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

[marshdaddy]

2021-22 NBA Season

Keeping up with the 2020-21 season, the 21-22 season recap will be relatively brief, not only to catch up to where we are currently but also because the memory might not be perfect.

With Kevin Durant on board, the Miami Heat finished with 52 wins, good for second in the Eastern Conference behind only the Boston Celtics’ 54 wins. Milwaukee and Toronto each reeled off 51 wins to wrap up the top four.

The Brooklyn Nets, led by Kyrie Irving, finished with 49 wins and the six seed, tied with the Philadelphia 76ers who nabbed the fifth seed. Indiana and Chicago rounded out the top eight in the East.

While the East saw six teams finish with at least 49 wins, the West was a gauntlet. The eight seeded Clippers finished with 47 wins while the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, finished with the best record in the NBA with 58 wins.

New Orleans snagged the second seed with 56 wins while the Portland Trail Blazers and their ultra big attack of Clint Capela and Jusuf Nurkic had 55 wins and got the three seed. Utah finished with 54 wins and was the four seed, drawing a 51-win Dallas team in the first round. Memphis, led by Ja Morant, had 49 wins and was the six seed, while the Timberwolves had 48 wins and finished seventh.

Stephen Curry continued his elite form, claiming league MVP while scoring 25.6 points per game and a career-high 8.4 assists. The again elite play by Curry and Thompson has kept the Warriors’ championship window open, as they now look to claim a second straight NBA championship yet again.

The Lakers missed the playoffs, finishing at 40-42 despite the elite play of both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Meanwhile in the East, the Hawks compiled one of the worst seasons in NBA history, finishing at 9-73. The struggles appear to have alienated Trae Young as he hits restricted free agency and appears to be looking to depart Atlanta.

One year after the Rockets finished with 50 wins by going with a small ball approach, the Rockets failed to capture the same type of energy, going 28-54. The poor record hurts even worse as they are giving up their pick to the Thunder.


NBA Awards

Award	Player	Pos	Team
Most Valuable Player	Stephen Curry	PG	Golden State Warriors
Rookie of the Year	Jalen Green	SG	Orlando Magic
Sixth Man of the Year	Spencer Dinwiddie	SG	Brooklyn Nets
Defensive Player of the Year	Kawhi Leonard	SF	Los Angeles Clippers
Most Improved Player	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	SG	Oklahoma City Thunder
All-NBA 1st Team
All-NBA 1st Team	Stephen Curry	PG	Golden State Warriors
	Luka Doncic	SG	Dallas Mavericks
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	Milwaukee Bucks
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	Los Angeles Lakers
	Karl-Anthony Towns	C	Minnesota Timberwolves
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-NBA 2nd Team	Kyrie Irving	PG	Brooklyn Nets
	Damian Lillard	PG	Portland Trail Blazers
	Zion Williamson	PF	New Orleans Pelicans
	Anthony Davis	PF	Los Angeles Lakers
	Joel Embiid	C	Philadelphia 76ers
All-NBA 3rd Team
All-NBA 3rd Team	Donovan Mitchell	SG	Utah Jazz
	James Harden	SG	Houston Rockets
	Jayson Tatum	SF	Boston Celtics
	Kristaps Porzingis	PF	Dallas Mavericks
	Andre Drummond	C	Utah Jazz
All-Defensive 1st Team
All-Defensive 1st Team	Ben Simmons	PG	Philadelphia 76ers
	Dejounte Murray	PG	San Antonio Spurs
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	Los Angeles Clippers
	Anthony Davis	PF	Los Angeles Lakers
	Andre Drummond	C	Utah Jazz
All-Defensive 2nd Team
All-Defensive 2nd Team	Matisse Thybulle	SG	Philadelphia 76ers
	Paul George	SG	Los Angeles Clippers
	Jonathan Isaac	SF	Orlando Magic
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	MIlwaukee Bucks
	Rudy Gobert	C	Toronto Raptors

NBA Standings

NBA Standings
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Boston Celtics	54	28
Miami Heat	52	30
Milwaukee Bucks	51	31
Toronto Raptors	51	31
Philadelphia 76ers	49	33
Brooklyn Nets	49	33
Indiana Pacers	42	40
Chicago Bulls	38	44
Washington Wizards	36	46
Charlotte Hornets	35	47
Orlando Magic	31	51
Detroit Pistons	29	53
New York Knicks	25	57
Cleveland Cavaliers	20	62
Atlanta Hawks	9	73
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Golden State Warriors	58	24
New Orleans Pelicans	56	26
Portland Trail Blazers	55	27
Utah Jazz	54	28
Dallas Mavericks	51	31
Memphis Grizzlies	49	33
Minnesota Timberwolves	48	34
Los Angeles Clippers	47	35
Oklahoma City Thunder	41	41
Denver Nuggets	40	42
Los Angeles Lakers	40	42
Sacramento Kings	37	45
Phoenix Suns	32	50
Houston Rockets	28	54
San Antonio Spurs	23	59

