OT: Golden State Warriors Sputtering Toward the End

upstater1 said:

For those that watch the NBA, it's interesting to see how the Warriors are playing their worst ball as they're coming to the end of an almost historic season.

Looks very much like the end of the 2007 season for the Patriots. They may get to 73 wins, but just like the Patriots, they are playing their worst ball of the season as they approach the end.

Being this good apparently wears on a team.

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It ain't over 'til it's over...

Todd Bradley said:

Why?

He's Al Jefferson 2.0. Certainly a serviceable player, but plays no defense and is nowhere near a piece that moves the Celtics even an inch towards contention.

And unlike Big Al, he's a headcase who gets drunk underage then punches heckling fans in the street while on the road. No thank you.

You package your chips and put them towards someone like Paul George or Jimmy Butler instead.

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Jimmy Butler doesn't really move the needle either. Plus everyone on his own team hates him. I don't want either of them.

rochrist said:

Jimmy Butler doesn't really move the needle either. Plus everyone on his own team hates him. I don't want either of them.

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Jimmy Butler doesn't make this team a contender in the East? Really?

A wing with lock down defense who can make tough, clutch shots isn't what the Celtics need?

Did you watch the Atlanta series, where the Hawks doubled and even triple teamed Isaiah Thomas, the only offensive threat for Boston, on every possession and dared any other player on the court to beat them? And to the Hawks joy....a bunch of open misses and no one could.

Butler changes that immensely, and opens up the court for the other four players, especially Thomas. Of course Butler moves the needle. Let's not be silly here.

Todd Bradley said:

Jimmy Butler doesn't make this team a contender in the East? Really?

A wing with lock down defense who can make tough, clutch shots isn't what the Celtics need?

Did you watch the Atlanta series, where the Hawks doubled and even triple teamed Isaiah Thomas, the only offensive threat for Boston, on every possession and dared any other player on the court to beat them? And to the Hawks joy....a bunch of open misses and no one could.

Butler changes that immensely, and opens up the court for the other four players, especially Thomas. Of course Butler moves the needle. Let's not be silly here.

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So why is Chicago eager to get rid of him? Why did no one on the Bulls want to play with him? Getting Butler means you have to dump all-nba first team defender Bradley. who while not the shooter Butler is, has improved every year, who shot .48 this year, .36 from three. So you get 5 points more a game with /at best/ the same defense and not as good 3 point shooting. Keep in mind the Hawks beat them without Bradley playing. Also Butler costs 18 mil a year vs. Bradley's 8.

PatriotsPimp136 said:

I wanna see the celtics trade for okafor

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He's awful. I don't want awful players who do one thing well on the Celtics. He plays no defense, cannot pass, and is lazy and selfish. He's actually awful.

Butler is great but he's injury prone and his prime might not be long. I'd rather take a rookie who we'd basically have 8 yrs of control of. A lot of good players available at 3. I like Murray and Buddy a lot.

rochrist said:

So why is Chicago eager to get rid of him? Why did no one on the Bulls want to play with him? Getting Butler means you have to dump all-nba first team defender Bradley. who while not the shooter Butler is, has improved every year, who shot .48 this year, .36 from three. So you get 5 points more a game with /at best/ the same defense and not as good 3 point shooting. Keep in mind the Hawks beat them without Bradley playing. Also Butler costs 18 mil a year vs. Bradley's 8.

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They're not. They just sent him to the Lottery on their behalf. That doesn't sound like a team that's willing to dump him for pennies on the dollar because of his "reputation". I guess Paul Pierce was a team cancer and had a bad rep when he played on the subpar 00's Celtics teams and wanted out....

And you're making assumption on his reputation from which you have no facts on. It was only reported that Butler wanted to be the leader on the team, but got flack for it from longtime Bulls like Noah and Rose, who felt they were still the "headhonchos".

And likewise, it was only reported that Butler felt Rose's work ethic was lacking. Not much of a stretch to believe that Rose, who had a terrible season, wasn't working hard on his craft in a season where they collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the first time in a long time.... Doesn't sound like a team cancer to me, but hey, support your own agenda I guess...

And acting like losing Bradley for Butler is world ending is stupidity. Butler is a renowned defender in his own right. A 3x 2nd Team Defensvie player, 2x All Star and is MILES above Bradley as an offensive threat. Please.... And money comparisons? Are you kidding me? The Celtics have one of the largest amounts of open cap space in the league. Money is not an issue whatsoever.

