Yet Another Coach Knows: “They just shoot the ball,” said Billy Donovan

[GSW-CHI videos/transcripts/notes/quotes]

In The Bay, we know that the Splash Brothers derived the YAC Brothers (Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and the rest of the San Francisco 49ers’ receiving corps). But now, I propose we come full circle. Introducing the next evolution of the #SplashBrothers: The “YACK” Brothers!

YACK stands for “Yet Another Coach Knows”. It is the anti-thesis of outrage fandom stemming from apps like Xitter. It is the proof that Shams Charania’s opinion quip on RunItBack — clipped such that it could not be made clear that he was just bantering with Chandler Parsons and not quoting a source — was mis-aggregated and mis-consumed by a social media populace addicted to narratives.

The coach this time was NBA stalwart Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls, when asked how Stephen Curry was left wide open, along with Klay Thompson’s blistering third quarter (17 points, 5 threes):

Well, some of that was on offensive rebounds and also added some traps and stuff, late in the game trying to get the ball of his hands. He's not going to stop moving. It really was, I mean, they came flying off. I mean, they just shoot the ball, and not that I've seen them play every game this year, but those two shooters are not going to have off-nights like they've had the last two nights for very, very long periods of time. When you look at the Toronto game and even the New Orleans game, those guys did not shoot the ball particularly well. That's not going to happen too long with those guys. They're going to have nights where it's really hard. Like, listen, I was in Game Six in the Western Conference Finals when Thompson made 11 threes against us. He has that ability and he's got great belief and confidence in shooting the basketball. And tonight was one of the nights the ball went in. He does that and Curry does it too. That's what's made them elite and great players in the league. But like I said earlier, I thought their bench also contributed, quite a bit as well to it. And I thought Kuminga, his 24 points were big in the game, considering I think he was shooting maybe below 20 percent from three for the year.

So, no, Curry is not the only untouchable Warrior as the trade deadline approaches. Joe Lacob, assuming he has a firm grasp of what NBA coaches think about his Golden State franchise, is not trading Klay or Draymond Green before this trade deadline.

TTFN! Eat, drink, and be merry — and stop thumb-typing that angry nonsense 😂

Let’s tee off with a bonus behind-the-scenes recap video, especially for all you 1996 Chicago Bulls fans:

STEVE AT RING OF HONOR GALA+EVENT

0:00 Steve at gala Thu 1/11: “Now, I’m that old guy” … 1:27 Steve thought in 1995-96 training camp that “nobody can ever win 70” … 2:20 John Salley introduces Toni Kukoc: “he’s from the Black side of Croatia” … 2:45 from pregame CHI-GSW: “flattered” … 3:14 on similarities of ‘96 Bulls and ‘16 Warriors: confidence … 4:44 on what Phil Jackson did differently for 72-win season … 6:36 Ring of Honor halftime ceremony with Jumbotron in picture-in-picture … 9:55 fans boo Jerry Krause as widow Thelma is shown on Jumbotron … 11:06 extra cheers for Phil Jackson … 12:36 Michael Jordan

KLAY/JK POSTGAME GSW-CHI

0:00 What felt different in the second half?

JONATHAN KUMINGA POSTGAME GSW-CHI: “Just the energy. Getting a couple of stops. I think we limit them from shooting more threes like they did in the first half because they couldn't miss in the first half. But in the second half, I think we're just that mentality to come out there and get a couple of stops.”

0:21 You said that you guys were sort of feeling the heat last week, especially after the last few bad losses. What has it been like for you guys to sort of, get together and change the tenor, or the way that you guys have?

“I mean, it was just, definitely just enough – I mean, we have talked about everything. You know, when you lose, you talk about everything to a point where you don't even know what to say anymore. And the only last thing y'all gotta do is just go out there and battle and win. So, obviously, we haven't been winning like we usually do. And that gets old. And It gets to a point where everybody just say whatever it is, just go out there and play. Just enjoy and just start stacking up, games after games and winning.”

1:08 Where does the emphasis have to be for you guys to continue to improve your defense and just get back on track?

“I mean, it's just, it's just more about communication. It's just communication on defense. That's what we need from pretty much everybody else. As long as we communicate, everything is going to be easier.”

1:29 How different, I mean, you've been starting a lot recently. How different was it coming off the bench? You obviously were very productive.

“I mean, I've been coming off the bench since I've been here. So, that don't affect me at all. I mean, I stay professional as long as I go out there. And just like I always say, just go out there and help my team win. Just enjoying being with this group of guys every other day. I mean, it don't matter even if I played last minute and I know that I helped them winning or just going out there enjoying. And we win. That's all that matters. I mean, coming off the bench, maybe it was a great decision from Coach, but I can't question that because whoever go out there and play and help us win, that's all that matters.”