[marshdaddy]

2022 NBA Playoffs

Golden State enters the postseason looking to claim their second straight title. Owning the best record in the NBA and the league MVP, the Warriors have proven plenty of doubters wrong in reclaiming and maintaining a championship-level team. Their reward? A first round matchup against the L.A. Clippers, just one year removed from a title of their own and led by a still formidable duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

New Orleans is out to prove their own detractors wrong. A year ago, the Pelicans were upset in the semifinals by Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz. This year, with 56 wins, the Pelicans take on the Timberwolves in the first round.

Speaking of Utah, the Jazz enter as the four seed after having pushed the Warriors in the Conference Finals a year ago. It won’t be an easy path for Utah, who will have to go through Dallas and Luka Doncic if they plan on exacting revenge, should the Warriors survive.

The Trail Blazers took a big swing, and that swing is paying off. By going ultra big with Clint Capela and Jusuf Nurkic up front, Portland knew they’d be sacrificing some defensive flexibility. But rather than suffering, they’ve thrived. Led by All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, Portland’s Twin Towers have dominated the glass and the paint, daring teams to try to slow down Lillard and McCollum on the perimeter and leave the paint wide open, or allow two of the league’s best perimeter threats open looks.

In the East, Miami’s new Big Three leads the Heat into action as the two seed. Kevin Durant has continued his elite play, and surrounded by defensive lockdowns like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, as well as a plethora of shooters, the Heat look dangerous.

But Boston still owns the top seed, thanks to elite play from Jayson Tatum and fantastic role-playing production from Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker. With 58 wins, the Celtics feel confident the East goes through them.

Milwaukee is looking to make up for an NBA Finals loss a year ago, and with 51 wins and a date with the Nets in the first round, Giannis has plans to do just that.

The Raptors are also looking to make up for their failures a year ago. After two straight trips to the NBA Finals, Toronto was unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs a year ago. Now, with Rudy Gobert anchoring the middle, the Raptors are looking for revenge.

Let’s get to it.

First Round
Western Conference
Golden State 3, Los Angeles Clippers 2
Golden State got all they could handle, but managed to come out on top. After going up 2-1 in L.A., the Warriors broke out their black Town jerseys, sets they only wear when they have a chance to finish the series. Typically, when the Town comes out, the opposition goes down. But the Clippers wouldn’t have it. Instead, the Clips forced a Game 5 back in the Bay. Once again, out came the Town, and this time the Warriors finished the job.

(7) Minnesota 3, (2) New Orleans 0
It’s officially time to be worried in New Orleans. The organization had talked all year long how their upset to the Jazz was a fluke and they’d make up for it this year. Things didn’t go as planned. Now questions swirl about Zion’s long-term stay in New Orleans, and if the roster as constructed can actually make waves in the postseason.

Portland 3, Memphis 2
Thanks to an overwhelming advantage underneath, the Trail Blazers roll through the Grizzlies. Memphis now is in a similar spot as the Pelicans. A young core that begins to hit its prime, yet a lack of playoff success.

Utah 3, Dallas 1
The Jazz roll onto the semifinals yet again. As Utah is celebrating sustained success, the Mavs are looking at what went wrong. How many more failures can the team undergo until Luka becomes restless

Eastern Conference
Boston 3, Chicago 0
The Celtics make quick work of the Bulls and are on to the conference semis. It’s a positive season for Chicago, but they showed little fight in the quick series.

Miami 3, Indiana 0
The Heat continue their roll, easily dispatching the Pacers. So far, there have been few teams with an answer to the Heat’s three-headed monster.

(6) Brooklyn 3, (3) Milwaukee 1
For Milwaukee, there is no worse way to follow up a conference title than with an embarrassing defeat in the first round. The Nets did win 49 games and had the Sixth Man of the Year recipient, but with a player like Giannis, any upset is still extremely disappointing. Now Kyrie gets a shot at revenge in the Conference Semis against KD and the Heat.

