The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

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Warriors end 2024 on high note

Isaiah Charles
December 31, 2024

The Warriors will turn the calendar to 2025 on a five-game game winning streak, the latest coming in blowout fashion over the Lakers, 146-108. Ben Simmons was the dominant force for Golden State, tallying a 30-point, 12-rebound, 14-assist triple-double, including eight steals.

Simmons’ gravity towards defenders around him opened the court, allowing Klay Thompson to score 36 points on 4-for-10 shooting from deep, and Anthony Edwards to add 36 os his own on 14-for-22 shooting. Stephen Curry ended the night with 24 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Golden State jumped out to an early 12-point lead after the first and never looked back, building a 20-point advantage by halftime and rolling from there. Key to the Warriors’ approach was slowing down Buddy Hield, who did finish with 22 points, but the majority of which came in the fourth with the game decided. Anthony Davis was also held in check, shooting 12-for-26 for 24 points and failing to get the free throw line.

The Warriors’ defense was also energetic, forcing 22 turnovers six of which came from Davis. The most thorough domination came in the paint, where Golden State held a 56-20 advantage, forcing Davis into contested shots in a crowded paint and daring the Lakers’ to beat them from outside. While Los Angeles did shoot 47% from deep, their inability to score inside allowed the Warriors to get going on the fast break, where they outscored the Lakers 28-14.

Los Angeles Lakers (17-18) at Golden State Warriors (26-8)
Dec 31, 2024 1 2 3 4 Final Los Angeles 14 26 24 44 108 Golden State 26 34 34 42 136 Top Performers Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis - 24 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 4 BLK Buddy Hield - 22 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson - 36 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL, 2 BLK Ben Simmons - 30 PTS, 12 REB, 14 AST, 8 STL	Team Stats Comparison LAL GSW FG Made-Att 36-94 48-100 3PT Made-Att 16-36 10-40 FT Made-Att 14-16 24-30 Rebounds 54 56 Assists 30 40 Turnovers 22 10 Steals 2 16 Blocks 4 6

Games 30-34

Golden State Warriors December 2020 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Dec 23	vs Dallas Mavericks	Won, 119-115
Dec 26	vs Minnesota Timberwolves	Won, 116-105
Dec 28	vs Sacramento Kings	Won, 128-111
Dec 29	at Denver Nuggets	Won, 117-90
Dec 31	vs Los Angeles Lakers	Won, 136-108

[marshdaddy]

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Simmons dominance is underappreciated

Ryen Simons
January 13, 2025

This is what Ben Simmons should have looked like for the first eight years of his career. This is what we were missing out on during all those wasted years in Philadelphia playing next to Joel Embiid. Simmons can be the most dangerous force in the NBA.

Simmons’ excellence was on display yet again on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco, as he picked apart the Wizards defense with 39 points and 22 rebounds as the Warriors used a dominant fourth to win 129-111, their fifth straight win. When surrounded by shooters at all four spots, there is just no stopping Simmons.

It was Simmons 19th double-double on the season and the second most rebounds he’s registered in his career, and he did it all on an absurdly efficient 18-for-21 shooting. This is who Simmons is, and was never allowed to be in Philadelphia: a point guard with an open paint allowing him to go downhill whenever he wants.

There are few, if any, players who can match the athleticism and size of Simmons at 6’10”, 240 pounds, and finally with space around him, he’s able to run at full speed whenever he wants. He’s averaging 10.7 assists and 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, both career highs, and is tied with Nikola Jokic with five triple-doubles. And the scariest part of all of it is he’s still somewhat held back, not only in that he’s only averaging 32.3 minutes per game, a number that’s likely to rise in the playoffs, but he’s still playing a number of minutes alongside Kostas Antetokounmpo.

Undoubtedly the Warriors are waiting to unlock more Simmons at center minutes until the playoffs, and when they do, Simmons’ numbers should rise yet again. He’s averaging just 14.0 points per game, a career-low, but that’s not due to his inability to score (he has a 64.3% True Shooting percentage) but rather a result of a roster loaded with scorers. Simmons is sixth on the Warriors in points per game and attempts, registering just 9.6 shots per game, while Stephen Curry (24.2 points and 18.2 attempts) leads the group. Anthony Edwards (19.7 points, 14.0 attempts) and Klay Thompson (19.5 points, 14.6 attempts) are both soaking up shots, as are Jonathan Kuminga (16.8 points, 12.1 attempts) and Ibraham Mobley (14.6 points, 10.5 attempts).

The point? Simmons is both unlocked and not unlocked at the same time, but it hardly matters. The Warriors are averaging 120.9 points per game on 49.7% shooting, both second in the NBA behind New Orleans. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games and have a favorable stretch coming up against Portland, Orlando, Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota, all of whom are near the bottom of the playoff races in their respective conferences.

