Hoops Lab: Warriors vs. Spurs

Starting Saturday night, the 60-6 Golden State Warriors will play the 57-10 San Antonio Spurs three times in three weeks. The Warriors destroyed the Spurs by 30 points the first time they played this year in Oakland. But two of the next three meetings will be in San Antonio. In related news, both teams are undefeated at home this year.

In addition to being a combined 64-0 on their home floors, the Warriors and Spurs are both currently on pace to win at least 70 games. While the Warriors have been front-and-center in the news all season for taking aim at the record of 72 wins set by the Bulls in 1996, the Spurs actually have a higher point differential than the Warriors (+12.4 vs +11.0), which is often cited as the more important measure for estimating championship success.

This brings to mind an interesting question: what if the Warriors win 73 games this season but don't win the championship? What would that mean? Would the season then become a disappointment for the Warriors and their fans? Would all of the "Stephen Currry may be having the GOAT season" talk disappear?

It's a fascinating situation because this is the most top-heavy NBA season that I've ever seen and the Warriors are drawing casual NBA fans to follow them the way no team has since Jordan's Bulls. Grandmothers and aunties who don't even watch basketball know who Steph Curry is. Curry's wife Ayesha has become a Twitter meme for what a perfect wife is supposed to be. Draymond Green hardly ever gets mentioned, whereas by most impact stats he may be even more important to the Warriors' success than Curry. Klay Thompson won the 3-point contest (beating Curry) and might very well be the best shooter in the world, and he's completely overshadowed by his teammate as well.

Meanwhile, the Warriors style of play makes them must-watch TV. They play the game like they're the "comp" team at a local rec center that has a couple of D1 players and can just blow out any team of "regular" folks whenever they feel like it. If you're watching a game and see either Curry or Thompson make two shots in a row, it's like NBA Jam: "He's heating up". And don't let them hit that third or they might not miss again that quarter, and that's not an exaggeration. And either is able to shoot as soon as they step past half-court, with full expectation that they'll make it. They're like the NBA version of some of those Peyton Manning football teams that broke every offensive record. Just fun, fun, FUN to watch.

The caveat to that analogy is that both of those offensive record-setting Manning football teams eventually lost.

The Warriors obviously won last year, playing a similar style, but this year they have taken it up a notch. Every game feels like an event, like the circus has come to town. As a basketball fan, it's been a joy to watch them this year. And they seem like they are poised to become the template for the ideal team for this era.

But again: what if they lose? Will I feel the same way about this team if they don't finish it off?

Honestly, I'm not sure that I will. Especially if it's the Spurs that ultimately beat them. Because the Spurs would then have their own argument as the template for how to build a team in this era. While the Warriors are must-see TV as they put on a show, the Spurs continue to play textbook team basketball where there is no such thing as a superstar. While my wife's Grandma Ruby can tell me about Steph Curry, I bet she couldn't name me a single player on the Spurs. While Curry may be poised to win the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, I'm not sure any players on the Spurs will even get serious votes. Kawhi Leonard is a beast. LaMarcus Aldridge is a dog. Tim Duncan is, conservatively, one of the 10 best basketball players that ever lived. But they play as though everyone on the team is a walk-on that's overjoyed to play team ball if it means that they get to play.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has somehow taken star players and got them to play like role players, but to do it in such unison that they can beat any team of superstars. It's pretty uncanny, actually. And if the Spurs do win it all this year, making it their second championship and third Finals in the past three years, it could certainly be argued that they, and not the Warriors, would be the current dynasty in the NBA.

I'm frankly captivated by this. Will the Warriors get to 72 wins this year? Yeah, I think they will. Will the Spurs get to 70? I kind of doubt it, in large part because I just don't think they care. But Golden State cares. They absolutely care about setting the wins record, and their players have said so on record.

I have no idea who is going to ultimately take the 'chip. But at this moment, I kind of have the feeling that it's not going to be the Warriors. Which, on the one hand, would be a shame, as it's always nice to have a front row seat to history. But on the other hand, it would mean that the playoffs would be just as exciting as this season has been. And as a basketball fan, that would be enough for me.

Around the NBA

Since most year-long leagues are either in the playoffs, or starting the playoffs next week, we're going to skip going Around the NBA and instead give some extra pick-up options in the New Additions and DFS value section.

Back-to-backs 3/15 – 3/22
TW: Celtics, Clippers, Magic, Kings
WT: Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Grizzlies, Wizards
TF: 76ers, Suns, Trail Blazers, Raptors
FS: Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Thunder
SS: Clippers, Knicks, Jazz
SM: Celtics, Bucks, Magic, 76ers, Kings
MT: Hornets, Grizzlies

New Additions and DFS Values

Myles Turner (54 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues): Turner has had several impressive stretches during his rookie season and is currently in the midst of another. In his three games leading up to Tuesday night he had averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 boards and 1.3 blocks in 28 minutes per game.

Evan Turner (53 percent): While Marcus Smart (57 percent) got the start Tuesday, Turner should still get extra opportunity with Jae Crowder out for the next couple of weeks.

Bojan Bogdonovic (47 percent): Bogdonavic just had the game of his life Tuesday, dropping 44 points with eight boards, four treys and two assists in a win over the 76ers. While that level of production obviously isn't the norm, over his last nine games he has averaged 18.1 points on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 78.1 percent from the line, with 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 treys and 2.1 assists per game.

Matt Barnes (47 percent): Barnes is usually a solid pick-up as a role player garbageman who'll knock down some threes. However, the Grizzlies are so blasted by injuries that these days he's one of their leading offensive threats. In his last five games he is averaging 15.0 points (though on only 35 percent shooting), 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals and 2.8 made treys per game.

Shelvin Mack (25 percent): Mack is starting at point guard and playing good ball for the Jazz, averaging 19.3 points (54.8 percent shooting), 7.3 assists, 5.0 boards and 3.3 treys per game over his last three.

Brandon Jennings (20 percent): Jennings has moved into the starting lineup for the Magic with Elfrid Payton sidelined. It's unknown how long Payton's elbow injury will keep him out, but Jennings took advantage of his start Tuesday to produce a 12 point, 11 assist double-double.

Bismack Biyombo (20 percent): Biyombo is on this list on the strength of Jonas Valanciunas' left hand contusion. Valanciunas may not miss much more time, if any, but while he's out Biyombo is a nightly double-double threat (like the 12 point, 13-rebound double-double he had Tuesday).

Josh Richardson (16 percent): Richardson has been playing himself into more time, averaging 15.3 points with 3.0 treys, 2.8 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game over his last four.

Nik Stauskas (five percent): Stauskas is getting more run in Philadelphia these days, in large part because their frontcourt has been destroyed by injuries. In his last two games he has averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 boards, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 treys in 28 minutes per game.

Carl Landry (eight percent): Landry has stepped into a larger role with Jahlil Okafor (done for season), Robert Covington (concussion) and Jerami Grant (concussion) all out for the last few games. Over those three, Landry is averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 boards and 2.0 assists in 25.3 minutes per game.

Marcelo Huertas (two percent): Huertas has been getting reasonable playing time for the last couple of weeks. Over his last seven games, he has averaged 9.1 points, 5.4 assists, 3.3 boards and a combined 1.1 steals and blocks in 26.7 minutes per game.