The Baseline: Warriors Woes & Coaching Call outs

The Baseline dives into the second week of NBA action as the storylines continue to mount.  On this week’s show we discuss:

The Breakdown

• The Warriors woes are numerous forcing the franchise into an unanticipated tailspin.
  • What should the team do with Stephen Curry out 3 months? Is a return this year even worth it as the season looks completely lost?
  • Draymond Green is battling ligament damage and also has to miss time. The prickly veteran will have to remain calm once he returns to help coach up a young and inexperienced roster. Is he capable?
  • D’Angelo Russell stands alone as the team’s primary weapon and asset in a potential trade. Russell is poised for monstrous numbers in a system where he will go unchecked due to all of Golden State’s injuries. Will this hurt his mentality as he looks to become a contributor on a winning team? Is a trade on the horizon?
  • Should Bob Meyers and Steve Kerr been more prepared?
  • Can Kerr transition from championship aspirations to a player development-minded coach?
  • Which players should the team focus development strategies on?
  • Could the glass still be half full heading into the summer with a likely lottery pack?

The Drop

• Coaching call outs: Mike Malone and Steve Clifford both called out their teams in different ways.
  • The NBA is known as a player’s league but can coaches call out their teams and still command the respect of the locker room?
  • Is it different depending on the coach, the ownership and history of the team?
  • In what situations has this strategy worked before?

Coast to Coast

• Joel Embiid & Karl-Anthony Towns beef. The two superstar centers had a brouhaha that resulted in two-game suspensions.
• Kyle Kuzma returns on a minutes limit for the Lakers. The rich got richer but how will a bench role suite him as the Lakers have rolled without him?
• Derrick Rose received MVP chants in return to Chicago. The city’s native son returned to a hero’s welcome after reinventing himself and finding peace on and off the floor.