Chris Paul – Warriors Huddle

March 27, 2024 — No Comments

Play-In Placebo

By Matt Anderson

As of publication, the Golden State Warriors have a one game lead (plus the tiebreaker) over the hard-charging Houston Rockets (winners of 9 of their last 10 games) for the tenth and final spot in the NBA's Play-In Tournament. The Warriors have been slumping since Stephen Curry went out with an ankle injury at the end of the March 7 game against the Bulls. The team went 1-3 without him (including an embarrassing 13 point loss to at Spurs team without Victor Wembanyama or Devin Vassell at Chase Center). They have gone 3-3 since he's been back. Those three losses: a listless performance against an undermanned Knicks, a no-show in a must-win against the Pacers, and another blown fourth quarter lead in Minneapolis.

A few weeks ago, Dub Nation was doing the math on getting a sixth seed. Now, we are crossing our fingers and toes hoping the team has just enough gas left in the tank to hold off a young and hungry Houston team. For what, though? To go to Crypto.com Arena and have the season ended by Lebron James and the Lakers? To maybe win two play-in games on the road for the privilege of being swept by a Denver team that doesn't sweat to beat the Warriors anymore?

Some may argue that this team has a puncher's chance because they have Steph Curry or that any playoff-like experience will help youngsters like Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, or Trayce Jackson-Davis. And that may be true (at least the latter part). But getting the 10 seed might also do more harm than good.

Two years ago, the Warriors hoisted their fourth banner in eight years. It was my favorite title because it proved so many nay-sayers wrong, particularly with regards to Steph's ability to lead a team to the promised land. But since that title we have had: The Punch, Wiggins disappearing (literally and figuratively), Klay struggling with his mortality; more Draymond violence; Steph injuries; Chris Paul injuries; and, most importantly, the unfortunate sudden passing of Dejan Milojevic. Then there is also the phenomenon of players/teams who can't hit the broadside of a barn from three lighting us up, or 8th men having career nights against us, or countless games blown at the last minute.

It seems that since the confetti dropped in TD Garden in June 2022, the Warriors have had rotten luck. But, nearly two years is not bad luck. And to quote the late great Obi Wan Kenobi: "in my experience, there's no such thing as luck." At some point that "bad luck" is not bad luck, but the result of organizational failures. Failure to understand the role of big men in today's NBA. Failure to timely develop younger players. Failure to adopt a defensive scheme that accounts for improved three-point shooting. Failure to play with consistency or urgency. From top to bottom, the Warriors have had a hand in their own demise.

A postseason appearance could cloud an honest self assessment. Last year's whimper of a title defense was chalked up to bad vibes. This year the vibes have been, by all accounts, great. Yet, the team is essentially performing the same. I wrote back in December that the franchise was at a turning point, and some of the issues were addressed. But, it turns out, those issues were only the start of the problem, because the new configuration of the team is just as inconsistent and lackadaisical as the old. The franchise needs a rude awakening, and missing the post season entirely could be just that. It will force the club to declare its intentions for the next half decade. Will the push every button and flip every lever to put a team around Steph worthy of competing for a fifth ring? Will they ride Steph, Klay, and Dray into a sunset of mediocrity? Or will they close the book on the Dynasty and begin building the next iteration of this team?

As a fan, I want this team to clearly message what it is doing. Without tough introspection, I fear they will continue to flail around hoping that small moves on the edges will somehow drastically change the .500 team we've watched the last two years. That's why missing the play-in and the sugar coating it would allow might be the best thing for the Warriors. Anything that would give the front office, coaching staff, or players to hide from their roles in the recent mediocrity is bad for the team.

The current version of the Warriors is very far away from being a Western Conference Finals team, much less a champion. Consequently, marginal moves are unlikely to change that. So if missing the play-in is what it takes to convince every level of the organization to make the big moves necessary to put us back into contention, then that is a good thing.

