Game 4: Grizz @ Dubs, 2025-10-27, 7pm

[HiRez]

James Wiseman just became available and we need defense, get on the phone Dun!

[Onus]

Same here. I was one of the few that defended kerr throughout most of the last two years as people wanted him fired almost as soon as we won in '21-22.

That said, he certainly has had a blind spot to JK and MM. Not saying those two haven't improved. They have certainly changed their approach, game, attitude, etc. STILL. This JK and MM would have likely gotten here much, MUCH sooner had they not seen their minutes/reps/confidence eroded in favor of muppets like lamb, jerome, gui santos, and even pat spencer.

Maybe JK really did deserve all the DNP-CDs late last season and in the playoffs. Made Lamb really did deserve to play over JK. Perhaps Jerome did get us a few wins that MM would not have. I can concede those points. I also don't think any of that mattered, not the wins, not the improvements for Lamb/Jerome/Gui, none of it. In the grand scheme of this team, it was the growth of JK, MM, and Podz that would have moved the needle. I'm glad we're starting to see the first two names on that list get more rope now.

JK had 2 terrible TOs, in back to back possessions in the 1st quarter. Sure, he was rebounding well and moving the ball. The fact that Kerr didn't take away his 2nd half minutes because of those TOs is a sign of growth. In year 2, JK wouldn't have seen the court for 2 weeks (unless wigs was hurt) after those TOs. Same for MM.

I wonder how much of what JK is doing now is ALSO a function of him knowing his has a good shot at 30+ minutes, even if he does F up a few times. seeing his teammates look for him, the coach draw up plays were he's clearly designed to get the ball and finish (like on the JK/Steph PnR where he's in the dray-short-roll spot) has to do wonders for your confidence. That confidence helps to rebound, be a more willing passer, be more patient in the offense, etc.

We see the same thing w/ podz. he knows he's locked in for heavy minutes and when he makes a mistake, he doesn't get benched and is allowed to learn/work through them. When he does struggle enough where his minutes are at risk, we can all see him starting to press, do too much, etc.

Yall really watching year 5 and not noticing a huge difference in JK's game from year 5 and all the other years? JK's defense is still not great but the offense isn't stalling with him anymore and the ball is moving instead of sticking. Then you add in the rebounding, which just has never materialized outside of a few games, JK so far has been a completely different player.

You can live with mistakes, but if you're stalling the offense and cratering everything around you, you can only play that player so long before you're just tanking the team. This JK can play through mistakes because it's just that a mistake, it's not stopping the flow of the offense. It's not jarring to watch, where everything comes to a screeching halt so JK can iso into pull up middie or a turnover in traffic early in the shot clock.

I want to give JK all the credit in the world for changing his game and mentality. Something connected the dots for him, but whatever it was he's much better for it. I still wish he was a better defender but his contract will not be an albatross. This is why I still think the 1+1 offer was a dumb contract to offer, JK playing like this will probably be here for the foreseeable future.

Of course, we're all seeing JK rebound better, pass more, take better shots, and be more focused on defense. The main point I'm making is that both JK and MM would have gotten to this point earlier if they didn't lose crucial minutes/reps to people like Lamb and Gui. If they were out there Jordan Pooling it up (another player that did not lose minutes despite openly sabotaging our title defense season), I could understand pulling the plug on them. It was clear they both WANTED to contribute, win, fit in, etc. It was also clear, neither had a good idea about HOW to do so.

Moody has really gotten better at being more aggressive, especially looking for his shot in the halfcourt and avoiding fouls on defense. The changes JK made have been discussed, in the very same thread. Do you really think they would have taken 4+ years to get here if they were allowed to play through fouls, bad passes, unaware rotations, and terrible shot selection? I do not.

I think it's reps and confidence that is the main ingredient for why MM is now eager to shoot and JK is eager to pass and rebound. Its not a just a switch that flipped or someone told them to shoot/rebound and they 'finally' listened. The things we're asking of these kids is hard enough - contribute to a team looking to win a 5th title. Asking them to do that while yo-yoing their minutes makes it significantly harder.

