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00:00You tell me, when you listen to these two things that Nick Fridell said yesterday with us,
00:06joins us twice a week here on 95.7 The Game,
00:09you tell me if Nick is saying, this season's toast.
00:15Or is he saying quite the opposite?
00:18Here's the first one with regard to what's going on the rest of the way.
00:22Can he stay healthy down the stretch? We'll see.
00:24But if he does, and Porzingis is on the floor,
00:27count me in the group, and it's a large one because it's most of the organization at this point.
00:33If Porzingis stays healthy, he's going to fit.
00:36He does everything that they want him to do, and they've wanted him for years.
00:41So if those two guys are out there and find any kind of rhythm,
00:45the supporting cast can push them, I would think, at least through the play-in.
00:50If you get into the playoffs and you give somebody a shot,
00:54then I think they could have a lot of fun.
00:56On top of the fact that they play 10 teams that are awful and tanky,
01:00you'd think at nine of those, you can have an off night maybe,
01:04but nine of those 10 should be wins.
01:07I just think that this team's going to win plenty in the next two months.
01:11They're going to be interesting because of the step factor always.
01:15And all they keep saying is they want a shot.
01:18I think they're going to get that in a playoff setting.
01:20Okay, now that sort of is like, hey.
01:24They're going to get a shot.
01:25It's like there's a window here.
01:27I think he's saying both things.
01:29He's saying that, you know, they've got a shot, but he's also saying,
01:33I mean, let's be fair and honest with the situation that they're looking at.
01:36And so it's kind of a little bit of what you're saying and what I'm saying combined,
01:40where, yeah, it's not over and he could fit and he should fit.
01:44And he was laughing about it because it's so obvious that he's going to fit when he plays.
01:48And so could you have him fit and wind up out of the plane in an actual series?
01:53Yeah, but you still don't have Jimmy with a torn ACL.
01:56And I don't think that your roster, as I do my Fridell,
01:59I don't think the roster is actually deep enough or good enough to go on a real run.
02:05So I think he's kind of saying both things.
02:07That's what I hear.
02:08Okay, and then here's the next one.
02:10By the way, I forgot.
02:11I will share with you the Kaminga Pods thing with the basketball cards.
02:15But Fridell, here's the next thing.
02:18When asked what constitutes a successful season the rest of the way,
02:24this is where some people, at least in my world,
02:27and some of it is just out on social media, got a little bit triggered.
02:31If they get to the first round and they go six or seven games,
02:35that is a hell of a successful year for this team.
02:38You lose a $55 million a year player.
02:41I don't care who you are.
02:43I don't care if Steph is on your team.
02:45It does not matter.
02:46If you lose a guy who is that important to your financials
02:50and who's that important to what you do on the floor,
02:52and you can get into a playoff series and really give a much better team a strong push,
02:58that is a great year given the circumstances that you're in.
03:04Okay, so in the next sentence, Nick Fridell said something that Warrior fans are not used to hearing.
03:11And quite frankly, nobody in the NBA is really used to hearing this.
03:15Boy, if you could just make the playoffs and then not get embarrassed in round one,
03:23that would be amazing.
03:25Right, right.
03:26We're not used to that.
03:27We're not doing that here.
03:29Well, I don't know if anybody's doing that.
03:31I mean, when you have 16 teams make the playoffs, it's kind of hard.
03:36When more than half the league makes the playoffs, it's kind of hard to pitch on your fans.
03:42Boy, boy, if you could just be one of those 16 teams
03:45and then not get run out of the gym over the next week and a half,
03:49boy, we'll give you a standing up.
03:51That would just be incredible.
03:54So that sounds campy and ridiculous.
03:59I want to interrupt this conversation to let everybody know that Team USA
04:03has defeated Sweden in its quarterfinal hockey match at the Olympics.
04:09This is quite a big one.
04:11It got tied late by Sweden.
04:14Sweden tied up at one.
04:15And so they went into golden goal overtime and Team USA comes away victorious.
04:22Which is huge.
04:22And they will not face Canada in the next round.
04:25They reseed.
04:26I was this many days old when I figured that out.
04:30Oh, that is good to know.
04:31Come semifinals, they reseed.
04:32Canada's the one.
04:33USA's the two.
04:34So they're going to be in opposite semis.
04:36And if they win, they will meet for the gold.
04:38So there's that couple of nail biters for Canada and the U.S. today.
04:43Are y'all ready to root against Macklin Celebrini?
04:47Eventually.
04:48How about that?
04:48I'd like to see it for the gold medal game.
04:51Stir that around in your coffee and take a big sip.
04:54Root against him.
04:55Just for a day.
04:57Just for three periods.
04:58And then you can get back to loving him.
