Official Game Thread: NBA Team at Warriors

[lethalweapon3]

“We have Breaking News to report… CNN Sports can project that the Warriors have already won tonight’s game.”

 

A famous but sketchy franchise owner, a bumbling GM, an oft-injured young All-Star whose dad might pop off on a podcast at any moment, and a goofball supporting cast.

We’ll probably never know the sales job Charlotte pulled to woo assistant coach Kenny Atkinson to agree to fill their head coaching vacancy in the Warriors’ run-up to the 2022 NBA Finals, a lucrative four-year deal. But, sheesh, on second thought, I’d have gone scrambling back to Golden State before the door closed, too.

“We’re in a great place, we got great players, we live in a beautiful part of the country,” Steve Kerr explained to reporters. The Warriors head coach was happy as a clam about Atkinson’s change-of-heart after bidding adieu to longtime assistant Mike Brown to Sacramento, especially right after Steph Curry secured the Dubs’ fourth championship ring in eight seasons by putting Boston to bed.

Kerr echoed the sentiment expressed by Atkinson’s family about moving cross-country, with a pair of teenagers in tow, once more. After arriving in the Bay Area from the Clippers in 2021, just in time for an NBA Finals run, if you’re going to leave Cali for a place like Lake Norman, it had better be worth it.

“…from a leadership standpoint, top to bottom, plus 1-through-15, we have a great group,” Atkinson explained to NBC Sports Bay Area without throwing MJ’s Hornets under the proverbial bus, citing Curry and Draymond Green on the floor, and GM Bob Myers off of it, as exemplary. “Well, nothing’s perfect, but this is as close to perfect as you can get.”

Atkinson said this with his chest about the Warriors, in October 2022, while the team prepared to travel to Charlotte for an early regular-season matchup, even with the defending champions mired in controversies and PR wagon-circling after Green got caught in 4K sucker-punching Jordan Poole in the schnoz during a preseason practice. The pugilism presaged an unraveling of the Warriors that continues to roil the organization, extending beyond today’s match with an NBA Team (10 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Bay Area in SFO).

“DRAYMOND PULLS AN OX BAKER, DUBS STAFFER IN ICU”

I hate myself for anticipating the headline coming out of Utah, once early reports of the cardiac condition of Warriors assistant Dejan Milojevic came to light. Coach Deki, a Serbian and Euro basketball legend, unfortunately passed away last Wednesday at the age of 46 after collapsing during the team dinner in Salt Lake City, and his memory will remain the focal point of today’s game at Chase Center, the Warriors’ first since then, versus NBA Team.

So much has changed in the 19 months since Coach Kenny’s about-face. One calendar year ago, the reigning champs were sub.-500 at 23-24, the once-aspiring Poole’s jumpshot cratered under Green’s unrepentant, unending glare. Other younger developmental players failed to meet Kerr’s expectations and step to the leadership fore, and the team chose to cut bait with 2020 #2-overall draftee James Wiseman, whose pick made it easy for Charlotte to select LaMelo Ball at #3.

Playoffs hero Andrew Wiggins subsided and missed most of the 2022-23 regular season. Despite a 15-8 close to the regular season, the Dubs found their backs to the wall in a seven-game series with Brown’s Kings in the first-round, and Poole and the Splash Brothers crashed in the next round versus the Lakers.

Myers looked at the sobering road ahead and elected to hit the road at last season’s end. While everyone predicted Myers would have ample job options before him, few would have predicted Myers would be the one coming east, for a job in D.C., and of all things with the Washington Football Team.

His replacement, Mike Dunleavy offered a two-year contract extension over the summer to Klay Thompson, who flatly turned it down. Dunleavy offered Green a four-year deal, which Draymond happily accepted. And the turmoil continued.

Green groped, stomped, and flailed about at various and sundry Euro-centers, costing the team 17 games of his services and nearly driving himself into premature retirement. Poole was shipped to the Washington Basketball Team, bringing in 38-year-old Chris Paul, whose hand injury has him sidelined. Kerr finds himself feuding through the press with 21-year-old big Jonathan Kuminga (last 3 games: 24.0 PPG, 58.3 3FG%, all off the bench as Draymond returned from his once-indefinite suspension), who insists he deserves a full-time gig and elevated crunch-time minutes, and with a fanbase who unilaterally agrees with Kuminga.

