Windhorst Radio Show & Updates

[rabman_gold]

Lots of factors are going in to the Cavs' position. Like the amount of luxury tax Gilbert is paying, the amount of "dead" bodies we have on our roster (that we just can't get rid of), and the lack of assets in our cupboard.

I think Windy paints a very good picture, though, that seems pretty accurate.

Which is why I'm deciding to exercise patience with the team. You would think they'd probably make some moves, just like they have done the last two years (between January and the trade deadline in February).

Also, as a reminder to all Cavs fans during the LeBron v1.0 years, we had a terrible fit in the roster in 2007-2008 (Hughes, Donyell, Damon, among other misfit pieces). Despite the fact we were running low on assets, Ferry managed to creatively switched around the pieces. They still weren't world beaters, but were certainly better fit to the team. Can't see why Griffin can't do something similar.

 

[David.]

That's one season. I mean, okay, yeah, Steph was the best player in the league last year if we're going by one season. Hell, his season was better than LeBron's last year, hard to even argue that. Although I would never argue he was suddenly a better player.

But overall, is Steph now better than Durant? I don't know how anyone can really argue that he is.

That said, before people think I'm shitting on Steph. I do agree he's had to sacrifice his game, and it's not really working out IMO.

I do think Steph makes it all work for GS though. He's definitely the key to GS.
I think if I'm GS, I'm concern he's having a career low from beyond the arch. He's usage is down which is expected.

If GS can get Steph looking more like himself, playing along with Durant, then they might be unbeatable.

The thing is, you can't have both golden state traditional play AND Kevin Durant play simultaneously..

One is going to give. It's either Steph's team or it's not. Warriors are potentially on the brink of turning themselves into okc 2.0 instead of the golden state warriors with another super star

 

[pinoycavsfan]

Steph was the mvp last season.. No point in rationalizing against the fact that he did have a legendary year.. He has to pull back a little in order to accomodate durant.

 

[ACisKING]

He wasn't the best player on the team EVER. That has been Draymond Green. I hate Draymond--like seriously hate him. But he's easily the most important player on that team 3 years running.

I dunno about best but definitely most important. And it's even more true this year when the Warriors have Durant and Curry to make up for each other when one of them is having a bad night. If I could pick one player on the Warriors to be injured it would be Draymond. Their defense would fall apart without him and they would lose one of their passers. Plus fuck that serial ball kicker...

 

[TitleTown]

Steph was the mvp last season.. No point in rationalizing against the fact that he did have a legendary year.. He has to pull back a little in order to accomodate durant.

How can you be MVP if you aren't even the MVP of your own team?

This is what's wrong with the MVP award. It's an award for offensive prowess...not VALUE.

The most VALUABLE player on GSW the last 3 years is Draymond without a doubt.

Steph is an unbelievable shooter. A good passer and ball handler. And nothing else. Is the best rebounder of all time an MVP? No. Then why is the best shooter of all time one? The answers is simple. MVP is a media award for players who score a lot on winning teams. It says nothing about VALUE or winning basketball.

 

[Heej]

I think the blueprint for KD are small guys that get in his chest like CP 3 years back and TA when they faced Memphis. If Shump can bother him and be physical denying the ball I'd like to see that more as a look for KD

 

[Chris]

How can you be MVP if you aren't even the MVP of your own team?

This is what's wrong with the MVP award. It's an award for offensive prowess...not VALUE.

The most VALUABLE player on GSW the last 3 years is Draymond without a doubt.

Steph is an unbelievable shooter. A good passer and ball handler. And nothing else. Is the best rebounder of all time an MVP? No. Then why is the best shooter of all time one? The answers is simple. MVP is a media award for players who score a lot on winning teams. It says nothing about VALUE or winning basketball.

It's a dumb award because everybody views it differently. Some see it as best player, some see it as best player on the best team, some see it as player that means most to their team (value, as you said), etc.

