concordtom said:

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Anyone starting to have regret of picking Wiseman over LaMelo Ball?

Ball made a career-high seven 3-pointers most of them from several feet behind the arc and finished with 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds Monday night as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the short-handed Houston Rockets 119-94.

Ball is 21 of 40 from beyond the arc in his last six games.

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LOL. No.

concordtom said:

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That said, I suspect Ball wouldn't mix well with the Warriors.
Draymond would be up his butt.
Ball wouldn't be able to play so freely with these revered vets/legends.

But, MAN, that could be a fun show. Small ball seems to be working well, and having Ball as a dynamic engine to it all could have been whiplash fun.

I've been VERY wary of any of the Balls for a long time. But Dad has finally shut up, and LaMelo is making me eat my words. Good for him.

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A couple of years ago, I would've bet almost anything that LaMelo wouldn't end up as good as his older brother Lonzo, mainly just because of regression to the mean on the ol' family tree.

Some of my best bets have been the ones I didn't make.

Big C said:

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concordtom said:

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That said, I suspect Ball wouldn't mix well with the Warriors.
Draymond would be up his butt.
Ball wouldn't be able to play so freely with these revered vets/legends.

But, MAN, that could be a fun show. Small ball seems to be working well, and having Ball as a dynamic engine to it all could have been whiplash fun.

I've been VERY wary of any of the Balls for a long time. But Dad has finally shut up, and LaMelo is making me eat my words. Good for him.

---

A couple of years ago, I would've bet almost anything that LaMelo wouldn't end up as good as his older brother Lonzo, mainly just because of regression to the mean on the ol' family tree.

Some of my best bets have been the ones I didn't make.

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Hm if anything, I would have thought regression to the mean would suggest that LaMelo ends up better than Lonzo given that Lonzo has been a bit of a disappointment when you consider how much he was hyped coming out of UCLA, not to mention that LaMelo has long been considered to be the most talented of the three Ball brothers. LaMelo's issues have always been a question of mental rather than physical ability, whether he is mature and unselfish enough to acclimate to a professional basketball environment where he doesn't have free rein to do whatever he feels like on the court at any given time because his dad has the coach or team under his thumb.

In that vein, to concordtom's question, I don't think the Warriors would have necessarily been wrong with any of the top 3 picks, all of who have a sky-high ceiling on offense but faced significant questions (fair or not) as to their ability to reach that ceiling prior to the draft. Edwards was considered a poor defender who also didn't seem 100% committed to basketball. Wiseman only ever played 3 games in college, and the ongoing evolution toward wing players in the NBA leaves questions on how he will ultimately fit several years from now. Ball was seen to be afflicted with whatever the basketball version of affluenza is. The safe choice for the Warriors would have been to trade back for someone like Tyrese Halliburton, but it's probably fair to assume that the uncertainties surrounding the top 3 guys dampened enthusiasm by other teams to trade up. So I for one am happy with the Wiseman pick and look forward to watching his growth between this season and next.

JeffBear07 said:

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Big C said:

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concordtom said:

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That said, I suspect Ball wouldn't mix well with the Warriors.
Draymond would be up his butt.
Ball wouldn't be able to play so freely with these revered vets/legends.

But, MAN, that could be a fun show. Small ball seems to be working well, and having Ball as a dynamic engine to it all could have been whiplash fun.

I've been VERY wary of any of the Balls for a long time. But Dad has finally shut up, and LaMelo is making me eat my words. Good for him.

---

A couple of years ago, I would've bet almost anything that LaMelo wouldn't end up as good as his older brother Lonzo, mainly just because of regression to the mean on the ol' family tree.

Some of my best bets have been the ones I didn't make.

---

Hm if anything, I would have thought regression to the mean would suggest that LaMelo ends up better than Lonzo given that Lonzo has been a bit of a disappointment when you consider how much he was hyped coming out of UCLA, not to mention that LaMelo has long been considered to be the most talented of the three Ball brothers. LaMelo's issues have always been a question of mental rather than physical ability, whether he is mature and unselfish enough to acclimate to a professional basketball environment where he doesn't have free rein to do whatever he feels like on the court at any given time because his dad has the coach or team under his thumb.

