Warriors Rewind: 10 thoughts on Warriors 120, Kings 101

Here's the Warriors World version.

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Prior to this game the Warriors had won nine consecutive against the Kings by an average margin of 16.9 points. Without Demarcus Cousins in the lineup last night, Sacramento had about as good a chance of winning the contest as Black Friday shoppers did of not having to elbow and push for a $2 waffle iron. Maybe arming themselves with waffle irons would’ve helped the Kings prevent Golden State from improving to 18-0.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) Steve Kerr considers "joy" as the most essential of his four core values for the Warriors. The thinking goes that in a long, grueling season, it's important to find joy in basketball to keep players engaged. Last night it was Brandon Rush that brought the joy to Oakland. Three years removed from a devastating ACL injury, the NBA journeyman had a scintillating throwback game, scoring 14 points in the third quarter on four threes and a two-handed dunk. The entire Warriors bench stood and danced after the third three-pointer, and then did it again when Rush hit a triple via the elevator doors play. Before the Rush explosion, it was a sluggish 10-point game in which the home team showed some fatigue having played the night before. By the time B-Rush was subbed out, the lead had ballooned to 26 and all of Oracle was smiling and cheering. The entire tenor of the game changed in those seven emphatic Brandon Rush minutes. Pure joy.


2) Stephen Curry is shooting 46% on attempts between 25-29 feet, and 50% from 29-39 feet (not a typo) per NBA.com. On opponent telecasts, the announcing crew will occasionally mention that Curry takes a lot of awful three-pointers. But those shots aren’t awful because it’s Curry that takes them. The MVP's accuracy from 26 feet and beyond, demands that opponent defenses come out farther on him, allowing the rest of the Warriors to play 4-on-4 or 4-on-3 in the remaining half-court. Even when Steph isn’t scoring, his presence alone creates ridiculous space for his teammates. Those 26-footers aren’t awful shots, they're strategic ones.

3) Do you realize that George Karl has played Rajon Rondo 40 minutes or more eight times already this season? And do you realize Curry hasn’t had to play in four straight fourth quarters? When naysayers discount the Warriors success because of their unprecedented good health, does Golden State’s calculated efforts to limit minutes and wear-and-tear factor into the thinking?

4) Rudy Gay the slasher and driver (20 points) is really good at basketball. Rudy Gay the long jump shooter (7-20 FG), not as much.

5) I thought Harrison Barnes absolutely made the right business move by not taking the Warriors reported 4 for 64 offer. Rudy Gay makes $19.32 million this season. I’d take HB over him right now, even without considering that Barnes is 6 years younger with emergent potential. The Falcon is going to get paid this summer given the exploding cap and dearth of quality free agents.


6) Draymond got another triple double, the first back-to-back TD for Golden State since Wilt Chamberlain. It feels like every other game another franchise record falls or gets matched.

7) Marco Bellinelli likes to take really long three-pointers (0-7). He must have had 3 or 4 from beyond 27 feet. Maybe he’s realized that after years in the Spurs pass pass pass system, on the Kings he’s unlikely to see the ball again after a pass and should just launch regardless of distance.

8) Rondo is quietly having a bounce back year. Coming into the game he had averages of 13 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11 assists. He is 8th among point guards in WAR, ahead of Chris Paul and Mike Conley. By all accounts, he’s hit the rejuvenation juice and is having a solid year, but I still hated the deal the Kings gave him because…

9) … although Sacramento had all the leverage this off-season, they somehow only got a one year deal with Rondo. So even if the mercurial point guard continues to play well, the Kings are going to lose him this summer to the highest bidder, or they’re going to have to give him a mega deal that they’ll probably end up regretting since the guy is playing on a rebuilt knee, will be in his 30s, and shoots 36% on free throws (not a typo). What other team was going to offer Rondo $10 million after his horrible Mavs experience? Why didn’t GM Vlade Divac add a one-year team option on the contract so they could keep him in case he played well? If Vlade wasn’t going secure Rondo long-term, then why not draft Emmanuel Mudiay with the 6th pick and have him learn under the former All-Star? Thinking about this makes my brain hurt. Willie Cauley-Stein did have 3 points in 20 minutes, so there’s that.

10) The Oracle crowd gave love to Seth Curry (9 points, 3-3 threes). The Warriors are so good right now that fans don’t even mind rooting for opponents to do well. What’s the difference between a 30-point win and a 19-point win? It’s more fun to find joy, especially in a familiar adversary.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 135, Suns 116

Here's the Warriors World version.

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If the Warriors were suffering from any kind of tryptophan-induced lethargy, they certainly didn’t show it on Friday. The Dubs jumped out big early on the Suns, putting to rest any thoughts of a letdown performance after Tuesday’s historic night. They’re now 17-0. The other teams in the league might want to stay in their turkey slumber and not awake to this Golden State nightmare.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) The Warriors are so hot right now the first few minutes of a game is usually an accurate barometer of the competitiveness to come. Unfortunately for the Suns, and fans hoping for a close game, Curry went for 19 points on 5-6 from threes as the Warriors took a 44-27 lead after one quarter. Game effectively over. Curry had 41 for the game.

2) I was looking forward to watching the backcourt duo of Bledsoe and Knight (42 points, 12 assists combined). I think they had a strong game, but it’s hard to ascertain their effectiveness because the Warriors are so dominant. It would be like trying to judge how tall you are by standing next to Shaq. You may indeed be tall, but Shaq will always tower over you. The Warriors are towering over everybody right now.


3) Someone (Jeff Hornacek?) should probably tell Ronnie Price to stop guarding Steph full court. He got beat off the dribble for two wide open threes and had to commit a foul to stop a layup. Maybe just wait for the MVP at half court.

4) The Dubs didn’t actually play a great game. The defense gave up 116 points on 49% shooting, and the offense coughed the ball up 23 times. Yet they still won by 19 points. That’s what happens when one team scores 66 points from beyond the arc at 58% shooting while the other gets “only” 30.

5) In 2012, before he suffered the knee injury, Brandon Rush was a rotation cog for the Warriors. He averaged 10 points on 50% shooting (45% from three) in 26 minutes a night. After his promising run during the preseason, I was hopeful that Rush had finally made it back. Not to be. He still looks uncomfortable out there, bobbling passes and rebounds underneath the rim. He shot 1-4 and finished with a minus-4. But I’m not abandoning the “Brandon Rush will be good again” corner. Come join me!

6) Realizing Green needed one more rebound for a triple double, Luke Walton inserts Dray back in with under 4 minutes to go. Draymond gets it on a put back (14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and immediately commits a foul on the other end to be subbed out (a move dripping with veteran savvy). I love this. Basketball should be fun. Triple doubles are fun. In baseball, some curmudgeonly old writer would say Dray getting reinserted to get a stat is disrespectful to the “integrity” of the game. I have no idea what that means. But I know that’s one of the reasons why I don’t know anyone under 40 who watches baseball.


7) Barbosa came back to his former stomping grounds and scored 21 points on 8-9 shooting. NBA players love to do this; they love to have big games versus their former teams, especially if the parting was contentious. Did someone hypnotize Stephen Curry into thinking he once played for every team in the league? Is this why he’s setting the NBA on fire like a lover scorned?

8) With 2:33 left in the game, Archie Goodwin gets a steal on a pass and seemingly has an easy path for a breakaway dunk. Only Festus decides to chase him down from behind for a block (and foul). It was a 23 point game at the time. The Warriors are so focused, they’re not giving anything up.

9) Harrison Barnes injured his ankle in the third (x-rays negative). It may sound counter-intuitive, but if HB has to miss time, his absence might prove his contract value more than his playing. Without Barnes, the Warriors will probably have to shift Iguodala to the power forward spot in the Draymond-at-center lineup and insert Shaun Livingston. It will be interesting to see how effective that group will be since HB is 2 inches and 10 pounds bigger than Iggy and does a decent job guarding 4s.

10) I hope Harrison doesn’t have to miss much time because I love watching him dunk. The dunks themselves are nice, but they also have the added value of inducing comedy from the bench. HB got a nice jam in traffic at 8:40 in the second, and afterward the entire bench rose to flap their arms in unison to soar with the Black Falcon. Grown men mimicking birds is fun. The Warriors are fun.

Leandro got the dunk

You know what my favorite part of Barbosa's dunk is?

Look how happy the guys on the bench are for him.

Warriors Rewind: Ten thoughts on Warriors 111, Lakers 77

Warriors World version here.

Credit: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Last night’s game between the Warriors and Lakers was more formality than contest. Nothing was going to stop the Warriors freight train, certainly not the 2-11 Lakers who offered little resistance in getting rolled over. Golden State improved their record to 16-0 and made some NBA history along the way.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) Contrast in offensive philosophies: Draymond Green hits a three to begin the game. Kobe Bryant follows with a long two that clanks. Four minutes later Kobe forces another long miss. Klay gets the ball and passes up a difficult layup for a wide open Harrison Barnes corner three splash. The results were nice, but the process is one of the many reasons why these two ball clubs are on opposite ends of the standings.

2) I don’t know whether Byron Scott is being facetious or serious, but he supplies the best fodder for basketball nerds to make jokes. Between quarters, when asked how his team was performing he said, “so so. We’re just getting beat on the little things right now.” The Warriors were up 30-11 at the time feasting on lobs, layups and wide open threes. That might be getting beat by more than “the little things.”

3) Do you remember how at the end of Terminator 2, as you watched poor Arnold getting lowered in the vat of fire, you felt a little sad even though the movie had been awesome and you knew Arnold wouldn’t actually die since he had never been human to begin with? That’s how I felt watching Kobe Bryant last night. Kobe used to be a basketball deity. In 64 career games versus the Dubs, the Mamba Man averaged 28, 5, and 5 (per basketball-reference.com). He used to carve up the Warriors. Antawn Jamison, Larry Hughes, Jason Richardson, Gilbert Arenas, Monta Ellis, it didn’t matter who the Warriors “franchise player” of the moment was, Kobe was always three levels better. Watching him go 1-14 for 4 points with multiple air balls made me wish someone would invent a time machine and bring the old Kobe back — even at the expense of the Warriors. At least then we wouldn’t have to watch an NBA legend’s career burn out like this.

4) I don’t know how the D’Angelo Russell pick will pan out, but I barely noticed him on the court (8 points, 2 assists). I watched a Knicks-Rockets game where Kristaps Porzingis was clearly the best player on the court despite Harden and Melo’s presence. Jahlil Okafor is averaging 18 and 8. Justise Winslow has the 13th highest plus/minus in the league. And we just saw Mudiay show real NBA skills leading the Nuggets. Hopefully the second pick in the draft gets it going in spite of all the bust talk.

5) With 36 seconds left in the third, Curry sees Russell playing off him so he lets the ball roll up into the front court on an inbounds before picking it up, saving a few seconds on the clock. He dribbles three times, puts the rookie guard in the spin cycle, and drops home a swooping layup. Can’t tell if this was “playing until the final whistle” or just being mean. The bucket made it a 32 point game.

6) Just a note: The longest win streak in NBA history is 33 games by the ’71-72 Lakers. Just under that are the Heat’s 27 game streak and the Rockets 22 gamer. I think the Dubs are going to have a game on their hands Friday against the frisky Suns (4th best point differential in the West).

7) The 2015-2016 season will not be free of a Barbosa dunk!

8) Pat Riley said the Splash Brothers “are the two most dynamic players in the backcourt, that I have ever seen, since Jerry West and Gail Goodrich.” Hey, Pat: shhhhhhh. The Ws don’t need praise, they need more doubters. They feed off that.

9) On a recent Raptor telecast, a Toronto announcer said something to the tune of, “had Chris Paul’s layup not gone in, the Spurs would have won the championship.” Thanks, Toronto announcer!

10) Poor Jordan Clarkson. I think he still has his hand in the air waiting for Kobe to pass him the ball.

Divergent Paths: the transactions that turned the Warriors into a championship franchise, the Lakers a forgotten one

This article got run at Warriors World. This is my version.

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Golden State takes on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight with a chance to cement their place in the record books. The Warriors are primed to be the first team in NBA history to start a season with 16 consecutive wins when they host the moribund Lakers, mired in another losing season, at Oracle Arena. 

While Golden State sits at the NBA mountain top as the reigning champions, buoyed by a well-managed salary cap and young stars on team-friendly contracts, the Lakers languish at the bottom, with a roster built around a 37-year-old former superstar, two rookies*, and the player formerly known as "all-star Roy Hibbert." The opposing trajectories of the two franchises is especially remarkable when considering the recent past. (*Julius Randle isn't technically a rookie, but he missed all but 14 minutes of his first year.)

Warriors fans remember well when the team from So-Cal was the envy of bay area natives. Just five years ago, in June of 2010, it was Kobe Bryant and Company that were celebrating an NBA championship; and it was Golden State that was commiserating a 56-loss season. What happened in the five intervening years that has created such a dichotomy between the two franchises? 

The front office of both teams have engaged in bold player acquisitions, awarded risky contracts, and gambled on new coaches multiple times with varying success.  

Below, we revisit some of the more memorable transactions that have molded each team since the confetti fell on Staples Center five summers ago.

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Re-signing the Franchise Player

Lakers: 

Perhaps no transaction is more illustrative of the differences in franchise philosophy, and responsible for the outcome of the last few years than the new contract each team awarded its star player. In the winter of 2013, the Buss family came to a unified agreement to offer then-35-year-old Kobe Bryant -- who hadn't played a game since a torn Achilles tendon -- a contract extension worth $48.5 million. Observers around the league had been optimistic that Bryant would take a contract similar to Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki (a team-friendly deal that'd keep the legend with the team until retirement), that would allow the organization enough financial wiggle room to build a roster with proven free agents going forward. That was not to be however, as Jim Buss publicly declared that the new mega deal was in part to pay for Bryant's previous years of service, financial flexibility be damned. As a deal to keep fans packing the Staples Center, it was understandable, but as a pure basketball decision, it's an ongoing disaster that continues to mitigate the franchise's ability to bring in coveted players in the off-season. The first year of Kobe's extension accounted for roughly 40% of the Lakers salary cap, effectively ending any notion of teaming a squad of talented free agents with Bryant (if they managed to not bungle the meeting first).

Warriors: 

The Warriors on the other hand, agreed with Stephen Curry on what is unarguably the most team-friendly contract in professional sports. When Curry inked his deal in 2012, he was coming off ankle surgery and had missed 40 of 66 games the previous season. Though obviously talented, there were legitimate concerns that his ankle issues could derail a promising career (a la Magic-era Grant Hill). The Warriors and Curry, thus, agreed to a 4-year $44 million deal that was considered fair for both sides at the time given the health risks. Curry's comically low salary has allowed the Warriors to field a deep and talented roster around the MVP featuring Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Shaun Livingston, Andrew Bogut, and also keep them in position to make a play for Kevin Durant this summer.

