Steve Kerr is looking at the long form in terms of rest. Aside from the viral “hell yeah” he gave to reporters postgame, he also added, “You gotta play two play-in games, and if you can win those two, then you gotta another one 48 hours after that. So, I’m much more interested in our ability to be ready for next week.” See video and transcripts near the bottom of this post, per usual.
I polled our YouTube audience as we were in the (gulp!) fifth hour of our ManningCast-like coverage of the New Orleans game (see detailed notes at the bottom of this article), so a good chunk of our loyal followers had turned in for the night. At the time, six of the paltry ten votes we got in the wee hours of Saturday were in favor of rest for the main Warriors. For whatever reason, livestream hosts on YouTube aren’t allowed to vote in their own polls, but I would’ve voted in favor of rest at that moment, to make it seven out of eleven, or 64%.
This was well after a mistake I made in the postgame (Hour Four), when I assumed the Pelicans had locked up the sixth seed. This is actually not the case. The various parameters are listed below in a special section (scroll down). Had the Pels actually secured 6th, then they would obviously rest all of their main guys versus the Lakers, so then a “W” for LA against a depleted New Orleans squad would all but lock us into the 10th seed, at which point the question of rest is easily answered.
Or is it?
I asked some of our faithful commenters to chime in. Here’s what they said, aside from the obvious reason for our main guys playing: to have that outside chance of nabbing the 8th seed in case both the Lakers and Kings happen to lose…
Shivansh: “For us to get the 8th seed is highly unlikely, especially if the Blazers have to beat the Kings, so rest them!”
D VDV: “100% in favor of rest. Stephen Curry, for sure, but for Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, perhaps just limit minutes.”
Pinky: “Maybe just rest Steph.”
Cholo: “I’m not in favor of resting, outside of Steph. Klay started slow today after sitting out one game. I’ve been seeing that pattern from Klay the whole season.”
Robby: “With Klay’s slow start and Dray’s turnovers, I feel that it comes from resting against the Blazers. Klay and Dray had momentum playing great before the Blazers game. I feel they cooled down during the rest. I really think Dray and Chris Paul need to play with the youngsters before the play-in. We need all the players to be laser-focused before the play-in, in an actual remaining game, not just in practice, so that the youngsters can continue to learn.”
While Thompson did hit a clutch three late and can get hot anytime, staying in rhythm seems to be more important for him (and Andrew Wiggins, for sure). I’m told that Klay’s knee has been “bothersome” of late and that he wears a band underneath the compression leggings, but at the same time, he would’ve played in Portland if given the choice.
Thompson also mentioned on the podium, “Our lack of movement on offense probably hurt our defense a little bit,” and you could theorize that the lack of movement comes from that rust of sitting out a game.
But here’s the flip-side: Are we maybe being prisoners of the moment?
First of all, is it really true that Curry is tired? Those were some amazing shots he hit to give the Warriors a chance late, after his seven turnovers dig themselves that 16-point hole. Yeah, he missed the last one, but again, tired guys don’t usually hit haymakers. I could be wrong. Maybe it was all adrenaline. But yeah, if Curry’s ankle isn’t 100%, let’s give it time to heal.
On Draymond’s turnovers or even the lack of field goals being indicative of rust, my theory is that the Warriors came out and held New Orleans to 17 points in the first quarter and thought that that young team would lay down. In other words, our veterans once again underestimated their competition.
This has been their MO since, I would guess, late 2016 season when they nearly lost to OKC, then did lose to Cleveland. Even during the ensuing Kevin Durant era, Golden State would take certain opponents too lightly at certain times, although back then, the league-wide talent, skill, and speed weren’t as good as it is now, obviously. We’ll get into more of that during the off-season when the ability to win regular season games needs to be evaluated thoroughly.
I think some of the loss to New Orleans is also attributable to their Rocky Balboa persona. What I mean by this is, from what we know about Rocky from all those movies, any contending boxer can win the first round against Rocky. Make the match seven rounds — and I’m using seven as a metaphor for a seven-game NBA playoff series because boxing matches usually go 12 rounds, i.e., a round in boxing is a whole game in basketball — and you give Rocky a chance to feel his opponent, reflect on what just happened, make counter-adjustments and re-evaluate ongoing strategies, then the Italian Stallion can come back and knock out his opponent by Round 7.
I recall that “feeling your opponent” was a phrase used by Kerr during the process of defeating Sacramento last year in seven games (couldn’t find the quote with a Google search, so I hope I’m not wrong). How many times have the Warriors taken the proverbial big blow first? Down to Memphis 2-1 in 2015. Same thing against Cleveland. Down to OKC 3-1 in 2016. Down 3-2 to Houston in 2018. Down 2-1 to Boston in 2022. Down 2-0 to Sacramento in 2023.
So, first time facing New Orleans this year in a “must-win” game? Hello, vets, this is Trey Murphy III hitting a 30-foot bomb in your face. Here’s Zion Williamson attacking you with his weaker right-hand on a clear-out, getting an and-one during clutch time, late. Meet Herb Jones, setting a pick for Zion in the high post on an ATO and then popping out for a three, on a brilliant play design by head coach Willie Green, because he knew the Warriors would double Zion. Oh hey, Chris, let me introduce you to CJ McCollum and his spinning fadeaway that’s gonna bounce on the rim twice before dropping, again in the clutch. Bet you didn’t see that coming?
Incidentally, Murphy having Steph’s range was already mentioned prophetically by Antonio Daniels, the Pels’ color commentator. “There are a few guys in this league. The moment they step in the arena, they’re in range. Steph Curry’s that way. Klay Thompson’s that way. Trey Murphy’s that way,” Daniels told 95.7 The Game a few hours before tipoff.
Kerr’s staff probably already knew that, but just like you really have to feel the physicality of a Mike Brown 2023 playoffs defensive game plan before you can adjust to it, you really have to have Murphy just rain on you before you can adjust to that. Inside of one game is not enough sample size for that “feel”, and it takes the lesson of a whole game lost. Again, this has been the dynasty’s MO for quite some time now. Oh, and we don’t have prime Andre Iguodala (or Gary Payton II) as our in-game defensive adjuster, either,
And along those lines, I think Curry’s penchant for throwing the ball to the other team is just a career-long habit that’s hard to break. Really, he’s kind of gotten away with that up until the Kings series last year, perhaps even all the way up until Game 7. So this year continues to be the Season of Humility, as I’ve already written on here.
