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00:00Our friend Tim Kawakami we saw at the game last night all tapped in the TK show the Warriors plus minus pod all
00:06Part of the odyssey family joins us now live. Hey Tim. How are you tonight?
00:11I'm just doing fine Mark. Yeah, I saw you a little quickly there last night, but everyone was pretty busy
00:16There was stuff going on a lot going on and a virtual who's who of everything man in the building last night
00:23What did you make of all of it like what when you went to bed last night?
00:28What was kind of on your mind as your takeaway
00:31Yeah, I felt like it was a playoff game. That's I felt that walking over like this feels a little different
00:36I felt that just in the arena, you know hours before certainly
00:41when Steph and was warming up and his he's got his big routine and
00:45You know people stand people thousands of people in the stands wearing the captain's hat and there's waiting for for someone else
00:51When have you ever had Steph do his very famous routine and it's like secondary. Well, that's all nice
00:56Let's see clay come out here then clay comes out the tunnel goes the other side they kind of look into each other
01:02It was something like okay. This is gonna be a really different kind of evening
01:06This is gonna have a different kind of energy to it and it just maintained
01:09It was like one of those like bigger than like a middling playoff game
01:13It was like one of those big playoff games one of those were the crowds nervous. The players are nervous
01:18You know, it's gonna mean something the game in November, you know win or lose whatever but just the emotions
01:25The way the players certainly the big three dream on and step on the Warriors and clay with Mavericks
01:30They just felt it you could see it
01:34From the moment that the game tipped off from the top back and forth the way there
01:38you know clay was going at Steph the way the
01:41Steph and Draymond were playing to try to get to get that victory. The whole thing was, you know multiple hours of sustained energy
01:50Like that we have not felt at a Chase Center since 20 22 finals and maybe more than some of those games frankly
01:56Just because the personalities because it was clay coming back for the first time. I really felt it. It was an event
02:02It definitely was one of the big events of the sports calendar
02:05I I don't can't think of many others that would pop it in recent years in the Bay Area
02:10Yeah, it was spectacular and just I was telling Mark earlier Tim when clay
02:15It's the first three and you hear the crowd
02:17Like the crowd kind of went a little bit wild and you realize that that was an opposing player doing that and by the time
02:23He hit two more threes
02:24It felt like the crowd had a little bit of a an awakening to where all right
02:29The moment is over now. It's time to root against this guy who we've loved for so many years
02:36Yeah, and even in the second half he had a new shot 12 threes
02:39He made stick with a lot of reason take couple more not good-looking one of them was an air ball
02:43You did hear the air ball
02:47Can you do that to Clay Thompson? Are you allowed to do that? And I guess you can it's all in the spirit of competitiveness
02:52I don't think you know
02:54He would want to be held with treated with kid gloves out there
02:56And I think that was also the kind of theme the players was you know, I've heard a little bit this morning
03:02Oh my god, they were like kind of mad at each other
03:04But it really going at each death and clay were really going that's his highest form of honor, right?
03:09Like I need to be at my best. I need to go to my heart
03:12I know how good you are because I've been there with you. I've won titles with you
03:16So let's go at each other
03:17Let's honor each other by going as hard as possible and trying to beat the other by as much as possible
03:23It was only by three points. That was I expected that I knew that was gonna happen
03:27I know how competitive these guys are and it was really fun to watch that high-level
03:33competition and also that this isn't the Warriors on their last gas and they're terrible and
03:38Whatever or in clay is a terrible player and he's just kind of going through a ceremony
03:42These are still good players. These are possibly two really of the elite teams in the West. We'll see how it turns out
03:49That's fun, too. Like this. It wasn't just a little you know, a nod. It's all great. Yeah. Goodbye
03:55Yeah
03:55This was like two teams like measuring each other and Steph and Draymond measuring what the Mavericks are gonna be like with their buddy
04:02Clay Thompson Tim, you know what?
04:03I would really love to know because you look he was clearly touched all of that
04:07There was a lot put into this evening
04:10But my senses are that you know more than just about almost everybody not in in the organization
04:17In terms of where this story has been for the last year or two and the hard feelings that were there
04:23Between clay and the organization. So from top to bottom the game the hats
04:30The the video the presentation. How do you think that this landed with clay? I
04:37Think he was okay with it. I think he was
04:40Not wanting it to be a big deal
04:42Like we all like most of us would not want to be a big deal
04:44I just want to go and play a basketball game
04:47but you
04:48Appreciate it when people show you love you appreciate it that you know, it wasn't someone maybe was a little over-the-top, but that's okay
04:56If it's authentic feeling and you kind of you know, you don't want to have your game get disrupted
05:03I think that's what clay was like. I didn't want to get out of it my concentration my warm
05:07It's my preparation for this game. These guys are going to try to kill me, right?