Golden State has started to unleash Simmons on the NBA, and he’s not all the way unchained. We’ve seen glimpses of it, like his 30-point, 12-rebound, 14-assist game against Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve or his 43-point, nine-rebound, six-assist clinic against Philadelphia. When the Warriors decide to fully unleash Simmons, the NBA had better watch out.

Washington Wizards (11-29) at Golden State Warriors (31-9)
Jan 13, 2025 1 2 3 4 Final Washington 29 28 24 30 111 Golden State 26 33 28 42 129 Top Performers Washington Wizards John Wall - 25 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST Dontay Hopson - 20 PTS, 6 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL Golden State Warriors Ben Simmons - 39 PTS, 22 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK Ibraham Mobley - 25 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL	Team Stats Comparison WAS GSW FG Made-Att 47-104 52-84 3PT Made-Att 14-34 13-25 FT Made-Att 13-16 18-19 Rebounds 49 54 Assists 26 27 Turnovers 11 20 Steals 17 11 Blocks 4 3

Games 35-40

Golden State Warriors January 2020 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Jan 2	vs New Orleans Pelicans	Lost, 122-113
Jan 4	vs San Antonio Spurs	Won, 106-105
Jan 6	vs Los Angeles Clippers	Won, 113-88
Jan 7	at Sacramento Kings	Won, 113-88
Jan 10	vs Indiana Pacers	Won, 119-79
Jan 13	vs Washington Wizards	Won, 129-111

[marshdaddy]

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From the Desk of Rhadi Staley
January 26, 2025

It’s never a fun moment to admit you’re wrong, and it pains me to say this considering all he has done for us, but it’s beginning to be apparent that in the current league, our game needs to run through Ben Simmons and not Steph Curry. This isn’t a particularly difficult decision when you think of it in terms of player ability and age, Ben is 28 and in his athletic prime while Steph is 37 and in the twilight of his career. But damn this is tough.

It makes sense that Ben would be the preferred focal point of our offense. But it’s a hard moment to admit when Steph is just six months removed from a Finals MVP. He’s still dominant, leading us in scoring and shooting better than 45% from deep, but the way we’ve played in the past just has to adjust.

No longer can Steph blow by defenders, point guards and centers alike. No longer can he easily get the space he needs off the dribble for a triple. No longer does he get the miles of separation he used to coming off of screens.

None of this is to say Steph is done; far from it. He’s averaging 24 points per game for the third straight year and is (biased opinion) the best shooter in the game. But Ben is just another monster. He gets by whoever he wants, whenever he wants. He goes coast-to-coast like a prime LeBron James. He is the most dominant athlete we’ve ever had.

And honestly, this is the way Steph’s career was supposed to play out down the stretch: move around the perimeter to open spots and drain triples, occasionally take a defender off the dribble and make them pay. But Steph is the greatest player to play the game. How much can you own that mantle if you aren’t always the best player on your team? Or maybe, this is what makes him the best player? He adapts his game to the moment he’s in and takes advantage.

But Steph isn’t Vince Carter. Steph isn’t Ray Allen. Steph is Steph. Steph is the most disruptive force in the NBA, even if it’s not disruptive in magnitude but rather in persistence. But the league is a big-man’s game, even if it’s not the seven-foot man but rather the 6’8” monsters like Ben. And as Steph has aged his ability to score amongst the trees is just ever so slightly declined.

So you can tell how much this hurts. But only a fool doesn’t adapt to their surroundings, and Steph is not a fool. In order to continue to compete now and into the playoffs, Ben might be our best option as lead ball handler and at the end of the day, we all want another ring, Steph included.

Taking a moment
Unsurprisingly, these little journals have helped me remember this first year at the helm. So might as well provide a little mid-January updates. The Magic are reeling, losers of seven straight until they beat the Wizards, but were missing Tre Hunter (ankle) and Jalen Green (hip) over those games. They’re four games back of the playoffs and need to turn it around quickly.

Phoenix has really been struggling, going 3-14 since December 19 and are now 23-23. Some of those games were without Nathan Sirven, but their struggles began when he was out. They were without Javon Shumpert over that stretch and are slowly working him back into the rotation, but Matt Thomas is a serious downgrade at the backup point.

Trades
I never knew trading players would be such a personal matter. On the 25th we traded away Sharife Cooper, our backup point guard, to the Jazz for Ian Gavel and a 2026 1st round pick. In terms of assets, it’s a good play for us. Adding a first is valuable, and Gavel just hasn’t been given a chance to play, but Cooper meant a lot to me. He had been a two-way guy that worked his way from a former first round cast off into a reliable backup.

