Doing It The Hard Way

I Kinda Believe In The Hard Way

69/82 L Indiana Pacers 111-123

70/82 L Minnesota Timberwolves 110-114

71/82 W Miami Heat 113-92

72/82 W Orlando Magic 101-93 (this game is important)

73/82 W Charlotte Hornets 115-97

74/82 W San Antonio Spurs 117-113

75/82 W Dallas Mavericks 104-100

76/82 W Houston Rockets 133-110

77/82 L Dallas Mavericks 106-108

78/82 W Utah Jazz 118-110

79/82 W Los Angeles Lakers 134-120

80/82 W Portland Trailblazers 100-92

81/82 L New Orleans Pelicans 109-114

82/82 W Utah Jazz 123-116

Golden State Warriors, 10th place in the Western Conference

Washington Wizards 15-67, 14th in the Eastern Conference, on summer vacation

The regular season ended Sunday with many of the same questions as when we started. The Wizards, near the bottom of the standings, and the Warriors, shockingly not that much further above them.

This season and in all seasons, I’m often thinking about loyalty. What does it mean to be loyal to a team? To be loyal to a player? To be loyal in general? The season is over and I still have 3 Warriors games and parts of 13 Wizards games to watch in order to complete my self-imposed challenge. I’ll watch them out of loyalty to these two teams who have been with me all fall and winter, watching not only the good games, but also the hard games. I want the whole story, not only when it’s easy or convenient. Last week the thing I worried would happen finally happened after two years of games - I had two days where I was too sick to watch games and three games happened without me. I switched off the Dubs for Frasier reruns. I’ll watch those games because I owe it to them, or to me or to the basketball gods, I’m not sure who, but I know I owe it to someone. 

When is loyalty a virtue and when is it a vice? When is loyalty undeserved and when is it warranted and can we know this only in retrospect or can we tell while it’s happening? When is it a beautiful thing and when does it verge into madness? 

There was a stretch of a few games in the last week of March that were all about loyalty. Me being me, there was a song that soundtracked each of them. I’m hoping you’ll indulge me by playing the song clips below because they all set the tone - but as always, you can do whatever you want. 

“Till The Day I Die”

I haven’t lost one bit of my enthusiasm for Jordan Poole, if anything, I’ve doubled down on it. 

His redemption is not recognized by the masses, but those of us who have been watching the whole time have seen what’s been going on. A player who knows who he is and what he’s good at gets put into a role that he’s not good at. He does what’s asked of him–off-ball movement, catch and shoot, hang out at the 3 point line–but his shooting is colder because he rarely touches the ball, his gaffes make highlight reels and his team loses over and over. Gets demoted from the starting lineup but is now the point guard. He’s instantly better, his stats improve. A daunting string of injuries to his teammates and Poole is back in the starting lineup as the Primary Ball Handler. Watch what happens next. Assists, team effort, players who were considered not good become better, good players get easier looks, JP is smiling on the floor.

The Wizards even WIN occasionally. Games in a row. The Wizards start to play well and play together even though they have no reason to, their season was over long ago. The narrative is clear - you can make fun of this man as much as you want but you would be wrong. He is everything he said he was. He just isn’t who others tried to make him be. 

Keeping your head down and letting the work speak for itself is the best revenge.

Thing is, I don’t think he really cares about revenge–that’s me. He cares about buckets. He’s in the gym getting in extra work while you and I are asleep. So why did you watch so many losing games, Elizabeth? 

When you see someone to believe in, someone who believes in themselves–it’s always worth seeing what they are going to do next. Jordan Poole. I’m always in to see the next game. 

“It’s Alright, I’m On Your Side, On Your Side Forever”

The Dubs have backed themselves into a corner. The hardest way possible. The dreams of a title run seem foolish. But are they? At their best, they can beat anyone (but the Nuggets) At their average, they can lose to anyone. They have no consistency. They still don’t have a starting or closing rotation. Steph can’t predict how many minutes he will play. They are not that injured but they feel injured. Or they feel invincible. They can go from a gorgeous spirited win against the Lakers to a pathetic lackluster win against Portland. They are focused, they are careless. They are goofy, they are exhausted. They believe. They can’t execute for long stretches. And then they do. 