In that vein, to concordtom's question, I don't think the Warriors would have necessarily been wrong with any of the top 3 picks, all of who have a sky-high ceiling on offense but faced significant questions (fair or not) as to their ability to reach that ceiling prior to the draft. Edwards was considered a poor defender who also didn't seem 100% committed to basketball. Wiseman only ever played 3 games in college, and the ongoing evolution toward wing players in the NBA leaves questions on how he will ultimately fit several years from now. Ball was seen to be afflicted with whatever the basketball version of affluenza is. The safe choice for the Warriors would have been to trade back for someone like Tyrese Halliburton, but it's probably fair to assume that the uncertainties surrounding the top 3 guys dampened enthusiasm by other teams to trade up. So I for one am happy with the Wiseman pick and look forward to watching his growth between this season and next.

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I didn't know that LaMelo has long been considered the most talented of the brothers. Regarding Lonzo, okay, a little disappointing in the NBA, but on my family tree, if you're a college star, a top NBA draft pick and playing pretty well there, you're quite the outlier!

Big C said:

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JeffBear07 said:

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Big C said:

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concordtom said:

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That said, I suspect Ball wouldn't mix well with the Warriors.
Draymond would be up his butt.
Ball wouldn't be able to play so freely with these revered vets/legends.

But, MAN, that could be a fun show. Small ball seems to be working well, and having Ball as a dynamic engine to it all could have been whiplash fun.

I've been VERY wary of any of the Balls for a long time. But Dad has finally shut up, and LaMelo is making me eat my words. Good for him.

---

A couple of years ago, I would've bet almost anything that LaMelo wouldn't end up as good as his older brother Lonzo, mainly just because of regression to the mean on the ol' family tree.

Some of my best bets have been the ones I didn't make.

---

Hm if anything, I would have thought regression to the mean would suggest that LaMelo ends up better than Lonzo given that Lonzo has been a bit of a disappointment when you consider how much he was hyped coming out of UCLA, not to mention that LaMelo has long been considered to be the most talented of the three Ball brothers. LaMelo's issues have always been a question of mental rather than physical ability, whether he is mature and unselfish enough to acclimate to a professional basketball environment where he doesn't have free rein to do whatever he feels like on the court at any given time because his dad has the coach or team under his thumb.

In that vein, to concordtom's question, I don't think the Warriors would have necessarily been wrong with any of the top 3 picks, all of who have a sky-high ceiling on offense but faced significant questions (fair or not) as to their ability to reach that ceiling prior to the draft. Edwards was considered a poor defender who also didn't seem 100% committed to basketball. Wiseman only ever played 3 games in college, and the ongoing evolution toward wing players in the NBA leaves questions on how he will ultimately fit several years from now. Ball was seen to be afflicted with whatever the basketball version of affluenza is. The safe choice for the Warriors would have been to trade back for someone like Tyrese Halliburton, but it's probably fair to assume that the uncertainties surrounding the top 3 guys dampened enthusiasm by other teams to trade up. So I for one am happy with the Wiseman pick and look forward to watching his growth between this season and next.

---

I didn't know that LaMelo has long been considered the most talented of the brothers. Regarding Lonzo, okay, a little disappointing in the NBA, but on my family tree, if you're a college star, a top NBA draft pick and playing pretty well there, you're quite the outlier!

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It's kinda funny in a way, but the Ball brothers are like the stereotypical 1st born - middle child - youngest archetypes. Lonzo was like the BMOC, due in no small part in coming out at the peak of Lavar's Lavar-ness. LiAngelo is basically the inferior kid no one cares about. And LaMelo is the cocky coddled one who'll probably end up surpassing big brother as long as he keeps his head on straight. That said, I sure wouldn't mind having Gelo's skills and being a Saturday morning superstar on the local park blacktop.

