This was the quietest 25/20 that I've ever seen. I watched most of this game and it was the guards that won the game for New Orleans. Moore and Holiday combined for 59 while limiting Lowry to one layup late in the 4th after the game was decided as he and Danny Green shot 2-13 for 7 points.
Wait, are you saying you didn't think that was a foul? At worst, it could have been called a rip-through and side out but that still sits Durant with his 6th foul.There was obvious contact on the way up.
Yeah, it’s horrible to root for injuries but the league really needs a season ending injury to KD or Curry to generate some suspense. Otherwise, it’s essentially a long (albeit entertaining) 82-game preseason with a predetermined winner.
I mean, people said this exact thing about them last year and they ended up as the #2 seed, seven games back of #1, dropped down to a 3% shot on 538 before the playoffs (GJGE Nate Silver, but there's a pretty wide gap between 3% and 100%), and even after the CP3 injury in WCF Game 5 needed to dig out of 17-point and 15-point holes in two elimination games to avoid an early summer. The fact that they pulled it out in the end is not evidence that it was predetermined, or anywhere close.
Independent of context, I could see making that call maybe 25% of the time. There was obvious contact, but calling it a "rip through" is an exaggeration of how minor it was. KD had his hand out in a normal post-defense stance, then pulled it back immediately to avoid contact as Harrell swung his arms into him, resulting in a very slight graze.
Agreed. The fact that TOR-MIL-BOS — pretty clearly the #2-4 teams this year, at least on paper — have to beat up each other and that the Ws only have to face one of them (if they get that far) is a source of some comfort for me this year, so presumably a source of aggravation for fans of optimal competitive balance.
Philly is easily in the Tor/Mil/Bos group too. As for records, it's too early to tell. Portland could win 55+ games and most people still wouldn't consider them a real contender. I think Houston will be right there by season's end too. The west is much deeper than the east and has less bottom feeding teams to beat up on, especially if the Kings and Grizzlies don't actually suck.
If Montana ever offers that he likes my posting skills, I'm going to up my life insurance policy.
I am well documented as being a Draymond fan in this forum but I trust the Warriors braintrust made the right decision here. He made a bad decision that may have cost the Warriors a win.
I think there’s a very real chance that Durant leaves this summer and ownership knows it. The cynic in me thinks this is an appeasement move.
And we don’t know what Klay is going to do. If Durant goes to NY, does Klay stay in GS or does LeBron steal him away?
Perhaps but I don't think that suspending Green appeases Durant per se. If it wasn't justified, its likely to increase the friction in the locker room rather diffusing it. Draymond doesn't seem like the kind of person who will be ok with political moves whereas he comes off as a thoughtful enough guy that if he was really wrong, he will eventually own it. Of course I don't know any of this but its just my speculation from following the team over the past few years.
I do agree that they run the risk of pissing off Draymond. Hard to know without all the details. Durant’s FA decision will be interesting. I’m not sure why he’d want to go to LA to be LeBron’s Robin. I think the next step for him is to return to being an alpha and going to NY gets him that as well as a ton more marketing exposure.
What happened on the floor was standard competitor stuff. What I'd like to have been is a fly on the wall in that locker room......or even better, a fly with a camera in that locker room! I'd wager that something more than innocuous occurred behind closed doors last night.
Teaming up with Kawhi in LA with the clippers would be his best non Warriors move.
I agree with you and ElUno. This wasn't just for optics. Draymond must have crossed a line. I know that will come as a shock to his detractors too.
Or this though I wonder if Kawhi is going to end up staying in Toronto. If they make it to the finals or even the ECF, I am betting he strongly considers staying.
The scuttlebutt is that he called KD a "bitch" and confronted him about his impending free agency.
Ouch. Damn. If that's true, they're going to need a counselor on the team plane. It's only November.The scuttlebutt is that he called KD a "bitch" and confronted him about his impending free agency.
Fortunately, we now have Boogie to smooth things over.
Good call: from I can glean from my friend who occasionally chats with Rich Kleiman (KD's longtime agent and a huge Knick fan), Dolan would be by far the biggest sticking point with KD-to-NY. IIRC, Kleiman said KD thinks of Dolan as a "hapless moron." ;-P
