Uncategorized – Warriors Huddle

April 17, 2024 — No Comments

It’s Time

By: Matt Anderson

The Golden State Warriors have missed the playoffs three times in the last five years.

This year's team sealed that stat with a complete no-show in Sacramento last night. While the "vibes" may have been better, the fact that that 2023-2024 Warriors were a ten seed proved the adage that if you are standing still, you're moving backwards. The same is going to be true this offseason. Oklahoma City, Houston, and Memphis are all going to be better next season. Denver, Minnesota, Dallas, Phoenix, New Orleans, and the Clippers are not going anywhere. That's ten teams right there. We don't even have to mention the Kings (who just thumped us) or the Lakers, who might take a step back due to player movement/age but could be just as good next year. It also does not factor in the Spurs taking a giant leap after year 1 of the Victor Wembanyama experience.

Last night's flame out is just another in a season-long line of signals that a drastic change is necessary for this franchise (and which your humble scribe has pointed out many times now). Afterwards, Stephen Curry told The Ringer: "I want to win. Plain and simple. It's not my job to make all of those decisions, but it's my job to hold people accountable...." This is as close to acting like Lebron that Steph will ever get, and it is telling he's reached that point. Whatever team employs 30 should be challenging for a title, and if they aren't they are doing him a disservice. And Steph is telling Joe Lacob and Mike Dunlevy, Jr. that.

It is now the front office's job to respond to that message. There are only two responses that will be acceptable here. The first, and the one with a percentage chance that is infinitesimally small, would be to ship Steph to a contender and start a full-scale rebuild. I'll say it again for the people in the back: that is not happening. The other response will be to do whatever it takes to win another title with Stephen Curry. Not win another title with Steph and Klay. Not win another title with Steph and Dray. Not win another title with Steph and Wiggins. Not win another title with Steph and anyone. It is Steph and Steph alone that matters.

There have been two massive problems plaguing this team since 2022. The first is inconsistency. Practically every player not named Steph is a yo-yo player. Some nights they look like they are absolutely critical to the success of the team. The next, you wonder why they are even playing. For some of these players, that is just the consequence of being young and inexperienced in the NBA (e.g., Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski) . For others, it's the consequence of being old in the NBA (see, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Kevon Looney). Some, this inconsistency is because of their availability (like Draymond, or Gary Payton II). Others, it is baffling like Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody (though that is less on him and more on Steve Kerr).

The second problem is that there is no second. This last month of the season, Steph looked exhausted more times than he should. For the current iteration of this team, given the discussed inconsistencies, Steph, at 36 years old, has to carry a massive scoring and creating load. If this team is going to be successful in the near-term, they need to find a second player who can take the ball and make the offense go. This is obviously easier said than done, given the financial state of the team. And that is what is going to make this summer so difficult for the front office and Warriors fans.

Moves have to be made. And some of those moves are going to have to be painful. One of the most frustrating things about this past season was the feeling that if we could just get everyone playing at a B+ or better, this team would be great. But the sample size is large enough to see that most of our players cannot be a B+ or better every night. And that makes life exhausting for the only A+ on the roster. I love Klay Thompson. He is my favorite Warrior ever. But the team really needs to think long and hard about how much his dwindling talent and lack of ability to show up in the post season is worth. Draymond may be the heartbeat of the team, but Dunleavy needs to consider whether we want to keep playing with that fire or if we sell while he's sellable. GP2 is a great story, but is his unavailability a problem? Kuminga took a leap this year, and we need to figure out if that leap should be parlayed into someone who can contribute to a title right now.

All of this must be done with the backdrop of the new financial rules. Ducking the second apron is a must. Getting out of the tax would be phenomenal. But the over all goal has to be clear: these moves have been made to win a title.

Published by Matt Anderson in Uncategorized

Tags: Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Joe Lacob, Jonathan Kuminga, Klay, Klay Thompson, Moses Moody, Stephen Curry

December 27, 2023 — No Comments

Jonathan Kuminga’s Handle & Confidence

In Jonathan Kuminga's eight games as a starter this season, he is averaging just over 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. It has been a perfect storm for JK, with Draymond Green sidelined indefinitely and Andrew Wiggins playing far below his seemingly fleeting peak as the number-two option on a championship roster. Kuminga's unique ability to be a highly explosive drive threat paired with streaky yet effective POA defense has painted the 3rd-year Warriors draft pick as the coveted "two-way wing" archetype -- an archetype that is extremely valuable due to its plug-and-play nature. Just as it is in Kuminga's case, if you have length, athleticism, and the ability to guard one of the other team's two best players, 20-plus minutes per night will all but fall in your lap in today's NBA.

