In today’s Dub Hub:
- Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green discuss the Warriors’ 120-110 loss against a Bucks’ team playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- Warriors announced they’ve exercised the fourth-year team option for Brandin Podziemski.
- Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama leads team to first 5-0 start in franchise history.
It should’ve been good news for the Golden State Warriors when they heard Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was scratched less than an hour before tipoff. Instead, it became the reason they fell
flat.
After their 120–110 loss to Milwaukee, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green all discussed the letdown in the locker room once word spread Antetokounmpo wasn’t going to play.
Instead of capitalizing on a shorthanded opponent, Golden State coasted through critical stretches of the game. Former Warrior Ryan Rollins torched them for a career-high 32 points, and by the time Golden State made a late push, the Bucks had already taken over.
The message afterward was simple — NBA players are in the league for a reason and should not be taken for granted, especially by a team with title aspirations like the Warriors.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, October 31st::
Warriors News:
Warriors get what they deserve in loss to Giannis-less Bucks | The Athletic
“It shouldn’t be that way,” he said. “‘Cause we’re like 0-12 the last couple years when the stars don’t play. I just told our coaches, if I was an opposing coach I would just sit the star every time. These are games that, as a coach, as a staff, as soon as you hear that the star is out, you’re terrified ’cause we’ve just seen it a million times. Every NBA team is loaded with talent. You saw those guys out there, firing 3s. Everybody can play in this league, and when the star sits everybody gets excited. This game did not surprise me, frankly.”
What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in loss to short-handed Bucks | NBC Sports Bay Area
Rollins only played in 12 games for the Warriors after they traded up to take him No. 44 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, but the young point guard has found a home in Milwaukee. He had played in three prior games against his original team for a total of nine points in 23 minutes coming into Thursday night. Rollins then scored the Bucks’ first five points and reached that total of nine in the first six minutes against the Warriors.
By halftime, Rollins already was up to 14 points, which were three more than Curry had.
Warriors’ exercise fourth-year team option on Brandin Podziemski
NBA News:
NBA Cup projections 2025: Group breakdowns, quarterfinal teams | ESPN
We saved the best group for last. The loaded West Group C includes two of the three West teams with over/under totals of at least 50 wins entering this season at ESPN BET (Denver and Houston, with Oklahoma City are the others), plus a Warriors team my model was high on and the undefeated Spurs.
This is the only group with no team given at least a 30% chance of winning, and nobody’s all that close. Last-place Portland has looked competitive early in the season, beating Golden State at home, which might make it hard for the runner-up in this group to pile up a strong enough point differential to win the wild card..
Victor Wembanyama leads Spurs to first 5-0 start in franchise history
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Warriors vs. Bucks player grades: Jonathan Kuminga’s offense can’t carry the team
Al Horford
20 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 1-for-6 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 25.0% TS, -20
Horford’s slow start to the year will have some worrying that he’s not a good player anymore. Don’t be one of those people. He averaged an extremely efficient 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds last year for one of the title favorites. Even in games like this, where he struggles, you can see how well he fits. Give him more than four games to find his rhythm.
I thought he was one of the team’s best defensive players in this game, but the offense was utterly atrocious.
Grade: C-
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
A post to end the week:
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