2:16 Your minutes with Andrew Wiggins hasn't, in previous games, haven't been great. this game, it seemed like you guys, it was working out pretty well, and you've said that you want to play with him and see how it goes. What do you like about sharing the court with Wiggins?

“I mean, like I said, it's just an effort. I love sharing the court with Wiggins because we both play defense. We both go out there and guard our best players. And it's just more of us. Getting to know each other better. Not off the court because we really know each other more than anybody else, but just on the court we haven't got chances to actually play together a certain amount of time or even in practice, like we don't usually like be on the same team, so it's tough for us to like just throw us out there and better and just trying to figure it out because once we miss that one or two times, the coaches won't let that happen. They're going to try to figure out something that will help us win. But obviously as we talk every other day, as we watch film and just trying to figure it out to get better together, man, it's going to help us throughout the season.”

3:27 What do you think changed from the first half to second into the second half defensively for you guys?

KLAY THOMPSON: “I thought we guarded the three-point line better. I think in the first half, we overhelped. And that led to them shooting a really high rate from three. So I thought we just guarded the three-point line much better.”

3:48 Dario sort of suggested the overhelping and just the energy was connected to the way you guys lost the last couple games. Was that what you said, an urgency, a desperate, whatever word you want to use. How much do you feel like tonight's effort and performance is connected to the, not just losing, but the way you lost?

“Well, it was embarrassing. Anytime you lose by about 40 it’s very humbling. So, we know we had to have a little mountain to climb ahead of us. And this was a game we felt like we had to win, especially with the upcoming road trip. And I'm just really proud of everyone who played tonight. Like you said, the connectivity amongst the guys was probably the highest it's been all season. And we're gonna look to continue that trend for the rest of the season, because when our spirit’s right, things tend to go our way.”

4:40 How much do you like playing and shooting in this building?

“Obviously, I have some very good memories here, in particular, 2019. Or was it 2018? October 28th (2018). Yes, sir. So, hopefully I can break that record one day, but just enjoy playing in Chicago. I mean, it was really cool to be in the same building as the ‘96 team. Seeing all those guys at halftime was special and to see them still together after all these years, it's really cool. And that's a bond we looked forward to having down the line as well after the last two games. 

5:19 Something that was set off with Steve was saying is we're one of the quiet teams on the court right now. How big of an emphasis was it to really make sure communication was there?

“It was probably the biggest talking point pregame was just being loud and playing for one another and just getting our spirit right. And I thought we did that tonight. And like I said before, when our spirit is connected amongst the group and we're playing for one another, we're going to unlock our full potential.”

5:57 How does that disappear for a couple of years, is that just because it's a long season? 

“I think it's a long season. I think guys are really competitive and they want to be, play their best. and I'm a culprit of that. When I don't feel like I play to my standards, I can hang my head, I can pout. But as the years turn to 2024, I've been doing a much better job. And so has everyone on the squad. And even though we had a couple bad losses at home, yeah. Spirit’s everything. When you compete, you want to let go and just flow, really.”

6:30 When Draymond spoke with us a couple of days ago, he said that the green light for him getting back on the court isn't just going to come from trainers, but it's going to come from coaches and teammates as well. So how ready are you to have him out there? And where do you feel like he's going to have the most immediate impact?

“I can't wait until Draymond's back, and we're not the Warriors without him. Hopefully within these next couple of games, maybe Memphis or Utah would be really great. And I think he makes the biggest impact defensively. And even offensively, his ability to push the ball, especially on the fast break, he's such a unique player. I mean, we love Draymond and we just can't wait for him to get back in the lineup.”

7:17 Draymond or any other players say anything at halftime last few minutes? Obviously, he's out on the court for the ceremony.

“Honestly, I don't remember anybody saying anything really.”

I’m talking about Draymond in the locker room.

“He's a great motivational speaker, so it's not too far-fetched for you to think that.”

7:38 You really loved that high-dump pass to Trayce down low, in particular, about why you like to go do that pass to him specifically so much, or is it more effective?

“Trayce is so athletic. He's one of most athletic players on our team, obviously, maybe in the NBA. Anytime he gets me open and his defender helps, he's got great hands for a big man and I just look for him on the roll. It’s that's simple, draw two, hit the big man.”

​ STEVE, DARIO, DONOVAN POSTGAME

0:00 So you had less time than usual for your halftime speech. What did you say that woke them up? Or what did somebody say that woke them up?