05:00Two to one.
05:03Team USA on to the semifinals.
05:05Yeah, that one was up.
05:06Nervy.
05:06Well, dude.
05:07Canada was down 3-2.
05:08And the, yeah, Canada was down 3-2.
05:12And then the overtime rules.
05:13The ice just opens up.
05:15It's three on three.
05:16And it just feels like you're, it feels like someone's going to score like all the time.
05:21Yeah, instantly.
05:22Right.
05:22What if the NBA went to that?
05:24Let's go three on three in overtime.
05:27Pick your three.
05:28We're just going to run up and down.
05:29Just put Wemby out there without people who could defend him.
05:33Right.
05:33Just space, NBA stars and space, automatic buckets.
05:39Right.
05:39Three on three, especially.
05:41So, I mean, if you're the Warriors and you were facing San Antonio, you'd have to find
05:44somebody who could be the Wemby stopper and be a little bit more strategy in it.
05:48But.
05:48Yeah.
05:50Anyway, three on three.
05:51U.S. advances.
05:52Yeah.
05:52Beautiful shot.
05:53Right off the post and into the net.
05:56Darn.
05:58Yeah.
05:59We'll have to find those for next week.
06:00We will.
06:02Yes.
06:02Once again, we're on the third.
06:05On March 3rd, we're going to be at the Sharks game.
06:07We've got a suite.
06:08You can win your way in on the crossover all next week long.
06:11You'll hear more about that as the week goes on.
06:15I think to your point about like no teams doing that, I'm just looking at the standings.
06:19If you're Portland or Charlotte, you're the nine right now.
06:22If you could just get into a series, even if you did get swept or you got clobbered by OKC
06:28or Denver, I think you would be you'd feel pretty good about it because we've got a really
06:33young team and that would be something that you could like check that box.
06:37Hey, we made it into a series.
06:38I think it feels that way if you're one of those teams that's either young or haven't
06:42been there in a while.
06:43Right.
06:43OK, but we're this is a Golden State Warriors.
06:45It's a Golden State Warriors.
06:46I get it.
06:47This is a very hard marketing pitch.
06:51OK.
06:53Warrior fans who win.
06:55Keep it close.
06:55Who win the title like one out of every three years over the last decade and a half.
07:00Here's the deal.
07:02We're going to see if we can, one, make the playoffs.
07:06And then here's the real kicker.
07:08If we can get there, we could maybe win again.
07:13Oof.
07:14Warriors basketball.
07:15Win a game.
07:16So that's not going to work.
07:19So allow me to try to wonder just kind of how this makes everyone feel.
07:25And so far away, 888-957-9570, that is the number.
07:29But as I said earlier, I really don't believe that the idea of seasons being over or we give
07:36up or whatever, I don't think that exists.
07:38I think that you're always watching the journey unfold and wondering what is happening now that
07:47is A, entertaining, but B, affects what's going to happen next.
07:51And so it's one of the reasons that I don't, you know, I've been kind of hot on this whole
07:56tanking thing that's happening for some teams because it's like even that, even that is trying
08:03to set up something that's going to happen next.
08:05But in the process of doing that, you're completely stripping, I believe, the entertainment of now.
08:12And so what I'm really cool with, though, is if you're not doing that, it's not so purposeful.
08:19If you do lose and you do get a good draft pick, okay, but are you developing in that process?
08:27What are you offering fans?
08:29Are there entertaining individuals?
08:31So that's how I'm going to look at tomorrow night.
08:36I thought the words from Steve Kerr after practice last night would suggest that Porzingis
08:46and Curry are likely to play tomorrow.
08:48They didn't confirm that, but they said all the things that you would like to hear them
08:52say.
08:53Those guys practiced in full.
08:55Yeah.
08:55Planning to be out there again today.
08:57And we'll let you know tomorrow what their status is for Thursday.
09:03I think if they weren't planning to at least try to play them on Thursday, they'd have probably
09:06ruled them out, but they didn't do that.
09:09So that's good.
09:11And therefore, I immediately, I'm ready as a Warrior fan to launch into that.
09:18Without giving up on the entertainment of this year, tomorrow night is the start of
09:28Operation 2027 as far as the next chance for it to realistically look like something where
09:36you go into the playoffs thinking we could make a run.
09:39Yeah.
09:39We can go deep.
09:40And that makes sense.
09:41And I don't think that you're just punting on this year because you think, I'm not trying
09:45to put words in your mouth, but you make it out of the play-in and you get a best
09:48of
09:48seven.
09:49There's a chance you could pull off the upset.
09:51Last year, you were the seven seed and you beat the two seed.
09:54This year, the two seed San Antonio is similar in some ways to Houston last year because
09:59San Antonio hasn't been through it.
