Klay: “Just get us there healthy in one piece, hopefully with a decent seed”
[+notes/quotes/video from Warriors-Bulls]
Fwiw, I agree with Klay Thompson from his visit to the podium after the Golden State Warriors lost to the Chicago Bulls: “Just get us (to the playoffs) healthy in one piece, hopefully with a decent seed.”
Bottom line: the sixth seed is still within reach, there’s plenty of time, I have no doubt the Foundational Six will figure it out, but I do think it has been the sole responsibility of the Foundational Six to ensure the whole team comes to each game with a sense of urgency.
Here are the notes, quotes and video from Chicago in reverse chronological order. The behind-the-scenes video will be done by tomorrow morning:
0:00 Steve Kerr pregame audio with two Michael Jordan stories
10:00 commenter: "Without DeMar we should be okay" ironically is the exact attitude that we DON'T want the team to go into this game, DiVincenzo last postgame said to have the "right mental state"
12:00 the whole GOAT conversation of Michael Jordan vs Stephen Curry and, for me, how Steph changed the game etc., these back-stories like the ones we heard from Steve make my pendulum swing back to MJ
20:00 Loon got called for a moving pick on Klay splash, hope that's not a potential record-breaker tonight
25:00 so far this 15-5 deficit is directly attributable to Steph and Loon's turnovers
27:00 Moody for Wiggins then Wiggins for Looney is the first rotation
28:00 6min00 Q1 incredible how one great DPOY play can turn the game around even though he had two ball mis-handles, a missed layup and a missed three (Draymond)
31:30 funny how a non-shooting foul can change the game (floor foul for Steph banker and-one)
34:30 just like the 49ers, our talent today over time should allow us to come back vs Bulls
37:45 Ty Jerome for Steph at the 2min00 mark
38:30 1min30 Q1 good to see the bench unit execute the offense
46:30 10min33 Q2 on watching the clip, Jordan Poole tweaked his left ankle on the drive
48:45 10min17 Q2 good to see Wiggs back in the groove with a catch-3 and a touchdown pass "PURDY GOOD"
52:00 9min00 Q2 JP offensive hook wasn't needed, he'd gotten past Pat Williams already
1:02:00 6min00 Q2 Klay early catch-and-shoot but that's his super-power
1:04:00 5min13 Q2 another Steph turnover: "Bench Steph!"
1:07:00 3min28 Q2 ball movement, Donte's "ball's poppin'", but let's credit JP for the extra pass because he had easily beaten his man for a 13-footer if he wanted, the extra from Wiggs = WARRIORS BASKETBALL, the ability to score in bunches to be down only 2, we should never forget that
1:09:45 Steph celebrated JP's pass in the above play
1:14:00 2min00 Q2 JP blitzed the pick and roll on Zach
1:41:30 good news coming up for Q3: we've still got our vaunted bench unit led by Anthony Lamb coming up (who would've thought that at the beginning of the season). What's crazy is the Bob Myers is able to find these guys whereby NONE of us would've ever guessed that they'd be good.
1:43:30 this time first rotation goes to JP and Lamb for Wiggs and Looney
1:44:30 Vucevic 25 and 12: even on Orlando he was killing us
1:46:00 5min45 Q3 they're not reviewing that slap by Pat Williams because it's Draymond
1:51:30 we kind of have a double-whammy when it comes to refs: 1) Steph hardly ever gets calls, 2) Draymond is such an X-factor with refs
2:16:00 Wiseman status: hard to get practices in on the road (as with Kuminga and JaMychal Green). Blueprint for the performance staff, I think, is to do the due diligence to get people back to 100%, unless we hit a part of the season late where we have must-win games. A lot of things can happen and Joe Bob Steve have always had the wait-and-see approach.
2:25:00 THESIS: really hard for 30-somethings to get motivated during the season
2:34:45 Khaled Ibrahim: "I'm curious what the first night of the back-to-back record is"
2:38:00 THESIS: even the 80s Celtics guys like Bird, McHale, Parish, if mentally transported into this era, they would struggle. It's a different NBA, but that's only one of many reasons why this Warriors team is struggling.
2:39:00 they need energy and hunger, and I'm not sure that that's available on the open market
2:43:00 you can talk trade all you want, but the immediate solution, and we've seen evidence of this solution, is for the Foundational Six to play Q1 like they did Q4 vs Phoenix -- maybe blame the Steve vs basketball gods for naming them the "Foundational Six"
2:46:00 yes, Mike Brown leaving had an effect, he's like Draymond on the bench, emotional leader
2:47:00 Jae Crowder is the best player available via trade, right? So would you mortgage your future for him (Wiseman, PBJ, and somebody extra)
2:50:00 other ideas: Boogie Cousins (he would have to want to come here, i.e., playing time), can he do the Tiki-taka
2:52:00 still no Steve Kerr podium, wonder if he's giving a locker room speech, and if he is, the Foundational Six better be listening
2:55:00 even though Loon, JP, Klay had a good game, it's always been someone in the Foundational Six and they can't get traction; it's like they need to have a Foundational Six-only meeting
3:02:45 still, wouldn't it be pretty awesome for a GOAT like Steph to lead THIS TEAM with these struggles to another championship
3:06:00 casual fans probably shut up after this loss, but will still want trades whereas they would usually pick on JP, Wiseman, J-Mike, benching Klay
4:35:00 comparing SAC's first time four games over .500 in 16 seasons vs the Warriors' 17 times in 20 season having an average of 28 wins
• Anthony Lamb postgame on bouncing back: “Never worried about this team. I know we're going to get where we need to go. I think taking steps is going to be important in doing it quickly, but I have no doubt that we can do that at any point. I think it's just everybody taking self-responsibility and knowing that you have to work on the stuff that you have to work on. So that's why all I worry about is just getting better at what I'm doing because in the fourth quarter, I had four fouls that's like one of our keys not to do. And that's a little bit of focus right there, like, being focused, locked into what our game plan is. What we're trying to do is important, and if everybody can do that in their own way, whatever they need to do, then you'll see a turnaround as quick as tomorrow . (Eduardo Razo)
• Draymond Green postgame recap: “felt like we got anything we wanted on the offensive end when we took care of the ball…they got a lot of transition points.”