STEVE KERR POSTGAME GSW-CHI: “I mean, the talk at halftime was just stay with it. They had made 13 threes in the first half. Yeah. And I didn't feel like we were playing terribly bad defense. They didn't feel us enough. We had to get more physical and get more into the ball. We did that in the third quarter. I thought Wiggs was great. He played a fantastic game, but he pressured Colby White to start that third quarter. And I think we were just a little more physical and we got into a good groove and had a great time third quarter. That obviously set the game up for us.

0:52 It looked like you played some zone in the third quarter. What did that do? Why did that work?

“Yeah, we mixed it up. We played a few different zones and just tried to take them out of their offensive rhythm. They scored 75 points in the first half, so we had to try something. And a little box-and-one, a little 3-2, just try to, I mean, that's kind of what you have to do in the NBA these days. It's so hard to guard. Everybody shoots threes, the slightest bit of contact and it's two free throws. And so it's almost like college now in some ways where you try to mix-and-match defenses and keep teams off balance a little bit, because it's virtually impossible to defend at a high level. It's just the way the game is set up.”

1:38 Speaking of Wiggins, you said a while back that you were hesitant to go back to the Wiggins-Kuminga pairing. You closed with them today. What did you like about what you saw from them today?

“Well, putting them with Dario helped spread the floor. And I thought both JK and Wiggs were just playing such great games that you gotta throw them out there. They were two of our best players tonight and I thought JK, it was maybe the best game he's played, not just because he made four threes, but his spirit and his energy. He just, he seemed right. He seemed comfortable. The whole group, the whole team, was just committed to, ‘Let's go out and win,’ and I’m very, very proud of them. They've taken a lot of heat. We've all taken a lot of heat this past week, deservedly so, but this is what you do, as a pro. A lot of these guys are champions. You gotta respond and they did tonight.”

2:41 Connected to the way of last week. I mean, from the fourth quarter of Denver through the game in the last two games has been about as bad a stretch as you've had all year.

“Yeah, it was the worst stretch these last three games. The Detroit game, we didn't play well either, but we got off track emotionally, spiritually, the last couple games, our fans could feel it. We got booed for the first time since I've been here in 10 years. And as I said, both nights we deserved it because our energy and our competitive spirit was not there. And we found that again tonight.”

3:17 What did you think of what Klay did?

“Klay was brilliant. I mean, he just set the tone hitting those two threes to start the third quarter and they took the immediate timeout and more importantly, all of the assists. He had six of them. He kept finding Trayce on the dives to the rim because they were coming out to cover Klay because he was hot. And when he keeps it simple like that and just shoots when he's open and keeps moving the ball, that's when he's at his best. And we had five turnovers for the game. I mean, that's – Raymond just said lowest in franchise history. Kind of crazy. 39 assists, five turnovers, and it's still a game down the stretch. But like I said, this is the NB; everybody's scoring. If one team, you saw it last night, one team makes threes, the other team doesn't, somebody loses by 50. Both teams make everything, it's 140 to 13 like tonight. It's a different league and we're all adapting to that.”

4:19 Jerry Krause’s name, the mood at halftime during the ceremonies, just what was your reaction?

“I didn't hear it. I was in the locker room, but somebody just told me about it (the boos when Krause’s widow appeared). It's shameful. It's absolutely shameful. I cannot believe it. I'm devastated for Thelma and for the Kraus family. What can we possibly be thinking? I cannot believe that the fans – and you have to understand when you hear boos, it's not all of them, right? So the fans who booed, they know who they are. And that's, to me, it’s absolutely shameful. And I'm devastated by that. Because it's just – what are we doing? Whether people liked Jerry or not, whether they disagreed with the decision to move on from the, whatever, the decision. I mean, we're here to celebrate that team. Jerry did an amazing job building that team. Tonight was and last night was all about the joy and the love that that team shared with the city. And I'm so disappointed in the fans. And I want to be specific because there were lots of fans, I'm sure, who did not boo. But those who booed, they should be ashamed.”

5:39 Just, what'd you think of the halftime ceremony and the ring of honor?

“I was only out there for the last few minutes because I was in the locker room with my team and so I just, the whole couple of days, it was special to be with the whole group, to see everybody, family members, kids, seeing kids all grown up. That was a long time ago, but it was a really special era and I'm lucky to be a part of it and lucky to have played in Chicago. This is an amazing city and a great place to play. And I'm thrilled to have been honored with the group, these last couple of days.”

6:18 Steve, the other day you said it was sort of an unfair burden on Steph.

“Yeah. The way things have been going. He had struggled, obviously, shooting for a few games, again in the first half. Yeah. And then abruptly sort of comes to life. Yeah.”