The good news is we’ll turn back to Aaron Nembhard, who had been our backup until he had an injury earlier this year. And if we could turn Cooper from Europe-bound to NBA role player, maybe we can do the same with Gavel.

I’ve also been testing the market for Jordan Poole. Jordan’s a great kid, and a good defender, but to be honest we’re just so deep at his position, and adding Gavel doesn’t help matters. Jordan is playing just 9.2 minutes a game and has been largely ineffective. With Devin Vassell playing so well, and Darius Stith working his way through rookie struggles and into the rotation, it might be time to make a move.

[marshdaddy]

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A look back at the 2020 NBA Draft
And other NBA news

Ryen Simons
February 1, 2025

The league is in it’s dog days, so what better time to look back at the 2020 NBA Draft, with players either into their second NBA contract, or still looking to find their place in the league.

Best Player: LaMelo Ball - 1st overall, Detroit
This is a toss up among the top four players picked, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards and Cole Anthony and depends on what your criteria for best is. Pure stats? Team success? Let’s compare:

LaMelo Ball: 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.1 steals career (21.5, 5.8, 11.3 in 2024-25)
James Wiseman: 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 blocks (26.5, 10.4, 1.3, 1.9 in 2024-25)
Anthony Edwards: 17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 (19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists in 2024-25), 4 NBA championships, 1 Most Improved Player
Cole Anthony: 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.8 steals (18.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists in 2024-25) 1 Sixth Man of the Year

Ball has likely the best all-around numbers, but has yet to crack the playoffs. Wiseman is enjoying the best individual season, but like Ball, hasn’t seen playoff basketball. Edwards already has four rings, and there may be an argument to say he’ll end up with more rings than Ball and Wiseman combined, even if he doesn’t win another, but hasn’t been in a position to stack up big numbers.

My criteria is what they’re doing on the court and who I’d want if I’m building a team, so I’m going with Ball, though if Wiseman keeps this going he has a legit case. Edwards will be tough to crack because I just don’t know that he’ll ever have a chance to be the best player on the team seeing as he is in Golden State and surrounded by future Hall of Famers, though he’s definitely enjoying the most successful career.

Biggest Bust: Kira Lewis Jr. - 7th overall, New York
Lewis is already on to his second team in the NBA and has appeared in just 73 games in five years, averaging only 4.6 points and 2.4 assists. The Knicks moved on after just three years, failing to pick up his team option and allowing him to walk. Lewis’ only saving grace is that few point guards have flourished who were picked after him, Nico Mannion went ninth and is on his second team in Toronto after being drafted by Chicago, but has already played more games this season than he did his first three years with the Bulls.

The next point guard taken was R.J. Hampton at 18 by Milwaukee, and though he hasn’t put up huge numbers, he’s appeared in more games (184) and is getting minutes now.

Tough luck for New York.

Sleeper: Deni Avdija - 16th overall, Minnesota
Avdija slid to 16 likely because of a lack of tape on him from overseas, but he has turned in a great start to his career. He’s appeared in 348 games, more than everyone in the class except for Ball, Wiseman, Edwards and Anthony and he was a key piece in the Devin Booker to Minnesota trade, so he’s on his second team but not because of a lack of talent.

Avdija is averaging 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists on his career, but is putting up 13.7 points, 4.8 boards and 4.5 assists and starting in Phoenix (he had a career-year last year, going for 15.1, 5.1 and 4.9) for a team that his getting frisky for a playoff spot.

Keep an eye on: Devin Vassell, 12th overall, Portland
I like Vassell here mostly because of where he is now. As a 3-and-D wing for the Warriors, I think Vassell is in a position to really shine over the next few years, even if it’s not statistically but more so in the role he’ll be asked to play. A similar case can be made for Isaac Okoro, who was taken 19th by the Mavs and is a valuable piece in a championship-contender.

I also liked Nico Mannion for this one. He’s in his second year in Toronto but has appeared in 39 games already, the most of his career. The Raptors are starting to rebuild and Mannion should be a valuable piece in that.

The future Jeff Green: Obi Toppin - 10th overall, Washington
This is for the player who people loved early, never really panned out, but fanbases will love when they sign him only to grow to hate him by the end of his time there, aka Jeff Green.

Toppin is already on his third team in New Orleans filling in as a backup for Zion Williamson. He’s averaging 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds on his career (decent numbers), has appeared in 253 games which is ninth most among the class, and has been a decent NBA player, but finding a consistent spot might be the theme of Toppin’s career. He’s developing a three-point shot, but he’s also already 27. If you gave me an over/under of 5.5 for teams he will play for in his career, I just might take the over.