Published by Matt Anderson in Blog

Tags: Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Draymond Green, Joe Lacob, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry

January 8, 2024 — No Comments

SOS: Trades to Save Our Season

By: Matt Anderson

In the midst of a disastrous homestand that saw the Golden State Warriors barely squeak by the worst NBA team of all time, the Detroit Pistons, and put up a putridly atrocious performance against a mediocre Toronto Raptors team, it is clear that this team is going nowhere fast. The Dubs are 17-19, sitting outside the play-in picture at 11th. Compounding matters, they don't have their first-round 2024 pick this year unless it's in the top 4. But there are 11 teams with a worse record than them, so it would take a lottery miracle to jump that high.

Currently the team is plagued by underachievement, an inability to play defense (especially in transition), reckless turnovers, and a coaching staff that is still too stubborn to bench the shitty veterans in favor of young players who are actually playing well.* As I wrote a month ago, things need to change. The difference now is that it is clear this roster is not going to make those changes as currently constructed.

*Here's a fun stat: Jonathan Kuminga has never played 30 minutes or more in consecutive games as a Warrior, despite being the second best player on the team this year.

We are officially one month from the trade deadline, so now is the time to put together some fake trades that might save the season, or at the least, begin to set the table for a better 2024-2025 campaign. Here are some of those fake trades.

Finally Do the Siakam Deal

It feels like the Pascal Siakam to the Warriors rumor has been circulating for a while. After the OG Anuoby trade, people seem to think Toronto are sellers. Here's the best version of that trade from the Warriors prospective would look like:

Warriors get: Pascal Siakam

Raptors get: Chris Paul's expiring and JK

In theory, this is a great trade. Siakam has been an All-Star/All NBA caliber player in the past. He can score, play defense, and has been in some big games. In practice, I hate this trade. First, Siakam is an expiring who will want max money. So, this is probably a four month rental that puts the Warriors as a second round playoff team at best. Siakam cannot shoot anymore (sub 30% on 3s on almost 4 attempts per game), so fitting him next to Draymond (assuming Draymond doesn't get suspended for the rest of the year) is tough. You also don't really help the log jam of players that is messing up the rotations. Giving up on Kuminga for this just does not feel worth it to me.

Raid the Bulls

Part of the Warriors' problem this year is they are middling on both offense and defense. Steph has to be everything for this team to score, and he's about to be 36. One solution would be to get him a guy who can score score score to lighten the load. That's where we get the Zach LaVine trade. But I don't think LaVine moves the needle a ton for this team, so why not get a proven defender from a team that is (theoretically) selling off assets.

Warriors get: LaVine and Alex Caruso

Bulls get: CP3, JK, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II

This trade also clears out the rotational problems. You get a proven scorer in LaVine who might live up to his contract in a Steph-centered environment. You also get Caruso who can take CP3's place leading the second unit, shoots the ball decently well, and has the size and grit to lock down perimeter players. The Warriors may have to part with some draft capital to make this work, but given LaVine's massive contract and the fact that the entire Chicago organization seems to be done with him, it might not be as heavy of a draft sell as one may think.

Get a Two-Way Wiz

The Washington Wizards have proven to be a team that will deal with the Warriors. They are clearly going nowhere, and the Jordan Poole/Kyle Kuzma combo is not reaping huge benefits. So, maybe they will want to help their rebuild by dealing with the Dubs again.

Warriors get: Kyle Kuzma

Wizards get: JK, Moody, GP2, and Kevon Looney

That is a lot of players for Kuzma. But the Warriors have too many players (especially underperforming/injured vets like Loon and GP2). Kuzma is a great defender and has the IQ and offensive game that would flourish in the Warriors' movement-based system.

Hope Utah Says "Fuck it, let's bail"

It is really unclear what Utah's long-term plan is for their roster. They have a ton of draft capital and some great young pieces. It could be debated that 26 year old Lauri Markkanen is an excellent piece to build around. But at the same time, he's not going to be the best player on a championship team. So, maybe the Jazz are willing to part with him? If so, here's how the Warriors could get him:

Warriors get: Markkanen

Jazz get: JK, Moody, Loon, 2025 pick swap, 2026 first rounder (with light protections), 2028 first rounder

Markkanen immediately adds size and skill to this team. He can stretch the floor, so he and Draymond can play together well. Shipping out three players would also firm up the rotations. You would have the clear starting unit of Steph, Klay, Wiggins, Drayond, Lauri and a closing group based on Steph, Draymond, Lauri, and whoever the matchup dictated. You'd keep CP3 to help TJD, Pods, and Saric continue their great form. In all, this would be a huge win for the Warriors. The problem is, however, that if Markkanen were available, there's a team that could probably beat that offer.

Wild Swing for the Fences

This is the most unlikely trade here, but I think of it as a bit of a masterpiece. The Brooklyn Nets are in limbo right now. They have some talented players on their roster, and for a hot second it looked like they had their centerpiece in Mikal Bridges. But, this year has shown that maybe Bridges is not a number one guy. He's maybe a second guy. What if the Nets decide to cash in while his stock is relatively high and get younger. Then the Warriors could offer a pretty good package that would help the Nets both get younger and clear out some guys who aren't on that young timeline:

Warriors get: Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Nic Claxton's expiring

Nets get: CP3, Looney, JK, Moody, a 2025 pick swap, 2026 first round, 2027 pick swap, 2028 first round

This is a real swing for the fences. It mortgages the entire future for win-now pieces. Bridges is young compared to our core, but he's about to enter his prime. DFS is the perfect 3 and D piece for the Warriors' system. Claxton adds size and athleticism we have not had since JaVale McGee. The Nets get off of long-term money for guys who are nearing 30 by bringing in two guys under 22 who can play with Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe, the Nets more promising young guys. They tried a quick reset in the wake of the Kyrie/Harden/KD fiasco, but this really lets them go into a youth/talent centered rebuild with additional draft capital to work with. Is this trade likely? No. But it would be exactly what is needed to give this Warriors team life over the next two years.

Photo credit: Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group

Published by Matt Anderson in Blog

Tags: Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Klay Thompson, Moses Moody, Stephen Curry

January 7, 2024 — No Comments

Dubs Debrief: Drama, Injury, & Trade Talks… And Draymond is (Almost) Back!

In the last 72 hours, SO much has happened with the Warriors -- Both on the floor, and off. Let's dive into it:

Jan 4: Warriors Collapse in Dramatic Fashion to Denver Nuggets

In what is rivaled by only the in-season tournament game vs SAC as the "worst" loss of the year, the Warriors crumbled against Jokic and the defending-champion Nuggets on Thursday night at Chase Center.

The irony here is that, for three quarters, this game was shaping up to potentially be the best win of the season. The Dubs had one of their coveted dominant third quarters, outscoring Denver 44-24. However in the fourth, the Warriors were outscored 34-20, with a stagnant stretch summed up by a 25-4 run for the Nuggets.

Steve Kerr's coaching ability has been on the hot seat as of late, and critics smelled blood Thursday night as the Warriors' shot caller sat Jonathan Kuminga on the bench for the final 18 minutes of the game. Prior to his benching, Kuminga was up to 16 PTS, 4 REB, and 4 AST -- all the while hunting Denver's star PG Jamal Murray and getting him into foul trouble.

The matchup was eventually capped off by a signature Jokic rainbow-three as the Nuggets punted the Warriors at the buzzer. It turned out, this loss was the straw that broke the camel's back...

