Offseason Thread

[Vermont Green]

Golden State = 2nd best defensive team in the West after OKC among playoff teams??

Two high level defensive forwards in Jimmy and Draymond. A quality defensive big in Horford. Top level defensive bench guards in G Payton & D Melton. A strong defensive wing in Moody. Some solid pieces around them in Podz, Steph, TJD.

I have always been surprised at how well GSW play team defense.  They have some good individual defenders, for sure, but they scheme well and the whole team buys in.  There is a coaching element to this also.  They are a good team.  Curry and Butler are a very tough 1-2 punch in general but in particular at the end of games.  But they are old.  There are players that will need their minutes managed to a high degree.  But if they can get to the playoffs healthy, they will be a touch out for anyone.

[Moranis]

If all the teams are basically healthy, the Warriors are at best the 4th best team in the west behind OKC, LAL, and HOU.  I think you could make cases that MIN, DEN, LAC, and DAL are better. They could make the Finals, but it will take some upsets in the playoffs to make it there.  The Warriors are old and a disjointed offensive team.  They don't make sense as a group offensively.  Too many poor players or bad fits.  When they were winning titles they had the perfect team around Curry to maximize his strengths. They don't have that any more and he has clearly lost a step.  If they have injuries at all during the season, they might not even make the playoffs (play in, sure, but winning those games won't be easy against younger teams like the Girzzlies, Spurs, etc.).

[Roy H.]

Nick Smith, Jr. to the Lakers on a 2-way.

[Vermont Green]

If all the teams are basically healthy, the Warriors are at best the 4th best team in the west behind OKC, LAL, and HOU.  I think you could make cases that MIN, DEN, LAC, and DAL are better. They could make the Finals, but it will take some upsets in the playoffs to make it there.  The Warriors are old and a disjointed offensive team.  They don't make sense as a group offensively.  Too many poor players or bad fits.  When they were winning titles they had the perfect team around Curry to maximize his strengths. They don't have that any more and he has clearly lost a step.  If they have injuries at all during the season, they might not even make the playoffs (play in, sure, but winning those games won't be easy against younger teams like the Grizzlies, Spurs, etc.).

We'll see.  GSW were always pretty good when they had Curry, Clay, and Green.  Over the top good when Durant was added to this mix but this "big 3" did win a title in 2022 with just the core 3 along with role players like Wiggins, Looney, and so on.

Now they have a big 3 of Curry, Butler, and Green with a different mix of supporting players.  I think Butler is better than Clay, so I see this big 3 as better.  Then they have Hield/Horford over Wiggins/Looney.  You could keep going through the bench but the players matter less and less as you keep going down the list.  This team is older than the 2022 team, but I think it is a little better.  I agree that their health may not hold up, but they will manage the heck out of their minutes during the regular season to try and make a playoff run. 

So maybe 4th best regular season record, but I think better than 4th best for the playoffs.  OKC of course is the favorite, but after that, I am not buying HOU (Durant is less durable than the GSW stars) and DEN needs Murray healthy (which he usually isn't).  On LAL, I am not sure, they could be really good, one last run for LeBron, but they have risks and weaknesses too.  LAL vs. GSW would be a fun playoff match up.

[Roy H.]

ccording to NBA insider Marc Stein, the big man has added even more size to his 7-foot frame and believes he?s now ?7-2 or 7-3.?

?Mavericks center Dereck Lively II says he has grown over this summer and believes he is now ?7-2 or 7-3,?? Stein wrote.

[Vermont Green]

according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the big man has added even more size to his 7-foot frame and believes he's now "7-2 or 7-3."

"Mavericks center Dereck Lively II says he has grown over this summer and believes he is now '7-2 or 7-3,'" Stein wrote.

Seems unlikely, but maybe.  He is 21 years and about 6 month old.  Maybe he measured himself with his shoes on or something.  In any case, he gets to run with Cooper Flagg now. 

Dallas is a funny team, they are building a good young core, while also having Davis (32), Irving (33), and Thompson (35).

[Donoghus]

Our long national nightmare is over.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
39s
Breaking: Ending a summer-long stalemate, Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract to return to the Golden State Warriors, agent Aaron Turner told ESPN. The deal has a team option designed for the contract to be ripped up and renegotiated next summer.