And Steve already was harping to his team about the early turnovers — they had six of them in the first quarter against Portland — even before the game started. “It’s a decision-making game in basketball. So our decision-making to start the game was really poor. So we’ve got to make better decisions, have cleaner possessions, execute our stuff. We’ve got to get a little more organized. I didn’t think we were super-organized early last night,” Kerr said on the podium, 1.5 hours before the Pelicans game tipped off.
So I have to assume Steph knew this. And they executed to the T in the first quarter. Therefore, they let their guard down, didn’t expect Williamson to bully Wiggins from a defensive standpoint, didn’t “feel” the length of their young opponents and committed far too many turnovers in the second frame, which led to transition opportunities. As Steve said postgame, the half-court defense actually held up. But the sooner they break these decade-long habits and become more aware of their Rocky Balboa tendencies, the better.
And the good news is, their performance reinforced the notion that Golden State probably isn’t going anywhere without a Robin to Curry’s Batman, namely, Jonathan Kuminga, who was a DNP due to the sore tailbone. The path back to the mountaintop often involves coming to grips with your weaknesses. That’s why I wasn’t particularly upset by the loss as I’m sure Warriors Xitter was. I just saw what this team has been. There are obvious improvements to be made — maybe some of them are too late for this season, who knows — and yet our undermanned squad still made a game of it, still overcame 20 threes and some clutch buckets by an incredibly up-and-coming team that has long arms everywhere.
But back to what this post is supposed to be about, I also believe strongly in The Basketball Gods. You’ve got so many teams not resting on Sunday because of playoff seeding (some notes are below in the next section). I think you should put your best foot forward and keep competing, unless a guy is genuinely hurt or has any pain, such as GP2 and/or JK.
There is no doubt in my mind that Steph’s ankle tweak leaves him at less than 100% — rest him, that’s necessary. Klay? Depends on how his knee feels and there’s a good chance he’ll want to play, so that should mean he plays. Draymond? If the back isn’t 100%, then no, but otherwise, yes, play. CP3? No indication of any injury, so he needs to be a go, just don’t play him more than 30 minutes, from a wear and tear standpoint. And yeah, nobody plays more than 32 minutes. Wiggs, of course, is a rhythm player so, of course, he must play against the Jazz.
I’ll look silly if someone does, say, tweak an ankle (knock on wood) against Utah which then renders him less than 100% for the play-in game, which from what I know, should be occurring on Wednesday should the Warriors end up 10th. More on this below.
But basketball gods are mercurial with injuries, anyways. Jamal Murray tore his ACL on a non-contact move at Chase Center in 2021. A year later, in his absence his team succumbed to the eventual world champs, those very same Warriors, in the first round. A year after that, he won a championship. Kawhi Leonard went down against Golden State in 2017, then won a ring against them in 2019. So if a healthy guy goes down, I don’t think you can really say, “Oh, my bad, we should not have played him that day.”
I know, I know. CP3 has a whole history of playoff injuries and altering the course of franchises. I have no rebuttal on that one. I just really believe in The Basketball Gods.
PLAY-IN RAMIFICATIONS
Here’s a list of relevant play-in stuff:
• If the winners on Sunday are GSW SAC NOP, the Warriors are the 9 seed. If GSW SAC LAL all win, then it’s the 10th. If GSW POR NOP win, the Dubs are the 8th seed. And if GSW POR LAL win they are 9th. (Tim Roye)
• Lots of permutations make me think the Warriors should not rest anyone unless they’re actually hurt and not mess with the basketball gods because many teams are still gonna go compete for wins: https://x.com/worldwidewob/status/1779020795182039198 https://x.com/hpbasketball/status/1779012892622193058
• Nuggets beatwriter surmises how Denver will approach resting: “Play first half, see where the Wolves and Thunder are at.” (Matt Moore)
• Teams in the 10th spot are 0-6 in making the playoffs. (Matt Moore)
• According to my research of the NBA Play-in on Wikipedia, three No. 9 seeds have advanced to a seven-game playoff series since the inception of the play-in in 2021. So, that’s 3-for-3. But just because 10th seeds are 0-6 all-time doesn’t mean it won’t happen in 2024. It’s still too small of a sample size.
• The craziness of the non-control-your-own-destiny top of the West, between OKC, Minnesota and Denver: https://x.com/nbapr/status/1778993691304075422
• Devin Booker: “Go Lakers (with a smile),” as the Suns need to win at Minnesota Sunday and have the Lakers win in New Orleans to capture the 6th seed in West and avoid play-in (via Duane Rankin): https://x.com/duanerankin/status/1779025794838225007
• The Warriors are listing Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul and Jonathan Kuminga as questionable vs Jazz tomorrow. Gary Payton II is out. Warriors in 10th. Outside shot at ninth or eighth seed there, but they need help. (Anthony Slater)
• Our new regular halftime guest on our livestreams, “JD” John Dickinson of KNBR, thinks Kerr will rest guys: “I’d be surprised if any of those listed questionable play tomorrow. I think Warriors accepted their fate will be determined by the Lakers and Kings anyway, are comfortable playing both on the road and now with the possibility they could play Tuesday instead of Wednesday, the rest is more important.”
Per Moore above, of Harwood Paroxysm aka “HP Basketball” fame, I don’t think checking the scoreboard at halftime is good for the basketball gods, either. Bear in mind, all the Western Conference games on the last day of the regular season are tipping off at 12:30PM Pacific.
Playing half a game is as non-competitive as not playing the game, imo. But wear and tear is different to me, in terms of safety. So there’s a balance to be struck somewhere in between competing and playing with safety. I’d be okay with dialing it back a tad and, say, not dive for any loose balls against the Jazz. Just play the right way, not recklessly. Stay in front of your man, box out, move the ball, execute your sets, don’t throw the ball to the other team. That can all be done without doing something that risks injury.
