The Klay to Dallas take is dead-on, but as a Warriors fan and Klay fan it’s MORE baffling that this is the time I’ve seen it made in the media. Klay was certifiably awful last year on defense. We all knew — not only Bay Area fans and media, but Klay himself (he said so publicly a number of times) — that the rest of his career should be spent coming off the bench for the Warriors.
The Bay Area watched in agony as the truth became undeniable: Klay couldn’t play alongside Steph, no matter how much extra defensive support the team provided.
Earth to the Mavs: Did you know that Klay had back-to-back achilles and ACL surgeries, has lost his lateral mobility, and is 35 years old? Paying him for 3 more years and telling him you love him won’t change that. Were you watching the Warriors get eliminated by Sacramento, where Klay went 0-10 and was hunted every play on defense until Kerr took him out?
Sadly, this feels like a set-up. Dallas cannot put Klay on the floor at the same time as Luka and Kyrie. It’ll be obvious by Xmas.
Why is anyone mentioning memphis? Lets see, they have the favorite for ROY in Edey, and GG jackson is on the cusp of breakout stardom, AND ja is back. The griz finished #2 for two consecutive seasons before morant got sidelined. Desmond Bane, JJ Jackson, and probably kennard. Marcus Smart is around for another year. And you got Vince Williams. And vince looks as close to breakout as GG Jackson. The team is sort of loaded and doesnt really have roster spots left. Could you build on Aldama? i suppose. But this team should be top three. IF ..IF IF IF morant stays on the court. Oh and they have a great young coach.
For my money, one of the best things about these roundups is getting new perspectives, including some outliers.
I grew up in TN and would love to see the Grizzlies get back to contention. But while they have spun their wheels a bit (via questionable draft picks, injuries, suspensions), the top of the West has improved.
Would love to see them have their full team and crash the top three. It's very plausible, but so is finishing, like, sixth, and starting the playoffs in, say, Denver.
Royce, about Memphis. Do you think the team collectively faces a “psychological” challenge right now to regain their identity? That may seem like a strange question, but the Memphis team of 2021-2022 had a toughness, almost intimidating, and togetherness that made them more than the sum of their parts. Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, and a bunch of other dogs departed, and then Ja’s personal problems happened. Obviously, the team had too many injuries last year to content, but there seemed to be something else missing. Is this team going to continue in the tradition of the 2022 Grizzlies, or is it going to be something different?
Everybody on that team was a dog! Melton, Anderson, Tillman, etc. When I first saw Kennard in a Grizzlies uniform, it didn’t look right.
It’s funny about Brooks. You gotta think he’ll eventually wear out his welcome anywhere he goes, but the guy is consistent. Did you see him deliberately walking back and forth in front of the camera in the Ant Edwards interview last week. Edwards: “Dude, chill. This is the Olympics.”
I imagine it will be a bit different, whether that's psychology at play or just a shift in what their personnel can do. As you mention, two of the guys who weren't fun for opponents to mess with are gone. (I'm sure some Memphis fans would point to Edey's size and toughness, but there's nothing proven about his ability to contribute.)
That said, Brooks became a problem and they decided to add by subtracting.
But what are they now? Probably still more gritty than not (they have Marcus Smart, et al.), but it's fair to wonder if they'll maintain that persona. Still a force if healthy, regardless, I think.
John Steppling , Warriors fan here, so be forewarned. Regarding Taylor Jenkins, he may be an effective coach, but he crossed a line that should never be in sport when he claimed, and continued to insist publicly for days, that Jordan Poole had deliberately tried to injure Ja when he accidentally pulled on Ja’s knee when grabbing for a loose ball. Offensive. It sparked critical editorials around the country and will always define Jenkins in my eyes.
I think Jenkins was incorrect but I'm not shocked by a coach taking a one-sided view and supporting his players. Right or wrong, it's part of the playbook.
Royce, in this case he wasn’t supporting his player. Stating that Poole was responsible for Ja’s industry did nothing for Ja, nor did it rally his team because nobody believed it. There was no foul called and the contact was clearly incidental. This was strictly an attempt to make Poole feel badly by creating an ugly national news story. Everybody outside of Memphis saw it for what it was.
To give you a sense for how deep the impression, I was watching a Bay Area sports talk show 3 weeks ago that was covering the DeAnthony Melton acquisition by the Warriors. One of the hosts mentioned that Melton had been with the Grizzlies in 2022, and the show immediately turned to the incident and Jenkins’ character. Two years later, even though the Dubs won the series and the Chip, plenty of fans remembered well enough to call a talk show to criticize Jenkins.
I'm glad someone mentioned Memphis. i feel so bad for Grizz fans. as for my own faves, I'll just keep talking about the Kings in the way I talked about my Celtics last season: consistently and with enthusiasm. i'll be lonely, but that's how it is at the top.