• On where the breakdowns were: “ball got to the middle a lot…Vucevic gets a lot of catches…we gotta contain the ball better at the point of the attack…and the guy who’s guarding the screener.”
• On the ups and downs of the regular season: “We got some figuring out to do. It’s not just like we’re gonna click a button and it’s gonna work…do I have confidence that we can win? Yeah. But a lot of things gotta be figured out.”
• On the defensive problem: “we’re not consistent enough at the point of attack…we’ll have times when we’re good and times when we’re awful.”
• On the how to figure it out: “I wish I had the answer for you…you have a point where you turn the corner…you can’t take three steps forward and four steps back…it has to start with a constant build.”
• On if this reminds you of a couple years ago: “felt like we kinda turned (but lost the play-in)…it has to start somewhere but it hasn’t really started…two steps forward, three steps back.”
• Steph Curry postgame recap: “haven’t proven we’re a consistent team, come in with a focus on how we’re gonna win a specific game…I had two terrible turnovers to start…you look up and you spotted them 15. We have enough talent that we can come back…haven’t proven that we’re intelligent enough, play hard enough…until we do we’re just gonna hover around .500.”
• On not putting too much stress on any part of the regular season: “Absolutely not, this year. We always say every presents a different challenge…championships are always the goal…last year we started 18-2…had a segment…we might’ve had a game or two (this season finding an identity)…not being able to prove that we have the identity…sense of urgency right now.”
• On the issues: “Just not doing it, whatever the reason is. All the mistakes happen at the wrong time…breakdowns on defense. It used to be offensive rebounds…a lot of issues but from a leadership standpoint we have a lot of faith…nobody’s calling it quits…keep trying until we prove it otherwise.”
• On the effort: “The effort feels like it was there…when effort meets IQ meets execution. We gotta get all three at the same time…you give Vucevic just being able to line up threes, that’s not just the bigs, that’s the guards…collective commitment.”
• Klay Thompson postgame recap: “The 23 turnovers definitely hurt…defense wasn’t great. We’ll clean it up for tomorrow night.”
• On the lack of rhythm on the road:
“I have no idea.”
• On the concern level of the regular season: “None. Zero. Zero. Just get us there healthy in one piece, hopefully with a decent seed.”
• On Vucevic: “His size was tough to deal with…gotta help our bigs more as guards…quick turnaround, got an opportunity to right our ship.”
• Billy Donovan postgame: “the parity is really pretty incredible. If you don’t play well on any given night it’s really hard to win…there’s not a huge separation between a lot of teams…if you do play well, you’re not guaranteed…it’s hard to win in the league.”
• Steve Kerr postgame on Vucevic: “he was scoring inside and out…our coverages broke down…once he got hot, really hard to stop.”
• On the issues: “having trouble stacking together good decision after good decision…over and over again. We always talk about stringing together three stops in a row but you foul a three-point shooter here…a bad turnover leads to a run-out…we’re just not solid enough.”
• On the turnovers: “Just one of those games…Idk. You can make all kinds of excuses but it doesn’t matter…everybody has injuries…we just gotta do better.”
• On not having reinforcements for Draymond and Looney: “these guys have been around for a long time…smart as can be but Vucevic is a really good player…gotta be a team effort to slow him down and connect the game…7 or 8 stampede…layups or dunks…tough to win that way.”
• On the POA defense: “Yeah, they got past us quite a bit…Caruso and LaVine…they got 12 more field goals attempts than we did because of our turnovers…almost impossible to win a game like that.”
• Jonathan Kuminga getting some court work pregame in Chicago. Out today against Bulls but nearing a return from a foot sprain. (Anthony Slater)
• Steve Kerr at pregame presser in Chicago says Andre Iguodala (sore hip) may miss Monday’s game against the Wizards also. He’s already out today against the Bulls. Kerr says he’s a little sore after the San Antonio game and they’ll see how he feels; his availability will be assessed day to day. (CJ Holmes, Madeline Kenney)
• On if he’ll tell Andre to stop dunking: “That was my secret. That’s why I stayed in the league.” (Anthony Slater)
• Steph Curry is clear to play both nights of a back-to-back, if the body feels up to it. Kerr says it's unlikely Klay Thompson plays the back-to-backs on this trip after his recent knee soreness, but expects Klay to do so at some point this season. (Dalton Johnson, Anthony Slater)
• Kerr is a big Second City fan. He usually goes to a show if he has a night out in Chicago but went to a USHL game last night to support head trainer Rick Celebrini’s son who plays for the Chicago Steel. (Madeline Kenney)
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