Updated Standings

NBA Standings - Updated: Feb 2, 2025
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
1 Atlanta	33	15	--
2 Milwaukee	32	17	1.5
3 Miami	29	20	4.5
4 New York	25	24	8.5
5 Charlotte	25	25	9.0
6 Boston	24	24	9.0
7 Chicago	24	26	10.0
8 Philadelphia	24	26	10.0
Detroit	23	27	1.0
Cleveland	20	31	4.5
Toronto	19	31	5.0
Orlando	18	30	5.0
Indiana	14	34	9.0
Washington	14	35	9.5
Brooklyn	9	39	13.5
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
1 Golden State	39	10	--
2 Oklahoma City	39	11	0.5
3 Utah	35	15	4.5
4 Memphis	32	16	6.5
5 Dallas	32	16	6.5
6 New Orleans	31	18	8.0
7 Los Angeles Clippers	27	23	12.5
8 Los Angeles Lakers	27	23	12.5
San Antonio	26	23	0.5
Minnesota	24	24	2.0
Phoenix	23	26	3.5
Denver	22	27	4.5
Sacramento	17	31	9.0
Portland	16	33	10.5
Houston	13	36	13.5

All Star Teams Announced

2025 NBA All-Star Game Rosters
Team Williamson		Team Tatum
Head Coach: Nate McMillan, Atlanta		Head Coach: Steve Kerr, Golden State
Pos	Starters	Pos	Starters
PG	Kyrie Irving (11x All Star)	PG	Ja Morant (2x All Star)
PF	Giannis Antetokounmpo (9x All Star)	SG	Luka Doncic (5x All Star)
PF	Zion Williamson* (5x All Star)	SG	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2x All Star)
PF	Pascal Siakam (3x All Star)	SF	Jayson Tatum* (6x All Star)
C	Karl-Anthony Towns (6x All Star)	C	Bam Adebayo (5x All Star)
Pos	Reserves	Pos	Reserves
PG	Damian Lillard (9x All Star)	PG	Stephen Curry (10x All Star)
SG	Bradley Beal (8x All Star)	PF	Ben Simmons (6x All Star)
PG	Trae Young (5x All Star)	C	Nikola Jokic (6x All Star)
SG	James Harden (13x All Star)	C	Deandre Ayton (2x All Star)
C	Clint Capela (2x All Star)	SF	Kevin Durant (15x All Star)
C	Joel Embiid (7x All Star)	PG	Cade Cunningham (2x All Star)
PF	Michael Porter Jr. (1x All Star)	SF	Andrew Wiggins (1x All Star)

Notable Injuries
Philadelphia: Andre Drummond, left knee tendinitis, 2-4 weeks
Milwaukee: Khris Middleton, pulled left calf muscle, 1-2 weeks
Boston: Jalen Jones, fractured right leg, 2-4 months
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, torn right bicep, 2-4 weeks
Atlanta: Julius Walker, back spasm, 1-2 weeks
Miami: Jimmy Butler, broken nose, 1-2 weeks
Utah: Donovan Mitchell, hyperextended left shoulder, 1-2 weeks
Sacramento: Tony Bradley, ruptured right achilles, season
Dallas: Luka Doncic, left knee tendinitis, 1-2 weeks; Isaac Okoro, twisted right knee, 1-2 weeks; Cheick Diallo, broken left hand, 2-4 weeks
Denver: Memphis Reed, broken nose, 1-2 weeks
Indiana: Domantas Sabonis, right hand fracture, 2-4 weeks; Noah Vonleh, torn left foot ligament, 8-10 weeks
Portland: Jusuf Nurkic, ruptured left achilles, day-to-day; Jalen Smith, broken left ankle, 4-6 weeks
Golden State: Klay Tohmpson, twisted right knee, 1-2 weeks
Washington: Josh Jackson, ruptured left achilles, season; Derrick Walton, Jr., left knee tendinitis, 2-4 weeks; Enes Kanter, hyperextended left shoulder, 4-8 weeks

[marshdaddy]

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Relatively quiet trade deadline sets table for active close to the season

Isaiah Charles
March 3, 2025

Anthony Nojkic @NojRinger January 12, 2025

Quote:

Lakers are acquiring Victor Oladipo and Jae Crowder from the Pacers, league sources tell The Ringer

Grade: B+.

Trade activity kicked off in January, when the Lakers made their first move as they look to remain competitive in the Western Conference

Oladipo adds depth for the Lakers at the guard position and is an improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Buddy Hield continues to enjoy an incredible season, but the addition of Oladipo should allow the Lakers to hang with the guard-heavy contenders in the West.


