Locked On Warriors – Daily Podcast On The Golden State Warriors

The Warriors didn't have enough firepower without their four All-Stars to take it to the Spurs last evening. They only put up 12 points in the fourth quarter, while giving up 28, and were no match for LaMarcus Aldridge's onslaught (33 points on 22 shots, 12 boards). Quinn Cook had another 20 point outing but was inefficient, and Nick Young didn't make any of his 5 three-point attempts. Draymond Green left the game early with a contusion in his pelvic area.

Quinn Cook has been doing his very best Stephen Curry impression over the last few games, including going 5-7 from three against the Kings and against the Suns. Though he had 4 turnovers against the Spurs, he played well in 38 minutes. His Player Impact Estimate from the game against the Kings (22.7) shows how integral he was in that game despite the loss. So Quinn Cook is my Warrior of the Week.

Around the NBA, the East has become an internal struggle for playoff seeding, with Detroit falling out of the playoff race over the last few weeks. Toronto is within a half game of the Warriors for the second-best record in the league behind Houston, which faces Portland tonight in a must-watch for Dubs fans. The bottom half of the West playoff bracket has a number of teams that could give GSW trouble in the first round. Which is the best matchup out of the bunch?

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Aliko joins Locked on NBA's Josh Lloyd for a question and answer session about the severity of the Warriors' injuries, the future of Quinn Cook, playoff threats, and how the rest key players Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are getting will be integral to their playoff chase.

In the second segment, Aliko breaks down the play of Draymond Green and Quinn Cook in the Warriors' two games since the last podcast. The Dubs dropped a clunker in the final two minutes vs. the Kings at home, but then took care of business in the fourth quarter in the Valley of the Sun. Buddy Hield and Josh Jackson shone for the opposition.

Tonight the Warriors face the 40-30 San Antonio Spurs in the nightcap on ESPN. It's a battle of bigs with Draymond facing LaMarcus Aldridge. Last time the two teams faced, LaMarcus had 30 points and 17 boards. Though the Warriors won that game, without their big 3 scorers Draymond can't allow LMA to get off. Two guard matchups that will be fun to watch are Cook vs. Dejounte Murray and Shaun Livingston vs. Tony Parker. 

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The Warriors' injury report is extensive. They will face the Kings at home tonight without Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Patrick McCaw. Curry, Thompson and McCaw aren't expected to be able to return until the end of the month. Draymond Green's shoulder is ailing but he will play, and David West is finally ready to return from a cyst on his shooting elbow. Andre Iguodala is nursing a few injuries but will suit up. Jordan Bell's ankles are sore. Quinn cook's hand is hurt... It's a house of horrors in the Dubs' training room right now.

Miles Johnson joins Aliko to discuss what Klay's broken hand could mean for the Warriors' playoff push. Down the Reddit hole, they take a look at LeBron's latest in-game masterpiece, and compare that poster dunk to some of the best jams King James has bestowed upon us over the years.

In the final segment, Aliko and Miles take a look at the playoff races in the East and the West, and break down some of the more intriguing matchups. How scary are the Sixers and Bucks in the bottom half of the East? Are we sleeping on Victor Oladipo? Should the Spurs embrace their slide down the Western Conference standings and go for the lottery? What about the Nuggets? Listen up for thoughts on all these questions and more.

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Maybe you already knew these fact; maybe you didn't. Either way, share them with your little slice of #DubNation.

In the second segment, Aliko talks about the Warriors' apparent lack of a sense of urgency, and in the the third it's time for the latest NBA standings.

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The banged-up Warriors took two Ls this weekend, one on the segababa, and one in the ABC afternoon matinee—both without Stephen Curry, David West, Andre Iguodala, Jordan Bell and Patrick McCaw. But in the true spirit of the "next man up" mentality, the available Dubs fought with passion before their energies fizzled out late in both games. Kevin Durant put up 40 and 39 points respectively, but against Portland, the Warriors were outrebounded by 14, and vs. Minny they allowed 58 points in the paint. Neither outcome is a recipe for a win.

Having lost their last two games, the Dubs are now 2 games back of Houston in the loss column. But do they really need the No. 1 seed to make it back to the Finals for the fourth time in a row? Aliko looks at historical trends going back to 2000 to see which champions won the regular season, and which ones simply made it through to peak at the right time and take out the "better" team. And make no mistake, despite the standings based on talent and chemistry the Warriors at full strength are better than the Rockets.

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The Warriors lost Stephen Curry to an ankle "tweak" early in the first quarter of last night's game vs. the Spurs. The arena was mostly quiet after that, with fans pondering Curry's status as the Dubs and Spurs went back and forth. Thankfully, Kevin Durant (37 points, 11 boards) and Draymond Green (triple-double) came to play, igniting the crowd in the fourth quarter with a furious comeback, and ultimately sparking the Warriors to a 110-107 victory.

Curry will not be available tonight vs. the Blazers, nor will Andre Iguodala, David West, Jordan Bell or Patrick McCaw. Portland is riding an 8-game winning streak (which began with a win over the Warriors on Valentine's Day), and has ridden Damian Lillard and its defense all the way to the third seed in the Western Conference. During the streak the Blazers are outscoring opponents by 12 points per game.