You cant have it both ways. Either they want to dump him and dont want to rebuild around a 26 year old 'superstar', or they don't, in which case you're going to have to overpay for someone who does the same things as a guy you already have locked up with a steal of a contract. So you get rid of one of the pieces or performs and dont replace any of the pieces who dont.

Hercules Rockefeller said:

He's awful. I don't want awful players who do one thing well on the Celtics. He plays no defense, cannot pass, and is lazy and selfish. He's actually awful.

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His stats are quite a bit better once they got Ish Smith. Hard to be motivated to play defense on an awful team. Not sure if he's quite as bad as people make him out to be.

Hercules Rockefeller said:

He's awful. I don't want awful players who do one thing well on the Celtics. He plays no defense, cannot pass, and is lazy and selfish. He's actually awful.

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I don't agree with that. His defense needs work but he has a good inside game. Knowing ainge he will draft bender. I would stay away from him.

rochrist said:

You cant have it both ways. Either they want to dump him and dont want to rebuild around a 26 year old 'superstar', or they don't, in which case you're going to have to overpay for someone who does the same things as a guy you already have locked up with a steal of a contract. So you get rid of one of the pieces or performs and dont replace any of the pieces who dont.

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Except they're not the same type of player at all, so your entire argument is off basis to begin with.

Jimmy Butler is a 6'7" Small Forward who guards players like LeBron and Carmelo, and does so with great success.

Avery Bradley is a 6'2" Shooting Guard who guards players like Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving, and does so with great success.

So okay, for the sake of argument, let's say they are similar players, even though they play two entirely different positions on the court.

The Celtics have a gigantic glut of young Shooting Guards waiting in the wings, such as Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, RJ Hunter and James Young.

At Small Forward, the Celtics have the solid and hustle friendly, but mediocre, Jae Crowder and..............nobody else.

So now take a step back and review the situation: trading Bradley in a package for Butler makes a ton of sense considering you have a ton of young SG replacements, especially Marcus Smart, who after another year of seasoning, will essentially BE Bradley, and maybe better. At SF, you have...no one.

You trade Bradley for Butler every single day of the week and you don't think about it for a split second. If you don't see the big picture you have little knowledge of team construction and depth in the NBA.

Froob said:

His stats are quite a bit better once they got Ish Smith. Hard to be motivated to play defense on an awful team. Not sure if he's quite as bad as people make him out to be.

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Nerlens Noel managed to play defense on an awful team. They're an awful team in part because Okafor was supposed to be their best player. This was their worst season in their tank job, and he is allegedly the best player they've had during this time.

He's a good back to the basket post scorer, which doesn't translate to wins. The only numbers that went up after Ish arrived was his shooting percentage. He's an embarrassingly bad rebounder, cannot pass, uses a ton of possessions, doesn't hustle or play defense, and has shown to be a poor decision maker off the floor also. He also got hurt a number of times this year and kept missing games because of it.

Stevens wants agile bigs who can shoot and defend. Okafor doesn't fit any of the traits he looks for in his bigs. I don't want a guy whose upside is Jefferson or Zack Randolph lite. Naw to Okafor.

PatriotsPimp136 said:

I don't agree with that. His defense needs work but he has a good inside game. Knowing ainge he will draft bender. I would stay away from him.

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He has a good inside game. See above for what else he does well, which is nothing. I'd rather draft Bender than trade for a lazy big who can't rebound and is immature and gets hurt a lot

I am just shocked at how awful the warriors have been in this series. Seems like the thunder always have the lead. They needed a choke from the thunder and some hot shooting to force a game 7. They better come out in the second half and play well. I think against the cavs it would be different but they gonna have to survive the thunder.

thunder will blow this again. Westbrook becomes selfish and foolish when it gets close.

It must be disheartening when you defend as well as you can then Curry and Thompson hit spot up 3s in your face time and time again.

ausbacker said:

It must be disheartening when you defend as well as you can then Curry and Thompson hit spot up 3s in your face time and time again.

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it is criminal even. Their shooting is almost not fair. I bet they can shoot the treys with their eyes closed.

This game is going to go to the wire though, Ok city will not go out like wimps.

ausbacker said:

It must be disheartening when you defend as well as you can then Curry and Thompson hit spot up 3s in your face time and time again.

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Must be how DBs feel against Minitron and Amendola.

This is sick.
It must really suck competing against him. Oh, I can feel the jealousy.