05:10That's in there. They know he was trying to kill them. I think it landed. Okay, it's fine
05:15I don't think it needed to land like that's the one difference I have with what some people have said
05:19I don't think it needed to be perfect for this to be an okay relationship over the years
05:23Maybe not right now, but it didn't need to be the one moment where everything everybody embraces and it's okay
05:30He's gonna be spiky about it because they did not offer him the contract he wanted that's under
05:34You know, he felt like he had earned, you know
05:37I mean, you know close to max salary from everything he'd done with the Warriors the implicit knowledge that the Warriors like hey
05:44We paid you a max salary
05:46for your extension and you were hurt for doing those two five-year extension you were hurt for two and a half of those years and
05:51They paid him a whole lot of money like and it's okay for clay to not love that thought
05:56Look, I got hurt playing for you guys
05:57So there's complicated emotions. There's complicated feelings
06:02I don't there's not complicated about
06:03Way Steph Draymond and clay and put Steve Kerr in there like you that's not complicated
06:08Those guys went to war together and won huge games together
06:12Clay and Joe Lacob playing Mike Domi jr. Whatever. They're gonna have to get time
06:17We'll separate it and things will be normal, you know took the warm again. I'm sure and
06:24And last night was a step towards that I didn't think it was an all-important step. I think it was a nice gesture
06:30This is not Kevin Durant going back, Oklahoma City, which is the one I kind of compare it to which is
06:35Part of what the Warriors are reacting to because that was so ugly
06:39It was so hostile. They hated the way that Kevin was treated by Oklahoma City when he went back
06:45Remember the cupcake shirts and all that. Yeah
06:48So that they wanted, you know their franchise to be known for different
06:53Reasons when a high-profile comes back. Oh, this is different
06:57I mean Durant is a different character and thought of differently and had not won the four championships at clay with all those other things, but
07:04I think this was just the Warriors wanting to show the league
07:08like maybe even more than clay or about the same as clay that they
07:12Understand the magnitude of what this guy did for them and they're gonna honor that and they're really gonna honor it for this game
07:18I I just don't think it was the gesture the one thing that will always be
07:24Representative of this relationship. It was always gonna move this way
07:27It always was like how can clay and the Warriors be at odds for the rest of his life?
07:32They can't it's even it's meant too much. There will be a statue of him outside Chase Center
07:37Though his number will go in the rafters. This was just a gesture to say, you know clay don't even think about it
07:43Your beloved here if there ever was a doubt and it was you know, listen, it was it was warm
07:48it was really something to be in the middle of that and
07:51We know that clay is gonna always be loved in this arena
07:54He absolutely will be and it will kill be back in this arena many more times as he said like that
07:59So that's the good thing. You hated to lose this game, but there's gonna be more games and maybe how about this?
08:05I thought a playoff series. Well, would that be kind of cool?
08:08I think it could happen. I really think it could happen. Yeah, and I'd love it
08:12That was great basketball like that was really good stuff
08:15And I think if they play seven times it will be seven great games
08:18Yeah
08:19Mark and I were talking about the fact that this is one of those rare moments where the actual
08:24Game out delivered the hype and the hype was bananas yet
08:27You got to the actual game and you had elite athletes and good basketball players on both sides
08:32Just trade and paint and going back and forth and it ended with the way a lot of these games and with Steph Curry doing
08:40Amazing things and when you look at that part of it Tim the Warriors now nine and two and curry
08:45Parlaying his gold medal daggers into regular season daggers
08:49What do you make of this team and the longevity of them this year being a real Western Conference force?
08:56Yeah, I think they're moved up an echelon
08:58You know what? We'll see that it started off very well last season grandma got suspended and all kind of went to hell
09:04But so we don't know right? We don't know who's gonna be healthy. We don't know if this would all work
09:10We'll see what happens with a coming a situation, but I think they're a really good thing
09:14I mean they you go on the road and you win in Boston you went Oklahoma City
09:18We know the injuries absences, but the Warriors had some injuries themselves you win this game with all the emotions involved
09:24I just think they're kind of in that bracket now, you know, probably below Boston
09:28Oklahoma City and maybe Cleveland. I think we could say that from the cream that they play to Cleveland. They might be behind Cleveland, but
09:35Right there. We know Phoenix and Dallas and Denver
09:39Minnesota in the West the West is so deep
09:42I just don't think the Warriors are behind those teams right now
09:45And that's a big deal because that gets you out of that maybe out of that seven eight nine
09:50Muck with they've been stuck in a few years where you're just fighting to get out of playing and you might get you know
09:56Blown out there and you can't get through or you're playing on the road
09:59And you know in games one and two in the in the first round or second rally, but that's tough
10:04That's a tough life to lead. Can they get to three in the West? Can they get the four in the West?