Anthony Nojkic @NojRinger February 3, 2025

Quote:

Breaking: Raptors are acquiring Clint Capela and Seth Curry from Brooklyn in exchange for Rudy Gobert and Serge Ibaka, league sources tell The Ringer.

Grade: B+

With a core in their primes and Gobert in the final year of his contract, the Raptors are adding the game’s best rebounder in Capela. The Raptors have a steep climb to get back into the playoffs, but with more years on the contract, Capela should help the Raptors in years to come as well.

Anthony Nojkic @NojRinger February 3, 2025

Quote:

Breaking: Malcolm Brogdon has been dealt to the Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe and a 2027 lottery protected 1st round pick

Grade: A-
It’s been six years since the Bucks chose Bledsoe over Brogdon, but now they are flipping it back. Granted, both are out of their primes, but Brogdon is a massive upgrade at the point guard position as the Bucks were starting R.J. Hampton, who while good is still better off the bench. Contractually, both players have another year left at around $20 million, so the protected 1st should be the sweetener here.

Anthony Nojkic NojRinger February 9, 2025

Quote:

Nets are sending Caris LeVert and Denzel Valentine to the 76ers for Aaron Gordon and Marquese Chriss

Grade: B-
The Nets finished their yard sale by dealing LeVert to the Sixers, as Philly looks to make the playoffs after dealing away their franchise pieces last summer. LeVert should be an upgrade as a lead scorer for the Sixers who are trying to remain relevant against a handful of teams with potent offenses.

Philadelphia gets thinner underneath and will have to turn to Jabari Parker as the starting four with Jaden McDaniels out, which means the weight of the post defense and rebounding will fall more to Andre Drummond.


Warriors February Schedule

Golden State Warriors February 2020 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Feb 1	vs Phoenix Suns	Won, 144-132
Feb 3	vs Minnesota Timberwolves	Won, 128-93
Feb 7	vs Orlando Magic	Won, 141-78
Feb 8	vs Memphis Grizzlies	Won, 136-104
Feb 10	at Indiana Pacers	Lost, 107-95
Feb 12	at Houston Rockets	Won, 142-86
Feb 20	vs New Orleans Pelicans	Lost, 130-123
Feb 22	at Los Angeles Lakers	Won, 117-106
Feb 25	at Los Angeles Clippers	Won, 112-105
Feb 27	at Utah Jazz	Won, 148-126
Feb 28	at New Orleans Pelicans	Lost, 122-116

Standings

NBA Standings - Updated: Mar 2, 2025
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
1 Atlanta	39	20	--
2 Milwaukee	38	22	1.5
3 Miami	37	23	2.5
4 New York	33	27	6.5
5 Charlotte	32	30	8.5
6 Boston	30	29	9.0
7 Chicago	30	30	9.5
8 Detroit	30	32	10.5
Philadelphia	28	32	1.0
Orlando	24	36	5.0
Cleveland	24	36	5.0
Toronto	24	37	5.5
Indiana	18	42	10.0
Washington	17	43	11.0
Brooklyn	11	48	17.5
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
1 Golden State	47	13	--
2 Oklahoma City	45	16	2.5
3 Utah	43	17	4.0
4 New Orleans	40	20	7.0
5 Memphis	35	23	11.0
6 Dallas	34	25	12.5
7 San Antonio	34	26	13.0
8 Los Angeles Lakers	33	28	14.5
Los Angeles Clippers	32	29	1.0
Denver	30	30	2.5
Minnesota	29	30	3.0
Phoenix	26	34	6.5
Sacramento	22	39	11.0
Portland	20	39	12.0
Houston	16	45	17.0

[b]Notable Injury Update[b]
Philadelphia: Jaden McDaniels, lower right leg stress fracture, 2-4 months
Boston: Jalen Jones, fractured right leg, 2-4 months; Marcus Smart, high left ankle sprain, day-to-day
L.A. Clippers: Nigel Williams-Goss, hyperextended right shoulder, 4-6 weeks; Tim Hardaway Jr., right hand fracture, 2-4 weeks
Sacramento: Tony Bradley, ruptured right achilles, season
New York: Jalen Johnson, dislocated right shoulder, 1-2 weeks; Kevin Knox II, bruised left shoulder, 1-2 weeks
Brooklyn: Rudy Gobert, right knee tendonitis, 1-2 weeks
Portland: Jalen Smith, broken left ankle, day-to-day
Golden State: Anthony Edwards, lower back bruise, 1-2 weeks


Draft Update
Texas Tech, led by freshman point guard Melvin Boothe (mid-1st projected) finished the season on a 14-game winning streak and enter conference tournament play as the top ranked team in the country at 28-3.