10:01And you caught Houston last year, a team that didn't have a lot of experience and you were
10:04able to get into the second round.
10:06So something like that could happen again.
10:09Last year's team had Jimmy Butler.
10:10This one won't have Jimmy Butler.
10:12So it's not so much that Operation 2027 is a full punt.
10:17And I liked what you said.
10:19And I said this last week about tanking.
10:21For me, it's about entertainment.
10:23And if you're going to a warrior game, you're going tomorrow night.
10:27You're hoping that you're going to see Jalen Brown and Steph Curry and a bunch of other
10:31really good players.
10:32But when you don't get to see those players because these teams are intentionally not
10:37trying to win, that's where to me, tanking becomes a real issue.
10:41And Utah was fined last week for blatantly sitting guys in the fourth quarter because
10:46you look at the standings.
10:47Utah's got some losing to do now.
10:49Sacramento's lost 14 in a row.
10:51They're behind Utah.
10:53The Pelicans are behind them and Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn.
10:58So Utah's only sixth worst.
11:00So if they're really trying to get in that top three guaranteed, you got to start losing
11:04in a hurry.
11:04Well, there is no guarantee for top three.
11:07You can't guarantee top three.
11:08Right, but you don't fall out of what, fourth if you have the worst record?
11:12Yeah, the worst you could do is fourth.
11:14But if you want top three, then what you need is luck.
11:17And I would be an advocate of even more luck.
11:20Like really, just stop.
11:22Stop promising anybody anything.
11:24That last team, you're not guaranteed fourth.
11:26You might end up 14th.
11:28Sorry.
11:29So again, that's the incentivizing problem that I think is going on.
11:35But, you know, Warriors don't need to necessarily worry about that.
11:39I just look, I look at the rest of this year as a building block.
11:45And who knows?
11:47Here's the cool part.
11:48Here's the cool part.
11:51Maybe Porzingis is going to play the rest of the year.
11:54And maybe he's going to fit really fast.
11:56And maybe the Warriors are a damn scary playoff team.
12:03Maybe they do get the seven seed.
12:04And maybe the Spurs are the two seed.
12:07And maybe Steph and Kristaps and Draymond and Melton and everybody with no back-to-backs in the playoffs,
12:15maybe they're actually ready, Horford, to be an experienced, playoff-tested, ring-filled lineup
12:24that can challenge a bunch of young pups to see if they're really ready to do things in the playoffs.
12:30My guess is that they probably would.
12:33The Spurs would probably win that series.
12:35But, boy, wouldn't you love to see it?
12:37Wouldn't you love to see it?
12:39So I'm going to hold on to those kinds of thoughts without really worrying about a championship this year.
12:45And then also look at every single game the rest of the way as high-level business information gathering.
12:56And it does start with Porzingis.
12:58It does, but it goes to other players.
13:00And you can tell me about the pods basketball card thing, which is why I mentioned him last segment,
13:05because he might be the second most critical spot here for the Warriors
13:11because he's got a lot of proving to do to get the contract in the offseason.
13:15You've got DeAnthony Melton, who is going to opt out, and he has looked great.
13:20So is he going to want to stay here?
13:23If he does, how much is he going to get?
13:25You've got guys like Guy Santos and Pat Spencer who are singing for their supper, so to speak.
13:31Moses Moody, I think, lower wattage on it because he's under contract.
13:36Draymond Green's got his option.
13:37But there's a number of guys who will be playing for something no matter what.
13:41Well, and look, at the center of all of this is what we know.
13:45Steph Curry's on the team.
13:46And so for me, that's story enough right there.
13:50Like, you're trying to figure out with every single maneuver, is this kind of for him?
13:56Is this beside him?
13:59Is this in spite of him?
14:01Every decision that you make sort of has this effect on Steph Curry.
14:07And then the other side to it is just watching him.
14:09Watching him play.
14:11Watching that go.
14:12How much longer is it going to go?
14:14So, I mean, can you even think of 2026-27 and all of the storylines that go into that?
14:21Everybody is expiring.
14:24Everybody.
14:25Yeah, pretty much.
14:26Steph, are you still playing?
14:28Draymond, that could be the end.
14:30Moody will be under contract.
14:32Pods will be headed toward restricted free agency if he doesn't sign an extension this offseason.
14:37And I would bet right now that he won't.
14:41But don't know anything right now about Melton and Porzingis.
14:44Don't even know if they're going to be on the team.
14:46And then at some point during the year, Jimmy Butler will be back to health, returning.
14:51What does he look like?
14:52And he will also have a contract that's coming to an end.
14:56So all of it.
14:57How do you get Will Richard for one more?
14:59Yeah, the rookie guys.