Toronto 3, Philadelphia 2
The Raptors answer the call and down the Sixers in five games. Concerns now begin to swirl in Philly if the pairing of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is a championship-level duo.

Conference Semifinals
Western Conference
Golden State 4, Utah 3
In a rematch of the 2021 Western Conference Finals, the Warriors are too much for the Jazz down the stretch. After Utah blew a 2-1 series lead a year ago, they blow a 3-2 series lead this time around. The Warriors championship pedigree pays off as they beat the Jazz in a competitive Game 6 on the road before routing them at home in Game 7.

Portland 4, Minnesota 1
The Wolves cinderella run comes to an end at the hands of the Trail Blazers. KAT was overwhelmed by Portland’s dynamic front court duo while Lillard picked apart D’Angelo Russell on the perimeter. It’s on to the Conference Finals for Portland and a shot to de-throne the champs.

Eastern Conference
Boston 4, Toronto 0
The Celtics are as hot as ever. After an easy sweep of the Bulls in the first round, it looks like no one told the Celtics the Conference Semis should be harder. With an easy win, the Celtics send the Raptors home with their tails between their legs yet again.

Miami 4, Brooklyn 2
Kyrie Irving played much of the season riding a determined wave of revenge. That wave took him all the way to a 2-2 series in the Conference Semifinals against the very man he sought to take down. But in the final two games of the Nets’ season, they just had no answer for KD and the Heat and bow out.

Conference Finals
Western Conference
Golden State 4, Portland 3
Portland did everything right, until they didn’t. The Trail Blazers big attack inside threw the Warriors off their game, as Portland dominated the rebound battle and second chance opportunities. Lillard was dynamic, but at some point, the relentless attack of Curry and Thompson became too much. The league MVP didn’t shy away from the Trail Blazers big-man attack, assaulting the paint and, in the decisive Game 7, forcing Capela into early foul trouble before the Warriors hung on for a tight victory.

Eastern Conference
Miami 4, Boston 0
It’s hard to believe how quickly things can cool off when dealing with the Heat. After seeing no answers to their wing-heavy attack, the Celtics got all the answers at once. KD, Butler and Bam were too much for the Celtics and the Heat easily move their way into the NBA Finals for the first time since the Heatles were in town.

[trekfan]

Quite a playoff run for the Warriors -- they've been taken the distance in every series, edging oh so close to losing, but they pulled it out time after time. Now faced with former Warrior Durant, can they take down a man that helped them capture their last title? That's going to be a fun Finals as the two dominant "super team" organizations of the 2010s face off.

[marshdaddy]

The 2022 NBA Finals

As the 2022 NBA Finals prepare to tip off, there are familiar faces throughout. From the West, the Warriors are looking to repeat as NBA champions yet again. Led by the league MVP, Stephen Curry, along with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and second-year pro Anthony Edwards, the Warriors are formidable. Along with Andrew Wiggins and Aaron Gordon, rookie Jonathan Kuminga headlines a deep roster full of switchable and smooth-shooting wings.

The Warriors didn’t win 58 games on accident, but they’ve had their hands full all postseason long. Golden State has seen every series go the distance, with a five-game win over the Clippers before having to win a pair of Game 7s at home against the Jazz and Trail Blazers. The questions now on everyone’s mind is if they are too exhausted from that gauntlet.

Meanwhile, the Heat are led by a familiar foe and coming off much-needed rest after having swept the Celtics. When Kevin Durant left the Warriors in 2019, many argued who would get the first ring, the Warriors or KD. That question was answered emphatically a year ago, but that only stirred up new questions. Now, with a KD-less ring on their fingers, did the Warriors need KD to get those two rings, or did KD need the Warriors?

Durant now has a chance to answer that, and has a supporting cast that rivals that of the Warriors. With Jimmy Butler on one side and Bam Adebayo on the other, the Heat bring to the table what they believe to be the perfect Warrior kryptonite: defense across the board and the ability to get into the paint.

So many questions, let’s get answers.

Game 1
Golden State 134, Miami 129
You can rest when you die. Stephen Curry quickly puts any concerns about the Warriors’ energy levels to bed in dropping 50 points in a Game 1 win. The MVP adds six boards and eight assists while Klay Thompson pours in 26 points of his own. Edwards impresses in his return to the Finals with 18 points and six boards, while Kuminga looks ready for primetime, scoring 20 points with four rebounds and four assists.