While I agree with JD that Kerr will rest their main guys, I’m not sure that the timing of the play-in games is correct, although that’s nitpicky. Last year, the second play-in games were held on Friday, with the 9th vs 10th matchups relegated to Wednesday. This is because, if you schedule the higher seeds of 7th and 8th to play on Tuesday, the loser will get an extra day of rest before Friday. While it’s particularly brutal for the 9th or 10th seed to travel on their only off-day while their opponent not only gets that same day off plus an extra day, but also doesn’t have to board an airplane, the higher seed should have a distinct advantage.
I used to employ the same philosophy when scheduling two “pool play” games in a two-day weekend tournament. Higher-seeded teams would be afforded an advantage heading into their second game on Saturday. I would actually ask the captains which they preferred, one hour in between games or two.
You might be surprised to hear that most of the older teams would actually pick only one hour of rest because it took longer to warm their legs up. This notion also supports Cholo and Robby’s main arguments above, that Draymond and Klay are more likely to get rusty if they rest Sunday and wait until Wednesday to play their next game.
So if the Warriors had to fly to their second play-in game, only having one off-day in between might still be a good thing. You never know. But then again, I’m sure the NBA made their Tuesday-Wednesday decisions in 2023 based on what was probably the consensus preference by the Board of Governors or the Competition Committee. By the way, if this scenario does play out, let’s hope that flight is to Pheonix, not New Orleans. As such, we should be rooting for the Timberwolves to beat the Suns to lock in NOP at 6th and PHX at 7th.
So let me just wrap this whole thing up by saying I disagree with Kerr, if JD’s thinking is right. Assuming they’re 100%, play Draymond, play Klay, play CP3, play Wiggins. Why? Because the basketball gods have decreed that you should compete if you are fully able to. No ifs, ands, or buts. Don’t mess with the basketball gods.
And, oh yeah, it’s still mathematically possible to get that 8th seed, with everyone tipping off at 12:30.
Videos and transcripts from the New Orleans loss, below. I never posted the videos and transcripts from the Lakers and Portland wins, so I’ll actually try to do that by Sunday night or Monday, considering there’s evergreen content from those that I’d like to report (Draymond’s off-season shooting regimen, for example).
What do you think went wrong in that second quarter? I think it was 45-20.
STEVE KERR POSTGAME NOP-GSW: “Yeah, our turnovers killed us. We had really good control of the game in the first quarter. Held them to 17. Our defense was great. And then, we just started turning it over. I thought Alvarado came in, put a lot of pressure on the ball and we couldn’t execute offensively. And I think they scored 15 points off our turnovers in that quarter alone. So, that’s where the game flipped for sure.”
They were 20-of-38 from three-point. Did you just have breakdowns there? What was going on with their tough shots that they were making?
“Tough shots. I thought our half-court defense was great tonight. And I thought our guys were flying out at shooters. Give them credit. They made some really tough shots. I mean, Trey Murphy made a couple of 30-footers with a hand in his face. High-arcing shots. This is the modern NBA, we made 26 threes in LA the other day. They made 20 tonight. If a team gets hot from three, it’s really hard to win the game. So, they made seven more threes than us. But it was the turnovers that led to transition. That got them going, and that’s — you can see — where they started to pick up their confidence.”
I know you don’t know all the permutations, but could you be resting some guys on Sunday?
“Oh, hell yeah.”
Does it matter, 9, 10(th seed) at this point? Well, how much does that matter?
“I mean, you prefer to stay at home, but if you look at what we’re facing, it’s a gauntlet, right? And you gotta play two play-in games, and if you can win those two, then you gotta another one 48 hours after that. So, I’m much more interested in our ability to be ready for next week. But we’ve gotta wait and see how everything shakes out.”
Steve, when Draymond is guarding Zion, when he gives you 12 rebounds and 11 assists, is the trade off no shot attempts for Draymond? Do you live with that? Draymond didn’t attempt a shot tonight as he was doing other things on the floor, but you were talking about the Lakers game, too, where when Draymond is a shooter, he gives you guys an extra boost as well.
“Yeah, yeah, I mean, I don’t care if Draymond shoots or doesn’t shoot, he does everything else. He was incredible. His defense was so good, his competitiveness. I thought our guys in the second half, the way they fought, it was amazing to watch just this competitive spirit and the energy; these guys, they’ve been doing it for 12, 15 years, winning championships, playing deep into June. Here we are, fighting for the play-in. These guys are Hall-of-Famers, and you see the effort that they gave. The fight to get back in the game, to give ourselves a chance. It’s beautiful. It wasn’t the result we wanted, but they showed you who they are, and they’re going to do that until they retire. That’s what makes them so special. That’s why our fans love these guys so much. It’s not just the skill, it’s the passion. It’s just the incredible will to win. And that team, New Orleans, they played an amazing game. And they had to win the game because of the way our guys fought. So, disappointing result, but could not be more proud of our group.”
You mentioned resting players and Steph did finish with 33 (minutes played) and hit some incredible shots down the stretch to kind of keep you guys in this and give them a chance. But again, kind of just on the fatigue level for Steph and whether it’s shooting splits — or how much are you seeing that right now and how important is it just to get him as fresh as possible, for him?
“So, we’ll assess where everybody is tomorrow and the next day and decide who to play and all that Sunday. But the back-to-back last night and last night was a tough game. I think Steph played 36 minutes, so it’s a lot at 36 years old. And every game we’ve played has been a playoff game the last couple of weeks. So, that’s what I’m talking about. Just watching Steph and all of the guys fight down the stretch to give ourselves a chance on a night when Steph was obviously struggling with the turnovers, for him to flip the game like that was more about his will than anything.”
Steve, with back-to-back games, what do you look for in the rhythm of a game to determine what you do, what moves you make, particularly in the second half?
“Every game is different. We look for matchups. We look at how we can attack a defense. We look at what’s our best defensive lineup. So whether it’s back-to-back or we’re playing on rest, it doesn’t really make any difference. We’re just searching for how we’re going to win the game.”
You mentioned Podziemski’s plus-minus throughout the season, obviously has been great. Minus-23, tonight. Was that part of it, the pressure was a problem? Maybe their guards? What do you think happened with him?
