While new head of basketball operations Joe Dumars continues to reshape the team’s front office, his biggest task will be deciding the future of Zion Williamson, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. If Dumars can’t get Williamson committed to the team, Duncan argues he should trade the injury-plagued former No. 1 overall pick.
As Duncan writes, Dumars intentionally avoided mentioning Williamson directly by name during his introductory press conference, but it’s clear that much of his messaging was directed at the star forward.
“You’re not going to be successful just with talent alone,” Dumars said. “There are some intangibles that you have to have. You’ve got to figure out: Does this guy really want to be great? Is he going to work? Is he going to show up? Does he have toughness? All of those intangible things besides who can run fast, who can jump high, who can shoot the ball. I can see that. Anybody can see that.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- The Rockets evened their first-round series against the Warriors on Wednesday night, led by 38 points from Jalen Green and a strong team defense. The Warriors downplayed Houston’s physicality after Game 2, which saw Jimmy Butler exit with a pelvis contusion, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Actually I might agree with (Draymond Green that it was less physical compared to Game 1),” Stephen Curry said. “There were a couple crashes that happened out there, but we know what they’re trying to do — use their size advantage at times to try to bully us. We held up a pretty good fight both games. We just let Jalen (Green) get going a little bit and he got free to space. There’s no reason he should get up 18 threes.”
- While the Warriors downplayed the physical play, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said the chippiness is working in Houston’s favor. According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, there were six technical fouls, a flagrant 1 foul, “minor scuffles,” and several profane chants directed at Draymond Green. “If it gets chippy, we’ve seen over the last two years that’s worked in our favor for the most part, gets us amped up,” Udoka said. “But when you have a lead, (and you’re) up 20, and things start to happen, you understand why. That’s kind of the last resort by teams. You’ve got to keep your composure at that point and just stay calm.”
- A lawsuit against Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been dismissed, reports Adrian Sainz of The Associated Press. Joshua Holloway, who was 17 at the time and recently finished his sophomore season as a player at Samford University, sued Morant for assault for punching him in the face at a pickup game he was invited to at the home of Morant’s parents in July 2022. Morant countered by saying he was acting in self-defense after Holloway threw the ball at his face. Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney agreed that Morant acted in self-defense and was immune to civil liability in the case, in part due to the testimony of other witnesses present, as Sainz details.
It was kinda expected that the Rockets would come out fighting. Nobody expected the Warriors to sweep them. If the lost last night, the series would have basically been over.
Kinda expected the Refs would let the Rockets get away with a lot of ouls being the home team. Game 3 will be a lot different with the warriors the home team and afterthe Refs let game 2 get too physical. Rockets couldn’t pull away with warriors down 2 starters shows the warriorswould have won fully healthy.
18-17 fouls called, 20-18 FTA that’s as even as it gets. As much as you want to use the refs as an excuse, Houston was a +14 on the glass with +4 offensive rebounds. 15 turnovers and like Davey said 11 of them from Steph and Draymond is why they lost this game. I don’t know how you let Jalen Green go off for 18 3PM Attempts in a playoff game. Losing Butler and losing on the boards with the final blow, losing the turnover battle is why GSW lost, not the refs. Everything else was damn near even.
BINGO
2 of the warriors better defenders on Green barely played becauseof injuries. Rockets were way more physical so the non calls on the holds and pushes did matter. Home court matters when itcomes to how the Refs call the game. Warriors home and the Refs will be calling a lot more fouls.
So if you’re right the Warriors should get many more foul calls than the Rockets. And if they don’t? Will you stop with the conspiracy theories?
I was not surprised that Refs were not calling fouls on Rockets because of home court. My guess is they will be calling a lot in game 3 because the warriors are at home. That is why teams want home court.
Sadly, GSW often doesn’t get calls at home either. See game 7 of the 2016 *Finals – (Steph and Klay shot 1 fta on 36 fga’s while a Cavs reserve shot 3 ftas on 3 FGAs).
Arc, the games are called differently in the playoffs. We both know this and practically 99% of the guys who post in here do as well. You won’t see ticky tack fouls unless there’s some brutality or intent behind it. Let it go. You guys weren’t as physical on the boards, and didn’t expect Houston to crash the glass (evidence is 11 offensive boards, Sengun himself had 6-7 of those). It takes a collective team effort to rebound against a team that has size, especially when you don’t have size to begin with. Game 3 will be crucial for both teams. I expect Curry and company to come out on fire and ride that emotion for Game 3.
Still have GSW in 6 but now we know Houston won’t back down from GSW and especially do not fear them.
I have GSW in 6 too if Butler is OK. Kerr need to stop using Looney and Green at the same time that limits the team to 3 offensive players.. Segun is not adefender he is a offensive and rebounder. So drive to the basket when he is in. Force Rockets to defend Post with their center by rotating more. That creates more rebound opportunities.
Houston won cause they out rebounded. Shot better FG. And took more shots 86-80. Better D better O. Same reason Warriors won gm 1. These Warriors fan think they are suppose to win. Don’t understand what playoffs are about. Houston is a young very talented team. Warriors can push the best out of them. Warriors being favored is not sitting well with them. As it should be.