I'm curious if you can sort of speak to the burden he feels when the team's struggling, and how does he turn that around as quickly as he did?

“Yeah, I mean, I think one of Steph's superpowers is in the middle of an off night, he can just ignite so quickly and that takes the deepest level of confidence that's possible and that's what he has. so he took over a kind of mid-fourth, during that cold night but that's who he is. That's what makes him special.”

7:06 How would you sort of convey what halftime was like? Steve was saying he didn't think you guys had played that badly on defense, and yet the Bulls had 75 points, and that's obviously been an issue the last few games. How did you guys sort of flip that?

DARIO SARIC: “We talk about it, but I think we kind of over-help. Maybe we want it too much. After like the last two games was like really bad for us. We wanted to present ourself in a good way. Sometimes we maybe we overreact in some positions and they were scoring. So we kind of figure out if we are kind of like a little bit closer to them, kind of contest their shots a little bit more, we can kind of come back in the play and the best part, we didn't give up. We kind of keep going relentless. Every possession, start possession, start possession. And in the end, second unit kind of gave us in third quarter a little bit of a lead. And we finished the game the right way, especially Steph and Klay kind of closed the game on the right way. We did a lot, but we didn't too much for this game. So we are on a mission. We didn't understand. We can't be happy on the farm or whatever. We need to just go every game like playing the same way 100 percent if we want to come back into play.”

8:31 You've mentioned that you guys are feeling the heat from the last week where you had some bad losses and maybe felt the chatter get to you. Did you feel that heading into this game?

“Maybe I didn't say that, but like last two games, taste was a little bit bad, like We weren't there. We didn't compete. Maybe we compete like player, but we didn't compete like a team, and that's why maybe we kind of like overreact this game in helping each other. We could stay home in some situation. They were looking shots. So I mean, if you play like this, if you stack every possession and we play 100 possessions, every possession in every game, it's going to be a good season for us. We can't just one play, play 100%, another play 80%. Okay, we get the bucket. We're going to figure out we need, being on a mission, like every possession 100%, 100%, 100%. That's how we're going to come back.”

9:28 Was there any conversation among the players, whether halftime or on the flight yesterday, to kind of get going?

“Yeah, it's always conversation. We always kind of like trying to figure out that kind of stuff. Yes, but if you don't play 100 percent like you can't figure out, so the last two games were really like warning alarm for us and we kind of like create on the best way. But, we need to play like every game now 100 percent because we don't have – It's like every game like a final for us. We need to push, push, push if you want to be good when it matters.

10:07 Beyond the effort. How much did you need the result?

“Yeah, we need the result. Obviously, not just the effort. Like we need a really like good score. We need to win tonight, obviously. We need to somehow find the wins on this road. And the only way is playing 100 percent. It’s no guarantee we're gonna win. But like if you play 100 percent we are one step closer than playing 85 percent and kind of figuring it out.”

10:33 Did it feel like, for mid-January, did it feel like a more important, more urgent game than usual?

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, of course, of course, because in the situation we are, we didn't expect that, when we started the season, we kind of had, like, good team, long bench, all guys can play, and we didn't expect we're going to be in this position. Obviously, some injuries happened. We couldn't get, like, really rhythm, but, I mean, it kind of focused. We are on mission right now. It's not like we could get like caught sleeping.”

11:06 It looked like some second-chance points and points off turnovers really hurt you as well. 

BILLY DONOVAN: “Yeah, certainly the third quarter, it's I think when you look down, at the final stat sheet, at least from our three-point shooting, and this is kind of what I alluded to a little bit before the game, about the identity and the stamina to kind of stick to it a little bit, we were, I don't know, what, 13-for-21 from three. I mean, that's almost impossible to maintain that kind of shooting percentage. I think we ended up shooting 45 percent from three, which is a great number on 40 attempts, but we were 0-for-9 in the third quarter. Right? And they ended up switching and going some zone. I think they tried to take Colby a little bit, but certainly, with Vooch (Vucevic) out there and Zach and DeMar and Patrick and there's enough out there offensively, but I thought it was the defense. It was, to your point, it was the second-chance points. It was, I thought, some lack of rotation. When we were up on a lot of screening actions and the ball was getting dumped into the pocket, we didn't have enough support behind that. And I think that's what really, we did a pretty good job of, there in that first half. And I thought, once again, Thompson made those first two threes. I think I called time out and then we kind of got more and more spread out and worried about the three. And then what happened was, it left open rolls to the basket and some offensive rebounds, but also give their bench credit too, because I think if you look at the shooting percentages from Saric and also from Kuminga, those guys had a huge impact on the game. They made some shots and made some plays when we tried to take those other guys away. So you have to give them credit too.”