Jan 5: Jonathan Kuminga "lost faith" in Steve Kerr

The Athletic's Shams Charania dropped an Absolute bombshell Friday morning following the Nuggets loss, with the headline reading "Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in coach Steve Kerr" (via: The Athletic). The online discourse following the post was heavily in favor of the young Warriors wing:

Fans were also quick to take JK's side:

It's long been clear that Kerr is hesitant to develop young players, instead favoring proven vets that have won titles. In a vacuum, it's tough to argue with this logic, right? However in the Warriors' case, the proven vets (read: Wiggins, Klay, Looney) have been playing below, in some cases far below, their ability this season. During this stretch, young and talented players like Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis surely could have bailed the Warriors out on more than one occasion. But Kerr remained stubborn and coached the Warriors to their demise while the answers were literally sitting on the bench.

With Kuminga's sentiments being made public to social media, it was clear that he either wants his situation to change, or he wants to be playing with a different name on the front of his jersey.

Here are Steph's thoughts on the Kuminga/Kerr situation:
"I’ve been there before, he’s not wrong in being upset and pissed off, wanting to play," Curry said. "[He] probably should have played – not probably, actually [should have played]." (via NBC Sports Bay Area)

Stephen Curry is on JK's side. He's proud of the rook for voicing his frustration, and firmly believes he should be playing more, too.

Jan 5: Warriors Scrape By vs League-Worst Pistons; Kuminga Season-High Minutes, Paul Injured, Moody Summoned

The Warrior's win over the league-worst Detroit Pistons thanks to Steph Curry's 4th quarter heroics was probably the least interesting thing that happened Friday night.

Following Kuminga's comments to the media, it became known that Kuminga and Kerr had a discussion later in the day on Thursday and were able to clear the air. According to Anthony Slater, Kuminga even said "I love it here" following the conversation. Take that as you will... there may be some sarcasm in there, but it calms the storm for now. And, as a result, JK played a season high 35:38 minutes. In this stretch, he recorded 11 PT and 4 REB on a team-high +/- of 16.

After leaving the game due to his hand getting stuck in a Pistons player's jersey, Warrior's second-unit captain Chris Paul was diagnosed with a fracture to his hand. Paul's camp announced that he will undergo surgery.

As mentioned above by our favorite Doc, Nirav Pandya, Paul could be out anywhere from 4-12 weeks, depending on the location and severity of the fracture.

As sure as death and taxes, this means more minutes for Cory Joseph in CP3's absence. On the bright side, it also means more minutes for Moses Moody, who received a summoning from the Warriors home crowd on Friday night as fans chanted "Mooooody" for a solid 90-second stretch. Moody is no stranger to Kerr's stubborn coaching, who despite high-effort defense and timely shot making, has racked up a streak of DNP's - much to fans' dismay. Kerr was essentially bullied into playing Mo against the Pistons, and it's about damn time.

Trade Rumors

According to Michael Grange of sportsnet.ca, the Warriors are still reluctant to move Jonathan Kuminga for star Raptors wing Pascal Siakam, who has been linked to the Dubs as early as last season. It's become evidently clear that while Steve Kerr may not believe in JK's full potential, the Dubs' front office certainly does. With this in mind, it's more likely that Andrew Wiggins would be included in a package to Toronto. Wiggs is from Canada, after all.

Other names to look out for on the trade market are Zach Lavine of the Bulls and Lauri Markkanen of the Jazz, who have both been linked to Golden state over the last week. Markkanen is a near perfect fit, given his size and effortless scoring ability that will substantially increase floor spacing next to Steph. Lavine is talented but a less-ideal fit, due to his high usage rate and the need for the ball to be in his hands to reach peak effectiveness.

One dark horse team to watch is the Brooklyn Nets, who could offer the Warriors a strong defensive big man in Nic Claxton and/or a reliable role player in Spencer Dinwiddie. This is unlikely, though, as the Dubs are already full of depth, and have a promising young and talented big in Trayce Jackson-Davis. What the Dubs really need is a star number two option for Steph.

Because the names mentioned above are all desirable to any contending team, they won't be cheap. The Warriors will need to make tough decisions regarding moving young talent or beloved vets as trade talks continue to heat up with the deadline just four weeks away.

Draymond is (Almost) Back!