As it stands, the Warriors are 18-22, 12^th in the NBA Western Conference and 1.5 games behind 10-seed Utah. They’re an unimpressive 11-11 at home, 11-17 in-conference, 3-6 within the Pacific Division. Wiggins has fallen to the wayside, and the backcourt supporting Curry and Thompson has thinned due to injuries and illness.

A teenager miffed at being overlooked at a Curry basketball camp gave the Warriors the business in Memphis on MLK Day, his no-look Grizzlies pulling away in the fourth quarter to drop GSW to 3-8 over their past 11 games. Like Brown’s Kings after defeating NBA Team on Monday, the Warriors remain on the hunt for their first victory over a Western opponent when Sacramento swings by tomorrow.

Most unnerving, the team defense (117.7 D-Rating) vies with San Antonio (118.3) for the worst in the West. Kerr’s designated defensive coordinator, after Brown’s departure? Coach Kenny, who was Kerr’s offensive overseer during the championship season.

Just based on the standings, and the stats, Golden State’s status still sits well above that of Charlotte, bearing the league’s worst defensive efficiency (120.8) with plenty of moving parts. But as Steve Clifford’s Hornets are enjoying spoiling 62-point scorers’ nights, their trajectory seems far better at this juncture.

Most of the Hornets’ upstarts are upright and figuring out how to jell. And MJ’s heat-lamp glare is off the players now that he sold off his majority ownership. It is wild to think that Atkinson, a former Bud-sistant in Atlanta, might not only have survived the past year-plus in Charlotte, but he could even have been hitting his stride there right now.

For now, the pressure is on Atkinson and the remaining assistants on Kerr’s bench to not only rectify Golden State’s defensive woes (NBA-worst 127.7 D-Rating this month), with or without a functional Green on the court, but to keep the spirits of Kuminga, Kevon Looney, and Trayce Jackson-Davis high, now that the big-man coach also known for his pleasant disposition and Atkinson’s neighbor and row-mate on Warrior team flights, Coach Deki, has joined the ranks of our ancestors.

Like Sacramento, Golden State is fortunate to have NBA Team across the floor in their time of need. NBA Team, from top-to-bottom, is a squad that especially lacks identity when they cannot turn to their near-All-Star point guard to steer the offense.

While said Team does have recent experience digging out a victory on the road in the presence of emotional fans and opponents, they have tended to give up the ship far too easily in recent weeks, as internal attention has shifted to its current lead-scorer’s next destination.

Including Monday’s 122-107 defeat in Sactown, five of NBA Team’s past six losing margins this month have ranged from 15 to 34 points, compared to just one 15-plus-point loss over their first 33 games. All it will take is a couple hero-ball shots from Curry to fall, after their opponents’ open looks barely hit iron, before NBA Team folds once more. NBA Team will need the Serbian sniper on their roster, himself a close  Milojevic disciple, to hold it together as best he can and hit shots, if his team has designs on competing for 48 minutes tonight.

“It’s enjoyable to come to work,” Atkinson told the media back in October 2022, despite the hovering discontent over the NBA title holders’ heads. “I’ve been in other situations where it’s, it’s, it’s… not as enjoyable. Where you don’t have that big smile.”

Though his heart is aching, and his head is surely spinning, Coach Kenny’s club needs his winning, toothy smile right now, more than ever. Despite their struggles, the Dubs are glad Atkinson didn't just leave his heart in San Francisco. 

 

Let’s Go Team!

~lw3

[Dnice]

You're damn right on the caption. Aside on how bad the Hawks are,, I'd be shocked if they win, as the W's are playing with heavy hearts.

[lethalweapon3]

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/dejan-milojevic-golden-state-18617980.php

 

Quote

 

Early in last Monday’s game in Memphis, Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney maneuvered around a Grizzlies defender, making a clever move to score in traffic.

