Lakers’ AD is OK; are the Warriors?

An elbow to the head. A wobbly walk to the locker room. A statement of reassurance.

Anthony Davis, the Lakers beast in the middle when he wants to be, is fine. Which is more than you can say for the Warriors.

So much in so short a time. Some critical changes. Except one thing hasn’t changed. Well, make that two things haven’t changed. 

The Warriors haven’t won a game of this best-of-seven NBA Western Conference semifinal at Los Angeles, where Game 6 will be played Friday night. And unless they can figure out a way to do so, they’ll be finished.

Done. The former champions. And please don’t let the door or the painful reality hit you in the back.

From the Warriors’ side of the discussion, there are words of optimism, as is expected. But why? LeBron James is LeBron James, who well understands what to do when needed. And then there’s Davis, AD, whose injuries and time on the bench out of uniform earned him the mocking epithet, “street clothes,” but this series has tailored him a new reputation.

The Warriors had a very good chance to win Game 4 at L.A., but in the end, they could not. That’s what counts in sport, the final result, could-haves (the Warriors were up by seven heading into the fourth quarter) and should-haves mean zilch.  

The 6-foot-10 Davis has meant everything to the Lakers, scoring inside and keeping the Warriors from doing the same. And certainly, rebounding like mad.

He got hit in one of those go-for-the-ball scrambles under the basket with 7:43 remaining (and LA trailing).

On the TNT national broadcast, there was laughter — same old AD, getting hurt. On Thursday, in the L.A. Times, there were words of near-panic. 

”This is what the Lakers feared,” wrote the columnist Bill Plaschke. “This is what Lakers fans dreaded. And this is what the Golden State Warriors needed.”

Not exactly. What the Warriors need most of all is a road victory which seems improbable the way the Lakers are rolling — unbeaten at home in the post-season including a play-in game that got them in the playoffs. The Dubs had the home-court edge but that disappeared after they dropped the opening game.

After that, it’s been a difficult and so far worthless climb.

To make matters worse, Wiggins, who has played well (as a former #1 overall draft pick should be playing), may miss Game 6. On the injury report Thursday evening he was listed as questionable because of a left costal cartilage fracture.  

Should the Warriors pull off a miracle (is that too strong?), there will be a seventh game at Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Otherwise, they’ll be idle for a long time, next season.

Warriors keeping NBA confused, fans enthralled

So they can’t keep this up, and everybody knows (or think they know) the Lakers and Nets are superior teams.

But hasn’t this been fun — as well as surprising?

There are the Warriors playing like it was 2015. Or 2017 or 2018, winning and winning. And winning.

And keeping the NBA in confusion.

You ask yourself how this is happening, and then you ask how much better it could be with Klay Thompson back on the court.

This Curry kid seems unstoppable. True, at 33, the other night becoming the oldest with 50 points and 10 assists, he’s no longer a kid. But that’s merely a figure of speech.

Winning is great, certainly, and heading into Friday night’s game against Chicago at Chase Center the Dubs have won six in a row and 10 of their last 11. Winning unexpectedly is even better.

And this recent run has been unexpected, if not unappreciated. You have to think management, primarily GM Bob Myers, knows something about basketball — and, no less importantly, about basketball players.

Yes, the play of Steph Curry is a given. But how about those other guys, Draymond Green, who unfortunately may be out because of a contusion in his left leg received in Wednesday’s 123-110 win over Minnesota; Kevon Looney; Andre Iguodala; Jordan Poole; and most noticeably after 35 points against his old team, Andrew Wiggins.

“Keep protecting him,” Curry said of Wiggins.

What journalists up in Minneapolis said, in so many words, is that Wiggins is a semi-bust. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Wiggins was chosen by Cleveland but quickly enough in a transaction that included the Cavaliers and 76ers was traded to Minnesota, where he was not liked at all by the critics.

Finally, in February 2020, the Warriors got him for Jordan Poole, and a blogger named Brandon Anderson ecstatically wrote, “The Timberwolves might have saved their franchise, while the Warriors made a catastrophic misstep that could put their dynasty on the brink.”

Strong stuff, huh? Also misguided stuff. Rather than a catastrophe, the Warriors with the 6-foot 8 Wiggins in the game have been a success.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a one-word analysis of Wiggins’ performance against the T-Wolves, “fantastic” — a considerable distance from catastrophic. “Obviously excited to play against his old team,” he added.

Wiggins provided not only scoring but rebounding and defense. He takes on the big man, in height and reputation, from the other team.

In basketball at any level, from prep to pro, you not only need the pieces, the athletes, but you need the pieces to fit. When the Warriors are at their best, and they’ve been close at times, they pressure on defense, get the missed shot and roar down the court with the ball.

