OT: Article on Poole's return to GSW
Mostly just an article about Kerr & players voicing their lamentations about how things changed after the sucker punch. Worth an OT posting.
I really admire Kerr as a coach & leader, no matter what we all think of Dray. After the league handed down the suspension, Kerr spoke to the media and was completely honest about how the man needs help. And it was really the words of a coach who cares about his players, and obviously a very, very emotionally intelligent human being.
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:18 AM ^
Every time I watch this NCAA all-time buzzer-beater, I'm still astonished at the outcome. As mad as March gets!
December 22nd, 2023 at 1:34 AM ^
Definitely an all-time top moment in MBB history.
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
And to think...he was 100% fouled on that play too.
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^
As much as I love watching that play, it makes me nostalgic for the days when close basketball games weren't automatic losses.
December 22nd, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Being at all fair, that was a loss too without a miracle shot, much like the win last year that broke the close game losing streak when Hunter hit that miracle 3. Hitting a miracle shot isn't really indicative of a team 'executing down the stretch'
December 23rd, 2023 at 3:40 PM ^
That was a long shot, but I wouldn't call it a miracle. We drew up an excellent play to get the ball in the hands of one of our best shooters.
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:18 AM ^
Is... is this sarcasm? Kerr took the side of a serial assaulter to keep their championship hopes alive. He was sorry that the story leaked to the media. "He needs help" so we can have some rebuttal when people ask why that fuck is on our team instead of JP and instead of being in prison.
Also... trading Jordan to the fucking Wizards? That's where NBA careers die.
December 22nd, 2023 at 3:58 AM ^
/s
EDIT: I'm clearly deserving of negs on this post, as the latter half of my comments were based on just having watched Kerr's presser after the suspension. And I've always liked Kerr & he's a disciple of Pop, who I really admire. Others who have paid closer attention to this whole saga have really valid points on how Kerr is responsible for lack of punishment to Dray after the sucker punch - or any of the numerous other incidences. So I appreciate the feedback, & I still have hope for Dray that he gets help & just generally have a positive outlook for humanity that folks can change for the better.
December 22nd, 2023 at 5:51 AM ^
If you think Poole had no blame in the matter your dont really follow nba basketball. Obviously didn’t deserve to be punched but that’s not some full blown excuse to mail it in all season. Have the the worst shot selection in nba history, play zero defense and in general display one of the leagues all time lowest basketball iq’s. Dude lost them the shot at another ring because he thinks he’s Steph and his head got way to big. Green’s issues have nothing to do with that. If your so fragile that getting punched in practice ( leaving no kind of major physical or permanent damage) causes you to go off the rails and act like a complete BI, well then the Wiz is actually just the place for you.
December 22nd, 2023 at 6:13 AM ^
"If your (sic) so fragile that getting punched in practice ( leaving no kind of major physical or permanent damage) causes you to go off the rails ..."
I see. If there had been any permanent damage, would that have given him license to go off the rails?
December 22nd, 2023 at 8:08 AM ^
Had he suffered some kind of permanent brain damage it would excuse his play and attitude I suppose.
Poole acted like a petulant child and beyond that became unplayable 6 months after the incident because he’s the worst defender in the league and has an even worse shot selection. Non of this has anything to do with Draymond. What he did was wrong but it’s just become an excuse for Poole being Poole.
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:02 AM ^
...the irony of insulting another's intelligence while making multiple grammar mistakes.
December 22nd, 2023 at 6:11 PM ^
Isn't this just the slogan for the internet as a whole?
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:10 AM ^
"Have the the worst shot selection in nba history, play zero defense and in general display one of the leagues all time lowest basketball iq’s."
And, in spite of all that, the Warriors give Poole a four year $128 million contract. The Golden State front office has been pretty damn good the last 10 years and paid Poole a huge amount in spite of being, according to you, an awful player. I would trust Golden State's judgement more than yours. A lot more.
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:14 AM ^
LOL. Green punched him because he called him an overpriced backpack(no lies detected). Who's the fragile one again?
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:51 AM ^
I thought he called him "triple single"
December 22nd, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
That too.