The banged up Warriors then have to travel to Minneapolis on Sunday to face the Wolves in the ABC matinee. In the midst of an extremely tough stretch, Minnesota has lost its last three, and will definitely be looking to rebound, literally and figuratively. Golden State will have to continue to grab boards by committee, run Wolves players off the line, and play patiently on the offensive end. 

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The Spurs come to Oakland having won only three of their last 11 games. They've had a very tough schedule over the past month, and are clearly missing Kawhi Leonard, who may make his return this month. It won't be in time to face the Warriors however, but the Dubs are a little banged up themselves. Despite ailments down the roster, the Core 4 are intact and ready to play, so expect the team to be locked in.

Five years ago, the Warriors met the Spurs in the 2nd round of the playoffs. It was the middle of the Dubs' coming out party. Stephen Curry had just put the hurt on Denver, boosting the 6th-seeded Warriors out of the first round in 6 games. Meeting the Spurs, the Dubs narrowly missed their chance to bring a 2-0 lead back to Oracle, with Harrison Barnes completely flubbing his coverage on an out of bounds play that allowed Manu Ginobili to hit a wide open buzzer-beater in Game 1. Wow that feels like a long time ago.

Around the NBA, the Pelicans have won 10 in a row, and Anthony Davis is living on another planet right now. He's averaging 36 points, 13 boards and 6 stocks during the win streak, doing everything for the Pels while flanked by elite passing in Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday. Holiday is scoring a ton over this stretch as well. In Indiana, things haven't been going quite as well lately, but they have won 7 of their last 10 and are still holding on to one of the middle spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

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The Warriors turned the ball over 17 times but recorded 30 assists in Tuesday night's home win over the Nets. Everyone who played in white was efficient, with Stephen Curry (34 points on 12/20 shooting) leading the team. Andre Iguodala continued his post-All-Star Break torrent, filling the stat sheet and skying for dunks. Jordan Bell sprained his right ankle in the 2nd half—the Warriors are optimistic for a speedy recovery.

The Warriors went on a 25-0 run in the first quarter, but squandered their lead by allowing a 25-4 run from the Nets in the second. The net ratings for both teams from these blistering first-half performances are insane. Aliko posits that the Warriors lead the league quarters with a net rating of 30 or above. More research is needed.

The Rockets got their 16th straight win in Oklahoma City on Tuesday evening, and will go for their 17th tonight in Milwaukee on League Pass. They are leading the league in net rating during this stretch, which goes back to January 28. Along with Houston and Golden State, other streaking teams include the Pelicans, Blazers and Raptors. 

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The Warriors beat the Nets without Kevin Durant in their last meeting. Since then, the Nets have made some personnel moves, acquiring Philly cast-off Jahlil Okafor among others. Brooklyn runs at a fast pace, but has little in the veins of defense and shooting. The Warriors should make quick work of them if they keep the turnovers to a minimum and rebound as a team. Stephen Curry is expected to play after rolling his ankle in Friday's game vs. the Hawks.

Andre Iguodala has been playing very well since the All-Star Break. The vacation seems to be exactly what the 34-year-old veteran needed. He has a spring in his step, and hasn't show below 50% in any game since the break. He saved the Warriors in Atlanta on Friday night with a key steal and breakaway dunk, and is cementing his previously unsure role in the playoff rotation.

Around the NBA, the Rockets are in Oklahoma City Tonight in a big game for both teams, with the Thunder having a tough time jockeying for playoff position and the Warriors breathing down Houston's neck. The Pelicans are also putting their win streak on the line against the Clippers. 

Kevin Love, who is recovering from a wrist injury, came out with a story in the Player's Tribune explaining his mysterious illnesses from earlier in the season. He has been dealing with anxiety attacks, and suffered two different attacks during games in November and January. It was brave for the Cavaliers' All-Star to come forward with his mental health status, and acknowledge that he is seeking help through therapy. Other players including DeMar DeRozan, Royce White and our own Stephen Curry are working to raise awareness of mental health.

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The Warriors played well enough to win in Atlanta on Friday night, but committed 18 turnovers, giving up 30 points to the very bad Hawks. Stephen Curry scored 28 points but suffered an ankle tweak (thanks Zaza), and only played 23 minutes. Kevin Durant picked up the slack with 28 points of his own and some great defense down the stretch. Nick Young chipped in with four three-pointers and Draymond Green was his usual self, filling up the stat sheet outside of the points column.

The Warriors have 19 games to go this season, and are looking at a rather easy schedule through the month of March, They face the Nets and Spurs this week at home. The Young Guns—Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney and Quinn Cook—haven't been playing a lot of minutes lately. Against teams like the Nets, look for Steve Kerr to get them some solid run as the team prepares for the Second Season.

In philanthropic news, Klay Thompson and his immediate family have partnered with Opus Bank to launch The Thompson Family Foundation, which will be involved in a number of youth-focused initiatives in 2018. The family is also participating in a docuseries produced by Opus titled "A Solid Foundation," which serves as an introduction to the Thompson and how they operate as a unit. That story can be found on Forbes.com.

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