Without Jimmy there is no one who can stop Green. That’s why he goes 8-18 on threes. Imo Rockets have more talent. Warriors the experience. All young teams grow up one day. Funny how Warrior fans can’t see that.
What do you mean I can’t see that?
Pistons out played Knicks both games if it wasn’t for their inexperience Pistons would be up 2 – 0.
@Al
They all are wearing them Rose colored glasses. You cant say facts that does not go along with the narrative that they see for the Warriors.
Warriors lost Jimmy and Podziemski pretty much for the whole game. They aren’t winning if that happens. At least Kuminga got some run and wasn’t as bad as Steph and Dray, with their 11 turnovers.
As a Zion fan, I am praying they trade him
Kuminga can match Rockets young energy. He should be used consistently this series. Backing Jimmy or moving Jimmy to two guarding Green. At least 24-26 mins. Gm1 dnp. Gm2 26 mins. Its clear to me Kerr doesn’t trust him. Thats too bad.
Regardless of however long Jimmy Butler is out, Kuminga HAS to be the 2nd best player on that team with his athleticism and needs to control the paint. We will see what he is made off if Butler is out and his role and FGA will go up. Kerr doesn’t trust him because of his shot selection and his laziness on defense, right? I’m genuinely asking Gary/Arc/Giants74 and Aristole since they can give more of a better explanation on why Kerr doesn’t trust Kuminga?
raz, as I’ve written many times, the only thing Jonathan Kuminga provides is raw athleticism. He can jump through the roof.
But he can’t ask for the ball on the wing and get you a bucket.
He can’t create his own shot with consistency, but he’s gotten better.
We don’t know what position he can defend, power forward small forwards? That’s still up in the air.
He gets bullied by power forwards, cause he’s only 6-6 and small forwards have their way with him because he doesn’t know or practice the fundamentals of lateral movement etc. He’s like Moody out there and can’t move his feet.
I was encouraged with Kuminga when December rolled around and he was playing at a high level. He was scoring from the wing, and he was a valuable part of what the Warriors were doing.
Then I don’t know what happened. Sprained his ankle in January and missed two months? Not sure.
But now he’s back to playing like he did his first three years in the league. Sure he’s rusty but regardless the results are: Reckless, error prone, and Maddingly inconsistent.
A team with championship aspirations has no time for that during games. You have to show coaches all that stuff in practice and that’s how you earn PT.
That’s my snippet, let’s see what the other guys have to say. I may be totally off base. Those other guys that you ask for comments are pretty observant and way better hoops analysts than I am.
Let me add this. He’s gotten a lot better on defense against the small forwards. I’ll make that correction to what I wrote above.
Great analysis. Thanks Gary, I had a feeling but just wanted to be sure.
No Gary, you are definitely 10x better than I am. You are probably more athletic than I am. I can see the numbers, and learn from others who no more.
Have you read anything on goldenstateofmind.com. The guy who does the letter grades for the players, forget his name, does a nice job of breaking down film. He is kind of Krukow for basketball.
Kerr does trust Kuminga. The problem has been his shooting. He is not hitting the outside shot like he did last season. Frankly, nobody else was. Teams were double and triple teaming Curry.
Kerr started Wiggins/Kuminga/Green with great results. Kerr actually started the season that way. I think Kuminga was the 2. But, he was in a huge slump. Then he got injured. I am speculating. But, I think the contract has something to do with it. He might be trying to prove he is worth more than the $30 million they offered.
Great stuff as always Giants74, I agree with you on the outside shot. I’m hoping we don’t sign him in RFA or acquire him via trade. Would be disastrous, plus wouldn’t work well with Buzelis.
@Giants74
Kuminga shot 2-5 (40%) from three last night despite the rust.
And I’m with KnickAl, Kerr doesn’t trust him (proven by what he’s done – he quit playing him after his injury, said he was going to be a starter earlier in the season but then reneged a few games later, etc).
Kerr would never have played him if not for the Butler/Podz issues.
He quit playing Kuminga down the stretch so he was rusty and nervous when he got time. It would have been smarter to keep playing him 15-20 min/gm so he’d be ready when needed.
Come on guys everyone knows there’s two “no no’s” in basketball.
Blaming injuries and blaming the refs.
Taboo, no excuses, quit whining, play the game.
“If” this or “if” that, “if” someone and so was healthy and the refs this and that.
Well, you know what, IF it’s all about conspiracy theories and the refs, then become a team America wants to see. Become that team that the league wants to see move on and gets the calls. Sign a couple of stars.
And you know what, that’s the Warriors have done. They’re on TV all the time and they get a lot of the calls going their way.
So the Warriors have no complaints whatsoever. You don’t win four titles recently without having some injury fortune and referee fortune.
But seriously, we cannot complain about the refs and we can’t complain about injuries. That crap does not fly.
“Winners win and losers well you know”.
All these people that want to put Ja in jail are truly demented. Yes he made some dumb choices. Tell me with a straight face you were never a kid. I’ll wait…