Not saying i have an easy answer like playing JK/MM 35+ minutes without any repercussions. That's how kids never develop beyond their bad habits. But i do not think anyone will say that Kerr struck the right balance with MM and JK in their first 4 years like he did w/ Podz.

What game reps changed JK's game between the Wolves series and pre-season?

[DonaldSanders]

I think we all really enjoyed this game!! The young dubs showed up after having a stinker game in Portland... this was exactly what we needed to see.

JK and Podz being decisive on offense is key, the less time the ball sticks while they think the better. JK has really sped up his decision making, and while Podz was lagging earlier in the year, today he stepped up with confidence. 10 rebounds for JK!!! He is blossoming in front of our eyes.

Post is starting to show some value outside his 3P shooting with some interior presence, loved that big late game block.

Draymond while going too far did actually punk the Grizzlies... again! This was the classic game where the other team lost spirit from Dray antics, the Grizz seem specifically susceptible to it. Go on the Grizzlies reddit and they are pissed their guys all wilted and didn't stand up to Dray.

Steph had a nice game, the numbers don't show all the gravity/hockey assists he generated. When the team is hitting shots & playing right, he will be the unsung hero with all the good looks he's generating, but he is a true leader that doesn't feel need to assert himself if the rest of the team is rolling.

[marthafokker]

Podz D was as good as his offense. He did not let the fastest guy in the league drive passed him, unlike the other 3 games.

[EvanZ]

Yall really watching year 5 and not noticing a huge difference in JK's game from year 5 and all the other years? JK's defense is still not great but the offense isn't stalling with him anymore and the ball is moving instead of sticking. Then you add in the rebounding, which just has never materialized outside of a few games, JK so far has been a completely different player.

You can live with mistakes, but if you're stalling the offense and cratering everything around you, you can only play that player so long before you're just tanking the team. This JK can play through mistakes because it's just that a mistake, it's not stopping the flow of the offense. It's not jarring to watch, where everything comes to a screeching halt so JK can iso into pull up middie or a turnover in traffic early in the shot clock.

I want to give JK all the credit in the world for changing his game and mentality. Something connected the dots for him, but whatever it was he's much better for it. I still wish he was a better defender but his contract will not be an albatross. This is why I still think the 1+1 offer was a dumb contract to offer, JK playing like this will probably be here for the foreseeable future.

Of course, we're all seeing JK rebound better, pass more, take better shots, and be more focused on defense. The main point I'm making is that both JK and MM would have gotten to this point earlier if they didn't lose crucial minutes/reps to people like Lamb and Gui. If they were out there Jordan Pooling it up (another player that did not lose minutes despite openly sabotaging our title defense season), I could understand pulling the plug on them. It was clear they both WANTED to contribute, win, fit in, etc. It was also clear, neither had a good idea about HOW to do so.

Moody has really gotten better at being more aggressive, especially looking for his shot in the halfcourt and avoiding fouls on defense. The changes JK made have been discussed, in the very same thread. Do you really think they would have taken 4+ years to get here if they were allowed to play through fouls, bad passes, unaware rotations, and terrible shot selection? I do not.

I think it's reps and confidence that is the main ingredient for why MM is now eager to shoot and JK is eager to pass and rebound. Its not a just a switch that flipped or someone told them to shoot/rebound and they 'finally' listened. The things we're asking of these kids is hard enough - contribute to a team looking to win a 5th title. Asking them to do that while yo-yoing their minutes makes it significantly harder.

Not saying i have an easy answer like playing JK/MM 35+ minutes without any repercussions. That's how kids never develop beyond their bad habits. But i do not think anyone will say that Kerr struck the right balance with MM and JK in their first 4 years like he did w/ Podz.

What game reps changed JK's game between the Wolves series and pre-season?

Did you not see him dunking on 5'10" white dudes this summer?