In today’s Dub Hub:
- ESPN have released their win-loss projections for the upcoming season, which again rank the Warriors as a play-in team.
- Bleacher Report lists Warriors new signing Kyle Anderson as one of their most underrated players of the past five years.
- NBA Honors Late Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 46th birthday on Friday.
ESPN recently unveiled its profit and loss projections for the 2024-25 NBA season. After finishing last season as the 10th seed with a 46-36 record, the Golden State Warriors are now projected into eighth place, albeit with one fewer win.
The playgroup
7. The New Orleans Pelicans: 46-36
8. Golden State Warriors: 45-37
9. Memphis Grizzlies: 44-38
10. Houston Rockets: 44-38
While the Warriors are no strangers to the postseason, last year ended on a sour note with their early elimination from the play-in tournament. The team acknowledged that it needed to retool its roster, especially after Klay Thompson left for the The Dallas Mavericksand made several key offseason moves to build more effectively around Stephen Curry with the additions of De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson.
Even though they couldn’t get the secondary star they desperately needed, the changes made to the team provide room for optimism. The veteran additions provide solid depth to the team, and if Draymond Green can avoid missing games due to suspension and Curry continues to play at an elite level, the Warriors could very well surpass their projected win total.
For more on this and other NBA news, here’s our latest news roundup for Friday, August 23:
Warriors News:
2024-25 NBA predictions: Win-loss record for Warriors, Thunder and all Western teams | ESPN
The playgroup
7. The New Orleans Pelicans: 46-36
8. Golden State Warriors: 45-37
9. Memphis Grizzlies: 44-38
10. Houston Rockets: 44-38
Grizzlies hope for full season starting Yes Morant but they’re chasing a play-in spot in a tough Western Conference race. Joining Memphis could be a Pelicans team that would prefer to avoid the play-in tournament after three straight seasons. The Warriors, eliminated from the play-in tournament last season, have signed several players to soften the blow of losing Thompson, but it may not be enough to secure Stephen Curry and Co. back in the playoffs.
Thank you, Al Attles. Your legacy will live on. | Andscape
“I was never concerned about how many points I scored,” Attles told The Undefeated in 2019. “I was always concerned about whether I was doing the right thing. Where am I going? Whether it was school, college, after college with the Warriors, I really cared about doing the right thing for other people.”
“My legacy? Just doing what I think is the right thing to do. That’s all I care about.”
Draymond recalls offseason when Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins
Ranking the NBA’s Most Underrated Players of the Last 5 Years | Bleacher Report
In fact, listen to this: Anderson’s underrated work has produced more winning shares over the past five seasons than Green or Anunoby. Same for VRP.
It’s not just Anderson’s defense that has made him so valuable over the past five years. While defenses don’t honor his stilted, hesitant three-point shot, the 6-foot-10 forward is an elite passer for his position. The ball never sticks when Slo-Mo gets his hands on it, and he always seems to find his way to an open scorer. worst ranking in terms of usage assistance rate over the past five years, it finished at the 93rd percentile in 2020-21.
Steph Curry Delivers Message at Democratic National Convention
NBA News:
The NBA’s least-watched offseason trades, from Immanuel Quickley to Max Christie | The Athletic
Max Christie was a bit a famous cause For Lakers Last season, he was a backup to the fans. He was always the guy the fans wanted to play instead of that mediocre veteran who was sabotaging LA’s second unit that night.
The problem was that A) they actually tried him a lot (944 minutes in 67 games), and B) he wasn’t very good (8.4 PER, minus 3.6 BPM), so C) he couldn’t fit into the full-strength rotation of what was arguably the worst bench in the league. So it was a bit of a shock to see the Lakers commit to a four-year, $32 million free agent contract to bring him back, an option that included a fourth-year player option. After talking to others around the league, I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that.
Goran Dragic’s ‘Night of the Dragon’ explained: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic among stars set to play in farewell game | The Sporting News
15-year NBA veteran Goran Dragic has decided to call it quits, but not before taking the court alongside some of the NBA’s biggest stars one last time. Dragic, also known as “The Dragon” during his NBA career, will be honored in a farewell charity game aptly titled “The Night of the Dragon.”
Among the stars set to perform in Dragic’s honor are Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. It turns out that the aforementioned four players aren’t just united by their combined 16 All-NBA First Team appearances: they all share a deep admiration for Dragic.
The game, which will be played at Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia, will be a final grand gesture to honor Dragic’s accomplishments in the NBA and internationally.
NBA honors Kobe Bryant on his 46th birthday Friday
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
4 Areas We Can Expect Brandin Podziemski to Improve
Best Free Throws
This one is pretty simple. Podziemski shot 38.5 percent from three-point range, and you’d expect those players to shoot well from the free throw line. He also shot 77.0 percent from the free throw line in college, so we know this is a shot he’s comfortable making.
But in his rookie season, Podz shot just 63.3 percent from the free throw line. Several factors could explain the unusual struggles for a young player at the free-throw line, including the increased pressure of the situation and the reduced pace of playing a smaller role and getting to the line less often (in Santa Clara, he averaged 4.5 free throws per game, compared to just 1.1 with the Dubs).
You can practice a lot, and you definitely do, but those are things that come with experience at the NBA level. Podziemski has never lacked confidence on the NBA stage, but sometimes experience trumps confidence. I expect his free throw mark to start comfortably with a seven this year.
A tweet to end the week:
Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