"The Curry brothers are dominating the league on a nightly basis with nearly unmatched shooting prowess and all-around play, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

Seth, the Sixers' starting SG, is on pace for an unprecedented 50-50-100 season. He'll likely (but not necessarily!) miss a free throw at some point, but even if that happens his season could still be one for the ages.

The 50-40-90 club (FG%-3PT%-FT%) is one of the NBA's most elite, with just eight members (including Steph).

Through 18 games, Seth is shooting 50.3% from the field (8.8 attempts per game), 50.7% from three (4.2 attempts) and 100% from the line (30 for 30).

Fun fact: Seth's career three-point percentage (44.73%) is second only to Steph's coach, Steve Kerr (45.4%). Steph, meanwhile, ranks fifth (43.45%).

Steph is more or less matching his 2015-16 season, when he won the only unanimous MVP in NBA history.

That year: 30.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists with 5.1 made threes and a 66.9% true shooting percentage.
This year: 29.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists with 4.8 made threes and a 65.6% true shooting percentage." Axios

Something tells me he'd have at least 1 more assist this year with Klay shooting instead of Oubre or Wiggins.

I wonder how many minutes and ppg Seth is getting.

He's like 42 or 84 from 3.
He's 30 of 30 from FT line.
Averaging 12.5 ppg, and about 28 minutes in 22 games, or so.

Long ways to go for a full season.

Sexton was befuddled all game on how to defend Curry.

The underneath handoff and screen on the 3rd bucket in this clip was hilarious, and the two players ran back downcourt laughing. Watch the communication between them, saying "okay, do this one" before it happens.

Poor Sexton!

"He's on, I think, the best run that I've ever seen him on," Kerr told 95.7 The Game's Damon, Ratto and Kolsky.

"I know that's saying a lot because he's had some incredible stretches. But given the differences in the roster -- a run three years ago with [Kevin Durant] and [Klay Thompson] next to him versus a run now, for the reasons you just mentioned with all the different defenses and double teams, I just think this is more impressive. What I see is a guy who is equally lethal on and off the ball to an extent that nobody has ever been in the history of the league. When you think about all the best scorers, you really think about them on ball, dominating the ball one-on-one, pick-and-roll, whatever it is.

"But to see Steph so efficient on pick-and-roll, and then to see him become Reggie Miller or Rip Hamilton when he's off the ball and just flying around screens and catching and shooting, there's nobody like him. He's such a unique talent and unique force. That's why it's such a joy to watch him play because he just stresses the defense in such different ways."

Over the last 10 games, Curry is on a streak where he has scored at least 25 points and is shooting over 50 percent from the field in each contest. The last guard to achieve that feat was Jordan, who did so in 11 straight games during the 1995-96 season.

In his last 10 games, Curry is averaging 34.5 points per game while shooting 58 percent from the field and 51.2 percent from 3-point range while attempting 12.1 triples per game per game.

Curry has been fantastic all year. MVP-level. He didn't have a great shooting night against the Heat, but made some clutch threes at the end.

Btw, Draymond's stat line against the Cavs:
8 rebs, 16 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 6 pts (3-6)

He's now 6th in the league in assists, just a shade behind Jokic. I think he'll end up ahead of Jokic by season's end. If he keeps up with his February pace he could be top-3.

Would love to see his shooting return to something approaching respectable, but he's really elevated his play this month.

And love the consistency that Wiggins has shown this year. He's been efficient on offense and locking it down on defense. Last night he locked Butler down (6-15 with no FTs).

The Warriors are a fun team. They're not going to win a title, but they are very watchable.

Stanford Jonah said:

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I miss watching Wiseman something fierce. Honestly haven't watched many games since he got hurt. But Curry is amazing and Oubre finally seems back to being the player he was before his early season slump.

They desperately need a healthy Klay back.

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They've been giving up easy buckets in the paint without Wiseman and looney, and never had (the other young big from UW). It's been ridiculously frustrating at times, the lack of size.