The Klay to Dallas take is dead-on, but as a Warriors fan and Klay fan it’s MORE baffling that this is the time I’ve seen it made in the media. Klay was certifiably awful last year on defense. We all knew — not only Bay Area fans and media, but Klay himself (he said so publicly a number of times) — that the rest of his career should be spent coming off the bench for the Warriors.
The Bay Area watched in agony as the truth became undeniable: Klay couldn’t play alongside Steph, no matter how much extra defensive support the team provided.
Earth to the Mavs: Did you know that Klay had back-to-back achilles and ACL surgeries, has lost his lateral mobility, and is 35 years old? Paying him for 3 more years and telling him you love him won’t change that. Were you watching the Warriors get eliminated by Sacramento, where Klay went 0-10 and was hunted every play on defense until Kerr took him out?
Sadly, this feels like a set-up. Dallas cannot put Klay on the floor at the same time as Luka and Kyrie. It’ll be obvious by Xmas.
Why is anyone mentioning memphis? Lets see, they have the favorite for ROY in Edey, and GG jackson is on the cusp of breakout stardom, AND ja is back. The griz finished #2 for two consecutive seasons before morant got sidelined. Desmond Bane, JJ Jackson, and probably kennard. Marcus Smart is around for another year. And you got Vince Williams. And vince looks as close to breakout as GG Jackson. The team is sort of loaded and doesnt really have roster spots left. Could you build on Aldama? i suppose. But this team should be top three. IF ..IF IF IF morant stays on the court. Oh and they have a great young coach.
For my money, one of the best things about these roundups is getting new perspectives, including some outliers.
I grew up in TN and would love to see the Grizzlies get back to contention. But while they have spun their wheels a bit (via questionable draft picks, injuries, suspensions), the top of the West has improved.
Would love to see them have their full team and crash the top three. It's very plausible, but so is finishing, like, sixth, and starting the playoffs in, say, Denver.
Royce, about Memphis. Do you think the team collectively faces a “psychological” challenge right now to regain their identity? That may seem like a strange question, but the Memphis team of 2021-2022 had a toughness, almost intimidating, and togetherness that made them more than the sum of their parts. Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, and a bunch of other dogs departed, and then Ja’s personal problems happened. Obviously, the team had too many injuries last year to content, but there seemed to be something else missing. Is this team going to continue in the tradition of the 2022 Grizzlies, or is it going to be something different?
Everybody on that team was a dog! Melton, Anderson, Tillman, etc. When I first saw Kennard in a Grizzlies uniform, it didn’t look right.
It’s funny about Brooks. You gotta think he’ll eventually wear out his welcome anywhere he goes, but the guy is consistent. Did you see him deliberately walking back and forth in front of the camera in the Ant Edwards interview last week. Edwards: “Dude, chill. This is the Olympics.”
Great question.
I imagine it will be a bit different, whether that's psychology at play or just a shift in what their personnel can do. As you mention, two of the guys who weren't fun for opponents to mess with are gone. (I'm sure some Memphis fans would point to Edey's size and toughness, but there's nothing proven about his ability to contribute.)
That said, Brooks became a problem and they decided to add by subtracting.
But what are they now? Probably still more gritty than not (they have Marcus Smart, et al.), but it's fair to wonder if they'll maintain that persona. Still a force if healthy, regardless, I think.
John Steppling , Warriors fan here, so be forewarned. Regarding Taylor Jenkins, he may be an effective coach, but he crossed a line that should never be in sport when he claimed, and continued to insist publicly for days, that Jordan Poole had deliberately tried to injure Ja when he accidentally pulled on Ja’s knee when grabbing for a loose ball. Offensive. It sparked critical editorials around the country and will always define Jenkins in my eyes.
I think Jenkins was incorrect but I'm not shocked by a coach taking a one-sided view and supporting his players. Right or wrong, it's part of the playbook.
Royce, in this case he wasn’t supporting his player. Stating that Poole was responsible for Ja’s industry did nothing for Ja, nor did it rally his team because nobody believed it. There was no foul called and the contact was clearly incidental. This was strictly an attempt to make Poole feel badly by creating an ugly national news story. Everybody outside of Memphis saw it for what it was.
To give you a sense for how deep the impression, I was watching a Bay Area sports talk show 3 weeks ago that was covering the DeAnthony Melton acquisition by the Warriors. One of the hosts mentioned that Melton had been with the Grizzlies in 2022, and the show immediately turned to the incident and Jenkins’ character. Two years later, even though the Dubs won the series and the Chip, plenty of fans remembered well enough to call a talk show to criticize Jenkins.
I'm glad someone mentioned Memphis. i feel so bad for Grizz fans. as for my own faves, I'll just keep talking about the Kings in the way I talked about my Celtics last season: consistently and with enthusiasm. i'll be lonely, but that's how it is at the top.