12:37 It sounds like you credit the zone, Billy, what they went to, that limited your threes in the second half?

“No, no, no. What I was saying was we took 21 threes in the first half. We took 40 for the game. But what I'm saying is that when you look at the stat sheet and you see 18-for-40, you say, well, it's a darned good shooting night. My point being is in the third quarter, we were 0-for-9 in the third quarter. That doesn't have anything to do with giving up 48 points. When we're going well offensively, everything's kind of clicking. It's fine. But what I was saying was when they switched and ended up going and changed up some defenses, I thought we got some good looks. We didn't make them. But the problem for us offensively was we never got into any rhythm or any flow because we took the ball out of the net the entire quarter, and we allowed them to set their defense. And even when we did generate some scores, DeMar generated some baskets for us. But I just didn't think defensively we got enough stops like we did in that first half, which enabled us to get out in transition. The offensive rebounding which KC (Johnson, Bulls beatwriter) alluded to, and we didn't turn them over and we were a little bit high in the first half with our turnovers, 12 is not bad. But I thought the second-chance points hurt us, the offensive rebounding. And there was a couple of really, I thought, key possessions in the game that kind of hurt us, where I think we maybe got it down to six or four and we got them late in the clock and Wiggins made that floater along the baseline. I think they gave him a little bit of breathing room. Coming out of a timeout, Thompson made a three. There was some big shots that they made. Kuminga made one that kind of broke momentum there a little bit. But I thought that defensively as a whole, the rebounding, the defense there in that third quarter, then in the fourth, we ended up, we played small, we started switching, we had Vooch on and we tried to hit Curry to get the ball of his hands. So we threw a lot of things at him, but I still think defensively with what we've done the last 10 games, we've been a team that's really done a pretty good job of paint protection. And I just don't know if we protected the paint all that well tonight.”

14:48 Billy, what do you think made them so effective at just setting up either favorable mismatches that they seem to get late third, early fourth, and then also just Steph Curry being wide open at times to shoot?

“Well, some of that was on offensive rebounds and also added some traps and stuff, late in the game trying to get the ball of his hands. He's not going to stop moving. It really was, I mean, they came flying off. I mean, they just shoot the ball, and not that I've seen them play every game this year, but those two shooters are not going to have off-nights like they've had the last two nights for very, very long periods of time. When you look at the Toronto game and even the New Orleans game, those guys did not shoot the ball particularly well. That's not going to happen too long with those guys. They're going to have nights where it's really hard. Like, listen, I was in Game Six in the Western Conference Finals when Thompson made 11 threes against us. He has that ability and he's got great belief and confidence in shooting the basketball. And tonight was one of the nights the ball went in. He does that and Curry does it too. That's what's made them elite and great players in the league. But like I said earlier, I thought their bench also contributed, quite a bit as well to it. And I thought Kuminga, his 24 points were big in the game, considering I think he was shooting maybe below 20 percent from three for the year.”

16:08 How tough is it to have a game like this that ended with that third quarter you talked about and then get on a plane and start a road trip and try to bounce back?

“Yeah, I mean, I think it's gonna be a lot. I think our guys do a lot and it was an up-and-down game. There was a lot of physicality in the game, but sometimes they – listen, they're going on the back-to-back too; they gotta go up the road and go play Milwaukee. Obviously our travel’s a little bit different, but it's kind of the schedule of the NBA. I always say, there's times with the schedule, maybe favors you a little bit. Other times it doesn't, but it is what it is and we'll have to regroup and be ready to go back up there and play against San Antonio. And obviously it'll be another game. They'll be fast paced and it'll be physical and we'll have to do a lot of things really well in that game with the things that they do. Okay, thank you.”

GAME NOTES FROM GSW-CHI

0:00 new article! https://www.letsgowarriors.com/p/jama-broke-the-warriors-jk-kuminga-kerr-draymond
1:15 Wiggins is starting! So is Dario

12m00 Q1 Looney wins the tip, but Klay can't come up with it, camera didn't have it, Klay exasperated per usual (vet mistake No. 1?)
11m50 Q1 Loon fouls 3pt shooter (vet mistake No. 2)
11m30 Q1 Steph nearly tov to Dario who finds Wiggs for 3
11m05 Q1 Wiggs 3 no good, nobody picks up White in trans
10m45 Q1 Steph hero 3 corner no good
10m15 Q1 Loon pass to Klay open too late, in n out
9m47 Q1 Loon didn't flash for Wiggs (maybe)
9m31 Q1 Dario to Wiggs dunk, good combo
9m21 Q1 wow we're in zone early
8m45 Q1 Loon saves the day 2x
8m17 Q1 Klay can't get the long reb but Vuc loses it
8m05 Q1 Klay tov bad lead pass to Loon
7m30 Q1 Dario bad pass to Steph
7m00 Q1 Klay 3 with the team about to fall of a cliff
6m36 Q1 Caruso 3 over Dario, they're picking on him (LaVine 3 before that)