“No, I don’t. I look at plus-minus as more of a cumulative stat over the course of the year. If somebody is consistently on the plus side, that means something, but one game, I think BP was out there in the second quarter when they went on that huge run and I didn’t think he played poorly at all. I just think the game didn’t go his way.”
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Trayce, they hit 20 threes, shot over 50 percent. What do you think happened that led to that?
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: “I think that second quarter is really what started that flurry. Guy like CJ, McCollum, Trey Murphy, they got comfortable. And then when teams start hitting threes, it’s contagious. And so, afterwards we went into the locker room and said we gotta take that away. I feel like for the most part we did, but it’s hard to come back when teams are shooting the lights out. Can’t let them get comfortable.”
Trayce, they did shoot lights out, but you guys had different points in the game where you guys caught momentum and caught a swing there, but it seemed like defensively in those swings you guys played well, but offensively you just kind of couldn’t get it going. What do you think kind of stopped it tonight? And we saw less of a connection tonight between you and the lob threat. What do you think kind of caused that?
“Yeah, I think that, obviously, turning the ball over was huge. But 114 points given up, that can win you a lot of games, so our defense was definitely there. But at the end of the day, we just gotta continue to play through each other, swing the ball, make the right plays.”
As you mentioned, they got so hot from three. Does this game and the way you guys won Tuesday in LA sort of show you how dangerous the play-in can be? I mean, the team gets hot. Whether it’s you or the other team, and it can be done pretty quickly?
“Absolutely. Coach talks about it all the time. It’s the new NBA. Teams are shooting 30 to 40 threes a night. So you gotta really guard the three-point line. And they had it going tonight.”
Draymond had a double-double without attempting a shot. What do you think about the work he did in this game, especially guarding Zion?
“He did a great job. I mean, 11-for-26. Obviously, 26 points, but on 26 shots, he did his job. But the way that he was moving the ball, engaged defensively, getting tip-outs, setting screens, he was a huge part of our team.”
I know we’ve talked a lot about the standings the past couple weeks, but it’s looking more and more likely that you’ll be in that 9-10 game. Just how daunting is that path, maybe going on the road, going on the road again, to even get to a playoff series?
“I mean, we’ve been living on the road this last month, so it isn’t anything new. Obviously, it’s a bigger stage. Both teams are gonna be fired up, but we just gotta continue to do what we do.”
Steve said the way you guys played, the fight was beautiful. It was this quote, incredible will to win. What do you think about hearing those positive words, but not having the W to go with it?
“Yeah, it’s just, we’re at the end of the season. There was a lot of times in that game where we could have folded and called it, but we didn’t. We fought to the very end and that’s what we’re gonna need to do for the rest of the season, if we want to have a chance to make something special happen.”
Klay, when you guys were making that ferocious comeback in the fourth quarter, what was going through your mind and what were you thinking about and just what was the attitude at that point?
KLAY THOMPSON: “I was thinking, all we need is a shot. And we gave ourselves a chance. Unfortunately, it did not go our way. I mean, give the Pelicans credit. They made some really difficult shots out there.”
What went wrong in the second quarter? That seemed to kind of be where the game flipped.
“What went wrong? I would say, I think our turnovers and our lack of movement on offense probably hurt our defense a little bit and they made a big run. And that was probably the thing that hurt us the most.”
You would have moved into 8th with a win tonight. How much does that aspect of this sting?
“It stings a lot.”
Kerr mentioned that there are definitely gonna be some guys resting on Sunday… could you use a rest? Do you think this team could use a little bit of rest before the play-in?
“We know what that’s gonna be like. It’s gonna be pretty much — It’s not the worst thing in the world, considering we played a hectic schedule this last month with a ton of travel, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
Klay, you said it stings a lot, which is understandable, but you were just in the locker room with the guys. How are you kind of feeling, or you guys all together feeling, knowing that you’re in the position that you’re in?
“It’s not terrible, but it’s not the best. All we can ask for is a chance, and we got that. And I personally feel great playing the game. Team-high, had 38 minutes, so I feel wonderful.”
It looked like the cameras at one point caught you and CJ McCollum a little bit. What was that moment like and what was that matchup like for you?
“What was it like? It was like two NBA players talking. Probably not the best words were used but that’s just what it was like, just good old basketball banter.”
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STEPHEN CURRY: “The momentum shifted in the second quarter. I had way too many turnovers tonight and they were the ones that are — not all turnovers are created equal. There are the ones that fueled transition, the live-ball ones, that they took full advantage of, pretty much every single one and that little stretch in the second quarter just gave them life. And in this league, it’s really a momentum league where they hit a couple of transition threes, they get a couple layups, they start to feel good about themselves and it carried over. We gave ourselves a good chance in the fourth, under 15 seconds, down three. I got a look that felt like I had a chance to tie the game and take a chance, but we don’t ever quit, so it was just one of those games that you look at that second quarter stretch and that’s where it got away from us. And some untimely turnovers.”
Does the fact that the Kings lost and 8(th seed) was there for you guys tonight make it sting worse?
“I could care less about that. It’s more about looking at ourselves and letting a game like tonight — because at the end of the day, it’d really be nice to get there. You want two cracks at it. That would have been the goal. But at the end of the day, you want to just have the best vibes going into a playoff, or a play-in, scenario. So we’ll have to bounce back from this, this letdown.”
Steve seemed to indicate rest might be a priority Sunday. Do you feel like that’s important for yourself, to get some rest over trying to play well Sunday?
“I don’t know. I know the Kings — like you said, I don’t know the circumstances. We can still get eighth, technically. We’ll make that decision tomorrow or Sunday, whenever we talk about it.”
Steph, how frustrating is it, though, when you guys — as well as you guys played — any loss can kind of derail all the progress you guys have made?
“I mean, this whole last, whatever, 30 games has just been Operation ‘give ourselves a chance.’ And we’ve done that, thanks to our road win performances. And we are 20-20 at home, which is still weird. But this whole season has been weird. So we know it’s going to come down to a play-in type of experience and whoever we play, wherever we play, we have a shot. So let’s just focus on that.”