December 22nd, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Green was an asshat to Poole from the moment Poole joined the team, all because he went to Michigan. 4 years into his career and Green couldn't let it go and realize they were actually team mates now.
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^
Just found izziot's burner account.
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
you're kinda a douche....
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:13 AM ^
Kerr's “leadership” fractured the team.
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:53 AM ^
I can’t stand Kerr. He’s a hypocrite in many ways.
December 22nd, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
oh exactly! NOW he needs help? Right.
The previous 856 times, though, he was fine.
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:28 AM ^
Sorry, but my only reaction is to the term "Dub Nation":
December 22nd, 2023 at 12:36 AM ^
My Staee hatred aside, Draymond's a total ass. And so is Kerr on this.
Draymond complains about every foul he commits, and he constantly jeopardizes his team's success with his nonsensical behavior. Kerr fucked up by giving him the longest leash and now the team AGAIN faces consequences. No sympathy for either. Good riddance.
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:50 AM ^
Yep. I admire Kerr, and beyond him being an exceptionally successful player and coach (in terms of championships), he seems like a thoughtful, smart guy.
However, even good guys can screw up and he did royally here. It shows everyone has their blind spots, and he clearly has one with Draymond. This last year and a half, GSW has been reaping what they sowed.
December 22nd, 2023 at 1:31 AM ^
"Kerr is really a nice guy because he let a guy who constantly sucker punches and injures his own teammates and opponents continue to play ball, BUT he realized the guy who was doing the assaulting needs help."
Wow. Give Kerr a fucking medal for all he's done here. What an absolute hero.
December 22nd, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
No medal for Coach Kerr. He couldn’t even coach a US FIBA team to a bronze.
Warriors management was too afraid to give a reasonable punishment to any of Draymond’s past antics. Draymond good behavior will last at most a month, cause he regards his antics as part of his passion needed to play.
December 22nd, 2023 at 1:58 AM ^
Kerr chose: "he needs help."
Remarkably passive words. Like bro, you can give him some help (aka consequences).
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:21 AM ^
That's Kerr for ya, tell everyone else people need help, but he's not going to provide it himself. It's on others to do it.
December 22nd, 2023 at 2:07 AM ^
Warriors fucked up big time. Kept the aging and extremely overrated triple single over a rising star that fit their system perfectly.
They rewarded Draymond for past accomplishments, but he’ll never be the defensive player he was 5 years ago, and his impact on offense is centered around playing with the greatest shooter of all time, and another top 5 greatest shooter of all time.
Draymond on any other team would be a mediocre 7th man off the bench. Poole was trending towards super stardom. This was a case where loyalty to a veteran cost the team its future.
December 22nd, 2023 at 6:53 AM ^
There is no world in which a player with Poole’s shot selection, lack of defense, decision making and low basketball IQ is anywhere near a super star. Is this a Troy Weaver burner account?
December 22nd, 2023 at 10:23 AM ^
James Harden says “hello”
December 22nd, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
We saw it the season that Klay was out and Steph got hurt. Mr triple single gave up and sat rest of season. It’s true that when Steph sits out games Draymond avoids those games as well, Gobert called him out on that.
December 22nd, 2023 at 7:29 AM ^
Yes. See also Durant, Kevin.
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:49 AM ^
Kept the aging and extremely overrated triple single over a young and extremely overrated chucker with horrible shot selection who plays no defense.
December 22nd, 2023 at 3:09 AM ^
I don’t like how Golden State handled it. Kerr mentions that he hates how the situation ended, but what does he think about how it started?
December 22nd, 2023 at 4:55 AM ^
jordan poole has million-dollar talent and a five-cent head.
December 22nd, 2023 at 6:02 AM ^
I think Kerr and GS made a poor business decision. They couldn’t keep Poole and Draymond. They chose to keep the one who had zero trade value and didn’t threaten playing time for the old guard in hopes of getting at least something for Poole. Problem with that is they got a dirt old Chris Paul and gave up a bunch of other consideration. So now the team is old, dysfunctional, and lacks future prospects. All because of a loyalty to a sociopath.
