Locked On Warriors – Daily Podcast On The Golden State Warriors

The Warriors finish their three-game roadie in ATL tonight, facing the fairly atrocious Hawks. The Hawks have some wins over good teams though, so the Dubs will have to keep up the intensity they've been showcasing since the All-Star Break. That include shoring up rebounding on the defensive end, where the team has faltered lately.

(Didn't make the Pod: Shawn Livingston will be held out tonight for rest; Klay Thompson says the Warriors are trying to run the table to close the season; the Warriors met with CA representatives Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee while in DC.)

Down the Reddit Hole, Steve Kerr has some great insight into Donald Drumpf's flip-flopping on gun control, Stephen Curry is destroying hotel rooms, and Twitter handle @ThisDayInSuck reminds us to cherish these good times. Also: Kyrie Irving has words about Zaza Pachulia falling on Russell Westbrook.

The Warriors are well-represented in the Forbes SportsMoney Index, with the franchise and stars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry making the Top 25. The Bay Area is well represented on the list as well, with the 49ers, Giants and Raiders all falling in the Top 50. The Warriors are now worth $3.1 billion, and stand to increase their valuation by $1 billion with the completion of the Chase Center in 2019. If they win the title again this year, that valuation will climb even higher.

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The Warriors topped the Wizards led by Kevin Durant's 32 points. Klay Thompson held Bradley Beal in check, Steph Curry hit threes, and Draymond Green was everywhere. The only nitpick: 18 offensive rebounds for Washington. Other than that, the Dubs held it down. Their defense was sound (held the Wiz to 40% shooting), they took care of the ball (15 turnovers), and the offense was humming (51%, 42% from three) for the most part of the evening.

For Throwback Thursday, we take a look at the 2015 Finals, where Stephen Curry was very good but could not pull momentum away from LeBron to win his first Finals MVP. That award instead went to Andre Iguodala, who changed the series when he was inserted into the starting lineup in Game 4. Aliko posits that Steph's entire 2015-16 MVP campaign may have been in response to that "snub," (as well as the NBA players voting James Harden their MVP that year).

Lastly, Curry used his trip to Atlanta to be a part of Kaiser Permanente's NBA Total Health Forum. The event is part of efforts by Kaiser and the NBA to promote healthy minds, bodies and spirits. Curry is also doing his part to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Kevin Durant also made news this week by giving $10 million to College Track to empower students from his hometown of Seat Pleasant, MD. The Warriors are walking the walk. 

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The Warriors are in Washington to play the newly pass-happy Wizards tonight. The Wiz have been outpacing every team in assist percentage since John Wall went down with an injury earlier this month. The offense has become egalitarian, and the Warriors will have to keep their hands active in the passing lanes to thwart this high-powered machine.

While in DC, the Dubs decided to spend their time with local kids at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was a fitting alternative to heading to the White House, which which have been awkward to say the least.

Around the NBA, Kawhi is back with the Spurs, Anthony Davis is playing out of his mind for the Pelicans, Corey Brewer is available off waivers, and the NCAA is under fire from NBA players for its outdated rules about amateurism.

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The Warriors used another 3rd quarter barrage to break down the Knicks, ultimately nabbing a comfortable double-digit win. Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry all broke the 20-point plateau, while everyone wearing The Town managed to get off offensively. The new-look Knicks pushed the Dubs in the first half, scoring 64 points, but they were understandably no match for GSW through 48 minutes.

Draymond Green had another suberb defensive outing, and is the subject of this week's Warrior of the Week segment. The lineup of Green, Thompson, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and David West carries the league's most stifling defense, and it was on display in the 2nd and 4th quarters of last night's game.

Around the NBA, the Rockets continued their win streak with a victory at Utah Monday, while in Denver, Paul Millsap is set to return following a wrist injury suffered early in the season. The up and down Cavs round out the subject matter of today's podcast.

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The Warriors exorcised a few demons by beating the Thunder on Saturday evening behind some amazing defense and even better offensive execution in the third and fourth quarters. Kevin Durant shone brightly with 28 points and some key defensive plays, while Stephen Curry held it down from three-point land. Klay Thompson clearly took his defensive assignments seriously, helping to force Russell Westbrook in to 5 turnovers on the night. 

The Dubs' schedule through the next few weeks has some highlights but for the most part is a period of time in which the team should feast on lesser opponents. They will have to maintain their current offensive output, rebound and take care of the ball, and play the kind of stifling defense we saw against OKC every time out. Jordan Bell's return to the lineup should help.

