3. Kawhi
Is he in or out?
This bet is a bet he is out.
Why?
He didn't practice since the previous game and was out of practice today.
Again, staggering numbers:
Spurs in the playoffs with Kawhi:
Since Kawhi went down:
Warriors team +/-: -59
Need we say more here?
The quotes for Spurs backers are disturbing. I don't know for certain if he is in or out but I am reading between the lines here betting he is out:
Danny Green: 'Our best player is down. We don't know where he is at today. We felt, with him, we had really good chances. Nobody is happy about it.'
Popovich: "The thing that worries me is that he did it again to the same ankle. So one would think it would take longer to come back (after game 2), but I'm hoping that is not true and we have him for Game 3."
I don't like those quotes for Kawhi's return...do you?
Anyhow, it is not like the bet is DEAD even if he DOES play.
And here is a quote from KD just for added measure: "We are playing with our highest level of confidence of the season. We feel we can beat anybody."
As a psychological capper, that's what you want to hear.
4. Pachulia
The fact that he won't play is a GOOD thing as his presence on the court would be a motivator for the Spurs.
All in all, the Warriors are not flawless. No Iggy. No interior presence without Zaza. Their offensive rebounding is horrendous.
But even at that, here is what I see:
I see a Popovich seeing ghosts on the floor and they are not physically there to rescue him.
No Timmy.
No Parker.
A Manu that can give you a miracle once in a blue harvest moon (like he gave them in Game 5 of the Rockets series) but not much more than that.
A Pop that is openly criticizing LA, asking for ANYTHING beyond his barren box single digit scores. He'll give you more this game but will it be more than enough to cover.
A Pop that has to depend on a ragged Gasol and David Lee as the Warriors FLY up and down the floor.
He is ... The Mad Genius and the greatest coach of my lifetime...and possibly ever.
But tonight, the Mad Genius gets taken to the halfway house by the men in the white coats one game away from the door being locked and the key being thrown away.
Warriors -6.