The season started very well cause Chris Paul and dwarf lineups were gone and Hield & Waters replaced Klay's shooting. Also Looney made a jump from G-league physical shape back to reliable NBA backup level. It did last to 12-3 record.
Then Kuminga missed two games making the frontcourt too thin. Then Curry missed one game. Then came the game in Phoenix: Podziemski starts, then sits down, then Curry sits down at 21-20. Spencer in, Suns make 3 3-pters till the end of 1Q, Podziemski gets back, Suns make another 3 3pt-ers and when Curry gets back it is 37-46. They fight but never get closer than to 5 points.
Then Kerr hit the panic button and changed whole substitution pattern...
In the last game GSW made 21 of 41 3pt-ers and lost 133-143 to Dallas and still somehow they find a need for a PG creating offense in Schroeder.
So they move 36 year old Curry to SG. TJD (who really did not improve but still is the only one with a size and vertical) is on the bench and inside scoring should come from undersized players... So GSW are back where they were in previous season. In a big hole.GSW do no not need any rebuild.
Curry is the best PG and offensive player in the league and Green is the top defender and passer. That's good foundation for a chapionship team. It was on full display in Olympics who is who. Half of these NBA superstars should not be mentioned alongside Curry. The difference are the circumstances they operate in.My point is that the frontcourt is thin and undersized a bit and it does take very careful approach to not get in a disadvantage there. Simply Davis needs to start at C against star players and Looney needs to play backup minutes. For 10 minutes a small PF/C (Kuminga + Green) is good option but not any longer.
The threepoint shot is at one end of offensive spectrum and the dunk option (from big guy = athletic at least 6-9 or big fella 6-11plus) is at the other end of that spectrum. A team needs both options to work properly. It does also work on the defensive end cause opponent usually target one big player on picknroll and the defense needs second big to stop the roll. There needs to be a certain level of cumulative height. Steve Kerr malfunctioned his own masterpiece by going small.
Now look at rivals:
Kenny Atkinson, who alongside Steve Kerr failed to make it going in previous season, has a great success in Cleveland. Yes, they have 6-3 SG but at age of 28 Donovan Mitchell is an athletic stud, strong as bull with world-top vertical. And what's more important: after trying dwarf lineups with Warriors (we remember Klay at PF atc. etc.) Atkinson now starts 6-11 Mobley and 6-11 Allen. League best record 23-4.
Reigning champions Boston Celtics enjoy their size and rather start Queta than go small.
Their Finals rivals Dallas Mavericks love their dunking options with 6-10 Gafford and 7-1 Lively. Jason Kidd never puts Klay out of position. Put Kleber into Gafford/Lively spot and Doncic could not take the team anywhere.
Oklahoma City has a roster where every player is at least 6-4. After Holmgren injury they quickly found that Hartenstein in starting lineup is the best option.
Denver needs Aaron Gordon to play alongside Jokic cause despite being 6-11 Jokic is not athletic enough. Take Gordon out and Denver is easily beatable by any team.
Sacramento struggles cause they play only one true big Sabonis. Mike Brown seems clueless in an article yesterday. My advice to him is Jerry Sloan phrase: “You can't win the Kentucky Derby on a donkey”. Same with GSW.
https://sports.yahoo.com/brown-shoulders-blame-kings-self-072620526.html
“It is what it is,” Brown told reporters at Golden 1 Center. “That’s why I didn’t yell at the guys. There’s nothing to yell about. They know exactly what we have to do. It’s whether or not we go do it. Tonight we didn’t go do it.
While Sacramento made a slight improvement in defending the paint – the Lakers scored 44 points in the paint compared to the 76 that the Denver Nuggets dropped on them a few days earlier – the Kings still are not matching the physical aspects that their opponents have been bringing.
That has led to the breakdowns in boxing out while opening things up for opposing teams to be active on the boards. Three days after allowing a season-high 15 offensive rebounds against the Nuggets, the Kings matched that by giving up another 15 to the Lakers that led to 18 second-chance points.
“The way we played both defensively and offensively was not good,” Brown said. “They touched our paint whenever they wanted, they drove us whenever they wanted. They manhandled us on the boards.”
Boxscore of GSW vs MIN kind of validates my thoughts.