Coaching Hire

Lakers:

After a disappointing 1-4 start to the 2012-2013 season, LA abruptly fired Mike Brown. In his place, the Lakers had the opportunity to reunite with Phil Jackson and his 13 championship rings but, instead, stunned the NBA world and Jackson by hiring Mike D'Antoni despite a less-than-stellar run in New York (121-167) that ended with his resignation from the Knicks. D'Antoni struggled in two years with LA managing an injured team, and engaged in regular public feuds with all-star Pau Gasol. He led the team to a 67-87 record before resigning for the second time in as many jobs. Jeannie Buss would later say she felt like she'd been "stabbed in the back" by her brother Jim Buss' decision to hire D'Antoni over Jackson. The Lakers today are coached by Byron Scott, a man who has publicly stated in the pace-and-space era of 2015 that three-pointers don't win championships, and whose defensive principle is for everyone to "man up."

Warriors:

In June 2011, Golden State tabbed Mark Jackson straight out of the announcing booth to lead the nascent Warriors. The former point guard made good on his promise to deliver the Warriors to the playoffs (albeit a year late), and transformed the team from a turnstile on defense under Don Nelson into one of the best in the league. He breathed confidence into the young Warriors, especially during timeouts where team huddles resembled more motivational speech than Xs and Os talk. Together, the team won a first-round series against the favored-Nuggets and, in the following season, took the Clippers to seven games despite missing their two best centers. After a public fallout between ownership and Jackson, the coach was let go in favor of another first-time coach, Steve Kerr. Again the Warriors landed the perfect coach at the perfect time as Kerr demonstrated leadership and passion and poise and intelligence from the coaching position. He instituted a new offensive system that featured more ball and player movement and in one season created a team that had the number one defense and number two offense. 

The "All In" move

Lakers:

Los Angeles was poised to become the next "Super Team" when they traded for Dwight Howard after acquiring Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade with Phoenix. Pairing the two new-comers with Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace was supposed to help the Lakers decimate the league on its way to another championship. It was not to be however, as the expected starting unit managed to play in one game together. Nash appeared in only 50 games while battling an assortment of injuries; Howard struggled to find his form coming off back surgery; and the new Big Three had chemistry issues on and off the court. The move to create the "Super Team" cost the Lakers Andrew Bynum and 4 future draft picks -- one of which will be conveyed this off season -- thwarting LA's ability to rebuild with young players.

Warriors:

Golden State's new acquisition was far less splashy, but every bit as big a gamble. In the summer of 2013, Andre Iguodala, fresh off a strong stint in Denver, agreed to a 4-year $48 million deal with Golden State. In order to create cap space to complete the transaction, the Warriors sent two unprotected future first-round draft picks and two second-rounders to entice the Utah Jazz to take the contracts of Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson. After the deal, Golden State was effectively capped out, and had (like the Lakers) four fewer draft picks with which to improve their roster. They were all in -- team improvement would have to come from the roster as constructed. The gamble paid off as Iguodala became the Finals MVP, playing superb defense on Lebron James en route to the team's first championship in 40 years. 

Ownership Change

Lakers:

LA's front office was once the envy of the league. Owner Jerry Buss, Mitch Kupchack and Jerry West oversaw multiple championships and were always liable to lure a marquee free agent like Shaquille O'neal to Tinsel Town. In February of 2013, Buss died at the age of 80. His passing left a schism in the Lakers' leadership group as the Buss siblings, Jim and Jeanie publicly sparred over control of the franchise and front office decisions. As President of the team, Jeanie has stated that her brother is on a three-year timeline to get the Lakers back in "contention." The end date of the three years remains ambiguous but the continual infighting and front office instability does not. 

Warriors:

Joe Lacob and Peter Guber purchased the Warriors from Chris Cohan in 2010 for a then-record $450 million. After a rocky start that saw Lacob vociferously booed by Warriors fans at Oracle following the trade of fan-favorite Monta Ellis, the new owners steadily began to gain the trust of Warriors loyalists with one franchise-improving transaction after the other. Golden State plucked Klay Thompson with the 11th pick in the 2011 lottery. In the following draft, they nailed three foundation pieces in Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green. They made the right coaching-hire in Jackson, and a better hire in Kerr. The team returned to the playoffs after a five-year drought. They have a brain trust that includes former-Laker Jerry West and reigning NBA Executive of the Year, Bob Myers working cohesively over every proposed transaction. And that esteemed group rewarded the franchise by deciding to not trade for Kevin Love, electing instead to keep Klay Thompson and the team's nucleus together. They have a new arena coming. And they won 67 games and the NBA championship last year. 

The front office of an NBA franchise matters, as we are reminded again and again and again. Yes, the Warriors were fortunate with a few signings and avoided untimely injuries. And having a superstar in his prime certainly helps, but I would argue that a savvy, forward-thinking management team is just as, if not more, important that having a top-flight player on the roster. Just look at Demarcus Cousins and the tumultuous Kings front office continuing to flounder. As the Warriors aim to improve their record to a historical 16-0 against the declining Lakers franchise, there could not be a more stark reminder that the Warriors are in intelligent, capable hands with Joe Lacob and Bob Myers running the Warriors show. After the long-suffering Chris Cohan years, let's be thankful for that.

Warriors Rewind: 10 Thoughts on Warriors 118, Nuggets 105

The Warriors were never going to lose this game — not with history on the line. Golden State made easy work of the Nuggets to tie the ’93-94 Rockets for best start to a season at 15 – 0. They now have a chance to leave an indelible mark on the history books against the moribund Lakers (2-11) at Oracle on Tuesday. 16 wins without a loss to start a season doesn’t sound like reality. I hope it is.

10 Thoughts:

1) Denver managed a spirited rally to go up one point on the Warriors late in the first half. Sensing the team needed to play with more ferocity, Luke Walton unleashed the caged-tiger lineup of Draymond Green at the five for the final two minutes. The Dubs immediately went on a 14 to 4 run (until a bad foul by Klay Thompson on a three-point attempt) to end the half. The game was pretty much over after that. Everyone knew that no matter how hard the young Nuggets fought to climb back into the game, the Warriors would always have the Draymond-at-center card in their back pocket. That lineup is like having an ace of spades available at all times.

2) After slow starts on the year from beyond the arc, Thompson (4-7 on threes) is now up to 40% and Barnes (2-2) is at 38%. The most efficient offense in the game just got more lethal.

3) Emmanuel Mudiay is going to have a long NBA career. He’s big, strong, can get into the lane, and gets the shots he wants (though he’s not converting them yet: 33%). He doesn’t give up on defense (he forced a Curry miss on the break), and he’s only 19. But what I like most: he was willing to take a three-point heave in the first quarter to beat the shot clock. Most NBA guys (ie. Iguodala) let the clock expire before taking a halfhearted shot so as to not hurt their field goal percentage. Understandable, but lame.

4) Curry-is-a-monster stat of the night: Prior to tipoff, Festus Ezeli, someone who gets most of his shots on lobs and put backs within 2 feet of the basket, had a 59% two-point field goal percentage — pretty darn good. Stephen Curry was shooting 2-pointers at 60%.

