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Willard and Dibs react to what Steve Kerr and Steph Curry had to say about the Warriors' expectations this season and debate about what is far to expect from them this year.
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00:00I'm with Steph. That's basically what I wanted to say about all this. I'm with Steph. I'm sorry.
00:06You have way too much name value if you're the Golden State Warriors to do this like,
00:12yeah, hopefully we can make the playoffs. I'm sorry. I know that you're old. I know that there
00:20are major injuries. I know this may not be fair, but come on, dog. This is the NBA. This isn't
00:27the
00:27NFL or Major League Baseball. If you miss the playoffs in the NBA, it's embarrassing. It
00:32just is. Like, that's how I feel about NBA teams. When you miss the playoffs, like there
00:39are other sports where when you miss the playoffs and if you miss narrowly, it's like, oh, that
00:44was, you know, like that was a decent season. We were nine and eight and it just like, oh,
00:48it didn't work out. The NFC North last year, all four teams finished with a winning record.
00:52There's no embarrassment there. Some of them didn't make the playoffs. Would you say the
00:56basketball of the big three is the easiest to actually make the playoffs? There's no
01:01question. Because only four of the 14 or four of the 15 rather don't have any shot.
01:06Right. And if you're like seven, eight, nine or 10, you can play your way in two wins and
01:11you're in. So to that extent, yeah, I agree with you. That's why if you don't make the
01:16playoffs, you are. What are you called? There's a name for you. You're a lottery team. And
01:20that automatically means you sting. So it's not like, oh, that was close. We just missed
01:25the playoffs. No, no, no, no. And I bet, I bet Steph takes it that way. Miss the playoffs
01:33like they did last year. They sure did. And three years ago, they did the same. So two
01:37of the last three, they sure did. Right. And so if you just look at the, the metrics of
01:42what the markets are saying, they think that you're going to be, they're saying that you
01:47are a play in team 41 and 41 is basically where the gambling markets see you not, they're not
01:54always right, but they put the number there thinking that some people will go over. Some
01:59people will go under. That's about what the forecasted models are saying that you're going
02:04to be. Um, is the Niner offense, uh, on the verge of being historic, um, and a Valkyries gift
02:11card to the team store. Both of those things are coming up, um, in just mere moments a little
02:16bit later on this hour, but there's a few of them want to weigh in on this. And, uh, and
02:20so we'll get to it. Steve Kerr was asked, are low expectations a good thing? Uh, yeah,
02:24I don't mind the fact that everyone's picking us to miss the playoffs. You know, that's not
02:28a bad spot to be in, um, as a team, as a coach. Um, for me, what it means is,
02:34um, we get
02:35to focus on the process. We just get to lock in on what we're trying to accomplish right
02:40from day one. You know, tomorrow morning, we'll have a meeting with the team and, um,
02:45we'll lay out our expectations, our vision. And I feel strongly that if we just lock in
02:52on the process, the details, um, we're much more likely to be able to, um, accomplish what
02:58we want to accomplish and, and put together momentum and build an identity and cut back
03:04on our turnovers, win the game in the margins. Um, those things aren't going to happen just
03:08by talking about them. Uh, they're only going to happen if we, um, have a, have a solid process
03:15day after day and, and develop into that team. And I think being under the radar allows us
03:20to do that a little bit. Okay. Yeah. So Steve is, you can already hear what Steve is going
03:24to say throughout the year process, process, process expectations. And therefore how do
03:30we play? It's very John Wooden ask, let the results take care of themselves. We're going
03:35to be about the process, but this idea that people don't expect you to make the playoffs
03:40ended up in a conversation, uh, between, uh, and Killian and Steph Curry at media day yesterday.
03:46Yeah. Steve was saying that he kind of likes that no one expects you guys to make the playoffs
03:51and that there's a, a little bit of freedom, uh, to fly. That's how bad is that? To make
03:57the playoffs? I'm going from championship to, I'm just wondering why you think about that.
04:03Do you feel the freedom? That's what I think about that. Damn. Damn. Sorry. That went to you.
04:10That was in the situation. Partly better. Woo. Okay. And then he left and I I'm with him.
04:19I expect you to make the playoffs. Like that's just, and it's not even about like, I'm going
04:24to sit here now and tell you why and how it's just, you're the warriors. You're the warriors.
04:30Like, I don't, I don't, I don't know any other way to think about this. Even if Al Horford is
04:3450,
04:35I just don't even know. Like you're the warriors. You have Steph Curry on your team.