10:09I I thought it was possible before this season started now
10:12I think I guess if they got to get to 53 wins to get to three they might be able to do that and
10:18again short, you know little got a long way left in this season and
10:24Warriors have had lulls before we've seen it
10:26but this feels like a 53 win 52 win team if
10:30Even if some things don't go perfectly if things go perfectly it might be 55 if things go a little awry
10:36It might be 47, but that's a higher echelon than they started this season with and I think they've earned it
10:41I think they've earned the right to say
10:43Could be a three seed and that's kind of the magic number to be a viable championship team their last championship
10:49They won guess what they were three seed in the West. It just it's a smoother path
10:53you can you can outline it a little easier in your mind when you're the three as opposed to certainly than a six or
10:58Seven or like last year the ten
11:01Get pile up these wins get in the pocket. They still count when they're battling for seedings at the end of the end of the
11:07Year. Yeah, they're gonna be pretty happy. They got nine their first 11 because it's gonna be 52 or 53
11:13possibly and
11:14You to get there you need to win these ones to these ones count just as much as the ones at the end
11:19And they are they are playing the I just think especially they're playing the defense
11:23That keeps them in these games, even if everything else isn't going right and then you go. Okay Steph
11:29we've got the final seven minutes here go win us a game and
11:32He's gonna do that more often than not if you give him the opportunity
11:35Tim Calicami SF standard is with us here Willard and dibs
11:40Obviously the podcast the Warriors plus-minus pod the TK show are worth your time as well
11:46So Tim, you know 53 wins, whatever like if they keep playing like this
11:51I know short sample, but they keep playing like this
11:54Is this playing too well to then execute this trade that everyone seems to be predicting at some point?
12:02It is kind of funny like they might be playing themselves out of the big thing that they wanted which was to make a move
12:07But you know three for one move for somebody could be the 1b score next to that
12:11I'm not sure they have that 1b score. So I don't think it takes them out of that
12:15And I think maybe in their world is like, okay coming to play really well be really effective be a part of a winning
12:23Situation and maybe your value goes up and if the honest hits the market, you know
12:28Obviously, that's the the gold standard who knows if he's going to be available or someone else
12:33I can't really figure out who that is right now because marketing is the one who fits the most but now he can't be traded
12:39Till next July. I'm not sure
12:42You know, I think what it does it takes them out of the market for like a Jimmy Butler who I never was high
12:47On as a trade
12:48Candidate for them this time around. I think he's a little too old. I think he's gonna want a contract
12:52I think they want to get a younger player if they're gonna do that
12:56Giannis is right in the middle of his prime. That's just about as old as you want to get obviously
13:01He's an incredible player. If not, then you want to get a younger player just a real quality 1b score
13:07I think they might need that. We saw the second unit kind of get, you know bounced around by Dallas in the second half last night
13:16Just didn't have that one guy. No, listen, that's hard to get not many people have those had have that guy, but
13:22I think they still can do that or they cannot do it. It's optionality you you can look for a trade
13:29That is the best thing for your team at this moment and maybe coming goes contract is something
13:33You don't want to worry about the end of the year or if you don't do it
13:37Okay, you keep coming good and moody and Wiggins or wherever else you'd have to trade in order to get that and you ride
13:43What you got is look that's looking pretty good right now Steve Kerr figure it out go with a long rotation
13:49You know work out different combinations
13:52I think what this start is doing is giving them the ability to do either thing instead of feeling
13:59Incredibly pressured just we got to make a trade. We got to make a trade
14:01We got to make a trade and what if the trades not there and the trade may not be there
14:05Yeah, and so far they're banking wins and they're creating a cushion that they didn't have last year when they struggled in the early part
14:11of the year and I can't help but think about last night Tim and see Gafford and lively and
14:16Their ability to just dive to the rim. Is that ultimately the Achilles heel of this warrior team?