Gonzaga, led by sophomore center Mario Zoric (lottery projected) sit in second in the country with a 29-2 record heading to the WCC Conference Tournament.

UNC wraps up the top three and are led by a trio of potential NBA picks. Freshman [b]power forward Jacoby D’Angelo (lottery projected) is perhaps the team’s best player but comes off the bench, while their senior backcourt of point guard Anton Forte (mid-1st projected) and Antonio Jeffries has been the focal point of their offense.

Georgetown has made a return to the NCAA elites, going 28-3 on the regular season and appear ready to compete again in March.

The quartet of freshman in Illinois have the Fighting Illini at 26-5 and sitting at five in the latest pole. Louis Morgan, profiled earlier, is leading the NCAA in scoring and 3-point shooting, but that doesn’t mean he’s doing it alone. Hasaan Richardson, Jayson Strong and Kevin Watts are playing well and moving their way up the draft boards.

Morgan certainly has the highest upside, but the other three are a huge part in the Fighting Illini’s early-season success.

Hasaan Richardson, PG, Illinois[, Projected: Lottery
Part of the dynamic backcourt with Morgan, Richardson is likely the third best point guard in the draft behind the elite duo of Brighton Reed and Javon Rolle. Richardson is a talented defender, leading the NCAA in steals at 2.1 per game, and is a very good passer, sixth in the NCAA with 5.4 assists per game. He has work to do on the offensive side of things, including becoming a better decision-maker when it comes to shooting.

Jayson Strong, SF, Illinois, Projected: Lottery
Strong is best suited at attacking the rim in transition. An extremely talented athlete, Strong is still very raw. He hasn’t shot great at this point in the season, but his potential has scouts intrigued. If not more than anything, his role in this impressive story will likely move him up draft boards that he otherwise wouldn’t have.

Kevin Watts, PF, Illinois, Projected: Mid-1st
Watts is likely the worst of the four out of Illinois, but like Strong, is a talented athlete but also a great rebounder. Playing with shades of Kenneth Faried, Watts attacks the glass with aggressiveness. His great leaping ability has him as a perennial lob threat and his athleticism should allow him to step in if called upon at the next level. Without a jump shot, his intrigue should come from teams that like his defense. If he can develop, he could be a multi-positional defender.

[marshdaddy]

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Is it time to panic for Denver?

Ryen Simons
March 3, 2025

When will we stop saying the Nuggets are still figuring things out, and start considering the fact that this could be one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history? When will we stop saying that Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were not surrounded by good talent and start discussing the potential that maybe they just aren’t good enough to carry a team?

When will we start realizing that the Nuggets simply aren’t as good as we thought?

Denver is 30-30 and sits 2.5 games out from the playoffs, but have shown zero signs of being a team that’s good enough to make the playoffs. Their offense, which was supposed to be unstoppable, is averaging just 110.9 points per game, fourth-worst in the Western Conference. Their defense meanwhile is allowing 115.2 points per game, third-worst in the conference. By point differential (-4.3), only bottom-feeding Houston, Sacramento and Portland are worse, while the rest of the playoff contenders in their neighborhood, mainly Minnesota (-1.5) and the Clippers (-0.1), can make the case they are respectable.

But not Denver. They have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the NBA, mostly because outside of Giannis and Lu Dort, the Nuggets don’t have a single rotation player who can claim to be a defensive-stalwart. Nikola Jokic is fine, as is Jamal Murray, but Jordan Clarkson is allowing opponents to shoot 48.9% on 10.3 shot attempts a game. Frank Mason III is allowing opponents to shoot an insanely efficient 52.7% on 7.6 attempts, and is unsurprisingly -4.9 on the season. The Nuggets have molded Memphis Reed into a stout defender, but his 26.2% shooting from deep hasn’t helped space the floor.

Offensively, the Nuggets are only barely better. Giannis is scoring just 22.7 points per game, well down from the 30.5 he averaged last year, which has dropped his Efficiency to 33.3, his lowest since the 2017-18 season. Jokic and Murray have been fine, each hovering around 20 points per game while Jokic is also dishing 7.2 assists with 11.6 boards. On paper, these three should be enough on offense, as they have the seventh most assists per game in the NBA.

But again, their bench has been atrocious. Clarkson is averaging just 1.9 assists, the lowest of his career. Mason III is shooting 40% from the floor and is averaging 9.0 points. And among their bench players who average at least 15 minutes a game and have appeared in at least 35 games, the best plus/minus is D.J. Wilson’s -1.7 and Reed’s -1.8. Here’s the rest of that splendid group:


Player Minutes Plus/Minus
Frank Mason III 17.4 -4.9
Omari Spellman 18.3 -5.1
Rodney Hood 15.5 -5.2
Yuta Watanabe 22.2 -3.5
Lu Dort 21.0 -4.7

When five players are a combined -23.4, there’s just no way your three superstars can carry the weight.