11:00 Bruce: "Curry colder than Scottie and MJ relationship"
12:45 Moody out for the next 5 games (re-eval on Mon 1/22)

6m05 Q1 BP to Dario top of break 3
5m53 Q1 Wiggs deflection leads to steal 94ft bucket
5m05 Q1 Dario 3, they forgot about Dario
4m45 Q1 Wiggs base J over Dosunmu
4m13 Q1 Dario 3 (again forgot about him)
3m34 Q1 Steph sold a bad screen by Vooch
3m23 Q1 Kuminga with the old school look with the blue and gold kicks
3m18 Q1 Klay fist pump on TJD made first FT
2m53 Q1 Klay talks to TJD and BP at the timeout, first timeout we've led in who knows how long! Drink!

2m40 Q1 BP good POA on White
2m10 Q1 BP tov
1m08 Q1 BP out of sync with Klay, doesn't get him the pass in rhythm, Klay has to shoot at buzz, violation
0m40 Q1 CoJo runs break, JK layup
0m08 Q1 TJD fouled on handoff and roll

11m35 Q2 JK Kawhi J at buzz
11m23 Q2 yay JK did not foul Dosunmu jumpshot
11m10 Q2 JK 3 feeling good
10m50 Q2 TJD bad screen so ticky tack, Steve Kerr laughs at the call
10m35 Q2 DeMar pump fake JK, JK mad at himself, DeMar smiles
10m22 Q2 Klay great pass to TJD
9m55 Q2 CoJo push shot banker (where are the haters?)
9m30 Q2 JK forgets to box out Dalen Terry
8m21 Q2 BP and1 early O vs DeMar
8m00 Q2 Klay airball open 3 one yard short
7m30 Q2 Steph splash over White, Colby dismayed, J-Rob had subbed in (that's Moody's spot)
6m30 Q2 BP blows layup
6m00 Q2 Wiggs good fade buzz over Colby

40:45 J-Rob playing reinforces the fact that Mo is a 2

5m08 Q2 Dario passes up another 3, have the coaches told him and Klay to consider that?
4m45 Q2 Steph hero 3 again misses
4m05 Q2 Wiggs open 3 via Steph Dario passing back to each other but Wiggs misses
3m54 Q2 2x can't stop Zach Vooch P&R
3m27 Q2 Steph got beat baseline
2m55 Q2 Wiggs oreb of Steph another missed 3
1m50 Q2 Loon helps on Klay vs Colby, both throw their hands
1m35 Q2 Wiggs what-the-hell tov (Dario unathletic retrieval)
1m15 Q2 Klay open 3 missed again (how many is that?)
0m42 Q2 Steph splash finally! extra pass by Klay
0m30 Q2 Colby 3 via double (again)
0m15 Q2 JK dunk red sea parted

1:09:15 analyzing Warriors' dispirited defense: they're not even picking on Steph! It's JK.
1:11:45 we identify Wiggs leaving Colby on the P&R Zach Vuc vs JK Loon, even Steph doesn't trust JK, the previous one was Loon not trusting Klay vs Colby, so our vets do not trust our own POA (Wiggs selling out on Vuc roll gave Colby the inception of splashing the 3)
1:15:15 Klay boxes out but then lapses, leaving Caruso open for 3 (now you're 5-on-4), Zach initially gets by JK POA

11m49 Q3 Klay hits on curl
11m28 Q3 Klay hits again via Dario recognition in trans
11m15 Q3 zone again, Steve coaching his butt off
10m40 Q3 no POA in trans vs Colby (Klay ok D)
10m30 Q3 ghost foul on Colby -- is there a secret mandate in the NBA to not give homecourt calls?
10m12 Q3 Loon slip, assist Steph
9m50 Q3 Wiggs wanted to post after Steph called for the P&R (maybe was calling for the post anyways?)
9m30 Q3 Dario foot on the line
8m45 Q3 Klay open 3 trans ast Steph, Caruso worried about Steph
7m55 Q3 Steph Loon P&R roll
7m31 Q3 Klay catch and shoot from 30 left hashmark, better make those!