Miami’s big three plays well to counter, with Butler and Bam scoring 24 a piece and KD adding 22, but the Warrior depth is too much.

Game 2
Golden State 103, Miami 89
The Warriors are leaving the Bay with a commanding lead. Thanks to a 30-point showing from Klay Thompson and a 26-9-7 night from Curry, the Warriors head to South Beach up 2-0 and a chance to put the Heat away. Edwards adds 12 points while Wiggins produces 14 in the low scoring affair.

Bam looked like the Heat’s best player, which isn’t a great thing when you have KD. The big man had 19 points, 12 boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks to lead the Heat, while KD had just 14 points and seven boards. Butler finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Game 3
Miami 110, Golden State 107
The Heat won’t be swept, and they guarantee the confetti won’t fall for the Warriors in Miami. Durant erupts for 34 points while Derrick Rose adds in 24 points and 10 assists for the Heat. Jimmy Butler has a low scoring but effective night, scoring 10 points with seven rebounds and eight assists.

Thompson had a team-high 25 points as well as seven rebounds, while Curry had 22 points, five rebounds and nine assists.

Game 4
Golden State 110, Miami 103
Although Golden State won’t head back to the Bay with the Larry O’Brien Trophy, they will go home with a chance to end things. Andrew Wiggins is the surprise offensive leader for the Warriors, scoring 34 points to go with six rebounds and six assists. The Dubs rode Wiggins early and his hot shooting was too much for the Heat to slow down.

Curry had 18 points, six assists and six boards, while Thompson had 16 points and Edwards added 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Durant had 24 for the Heat, while Butler had 20-12-8 and Bam had a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Game 5
Golden State 141, Miami 140 (OT)
The Miami Heat were less than a minute away from extending the season. Holding a four-point lead with 52 seconds left, Miami was in the driver’s seat to send the series back to South Beach for a pivotal Game 6. Then the MVP arrived.

Thompson buried a three to cut the deficit to one with 45 seconds on the clock. Bam answered with a midrange jumper to push it to three with 28 seconds left. After a Warrior timeout, Golden State used a trio of off-ball screens to free Curry, who buried the game-tying triple with nine seconds left in regulation.

A back-and-forth overtime sent the game into its final seconds yet again. Durant gave the Heat a one-point lead with under 20 seconds to play, and Miami began seeing the lights of a Game 6 at home. Yet again, the MVP arrived.

Curry used a pair of screens from Draymond Green and Aaron Gordon to lose Rose above the three-point line, but as he drove, Kelly Olynyk dropped into the paint, having seen the play before.

With Olynyk blocking his path to the hoop, Curry faced options. He could drive at the Miami big man and try to either draw a foul or finish through contact, or he could pull up with a chance to end the game and season. Curry slowed for a millisecond, allowing Olynyk to drop just a half step further away, before pulling up quickly with Rose coming quickly from behind him.

The shot was pure, sinking swiftly through the net with just 0.2 seconds to play, icing the game and giving the Warriors yet another NBA crown.

Curry finished the night with 60 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Thompson added 42 points and had four steals. Gordon had 14 points and dished out 14 dimes for the Dubs.

KD had 44 points for the Heat, while Butler had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Curry was named Finals MVP, averaging 35.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

[marshdaddy]

2022 NBA Offseason - The Draft Lottery

After having won the last two NBA titles, the Warriors enter the draft lottery in an incredible position. On draft night a year ago, the Warriors acquired Jonathan Kuminga, the third overall pick, in exchange for the fifth overall pick (Joshua Christopher), Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, and an unprotected 2023 first round pick. But as part of that deal was a little sweetener: swap rights with Charlotte for their 2022 first.

The decision was unique. For the Hornets, they were betting on two things. One, they were hoping for an improved roster and success that would push them into the playoffs. Two, they assumed, like many in the league, that the Warriors’ aging core would regress from their championship-level play in an extremely competitive Western Conference.

Unfortunately for Charlotte, neither bet hit. Christopher barely saw the floor for Charlotte, appearing in just a handful of games while the Hornets bid at a playoff berth fizzled just short, finishing three games behind the Bulls for the eight seed. The Warriors meanwhile dominated the league to the tune of 58 wins and, of course, the NBA title.

All this meant that, regardless of where the Hornets pick fell, the Warriors would almost certainly be exercising the swap rights, moving up from 30th to at least ninth, where the Hornets were projected to pick in the lottery. So come draft night, the Warriors, yet again, had all eyes on the ping pong balls.