Tonight GSW is at Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks, where Curry has provided ample fireworks in the past. This Knicks team has been in freefall since Kristaps Porzingis went down with an ACL rupture at the end of January. However, they do rebound the ball and the Warriors get every team's best shot, so it would be best if the Dubs don't fall asleep in the Big Apple. I would take more of Klay's thoughts on scaffolding or anything else that comes to his mind.

Zaza Pachulia has come under fire for appearing to intentionally fall onto Russell Westbrook as both were in a scrum for a loose ball. Official Locked on Warriors opinion: Zaza deserves a fine. It was dangerous and not a basketball play, and it was disingenuous. A flop is perfectly fine when it doesn't endanger another player's health. But what Zaza did could be classified as "dirty." Other topics include: JaVale starting, blocked jump shots, and the latest on Jimmy Butler's injury.

Didn't make the podcast: Draymond had his most recent technical foul rescinded, putting him at 14 for the season - two away from a suspension.

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The Warriors' turnovers and defense were once again problems, but it didn't matter on a night The Human Torch said "Flame on!" Stephen Curry made 8 of 11 three-point shots on his way to 44 big points, helping the Dubs overcome their malaise on the other side of the ball. Despite Tobias Harris being just okay, the Clippers are playing very well lately and are holding on to their playoff spot for the moment. Nevertheless, GSW prevailed.

The second segment is all about Black Panther (spoilers). Oakland plays a major role in the movie and so we're going to take a brief basketball hiatus to talk superheroes.

Miles joins Aliko to discuss all of the above as well as the upcoming clash with the Thunder, who play defense like their lives depend on it and inhale offensive rebounds. OKC has thumped the Warriors twice already this season, but does that make them a less favorable playoff matchup than the Spurs? Debates, debates...

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The Warriors return to the hardwood tonight to face the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle. Last time out, the Clips thumped the Dubs behind a 50-spot from Lou Williams. Something tells me it won't be the same this time around. Either way, the All-Star Break was a much-needed respite for GSW. Expect sharp minds and spry legs tonight.

In honor of this game, we go back in time to the last time the Warriors-Clippers rivalry meant something: April 2014. It was then that the 57-win Clippers bested the 51-win Warriors in a hard-fought 7-game series. The Dubs were bursting at the seam with potential even then, but it was not to be that year.

Around the NBA, Kawhi Leonard has ruled himself out for the rest of the season. Woj reports an increasingly unhappy marriage between team and star, but the Spurs are full of class and Kawhi is not only under contract for the forseeable future but he's also about as Spursian as they come. Also: Mark Cuban didn't have a good week.

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Sergen Kumas, 76ers staff writer for Turkish outlet TrendBasket joins Aliko for a wide-ranging conversation. First on the docket is a full breakdown of All-Star Weekend, including the All-Star game itself, the Rising Stars game and all the events of Saturday night. 

The future is looking bright in Philadelphia, with the Process paying dividends in the form of an 11-game home winning streak. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric were all on hand for All-Star Weekend, and could ride that high into better playoff positioning.

For the Warriors, the break couldn't have come at a better time. Having fallen to the 2nd seed in the West, the Dubs are currently staring at a slightly more difficult road to the Finals than they've had the past few season. Are they game?

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In a very late but very special All-Star episode of Locked on Warriors, Aliko gets informal about his weekend in Los Angeles, which included forays into All-Star events, concerts and youth programming, as well as a tad bit of vomit.

Besides the game itself, which was the best midseason classic in years, topics include the Rising Stars Challenge and All-Star Saturday Night festivities, the American Express Roadshow concert series on TNT, and the NBA Cares Day of Service.

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Longtime friend and friend of the #LockedonWarriors podcast Gabriel Holland joins the show today to talk about last night's game as well as a ton more NBA storylines. The Warriors lost their last game before the All-Star Break despite Kevin Durant dropping 50 points. Dame Lillard had 44 of his own and the Dubs shot themselves in the feet with turnovers both early and late in the game.

For this week's #ThrowbackThursday, the boys delve into their childhood memories of the #AllStarGame, including the shoes, the uniforms and the dunks. That conversation spills into many subjects before circling back to the NBA today, including streaks and a series of rapidfire questions and answers to close the show.

Tomorrow we'll discuss Patrick McCaw's injury and how it could affect the season.

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