LeBron should win it every single year if they go by true meaning of the term "Most Valuable," but that'd be boring for the league. It's really a meaningless accolade in my opinion. Steph "deserved" it last year, as his stats were mind boggling out of this world, yet I put that in quotations because him winning it defies the meaning of the term "Most Valuable."

 

[TyGuy]

It's a dumb award because everybody views it differently. Some see it as best player, some see it as best player on the best team, some see it as player that means most to their team (value, as you said), etc.

LeBron should win it every single year if they go by true meaning of the term "Most Valuable," but that'd be boring for the league. It's really a meaningless accolade in my opinion. Steph "deserved" it last year, as his stats were mind boggling out of this world, yet I put that in quotations because him winning it defies the meaning of the term "Most Valuable."

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhcfxhdCd5o

 

[David.]

I think the blueprint for KD are small guys that get in his chest like CP 3 years back and TA when they faced Memphis. If Shump can bother him and be physical denying the ball I'd like to see that more as a look for KD

Interesting. Same way smaller players give bron a problem, counter intuitively..

Durant is so fucking quick and long though, and efficient from like everywhere.

Anyone have stats on who guards him best, outside of lbj?

 

[LeShaq]

* HOST_2: When should I start the clock for the team to make peronnel moves (improve the roster)?
* Well, you shouldn't worry about it. The Cavs are doing just fine.
* From what I understand, the word that's out there is that the Cavs won't be spending any more money anytime soon.
* (so, roster may be locked in for now).
* I don't think the Cavs are going to try to buy their way out of this situation (injuries; dead roster spots).
* I would be worried if I was Jordan McRae, because I think the Cavs are going to have to open up a roster spot to try to improve.
* I think by January 8, there's a good chance McRae is going to be let go.
* It is possible, though, that the Cavs bring back McRae on some 10-day contracts.
* But, I think the Cavs want to roster spot open to possibly go after another player.
* So letting McRae go could be the Cavs' first move in trying to improve the roster.

So, the way that this sounded while I was listening is that the Cavs might not be really excited about adding big money via the TPE. But if they are cutting McRae, then obviously they are looking at making changes to the roster. Just maybe lower-end guys (minimum deals) as compared with taking on something approaching 9M (in salary, not counting taxes) with like the TPE.

I hope we end up dumping McRae, Mo, and Bird for roster spots. But maybe we wait to get cheaper guys (buyouts, etc) rather than doing something via trade.

We have to start somewhere. Letting McRae go for a roster spot (even if we re-sign him to 10-day contracts, a practice which I think starts in January [when you can do it]) would be a beginning.

Sounds like that move could be made within the next 2 weeks. That may be our first move, but not our last move (filling that possible roster spot opening).

 

[godfather]

The thing is, you can't have both golden state traditional play AND Kevin Durant play simultaneously..

One is going to give. It's either Steph's team or it's not. Warriors are potentially on the brink of turning themselves into okc 2.0 instead of the golden state warriors with another super star

I don't have a real great answer for this. I would rather make it Steph's team than Durant's if I'm the Warriors.

Overall, I think Durant is the better player of the two. But in that system, and on that team, I think it serves GS better if Steph is their best player. He makes it all go for them. It's hard to deny that.

I think the perfect recipe for GS would be for it to be Steph's team, be the number one option. And then in crunch time to have Durant be that isolated scorer to give them easier buckets when the game slows down.

Sometimes you just need high percentage buckets, which Durant can give you, if he's not in gag mode anyways.

If they can find some correlation of that, then maybe that's how you get the best use out of all of them.

I don't know if that can happen. I'm not sure Durant can defer to anyone. And I'm not really sure Steph can either. Sure, both can still be good deferring but can they still maximize their skills? I don't know.

Steph hasn't thus far. He's at an all-time low from beyond three. Let's hope it stays Durant's team though, because that's the way we can beat them.

 

[David.]

I don't have a real great answer for this. I would rather make it Steph's team than Durant's if I'm the Warriors.

Overall, I think Durant is the better player of the two. But in that system, and on that team, I think it serves GS better if Steph is their best player. He makes it all go for them. It's hard to deny that.

I think the perfect recipe for GS would be for it to be Steph's team, be the number one option. And then in crunch time to have Durant be that isolated scorer to give them easier buckets when the game slows down.

Sometimes you just need high percentage buckets, which Durant can give you, if he's not gap mode anyways.

If that they can find some correlation of that, then maybe that's how you get the best use out of all of them.

I don't know if that can happen. I'm not sure Durant can defer to anyone. And I'm not really sure Steph can either. Sure, both can still be good deferring but can they still maximize their skills? I don't know.

Steph hasn't thus far. He's at an all-time low from beyond three. Let's hope it stays Durant's team though, because that's the way we can beat them.

I don't think people were counting on Durant's game to be as alpha as it is. His personality may bemore passive, but people and stats are calling for his number to be called.

It makes sense to use a hybrid of the two.. there isn't enough data on warrior ball and Durant ball, honestly, and even if there was, it doesn't mean one or the other is the right call every time. what information we have isn't predictive, it's descriptive and most of it is improperly compartmentalized. (The stats the public is able to see, largely, suck dick)

What if Durant is hot? Does he even need to be hot? What is the chance he hits a shot even if cold? What are the chances if guarded by x player in y system?

Same questions for motion ball, and for all variables, players a.b.c.d.e. and their opponents, f.g.h.I.j and the system they decide to run, z!

The best analogy I can come up with is warriors just turned into a football team, and the defense has to guess every play is its going to be a pass (motion) or run (ISO).

That's the level I would draw plays on if I was golden state.. I don't know good of a passer Durant is, but keeping everyone off guard enough to get the most open shot for the most gifted player is what they should be doing, and they should be doing that with a myriad of misdirections, all game long and at the end of the game too (so long as it is performed in a way that doesn't hinder momentum or confuse itself)

 

[czvo]

I think the blueprint for KD are small guys that get in his chest like CP 3 years back and TA when they faced Memphis. If Shump can bother him and be physical denying the ball I'd like to see that more as a look for KD

Just like what the 07 Dubs did to Dirk.

 

[Chris Parker]

The problem with patience about the roster is that in the meantime we run up excess mileage on starters, and risk injuries that - for example in the frontcourt -- that would be debilitating and reduce the team's leverage to squat. I mean maybe you play Love at center if Channing goes down? IDK, I don't like to think about it.

 

[Sebastian]

Totally agree. I've said before that I still think the Warriors are the favorites, but to insinuate that they only lost to the Cavs because of a lack of focus is absurd. They clearly cared about that game (just look at their reactions to the loss). They didn't lose because of a lack of focus...they lost because they were outplayed. Period.

I agree. Don't know why Windy is parroting Kerr's talking point. It's just spin. Choking because you're rattled and loss of focus are not the same thing. Also saying on paper there is no way the Cavs should be beating the Warriors is absurd. It is not just a matter of counting All-Stars. If it were, Brad Daugherty and Mark Price would have rings. One cannot quantify grittiness or being soft on paper, nor can one quantify a player like LBJ. Greatness and a killer instinct are intangibles that determine wins and losses as games are not played on paper.

And maybe Windy should just come out and say it: The Cavs have gotten inside the Warriors' head.

The Warriors are a team made up of prima donnas who intimidate and bully other teams into thinking there is no way they can be beat. The Cavs know better, punched them in the face and exposed them as fallible and the Warriors are too emotionally immature to deal with it at times. The Warriors know they can't intimidate the Cavs, they know the Cavs are the harder team and they know that the Cavs are the one team that can flip the switch and rip their hearts out. They know there is no margin for error against the Cavs. So yeah, when things start to unravel, as it did on Christmas, one can see the dread creeping up on them and once that happens they are fighting themselves as much as they are trying to contain Kyrie or Lebron.