But they have been also playing their MOST enjoyable basketball during this time. 5-wide, 5-spread with tons of screens, back cuts, side cuts, bombs 3's in a hurry, layup dishes underneath, acrobatic drives to the whole. It's playground frenetic and often successful.

Toscano-Anderson is creating a long-term roster spot for himself as a mini Draymond. And Curry is ON it something else not having the big confused puppy dog to bring along.

I almost wonder if they are intentionally keeping him out so he can grow up. He seemed to be growing more and more stressed. You hardly ever see him smile. It's like he's gone away to summer camp and everyone else seems to know each other but him, and he just wants to go back home.
I hope he's living with his mom or someone from back home. It'll be fun to see Wiseman reboot soon. How has he grown while on the bench during this stretch?

Interesting last 3 games from Warriors.
Two bad losses, followed by a fairly ugly win over the Knicks tonight.
However, Wiseman and Looney are back and both played well.

Draymond Green not only blew the end of the game vs Charlotte with his childish double tech ejection in a game we led by 3, but he continues to look to pass first (second and third) instead of put the ball in the basket. It's gotten to be such a theme for him that the Knicks repeatedly intercepted passes from him as he drove the lane only to kick the ball out.
Yeah, he's had a ton of assists lately and helps them in many ways, but his attitude and shooting are problems. Interesting to see where his career ends up going.

Steph has had a rough stretch since my last post here where he had a fantastic stretch. Teams are also abandoning his teammates and double and tripling him all over. Will be interesting to see what Klay's reintroduction means, next year.

Oubre has become the player we thought he'd be, and he is now outplaying Wiggins, who has seemingly hit a slump. I still say the teams can't keep both players next year, but what do I know about NBA contracts? (not much!)

My eyes remain on the draft - specifically, the draft lottery. The w's own the Timberwolves pick (1-3 protected), but the wolves have the worst record in the NBA and so would need to be overtaken by 3 teams in the lottery. As they've fired their coach, it appears their tankathon is on and the Warriors will have to wait for an unprotected 2022 pick. My guess is they trade it - they just can't wait long enough for another young player to catch up before the Curry/Klay window closes.
Half the fun with the NBA days is playing arm-chair GM, trying to figure out what moves need to be made. Because I don't think Klay coming back alone gets them back into contention right now.

I'll add this: Wannamaker is not going to make this team again next year.


I think Smiley is going to have to be cut, too. It says his money is "not fully guaranteed" next 2 years. I'd look for him to be cut to make way for another person (like, a draft pick).

Nico Mannion is also gone, but he's already a 2-way.
I imagine the W's will try to find a way to keep Toscano Anderson.

Mulder and Lee are questionable. Lee could stay. Mulder may be gone (my GM opinion).

I'd like to keep Bazemore.
Gotta keep Paschall!

Jordan Poole (can he play in the league?) and Marquese Chriss (what does his broken leg return look like?) are questionable. Time will tell.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/GSW.html

Do the W's have any interest in Blake Griffin?

Detroit is looking to buy him out.

dimitrig said:

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Do the W's have any interest in Blake Griffin?

Detroit is looking to buy him out.

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He's done. He was only good when he was athletic and dunking on people. Now that he's just a below average jump shooter, he couldn't even start for this team. He's just a contract at this point.

Well, Curry has gone into a steep shooting slump from Deep.
But Wiseman and Looney are back and the band marches on.

Tonight is revenge against Charlotte at 7PM.
Be there or be square.

Steph Curry has become the all-time free throw king, improving his career average to 90.75% (166-177 this season). Axios

Oh, wow. I looked some time ago and he was #3. But I checked and he's over 93% for this season and that has pushed him above Steve Nash, Mark Price and Rick Barry.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ft_pct_career.html

But look at who is #15 on that list at 88%+....... Kevin Durant.

Other active players,
#9: JJ Redick is over 95% this year.
#10: Damian Lillard is climbing the chart at 93.4% this year.