7m00 Q3 Steph miss J again but Wiggs attack with Steph pointing at Klay lol

1:30:00 Gamer: "Klay didn't let that airball bother hiim"

1:30:15 Jimbo: "Wiggs is playing with force"

1:31:00 Bogus: "Steph shot that J early and missed Klay" -- my game tape review shows Klay wasn't that open but Steph did shoot it at 15 on clock

6m35 Q3 Steph corner 3, finally Splashbros feeling like themselves

1:32:15 ghost call for Loon, Colby runs away, T, supporting my theory of no more homecourt calls

5m35 Q3 DeMar fakes out BP and JK in trans

4m18 Q3 Wiggs daps TJD for the help on Zach attack P&R

3m55 Q3 JK base fade

3m41 Q3 TJD blocks Zach attack, JK rip through vs Do

3m20 Q3 we're in zone again after two straight Zach downhills -- Steve coaching his butt off, he's had the luxury of Dray for so long

2m58 Q3 wow Steph asks for JK to post up, did they read my article? https://www.letsgowarriors.com/p/should-steph-curry-ask-kerr-kuminga-pet-plays but misses the FT which was the jinx from Jimbo's "100% JK shooting"

2m17 Q3 JK misses layup after nice post up vs Do and everybody cleared for him

1m57 Q3 Klay to TJD, with JK gravity

1m30 Q3 Klay tells BP to clear corner so he can do curl DHO 3

0m45 Q3 TJD another block

0m29 Q3 Klay UNSELFISH to TJD and1! this is the quarter from heaven

0m10 Q3 good foul CoJo on Drummond

0m03 Q3 Steph barely misses from logo at buzzer, down 13 to up 15

1:48:15 @gamer says we can't afford to trade JK -- I'm gonna say "jinx" and pray for the best (in terms of us winning this game because only prolonged would increase the chances of JK being dealt)

11m05 Q4 good job by TJD to read CoJo's airball

10m40 Q4 Klay bad POA vs Pat

10m00 Q4 another unselfish ast by Klay to TJD

1:52:30 Bruce: "Kerr talked to Phil Jackson who told him dude you can do it" -- WATERBOY VOICE

1:54:30 I think you gotta keep JK with this combo ie start Wiggs again

8m00 Q4 Steph beats Pat but loses ball

7m19 Q4 GSW only 3 tovs, with Steph his first one just now, in between 8m00 Q1 and 8m00 Q4 we had one tov, the same way we got the new Dray, the new Klay, now do we have the new Steph?

7m18 Q4 designed BLOB to post Dario

7m10 Q4 Wiggs base J, then blocks Colby!!!!

6m40 Q4 Steph misses dagger, Dario oreb, fakes, Ashley new fav ref

2:05:30 if people assumed that the Warriors would stay the same after the TOR NOP performance, why can't they assume this version will stay the same after this one?

6m30 Q4 Dario misses a FT (2/4)

6m10 Q4 BP oreb, leads to Steph corner 3 open, Steph said finally to himself

5m45 Q4 beauty lead pass by Zach

5m20 Q4 Ashley correct call on deflect

4m50 Q4 Steph clutch 3

4m30 Q4 Zach reload 3

4m15 Q4 Steph jukes Colby 3

3m10 Q4 BP misses open 3, Colby Euro

STUFF HAPPENS WHERE LEAD DWINDLES TO 4
2m42 Q4 Klay make or miss makes 3 over Colby

2m05 Q4 Klay oreb being held by Colby, JK picks for Steph who thanks him (2pt)

1m32 Q4 Klay patience, drive

1m12 Q4 Steph 2J, it's like Kerr told them 

1m00 Q4 Vuc 3 miss whew

0m50 Q4 Klay crazy 3 miss after Steph dribble vs 3 guys

0m38 Q4 Zach miss 3 whew

2:22:45 KLAY ON-COURT POSTGAME, tells Bonta "way to bring up the bad news first"

2:25:00 Klay: "we just gotta keep staying positive"

2:27:45 Dek Tabz: will Dray play tomorrow? -- imo good sign of patience from "steaming" Joe Lacob (per Kawakami), looks like they let Celebrini do his job

2:29:00 @Daxesh G good to see Steve go to JK to close out -- Ah yes, Steve subbed out Loon to get JK and Wiggs together to close with 2:57 Wooh!

2:29:45 I think it might be rewarding whom to play well

2:32:30 Let me summarize the trade rumors which Xitter is blowing out or proportion: 1) only deal involving JK is for Siakam, 2) Siakam would be a rental (bec he's FA), 3) we're not trading Dray or Klay...

