Most internet commenters are dumb, and you're better off never venturing into the comments section. A lot of the Deadspin staff subscribes to the Cigarette Theory of internet comments, which states that reading an internet comment is akin to smoking a cigarette. It's fine if you do so sparingly, but reading dozens a day will corrode your soul. Like most people who do so, I read internet comments because I am addicted. But every once in awhile, something good comes from this addiction.
As highlighted by the incomparable @LOLKNBR, a commenter on the Bay Area Sports Guy website wrote something remarkable. On an article from almost exactly a year ago, a modern day Nostradamus with the handle BayLife attempted to combat the idea that Mark Jackson was the wrong coach for the Warriors by sarcastically listing all of the things that would be better if he were fired. But as it turns out, BayLife was accidentally right about almost all of them.
Lmao, quit gettin rattled so easily and hittin the panic button, not a good quality to have. Why in the world would you want to see MJax fired? You really think they would be better off? Let's see with a new coach they would be 20 games over .500 instead of 10, DLee would turn into a lock down defender, Klay would break out if his shooting slump, Curry would quit turning the ball over so much, Barnes will all of the sudden reach his full potential, AI will start finishing at the rim instead of passing out, the bench will go from worst to first, and all injuries will go away.
That's a decent sized wall-of-text that you probably didn't read, so let's break it down:
Let's see with a new coach they would be 20 games over .500 instead of 10
This year they are 30 games over .500, so even better!
DLee would turn into a lock down defender
David Lee is not quite a lockdown defender, but he has certainly never played defense better in his life, and his block and steal rates are career highs.
Klay would break out if his shooting slump
Klay Thompson is an All-Star and having by far his best shooting season.
Curry would quit turning the ball over so much
Stephen Curry's turnover rate is still higher than ideal, but it is down from last year.
Barnes will all of the sudden reach his full potential
Harrison Barnes is shooting an incredible ten percentage points (from 40% to 50%) better than last season, and might just be reaching his full potential.
AI will start finishing at the rim instead of passing out
Okay, Andre Iguodala is still doing this. Can't win them all.
the bench will go from worst to first
The bench features two former All-Stars, and (though untrue) announcers frequently remark that, if it were a starting unit in the East, it would make the playoffs.
and all injuries will go away
Besides players missing a couple of games here or there, David Lee—the Warriors's ninth best player—is the only rotation player who has missed significant time.
Man you really nailed it, Fire MJax right now!!
Mark Jackson wasn't quite fired right away, but he was as soon as the season ended.
Now, before you kidnap BayLife to bring to Vegas, the next part of the wall-of-text where BayLife defends Mark Jackson in a non-sarcastic manner isn't nearly as smart (emphasis mine):
C'mon man! You guys keep saying it was all Malone, how's his sac team doing? Yep still bad, next. Who would you bring in to replace Jax, right I'll keep waiting, and waiting and still waiting...you get the point. Only 1 team every year wins the title, pretty tough thing to do, should all those good coaches be fired for not winning it all? Nope! Everybody wants to win every game in a blowout, news flash...not gonna happen. Everything that has gone on with the warriors this season, I'm glad they are going through it. You wouldn't want to cake walk through the season, get to the playoffs, get down 0-1 in the series and do as you do, get rattled hit panic button, not a good recipe for success. When the playoffs start, they will be ready, they will have grown as players and as a team through all the adversity, from being the hunter to the hunted, they will be prepared for any situation and do it confidently. Don't not be surprised if they are playing in the finals this year. You can't measure the chemistry the Dubs have, it's deeper than basketball and that goes along way.We have the right coach, we have the rights players, we have the right management and owners. So sit back, enjoy the grind, the highs and lows, appreciate the journey and where they are going, it will make it that much sweeter when they get there I promise!
The Warriors, of course, lost to the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, getting nowhere near the Finals. But still, BayLife correctly predicted a number of things that happened to the Warriors this year. Unfortunately for those looking for further guidance, BayLife only made one other comment, a short one defending a post-game comment Mark Jackson made.
Comments may be like cigarettes, but BayLife is a damn Cuban cigar.
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