5) HB got a thunderous dunk on Nikola Jokic at 3:06 in the third. He followed it up with a hard stare down of the Serbian center. Barnes isn’t usually a demonstrative player. Wonder what Jokic said — and whether it was in English.

6) Walton got his second technical of the season. If the team’s wins go on Steve Kerr’s record, who pays for the techs? Does the interim head coach get petty cash for techs?

7) Magic Johnson and Isaiah Thomas both averaged over 4 turnovers a game their rookie year. Mudiay is at 4.4. Turnovers are obviously bad, but mistakes help young point guards develop, and Mike Malone is letting the kid play through the mistakes. The Nuggets aren’t going to win the championship this year anyway, so what’s the harm? Too bad Keith Smart didn’t realize this when he used to bench Curry for turnovers in favor of Acie Law.

8) Nitpicking: Up 16 with five minutes to go in the fourth, Walton again put Dray at center. It’s a killer lineup for sure, but I wonder whether all those minutes banging around with giants like Jokic (6’11”, 256) isn’t going to wear down Green this early in the season.

9) Was that Mike Malone or Mike Malone’s dad coaching the Nuggets? The former Warriors assistant looked 10 years older than when we saw him with the Warriors a few years ago. Guess coaching Boogie Cousins and then a 19-year-old point guard will do that to you.

10) By all accounts, Draymond’s game is fueled in large part on perceived slights. Someone please tell him that despite clearly being the Dubs’ second best player, ESPN’s telecast had a graphic with Curry, Klay and Iguodala as the Warriors’ “Stars.” Let’s keep growing that chip!

Warriors Rewind: Warriors 106, Bulls 94

Last night’s win over Chicago can best be described as professional. A professional win by a professional team. After an emotional come-from-behind victory against the Clippers, no one can blame the Warriors for not running the court with their usual aggression on a back-to-back against the well-rested Bulls. Lacking that vigor, the Dubs just needed to find a way to keep the game close until the fourth quarter where they could unleash their tentacle-like defense in the final minutes to bring home the victory — which is exactly what they did. Again: a professional win by a professional team. 

 

Golden State now turns its attention to tying the all-time record for consecutive victories to start a season on Sunday. 

 

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) It started sometime last year. For about 5 to 6 minutes each game, the Warriors will flip a switch on defense (usually with Draymond Green at center), and decide that the other team’s not going to score for a while. Last night from 5:42 in the fourth, the Dubs ratcheted up the defense and held the Bulls to a single made field goal until Jimmy Butler hit a meaningless shot at the end. They outscored Chicago 17 to 5 during that stretch. The rest of the league may want to keep an eye on that switch.

2) Jimmy Butler (28 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) has gone up another level on the level he went up last year. He was everywhere on defense, getting steals (3) and thwarting shots. On the other end, he orchestrated the entire Bulls offense down the stretch like an East Coast James Harden. He’s clearly the best two-guard thus far in the season. With Harden and Klay not yet in tiptop form, who gets the number two spot?

3) That was a lot of Barbosa taking shots out of the half court set in the beginning of the second quarter. He went 1 of 5 in those five minutes (to be fair, he’s missed a few games with illness and personal issues). When LB isn’t scoring layups in transition or hitting open threes, I’d prefer to see what Ian Clark can do out there.

4) Kirk Hinrich defended Curry admirably (3-11 on threes and 2 free throws until the end). He was holding and tugging and grabbing and practically inside the MVP’s jersey. These Bulls are tough when they get that kind of effort from a 34-year-old backup.

5) Andrew Bogut (18 minutes, -17 for the game) struggled to defend Gasol when the Spaniard was facilitating at the top of the key. He got beat repeatedly on the pick and roll, but…

6) …that’s why having two quality centers with contrasting styles is such a luxury. The Bulls’ frontline had a hard time matching up with Ezeli’s athleticism, who finished with a +15 on the night, second only to Iguodala (+24).

7) Nikola Mirotic got Festus to bite on a head fake from beyond the arc for three free throws in the fourth. Mirotic is a habitual head faker despite a 37% field goal percentage. HB must’ve known the scouting report better as he stayed down on Mirotic, forcing two bad crunch time misses.

8) Coming into the game, there were 14 players with a better 3-point percentage than Curry (45%). Langston Galloway(!) leads the league at 56%. All 14 of those players had taken between 27 and 53 three-pointers. Curry has nearly 3 times the attempts at 150. That’s why people calling Kyle Korver the best shooter last season was so egregious. There are good percentage-shooters, and then there is Stephen Curry. 30-footers, no air space, off the dribble: the man redefines the meaning of a “good” shot.

9) There’s nothing worse as a sports fan than seeing a star player’s career derailed by injury. Grant Hill. Gilbert Arenas. Chris Webber. Yao Ming. The list is as long as it is depressing. Derrick Rose used to be one of my favorite players to watch. Who can forget that sky-walking two-handed jam he had on Goran Dragic. During his MVP season, D-Rose averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists. This season he’s at 13 points and 6 assists at 38% shooting. Those are Kobe Bryant numbers (17 points, 3.5 assists, 35%). The sports gods can be cruel — Rose is 10 years younger.

10) These same Bulls beat the Warriors at Oracle last January when Rose made a jumper over Klay from twenty feet. It’s easy to forget now, but it was Steph’s critical turnover that gave the Bulls the opportunity to win in OT. But like the American poet, Snoop Dogg once said, “Sometimes a loss is the best thing that can happen. It teaches you what you should have done the next time.” The Warriors went on to win a championship and haven’t lost at home in the

Warriors Rewind: Warriors 124, Clippers 117

“They couldn’t handle their business.” Those were Klay Thompson's comments earlier this season on the Clippers’ inability to advance in the playoffs and meet Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. It’s hard to decide whether the Clippers didn’t handle their business last night after going up by 23, or the Warriors took care of theirs like a boss. Whatever the semantics, the Dubs pulled off the rare 30-point swing on the road to become the fifth team ever to start 13 – 0.

 

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

 

1) After not using the Green-at-center lineup against Andre Drummond and the Pistons, Luke Walton showed no fear of DeAndre Jordan’s scoring prowess down low, opting to go with the small-ball unit for the final 5+ minutes of the game. The move paid off as the Warriors outscored the Clips by 17 points down the stretch. The small lineup came up huge with frenetic switching defense and timely threes (8 of 9 in the 4th). Curry got 40 points and the post game interview, but this was a team win. The Dubs got great contributions from half the squad.

2) So many big three-pointers down the stretch. Green had one to trim the lead to six entering the fourth; HB had two early in the fourth; Iguodala hit a couple; Klay had an off-balanced make to give the Ws the lead; and Curry had his usual split-second flings. The Dubs have four players shooting over 40% on triples, and that list doesn’t include Klay. They’re second in the league in 3-point attempts and first in percentage. That shooting proficiency and their mighty morphing D keeps them in every game. Even down 23, no Warriors fan thought the team was out of the game. They just needed Chris Paul to miss a few shots (after starting 7-7 in the first quarter, CP3 went 6-15 the rest of the way).

3) While playing center, Draymond boxed out DeAndre, defended Griffin like he had E-Honda hands, made a quick rotation to thwart a Paul runner, and forced another miss from CP3 one-on-one on the wing. There are players that can guard four positions admirably, and then there’s Draymond. He’s a category unto himself. Who else can defend 5 positions like him?