So who’s to blame? Mike Malone deserves some fault, as he hasn’t put together rotations that at least attempt to hide the roster’s deficiencies on either end, but how can an organization reasonably expect a team composed primarily of specialists that specialize in the same thing to compete? Not to mention that the majority of the players they’ve asked to play big roles have proven they can’t at this point in their careers.

Mason III was a role player in Oklahoma City and Atlanta the last four years and was never better than +0.2 and was -5.0 and -7.1 in the worst of those years. Dort has never averaged more than 18 minutes a game, now he’s playing 21. Yuta Watanabe wasn’t even in the NBA from 2019 through 2023, and now in his second year back in the league, the 29-year-old is playing the most minutes he ever has.

I understand you have to take some chances on bench players and hope they hit, but normally you don’t take a chance on every single bench player. And if you do take a chance, it’s not necessarily encouraged to give them as much playing time as the Nuggets have. It’s like giving a 12-year-old the keys to a sports car and expecting them to be able to merge seamlessly on the highway.

Giannis left Milwaukee because he was tired of losing, but in Denver the potential free agent-to-be isn’t finding things any easier, and now the Nuggets are running out of time to turn things around. If the first 60 games are any indication, the last 22 games won’t be any more successful, and for that, we should all be concerned.

[marshdaddy]

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From the Desk of Rhadi Staley
March 12, 2025

There was just nothing Ben Simmons couldn’t do against the Spurs. In a game against a team we could very well see in the first round of the playoffs, Ben was unstoppable. 34 points on 16-for-20 shooting, including a perfect second half, to go with 17 boards and 14 assists, when he is unlocked and playing at his peak, I’m not sure there are many players who can slow him down. It’s no wonder he’s second in the MVP conversation behind Zion Williamson.

Down one at the half, Simmons went nuclear in the second half, scoring all of his points in the paint to spark a 78-55 second half that keeps us on pace with the Thunder for the top spot in the conference. And his dominance inside opens up looks for everyone else outside. Steph had 23 points with four triples, Jonathan Kuminga had 15 points on 3-for-4 shooting from deep. Even Jahm’ius Ramsey, who’s playing on a 10-day contract, got great looks and made the most of them, going 2-for-3 from deep.

It’s his ability to attack the paint that opens up those looks on the edge, but great shooters force defenders to choose who to defend on the drive, either the shooter or the lane. Any way they slice it, I like our chances to get points.

His ability to get going in transition helped spark our offense, as we got 22 points on the fast break and 63 points in the paint.

Proving points
I have to tip my hat to our development team, they deserve as much credit in our success than anyone. Kofi Toupane, who is playing on a two-way contract, had 12 points, four boards and a pair of assists in just 11 minutes. Kostas Antetokounmpo had 10 points and 15 boards. After we signed Keon Granger for the rest of the season, Kofi is going to make it tough for us to not do the same with him.

San Antonio Spurs (37-29) at Golden State Warriors (50-15)
Mar 12, 2025 1 2 3 4 Final San Antonio 29 26 21 34 110 Golden State 30 24 34 44 132 Top Performers San Antonio Spurs Keldon Johnson - 27 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL Cole Anthony - 15 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL Golden State Warriors Ben Simmons - 34 PTS, 17 REB, 14 AST, 2 BLK Stephen Curry - 23 PTS, 2 STL, 8-14 FG (4-10 3P)	Team Stats Comparison SAS GSW FG Made-Att 42-101 51-84 3PT Made-Att 13-46 14-30 FT Made-Att 17-20 18-22 Rebounds 46 59 Assists 28 30 Turnovers 8 18 Steals 16 4 Blocks 3 4

Kostas’ Decision
I spoke to Kostas’ agent last week and he told me that Kostas doesn’t plan on returning to us next season. They claim that he wants a bigger role on offense and doesn’t see that happening here. He’s not wrong, but that would’ve been great news to know at the deadline. Now we’lll no doubt lose Kostas for nothing after we resurrected his career. The guy had played in two games in the NBA as of last season before he played in 58 for us behind Myles Turner.

Now, he’s started all 65 games he’s played in, averaging 10.5 rebounds per game with an efficiency of 16.1. We took Kostas from a G-League, European league player and have turned him into an NBA center. You’ll be damned if that doesn’t piss me off that he’s ready to leave now.

But hey, best of luck to him. Next man up.