According to Shams, Draymond has served his time and is ready to suit up in a Warriors uniform again. It's been reported that Green has not been practicing with the squad since his suspension 12 games ago, so we'll see how long it takes him to get his conditioning back. Love it or hate it, the Warriors miss #23 on the court, and their defense will benefit immensely. A key lineup combo to watch will be Draymond + TJD, who will have a potentially dominant defensive ceiling.

Next Up: Siakam & The Raptors

The timing couldn't be more perfect -- the number one linked name to Golden State will be hooping in San Francisco on Sunday night. With the whirlwind of trade rumors, lineup logjams and general buzz surrounding the Warriors over the last week, the Dubs facing off against Siakam is a must-watch. Tune in at 6:30p PST and be sure not to blink, lest you miss another juicy headline story unfold before your eyes. Oh, and it should be a good game, too.

Published by Tanner Gardner | @tannergardner_ on Twitter in Blog

Tags: Chris Paul, Denver Nuggets, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Nikola Jokic, Pascal Siakam, Shams Charania, Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, Toronto Raptors, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Utah JAzz

November 1, 2023 — No Comments

Steph Curry & the Chris Paul-led Second Unit Send Warriors Soaring Passed Pelicans

https://twitter.com/tannergardner_

Tanner Gardner | @tannergardner_ on Twitter

On the back of Stephen Curry’s second 40+ point performance in four games, the Warriors dominate both ends of the floor in New Orleans, hoisting up a 130-102 victory to reach a perfect 3-0 road record – a feat they did not accomplish once last season. Yep, you read that right – in just the fourth game of the season, the ’23-’24 Dubs already have accrued a larger road win streak than they did at any point in ’22-’23.

Luckily for the Warriors, this can be attributed to a few factors...

According to Steph himself, he is off to the second hottest start of his entire career, behind only his unanimous MVP campaign in 2105-’16 where he put up 40, 25, 53, and 30 PTS in the first four games. This season, number 30 is off to a similarly scorching start, with 27, 41, 24, and 42 PTS on 56/46/92% splits. Curry also mentioned that seeing “good basketball” being played while he’s off the court is a mental motivator and helps keep him energized late into these last few games. Even at 35, Steph is easily still a top 3 player in basketball.

To highlight the depth of this squad, the second unit is making its case to be the best supporting cast in the league. Trayce Jackson-Davis looked comfortable and poised in his second NBA stint, posting 13 PTS, 9 REB, and 4 BLK in just under 20 minutes of play. Gary Payton II looks fully recovered from his core/abdominal injury that had limited his explosiveness since playing a key role in the Warriors iconic ’21-’22 title run. Moses Moody once again lived up to his reputation of “staying ready”, topping off a solid performance as a starter in Klay Thompson’s spot with a tough second-chance basket and foul late in the second half.

Most importantly though, is Chris Paul exceeding even an optimist’s prediction of what the second unit would look like should he agree to come off the bench this year. In just two games as a 6th man of the year hopeful, the Point God is averaging a ridiculous +/- of +19.5. Such a margin would be impressive even for a starting point guard surrounded by their first unit. CP3’s presence as a floor general is tough to overstate; In this road back-to-back vs HOU and NOP, Paul has accumulated 12 assists and just 2 turnovers while averaging 26 MPG. Paul's deliberate and intentional play style slows the game down -- this limits the amount of possessions for both teams, preventing opponents from building large leads with Steph off the floor. But, with Paul's success in winning the non-Steph minutes in his first two games off the bench, his methodical approach can quickly become a positive rather than a negative or neutral. The fact that Paul has elevated the second unit to this level and we’re not even November yet may make injuries the only thing standing between this year’s Warriors team and a 5th championship.

Look for this rejuvenated Warriors group to come out hot tomorrow at 7PM @ Chase Center, as they take on Mike Brown and the De’Aaron Fox-less Sacramento Kings.