 

Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, standing in front of the bench, approvingly pointed to one of his colleagues in the second row. Then, as Atkinson took his seat, he fist-bumped Dejan Milojevic, the assistant who regularly worked with Looney. Milojevic smiled.

 

Barely 24 hours later, Milojevic collapsed during a team dinner in Salt Lake City. He died Wednesday, the victim of a heart attack at age 46.

 

This brief interaction between Atkinson and Milojevic highlights the largely under-the-radar fraternity of NBA assistant coaches. They do most of their work away from public view — instructing players in the solitude of practice, bouncing ideas off one another in meetings, dissecting video to put together scouting reports...

Atkinson and Milojevic had a strong connection... They lived near each other on the Peninsula and usually sat next to each other on team flights.

 

So when all their behind-the-scenes work yielded tangible results in a game, as it did in Memphis with Looney’s bucket, it’s worth a fist bump and a smile.

 

 

~lw3

 

[lethalweapon3]

Bruno Fernando joins the Boo-Boo Report (Questionable) with back spasms. No unexpected changes to the Out statuses for Trae, Dre, Gueye, and 2Ts.

Rookie Brandon Podziemski (illness) is Questionable, potentially thinning the Dubs backcourt with CP3 (fractured hand), Moses Moody (strained calf) and GP2 (strained hammy) out of action.

Hawks' GameNotes has Clint Capela two blocks shy of tying Cliff Levingston (371) at 11th on the franchise all-time swats list. John Collins (377) sits in tenth place.

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

LETHALWEAPON3

Your headline seems to be correct with ESPN.  They have our worthy opponent as having a 79.6% chance of victory tonight.  This leaves us no room at all.  Just quietly come in, offer token resistance to avoid total shame, then quickly head back to Georgia.

While it's true that we looked terrible in the first half of our last game, Hawks did somewhat recover and played decently in the 2nd half.  Let's do better tonight.  

Thank you for all you contribute here on the Squawk.  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Diesel]

Saddiq!!!

I didn't do the over under...

[Diesel]

Saric is rolling back the clock.. because Saddiq is on him.  Saddiq is the new fountain of youth!

[TheNorthCydeRises]

6 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Saddiq!!!

I didn't do the over under...

That's because he shot an above the break 3

 

above the break 3 -   34%. ...... was above 40% most of the season

corner 3 -  29%

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Despite the shooting struggles, Hawks look engaged tonight. Already good minutes from Patty.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Forrest is decent defensively, but Bufkin should be getting ALL of his minutes.

You just have to wonder what Quin is thinking about by not giving him at least spot minutes on the big stage. 

It's like we have absolutely no game plan for development,

 

Hawks still gave up 38 that quarter ...smh.

[Diesel]

11 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Despite the shooting struggles, Hawks look engaged tonight. Already good minutes from Patty.

Patty Mills is wide awake!

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Looks like the offense is going through JJ with the 2nd unit. 

Patty giving us tremendous veteran minutes just when it looked like this game was going to get away from the Hawks.

Just keep playing.

[givemesome1ce1]

35 year old Patty Mills is playing better than Dejounte right now and people are wondering why I want this man gone and that we won’t be able to get what we think we will get for Dejounte lmao 

[terrell]

OO is horrible

Good min from old man Patty again....

Love his hustle

[RedDawg#8]

Our defense is really atrocious. Stop me if you heard that before.

But seriously, Bob is calling it out, we are not picking up ball carriers until they are touching paint. There is little to no resistance outside the 3pt line.

Klay Thompson walked in to a wide open three while Bogi was playing him to drive. Do our players not understand scouting reports? Would you rather Klay Thompson take a wide open three or be forced drive and make a play with the ball? 

It’s the easiest answer on the test. We are so lost at the game of basketball.

[Nash]

Good half considering how weak the team is

[MaceCase]

Night Birds

[terrell]

We need a center BAD

[MaceCase]

Pattie throwing those old bones on the floor.  Admirable.