Harden and Chris Paul flopping around like fishes on a dock signals a distinct lack of courage, and courage is required to win this deep in the playoffs. When he was on the Clippers Paul was always a whiny little b@tch when they played the Warriors and Harden seems to be locked into the title of Best Player Never to Win a Major. If I'm wrong who cares, Lacob is shafting Oakland anyway. Go Celtics!

Mods please move to the self pleasure thread

That was funny, Ken!

Bear, I wouldn't discount these rockets.
Harden is shoving it in your face right now.

C Paul or J Harden will be 'accidentally' injured before the series is over

I was thinking that would happen to Curry or Durant!

Game is a slug fest

You must admit, Harden is really something at this point in his career.

He's got 24 in the first half and Looks unstoppable.

I was never a terribly impressed with harden at Arizona State, so it's very impressive what he's turned himself into.

Klay is driving a stake into their heart.

Durant is in takeover mode.

Stephen looks like the 4th best out there.
1. Harden
2. Durant
3. Klay
4. Steph

It's a joke how physical this game is, so much contact and fouls that are not called! I guess if you called it tighter it would just be a free-throw shooting contest

concordtom said:

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Stephen looks like the 4th best out there.
1. Harden
2. Durant
3. Klay
4. Steph

---

Steph is compromised by that injury and don't listen to anyone that says otherwise.

All the pre series chatter was just trying to increase the gate just like they used to do before Tyson's fights with a parade of stiffs. Warriors have too many weapons. The End.





http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401032761


http://www.espn.com/nba/matchup?gameId=401032761

bearister said:

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concordtom said:

---

Stephen looks like the 4th best out there.
1. Harden
2. Durant
3. Klay
4. Steph

---

Steph is compromised by that injury and don't listen to anyone that says otherwise.

---

I agree.
Will he ever be the same?
Injuries add up.

bearister said:

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All the pre series chatter was just trying to increase the gate just like they used to do before Tyson's fights with a parade of stiffs. Warriors have too many weapons. The End.

---

Houston had good performances, and I think there were times when they just didn't play smart.
Checked out for stretches.
Mental champs are warriors, not Houston.

Interesting to note:
Zaza
McGee
Jordan Bell
Cook

All DNP

concordtom said:

---

Interesting to note:
Zaza
McGee
Jordan Bell
Cook

All DNP

---

The Warriors didn't need them to beat Houston. The others were capable of handling it. Might as well rest those four for game 2 and the rest of the series.

Barkley told Klay he thinks he is the best 2 guard in the NBA.

bearister said:

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Barkley told Klay he thinks he is the best 2 guard in the NBA.

---

Can't believe The Chuck-ster has gotten off his losing one man bandwagon that the Warrior will lose (insert here) this series, this Championship etc... He's been consistently wrong about them... I love watching him be wrong time after time but now? He's saying they will win..... I'm so confused.

bearister said:

---

Harden and Chris Paul flopping around like fishes on a dock signals a distinct lack of courage, and courage is required to win this deep in the playoffs. When he was on the Clippers Paul was always a whiny little b@tch when they played the Warriors and Harden seems to be locked into the title of Best Player Never to Win a Major. If I'm wrong who cares, Lacob is shafting Oakland anyway. Go Celtics!

---

And this has what to do with Cal basketball?

bearister said:

---

concordtom said:

---

Stephen looks like the 4th best out there.
1. Harden
2. Durant
3. Klay
4. Steph

---

Steph is compromised by that injury and don't listen to anyone that says otherwise.

---

Plus Klay is incredibly streaky as a shooter. He was on fire tonight (today where I am), but that is not always the case.

Durant, however, is just insanely good. One of the few basketball players that underreports his true height.

bearister said:

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Barkley told Klay he thinks he is the best 2 guard in the NBA.

---

"Best 2-way 2-guard."

Chuck also restated his anti jump shooting slogan.
Jumpers come and jumpers go. But you can always go down low and get the other team in foul trouble.

There's a reason his current tool is a mic and not a clipboard.
THAT would be funny. Chuck as coach? No!

The TNT set interviewed Klay after the game, as you saw, and Klay again said he doesn't care that the W's other stars get mentioned before him:
"I get to play for a great organization, live in the Bay Area, and I get paid handsomely..."

There was an article this week talking about Klay's next contract (huge) and how he could forgo many millions to stay at a discount. He talked about his big shoe deal (some off-brand) and how that maybe wouldn't be possible if he didn't play for a winning team.

Back to the paid handsomely comment:

1) Klay should have looked at Chuck and Kenny and Shaq and said something like, "think about it, even at a discount price, I'll still likely makes more than you guys and my dad combined in your peak seasons." Would be funny to shut them all up on that angle.

2) someone said that Lebron makes $100M in annual endorsements, far surpassing his basketball salary, so he can take whatever discount he wants to assemble a championship squad this summer. Will be interesting to see how the league might try to manage such things so that top talent doesn't aggregate on, say, 4 squads in attempts to win chips and endorsement deals.

Eastern Oregon Bear said:

---

concordtom said:

---

Interesting to note:
Zaza
McGee
Jordan Bell
Cook

All DNP

---

The Warriors didn't need them to beat Houston. The others were capable of handling it. Might as well rest those four for game 2 and the rest of the series.

---

Cook I get, but the Warriors had no true big man in the game.
David West played 4 minutes, is listed at 6'9". Kevon Looney is also 6'9" and played many of his 25 minutes guarding Harden at the 3-pt line.

Can you imagine such a thing back in the days of Kareem, Ewing, etc?
The game is very different now. I know we've been saying this a lot lately, but it still boggles my mind. For years here, I've asked folks to post their all-time dream team.
Do we now forgo guys like Wilt and Kareem because they can't play in the new style, instead opting for guys like Nowitzki at the pivot? Or do we shun the pivot altogether?