December 22nd, 2023 at 6:36 AM ^
Like many, I had high hopes for Poole merging his talent with a championship team. I now hope his talent doesn't get buried in a less-than-stellar organization.
December 22nd, 2023 at 7:27 AM ^
As a bay area guy I had a first row seat for this. At least two things are true. First, the Warriors don’t win in 2022 without Poole. They lose to Memphis, clearly. Second, Draymond is toxic and the owners of this team chose that fucking Chud over Kevin Durant. Kevin fucking team building Durant. I won’t go on about how trash Draymond is. But he is. Burn motherfucking Sparty trash heap GSW has become.
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:19 AM ^
Umm, I mean I'm not saying I wouldn't choose KD over Draymond but KD isn't exactly known for being the best locker room guy either.
December 22nd, 2023 at 7:34 AM ^
Draymond *does* need help. Show that utterly trash guy the dumpster. It is time mayn.
December 22nd, 2023 at 7:52 AM ^
Green has been consistently awful across his career. The GSWs have tolerated and enabled Green's awful throughout. Listen to his interviews over time, and you find consistency there, too: A self-absorbed, self-justifying upper middle rank player, given to violence, perpetuating it with the rationale that he's protecting "his guys" (unless the very thin-skinned Green decides they are not his guys).
GSW's rationale for keeping Green has never amounted to much more than, 'He's a violent guy, but he's our violent guy.' He's never been given the message that he can't be violent, only that he can't be too violent.
Now come the earnest hand-wringing speeches. Steve Kerr. . . lost all credibility on the subject of Draymond Green a long time ago.
Green, sooner or later, will be left by the curbside, too. Because he was only ever a means to an end himself. He's become more liability than asset. A lot of people who pretended to be his friend will quietly seek the exits. Draymond is gonna go where mean and violent people usually go: to a long, lonely exile. I'm glad I'm not his wife or kids. I hope that he does obtain good counsel.
December 22nd, 2023 at 8:08 AM ^
More pro-sports OT:
Pistons fans chant "Sell the team" last night.
Dodgers sign Yamamoto to $325 million/12 year deal. Dodgers are going all in on Japan. I would say Japanese pitchers except, of course, Ohtani can't pitch next year.
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
Yea, I saw Cade's comments. You usually are what your record says you are. In this case, they're pretty bad. Maybe not 2-26 bad, but like 5-23 at best depending on a few games go the other direction. They're so unwatchable. Roster construction is terrible. Back office is awful. Weaver, Tellem, and Stefanski need to go. Gores and the dead racoon on his head need to sell. In this day and age, there's absolutely no reason why the Pistons should not be good. The days of everyone wanting to be in a few major markets is behind us.
December 22nd, 2023 at 8:24 AM ^
I used to like Kerr
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:14 AM ^
The Warriors best bet in that whole situation probably would have been to trade both of them. Green is clearly past his prime, they could deal with his antics earlier in his career when his defense and versatility made him worth it. And Poole, as much as we love him for 'the shot', plays terrible defense and has almost equally poor shot selection, neither of which seem to be something he cares to improve. They're both a massive drag on team efficiency and ultimately wins and losses.
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:46 AM ^
Dang it, I sat here with my comment draft open and after finally submitting it, I see you made the same point before I did.
December 22nd, 2023 at 9:54 AM ^
I bought into the Poole hype when he was at Michigan. It always looked to me like he was on the cusp of being a more explosive version of Stauskas. Never happened, but he was still a good player.
I did think he would have a shot in the NBA to be a 3 point specialist. Maybe even a Jamal Crawford type of career. Started to disappear and it looked like it was over until he went on a Lin-sanity run out of nowhere. Overnight sensation. Big new contract. Becomes a household name and becomes a subject of a Coke (or Pepsi?) commercial for being the best all-time player for steals...which I think was supposed to be a joke. Those ads always struck me as Andy Kaufman type humor, like as long as they made themselves laugh it was a success.
Anyway, that has quickly dissipated and now he's just a guy. Not terrible to be JAG, but it kind of is bad to be JAG in Washington (soon to be Virginia).