15:01Like, I mean, this is, I don't know, man.
15:04It's pretty, that's going to be dramatic.
15:06That's going to feel very, very dramatic, I think.
15:08It's going to be absolutely dramatic, and it's going to be critical that these guys play well
15:12so that they can continue to get minutes.
15:14Quentin Post is a guy who has seen his minutes plummet heading into the All-Star break.
15:18And if you're Quentin and you're another one of these guys who might be on the outside looking in,
15:23you've got to get out there and play well so you can keep your minutes,
15:26so you can maybe, you know, extend your career here or somewhere else.
15:30So there's a lot at stake for a lot of these guys.
15:33And, you know, Steph Curry apparently told People Magazine that he sees himself playing three or four more years.
15:39So, yeah, Steph, I mean, go ahead and play three or four more years.
15:42I'd love to see it.
15:44He doesn't seem to be slowing down very much.
15:46Nope.
15:46Like, there's no reason in this moment to not want to be involved in that.
15:50Yep.
15:51Yeah.
15:52And I mean that beyond emotional reasons.
15:54Of course.
15:54I mean, if he's playing this well, and I just was looking at what he needs to do to qualify
16:00to be on one of the All-NBA teams,
16:03you need to play 65 games, he wouldn't have to play 26 of the remaining 27 to even qualify for
16:11an All-NBA team honor.
16:13No problem.
16:14I mean, so that's...
16:15I'm in.
16:16That's where he's at.
16:16I'm in.
16:17I think it's 65 games, right, Grandy?
16:18You've got to play 65.
16:19Yeah, that's correct.
16:20That's accurate.
16:21Let's go to Justin in Santa Rosa.
16:22Justin, thanks for calling.
16:23What's up?
16:27Justin!
16:29Well, that's just fuzz.
16:32That's just fuzz.
16:33Justin is fuzz.
16:35Okay.
16:36Fuzz-ton.
16:37Try again with Justin.
16:39And I get it.
16:395-1-0, Boxer and Gerson work injury attorney's text line.
16:43I hate Operation 2027.
16:46Sucks.
16:47We've only seen a few games with Jimmy and Melton and his legs,
16:51but I know the team and Kerr believe they can make a good playoff run.
16:58And then sort of says something about, you know, an SGA or Wemby injury.
17:04Yeah, I mean...
17:05But, look, I'm not going to pull for that or even mention that, but at the same time, that's...
17:11It's a reality.
17:11It's a part of what I'm talking about.
17:13Like, I just...
17:15Whenever someone's like, oh, that's the end of that, I'm like, that doesn't exist.
17:19I don't know what's going to happen next.
17:22And there are things that just totally change the outlook all the time.
17:27So, when I say Operation 2027, I hope that there's a way to say that without giving up,
17:35just at least letting your imagination run on whatever the experience is going to be the rest of this year.
17:41I just think that those things can happen concurrently.
17:44Dare I say, Dibs, I've got two timelines.
17:46You do, but, I mean...
17:48That means I can actually pull off.
17:50Well, it's the nature of all of this, where you've got a new guy, Porzingis,
17:54and you want to see if he fits and if he's going to stay.
17:56And all the while, he's going to be trying to play and fit so that they can win.
18:00So, these two things, they will go hand in hand.
18:03And you're going to get more information on all those young guys I was mentioning about,
18:06you know, whether or not they're going to be a part of your future going forward.
18:10So, you're allowed to go out there and be the seventh seed and knock off San Antonio.
18:15Last year, you beat the Rockets.
18:17They were a 52-win team.
18:19San Antonio is trending toward being a 61-win team.
18:21Yes, yeah.
18:22So, it's a little bit of a different two-seed than last year.
18:25It's less bunched up than it was last year.
18:27Yeah.
18:28You know, like, Steve Kerr even referred to that, I think,
18:31on an earlier conversation with us as we upset the two-seed.
18:35But correct me if I'm wrong, prior to the series starting,
18:38the Warriors were favored in the series.
18:40Yes, very small favorites.
18:41Yeah, the Warriors were favored in the series.
18:43So, they actually didn't upset Houston.
18:45Right.
18:46The Spurs right now are on pace to win 58.
18:48So, Houston won 52.
18:50And San Antonio, they're playing 704 ball.
18:53The Warriors and the Rockets last year,
18:55the gap between them and the Warriors and the Spurs this year is large.
19:01That's a different gap.
19:02A little bit.
19:03I mean, right now it's nine games.
19:04You're only nine wins behind San Antonio.
19:07Yeah, I'm just talking.
19:08I get it.
19:08Yeah, like, I'd just, that's a bigger gap, if you ask me.
19:11I'll see you next time.
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