OT: Golden State Warriors Sputtering Toward the End

[Kontradiction]

Kerr is letting them play way too wreckless, team is too ****y.

I don't understand why he didn't take a timeout when OKC went on that blitz last night. I think there was one point before the end of the first half where GS turned it over three possessions in a row, leading to six straight points from OKC, and Kerr still didn't call a timeout.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He is. The Thunder are throwing two seven footers, Adams and Durant, at Curry and it's completely throwing him off his game. Donovan's substitutions, as far as knowing when to go big and when to play small ball, have been something to marvel at. He out-coached Popp in the semi-finals and now he's taking Kerr and the Warriors to school. As a Gator fan, I miss him. But I'm happy that he's finding success in the NBA. If they beat GS, he'll add an NBA title to his resume, IMO.

Back in my HS days in the late 80s (summer of 88 I think?) Billy came to a summer basketball camp I attended in the Northeast. He was trying to get into coaching college so this was a networking opportunity for him. He and I were the exact same height, build and game (point guard who had decent shooting range) and he spent about 15 minutes with me - specifically around when to shoot the 3 and when not to (as it was still very new to the HS game).

Hes a good dude.

 

[Froob]

I don't understand why he didn't take a timeout when OKC went on that blitz last night. I think there was one point before the end of the first half where GS turned it over three possessions in a row, leading to six straight points from OKC, and Kerr still didn't call a timeout.

It's incredible how such a good team can pay such little attention to detail like that. Cavs probably beat them last year with Kyrie and Love. Theyd look soooo much worse right now if they were on the verge of failing to win with best record two years running.

 

[mikejd]

OKC is exactly the type of team that can handle GS. Long, strong and tough but with talent. Great coaching with players that buy in. Maybe most importantly, they're hungry and not intimidated by anyone.

 

[Todd Bradley]

?

Means that I want them to beat CLE

LOL uhh....Atlanta was swept by Cleveland over two weeks ago...

 

[RobertWeathers]

LOL uhh....Atlanta was swept by Cleveland over two weeks ago...

************.....Looks like picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.

 

[ausbacker]

He is. The Thunder are throwing two seven footers, Adams and Durant, at Curry and it's completely throwing him off his game. Donovan's substitutions, as far as knowing when to go big and when to play small ball, have been something to marvel at. He out-coached Popp in the semi-finals and now he's taking Kerr and the Warriors to school. As a Gator fan, I miss him. But I'm happy that he's finding success in the NBA. If they beat GS, he'll add an NBA title to his resume, IMO.

Since game 1 of the Spurs series, the Thunder have been incredible. GSW look somewhat disjointed but hell, a lot of that credit needs to go to Donovan and the Thunder.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Since game 1 of the Spurs series, the Thunder have been incredible. GSW look somewhat disjointed but hell, a lot of that credit needs to go to Donovan and the Thunder.

Beating the Spurs was a HUGE psychological boost for the Thunder.

If they get by GS, they are winning the whole damn thing.

 

[ausbacker]

Beating the Spurs was a HUGE psychological boost for the Thunder.

If they get by GS, they are winning the whole damn thing.

I tend to agree and better still, it really don't care that I look foolish given I couldn't see how the Warriors could be beat. Well, the Thunder have played some of the best ball I've ever seen so there you go.

 

[BradyFTW!]

All this talk about how we've moved to an era of positionless basketball where size doesn't matter... yup. Maybe you don't need a rim protector at the 4 in most matchups anymore, but you'd better have someone who *can* do it. When even your 'big' lineup entails putting a 6'7 guy out there at the 4/5, you're eventually going to run into a team that can will annihilate you with that.

The Warriors were lucky that they never ran into a matchup like this one last year, can't be totally shocked that it happened this year. They just don't have an answer to Adams/Kanter/Ibaka down low, and even Durant has been surprisingly effective using his crazy length to protect hte rim as a small-ball 4. It's just a terrible matchup for the Warriors.

Beyond the surface stuff, I do see a lot of similarities between this Warriors team and the '07 Pats. The main one being that both teams were led by an absolutely transcendant talent or two that allowed them to overwhelm almost all of their opponents. This masked the fact that both teams gradually became one-dimensional, either due to injuries (Patriots) or a reliance on players who are very exploitable in a bad matchup (Warriors). These kind of things eventually come back and get you if you get stuck with a horrible matchup in the playoffs, which happened to the Pats and has now happened to the warriors.

I dunno if OKC is a better team than GS, but it's definitely a favorable head-to-head matchup for them. Throughout the season, GS has negated size disadvantages before they ever had a chance to become a thing, because by shooting the lights out they forced other teams to go small. But the second those shots stop falling on account of great perimeter defense, size starts mattering. And when size matters, 6'7" Draymond cannot be your sole above-replacement-level 'big' man.