Those behind Steph:

Trivia answer: Steve Nash (90.43%); Mark Price (90.39%); Peja Stojakovi (89.48%); Chauncey Billups (89.40%) Axios

Greatest play ever?

Steve Kerr had to submit to the fact that genius is one step beyond.
Go with the flow.
"Use The Force - Let Go Your Inhibitions!"

What's not to like about Steph?

concordtom said:

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Greatest play ever?

Steve Kerr had to submit to the fact that genius is one step beyond.
Go with the flow.
"Use The Force - Let Go Your Inhibitions!"

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I'm sure there are many other plays that people would cite as having much more significant ramifications, but in terms of pure skill, audacity, and "***" aura, this has to be way up there.

Great explanation of the Odds for Warriors getting the Wolves' draft pick:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/2/9/22273403/golden-state-warriors-minnesota-timberwolves-draft-pick

http://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds


If the Wolves finish with THE WORST record in the NBA, as they have now,
the odds of them getting the #1 pick in the Draft Lottery are 14.0%. And they keep it.
odds of getting #2: 13.4%, and they keep it.
odds of getting #3: 12.7%, and they keep it.
odds of getting #4 and having it go to Warriors: 12.0%
odds of getting #4 and having it go to Warriors: 47.9%

that = a 63 percent chance the pick lands outside the top three and transfers to Warriors this year.

That result also means a 37 percent chance the owed pick carries over to the 2022 draft, at which point it would be unprotected and Golden State could simultaneously dream on a no. 1 pick and dread a sudden Minnesota surge in the standings. (If 1,2 or 3, the Wolves keep their pick and W's would get 2022 unprotected 1st round pick.)

Fun Fact Found:

Number of 30 point games with 50-50-100 splits in NBA history
1. Stephen Curry (76)
2. Larry Bird (50)
3. Dirk Nowitzki (48)
4. Kevin Durant (41)
5. Michael Jordan (39)

All this talk about Warriors blowing it by taking Wiseman instead of Lamelo is bothering me.
Clearly, Ball is the better player at this point, and while Wiseman shows a lot of promise, it looks like Ball could be a much bigger star over the next 10-15 years. Not only that, but Ball in the next 3 could bring Warriors better value while Steph is hot stuff.

But on top of that, Jalen Rose is saying that the Warriors TOLD Lamelo they would take him instead of Wiseman.
This story is just heating up.



I'll add this - had the W's taken Ball, they would NOT have acquired Oubre. Instead, they'd have gone after a BIG veteran on the used car market.

concordtom said:

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All this talk about Warriors blowing it by taking Wiseman instead of Lamelo is bothering me.
Clearly, Ball is the better player at this point, and while Wiseman shows a lot of promise, it looks like Ball could be a much bigger star over the next 10-15 years. Not only that, but Ball in the next 3 could bring Warriors better value while Steph is hot stuff.

But on top of that, Jalen Rose is saying that the Warriors TOLD Lamelo they would take him instead of Wiseman.
This story is just heating up.



I'll add this - had the W's taken Ball, they would NOT have acquired Oubre. Instead, they'd have gone after a BIG veteran on the used car market.

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You really should have stayed away.

I like this guy more every time I hear him talk:

But what the heck is the noise in the background? Is he having this interview while the game is going on ?

concordtom said:

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I like this guy more every time I hear him talk:

But what the heck is the noise in the background? Is he having this interview while the game is going on ?

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I think it's the wind on her end.

I read the article after... it was pregame, so they were out shooting warmups and stuff. with fake crowd noise, too, I guess.

Man, W's looked good yesterday, and like crap tonight. That's the way this season has gone.
Let's just get a good draft pick and a healthy Klay.

I can't resist, it's Friday yo.

When did this thread get moved to Off Topic? I feel so dirty posting here.

Anyway, I certainly didn't think Poole would look like this in year 2. He's the alpha dog of the 2nd unit if he keeps this up.