In today’s Dub Hub:
- Warriors projected to have the second-most wins in the NBA this upcoming season, according to a recent ESPN article.
- LJ Cryer talks about making the most of his preseason opportunity after the Warriors’ 129-123 win over the Trail Blazers.
- A’ja Wilson hits clutch go-ahead shot to put Aces up 3-0 over the Mercury in the WNBA Finals.
Statistical models are apparently very high on the Golden State Warriors this season. According to a recent ESPN projection, the Warriors are expected to win 56 games — the second most in the league, just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Why they project to be better than their total: The Warriors might have the single most surprising projection for any team, nearly four wins clear of the non-Oklahoma City field. Having added RAPM superstar Jimmy Butler III for a full season — they won at
a 63-win clip (76.7%) with Butler in the lineup last season — the Warriors also have 11 players who rate better than league average, tied with the Thunder for most of any team.
ESPN’s model gives Golden State nearly 10 more wins than their 46.5 total listed by ESPN BET. A full offseason with Jimmy Butler is a big reason for that, especially considering the team went 23-8 to close last season following his arrival. The addition of veteran big man Al Horford also provides a much-needed frontcourt anchor — something the Warriors have been missing in recent years.
Golden State won 48 games last season, and the upgrades made this offseason should help bump that number up if everything goes the right way.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Thursday, October 9th:
Warriors News:
What we learned as Quinten Post, LJ Cryer fuel Warriors’ comeback preseason win | NBC Sports Bay Area
Camara went 4 of 7 from 3-point range in the first half before missing his two attempts in the second half. Shaedon Sharpe also was 4 of 7 beyond the arc in the first half as the Blazers went 12 of 28 on threes through the first two quarters. The Warriors were losing the long distance battle, and were being beaten by speed.
Most of the Blazers’ threes were open shots, and the Warriors were late to rotate. The Blazers shot 46.3 percent in the first half, including a 42.9 3-point percentage. The Warriors also only had two steals compared to six by the Blazers going into halftime, and they turned the ball over three times more than them – 12 to three.
A media blitz, death threats, and a firebrand agent: Inside Jonathan Kuminga’s summer | The San Francisco Standard
In August, Dunleavy and owner Joe Lacob flew to Miami to meet with Kuminga and Turner. The Warriors, who prefer to do business privately, made it clear they expected the meeting to stay under wraps.
Instead, ESPN published a story detailing the contents of the conversation, including a back-and-forth between Lacob and Kuminga in which the owner asked, “Do you want to be here?” and the player answered, “Do you even want me here?”
“We were laughing, because that was all their idea,” a team source said of the Miami meeting. “Like, they proposed that whole thing.”
LJ Cryer: “I know it’s preseason but I’m treating this like a real game“
NBA News:
Giannis: Sole focus with Bucks, but ‘human’ if I change mind | ESPN
“I’ve said this many times: I want to be in a situation that I can win,” Antetokounmpo said. “I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to wherever we can go. It’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So all the extra stuff does not matter.
“I’ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love, that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human, too.”
A’ja Wilson hits game winner to put Aces up 3-0 in WNBA Finals
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
‘Shock troops’ lead Warriors to comeback win over Blazers
Did the Warriors look good? Some of the bench lineups led by Podziemski and Kuminga struggled. But it’s preseason! 80% of the starters didn’t play after halftime, Cryer’s unlikely to make the NBA roster, and the late comeback came at the expense of players like Sidy Cissoko, Rayan Rupert, and rookie Caleb Love.
Here’s the best part. No one got injured. And the fans got to see some excitement in a meaningless game!
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