JK's drastically improved ability to handle while in traffic is a significant area of improvement in the 21 year old's game, and it's been on full display in his recent starting stints. The most interesting aspect is that the technical approach of his drives through the paint is nearly identical to what it was last year. The part that's changed is his confidence. He even said it himself:

"I'ma keep it real with you. Me with the ball, nobody's guarding me". (via The Athletic's Marcus Thompson)

Half-Second Basketball is a concept widely harped on by NBA coaches, often towards younger players. It's just as simple as it sounds; When a player finds themselves with the ball, they should both make a decision on their next move as well as put that decision in motion within 0.5 seconds. Kuminga has generally struggled with this over his first two seasons, which has consequently translated to rough stretches of sporadic playing time and even occasional DNP's (albeit unwarranted and an abhorrent miscalculation by Kerr -- we'll save this for another article). But now, Kuminga is puffing out his chest and taking the ball to the basket with clear intentions and a chip on his shoulder -- and he's doing so without hesitation. His ability to overpower and drive past or through his defender is becoming stronger each and every game. As such, it now seems inevitable that Kuminga's drives will more often than not result in a pair of points or free throws.

Above: Jonathan Kuminga takes no prisoners.

As JK continues to approach each game with unapologetic confidence, his positive impact on both sides of the the court will force Steve Kerr into some difficult line-up decisions. To add to the roster chaos, Green's return along with Gary Payton II's recovery are eminent, and both players play similar roles to Kuminga. The '23-'24 Warriors are currently too deep, lacking any top-heavy super stars outside of Stephen Curry. If I would have told you the Warriors are struggling to find minutes for elite-level bench and role players (read: Moses Moody & Trayce Jackson-Davis) during the Anthony Lamb era, would you have believed me? Don't worry, I would have called you a fat liar too.

Watch for Kuminga and the Dubs to take on Jimmy Buckets and the Miami Heat this Thursday evening as the squad begins a seven game-homestand. If the last 6 games have foreshadowed anything, the Warriors could be gearing up for a season-changing run.

Published by Tanner Gardner | @tannergardner_ on Twitter in Uncategorized

Tags: Andrew Wiggins, Confidence, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Kuminga, Moses Moody

May 1, 2023 — No Comments

Lakers-Warriors: Keys to the Future

By: Matt Anderson

The Warriors survived their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings on the back of a 50-point masterclass by Stephen Curry. They now have a second-round date with the Los Angeles Lakers, who rather easily dispatched the vaunted Memphis Grizzlies.

Almost as notable as the 50 spot is the fact that Steph gave an impassioned team talk during a film session the day before, asking players to put their egos aside and commit to winning. According to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II and Shams Charania, this talk was directly aimed at two players: Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, who have allegedly been unhappy about their playing time or their roles. Poole played the 6th most minutes on the team in the series, but was largely ineffective, posting an anemic 102 offensive rating and a 0.396 effective field goal percentage. In short, Poole was outplayed by Malik Monk, the Kings' sixth man, and it was not particularly close. Poole's frustration was on full display after the Game 6 collective bed-shitting, his worst performance of the series.

Despite a fantastic final two months of the regular season, on both ends, Coach Steve Kerr made JK an afterthought, playing the second-year man a 36 total minutes in the series. Kuminga played almost 30 minutes less than Moses Moody, who had been buried on the bench all season. It's no shock that Kuminga was not in the best of moods as the series came down to its final game.

The Warriors, however, have to get ready for a new opponent: the Lakers. This Lakers team presents different matchups than the Kings did. Anthony Davis will be patrolling the lane, and he's on a defensive tear right now. To counter that, the Warriors will need crafty inside finishes and consistent outside shooting. Two things Poole can be elite at, when he's on his A-game. Instead of offense coming from a shifty guard like De'Aaron Fox, the Lakers are going to throw Lebron James and AD at the Warriors' defense. This means players like Gary Payton II and Donte DiVincenzo will have less of a defensive role because the Dubs will need bigger, stronger defenders. Playing tough D on bigger forwards had become JK's calling card by season's end.

The Warriors are going to need Jordan and Jonathan. Poole will need to figure out how to get out of his slump without turning into Chuck-It Jordan. He cannot be outplayed by Austin Reaves or Dennis Schroeder, at least on the offensive end, and he cannot let them completely torch him on D. Kuminga is going to be called on to play minutes against Lebron. He has to summon the defensive tenacity and acumen we saw the last few months of the season after spending the last two weeks on the bench. He also has to figure out the Lakers defense. In their regular season meetings, LA was masterful in sagging off him and tricking him into shooting jumpers. If he wants to stay on the floor, he's going to have to successfully navigate attacking the space and moving the ball.

TL;DR: Poole needs to bring the offense and be serviceable on D; Kuminga needs to bring the defense and be serviceable on offense.

But their play matters not just for this series, but for the Warriors' plans moving forward. If JP and JK continue to mope and cannot play an effective role against the Lakers, that might spell the end of the season. If Round 1 proved anything, it's that there is still enough there with Steph, Klay and Draymond Green that the team cannot break them up. In short, Poole and Kuminga are going to have to get with the program (a program built on selflessness). They need to show they buy into the Warriors' culture, a culture where a unanimous MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year come off the bench voluntarily, where winning is put before ego and stats. If they do that, the Warriors will have a great chance at moving on to their seventh Western Conference Finals in nine years. If they don't, then don't be surprised if the front office decides they have better value on the trade market than the basketball court.

Published by Matt Anderson in Uncategorized