The Warriors just absolutely SMOKED an OKC squad with both Russ and Durant on the floor. It was not close. Regular season don't mean shit, but right now they are the best team in the NBA.
OKC is not the same OKC from last season. They been a .500 team from jump.
Durant was out for the first 17 games and then was out again in late Dec only to return 2 games before the GSW beating.
I wouldnt use them as a gauge on how good ones team is.
This shit is a marathon. One month a team can be on a hot steak and then slip into 2nd or 3rd.
Some other team can have a huge injury or make a Rondo trade. Claiming the best in January is meaningless.
Shit Atlanta is hot right now and ONE game behind GSW. "Best" is fleeting unless your talkin about 70 wins w/ a 20 game win streak in May heading into the Playoffs well-oiled.
"Best" in the L w/ Wins.....crawled into the Playoffs to get knocked in the EC Finals. And didnt really deserve to go that deep.
The team they barely survived past were just inexperienced.
I'm not expecting the Warriors to win a championship this year but I will be pissed if we don't make it to the western conference finals.
There are two major issues that will prevent us from getting there.
If we face the Spurs in the 1st or 2nd round we will be out. San Antonio has our number and I don't think we're there yet to beat them in a 7 game series.
2nd caveat would be if we face Memphis in the 2nd round without Bogut. Again, they're size would overwhelm us in a 7 game series if we did not have a full set of healthy bigs. Healthy squad vs healthy squad though we've got a 50-50 chance against Memphis in the playoffs.
As for turnovers, Curry had no turnovers in the two previous games before the OKC game, and then just had 2 against the Thunder. Turnovers are not a real issue anymore unlike the beginning of the season when they were still getting used to the new system.
The Warriors lost in the first round last season because Bogut was out. If he was in we would have a good chance to knock the Clippers out. We play them well.
We've been completely destroying teams this year so I think we've learned that when last year we would let people back into games. That was because last year we had a horrible bench. This year we're really deep.
The Warriors lost in the first round last season because Bogut was out. If he was in we would have a good chance to knock the Clippers out. We play them well.
We've been completely destroying teams this year so I think we've learned that when last year we would let people back into games. That was because last year we had a horrible bench. This year we're really deep.
I hope that destroying teams in the regular season translate to the Playoffs.
I need a convincing kill in a playoffs series that they are ready to go deep.
Pre allstar break faith aint my thang.
And the Spurs so far look vulnerable this season.
The Spurs are the poster child of "regular season don't mean shit". Come playoffs they execute better than anyone so I will never count them out.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
batmon said:
motown67 said:
The Warriors lost in the first round last season because Bogut was out. If he was in we would have a good chance to knock the Clippers out. We play them well.
We've been completely destroying teams this year so I think we've learned that when last year we would let people back into games. That was because last year we had a horrible bench. This year we're really deep.
Pre allstar break faith aint my thang.
Batmon summed up my logic. I've seen too many 'unseasoned' teams look great during the regular season and then stink in the playoffs. Anyone remember the 1994 Seattle Supersonics?
The Warriors lost in the first round last season because Bogut was out. If he was in we would have a good chance to knock the Clippers out. We play them well.
We've been completely destroying teams this year so I think we've learned that when last year we would let people back into games. That was because last year we had a horrible bench. This year we're really deep.
Pre allstar break faith aint my thang.
Batmon summed up my logic. I've seen too many 'unseasoned' teams look great during the regular season and then stink in the playoffs. Anyone remember the 1994 Seattle Supersonics?
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
yeah... that was a 63 win team that went up against some kryptonite.
its took them 2 more seasons to meet the Bulls in the Finals.
By that time Kemps jumper was water and they knew how to play in the halfcourt.
Between Batmon and Big_Stacks, I wonder how many Warriors' games yall have watched this season, seriously.
Mister "Josh Smith trade is gonna be significant".
Point blank, Warriors are doing everything right this year with what they have. They've been together for a few years, seen major improvements since last year, individually and as a team. They've been the most consistent. Play D, yada.
Again, please do not speak on what you know not.
You guys will be the first to get excited about some middle-of-the-pack fringe teams streaking mid-season, or some one-off talents on some weak squad, but don't acknowledge that this Warriors' team is different from last season. This is not the type of analysis I get excited about.
