Dwight: Teams see GS and the success they have and they try to play like them. You don't have Steph Curry. They're two of the best shooters to ever play the game. Steph doesn't miss. When you have the two best shooters & small ball, it works for you. Every team can't play like GS. They've been doing it for years & been winning. Chuck: He's a nice guy. He's a hell of a player but for some reason, people don't like him. Why do you think that? Dwight: I would say people see me & the success in Orlando and ask what's the difference? I was likable in Orlando. The way it ended, I'm a bad guy, a diva, all about myself. It hurts me. My heart & attitude towards the game has always been the same. My drive has always been here. That part, to hear that, it pisses me off. If you get to know me, I'm laid back & love to have fun. Chuck: To play with a guy like Harden who dribbles, dribbles, dribbles. I'm not gonna be interested. You're disinterested. Are you disinterested at times? People like playing for GS/SA, you always touch the ball. Not with Houston. Dwight: I'm always interested in winning. As a big, you want to feel a part of what's going on. I have to rely on my teammates. There have been times I've taken myself out of games. I'm always interested in the game. People say I smile too much or whatever. When I'm not doing that, now I'm disinterested. Do I smile or not smile? Chuck: Never worry about what you hear on TV. If you do well, we'll say you're great. If not, we gotta criticize you but don't take it personally. You've been a hell of a player for a long time. You're gonna help a team. I'd like to see you win a championship. It bothers me a little I didn't win a championship. I want to see great players win a championship. I don't pray but I want to see CP3 win a championship. He's the best leader in the NBA. I want you to take time to think about how you want to finish your career & win a championship. Where will you finish your career? Dwight: That part hasn't crossed my mind. This is my thinking: after the season, I hated the fact we got put out when we did. I was upset to lose to GS the way we did. It irked me. We didn't have a great season. You have two great players on the same team and weren't able to be great. That pissed me off. I went on vacation to Mexico, a week away from the game, I said, what can Dwight come back to be a better player? I've already started training. I want to come into next season of dominating preseason until the end of the season. That's my focus. I can't focus on FA. I want to make sure my body is right. I want to change that perception that I don't take this game seriously. This is my life. I want to win. This is why I play this game. I don't want to finish my career and not be up on that podium. I saw Kobe win on my floor. That pissed me off. I see guys winning, I want to be on that stage. It hurts. I want to be in gym and work my butt off so I can get that championship. Soon enough you're gonna have to think about it. Are you & Harden compatible? Dwight: They think we don't like each other. No, play well together? Dwight: I believe we can. We have to put our ego & pride to the side. We need each other & other guys on the team to win. Charles: You don't have to get along to be successful. Dwight: You need chemistry on the floor. Charles: Are you going to opt out or not? That's a fair question. Dwight: I haven't made any decision. The only decision I've made is to start training now. I want to dominate like I'm supposed to. Have you talked to the Rockets? Dwight: Talked to the Rockets? Tad Brown. The guy you called Toad Brown. Charles: I apologize to them. I should never react to social media. Tad was correct. I played 2 years too long, only because they screwed me out of 3 million. I don't know Daryl or Tad but Les treated me great. You guys, this is a big decision. He has to opt out. You're too great to play on a one year deal. Set you and your family up. The decision you make...you saw Duncan tonight. The tank is empty. You have a window where you can be a hell of a player. This is your chance to win a championship. Numero uno.
LOL Dwert nicely avoided the question about Harden ball hogging and Houston's system Good on him not to take the bait
Kudos to Dwight dancing around the Harden question, did not answer that particular part. Did acknowledge he was upset and got disengaged for not being more involved in the offense.
Dwight is actually saying the correct things, and that's why Houston struggled this year. Houston isn't GSW, yet they tried to play like them. That was basically the issue. You suck at 3pt shooting, and yet you shoot so much. Dwight was a huge issue too, but the team was constructed so bad, and played the wrong way.
I wouldn't be mad if that is the case. We need someone who can rip into these guys and get the best out of them as equally as we need xs and os .. Unfortunately that combination in a coach is very rare and I'd like to have someone like Kenny who may have no experience but can get these guys into a winning mindset like Kerr did
Golden state doesn't win because of small ball. They win because Curry goes into God mode. The frickin' trailblazers would be tied 2-2 with Golden state if Curry hadn't gone super saiyan. You put your two big guys in the game. And then Curry hits five three pointers in a row from half court. Now what? lol.
Dwight dancing around the questions. Chuck has been saying for 2yrs the way to beat the Warriors is to pound them inside, but the important factor is there aren't any teams build with bigs good enough to play that way.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"If you're losing in Houston or LA and you're smiling, you're going to get killed. That's just the way it is," - Barkley to Howard</p>— Adam Wexler (@awexlerKPRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/awexlerKPRC/status/730230861333815296">May 11, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Curry was able to get to the rim at will last night... on one leg... while he was in the midst of going 1-10 from beyond the arc. If Portland hadn't gone small, and had some rim protectors, they very well could have kept Curry contained.
He was injured most of his last season. Honestly he only really had one really good year here, his first one.
Chuck just plainly asked him why people don't like him and he also confirmed that he went to cancun after losing to golden state. LOL
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I cant focus on free agency, that's going to happen later on. I want to change the perception that I dont take this game seriously," Howard</p>— Adam Wexler (@awexlerKPRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/awexlerKPRC/status/730231553654030336">May 11, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
If you lose to Curry making shots like he did, there's nothing you can do. But it won't happen every game. You have to kill GSW with size. You will see it when OKC faces them (if they eliminate teh Spurs). And OKC is dominant on the boards. That's HUGE. I think they outrebounded the Warriors by a huge margin in the reg. season, and thus had big leads in the 4th, but couldn't hold on.