Also, Draymond is a mentally weak faux-tough front-runner who turns into a dirty crybaby ***** the moment things aren't going his way. If he played in the NFL, there is no doubt in my mind he'd be a Raven.

 

[Kontradiction]

Also, Draymond is a mentally weak faux-tough front-runner who turns into a dirty crybaby ***** the moment things aren't going his way. If he played in the NFL, there is no doubt in my mind he'd be a Raven.

He's getting owned by Adams. Green disappearing is one of the biggest reasons why GS finds themselves in a 3-1 hole.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I tend to agree and better still, it really don't care that I look foolish given I couldn't see how the Warriors could be beat. Well, the Thunder have played some of the best ball I've ever seen so there you go.

Me neither. I figured OKC would give them a decent series but I did not see 3 things happening....

1) Westbrook catching absolute fire on all levels. He is playing inspired ball.
2) Green's confidence taking a nosedive on both ends of the floor.
3) Underestimated how banged up SG is.

I don't want to date myself but I'm remember a ton of games in which teams have come back from 3-1 to win a series and also the visiting team in Game 5 closing out an elite team on their home court.

We'll see..

 

[BradyFTW!]

He's getting owned by Adams. Green disappearing is one of the biggest reasons why GS finds themselves in a 3-1 hole.

Best part is that even playing on destroyed testicles, Adams is still owning Green. I don't even particularly like the Thunder and I'm still rooting harder for them than I've rooted for any non-Celtics team in a while.

 

[Kontradiction]

Best part is that even playing on destroyed testicles, Adams is still owning Green. I don't even particularly like the Thunder and I'm still rooting harder for them than I've rooted for any non-Celtics team in a while.

I'll join you there if they meet Cleveland in the Finals. I'm, personally, rooting very hard for a Raptors/Thunder Finals. I think that would be a wildly entertaining series. Even though Toronto eliminated the Heat, I enjoy watching their home games. "Jurassic Park" seems like an awesome place to take in a game. But it will never happen. If someone's eyelash falls on LeBron the wrong way the next couple games, it's going to be a foul.

 

[Froob]

I'm hoping for Toronto to lose, whiniest fanbase ever.

 

[drewskie]

I'm hoping for Toronto to lose, whiniest fanbase ever.

Toronto is legit getting shafted by the refs. Its worse than what the donkeys got against the Pats this year in the SNF game. Everyone knows the league caters more to Lebron more than any other player or team, Warriors and Thunder included.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Me neither. I figured OKC would give them a decent series but I did not see 3 things happening....

1) Westbrook catching absolute fire on all levels. He is playing inspired ball.
2) Green's confidence taking a nosedive on both ends of the floor.
3) Underestimated how banged up SG is.

I don't want to date myself but I'm remember a ton of games in which teams have come back from 3-1 to win a series and also the visiting team in Game 5 closing out an elite team on their home court.

We'll see..

In hindsight, I'm kicking myself for not seeing the Green thing coming. He excels by being chippy and getting in his opponents' heads, but he was never going to get into Adams' head. Three things to know about Adams:

1) he's from New Zealand
2) he has 17 siblings
3) they're all genetic freaks. Take his sister, for example:

Bottom line: he's way too big and athletic for Green to handle, and Green's *****y antics were never going to get to him. I'd be lying if I said I expected Green to just straight up try to crush his nuts, but it shouldn't have been a surprise to see something weird like that go down.

 

[Galeb]

I don't want to date myself

Why not? Although you always have to pick up the check, it's cheaper, less fights and you can score whenever you want.

 

[Froob]

Toronto is legit getting shafted by the refs. Its worse than what the donkeys got against the Pats this year in the SNF game. Everyone knows the league caters more to Lebron more than any other player or team, Warriors and Thunder included.

Raps fans blame every loss on the refs, they were blaming the refs before series began. LeBron gets away with a lot of **** but, he does absorb an awful lot of contact if I'm being honest. Gets similar reffing to Gronk in that respect. Pacers use to take some brutal shots at LeBron with no flagrants called.

 

[Kontradiction]

Raps fans blame every loss on the refs, they were blaming the refs before series began. LeBron gets away with a lot of **** but, he does absorb an awful lot of contact if I'm being honest. Gets similar reffing to Gronk in that respect. Pacers use to take some brutal shots at LeBron with no flagrants called.

And that game plan was effective. If the Pacers had anybody besides Paul George to threaten the Heat with, they would have beaten the Heat in the semi's in 2012 and the ECF in 2013. LeBron always thought twice about driving into the paint against that team. Man, oh man did I hate that team's guts.