04:40Like give Steve Kerr as your coach. I don't know how else to process that. Speaking of the word
04:47process, I get it, but you've got Steph Curry and he'll be 39 in March and Jimmy Butler coming off
04:53injury. Moses Moody, the same. And Draymond green is getting older. Yada, yada, yada. And
04:58Porzingis and Horford and all the rest. And the axle could flash. And hopefully will Richard gets
05:03even better than he was in pods and the rest of it. I just look at the reality of the
05:08situation
05:09and older team, 82 games, a Western conference that quietly has gotten better and younger around
05:16them. I think Utah is going to be a team that probably leapfrogs where the warriors are right
05:21now. I think that Utah will finish ahead of golden state in the Western conference and
05:26OKC and San Antonio are already up there and amazing. And I think Denver is still better.
05:30So the more you look at like the math of it, hard to find fewer than five teams that are
05:36better than the warriors.
05:36Let's go to column the city. Kyle, thanks for calling in. What you got?
05:41What's up, fellas? How we doing? Happy Tuesday.
05:43Yeah, it's you as well.
05:46Willard, I think your viewpoint on the Niners before the season started, you know, everyone's
05:50like Super Bowl or bust. And you calling it like that's not a failure of a season. If
05:55we make the playoffs and don't win the Super Bowl, I think it's kind of the same thing with
05:58the Warriors. Like, I think there's a fine mix of, yes, it's about the process. And obviously
06:03you're thinking we got to make the playoffs. But I think this is a pretty good point to that
06:07of like if the Warriors make the playoffs and don't win the finals, like it still could be
06:11a successful season. And also to that point, like about the whole processing, like this
06:15could be a good year as a fan to enjoy the process itself like we did in 2013 before
06:20we became the Warriors, if you will, of, you know, winning titles. Like this could be a
06:25good year for Yaxel to become our next face of the franchise. And I also think it's a good
06:30time for us to realize like maybe there is the turning of the tides. Like it doesn't have
06:34to be a championship or bust season anymore as a Warrior fan. Like this could be a process
06:40type of season. And at the same time, like you could expect them to make a deep run in
06:44the playoffs if we are healthy. And if Yaxel turns into what we think he's going to be.
06:48So like, I think it's kind of a fun time for the Warriors, like see what this new era of
06:53basketball could be. But also at the same time, like, don't be so hell bent on its title
07:00or bust. Like we think about what the Niners like, I think it kind of goes back to what you
07:03thought about the Niners before the season started. Like, let's treat it as it's a process.
07:07Let's enjoy it. If Yaxel is as good as we think it can be, like, this is a hell of
07:11a fun time for
07:12the future. That's my take on it. Yeah, Kyle, I very much agree. In fact, I don't ever enter a
07:19season Super Bowl or championship or bust. I don't believe in that. Even when you have an excellent
07:26roster, there's a whole journey that needs to unfold. And I don't really know how you can assess
07:31a season being kind of a productive one or one that's lacking production until you get to the
07:37end of it. For example, somebody might say what he just said, which is, well, what if the Warriors
07:41don't do well? But what if Yaxel is going to be a future star? Well, couldn't I argue that that's
07:46what the Giants just did? A terrible season, but their number one prospect looks like he's going to
07:53be a hit. Well, I would not argue that that was a productive season. I would argue that the Bryce
07:59Eldridge part of the San Francisco Giants is a wonderful sort of byproduct of all of this,
08:07but it doesn't cover up all that stink. No, it doesn't. By any stretch. It's one of the few
08:12things you look at it and go, yeah, that's a positive. And Jung-Hoo Lee and the contract that
08:16he has, it looks like he could probably earn his keep based on how he played for the majority of
08:21the
08:21year. He started cold and then he was unbelievable. And then he ended in a little bit of a fizzle.