I spoke to Steve Kerr after and told him I’d like to see more of Kofi Toupane, and two games in that looks decent. In a perfect world, Kofi plays well down the stretch and we ink him to a deal with a couple non-guaranteed years in the future and let him fill the role Kostas has filled as a rim running, athletic big. I realize those are unrealistic expectations, but a guy can dream. We’ve done it once right?

Games 61-65

Golden State Warriors March 2020 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Mar 4	vs Atlanta Hawks	Lost, 124-121
Mar 6	vs Toronto Raptors	Won, 123-82
Mar 8	at Oklahoma City Thunder	Lost, 139-108
Mar 9	vs New York Knicks	Won, 127-116
Mar 12	vs San Antonio Spurs	Won, 132-110

[marshdaddy]

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March Madness Update: Elite 8 Approaches and Conference Tournaments

James Bowman

In the final statements for many draft prospects, the conference tournaments and NCAA tournament are the proving ground. With draft position, school pride, and literally millions of dollars on the line, now is the time for prospects to step up.

AAC
Cinicinnati over Memphis
Cincinnati rebounds to take down Memphis in back-to-back seasons as the teams have met in four-straight AAC Finals.

ACC
UNC over Virginia
Antonio Jeffries guides the Tar Heels into the NCAA tournament with 26 points in a 77-62 win.

Big 12
Texas Tech over Baylor
Texas Tech returns to the Big 12 Final, this time finishing the job 73-64. Melvin Boothe named MVP.

Big East
Georgetown over Marquette
The Hoyas are back. Thanks to 20 and 12 from Addison Weber, Georgetown holds on for a 67-62 win and the Big East crown.

Big 10
Illinois over Michigan
The Fighting Illini roll on, thanks to 23 points from MVP Louis Morgan, along with 11 points and eight assists from Hasaan Richardson and 14 points from Jayson Strong.

Mountain West
Fresno State over UNLV
For the first time since Desmond Cooper’s senior year, the Bulldgos are Mountain West champions.

PAC 12
California over Colorado
Javon Rolle is too much for the Buffs, scoring 31 points with 10 assists as the Bears roll to a PAC 12 title.

SEC
Kentucky over Tennessee
In a rematch of the 2024 conference final, Brighton Reed guides the Wildcats to a conference crown with 27 points and eight dimes.

WCC
Gonzaga over OUP
Mario Zoric is making the case for a lottery selection. The Gonzaga big man had 29 points and 14 boards to claim yet another WCC crown.

NCAA Tournament
Sweet 16
South Region
(1) Gonzaga 70 – (4) Purdue 67
Gonzaga knocks out last year’s National Champions Purdue 70-67. It was a great battle between centers Mario Zoric (lottery projected) and Cameron Sullivan (lottery projected)—Sullivan had the better statistical game, but Zoric’s team got the win. SF Ian Bledsoe (mid 1st projected) led all scorers with 26 points for the Bulldogs.

(6) Texas 74 – (7) Maryland 71
Texas holds off Maryland to move on to the Elite 8. SF C.J. Blackwell (lottery/mid 1st projected)scored a game high 31 points in the win for the Longhorns.

West Region
(1) Texas Tech 79 – (5) Duke 71
Texas Tech takes out Duke to advance to the Elite 8—PG Melvin Boothe (mid 1st projected) finished with 16 points, 6 assists and 1 steal.

(2) Michigan State 79 – (6) Florida 69
Michigan State takes out Florida to move on—Grayson Vernado had a game high 11 assists; and center Sterling Gaines (mid/late 1st projected) scored a team high 18 points for the Spartans.

East Region
(1) UNC 82 – (4) California 76
We will not get to see a Brighton Reed vs Jevon Rolle (top 3 projected) matchup as UNC knocks out Cal 82-76. UNC SG Antonio Jeffries continues his scorching tournament run—this time scoring a game high 29 points. Cal PG Jevon Rolle ended with 24 points and 8 assists in the loss.

(2) Illinois 74 – (3) Tennessee 68
Illinois advances to Elite 8 with win over Tennessee. Louis Morgan (top 5 projected) had a rough shooting night (4-14), PG Hasaan Richardson (lottery projected) and SF Jayson Strong (lottery projected) combined for 32 points, and PF Kevin Watts (mid 1st projected) had 12 points and 9 rebounds.

Midwest Region
(1) Michigan 75 – (4) Ohio State 73
Michigan holds on late to beat Ohio State and all four #1 seeds have advanced to the Elite 8. SF D’Angelo Unsworth had a team high 19 points in the win for the Wolverines.

(2) Kentucky 78 – (6) Indiana 62
Kentucky moves on with an easy win over Indiana. PG Brighton Reed (top 3 projected) scores a game high 26 points and center Jordon O’Bryant posts his first tournament double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.