14:21It's the same old thing that they just don't have enough size
14:24Yeah, I think that I've always been a little bit counter to that
14:28I think their best five or the best five and if it's Draymond at center you go with your best five
14:32It's worked for them in the past. I think it Steph plays well with a small unit
14:37I think you don't necessarily want to jam us in and there's special
14:40Especially because Draymond is not that much of an offensive weapon. He's hitting the three. I got to say that
14:47You might want to go to come in get the four
14:50They close without you know this time. It just depends on who the matchup is
14:55I don't think Draymond played the lob incredibly last night
14:58Like I think he stopped like three in a row down the stretch
15:01It takes a lot like it really takes incredible defensive timing and vision, but Draymond's got that
15:07You can't count on him to stop it every single time. He needs help on the backside, but I
15:12You know, I've been a little leery of Tracey Jackson Davis this season. I think he's a really good player. He's a young player
15:18He's a growing player. He had not been great
15:21They're gonna start him and then maybe just pull them after five minutes and then go with what other people they've got
15:26I get that and if he's playing well, you put him back in several more times
15:30But I don't think that's the problem. The defense has been good
15:33But their defense their top three defense in it and defense are rating this season
15:38I don't know that the size of them is the problem. I think the problem is on offense
15:42The problem is that second initiator with Steph when steps out there or when steps out
15:49Especially when on the non step minutes, we always talk about that
15:54Buddy healed can do it at times. We've obviously we can see when he isn't quite that guy last night
15:59He wasn't that guy the Anthony Melton could be that guy some nights
16:04He has you know, obviously got the back thing
16:06So, you know, are we sure if you're gonna if he's gonna be able to give you a 30 minutes a night?
16:10Pajemski at times, but then he's kind of hit a wall this season. I think some of that is injury some of sickness. I
16:16Think that's the main thing like if you had to say what could make them on?
16:22Par with Phoenix or even above Phoenix and be the real threat or let's say, Minnesota
16:28And or Denver and or okay. See I think it's that second score against a great defense
16:33but I know a team a defense that overplay stuff like we saw in Cleveland and
16:37Lot lengthy and dynamic and then you need some another option. They can just go beat them to the rim
16:42Coming you can do that. Sometimes he actually was very good in the Cleveland game
16:46They didn't have enough do they have that other guy and they may not and we're talking again
16:51It's a very first world problem because they got Steph Curry and they've got other guys you can score
16:56Do they have that other guy can who can beat a great defense?
17:00That is over committing to Steph Curry as we know almost every defense is going to
17:04And I don't know what that you know, can they trade for that guy is?
17:09Is someone on the roster that guy is coming in that guy?
17:12I think that's what the next month or so might be really about
17:17Pinpointing who that guy could be or if they don't have them. Can they go get him?
17:21Tim before we let you go. Are you in the group that looks at the 49ers and says ah
17:28Don't worry. They're gonna they're gonna win this easy division. There are no problems
17:33Even though they seem to in some way underachieve every week
17:37No, I'm not in that group. That's for sure. You their record is what you are
17:41They've played, you know
17:43Really good games that they've lost. Well, then you've lost them. You did not play a good game
17:47They can't specifically against Arizona the Rams division teams
17:51They almost blew this one, you know this on Sunday like this is a team that has weaknesses that are on
17:59Display every single game
18:01Specifically on special teams they get yardage they play, you know, they move the ball up and down on offense
18:06They play very solidly on defense, especially lately. They've not been great in the red zone
18:10That's a problem and they are an abysmal special teams group and that cost you games that that cost you big games
18:18So no, I'm not saying this is an easy division
18:20I think the Cardinals might actually run and they not run away with it
18:24But they might be too good for the foreigners to catch if the foreigners unless they just go like on a seven game win streak
18:30You know, I I want to see it. I want to see it to believe it
18:34They looked okay for most of the game against Tampa Bay, but then I looked horrible especially on special teams
18:40For another great part of that game. So I'm not I am prove it to me mode with the 49ers
18:46I think they've got a ton of talent. I think they are built to win
18:49I think you know, they're they're coached very well in most avenues except for special teams at this moment
18:56And then let's see it because that stuff that you have lost games with in the in the past
19:02Means you could lose games the same way in the future and I said
19:06I can't trust this team until I see them do it in a series, you know
19:09It's like four games in a row and right now they've barely done it for one or two games in a row
19:14Tim we love having you on man. Thank you so much for spending some time today
19:19You got it guys anytime. All right, Tim Calicami SF standard Warriors plus minus pod
19:25TK show. Yeah all over the Odyssey channel over it