Published by Tanner Gardner | @tannergardner_ on Twitter in Blog

Tags: Chris Paul, GPII, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Stephen Curry, Trayce Jackson-Davis

September 28, 2023 — No Comments

Jrue to the Dubs?

By: Matt Anderson

The dust from yesterday's block busting, Woj bomb of Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks has not even settled yet, but the NBA coconut telegraph is already starting to speculate on what happens to Jrue Holiday. Holiday was a key piece of the deal for salary purposes, going to Portland, where his veteran presence has already been deemed surplus. It makes sense, the Blazers are looking to start fresh around the trio of Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and number two pick Scoot Henderson. Holiday, who is set to make at least $36.8 million this coming season, would either disrupt the development of those three or provide a level of competency that would push Portland closer to the playoffs than the lottery (which is presumably where they are trying to be as part of the rebuild). Also, earlier this year, Holiday told Andre Iguodala's Point Forward Podcast that he was considering retirement after his contract expires in 2025. One has to imagine that means Holiday is in win-now mode, not help a(nother) franchise rebuild. As a result, the scuttlebutt is that the Blazers will be looking to offload Holiday to a contender.

Indeed, one prominent NBA writer has already speculated that the Warriors would (or should) be in the market for the 33 year-old defensive menace. In a vacuum, a trade for Holiday makes sense for the Dubs. They have the pieces to make it work in Chris Paul's $30.8 million and Jonathan Kuminga's $6.0 million. Holiday is five years younger, is an exponentially better defender, and is not the kind of player to ask a reporter if "[she] coaching." Holiday could slot into the second unit as an excellent offensive facilitator and lock down the best guards in the league. His two-way skills would be crucial on a nightly basis, especially in the playoffs. Golden State also would not have to worry about overburdening him on offense because the team could always pair him with Steph, Klay, or Wiggins. On paper, it seems like a great idea.

But in reality, it just does not seem to be in the Warriors' best interest. Part of the reason the team traded Jordan Poole for Chris Paul was financial: Paul's contract for next year is totally non-guaranteed until the end of June. Ducking the second apron and re-signing Klay are the team's top two off-court priorities between now and next summer, and having the flexibility to completely shed $30 million in salaries is a key piece of that. Holiday, on the other hand, has a player option for $39.4 million next summer. If the Dubs acquired him, then one of two things happens. One: he opts in because he played so poorly he can't get a better deal in a incredibly weak free agent class. In this scenario, the Dubs not only would probably not want him, it would probably foreclose any Klay contract (barring an incredibly steep discount or truly horrible season by Klay). Two: he opts out and the Warriors cannot afford to keep him (or are forced to choose between him and Klay). At least with CP3, given his age, there is a small chance that the team can waive the final year of his contract and convince him to take a deal that allows them to still sign Klay.

There are other important reasons why trading for Jrue would not be the best idea. The Warriors have done a lot of work over the summer to integrate Paul into the team. The players, coaches, and front office have fully embraced one of Dub Nation's most hated rivals. Similarly, the team has gone to great lengths to pump up Kuminga in an effort to not only maximize the player, but also shed the label that they cannot develop talent. Trading CP3 and JK now undoes all of that. Remember in 2017 when the Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving after Thomas led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals on a bad hip and after his sister unexpectedly died? The ruthlessness of that trade affected the Celtics' ability to lure stars for years afterwards. If the Warriors punt on James Wiseman, Jordan Poole (after being a key piece to a title and getting punched by Draymond), CP3 (who has not even put on the jersey yet), and Kuminga in a seven-month span, that might have the same deleterious effects to the organization. And everything we have seen since Lacob took over is that the Golden State Warriors want to be seen as a player-friendly organization.

So, while Jrue Holiday would be an excellent fit in Golden State, fans need to remember that this is not 2k. There are real life, bigger picture ramifications for every move. For those reasons, I would urge Warriors fans to temper their expectations regarding any blockbuster trades in the near future.

Published by Matt Anderson in Blog

Tags: Chris Paul, Jrue Holiday, Klay, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry