48/84 W Philadelphia 76ers 127-104
49/84 W Indiana Pacers 131-109
50/84 W Phoenix Suns 113-112
51/84 W Utah Jazz 129-107
52/84 L Los Angeles Clippers 125-130
53/84 W Utah Jazz 140-137
Warriors Record: 27-26
Wizards Record: 9-45
As we return from the All Star Break, here’s where we left off. The Warriors, maybe starting to make something of themselves, on a bit of a roll. Is this basket going in? Or is this another tease?
This picture is unintentionally prophetic.
Steph and GPII can see the promise of an unlikely future coming true –those two are forever optimistic. Then there’s Chris Paul on the left. This look in his eyes? - it’s called “When I Return From Injury, How Many Minutes Am I Gonna Get?” He looks justifiably worried. That guy between Steph and GPII? Lester Quiñones. Most improved Player from the G-League. The last few games before the All Star Break he got an enormous amount of playing time and did well with it. (Jumping over, you guessed it, Moses Moody). Promoted this week from the G league to a roster spot on the Warriors. Last year he was talked about as the next Jordan Poole. He’s not the shooter that JP is but he has way more defense.
There’s Podz, in-between the Hall of Famers, thinking “Where’s Steph? Must be near Steph. What’s Steph doing? Must do what Steph does.” It’s working for him. That behavior has gotten him 30+ minutes a game as a rookie (very very un-Steve Kerr behavior). Lately he starts and closes games. He has the most charges in the league and is turning heads for his double-doubles as a rookie. But he has recently called himself both the successor to Steph Curry and the next Draymond Green to which I encourage the rook to keep his confidence but maybe save those comments for his friends and family. Draymond is behind Kuminga on the right. The foundation on whom everything rests though it’s not entirely clear if he’s staying in the picture. I still doubt that he’s going to make it through the season. When there are high intensity games, his intensity looks all too familiar in all the He Should Get a Tech For That kinda ways.
And then, there’s Klay. Sitting on the bench. (I told you this was an unintentionally perfect picture). The last game before the All Star Break at Utah, Klay came off the bench for the first time since he started starting in his rookie year. It’s a big deal. Klay is the only guy who hasn’t come off the bench. Draymond has done it. Steph has done it. Chris Paul started doing it this year. And it looks as though it’s staying that way. He’s been replaced by a rookie. It’s kinda stunning. Klay responded by getting 35 points off the bench with his best game of the season and then saying all the right things in the press conference “it keeps my legs fresh” “let go of my ego” “play for the Dubs not the name on the back of the shirt.” And also said a few things that can only come from Klay, as the least guarded mega star in the NBA who therefore says extremely honest things – “you’re used to playing at a certain level, a certain percentage, [used to] attending the All Star Game and then it’s just a little harder these days” Have I mentioned lately how much I love Klay Thompson?
There are 23 games to go and the Warriors need to be excellent not just in streaks, not just in moments and most especially in the 4th quarter for game after game if they want to have any kind of playoff run beyond a play-in game. They need some confidence to make up for all the mediocrity, all the turnovers, all the close games lost, all the 20 point leads blown.
There were two promising games right before the break. The win over the Phoenix Suns with Steph’s game winning shot, shown here from GPII’s angle on the floor.
And then their last win over Utah. It was sloppy, the Warriors didn’t deserve the win, but they got it anyway. We have lost so many games we should have won - this is the first time we won a game we should have lost.
It’s been a hiatus for the NBA - the All Star break. Steph and Podz were in Indianapolis for All Star week but everyone else got a well deserved week off. Many Warriors went somewhere sunny and warm with a pool overlooking the ocean (I’m guessing various parts of Mexico). Klay was clearly looking at new boats. Jordan Poole went to London.
All Star Week was hot nonsense. Last year I watched the game for the first time and it was not just the worst basketball but the worst television I watched all year. This year’s All Star Game was exponentially worse. It’s not only the lack of competitiveness, which is profound, it’s all the hype around a completely unwatchable product.
Here was the best part of the All Star game
This pic of Steph and Sabrina, the day before their 3 point contest (which was the best televised part of All Star Week). Two shooters, hanging out, talking. I love the connection between NBA and WNBA stars and how even though the fan bases somehow see them as rivals, the players see colleagues. In one of the weirder moments of this week, the corners of social media had all kinds of things to say about this pic and others of Steph and Sabrina: “Why is he making so much eye contact with a woman?” “What does this say about his marriage, his masculinity” etc, etc.
The All Star Game comes to San Francisco next year so even though the week is extremely silly - EXTREMELY SILLY - there will be a week next year when I can say that all these folks I watch are all in the same town as me and if I ever actually left my home (sometimes) and went to a restaurant (never) or coffee place (don’t drink it) - I might see them out and about.
How about some other sweet news?
Brittney Griner had her jersey retired at Baylor last week. Along the way, she did this —check out her smile at the end - it is always good to see her enjoying life and getting her credit.
The back story? It was part of a slam dunk contest that she wasn’t part of. One of the participants asked her to pass the ball to him. When the first two attempts resulted in no dunk, Griner took the ball and dunked it herself.
It couldn't have been easy for Griner playing at Baylor under Kim Mulkey (now the coach at LSU). They had a contentious relationship. Mulkey told Griner that she couldn’t come out because it would hurt recruiting (Mulkey denies this). Mulkey never spoke in support of Griner during her imprisonment in Russia. Griner got all the love last week and said that she finally “felt seen”. Can you imagine? The best player her school ever had. Led them to a 40-0 season. She’s 6’9” and didn’t feel seen, didn’t feel valued by the place that she put on the map for women’s college basketball.
And one funny pic. Despite my worst fears, neither the Wizards nor the Warriors had big trades at the deadline. Cory Joseph was traded and then released and Daniel Gafford, the Wizards’ center, went to Dallas. Like Joseph, many players were traded then waived - no, your team doesn’t want you, and neither do we. One of those players was Robin Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks, whose twin brother, Brock Lopez also plays for the Bucks. Robin was waived, so at the Bucks game that night, he sat sideline, reading a book with a Groucho Marx t-shirt on. I appreciate the choice to read courtside while your former team plays in front of you.
As we roll into the last chapter of the regular season, I’m left with a few questions:
Will Jordan Poole get into a shooting groove? Will Isaiah Livers ever get off the injury list?
When will the Wizards turn their close losses into occasional wins? (but please not against the Warriors)
My God, how did Michigan basketball get so bad?
Will Moses Moody ever see playing time again?
Will Steve Kerr figure out a rotation he can commit to?
Can Wiggins stay aggressive?
Will Otto Porter come back to the Warriors?
Can the Warriors retain their momentum? Can they contain their ego (Klay), anger (Dray) and turnovers (Steph) for long enough to win?
But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
Let’s beat the Lakers tonight.
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)
Secret Night Gang: Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings