cupcakesnake wrote:picc wrote:cupcakesnake wrote:
Love Big Al, but I think this team is too old to keep up a top 5 pace on both ends for a whole season. It's almost more likely that they'll be a championship contender thatn they'll be a regular season beast, if their health timing is good. Jimmy has never not missed games, Steph is 37, Horford is 39, Draymond is 35.
It feels more like the kind of team that plays at that level for a month or 2 in the season when they're all healthy. They played at a top 5 level on both ends after the Jimmy trade last year though, so the ability is there. It would just seem like a health miracle if they were healthy enough to do that over 82 games.
Eh, you’re probably right about the pace and health. Steph, Jimmy, Al… yeah, thats a tall order to stay on the court and locked in all season, although Jimmy and Draymond will probably feed off each other’s intensity.
I do think they’ll be a serious problem in the playoffs and be able to beat anyone with their versatility and experience. Just have to stay healthy.
Up until the mid 2010s, I had a lot of faith in veteran squads bullying the youngsters in the playoffs with their superior experience.
I don't think that's the case anymore. There's so much more movement in basketball, I don't think teams built around old cores have a good chance to beat the young guys. The last several years, the old teams have looked so worn down in the playoffs, and they're much more likely to be injured.
I'm with you on loving the stylistic concept of Steph/Jimmy/Draymond/Al. It's basketball heaven, but this version is going to be too geriatric. They'll make us believe for chunks of the season, but I'm not buying them as serious contenders with their theoretical 4 best plays aged 35-39.
The injury risk is real AF. Steph coming off a hammy, Jimmy being banged up consistently, Horford being a load management posterboy. No doubt about that.
However I think the movement thing is also more of a stylistic concept that a reality. I just watched the whole '25 playoffs, and what I saw was what the playoffs always historically become -- a deevolution into basic and simplistic sets in the face of prepared and well-coached defenses.
Like the teams the Warriors would actually have to worry about are: The champion Thunder, who just spammed Shai/JDub iso and PnR all playoffs. The Rockets, who did the same thing with Green/FVV/Sengun and got totally shut down. KD will be a much better version of Green but their offense will operate on the same principles. Denver moves more, but no more than they have in the past when they've played GS. The Clippers are just Harden and Kawhi isos. Minnesota doesn't do a whole lot more with Randle and Edwards.
In the east, the Knicks devolved into Brunson iso sets. The Celtics, if they were still around, just pass around the perimeter and chuck threes. The Pacers are the most dangerous example of what you described, and they won't exist next season either. The Cavs move on offense but I'm betting in a potential finals series, we'd see Mitchell and Garland iso and PnR, because that's what always happens.
The pace and space of teams may tax them in the regular season and lead to injuries or taking their foot off the gas, for sure. But the Dubs with Horford aren't missing the playoffs, and I don't think they need HCA to beat any team in the West if they are all on the court. The game would devolve as it typically does, with the grind of the playoffs and the Warriors extremely well coached defensive schemes, and the contests would likely come down to experience and IQ.
Saying that, where I think you're going is that the regular season taxation is going to manifest in the playoffs with the tighter schedule and harder played basketball, and regardless of any of the above, somebody's body is likely to break down during the 3 month postseason because of it.
I would agree there's a pretty decent chance of that. But with some smart (and possibly fine-worthy) load management in the regular season, we may just see the Horford Warriors surprise us and vet their way to the finals.