Klay Woke Up, The Champs Feud with Fergie’s Ex, and The Warriors Catch Fire From Three: Questions, Answers, and More Questions From the Road Trip Out East

The Warriors went 3-0 in their road trip to New York and Chicago. Records, Twitter, and the Knicks’ hope for a win were all broken.

These days, there never seems to be a dull moment in the NBA. Especially with the cast of characters and pricks on the Warriors. We’re only eight games into the season and Boogie

already has his first ejection as a Warrior (welcome to the squad big fella), Klay and Steph both broke 3 point records, and the KD free agency recruitment has started.

Through eight games, there are still some fixes and questions that the Warriors need to answer.

 

On a more positive note, this three game stretch may be the greatest three game stretch we’ll see all season. In large part that’s due to the questions the Warriors answered through their playing of basketball.

Questions Answered:

Will Klay get out of his shooting slum?

Yes is an understatement.

 

Good night Oakland, good night San Jose, and good night Chicago, sleep tight to the sounds of Klay’s threes raining down.

Let’s start with the obvious. Three weeks ago I predicted that Klay will have a “WTF” type of game. Credit the dreadful Bulls defense and his team force feeding him in the second half to

break the single game record for 3-pointers.

There’s China Klay, Middle East Klay, Game 6 Klay, and now Headband Klay. Right now, Klay’s Mt. Rushmore of alter egos is full. This stat has been tossed around by fans, analysts,

and media reporters leading up to Sunday’s game: Klay was 5/36 from long distance. He made more threes in the first 9 minutes of the game than he did all season.

In the most Klay fashion way of getting out of a slump, he broke Steph’s record of most threes in a game and tied the record for threes in a half. For someone who is in the top 15 in 3 point field goal percentage - you knew the shooting woes would end.

 

It did, thanks to a 52 point avalanche.

 

Are the Warriors having fun? Is Draymond a Prick?

Let’s Play Some Basketball!

 

Who would have ever thought the Warriors would feud with Josh Duhamel? Who knew the

national anthem could be a slapper?

After a 41 point outing from KD, a Boogie Cousins day off ejection, the Warriors responded to Josh Duhamel’s comment that Draymond owes Fergie an apology with this:

NBA Twitter is no joke, as Duhamel quickly found out:

I did not think the “CoCo” videos from the 2014-15 season could be topped. I stand corrected. Expect the National Anthem slapper to resurface during the champagne showers in June.

 

Steve Kerr stressed in camp that he wanted the team to have fun this year. Though last season resulted in a championship, David West alluded to some turbulence and hardships along the way. 2017-18 was rot with injuries, a multitude of technicals, and complacency that Warrior fans were not used to. This season looks to be different.

Who Will Score When the FATAL 5 Can’t?

Jonas Jerebko and Alfonzo McKinnie

 

Besides the 51 point outing from Steph, 25 point fourth quarter for KD, and record breaking performance from Klay, the season’s been kind for first year Warriors, Jonas Jerebko and

Alfonzo McKinnie.

 

We all know what happened in Utah, but Jerebko’s ability to remain consistent in the minutes Kerr gives him is commendable. His shot clock heave and decision to stay up to watch the

World Series completed his initiation to the team.

 

Right now, Jerebko is 5th in both points and minutes per game. Kerr handed David West’s minutes to Jerebko in the early goings of the season. Jerebko usually shares the floor with two of the Warriors’ big four (sometime all minus Curry), Shaun/Andre, and Looney/McKinnie. In previous years, Kerr relied on this line up for defensive stops and switches to stagnate the opposing teams’ offense. Since Jerebko is nowhere near West’s level on defense, Jerebko’s role is simply to be a big body to grab rebounds and more importantly shoot 3’s. Though he’s been doing a decent job so far, it would be nice to see him get more touches and shoulder more of the offensive responsibility.

 

Alfonzo Who?

Alfonzo “Patrick McCaw Eraser” McKinnie

 

It’s hard to stand out as a rotation player on a team filled with superstars. With every game on the road trip, McKinnie increased his minute total. Last night’s game was a homecoming for McKinnie. Hidden beneath the all that garbage time played in Chicago and first three quarters against the Nets were flashes of sheer athleticism.

 

Besides getting low during the #fergieremixchallenge, McKinnie’s best display of this came in Brooklyn. McKinnie had the task to guard Spencer Dinwiddie, an efficient backup point guard who can get buckets. With four minutes left in the third quarter, Dinwiddie drove left on an isolation play. McKinnie swatted the attempt into Kevon Looney’s hands, who outlet passes to Durant. KD must have put some of his off balance jumper juju into the ball prior to finding McKinnie for a one-footed fadeaway jump shot that looked as pretty as it sounds.

 

After his next basket, a contested three after a miss from Steph, Jim Barnett quickly quipped, “Just solidifying more playing time Bob.” On a night centered around “Headband Klay” and the Warriors dropping 92 points in the first half, McKinnie had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and was 4/6 from deep.

 

Dare I say that Alfonzo McKinnie is that “spark offense guy?” It is too soon to tell, but his unexpected early contribution sure makes it easy for fans to forget  about Patrick McCaw.

 

Questions Still Unanswered:

Returning Warriors - Where you at?

 

It’s fitting that the Warriors end their road trip at Chicago. Last season, the Warriors paid the Bulls 3.5 million dollars for the 38th pick in the draft - Jordan Bell. In his first NBA start against, you guessed it… the Chicago Bulls, Bell put up 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 blocks. Last night he was a -15 in the plus-minus category. In the early goings of the season, Alfonzo McKinnie has leapfrogged Jordan Bell in the rotation.

 

In a lesser way, Quinn Cook has also underachieved. During the team’s two games in New York, Cook logged only 2 minutes. In the games where he has logged more than 10 minutes, he’s put up a respectable 9 points per game. During his stint as the starting point guard in Steph’s absence last year, Cook earned a multi-year deal. He seemed to finally fill a void that Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake, Leandro Barbosa, and Ian Clark could not do previously. He shot over 48% from the field and 44% from three. Surely he was going to get minutes in Steve Kerr’s rotation this year. However, that’s not the case. And Warriors fans know, from seeing what transpired last year with Cook, he needs to be on the floor for an extended period to have an effect on the game.

 

How will the KD sweepstakes unfold?

 

In an interview with Marcus Thompson from the Athletic, KD said, “I am thinking about the money I am going to get. I never got the [massive] deal.”

 

KD definitely deserves the money. But can the Warriors lure KD for another season? The Knicks are the early suitors trying to get KD to write his next chapter. We saw this when Philly made a pitch for LeBron to join forces with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. That’s a bit more tempting than playing alongside Ron Baker and Kristaps Porzingis who may not see a minute this season.

 

Whispers around the league have cited other destinations for the heavily desired two-time champion and NBA Finals MVP. Moving forward - a lot can go into KD’s decision - does he want to play in the Chase Center? Does he want that “Steph in Oracle” love or does he want his own show? Like the last go around - no one knows except Kevin Durant. And by the looks of it, this storyline (knock on wood) has not affected the Warriors’ season thus far.

 

Who’s the Best Shooter in Golden State? I Repeat: WHO IS THE BEST SHOOTER IN GOLDEN STATE?

 

Steph and Klay both broke records, and KD dropped 25 points in the 4th quarter at Madison Square Garden. In the span of a week, three different Warriors scored 51, 41, and 52.

 

That is unfair.

 

Every fan has a different take, so let me provide a case for each all-star:

 

KD:

 

Steph produces magic, Klay starts a never-ending flame, and KD reaps a bountiful harvest. Is there anything more automatic than KD’s elbow jump shot? While the Splash Brothers put on a show, KD can silently put up thirty for the Warriors on any given night. He can hurt you in a number of different ways - on the post, beyond the arc, on his mid range pull up. He’s definitely the most versatile scorer of the bunch - but is that enough to say he’s the best shooter?

Watch the tape against the Knicks if you think he is not worthy to be in the discussion.

 

Steph:

 

Right now, the man has more threes by himself than a handful of teams in the NBA. In this season alone he’s reached the Top 5 in “Most Career 3-Pointers”...and he did it in less than 700 games. Did I mention he also has the highest shooting percentage in that five? Steph’s list of accolades as it pertains to his shooting is endless.

I was in the arena on Sunday night for the Nets game. Every time Steph jacked up a three, the Brooklyn crowd gasped and seemed surprised at every miss.

Jalen Rose once called Stephen Curry a vanguard, the person leading a wave of point guards that thinks a fast break 3 from 30 feet is good shot. Newsflash - this is only a good shot if your

name is Stephen Curry. Warriors fans have heard all the Mike Breen “bangs,” seen Curry pull up from the logo, and hit numerous full and half court buzzer beaters.

 

Ask any fan of the Warriors, “What was your favorite Steph moment?” All these responses will be different because Steph countlessly breaks his ceiling. Currently, he’s on track to breaking his own single season three point record and re-entering the 50-40-90 club. Heck he can even go 50% from 3. The recently crowned Western Conference Player of the Week continues to wow basketball fans with his shimmies, step back threes, pre-game antics, and consistent greatness.

 

One way to answer this question is - Who has the most lethal “Human Torch Mode?” We all know the answer to that one…

 

Klay:

 

Klay won’t be shaving the beard any time soon.

 

When Klay is unconscious, he is better than any NBA player to have ever done it. MJ, Kobe, and Lebron, got nothing on Klay when he gets in one of these modes. How outrageous is it to say that someone has had 37 points in a quarter, 60 points on 11 dribbles, or 14 threes in 27 minutes?

 

Must I bring up Game 6 Klay for more evidence?

 

Steph owns a grocery list of conventional records that were always made to be broken.The records on Klay’s resume are, for a lack of a better term: otherworldly. Not to downplay any of Steph’s achievements, but Klay’s recording-breaking games are - as seen last night - a phenomenon like no other.

Dominic Arenas