Nobody is saying the Warriors are taking it all either. West teams are beating up on each other for the most part and there are no clear winners out of the elite. Ease up though, they've been the most consistent thus far. That's all anybody is saying.
outside of my shameless homering of toronto and all of it's players, the golden state warriors are my favorite team in the NBA and steph curry my favorite player.
Between Batmon and Big_Stacks, I wonder how many Warriors' games yall have watched this season, seriously.
Mister "Josh Smith trade is gonna be significant".
Point blank, Warriors are doing everything right this year with what they have. They've been together for a few years, seen major improvements since last year, individually and as a team. They've been the most consistent. Play D, yada.
Again, please do not speak on what you know not.
You guys will be the first to get excited about some middle-of-the-pack fringe teams streaking mid-season, or some one-off talents on some weak squad, but don't acknowledge that this Warriors' team is different from last season. This is not the type of analysis I get excited about.
Nobody is saying the Warriors are taking it all either. West teams are beating up on each other for the most part and there are no clear winners out of the elite. Ease up though, they've been the most consistent thus far. That's all anybody is saying.
STFU
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
yuichi said:
Between Batmon and Big_Stacks, I wonder how many Warriors' games yall have watched this season, seriously.
Mister "Josh Smith trade is gonna be significant".
Point blank, Warriors are doing everything right this year with what they have. They've been together for a few years, seen major improvements since last year, individually and as a team. They've been the most consistent. Play D, yada.
Again, please do not speak on what you know not.
You guys will be the first to get excited about some middle-of-the-pack fringe teams streaking mid-season, or some one-off talents on some weak squad, but don't acknowledge that this Warriors' team is different from last season. This is not the type of analysis I get excited about.
Nobody is saying the Warriors are taking it all either. West teams are beating up on each other for the most part and there are no clear winners out of the elite. Ease up though, they've been the most consistent thus far. That's all anybody is saying.
Hey Yuichi,
I've acknowledged the Warriors accomplishments (please read my previous posts more carefully). I have seen them play double-digit times this year, and they do have some noticeable flaws. All I'm saying it is PREMATURE to coronate them as true finals contenders. Time will tell, and NBA history has shown this over and over again.
I've always talked about good fundamentals over flash, and thus my dissing of countless teams over the years. And i agree with you that easy buckets in the low post and and defense are key to playoff success, but this made me believe you weren't watching this GS squad close enough. And as usual, to be completely obnoxious, I watch the games more closely than most...
The Clips will be unable to execute effectively enough (on offense or defense) to win a title. The same goes for Houston, Portland, Golden State, Toronto, Washington, [insert any high-flying, newjack squad with mediocre halfcourt play who score best in transition], etc. The only 3 legitimate finals contenders right now are San Antonio, Chicago (with a healthy Derrick Rose), and Memphis because they are solid at both ends of the court. Some of those other squads will have shots at the title with more focus on solid execution at both ends.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
And I've been a Warriors hater last year and the previous 5 or 10. This team has great potential to make it to the WCF.
@ yuichi - can you consider steph curry a true superstar even though he has an underarmor deal? #shoegate
"Yeah.....any team thats hot, Im behind. Miami was hot and i was all for them. GSW is hot and im reppin' them. Curry is my dude until the next hot team replaces them!....Whos on Miami?"
"my sneaker theory was debunked when the Tim Duncan and adidas killed the Nike Miami!"
@ yuichi - can you consider steph curry a true superstar even though he has an underarmor deal? #shoegate
"Yeah.....any team thats hot, Im behind. Miami was hot and i was all for them. GSW is hot and im reppin' them. Curry is my dude until the next hot team replaces them!....Whos on Miami?"
"my sneaker theory was debunked when the Tim Duncan and adidas killed the Nike Miami!"
The average mortal would not comprehend. UCI's Mamadou say so.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
You guys will be the first to get excited about some middle-of-the-pack fringe teams streaking mid-season, or some one-off talents on some weak squad, but don't acknowledge that this Warriors' team is different from last season
the atlanta Hawks have won 22 of their last 24 including a western road swing. i haven't heard anyone foaming at the mouth for them, even when we maybe really should be.
as per every other year in the history of the NBA, it's going to come down to injuries.
as per every other year in the history of the NBA, it's going to come down to injuries.