Full draft results below, original pick in parenthesis, but the story is first.

The purpose of the draft lottery changes were designed to give teams a better chance of moving up from the very end of it. Granted those increased odds were small, but an increase nonetheless. But like the years prior, teams picking from 10 on had no luck. The Hawks, owning the Oklahoma City Thunder selection, slotted in at 14, with the Pelicans, Nuggets, Kings and Wizards following suit.

At nine, the Warriors began paying close attention. A Hornets emblem meant the Warriors would be picking in the mid-lottery, an enviable position for a two-time reigning champion. But champions are champions because they manage to win. And instead of a teal and purple hornet logo, Mark Tatum displayed an orange and purple Suns logo, meaning the Hornets pick, belonging to the Warriors, had jumped, again, into the top four.

You’d be excused for feeling this was some type of b.s., a fabricated attempt to build the world’s greatest collection of veteran and youth talent. But I promise you, there was no restarting, no quitting, no b.s. The Warriors would be guaranteed a top-four selection for the third straight season, a gift intended by the NBA for the worst of the worst organizations trying to pull themselves up from the ashes. Not for the best team of the past decade.

With the Suns moving up to ninth, the Magic slid down from their projected seventh to eighth. Then, tragedy struck again. The New York Knicks selection, owned by the Cavaliers, which was projected to go four appeared at seven, meaning the Rockets and Pistons had both jumped from fifth and sixth into the top four.

And then further bad luck for the Cavaliers, as their own selection that was projected to go second had fallen to sixth. The Cavs, who had entered with the second and fourth best odds at picking first overall, would instead be forced to pick at six and seven.

The Hawks, who had just completed an utterly hopeless nine-win season, saw even more bad luck, dropping from first to the fifth overall pick, leaving the Spurs (third best odds), Rockets (fifth), Pistons (sixth) and Warriors (ninth) in the top four.

The Spurs would be the first name off the board, dropping from third to fourth, before their Texas brethren would follow, putting the Rockets at third, up two spots.

Then, like it did so similarly to two years before, it came down to the Pistons and the Warriors. And again the Pistons struck lottery gold, with the Hornets logo appearing at two. To call that a loss for the Warriors would be an exaggeration, as the draft was loaded with enticing pieces that would be valuable for the Warriors in their pursuit of the 20-year dynasty.

NBA Draft - Round 1 Recap
Pick	Team	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (6)	Detroit Pistons
2 (9)	Golden State Warriors (via CHA)
3 (5)	Houston Rockets
4 (3)	San Antonio Spurs
5 (1)	Atlanta Hawks
6 (2)	Cleveland Cavaliers
7 (4)	Cleveland Cavaliers (via NYK)
8 (7)	Orlando Magic
9 (8)	Phoenix Suns
10	Washington Wizards
11	Sacramento Kings
12	Denver Nuggets
13	New Orleans Pelicans
14	Atlanta Hawks (via OKC)
15	Chicago Bulls
16	Indiana Pacers
17	Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)
18	Phoenix Suns (via MIN)
19	Memphis Grizzlies
20	Brooklyn Nets
21	Philadelphia 76ers
22	Toronto Raptors
23	Cleveland Cavaliers (via MIL)
24	Dallas Mavericks
25	Miami Heat
26	Boston Celtics
27	Memphis Grizzlies (via UTA)
28	Portland Trail Blazers
29	New Orleans Pelicans
30	Charlotte Hornets (via GSW)

[marshdaddy]

2021 NBA Offseason - The Draft Class

We’re going to mix it up here a bit and not jump right into the draft itself. Instead, with this being the first fictional draft of the MyLeague, we’ll focus in on the Warriors draft board and some of the projected pieces in the draft. If you’d like even more background on the class, I encourage you to follow along with JB’s DC-1 here: https://forums.operationsports.com/f...t-classes.html

As we get closer to my personal modern day, I’m going to adjust the narrative ever so slightly, giving a glimpse of what I intend the long-term voice of the dynasty to be. We’ll inject some more first person as we build up to meeting the President of Basketball Operations. To set expectations, I’m not going to be doing the incredible storytelling of Trekfan. Though I thoroughly enjoy his chapters and the immersion and storytelling he provides, this story will be different.

Again, more will be explained about the future voice of the franchise, but for now, let’s get to it.

Warriors Draft Board - Post-Lottery
The Warriors didn’t expect to be picking this high, so the draft board had a complete makeover. Originally, Golden State was targeting Julius Walker and Elton Dawkins, both centers who could provide a defensive punch, something they were clearly lacking when they faced Andre Drummond and the Jazz and the two-headed beast of Jusuf Nurkic and Clint Capela.