I know you don’t love this topic, but you have had some turnovers, last few games hasn’t — I know you scored 33 tonight — maybe not every shot has looked great. Have you any sense of fatigue at this point? Any feeling like, ‘Hey, I could take a breath here, it might be better?’
“No, everything’s under a major spotlight, microscope, as it should, because there’s definitely been a sense of urgency on every game, because it impacts the outcome of our season, like seeding and all that. And when I look at this game, I look at the second quarter, I think I had four of them, fresh legs or not, they’re just bad decisions. And you try to be aggressive, try to make the right play. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but you gotta live with it.”
Steph, I know you go with the, ‘You are what your record says.’ Does that feel at all different this year? Does it feel like, with the amount of games that you probably should have won, that’s been kind of left on the bone, does it feel like you should be here?
“This is a team that is a 10th-seed team, or a 9-seed team, or an 8-seed team. You can look at it a lot of different ways, like, what’s our record on the last 30-ish something, so you extrapolate that out to 82, then you’re probably not in this situation, but all the things that we’ve gone through this year, and the way that the West is stacked, it’s just, that’s our situation. So, it doesn’t really matter what we feel we are. We just want to get into a playoff series. And however we get there and however we can get it done. There’s a lot of confidence that we can beat anybody on any given night. And we have to hold on to that because, one game Sunday, and then just do it.”
Hey, Steph, not a good time tonight, but today is the debut of your new animation, ‘Good Times.’ Just wanted to get your thoughts on it, and you gonna be, watching it with the family? Were ou a Good Times watcher, did you watch it back in the day? And your thoughts on this animation series?
“Yeah, it’s obviously the IP of Good Times, everybody knows what that is. And there’s such a — it’s on a pedestal of shows that represent Black culture, Black social commentary, Black family. This is a different take on that. So the name will ring, but an animated series that’s kind of driven towards the adult audience, it’s a little different. So, you take it for what it is. I will not be with my kids, no, watching it, but I think it has a little something for everybody. Well, for the right audience, for sure.”
Two quick questions. It looked like you might have tweaked your ankle a little bit in the fourth. Did something feel odd or no?
“I rolled it just slightly. But on the scale of all the ankle injuries I’ve had, this is definitely on the milder side, so I should be alright.”
And you’ve said a couple times, just have a chance, give yourself a chance. How much of a difference is it to come out of the 9-10 road than if you were able to climb up to 8? I mean, Steve and you guys have been talking, and that’s obviously been the goal for a week or two now. If you’re in the 9-10 game, does that seem at all daunting, or how do you sort of view that path?
“I mean, it’s built into the way that it’s structured, that a 7-8 is a much better position because you have two games guaranteed to get one. 9-10, it’s single-elimination, but the end, we’ve been through it with the — it was at the ‘21 season — and you understand it feels like a Game 7 kind of experience where every possession is heightened just because. And if you lose, you know what the circumstances are. So we just get two of them if that’s where we are. But at the end of the day, you have to play your best game that particular night. And we’re confident we can get out of that. And if we do, we’re confident that we can scare whoever it is in this 1 or 2 spot, whoever we play.”
I was going to ask you about that play-in three years ago. Can you take us through what you felt there? I know you went 0-2 in that, but do you say, ‘Yeah, we know how to do this.’ Obviously you’ve got some younger players. Or do you say it’s just like a playoff, you just consider it a playoff game?
“No, you consider it that. I think we’re a much better team than that team was, I think a lot more going for us. We were scratching and clawing that year and went on a, whatever, 15-5 run just to get a chance, but I think this team is much more capable of handling that type of scenario, but I can say it all I want to. We’ve got to go out and do it.”
0:00 You know on your availabilities tonight?
STEVE KERR PREGAME NOP-GSW: “Yeah, JK and Gary are out.”
Kuminga, did he pick that up in the Portland game?
“Yeah. He fell and kind of bruised his tailbone and is in a lot of pain. And with Gary, it’s the calf. So we’re trying to be cautious with it.”
And I think it might be the other (calf than the previous calf strain)?
“Yeah. But don’t quote me on that.”
0:30 I know the rotation is changing and guys get hurt, but did you know Looney was going to play last night (in Portland)? And could he be in the rotation at this point?
“Yeah. yeah, with Draymond out, we knew we were going to play Loon. And I thought he was one of the keys to the game. He was fantastic, but not surprising. He’s done this so many times for us. Bailed us out of situations, like the one last night. And he’s played really well over the last couple of weeks since he’s been kind of on the fringe of the rotation. He obviously missed five or six games where I just didn’t play him, but with some of the circumstances recently, he’s gotten more time. And I think the Laker game, I think he might’ve played, I don’t know, 15 minutes, plus-13 or something. I mean, it’s just the game seems to go well when he’s out there. There’s a physical presence, the rebounding, the screening, so he can definitely help us.”
1:33 Hey Coach, thinking all the way back to training camp Day One to now, what do you think you’ve learned about this team that you didn’t necessarily know when the season started?
“Well, I think seeing the growth of the young guys has been a real highlight, not only seeing JK emerge like he has, but watching Brandin and Trayce become regular contributors, starters even, didn’t anticipate that at all. I’m thrilled with where our vets are right now. I think they’re all in a good place mentally, physically, playing at a high level, so a lot of good stuff has happened since the beginning of the year. But we gotta keep pushing and put ourselves in a good spot for the play-in and playoffs.”
2:31 To follow up on what you just said, actually, right now you guys have a pretty good seeding, obviously, for the play-in game, but what’s the sense of urgency tonight for this win to make sure that you guys do win tonight?
“I mean, you know if we win tonight and Sunday, then we have a legit shot at and that’s a big deal, you get two chances to win one game. You also have a chance to move up to the seventh seed if you win that 7-8 play-in game. So obviously we want to just win every game and put ourselves in the best spot possible.”
3:11 You were talking about Loon before. Also mentioned the emergence of Trayce and really no matter who you face in the play-in and probably the first round of the playoffs, there’s going to be a very elite big man. What’s the confidence and concern of playing a rookie like Trayce against really talented and veteran centers and just bigs?
