Host Danny Leroux and Dan Feldman of Dunc’d On Prime break down the NBA trade deadline and closing stretch.
They discuss which teams got better at the deadline, how they define championship contenders, how the deadline shaped the 2024 offseason and much more.
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The Milwaukee Bucks loss to the Memphis Grizzlies left Doc Rivers in an unhappy mood postgame. Rivers was mostly upset with the lack of effort his team showed throughout the game.
“We had some guys here. We had some guys in Cabo,” Rivers said.
The undermanned Grizzlies, who were missing several key players due to injuries, shot 53% for the game. Rookie forward GG Jackson scored a career-high 27 points off the Memphis bench.
Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, no Bucks regulars were able to get it going. Milwaukee has Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard headed to the All-Star Game, as well as Rivers and his coaching staff.
Klay Thompson hadn’t come off the bench for the Golden State Warriors since his rookie season. Rookie Brandin Podziemski replaced Thompson in the opening lineup in Golden State’s victory at the Utah Jazz on Thursday. Thompson didn’t chafe at the idea, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr looks for a way to spark his team.
“I thought about Manu Ginobili,” Thompson said. “That guy has four rings and a gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career. And I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy because he’s one of the greats.
“I embraced it before tip.”
Thompson admitted it was a mental adjustment for him, but that it also gave him a chance to approach the game a little differently.
“Coming off the bench gave me fresh legs, especially on a back-to-back, that was nice to come in with a fresh, clean slate,” Thompson said.
Kerr didn’t commit to this being a permanent lineup change.
“It doesn’t mean it’s permanent,” Kerr said. “But I like that lineup with BP and the other four. And Klay coming off the bench gives us a lot of firepower. We’ll give it a little look and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