This year more than most, it seems. Lot of big-name dudes missing games, or at least gimping their way through reduced minutes.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
batmon said:
Jeff Green to the Memphis Grizzlies is going to be significant.
Absolutely, as they really need scoring help. Durant and Westbrook alone are insufficient to score enough points to outgun the West's high-octane offenses. Plus, Green will help them shore up their perimeter defense. The Thunder need to tighten up their offensive and defensive execution to have any shot at all. Coming down and chucking 3s early in the shot-clock won't get it done. Also, they need to develop more sophisticated team defensive schemes to stop those other Western Conference offensive machines.
On another front, why in the hell is Kevin Love's feet stuck to the three-point line? I was dumbfounded by how many ill-advised 3s he chucked up last night. Literally, the Cavs have no offensive scheme to speak of, just hero, one-on-one ball (e.g., Kyrie Irving) with no continuity. Let's not even get into how horrendous they are defensively. They have no real team identity at all, and it's killing them. It's really hard to tell what they're trying to accomplish on the court in terms of their gameplan. It seems like David Blatt has lost the team in the locker room.
Its numbers for numbers sake and it doesnt translate to team wins.
Theyll get it together down the line. But that coach wont be there and the roster is gonna change too. And the NBA keeps trying to promote their games like they are an elite Eastern team.
Its a shame Irving wont get the learning curve time to become the leader of the team w/ James there now. John Wall grew up over time w/ plenty of growing pains.
Maybe it's just a transitional phase for the Cavs, but Lebron seems to have lost his fire. With all of the business going on outside of basketball, I think he's spread out too thin.
And to beat a dead horse, I picked up the newest SLAM mag with John Wall. Describes how he was frustrated with Reebok pushing the new technology (Zigtech), and not having input on the specifications of the shoe. Adidas, they actually ask for his input...Must be the shoes. For the record.
Maybe it's just a transitional phase for the Cavs, but Lebron seems to have lost his fire. With all of the business going on outside of basketball, I think he's spread out too thin.
I dont expect him to play the same way with a new young team vs the veteran Heat.
He came into Miami that had somewhat of a core still intact, and added Bosh.
Going beast mode is not going to help the kids grow in Cleveland.
So yeah its a looooooong transition phase that wont get resolved overnight, which he told folks already.
Comments
OKC is not the same OKC from last season. They been a .500 team from jump.
Durant was out for the first 17 games and then was out again in late Dec only to return 2 games before the GSW beating.
I wouldnt use them as a gauge on how good ones team is.
This shit is a marathon. One month a team can be on a hot steak and then slip into 2nd or 3rd.
Some other team can have a huge injury or make a Rondo trade. Claiming the best in January is meaningless.
Shit Atlanta is hot right now and ONE game behind GSW. "Best" is fleeting unless your talkin about 70 wins w/ a 20 game win streak in May heading into the Playoffs well-oiled.
BINGO
"Best" in the L w/ Wins.....crawled into the Playoffs to get knocked in the EC Finals. And didnt really deserve to go that deep.
The team they barely survived past were just inexperienced.
There are two major issues that will prevent us from getting there.
If we face the Spurs in the 1st or 2nd round we will be out. San Antonio has our number and I don't think we're there yet to beat them in a 7 game series.
2nd caveat would be if we face Memphis in the 2nd round without Bogut. Again, they're size would overwhelm us in a 7 game series if we did not have a full set of healthy bigs. Healthy squad vs healthy squad though we've got a 50-50 chance against Memphis in the playoffs.
As for turnovers, Curry had no turnovers in the two previous games before the OKC game, and then just had 2 against the Thunder. Turnovers are not a real issue anymore unlike the beginning of the season when they were still getting used to the new system.
I can see the WC Finals.
But I wouldnt be pissed if they didnt, since they got knocked in the first round last season.
Going deep in the Playoffs is usually needed for experience. Do they know how to put a team away yet?
We've been completely destroying teams this year so I think we've learned that when last year we would let people back into games. That was because last year we had a horrible bench. This year we're really deep.
I hope that destroying teams in the regular season translate to the Playoffs.
I need a convincing kill in a playoffs series that they are ready to go deep.
Pre allstar break faith aint my thang.
And the Spurs so far look vulnerable this season.