“Yeah, I mean, well, Trayce is wise beyond his years and he’s not your typical rookie these days with four years of college experience and a lot of games played under his belt and he’s had great experience the last two years. So, a lot of confidence in Trayce and then a lot of confidence in Loon, knowing that for a rookie it’s a lot to ask to go into a playoff game and play against great players, which is going to be the case. So, it’s a good situation to be in.”
4:00 Hi Steve, you’ve talked at various times this year about Klay and just sort of how he got into a good space mentally. How has he been able to do that, given going to the bench and free agency looming in the summer, there’s a lot of heavy stuff there? What does it mean for you guys to get in a good place for that? And how much more challenging does that become as you guys move into the play-in and potentially the playoffs?
“He’s the one who’s done it himself. So Klay has put himself in this position through his perspective and his awareness. He just looks happy. He looks like he’s playing with a lot of freedom, a lot of joy and I think it’s no coincidence that he’s playing his best basketball of the year now with that. So he’s done it himself and I’m really proud of him, happy for him and I see it continuing. I mean, there’s no reason why it would stop right now.”
4:00 I think you guys had six turnovers in the first quarter last night. They’re one of the best teams that kind of forcing turnovers. What’s the message as far as playing clean early on?
“Yeah, decision-making, it’s a decision-making game in basketball. So our decision-making to start the game was really poor. So we’ve got to make better decisions, have cleaner possessions, execute our stuff. We’ve got to get a little more organized. I didn’t think we were super-organized early last night.”
5:23 I don’t recall what you thought when the play-in was first introduced. But what did you think then? What do you think now? It seems like what’s happening in the West sort of validates the idea of the concept.
“Yeah, I’m a fan. I think it’s great. I liked it that first year, even though it cost us, we were the 8th seed after 82 games and we didn’t make the playoffs. But it’s been great. It’s been great for the league, created a lot of excitement, kept more teams in it, created another kind of mini-race for 6th amongst the teams in that group. So I think it’s fantastic for the league and it hurt us that first year. I’m hoping it helps us this year. I mean, we’re on the outside looking in if this were the normal, the old way. So, yeah, we’re lucky it’s here this year. I hope we can take advantage of it.”
6:18 Podziemski looks he might be a little more aggressive looking for a shot or taking the shot that’s there. I know you’ve said it doesn’t matter, he does so many other things. It doesn’t matter how many shots he takes. Does he have a little more allowance to shoot now because he’s hit a few or is it just the same as it’s been all season?
“No, it’s been the same way. I hardly ever stop and tell a guy that’s a bad shot, ‘We don’t want you shooting that shot.’ Now I want to influence which shots he takes. And so I think that’s what our philosophy in coaching is, is we want to feed these guys confidence. And so very rarely am I going to. I don’t want to say to somebody, ‘Don’t shoot it,’ but somebody like Brandin, with his basketball IQ and mind, he understands what’s a good shot and what’s not. And as he’s played and gotten more experience in the league this year, I think he’s got a better feel now for everything, just the patterns that he sees the speed of the game. And I think it’s natural for a rookie to be shooting the ball better, at the end of the season rather than at the beginning.”
7:26 Steve, when you saw the schedule come out last summer and you saw that you’re going to finish the season with two games at home, what crossed your mind and how did you feel about that, and then compared to the home road splits this year? I mean, what do you make of that?
“It didn’t. Nothing crossed my mind, honestly. I never really pay much attention to the schedule because we don’t get to dictate any of it, anyway. They just do it. And the season changes so much, based on circumstance, injuries, who’s playing hard, who’s running cold. You just never know how it’s going to play out. So when the schedule came out, I didn’t even look at it, to be honest. If you had told me we were going to win 25 road games, I would have thought, all right, that’s a 55-win season right there. So, I’m really surprised that we haven’t controlled our home floor. It’s something we’ve always done well here, and not this year.”
0:00 why LGW channel is like the 19th Man for each ManningCast like this!
3:30 refs tonight: David Guthrie (19th season, crew chief, No. 16), John Butler (4th, No. 30), Brett Nansel (8th, No. 44); replay: Derrick Collins, Courtney Kirkland, Matt Boland, Brandon Schwab, Robert Hussey
7:30 Kuminga out tonight, so is GP2
10:37 tipoff! — POA notes have three asterisks ***
11m41 Q1 Klay on CJ, Steph knocks ball away from JV oreb
11m11 Q1 JV oreb put over TJD
10m58 Q1 Steph Wiggs roll, TJD to Wiggs
10m29 Q1 TJD scores vs JV
10m08 Q1 CJ turns corner on Klay ***
9m54 Q1 JV holds Wiggs CJ 3 no good
9m41 Q1 CJ easily past Wiggs ***
9m26 Q1 Steph really bad lob to TJD tov
8m50 Q1 Klay good maneuver, miss J
8m37 Q1 good box TJD vs JV
8m28 Q1 two Wiggs attacks of paint have led to fouls by Herb Jones and CJ
7m51 Q1 Steph and Dray back in trans, then Dray stops Zion, Dray to TJD dunk backboard!!!
