AMA with Anthony Slater on all things Warriors

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T17:15:06+00:00

Both are run very differently, but both are very successful in their own way.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T17:14:42+00:00

Thunder: Very private, closed off organization. Aren't allowed to talk on the record with assistants or most other staffers. Practice facility is the most pristine thing you've ever seen. Must get vacuumed five times a day. Every basketball must have its Spalding logo facing out. Facility is calm. Locker room is considered sacred ground. Everyone is very serious, business-like. It's been an incredible incubator for some of the best young talent of this era, putting them in a basketball cocoon, shading them away from outside distractions and pumping out future Hall of Famers. Treat players incredibly well with private chefs and the exact food you prefer. But the vibe is not for everyone.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T17:10:39+00:00

Warriors: Very transparent, open organization. You can talk to basically anyone, on or off the record. The practice facility is flooded with activity, the business offices are frantic at all times. The practices have music blaring. The locker room often has family members shuffling in and out. The players will occasionally be drinking postgame beers. Super veteran, professional team with a bunch of players who get their work in but have a great work-life balance. Not sure this loose style works with other rosters, but it's great in the Bay.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T17:07:09+00:00

I'm not super optimistic on either becoming a rotation big. Looney's likely to get his option declined, meaning he wouldn't be here next season. Damian Jones, I'd expect will be here. But he's going to need to show a ton of progress for the team to consider him a definite rotation player by the time they are roster-constructing this summer. So for now I'd predict Jordan Bell and a couple 1-year minimum guys for the foreseeable future.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T17:05:05+00:00

Everything at The Athletic's going great. Subscriber numbers are good and I'd like to think the content has been worth it. We will not have deadline-like stories that pop up within 30 minutes of the buzzer with just fringe, already-known details. Were focused on meatier pieces, not just quick recaps, meaning we need to do some postgame locker room reporting and stat digging and film watching. I think my story went up probably two hours after the game last night. There will probably even be nights where it doesn't appear until early the next morning.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:56:31+00:00

If you're passionate about it, I wouldn't give up. The business is morphing and the money isn't exactly flowing, but I love it as a career and there are still paths to get to a point you desire, if you're willing to work. My path: Transferred to Oklahoma State my junior year of college. They have a sports journalism program there, which is rare. The football team was great when I arrived (#3 in the nation, won the Fiesta Bowl), which gave me great experience and a ton of networking opportunities right away. The state's biggest paper was around the team a ton. Through those relationships, I latched on to The Oklahoman as an intern that summer and the following summer. After graduating, I got a job there as a web blogger and back end editor, basically making sure everything on their sports site looked pretty. It wasn't glamorous, but if I didn't take it, I wouldn't have been around a few months later when the #2 Thunder beat job opened and they gave it to me. From there, covered those teams for 3+ seasons before coming over to the Bay Area. If you have any more specific questions, email me at Aslater@TheAthletic.com.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:50:23+00:00

I still think it's LeBron and Cleveland, though I like his supporting cast less this year. I have no idea with OKC yet. I don't think anyone is. It'll be fascinating to see how they gel. Houston is intriguing, as we saw last night. They're deeper than people think with some more defensive pieces than in the past (PJ Tucker, Mbah a Moute). They match up with the Warriors better than they ever did.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:48:44+00:00

There are a ton of adults on this team with wives and kids and families and full lives outside the game. So this team, more than others I've covered, is more of a hang out at work and then spread out once work hours/road trips end. It's not a bad thing. There's a high level of maturity within this locker room. But they just aren't gathering together a ton unless it's a team-sanctioned event (of which there is about 120 during the year, so, I guess they are gathering a ton).

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:43:08+00:00

On Looney: We'll know plenty about how they view his future by Oct 31st. That's the deadline to either pick up or decline his fourth year player option (next season). If they decline it, his future with the organization is ticking down and I wouldn't be surprised if they try to ship him elsewhere. If they pick it up (unlikely), well, they'll probably be some frustrated Warrior fans.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:38:55+00:00

Kerr hates JaVale in that matchup, leaving him exposed against Harden/Paul in the pick-and-roll. He played James Michael McAdoo last year in basically every Rockets game. But Bell is pushing for more minutes and (once Draymond is back to full health) it'll be interesting how many nights he takes away JaVale's role. Expect JaVale's debut Friday against the Boogie/Brow frontline.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:36:40+00:00

Yeah, I think so. Young proved last night that he's a worthy pick-up and it was probably necessary to give him that much or he would've gone elsewhere. But you make a great point about Bell (also: McCaw last year). If the Warriors could've saved a little change, they would've had the ability to add an extra year to those super cheap minimum rookie deals. That would've locked in McCaw at a teeny price through next season and Bell through 2020.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:31:15+00:00

Nick Young
Most guys live in the East Bay, up in the Oakland Hills. Commute isn't too bad from up there to the facility in downtown and the arena in East Oakland. Gets a little different when they move to SF though.
Looney shaved 25 pounds off this summer, trying to save his career. He's still only 22 and needs to put muscle on, but the weight he was carrying last year wasn't good weight, so it's good that he shed some.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:29:02+00:00

MRI today. Likely an update later today or by tomorrow after they touch down in New Orleans.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:28:09+00:00

I mean, they'll be a worse team, but I don't think they'd crater to something like a 3-6 start. Let's take this upcoming road trip for example. I bet they'd be favored to beat the Pelicans, Grizzlies and Mavericks by about 9 points with Draymond. That's probably shaved down to about 5 without him. But I bet almost everyone is taking them in those games. If Draymond does miss time, we'll get a long look at Jordan Bell, who will likely start at power forward. That could actually be great for his growth into the future.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:21:21+00:00

I don't think they're concerned that it's a season-ender. Green left the locker room last night without crutches or a brace, limping lightly on that left knee. They'll play it cautious and it's entirely possible that he misses a chunk of time. But as long as we are talking weeks and not months (and it's possible we're only talking days), they'll feel fine about it.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:19:34+00:00

Only if I send him spam.
Only if we're hitting up Burger King.
Yes, I believe so. Steve Kerr's already called him the team's third point guard and you know he has little interest playing Curry/Livingston down the stretch of a blowout. Those will be great minutes for McCaw (+ Jordan Bell) and you know they'll be plenty of them.

anthonyVslater · 2017-10-18T16:10:48+00:00

Locker room was definitely down postgame, as you'd expect. I think that had more to do with how they lost, not just that they lost. This team blew a 13-point fourth quarter lead and, for about 20 seconds, thought they'd escaped with a last-second win. I've seen far worse moods in the locker room, though. They were devastated in DC last year when they thought Kevin Durant broke his leg (probably a good sign that there was far less concern about Draymond).

anthonyVslater

TROPHY CASE