Batmon summed up my logic. I've seen too many 'unseasoned' teams look great during the regular season and then stink in the playoffs. Anyone remember the 1994 Seattle Supersonics?
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
yeah... that was a 63 win team that went up against some kryptonite.
its took them 2 more seasons to meet the Bulls in the Finals.
By that time Kemps jumper was water and they knew how to play in the halfcourt.
Mister "Josh Smith trade is gonna be significant".
Point blank, Warriors are doing everything right this year with what they have. They've been together for a few years, seen major improvements since last year, individually and as a team. They've been the most consistent. Play D, yada.
Again, please do not speak on what you know not.
You guys will be the first to get excited about some middle-of-the-pack fringe teams streaking mid-season, or some one-off talents on some weak squad, but don't acknowledge that this Warriors' team is different from last season. This is not the type of analysis I get excited about.
Nobody is saying the Warriors are taking it all either. West teams are beating up on each other for the most part and there are no clear winners out of the elite. Ease up though, they've been the most consistent thus far. That's all anybody is saying.
STFU
Hey Yuichi,
I've acknowledged the Warriors accomplishments (please read my previous posts more carefully). I have seen them play double-digit times this year, and they do have some noticeable flaws. All I'm saying it is PREMATURE to coronate them as true finals contenders. Time will tell, and NBA history has shown this over and over again.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
And I've been a Warriors hater last year and the previous 5 or 10. This team has great potential to make it to the WCF.
Detroit is 7-0 since they sent his Carmelo-like team killing ass to Houston.
"Yeah.....any team thats hot, Im behind. Miami was hot and i was all for them. GSW is hot and im reppin' them. Curry is my dude until the next hot team replaces them!....Whos on Miami?"
"my sneaker theory was debunked when the Tim Duncan and adidas killed the Nike Miami!"
Underarmour is aiite. My shoe designer friend, who's a Nike fiend vouches for them.
The average mortal would not comprehend. UCI's Mamadou say so.
GS is about to smash Cleveland!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
D'Antoni proved to be the new Don Nelson, i.e. loves small ball, but doesn't know how to use a big man.
the atlanta Hawks have won 22 of their last 24 including a western road swing. i haven't heard anyone foaming at the mouth for them, even when we maybe really should be.
as per every other year in the history of the NBA, it's going to come down to injuries.
This year more than most, it seems. Lot of big-name dudes missing games, or at least gimping their way through reduced minutes.
Absolutely, as they really need scoring help. Durant and Westbrook alone are insufficient to score enough points to outgun the West's high-octane offenses. Plus, Green will help them shore up their perimeter defense. The Thunder need to tighten up their offensive and defensive execution to have any shot at all. Coming down and chucking 3s early in the shot-clock won't get it done. Also, they need to develop more sophisticated team defensive schemes to stop those other Western Conference offensive machines.
On another front, why in the hell is Kevin Love's feet stuck to the three-point line? I was dumbfounded by how many ill-advised 3s he chucked up last night. Literally, the Cavs have no offensive scheme to speak of, just hero, one-on-one ball (e.g., Kyrie Irving) with no continuity. Let's not even get into how horrendous they are defensively. They have no real team identity at all, and it's killing them. It's really hard to tell what they're trying to accomplish on the court in terms of their gameplan. It seems like David Blatt has lost the team in the locker room.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
KEVIN LOVE IS A BUM!
Its numbers for numbers sake and it doesnt translate to team wins.
Theyll get it together down the line. But that coach wont be there and the roster is gonna change too. And the NBA keeps trying to promote their games like they are an elite Eastern team.
Its a shame Irving wont get the learning curve time to become the leader of the team w/ James there now. John Wall grew up over time w/ plenty of growing pains.
And to beat a dead horse, I picked up the newest SLAM mag with John Wall. Describes how he was frustrated with Reebok pushing the new technology (Zigtech), and not having input on the specifications of the shoe. Adidas, they actually ask for his input...Must be the shoes. For the record.
I dont expect him to play the same way with a new young team vs the veteran Heat.
He came into Miami that had somewhat of a core still intact, and added Bosh.
Going beast mode is not going to help the kids grow in Cleveland.
So yeah its a looooooong transition phase that wont get resolved overnight, which he told folks already.