6m57 Q1 Zion vs Dray DPOY D
6m40 Q1 TJD dunk via roll
6m20 Q1 Steph stays in front *** Dray reb, BP good probe patient
5m50 Q1 good D BP Wiggs on CJ P&R
5m33 Q1 JV hooks Dray but it’s an and1 (yells at Butler)
5m01 Q1 Steph ghost foul Jose no challenge
4m25 Q1 Wiggs good D downhill vs Zion ***
4m04 Q1 Loon oreb foul on Jones, hits both FTS
3m15 Q1 Kerr calls a Pop timeout after JRE corner 3
2m48 Q1 Klay wrong pass to Mo 2 miss, Zion oreb scores finally first
2m22 Q1 Klay not a good shot? (10 sec on clock)
2m05 Q1 Zion misses vs physical Dray non-call
1m26 Q1 CJ easily past Klay but misses ***
1m11 Q1 BP catch via Klay double in post over Dyson Daniels
0m47 Q1 Klay completely ignores BP on the fb
0m30 Q1 CP doesn’t see Klay but that’s ok Loon oreb putback
0m08 Q1 CJ P&R blow by CP ***
36:15 we are 2/6 on POAs in Q1
10m53 Q2 Loon stays in front of JV *** then fouls him no call wow PLAYOFF BBALL
10m16 Q2 Klay early hashmark 3 via BP
9m10 Q2 CP high off board vs JV
9m00 Q2 Mo can’t get around JV again and1 ***
8m26 Q2 CP steals JV pass
7m41 Q2 3ball NOP, Kerr calls another timeout to get Steph in
7m00 Q2 Zion picks Steph sheesh
6m29 Q2 C3 over Wiggs, timeout Kerr — did he read my article: https://www.letsgowarriors.com/p/unacceptable-knicks-timeout-draymond-jekyll-hyde
6m05 Q2 ATO Steph fly by Jose
5m49 Q2 Dray stays in front of Zion
5m25 Q2 Steph tov leads to Trey 3 way downtown
5m00 Q2 Klay TTBTTOT
4m49 Q2 Wiggs 3 with 14 on clock back rim
4m25 Q2 Jose 3 corner over Dray, no timeout
4m14 Q2 BP reverse layup saves day — UNSUNG PLAY
4m07 Q2 Trey 3 from nearly same spot
3m53 Q2 Wiggs bad pass but goes off Pelican
3m36 Q2 Steph two-man with Dray over Zion — UNSUNG PLAY all called by Steph
3m18 Q2 CJ 3 via Zion massive screen on Wiggs
3m13 Q2 Wiggs ball knocked out by CJ
2m58 Q2 BP knocks drive off Trey Manu-style — UNSUNG PLAY
2m47 Q2 Steph bad dribble tov
2m35 Q2 Wiggs good D on Zion hook
2m00 Q2 BP stays in front of CJ, Steph steals from Trey oreb, Steph tov again
1m36 Q2 Herb hits from Oakland sheesh 3
1m24 Q2 Dray throws the ball to the third row good lord — AAU tovs
1m01 Q2 CJ 3 late over BP sheesh
0m47 Q2 BP Steph bad handoff, off NOP, challenge, Klay says something to someone, why? (lost challenge but Steph had shaken his head)
0m35 Q2 Zion loses ball, good D Dray
0m15 Q2 Steph 3 after Zion gamble, good gamble good
0m07 Q2 Zion and1 vs Dray ghost foul wow inconsistent
0m03 Q2 Dray TD pass CP to Steph at buzzer, down 14
1:07:00 my theory is that our vets underestimate the comp and that’s happening tonight
1:10:00 JD JOHN DICKINSON: on the Warriors vets playing too loose, on the Nuggets probably getting the 3rd seed, on Klay probably starting 2nd half rather than CP, if they go small then go with Dray at the 5
11m46 Q3 Klay fade over CJ to start
11m25 Q3 JV no good vs TJD, Dray 94ft alley to TJD dunk
10m50 Q3 Steph behind-back P&R to TJD hang time
10m40 Q3 CJ over Wiggs
10m14 Q3 Wiggs bullied steal by Zion tov
9m48 Q3 All-NBA move by Zion past Dray
9m35 Q3 Dray to Wiggs from halfcourt
9m10 Q3 Steph draws 3rd pf on Herb
8m50 Q3 Wiggs stays in front of CJ, leads to JV miss
8m40 Q3 Herb blocks TJD from behind wow
8m36 Q3 Klay picks Wiggs guy for BLOB bucket
8m00 Q3 Wiggs spins past Zion
7m53 Q3 Klay close out CJ early miss
7m45 Q3 Wiggs spin past JV, foul — Wiggs woke up
7m36 Q3 Dray blocks Zion DPOY, Klay 3 on break
7m06 Q3 Wiggs makes CJ miss turn
6m48 Q3 Steph surrounded by 3 guys wow good D on drive
6m23 Q3 Zion wants a foul after rising over Steph and BP eye roll come on
6m08 Q3 oreb TJD down 7, fouled
6m02 Q3 Wiggs elbow into Herb armpit
5m37 Q3 Wiggs blocked by Zion no call, Trey 3 on the break, timeout, 8-0 run since last timeout in the span of two mins
5m14 Q3 CP late clock miss, long arms of Pels
4m42 Q3 Dray bad pass Steph affected by the prev possession
4m12 Q3 Steph bumped by Zion no call
3m53 Q3 Steph hero 3 no good
3m20 Q3 CP drive on Dray screen, Willie Green Pop timeout
2m37 Q3 Klay tough banker good
2m19 Q3 CJ 3 over BP, BP exasperated stop doing that
1m43 Q3 Mo miss corner 3 down 15 on extra pass
1m37 Q3 Jose gets past CP, fouled ***
1m09 Q3 Mo over Jose elbow
0m55 Q3 Klay good D on JRE, TJD too
0m32 Q3 Klay good drive kick to Mo 3
0m19 Q3 CJ great fade over CP good POA ***
11m43 Q4 Dray again DPOY stop on Zion
11m18 Q4 Trey sets pick for CJ then steps back for 3 over Mo
10m48 Q4 Mo good close on Trey, TJD gives ball to Zion — HUGE TOV
10m10 Q4 Mo good after Dray CP steal Zion
9m48 Q4 Mo good after good ball movement and Dray DPOY again Zion
9m14 Q4 good box out! Jose miss 3, team defense
8m49 Q4 CP 3 and1 CJ vs TJD (down 6, missed FT)
8m27 Q4 Klay causes bad pass
8m15 Q4 Klay 3 via CP kick
8m02 Q4 CJ can’t catch the ball, Willie looks nervous
7m48 Q4 Klay bad 3 over Zion airball oh well, Kerr not happy though
7m29 Q4 Zion amazing 1v1 vs Dray and1
7m15 Q4 Steph 3 sidestep double
6m56 Q4 Zion answers sheesh
6m42 Q4 Steph TTBTTOT but Jose deer in highlights tov to Klay, Kerr timeout
6m40 Q4 Steph another bad pass
6m18 Q4 Jones scores after good D Dray on Zion again
6m08 Q4 Steph finds Wiggs shooting gap at rim
5m41 Q4 Steph great reb but then another TTBTTOT
5m10 Q4 Klay block
4m46 Q4 Klay good drive but blocked, tov
4m33 Q4 Zion too strong on Wiggs base, Dray mad
4m20 Q4 Steph 3 hero
3m52 Q4 Trey 3 clutch over CP sheesh
3m15 Q4 ATO Herb 3 wow Willie great play
2m50 Q4 Dray Zion stop
2m36 Q4 Steph goat 3 wow Dyson
2m10 Q4 Steph goat layup no call down 5
1m39 Q4 Wiggs good D, Klay strips Zion!