How did this happen? Did it really take 30+ years to realize that 3 is greater than 2?
Or did the league-wide long range shooting percentages finally catch up, allowing such a strategy?

I love Klay. He's my favorite player on the warriors because of his humility and the fact that he brings all he brings offensively and is one of the best lock down defenders in the league at his position.

About him taking less money in his next contract, how does the fact that the warriors have his bird rights affect the impact that his next contract has on the warriors cap space? Seems unfair that Curry gets a max deal, Durant will likely get a max deal but Klay takes a large discount?

I've wondered the exact same thing.

Maybe the W's give his shoe company a prime advertising deal at the arena.
I'm sure there are plenty of ways to hide the payments. Colleges do it!

Look at these lists.
At some point, who cares about the Wimbledon championships prize money, when you can sell all that clothing!?!

http://opendorse.com/blog/2016-highest-paid-athlete-endorsers/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/06/09/the-nbas-biggest-shoe-deals/#6bc12cb71520

We've had the conversation here before. How much does winning now (improving your name brand) lend to future income opportunities in the 40 years after you retire?

The difference between $150m and $200m looks like a lot, until you add in current endorsements, future endorsements, future job opportunities (behind the mic, public speaking, books, board of directors, coaching, etc.) that come as a result of being part of a historic dynasty.

Better to be on a winner at $150m or an also ran for $200m?
I think the smart guys are the ones who recognize they already have enough money at $50m, and so opt for the cherry on top, which money can't buy. Durant was smart to join the Warriors, and everyone who whines about it not being fair is stupid. I bet that type of thing only increases, until eventually the league office finds a way to separate such alliances.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

evanluck said:

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I love Klay. He's my favorite player on the warriors because of his humility and the fact that he brings all he brings offensively and is one of the best lock down defenders in the league at his position.

About him taking less money in his next contract, how does the fact that the warriors have his bird rights affect the impact that his next contract has on the warriors cap space? Seems unfair that Curry gets a max deal, Durant will likely get a max deal but Klay takes a large discount?

---

It's up to klay, but he won't be in the poor house if he signs at a discount. A more detailed writeup is in the Athletic.

https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2018/5/11/17345272/2018-nba-rumors-golden-state-warriors-extension-klay-thompson-report-discount

Rockets fans are in an absolute uproar over the "no call" for the apparent back court violation.

The thing is, it wasn't even a backcourt violation. At no time did the dubs have possession after curry's missed three. Thus it didn't matter if a rocket player touched the ball or not before the ball passed the half court line.

I'm a little surprised no one in the media has really caught onto this yet.

concordtom said:

---

Look at these lists.
At some point, who cares about the Wimbledon championships prize money, when you can sell all that clothing!?!

http://opendorse.com/blog/2016-highest-paid-athlete-endorsers/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/06/09/the-nbas-biggest-shoe-deals/#6bc12cb71520

We've had the conversation here before. How much does winning now (improving your name brand) lend to future income opportunities in the 40 years after you retire?

The difference between $150m and $200m looks like a lot, until you add in current endorsements, future endorsements, future job opportunities (behind the mic, public speaking, books, board of directors, coaching, etc.) that come as a result of being part of a historic dynasty.

Better to be on a winner at $150m or an also ran for $200m?
I think the smart guys are the ones who recognize they already have enough money at $50m, and so opt for the cherry on top, which money can't buy. Durant was smart to join the Warriors, and everyone who whines about it not being fair is stupid. I bet that type of thing only increases, until eventually the league office finds a way to separate such alliances.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

---

This is right. And what a lot of people don't realize is that being in Silicon Valley is a big plus financially but even more than that being on the west coast (and closer to Asia) is an even bigger deal. You think it's a coincidence that warriors players spend so much time in Asia in the offseason. That's where the real endorsement money is, not in the us

Eastern Oregon Bear said:

---

concordtom said:

---

Interesting to note:
Zaza
McGee
Jordan Bell
Cook

All DNP

---

The Warriors didn't need them to beat Houston. The others were capable of handling it. Might as well rest those four for game 2 and the rest of the series.

---

It's very unlikely that Zaza or McGee see any time this series. Bell might see a few minutes, and Cook's time depends on how Curry is feeling plus whether Nick Young keeps up his adequate play.

I don't think Zaza will get a non-garbage minute unless the W's end up in the Finals against Cleveland.

evanluck said:

---

I love Klay. He's my favorite player on the warriors because of his humility and the fact that he brings all he brings offensively and is one of the best lock down defenders in the league at his position.

About him taking less money in his next contract, how does the fact that the warriors have his bird rights affect the impact that his next contract has on the warriors cap space? Seems unfair that Curry gets a max deal, Durant will likely get a max deal but Klay takes a large discount?

---

Curry already played through one very under-market deal, which made sense for both sides at the time but which he vastly out-performed. He was something like the 4th or 5th highest paid Warrior while winning two MVP's. Durant took $7 million less than offered last year to help sign Iguodala and Livingston, and he's definitely a max player while I'd argue Klay is clearly in a tier below.

It's not a cap space issue as much as a luxury tax issue. Klay hasn't taken a discount since there's no extension yet, so there's no way to analyze the numbers, but the max he can make with the W's would be $188 million over five years. The max he can make on the open market is $139 million over four years. If he signs a max extension projections are the Warriors would be paying $184 million in salary and an additional $219 million in luxury tax payments. And Draymond is coming up for extension the year after which could bump it to $188 million in salary and $256 million in luxury tax. So the W's obviously are going to look for ways to reduce the tax payments.