4) Steph took an intentional foul 2 minutes into the game to stop a potential fast break. I’m not a fan of these fouls because I enjoy watching dunks in transition, but I especially dislike them when Curry, Thompson, or Green commits them in the first half. NBA games are fluky and fouls can occur in bunches. Two minutes later Curry picked up his second foul.

5) Iguodala tied Curry for highest +/- in the game at +12. Curry had 40 points. Andre scored 8. That defense, man.

6) High basketball IQ isn’t easily quantifiable, but you can see the players who don’t always have it. In the third, as the Warriors were just showing signs of life by pulling to within 11, Austin Rivers has the ball and takes a 20-foot jumper with 11 seconds on the clock that surprised no one by missing badly (you could hear a Warrior scream “hell yeah” after the clank). Not one minute later the Dubs get two buckets in a row to pull within 7. All of a sudden the crowd gets nervous, the Clippers look timid and the Dubs realize they’re in the game. It was an innocuous play that didn’t decide the outcome, but you never know what might spark a momentum change.

7) If Ian Clark can start hitting that floater in the lane, the Dubs might have a reliable third point guard/shooting guard. He made a nice pass to Draymond for a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third. His development this season will be fun to watch.

8) Nitpicking: Curry has 7 turnovers in back-to-back games. He’s at 4.3 for the season. Steph is always going to have a lot of turnovers since he handles the ball so much and the opposing defense is schemed entirely around getting the rock out of his hands. But he had two especially bad, unforced giveaways in the fourth. Had the Warriors lost last night, this would’ve been a bigger storyline.

9) This Warriors-Clippers rivalry used to give us quotes like “God, don’t like ugly” and “that’s cowardly basketball.” But prior to this game Dray and JJ Redick were throwing the word “respect” around when describing each other’s team. Fellas, please, let’s keep the quotes biting and snarky. We don’t want the best rivalry in the NBA to become like every game versus the Spurs.

10) Epitome of a trap game tomorrow night against the 8 – 3 Bulls, who had the night off. But at this point, after this unbelievable comeback to cap back-to-back-to-back wild finishes, It’d be silly to question this team’s determination. 82 – 0 still a possibility!

Warriors Rewind: Warriors 107, Nets 99

My apologies: This post is out of order. Oops!

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Even the most ardent basketball fan can have a hard time deciding whether to devote 2.5 hours to watch certain games. Last night’s Warriors-Nets (1-9) on a Saturday night was one of those times. But as fans we always watch because you never know what might happen. Klay could mess around and score 37 points in a quarter. Or — in the case of last night — the hapless Nets could take the defending champs to OT in Oracle. 

 

The Warriors made some well-timed baskets, got a lucky miss, and made some big plays down the stretch.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1) The decision not to commit a foul  — the Nets had a chance when Draymond (career 69% at the line) caught the ball inside the arc —  when up three with under 10 seconds left in the game was Lionel Hollins telling all Warriors fans, “Naw, we’re good. I know your team is number one in the league in 3-point percentage, but I want to make sure this game is exciting.” Thanks, Lionel!

2) I love Andre Iguodala. Big three to tie the game, amazing strip of Joe Johnson in OT. There is a 99% chance that my first born will be named Iggy Tsan — regardless of gender.

3) The word “lucky” is taboo around these parts, but to win in sports, sometimes luck is involved. Brooke Lopez makes that point-blank bunny 90% of the time. But he missed it last night. That’s luck, right? (But getting the 8-second call on Jack — that was savvy veteran play from all five men. Everyone knew exactly what to do. That’s coaching too.)

4) Lionel Hollin’s watch game is on point. The shine off that piece nearly melted a pixel on my screen.

5) Despite that killer 8-second turnover, I like Jack. I appreciated his time as a Warrior. He filled the backup PG spot admirably and, more importantly, he was willing to take big shots down the stretch of games at a time when young Steph and young Klay wouldn’t or couldn’t. However, that penchant for the big balls dance was the same reason I wasn’t upset when he left for a deal with Brooklyn. The Splash Brothers’ amiability to defer to the veteran Jack in crunch time was stifling their growth. Even if Steph and Klay weren’t likely to make those clutch shots three years ago, they needed to be taking them. They needed the reps. Jack leaving was best for everyone (that didn’t own a shoe store Oakland).

6) Esoteric stat of the night: Steph passed his father, Dell in made-threes (1,248 to 1,245). It took Dell 3,098 attempts and 16 seasons to make all those threes. Steph needed only 2,830 attempts and less than half the time.

7) Was that Joe Johnson out there or Joe Johnson’s zombie doppelgänger? JJ finished with 6 points on 3-12 shooting in 41 minutes. It’s early, but is Joe Johnson this year’s winner of the Steve Francis Award, given to the player that inexplicably stops being good in basketball despite not having a serious injury?

8) Klay Thompson was out with a sore back. The Warriors clearly missed him. They put Livingston on Jack (who drew two huge, if suspect shooting fouls) down the stretch. Klay would have been the defender there had he been available. The Dubs also missed his spacing on offense. Even though Thompson’s off to a slow start, the threat of his shooting demands that his defender never leaves his body. Without Klay on the court, Draymond had fewer options on the 4-3 situations that come from Curry pick and rolls. Get well soon, Klay.

9) You know why everyone loves Steph (besides the ridiculous threes from 30 feet and sorcery with the ball)? He seems like a guy you would know at work. He’s not confrontational like KD, nor bigger-than-life like Lebron. Steph seems fun and genuine, like a popular guy in your economics class. Case in point: In OT he barely got the ball over the rim on a dunk attempt, and on the ensuing replay you could see him genuinely laughing about it with teammates, embarrassed. How many reigning MVPs are humble enough to openly laugh at themselves on the court when they flub a play?

10) The night started with the French national anthem. What a horrible tragedy. Thoughts and prayers to the people of France.

Warriors Rewind: Warriors 115, Raptors 110

The summary for this game could go something like this: Dubs turnover. Raptors free throws. Dubs turnover. Raptors free throws. Not the best rhythm to a game, but the Warriors were able to overcome 20 giveaways and 39 Raptors free throw attempts to stay unbeaten and improve to 12 - 0. 

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1. After hounding Jarrett Jack into a crucial 8-second call in crunch time of the previous game, the Warriors again got a crucial turnover from an opposing point guard in the waning seconds of the 4th. Kyle Lowry, with a chance to win the game down 1, hooked Andre Iguodala's arm while setting a pick and was (correctly) called for an illegal screen. After the ensuing Curry made-free throws -- with no timeouts and down 3 with 12 seconds left -- Lowry inexplicably drove for a 2-point layup that missed. More Warriors free throws. 5-point game. Buzzer. I don't know if the boisterous Oracle crowd or the bright yellow "City" jersey distracted Lowry, but execution down the stretch remains elusive for visiting point guards in Oakland. Dubs escaped with a nice victory over a quality opponent. 
2. Draymond had another 5 assists in the game. Coming into the night he was averaging 7.1 a game, more than Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley and Lebron. Dray is a fantastic passer in general, but especially from the power forward position. He's gotten more adept at finding open guys in the 4-on-3 situations that come from Curry pick and rolls, and this season has started to bring the ball up court more frequently off rebounds. He's also leveraging his improved stroke from threes (40%) into smart drives for floaters, lobs and passes for shooters. 82 million for 5 years is such a bargain for a player with his diverse skill set.
3. Barnes hit a corner three for the first Warriors points of the game. After a slow start on triples this year, he's shooting better of late and is at 31% for the season (41% last year).
4. Nitpicking: The Warriors are having an incredible early season. At 12-0 they are literally doing the best they can. One dirty little secret: the Warriors' opponents haven't been great. What looked like a daunting first 5 games to start the season don't look as tough now when you consider that -- as of writing -- the Pellies, Grizz, and Houston Free Throws are a combined 11-22. Warriors opponents as a whole are 35-46. Maybe we need to pump the breaks a bit on the "Is this the best team of all time?!" talk until they face more quality opponents. 
5. Iguodala's hands are remarkably fast. In the 3rd, after Carroll stole the ball on a telegraphed Ian Clark pass, Andre managed to poke the ball out of bounds from behind to save the lay up. With 4:23 to go in the fourth, and the Raps only down three, Dre slapped the ball out of Derozan's hands for a turnover. In a 5-point game those subtle plays came up huge.
6. Demarre Carroll was hot in the third. A couple of threes and a couple of buckets. Then Dwane Casey took him out. I understand teams like consistency in their rotations, but when your squad is trying to beat a team that hasn't lost a game at home since January, you might need to mix things up a bit.
7. Bogut got his spot back with the starting unit. Not that it matters all that much to the Australian big man. Bogues on taking a reduced role and coming off the bench (as reported by Matt Steinmetz):"I always struggle seeing a guy who in Year 10, 11, or 12 of their career, and it's a little bit past them, maybe, they still want to play 45 minutes a game and it's not good for the team. You've got a better chance of winning games by limiting how many shots you take." I wish Bogut would become Kobe Bryant's life coach. I hated Kobe growing up, but always respected his game. It's tough even for a non-Kobe fan to see how number 24 is playing these days (17 points, 16 shot attempts, 2.4 turnovers, 23% from threes, infinite tainted memories).
   
8. After two straight DNP-CDs, Mo Buckets got a little run from Walton. It wasn't a reassuring 5 minutes (5 points, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls). Speights would make a desperately needed jumper one minute, and commit back-to-back silly fouls the next. It was like he was vacillating between the good Mo of last year and the not-so-good Mo of two years ago in one single game. I hope Mo of last year rejoins the team soon.
9. Jalen Rose, on his podcast Friday, said the job that Luke Walton is doing with the Warriors is equivalent to the job Steve Kerr did taking over for Mark Jackson. I love Jalen (his new memoir is fantastic; if you're a Fab Five fan, the inside-stories might make your head explode), but while Walton should be commended for doing an excellent job in an awkward situation, he's not exactly guiding a rudderless ship -- he's leading a championship team and encouraging his guys to not get bored. The job Steve Kerr did taking over for Jackson was masterful. He was smart but humble, stern but receptive. Taking a team from "good" to "great" is hard. It's like in college, you can probably get a B just by showing up to class and taking notes, but to earn an A you have to really put in the effort. Steve Kerr put in the effort. Let's not take that away from him
10. The Raptors have something called "Drake Night" set for November 25th in Toronto. If the Dubs held a similar hip-hop night, who would get the host emcee nod? Mac Dre? Too $hort? Del? Personally, I'd go with E-40. Sprinkle this Rewind, mang!

Warriors' Rewind: 10 thoughts on Warriors 129, Timberwolves 116

Here's the link for the Warriors World version.

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Less than 24 hours after wrapping up a game in Memphis, the Warriors tipped off against the upstart T-wolves at the Target Center. Golden State showed little sign of fatigue early as they jumped out to a 40-27 first quarter lead. The Dubs stretched the lead up to 21, but credit the Wolves for a spirited comeback -- led by veterans Andre Miller and Kevin Martin -- that brought the score all the way back to within six. Having seen enough, Luke Walton made the coaching move of the year and inserted Stephen Curry back in the lineup (after his usual 4th quarter rest). With their captain back, the Warriors were able to cruise home and improve their record to a franchise-best 10-0.

Here are 10 thoughts from the game:

1. Is National-TV Steph a thing? He had 40 on opening night on TNT; a go-ahead three and 31 against the Clippers on ESPN; and tonight he dropped 21 in the first, 46 for the game, and a pair of vine-worthy threes while Chuck and Kenny recapped from Atlanta. The rest of the league might want to watch out: the Warriors are on national TV 25 times this season, the maximum allowed.
2. The Wolves are going to be good. They have two foundational soon-to-be superstars, a pass-first point guard, and a nice mix of veteran leaders to help guide the youngsters. Judging by tonight, Minnesota could at least make it interesting for the last playoff spot in the West this season. It's too bad the man who built the whole thing won't be there to see Team Future grow. RIP, Flip.
3. One of the reasons Curry's scoring average has been so high this year is simply because he's been taking more threes. In 2014-2015, Curry had 8.1 three-point attempts per game in the regular season before boosting that number to 11 attempts in the playoffs. Through ten games this year, Steph is taking 11 triples a contest with 4.7 makes. I'm not sure why it took until year-7 for him to start launching threes at this pace, but I'm glad we're here. Three pointers are good because three points are better than two points. It's a bonus point. It's like coming home from the drive-thru and seeing three tacos when you only paid for two.
4. Anthony Davis' numbers from his rookie year: 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 52% FG. Kevin Garnett's age-19 season: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 50% FG. Karl-Anthony Towns: 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 49% FG. He's 19 years old. There's no way this guy isn't a top-5 center in two years. He can already do everything.
5. Zach Lavine's fruitless drives to the rim remind me of 2012-2013's #Klayups. 
6. I remember three years ago I used to watch Steph take those silly underhanded flips and scoops in the lane after a couple of fancy dribble moves and wonder what on earth he was doing. Now he's making those shots casually to end a half. Dude is a magician.
7. Jason Richardson was a great dunker. Vince Carter was an ALL-TIME great dunker. One difference being that while JRich was "limited" as a two-foot jumper, VC had more versatility and could leap off one or two feet, giving his dunks more variation. That's what I thought about watching Andrew Wiggins. Harrison Barnes is a superb athlete -- the best the Warriors have -- but Wiggins' athleticism is otherworldly. He can go north to south, left to right and spin in circles before throwing one down over a big man. Severely underrated move to get him for Kevin Love.
8. The Ian Clark-as-rotation-cog era may still need more time to develop. He came in, dropped two threes, lost Andre Miller on defense on a backdoor cut, and was not heard from again. This was all in 4 minutes. Still, a backup two that can space the floor for 8 minutes a night and not kill the team on D might be all the Warriors need.
9. After the Memphis game, Bogut had some encouraging things to say about his current role off the bench. Paraphrasing: he trusts the coaching staff's decisions and will play any role to help the team win. Someone please give him the inaugural David Lee Award for "most professional teammate" and "saying things the media will love." The man is savvy on and off the court. 
10. You know who probably loves all the national chatter about the Warriors' hot start and trying to win 70 games? The second-place Spurs, who can quietly chug along, beating teams by a point differential of 10.2 points a night, 0.1 points better than last year's historically great Warriors.

Warriors Rewind: Warriors 100, Grizzlies 84

This piece got run at Warriorsworld.net as usual. Check it here.

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Warriors Rewind: 10 thoughts on Warriors 100, Grizzlies 84

Games at the Grind House aren't known to be aesthetically pleasing, but last night's game was particularly hard to watch. There was the usual pushing and pulling requisite of any matchup with the Grizzlies; bobbled passes; technicals fouls; and 44 combined turnovers. Despite the rough-and-tumble contest, the Warriors managed to blow the game open in the fourth and tie a franchise record for wins to start a season at 9-0.

1. Seeing Memphis on the Warriors schedule used to hearken traumatic memories of schoolyard bullies. The Grizz front line were like Nelson to the Warriors' Bart Simpson. But any kid who ever got pounded on by someone bigger knows the feeling that comes after the beating: I'ma get you when I grow up. From Stephen Curry's rookie season through the Mark Jackson era, the Ws were 4-11 against the Grizzlies' bully ball. Since then, however, the Dubs have flipped the script for a record of 9-3, including playoffs. Done. Growed. Up.
2. The league has probably figured out the Green to Festus lob play. It didn't work against the Pistons and it didn't work last night. Draymond tried the lob three times in the early going and each time the attempt was batted away. Say farewell to Festus' point average and field goal percentage.
3. You have to commend Memphis for continuing to zig when most teams prefer to zag. The Grit 'n Grinders are on pace to make 385 threes for the season at a 26% clip. Curry is on track for 401 triples by himself. A playoff-caliber team not taking and making threes at a high volume in 2015 is like meeting that guy that tells you his email address ends with @hotmail. 
4. Most of the focus of the Grizzlies' slow start has been on their lack of threes, and rightly so, but their defense has fallen off a cliff. Last season they ranked fourth in defensive efficiency, but coming into the game they were 24th. The Dubs have taken a tumble too: from first last year to second this year.
5. My friend from Boston once called Jeff Green the most frustrating player he ever rooted for. Green would go toe to toe with Lebron one night, and then score 3 points the next. My greatest fear for Harrison Barnes used to be that his career would parallel that of Green's (Don't forget, young Green had some moments. He once scored 43 points against Lebron and the Heat while MVP chants rained down from the Garden fans). That's out the window now as HB has become a better shooter and defender, but like Green, Barnes can still be maddeningly inconsistent despite all the athletic talent. Seeing Green (29) play only 17 minutes and register a minus-5 for the game made me wonder again: Is it a bad thing Barnes turned down the Warriors reported 4 for 64 offer? I'm confident the Black Falcon will get a deal north of those numbers this summer with the impending cap boom, but I'm not confident I want him soaring for the Warriors at that kind of money. 
6. Down 21 with 2 minutes to go in the fourth, Mike Conley let the ball roll into the front court on an inbounds before touching it to -- I assume -- preserve all 24 seconds of the clock to mount a comeback. Mike Conley either refuses to ever give up, or believes there are 21-point shots in the NBA. (I should mention that I love Mike Conley. He makes me feel the opposite of Reggie Jackson.)
7. On the Grizzlies telecast, the announcer said the Warriors complaining to the refs was Clipper-esque. Can't say I disagree. It's starting to get grating even on TV. 
8. Draymond has 3 technicals on the season. He certainly has the money to cover the fines, but suspensions start coming after the 16th tech. Dray is on pace for 27.
9. I didn't realize how much I missed the bastardly ways of Andrew Bogut (read Zach Lowe's fantastic piece if you don't know why I'm talking about). I enjoyed watching him tug on Aron Baynes arms last night trying to slow the fellow Aussie down as he was getting beat up the court, and I loved his intentional foul on Randolph when Zach got the ball deep in the post. Randolph had a sure two, but because the Warriors weren't in the penalty, the foul meant side out of bounds. Crafty.
10. I usually try to include at least one semi-funny comment in these Rewinds -- I sat at the computer for 20 minutes trying to think of something witty -- but this game beat it out of me. I gave up. Mike Conley I am not.

Warriors Rewind: 10 thoughts on Warriors 109, Pistons 95

***This piece got some run at Warriorsworld.net. Give it a peep there if you'd like. Apparently my name became Steven Quach.

***find me at @pmtsan on twitter. I currently have zero followers. Be the first!

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Who could've predicted before the season that tonight's game between the Warriors and Pistons would be must-watch TV for basketball nerds. But here we are. Golden State came out trying to push the pace and outrun the Pistons -- who played the night before -- but were slowed by a solid defensive effort and balanced scoring attack from Detroit. The final score is indicative of a blowout, but the teams were separated by only 4 points heading into the fourth, and it took an impressive effort from the bench for the Dubs to come away with the win.

Here are 10 thoughts from last night's game:

• It's become clear that anytime Luke Walton needs a shot of energy, or wants the Warriors to go on a run, he's going to move Draymond Green to center. Before tonight's game, the Barnes-Curry-Green-Iguodala-Thompson group was tied for 7th best in the league in 5-Man-Unit +/- (per NBA.com). I like the look; it's like a shot of Redbull when the Dubs are lacking energy. But against the Pistons, with Andre Drummond currently roaming the paint like a kaiju, Walton barely used the lineup. Against teams that feature a big, athletic, scoring center, the Warriors might need to find another way to get a jolt of energy.
• Andrew Bogut played like a man who wants his starting job back. In his first 2 minutes of action he logged 4 points, 3 rebounds, and looked pretty spry. After missing 6 games, he got a bit winded in the second half, but was the center playing with the second unit that broke the game open in the fourth. With the subs, Bogut helped Livingston facilitate the offense (his pass got Klay an easy free throw line jumper), and got guys open with (probably illegal) screens. Taking advantage of Bogut's basketball IQ and defense with the bench unit intrigues me.
• I'm not sure which surprised me more, Andre Drummond's improving post moves or Andre Drummond's abundant shoulder hair. I think Drummond might be one of the few players in the league that looks better in the sleeved jerseys.
• Stephen Curry had another off shooting night. Like Rondo in the previous game, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was physical with Curry and hounded the point guard's every move. The memo to rough up Curry has been out for years -- I don't think NBA coaches suddenly found a Curry Kryptonite. Just an off night (for his standards).
• I do not enjoy watching Reggie Jackson play basketball. I know he's quietly having a strong season (22 points per game, 39% from three) but watching him dribble the ball for 10 seconds and then loft a runner in the lane that has a 5% chance of going in harkens back too much to the iso ball days of Mark Jackson.
• If NBA paychecks were doled out per game by the minute, Aron Baynes just made $6,605 per minute. Think about that when you're helping an unruly customer try on a pair of shoes tomorrow at work. 
• Klay Thompson had a strong night going 10-17 for 24 points and 4-7 from threes. On the telecast, Jim Barnett said his back is starting to feel better. Hopefully that's true and this will be the foundation for a solid run of play for him.
• I didn't know Tim Hardaway was a coach for the Pistons. I love Timmy. I'll never forgive the trade in '96 that sent him to the Heat for Kevin Willis and a guy named Bimbo. UTEP 2STEP fo'eva!
• There was a play during the second quarter that epitomizes why the Warriors are such a good team (in every sense of the word). Curry caught the ball on the right wing with an open three, but you could see him thinking, Klay's been off. Let's get him going. So he passes it to Klay. Then Klay has an open shot and decides, Naw, LB was 2-7 last game. I'ma get him a shot, and throws him the pass. And finally when Barbosa gets the ball, he calmly sinks a wide open three and the crowd erupts and Bob Fitzgerald falls out of his chair. When every player knows they're going to get shine, you have to think they'll play harder. (Barbosa would later make 3 baskets in a row in the pivotal fourth quarter run that won the game.)
• Before the game, Brandon Jennings had the most unconfident-confident quote I've ever read. On playing the Dubs, Jennings said, "I'm not saying we'll win, but I don't think we'll just get rolled over the way they've been doing to everyone else." Um...ok, then. I'm not saying this is the best game recap ever, but it's not going to get rolled over by other game recaps either. Hard to believe this is the same player that dropped 55 points on the Warriors his rookie season. RIP, Brandon Jennings hubris.

Golden State's big dilemma: Bogut or Ezeli with the starters

***I got this piece contributed to warriorsworld.net. Check it here. The formatting got a little wonky (the bullet points and links disappeared) and some of the jokes got toned down. But it's nice to see your writing up somewhere. Here is my original version.

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The Warriors are the atypical NBA team that can claim to have two quality, starting-caliber centers on the roster (which is really wonderful to think about when you remember they used to trot out cheese ball guys like Todd Fuller and Patrick O'bryant to man the paint).

Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli are both talented, and have a legitimate claim to being the man to jump center for the Warriors, In the 6 games he started, against the likes of Zack Randolph, Dwight Howard, and Deandre Jordan, Ezeli averaged 18.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per 36 minutes. Bogut, despite his recent injuries, projects to continue to be a defensive stalwart in his age-31 season. Neither center is adept enough in the paint to get a basket consistently on his own, but both can score enough off lobs and put-backs to not completely stall the offense. Bogut has a break-out-only-in-case-of-emergency left-handed hook that scores more often than you'd expect, and a dependable, if awkward runner. He's also a deft passer with good vision. Ezeli will occasionally take a turnaround over his left shoulder, but those shots sometimes hit so hard off the backboard that I wonder whether he isn't trying to make the ball explode upon impact.

When asked about keeping Ezeli in the starting lineup after Bogut's return from a concussion, interim head coach Luke Walton was non-committal saying, "Festus is playing great. I haven't really sat down to think about that, and that's probably a discussion to have with Steve and the rest of the staff." Not exactly a guarantee to keep Bogut with the starters

Neither center is without his flaw, and choosing either man over the other could become a disasterous experiment in team chemistry. But since Ezeli is the new shiny thing, and "new" always equals "better," lets look at the pros and cons of starting Ezeli over Bogut.

Pros:

• The team in general looks more dynamic with Ezeli playing with the starters. He's quick out in transition on offense and defense and, with his speed, can trail a break for the jam, or catch a streaking point guard for a soul-crushing block on defense. When was the last time you remember Bogut catching a lob for a dunk on the break, or sprinting up the court on D to block a layup? Watch this clip of Ezeli doing both those things -- in 28 seconds. My goodness. If I hadn't been wearing a Warriors cap at the time my head might've exploded like an Ezeli missed bank shot.
• Ezeli looks like an NBA center. His perfectly chiseled body and leap-out-of-the-gym athleticism lends itself well to the ideal vision of a 5-man. Andrew Bogut? When he wears jeans, he kind of looks like my friend's dad.
• Starting Ezeli with Green allows Draymond to play the role of big-man facilitator, a role that makes better use of his myriad skills. The Michigan native, with his sound passing, is flourishing given the increased playmaking responsibilities. He's averaging 5.9 assists per game at the 4-spot, which puts him ahead of lead guards Kyle Lowry, James Harden, Reggie Jackson and Ty Lawson. He's almost Lebron-level, but at a much lower usage rate. When Bogut and Green are in the game together, their playmaking skills overlap, which isn't ideal on a team whose second unit could use a boost from another intelligent passer. 
• Festus' athletic game brings a greater variance to the Warriors, lifting the ceiling on their potential (but bringing with it a lower floor as well). If Bogut is the steady, dependable family sedan you've been driving for the past 11 years, then Ezeli is that sports car that gives you engine problems more often than you'd like, but, man, every once in a while there'll be a 20-minute stretch where the machine will amaze you with its combination of speed, power, and agility (like when Ezeli went 6-8 for 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks against a Clippers team out for blood). Those exuberant 20 minutes can push the Warriors just enough for the win over a quality team, and are enough to make you overlook those plays where he's slow to rotate over to Chris Paul coming into the lane.

Cons:

• Lest we forget, Andrew Bogut is still really good at his job. He was All NBA Defensive Second Team just last season. In 2014-2015 the Australian big man averaged 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes; was second only to Kawhi Leonard (a human shark on the court) in Defensive Rating; and was number one in the league in Defensive Box Plus/Minus, a stat that measures an individual player's defensive points contribution per 100 possessions above league average. This is a lot of basketball nerd-speak to say AB was probably the best defensive center last year (despite the protestations you might here from Doc Rivers). Even with expected age-related decline, it would be hard for Ezeli, in his first year as a starter, to improve on Bogut's numbers.
• I'm not convinced Festus has real hands or real fingers. Have the Warriors new training staff checked? I hear they can do amazing things with 3D printers these days. How else can you explain Ezeli's inability to catch a basketball in the post? I think my dog has a higher success rate at catching balls, and Fido only uses his mouth. Maybe Festus Ezeli should use his mouth.
• Could part of Klay Thompson's slow start to this season be attributed to Bogut's absence? When Klay starts a game cold, I think it helps him to get an easy bucket to find his offensive rhythm. On the telecast, Jim Barnett says it all the time: players need to see the ball go in the rim to get themselves going. There's an action the Warriors run where Bogut, while holding the ball above his head on the left elbow, will allow Klay (or Steph) to curl around his screen, wait for him to cut toward the basket, and if the man guarding Klay is a step slow to recover, will slip a pocket pass between the two defenders for an easy Thompson layup. For a player that can be streaky like Klay, I think those easy buckets help with his confidence. I don't think Ezeli can play this role (and the Dubs don't ask him to) because his passing acumen isn't as sharp as Bogut's and, again, I'm not sure he has real hands.
• Festus claims he graduated from high school at the age of 14.  This is clearly impossible and a lie, and liars don't deserve to experience nice things like starting for the reigning NBA champions.

Best guess:

I think the Warriors will bring Bogut off the bench on Monday against Detroit and maybe for the next two or three games. The coaching staff will say it's to help the 260-pound center get his legs back but, in addition to that, I think the move will allow Walton and Co. more time to ascertain how Bogut functions on the second-unit, and whether Festus can continue to play Swagzeli ball over a longer period. 

The choice to start Ezeli over Bogut is unlike the decision last year to start Draymond Green over David Lee in that the former will most likely only net a marginal increase in on-court performance (remember, Bogut is a way better player now than Lee was then, and Festus is nowhere near Dray's level as a basketball player), whereas the later allowed the Warriors to become a hyper-active switching unit on defense and a paced and spaced team on offense.

Golden State's coaching staff has been in this position before. In the deciding game of the NBA Finals last June, Steve Kerr elected to keep Andrew Bogut on the bench for the dreaded thanks-for-coming-but-no-thanks DNP-CD while giving Ezeli 11 minutes of run. At the time there was the prospect of winning a title and a long offseason for hurt feelings and bruised egos to heal. Right now there's another 6 months of games (at least) to grind through. Let's see whether Walton has the wherewithal to make a similar move.