn’t my first language” and this is all out of context.
Marcus Thompson certainly is framing it and implying that it is more than just: he doesn’t really mean what he’s saying…
I think it’d be cool if the young guys take over soon but I’d also like to see them melding with the og’s
I’m selling all my Kuminga properties and investing in the other three young guys
(I say all this Mostly in the hopes that it triggers a tirade from Asher)
If teams traded every player who said "me" a lot and "I want to be the best," they'd never have two games in a row with the same roster.
And right there is an example. Upon re-reading my comment I realize that the line I wrote "undeserved comments that do not serve the team at all" can have opposite meanings if I don't (which I didn't) make it clear who I am referring to. To clarify, I was referring to the DNHQ commenters, not Kuminga. English is an incredibly complex language.
Thank you for clarifying. I had read it the unintended way and was a little confused about your position.
Kings are having trouble shooting threes tonight (4/20), but they are making a bunch of two point shots (22/27). Blazers are 6/16 threes so far and 19/28 twos.
As much as I hate the Grizz, better Pels lose
I can't agree. Pels were gonna fall behind in standings anyway, and Grizz now are building a narrative that with Ja they are elite (undefeated since he came back) and the league seems to want to help with that cause. Pels getting an L is a nice consolation prize, but I'd prefer that narrative die
It’s a long winter… don’t worry, narratives will change a few times. But #theytoosmallernuh will persevere
Won't change if they keep giving Ja phantom whistles when he misses