4) CP and Wiggs are the only tradeable contracts (although you could get Moody or really anybody as a filler to make contracts add up or as throw-ins), 5) it's become apparent to me that what Shams said was his OPINION (not actually sourced), but Xitter ran with it and oops, bad journalism but who cares, right? They WANTED that.

2:39:00 on Shams' aggregated quip about only Steph is untradeable being totally an opinion and not substantiated by a source

2:44:45 STEVE POSTGAME AUDIO: almost like college now (changing up the defenses)

2:47:30 Steve: "we got off track emotionally, spiritually" -- I said "dispirited" at halftime!

2:50:15 DARIO POSTGAME AUDIO

2:53:00 Dario mentioned guys over-helping and lo and behold I mentioned that in the first half when Steph left Colby White to help JK Dario P&R D

2:57:15 JK PODIUM AUDIO 

3:00:30 Dek Tabz: "JK can be the new version of Shaun Livingston"

3:02:15 when JK hits the midrange it looks a lot like Kawhi

3:03:00 Jimbo: "seems like we were more proactive than reactionary" -- credit Steve trying zone when we couldn't stop Zach downhill 2x in a row

3:03:45 we're still pretty crappy on POA though

3:04:00 Nikhil: "If JK can be like AG he could be 3rd best player" -- who's the 2nd best rn? Bruce thinks it's JK and we debate (2022 Finals Wiggs-like vs every mistake Klay makes hurts us)

3:08:30 I wrote that Klay is the fulcrum on 12/31 and then he's gone 12-for-24 in the 3 losses since lol

3:18:00 @Bruce Maro JK's defense is better than Klay's rn -- Depends who he's guarding, also if it's Q4. Klay's defense is usually better in crunch time.

3:20:00 @bogus Apps JK and Wiggs in, BP (+12) and Loon out, Saric stays and mix and match with Loon (-7)

3:28:00 on Giannis and how even the 2017-19 GSW couldn't stop him

3:33:00 Bruce: hack-a-Giannis? -- he's 67% career FTP

3:33:45 Dean Agan: attack Giannis and get him in foul trouble -- he's had 4 and 5 in two recent losses

3:41:45 Nicole corrects me: Kerr says it's shameful that Chicago fans booed Krause's widow

3:47:00 my long explanation of why people on Xitter hate me, emanating from the kid that posted the boo video on Dime: https://www.threads.net/@dimemagazine/post/C2Bt6UuojTq/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

3:56:15 Ryan Rollins shoplifting news but I look up his salary: 3 years, $4.75 million

3:58:45 @Johnson Weaver Smith: has 2 timelines ever worked? -- I actually have @Dean Chambers currently working on this, ergo please checkout our website soon (and maybe subscribe for free?), I don't know that anyone's traded their only potential All-Star to go all in

4:03:45 @Douglas Mikes Siakam doesn't fit next to Dray -- wouldn't Siakam just do what Wiggs had to do in 2022 Finals (defense and rebound)? One good thing is that Siakam needs zero plays called for him.

4:05:30 @Johnson Weaver Smith JK might ask for a lot -- I think he does deserve to be paid whatever's market value, so we can control his contract for the next 5 years after (9 years total, which is the NBA structure)

4:08:00 @Johnson Weaver Smith not trading JK disrupts Steph's timeline -- I actually think the opposite. I think the attention on "get Steph the ball (also Klay)" and not having JK as Plan B is shooting yourself in the foot.

4:14:00 ENTIRE JK POSTGAME VIDEO 

4:17:00 ENTIRE KLAY POSTGAME VIDEO

4:23:00 on Dean Chambers explanation of keeping JK long-term: JK is on a rookie scale, but can basically get what contract his accomplishments (likely & unlikely bonuses). The thing is he can't get anywhere near that anywhere else. neither could Luka or LBJ or Jokic or Steph. No big star really opts out of their second contract. The team therefore controls the contract for the rookie scale, then the next four years. After that you start to see trades. Mitchell, for instance, was traded right after signing that big contract.

4:25:00 Dean Agan: Kawhi was a defensive monster from the beginning though. I think that's why he played a lot more minutes. Dean Chambers: I think JK's post up, slashing & foul drawing are already at impactful enough levels to help the splash bros. It's finding that right 5th player with those three & Draymond

PREGAME NOTES FROM GSW-CHI

• Steve Kerr pregame CHI-GSW says Moses Moody is out for the road trip with a strained calf: “Huge loss.” Moody will be re-evaluated in 10 days. (Kendra Andrews, Kerith Burke, Ron Kroichick, Shayna Rubin)

• Still no set timeline or date for when Draymond Green will play again, Steve Kerr said. (Shayna Rubin)

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