Bogut: LeBron jumped into cameraman
June 12, 2015
C-Cap Recap: Urshela Homers in 6-0 Tribe Win
June 12, 2015Conspiracy, duplicity, espionage, outright lying…ah, anything to get an edge in the NBA Finals.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked before his team’s Game 4 victory if he would make any changes to his starting lineup after dropping Games 2 and 3 to the Cavaliers. He replied in the negative, saying that the Warriors would start their usual five of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Andrew Bogut.
Yet when the starters were announced, veteran swingman Andre Iguodala got the call instead of Bogut, the Australian center.
“I lied,” Kerr said after the game. “Sorry, but I don’t think they hand you the trophy based on morality. They give it to you if you win. So sorry about that.”
Whether the change caught the Cavaliers by surprise or not, it paid dividends for Golden State’s rookie head coach. Iguodala continued his excellent play, totaling 22 points (on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-9 three-pointers) and 8 rebounds in a Finals-high 39 minutes. He averaged just 7.8 points per game during the regular season, but has upped his scoring output to 14.8 ppg in the Finals, in addition to playing fine defense against LeBron James.
A look at how Iguodala has raised his game, from the whizzes at Synergy Sports:
https://twitter.com/SynergySST/status/609358752320348161
The Cavs jumped out to a 7-0 lead against Golden State’s smaller starting unit — and grabbed five of the game’s first six rebounds — but the Warriors rebounded to take control of the game, and perhaps the series.
Game 5 is in Oakland Sunday night. We’ll see how honest Kerr and Cavaliers head coach David Blatt are in the days leading up to it.
14 Comments
Steve-O, buddy, pal…you’re playing 11 on 7. You’re winning a war of attrition, not strategy.
No strategy in the history of the universe has ever hinged on Iguodala going for 22 and 8.
Kerr = genius move. Blatt = HOW DARE HE!
It only took him 3 games to realize that lineup wasn’t working.
Amen but it is what it is unfortunately.
I disagree well on half. The Blatt half. He had to expect a change at the least David Lee but half way through the first Blatt should have made a change. I just think he thought the Cavs inside game could overcome whatever offense the smaller Warriors could manage. It couldn’t because frankly that’s all the Cavs had last night.
No, I meant if Blatt had lied to the media, he would have been raked across the coals and back.
I never understood why the media think it’s their right to know a team’s strategy beforehand. Good on Kerr for lying about it – and for manning up to it, too.
It reminds me of that time in the 1990s when Geraldo went to the desert and gave away the army’s location through his reporting. Why do we need to know this stuff?
Whether he likes it or not, I think Blatt is going to have to extract some minutes from Miller and Marion.
Oh gotcha absolutely. Today is first day I am not watching any sports talk shows and it’s not because of the Cavs losing. I just don’t want to hear it anymore. The bias is almost disrespectful to the Cavs. Instead of being lauded for playing with such heart and determination short handed they are a punch line to a Warriors joke. I get it. I’m just with LBJ on this too. Don’t pay attention to it. Btw how about LBJ’s response to being asked how he felt when Cavs fans left with five minutes left in the game? He said, “I came out of the game early too. So we were both on the same page.” Loved it!
Marion is already retired I have been asking reporters on Twitter nobody says much of anything, That calf injury must be pretty bad.
NO NO NO, KERR IS A GENIUS.
Seriously, the amount of credit he’s getting because his role players finally knocked down shots is ridiculous. Did spacing the floor even more help, sure I guess.
But it’s been our strategy this entire series to let Iggy, Green and Barnes take as many open looks as they wanted while we threw the kitchen sink at Klay and Curry.
So they finally made their shots. About time.
PS – Will, you are the Rembrandt at choosing the most annoying face of Kerr to accompany this article.
Coach of the year Steve Kerr!!!
How about this on the decision to start Iggy?
http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/6/12/8773185/nick-uren-28-year-old-staffer-saved-warriors-season
That’s what green screens are for