Some crazy ideas are launched with the NBA trading deadline (March 25) on the horizon and, in case you missed it, here’s a real beauty: Warriors should trade their future for something they already have.
This is not a long shot, but an increasingly popular opinion of responsible media. Sniper Bradley Beal will eventually be made available by the Washington Wizards, and for the Warriors to come on the scene, they must offer James Wiseman, the choice of the Minnesota Timberwolves first round for 2021 and the choice of the Warriors for 2023 of the first round or a veteran player – Draymond Green, Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andrew Wiggins.
Wait a minute, just hold on, hit the brake. Are you kidding?
This is no blow to Beal, one of the league’s legitimately big players and, it seems, a prince of human beings. While James Harden it turned into a furious annoyance to leave Houston, Beal gave Washington a prolific score – a league lead of 34.7 points per game – and a relentless touch of class.
It is quite possible that such an exchange will lead Golden State to this year’s playoffs, assuming (and you can count on that) that Green will not be eliminated. Beal’s scoring threat would take the pressure off Stephen Curry and create the kind of floor spacing that team really needs. The owner of the path Joe Lacob opera, reaching the playoffs would be a big deal, especially if fans could return to the Chase Center in the postseason.
Just wondering: Did everyone forget Klay Thompson? And the main focus of the Warriors is not Next season?
Thompson essentially is Beal, with the added defense bonus in all leagues and a greater commitment to recovery. It’s a wonderful flight of fantasy to imagine them playing Curry, but the way this team is built, the next season can’t be about a Splash Trio. Not with Wiseman missing and holes in the front line.
It is an undeniable fact that the days of “ball” are passing quickly. Some NBA normality has been restored, all about centers and frontal muscles. This becomes quite clear when you look at title threats like Utah (Rudy Gobert), Philadelphia (Joel Embiid), Denver (Nikola Jokic), Milwaukee (Giannis Antetokounmpo), the Lakers (Anthony Davis–Lebron James), and Clippers (Kawhi Leonard–Serge Ibaka)
On the way to Saturday night’s game against Detroit, the Warriors were the worst rebound team in the NBA. They will need to add Thompson, a more physical Wiseman and a robust striker to balance think about competing for a title, with invaluable defensive help each turn. Wiseman is far from Moses Malone on the boards, no doubt, but who doubts its rapid improvement in any category? And why would anyone believe that Curry will be an exaggerated cheater when a championship caliber cast takes shape? He may be the youngest veteran in all professional sports.
Listening to all this conversation, you get the feeling that some people haven’t been watching Wiseman. They did not hear comments from Green, head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Bob Myers. Thank goodness these people control the room. It by no means includes an exit door for one of the most intriguing youth centers to arrive in years.
just let go
Only one thing really matters when it comes to the All-Star Game: selecting lineups, giving players rich rewards of prestige, bragging rights, historical significance and contractual bonuses. As of Thursday, the usual voting process began, involving fans, players and the media.
The game itself was a joke for years, a tedious festival of 3-point throws and unprotected dunks. An interesting twist was added last season – the so-called “final Elam”, in which teams play to a certain target – but resorting to tricks is a bit unpleasant. So why not just acknowledge the pandemic and allow players to take advantage of the mid-season break from March 5th to 10th?
Because you can’t rule out the shameless cash theft
In considering the merits of a small-scale game on March 7 in Atlanta, the NBA focused on showing and benefiting historically black colleges and universities in the region, perhaps even staging the game at an HBCU academy, and contributing to the COVID -19 aid funds. Noble ideas, for sure.
It turns out that the NBA could give money directly to these institutions without complications. In the absence of fans and the festive atmosphere that usually accompanies the All-Star Weekend, this event would be a hollow and empty experience in any location, not to mention concerns about coronavirus-related travel and a potential health risk at the location. In fact, this proposal aims to guarantee the revenue of the league’s television partners. It would be foolish to believe otherwise.
Forget the game, we say. Choosing All-Stars this season could mean selections for the first time or significant consideration for some very deserving players, including Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, De’Aaron Fox, Malcolm Brogdon, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Zion Williamson. This gets to the heart of things.
The voice
From the former Warriors public address announcer Matthew Hurwitz, via email Saturday: “It is sad to hear about the passing away of my colleague and longtime friend Dick Callahan. Although I replaced him at Warriors, it was very good that each of us spent 18 seasons with the team. I had met him years before, first as a young Warriors fan, then through mutual friends and even more after I started working on games for a variety of local schools and secondary league teams. He was always kind and supportive and a model of how those in the profession should be heard. He will be missed. “
Bruce Jenkins is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ Bruce_Jenkins1