1m29 Q4 Wiggs good cut vs Zion fouled, Andrew 2 FTs
1m07 Q4 CJ 3 over Steph sheesh
1m00 Q4 Steph goat 3 vs Dyson
0m44 Q4 Dray yells at Klay to double CJ, timeout Willie
0m35 Q4 Zion charge Dray?
0m20 Q4 Dray Steph pick at half
0m09 Q4 Wiggs foul Trey on dreb
2:25:00 combined with NOP hitting clutch shots all game long with who we’ve been with not giving up-and-comers full respect which I’ve seen over and over again for a decade, it’s hard for me to be mad at who we are — Steph has to dial it back on the turnovers, it’s just maturity process, it was a case of us doubting them and we paid for it, although 7-game series I think we’re alright
2:35:30 Never forget, we’re the Rocky Balboa of the NBA. We have to have a long fight, a 7-game series, take some blows to figure teams out. Pels got us, it’s all good. But yeah, regular season wasn’t good, so now one-&-done
2:37:45 ENTIRE STEVE POSTGAME AUDIO
2:54:15 ENTIRE TRAYCE POSTGAME AUDIO
3:00:45 Slater gives details on Lakers in 8th, but we think Pels will rest vs Lakers
3:02:00 MaramreddyMadhavi: if we get to 8th we are likely playing wolves considering suns lose to wolves or maybe thunder. I like playing them than Denver in 1st round. see how we fare — seems complicated to check, I’ll take your word for it
3:05:00 took some time to do a poll picking the game ball winner after we beat Utah Sunday (see below)
3:17:45 ENTIRE KLAY POSTGAME AUDIO
3:21:15 I have to do some multi-tasking so I play the Portland behind-the-scenes video:
3:48:15 ENTIRE STEPH POSTGAME AUDIO: “I had way too many turnovers tonight…fueled transition”, ankle injury “def on the mild side”
4:12:30 playing the LA bts while I work on a video:
4:27:30 STEVE PREGAME AUDIO, trying to see what details there are on JK (no details)
4:36:30 STEVE WITH TOM TOLBERT
4:54:00 @Nicky Diaz on the Steph tov, I think what I’ve been saying bears repeating: We didn’t respect Pelicans until it was too late. @Daxesh G I think the vets just let up on the Pels tonight. Pels said, nah, we have arrived. Tip your hat and yeah, it’s frustrating to see this characteristic of vets over the decade again and again.
4:54:45 on Markkanen or KAT: @pinky lou Raquidan I think the more realistic one is KAT, whereby we knock MIN out of playoffs (or, ok, SAC or LAL or PHX) and then they bail on second apron roster, get CP’s contract, let it expire. And yet Lauri will only make $18m so the possible good news with that is it’s only for one more year, then you gotta pay him
4:56:15 Suns need to win at Minnesota Sunday and have the Lakers win in New Orleans to capture the 6th seed in West and avoid play-in. Therefore, my bad from earlier especially with the poll on which youngster is gonna Game Ball Sunday vs Utah, all the games Sunday are done by the end of the 12:30PM PDT tipoffs (for rest leading up to Tuesday play-in games, to be fair), but I still think we rest the main guys because the cost of hoping the Pelicans beat the Lakers is too great. It was DURING the game. We gave them the first punch, they only scored 17, we expected them to lay down. Plus, we’re old so we can’t retaliate on the counter-punches as well.
4:59:30 Who gets game ball after youngsters beat Utah Sunday? (outside of BP or Trayce or Moses)
Lester (54%)
Gui (27%)
J-Rob (9%)
the field (Usman, Spencer, Saric?) (9%)
Poll complete: 44 votes
5:01:00 Cholo Abenes: not in favor resting. klay started slow today after sitting out 1 game, being seeing that pattern from Klay the whole season; Shivansh: it’s not just Lakers lose to Pels but also Sac loses to Trail blazers for us to get the 8th seed… highly unlikely… so rest them!; D VDV: 💯 % rest 🙂; pinky lou Raquidan: Maybe rest Steph: Robby Bautista: klay start slow and drays turn over i fee that it comes from resting against Blazers,Klay and Dray had a momentum of playing great and got rest thats what i feel; Robby Bautista: i think the momentum of Klay and dray doing good job before blazers game,i think and feel they cool down during the rest…. Cholo Abenes: im ok resting steph; D VDV: Rest Steph for sure. Klay, Dray… perhaps just limit minutes; Robby Bautista: yeah i really think dray and cp3 need to play along with the youngsters before play in,we need all the players to be lazer focus before play in,i mean in actual remaining game; Robby Bautista: honestly cp3 and dray playing with youngster just in practice is not enough,i think we need cp3 and dray to play with young ones in actual game to learn more before play in.we need the youngsters
5:12:30 pinky lou Raquidan: Dray is used to it and hard to break that habit! He needs to understand he is playing with some youngsters and can’t do those bad passes — they need the video guy to go cut up all the film with Livingston, Iguodala, Barbosa, Durant, all of those vets cutting to the hole, making the right reads of Draymond and present that edited film to Dray to say, look, it’s not Hall of Famers catching your passes no more! But yeah baby steps, this season the step was to not get ejected
5:14:00 on Allen Iverson’s ridiculously small statue
5:17:00 should we simply rest main guys Sun? (LAL at NOP, needing LAL to lose, happens same time as UTA-GSW)
Yes, rest them (60%)
No, maybe Lakers will lose to Pels (40%)
Poll complete: 10 votes
👍👍💛💙