08:26But I think that he showed that he can be a regular contributor. And Rafi Devers, you
08:31can think what you want about running out pop flies or not. But he got into a zone where
08:36he was Babe Ruth for crying out loud. Yeah, he was amazing. Yeah. His numbers at the end
08:42of the year were crazy. Gaudy. Especially for sitting out the last handful of weeks. Especially
08:46for like being god awful in April. Yeah. Kind of May too. Guru in San Jose. Hi, Guru. Thanks for
08:54calling. Hey guys. Thanks for taking my call. Yeah, ma'am. Yeah. So yeah, I've been listening and
09:03you know, like my father always used to tell me, especially when I was in school, right? That like,
09:10if you aim to get 100%, you'd probably end up with an A. If you aim to get an A,
09:17you'd probably end up
09:17with a B. So like, in that spirit, I think the Warriors' goal should be to make the playoffs. And
09:24I think that should be the goal every year for that matter, for every team. But I mean,
09:31the fact of the matter is that you look at the rest of the Western Conference, it's not just about
09:36how the Warriors do. It's not just about the Warriors controlling their own destiny. It's about
09:40how are the other teams going to do around them, right? And I'm with Dips. I think Utah is going
09:45to be pretty good this year. We'll see where the chips fall on that front. But like my definition
09:52of a successful year is essentially that A, building good habits, like Kers said. And like,
10:00how do our young guys do? How does Gaxo, Will Richard, even Brandon Pajemski, how do they look
10:08this year? And are they building blocks towards the future? That's what I want to know, because
10:12going into pre-agency next year, like you, the Warriors have all this money and all that. I want
10:17to know where are the gaps of this team going forward and how those guys perform is going to
10:24be a good indication of that. And any growth we see out of those guys this year is going to
10:29be
10:30a good thing going in that direction. So I think Steph should only play 30 minutes this year.
10:37And like, you know, let the results fall where they may. And I just want to see consistent
10:43improvement. That's all. That's my opinion, Willard. I know where you fall on this, but
10:47that's my opinion. Have a great day.
10:48Okay. Guru, thanks very much for the call. Yeah. Look, I think for me, I understand the
10:56functionality of that, the whole on paper of it all. But I just don't know if my brain can
11:03work that way where I can be excited about a Warrior season with this group where all you're
11:09trying to do is grind out an eight seed. Might be fair based on the roster, but this group is
11:16just
11:16too accomplished for that to kind of float my boat. And as a very quick aside, if you're up for
11:23a jazz
11:24wager, I'm in. I don't know why everybody, they won 22 basketball games last year. Oh, yeah. And I
11:31know what your paper is saying, but I am not a believer in teams turning the key, having not worked
11:38together, walking out onto a court and playing well. Jaron Jackson didn't play enough basketball last
11:44year. Didn't play at all for Utah. Larry Markkinen doesn't play enough basketball. Keontae George is
11:49fine. Darren Peterson's a pup. I know that this is all wonderful name value. I'm out on the Utah jazz
11:58being one of the top six teams in the West. Hardcore out. I think that they'll finish higher than the
12:03Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings, whether that's eight as opposed to nine
12:07or nine as opposed to 10. We can get into the wagers as we get closer to the season. I'll
12:12do
12:12a little bit more of a deep dive on Utah. They're a team that I think is fascinating. They have
12:17four
12:17or five seven footers and including the aforementioned Laurie Markkinen, who at times will
12:23play small forward on that team. So I think they're a fascinating team to watch. And for the Warriors,
12:28yeah, you might be in a spot where you are going to grind to be the eight seed and hope
12:33that you get
12:33to April and you get all your guys healthy. Okay. Keep listening because in the next eight minutes,
12:40we're going to give you a chance to win a $100 Valkyries team shop gift card. Just keep listening
12:49because we will tell you exactly how to win. But for now, just make sure you have our contest line
12:54handy. And now's when you become one of those people who calls, even though we're telling you
13:00not to call. But I want to give you the number now, but don't call it now. 415-523-4652.
13:10415-523-4652.
13:14Have the number handy and ready to go. When you hear the Kevin Dana sounder, you'll need to be
13:22caller 5 to the contest line. And that's coming up real, real soon. I like it. It could be a
13:30Gucci
13:30or a Rain Dance or even a... Or a na-na-na-na-na. You just never know. When you
13:37hear some Dana,
13:38that's your cue to call and maybe be a winner. And then you can get a $100 team shop gift
13:43card,
13:43Valkyries game two in Dallas. Man-na-na-na-na. Yeah, I like that. That's a solid four.
13:49Okay. And action around the W today and then again tomorrow. And hopefully they can
13:54handle their business and get a little time off before the next round.
13:57Okay. We got Grandy's grades coming up in like, I don't know, 30 minutes or so. We haven't gone
14:03through that yet. Grades for the Sunday game. I do think it might be, will it be, could it be,
14:10the first time where one group or another doesn't get a B plus or higher?
14:19Uh, yeah. You better flip around and find out. Yeah, exactly. Um, yeah. So we'll see.