Matt Steinmetz

On Sal and Steiny podcast No. 92, we addressed several topics, including the Warriors’ struggles, Stephen Curry’s slump, the Raiders leaving for Las Vegas, the 49ers’ newfound credibility, the new arena in San Francisco and why someone would smash the windows of five cars on Dolores Street.

We taped this show from the Pacific Coast Brewing Company in downtown Oakland on Wednesday, March 15. Here’s a link to Sal and Steiny podcast No. 92.

Hard to believe but we just endured the worst stretch of Warriors’ basketball in the Steve Kerr era. That’s right, the Warriors had lost 5 of 7 games and three in a row, something they hadn’t done in nearly three years.

What’s wrong with the Warriors? It seems apparent it’s more than just missing Kevin Durant. It’s also that Curry is mired in the biggest shooting slump of his career, and if the season were to end today he’d have the lowest 3-point field goal percentage of his career — by a lot.

Continue reading →

The Warriors won a game on Tuesday night, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of their funk. Not at all. They struggled for the better part of three quarters against Philly at Oracle Arena before scratching, clawing and coming to life in a 106-104 win.

The Warriors (53-14), who moved a half-game ahead of San Antonio for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, had lost 5 of their previous 7 games and three straight. In other words, the worst stretch of basketball in the Steve Kerr era.

LINK TO “WARRIORS WRAPUP,” THE POSTGAME SHOW ON 95.7-FM.

They extended that worst stretch for 36 minutes, falling behind by as many as 16 points to the Sixers. But Golden State put a stranglehold on the Sixers over the final 12 minutes, holding them to just 14 points. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 29 points, but he wasn’t the team’s best player nor did he emerge from a recent shooting slump. Kerr went 8-for-23 from the floor, including 5-for-13 from beyond the arc.

The game was mostly about Draymond Green, though, who did it all in the win. Green finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, six blocks and four steals. Green not only put up numbers against Philly, it was his demeanor, activity and edge that brought the team’s energy level up down the stretch.

LINK: WARRIORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP PATH WILL BE MUCH HARDER THIS YEAR THAN IN PAST.

There will be a lot made about whether the Warriors can fight off the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 seed. And rightfully so. What looked like a sure thing a couple of weeks ago is now in doubt. The Kevin Durant injury, poor shooting and a tough schedule have conspired to make the Warriors losers of 5 of their past 7.

With the Spurs’ victory over Atlanta on Monday, San Antonio tied the Warriors for best record in the NBA at 52-14. But the Spurs already hold the tie-breaker because they won the season series over Golden State.

Regardless of whether the Warriors end up with the top seed or No. 2 seed, one thing seems certain: This year’s run to an NBA title is going to be more difficult than any of the previous two.

LINK: HOW MANY OF THESE PLAYERS CAN YOU NAME?

Even if they get the top seed, things are setting up to be more challenging, certainly because Durant figures to be coming back from injury, and also because you could make the case that the quality of potential opponent is superior this year.

Continue reading →