Their current situation: 10th position, in the play-in, playing a must-win game to play another must-win game to enter the playoffs where the Warriors will never have home court advantage, which is ok because they haven’t played well at home. 

I still believe because the flashes of brilliance are real and it’s impossible to count out Steph Curry. Kuminga’s come-up has been real. Wiggins has had more fire this past month than the rest of the season.  Klay is good off the bench and in the starting lineup, and having him play strong from either position is great. TJD gets stronger every game at center and his play with Chris Paul or Klay has an energy that has been lacking all season. Moses Moody is always ready to make a difference and even Loon, who was hard to watch for a lot of the season, now comes in for his 6-8 minutes and pulls down a bunch of rebounds. So I believe. It’s gonna take a lot of belief to get this team to the playoffs. I’ve seen it happen before. There is so much about this team that is right. 

I mean, before their final game on Sunday, Klay took CP3 and Moody to work on the boat and even let them drive a little. What’s not to like about this team?

But this probably doesn’t end well. 

“I’ve Been On the Ride Before It Never Stops At All”

I have deliberately rarely talked about one Warrior player this entire season. Even though he does his best to be the main character. Even though the entire fortunes of the team rest upon his anger management while at work. Even though without doubt the main character of the Warriors should always be Steph. Let’s go back a few weeks to game 72 against the Orlando Magic, where Dray got ejected in the first four minutes of the game. A must-win game (they are all must wins). For arguing with a ref (he promised and made an internal pledge to the team earlier this year that he wouldn’t cross the line with refs in particular). On the back end of a back to back against a team who is exactly the type of team they struggle with (an abundance of young tall wings). The fact that the Warriors won is irrelevant because how many times do the Warriors have to rally because of this grown man’s foolishness and empty promises? The fact that Draymond played brilliantly for the next few games is also irrelevant - Dray always plays better right after a suspension. I’ve stayed away from writing about him because I’ve been following Steph’s lead - if Steph wasn’t bothered, I wasn’t bothered. But during that game, Steph got bothered.

Draymond gets a relatively minor tech at the start of the game. All things considered, he’s not that upset by it. Steph is near him, repeatedly keeping his hand on Dray, telling him to stop. But as Draymond walks away he can’t stop yapping at the ref. And gets a second tech and an ejection. Here’s Steph’s  immediate reaction:

Steph bends over, Kerr puts his hand on his back and Curry comes up with tears in his eyes, claps his hands hard once, then again. Pulls up his jersey to wipe his eyes. 

WHO MADE THIS MAN CRY IN THE MIDDLE OF A BASKETBALL GAME? NO ONE MAKES STEPH CRY AT WORK. 

We know this look on his face. We’ve been there before. This is the look of a person who knows that they have placed their faith in someone who does not deserve it. Who does not deserve their loyalty, their generosity, their support. Because what is clear is that Draymond has no interest in doing better while on the court - he only has interest in looking like he’s doing better on the court. 

The struggles and the current 10th place of the Warriors are entirely because of Draymond and his lengthy suspensions this year. The struggles of last year’s Warriors were entirely because of Draymond’s preseason punch of Jordan Poole - as the team, coaches and GM acknowledged once the season was over. Kevin Durant leaving - that’s Draymond Green too. His cost is high. He will never change enough because he believes that fire is his superpower instead of his Achilles heel. And Steph gets it. He went all in on a person who will not or cannot go all in for him. This is the look of heartbreak.

Here’s Steph at the end of the game, uncharacteristically kicking chairs 

This Warriors season has had a lot of positive wonderful moments - the rise of the rookies, the redemption of Klay Thompson, but the story of this season is Steph doubled over on the court, crying in frustration when he has done everything he can as his friend lets him down again. 

Draymond hasn’t had a consequence that has mattered enough for him to change. 

But maybe Steph has. 

The Warriors play tonight against the Sacramento Kings. Win or Go Home. 

The Timeout Books: (books I read during the timeouts and halftimes)

A Game At A Time Playlist (the songs that pop in my head while writing this)Here’s the full versions of these songs. On a side note, “On Your Side, Forever” ends with repeating “Can we get away from this party?” sixteen times, which speaks to my introvert heart so deeply that this might be my personal anthem.