“I had a good start,” said Wiggins, who had 22 in the first half.

That sentence would also describe his team’s play these opening weeks, something not to be dismissed.

The NBA season is long (82 games) and difficult with constant travel. There will be injuries and questionable calls. A team needs to get in front and try to stay there. Let the rest play catch-up.

The Warriors have spoiled their fans and themselves. Kevin Durant might leave, Klay Thompson might be severely injured — but there was no thought of rebuilding, of playing for next year. The Dubs’ future is now.

“We have a lot more shooters,” Kerr said about this Warriors squad, “and this opening the court up for guys to be able to cut, throw lobs and get a lot more stops and runs.

“I think last year we had really good defense, but we fouled a lot. This year we haven’t been fouling as much. We are able to push the ball and run in transition.”

They’ve got Gary Payton II, Juan Toscano-Anderson and the oldest of old reliables, Iguodala.

“We can finish above the rim,” said Kerr, “so that’s really been exciting to watch.”

So is the ball going through the hoop.

Warriors’ Wiggins plays D and outplays the critics

By Art Spander

When a year ago Andrew Wiggins was traded by Minnesota to Golden State, a sports blogger named Brandon Anderson wrote, “The Timberwolves might have saved their franchise, while the Warriors made a catastrophic misstep that could put their dynasty on the brink.”

Basketball brinksmanship as practiced by the Dubs seems to be working. We’ll learn more after Tuesday night’s game against the Pacers at Chase Center.

The Warriors have won four of their last five, and in their most recent game Wiggins played like a man who could have been the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, which six years ago he was.

Even for his defense, which was unexpected — at least to those who thought they knew a man once labeled “Least Defensive Player” in the NBA from a plus-minus rating.

As an NBA observer tweeted last February when the Warriors acquired the frequently belittled Wiggins, ”Maybe he’ll smile with Steve Kerr.”

Kerr, the Warriors coach, certainly is smiling because of Wiggins. “We’re not asking him to change our franchise,” Kerr said of Wiggins. “We’re asking him to play defense, run the floor and get buckets. He’s capable of doing all that.”

As verified on Sunday night, the night Steph Curry was only 2 for 16, with just 11 points. Wiggins scored 17 and guarded Toronto’s Pascal Siakam down the stretch of the 106-105 victory.

“He just used his length, athleticism and anticipation,” said Kerr. “We now have someone we can put on the opposing team’s best player, whether it’s Pascal Siakam, LeBron James, Kawhi (Leonard) or Paul George.”

Klay Thompson had that responsibility, but of course he’s missing the season with the torn Achilles tendon.

The 6-foot-8 Wiggins always was expected to do more than he did, at least by his critics.

He grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, hockey country, and two years into high school moved to a prep school in West Virginia. A Feb. 7, 2013, article in Sports Illustrated knocked Canadian basketball and Wiggins’ work ethic. In his next game, he scored 57 points.

After a year at Kansas, Wiggins was taken first in the 2014 draft by Cleveland but, quickly enough in a swap that involved the Cavs, T-Wolves and 76ers, went to Minnesota. As part of the transaction, the Cavs got Kevin Love.

What Wiggins would get was complaints. Sure, he had impressive games, but not enough of them, even though he would be voted Rookie of the Year. The era belonged to the Warriors and Cavaliers, and T-Wolves fans were disenchanted.

As were some of the media.

During a Bulls-T-Wolves game two years ago, Chicago play-by-play announcer Neil Funk piled on Wiggins.

“We’ve seen Minnesota twice this season, and Wiggins has not been engaged in either game.” said Funk.

“He just kind of floats around out there — he does nothing ... Zach (LaVine) is just much more active than a Wiggins type, night in and night out … and Wiggins just has that, and I’m sure he wants to compete, we know he’s a talent, there’s no arguing that, but his body language is as if ‘I don’t care, I’m just out here.'”

Then he was out of there. One basketball observer couldn’t decide whether the Warriors were more thrilled getting Wiggins or getting rid of D'Angelo Russell.

The answer has arrived. Maybe Wiggins simply needed a team like the Warriors. Maybe he became more determined. Sometimes what’s needed is a change of scenery. Sometimes a change in motivation.

“I’m playing with the Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond,” Wiggins said of his new approach. “He’s out there, he’s vocal, he helps out a lot on defense giving us advice, just showing us certain things. We’ve got the rook down there, James (Wiseman) trying to clean stuff up. It’s been good.”

For the Warriors, and for Andrew Wiggins. At least so far.