But when they jumped to one, the thinking changed. First on their draft board was Ibraham Mobley, a power forward who had long been projected to go first overall. Mobley brings a blend of defensive versatility and the ability to stretch the floor that the Warriors think will fit nicely alongside Kuminga and Edwards.

Second on the board is Desmond Cooper. The senior, sniping shooting guard out of Fresno State fit exactly what the Warriors want to do. While he lacks the defensive tools out of the box, his ability to score from beyond the perimeter would help as a valuable role-player and into the future alongside their two young cornerstones.

Walker is third on the Warriors’ board. The center from South Carolina is drawing comparisons to Dwight Howard after being a dominant force on the boards and leading the NCAA in blocks. Walker would help us out immediately and would likely slot in as the starting five. His rebounding ability and size would allow Golden State to bang bodies with Utah and Portland, two teams they fully expect to have to go through if they plan on three-peating.

The last name on the board is Tre Hunter, the point guard out of UCLA. NBA scouts are calling Hunter a poor man’s Steph Curry, and what better way to fill the eventual void of the actual Steph Curry than the lite version. Hunter can score from anywhere, and has the quickness to get inside the paint. He would compete with Kris Dunn and Aaron Nembhard, the two backup point guards, for minutes, but would be an ideal fit as the initiator with Edwards and Kuminga.

The selection is tough, and since the Warriors are picking second they’ll be fortunate that they are guaranteed at least three of their top four should be there, depending on what Detroit is thinking.

Speaking of Detroit, all rumors seem to be pointing towards Mobley being their pick. Scouts are saying he has the most upside with his age and skillset, and would be a nice third piece to go with LaMelo Ball and Evan Mobley (no relation). “The Mobley brothers” is already marketing gold, and with Ball at the point, the Pistons would have no shortage of highlight makers.

We’ll see where it cracks out, but they’re ready.

[trekfan]

Good god the Warriors luck is insane. The NBA conspiracy theorists must be having a field day, no team should be trading with the Warriors because you will LOSE in the end it seems, lol.

EDIT: Also, thank you for the shoutout, I'm thoroughly enjoying your approach; everyone has their own style and yours is just as good as mine.



As for the Warriors draft board ... I like Walker. I feel like it's too soon to spend a top-5 pick on a Steph or Klay replacement, but Walker can come in and bring a defensive toughness in the paint the Warriors haven't had since Bogut roamed the Bay.

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Good god the Warriors luck is insane. The NBA conspiracy theorists must be having a field day, no team should be trading with the Warriors because you will LOSE in the end it seems, lol. EDIT: Also, thank you for the shoutout, I'm thoroughly enjoying your approach; everyone has their own style and yours is just as good as mine. As for the Warriors draft board ... I like Walker. I feel like it's too soon to spend a top-5 pick on a Steph or Klay replacement, but Walker can come in and bring a defensive toughness in the paint the Warriors haven't had since Bogut roamed the Bay.

Absolutely brother. I'm just starting the original Ronald Bazemore story in Miami to catch up for the Washington sequel and really enjoying it. The creativity is through the roof to be able to build a world like that. Really great stuff. I won't spoil anything on what my approach will be just yet, but definitely wanted to make it more than a cut and dry 'here's who won this year in my MyLeague' after reading yours.

As for the pick and rising, it feels a lot like the Celtics after they got the Nets pick in that people just didn't want to make any trades with them. I tried to put out feelers for some players a few years down the line, but no one came up with a good offer. My head canon is because they don't want to trade with us anymore.

Walker was actually number one on my draft board when we sat at nine, and even when we jumped up into the top 4. We got absolutely destroyed on the glass against both Portland and Utah and only survived because Steph and Klay are still lights out shooters and could use his interior defense. His lack of swichability is a concern for me, and the fact he can't shoot from deep is concerning because I love to run pick and pops with Steph at the point and Aaron Gordon, who has turned into a decent shooter, popping above the three-point line.

At two though, I really like the versatility that Desmond Cooper would bring us on offense. We'd be small, but we would have as many shooters as the franchise ever has with him out there. I also really liked Tre Hunter at nine, but not so much at two. He's good, but he's still a project and taking him so high wouldn't help us keep the title window open.

Ibraham Mobley would be a great fit too, but I don't expect him to drop past one.