(From TheRinger.com) You the Real MVP: Draymond Green’s Case as the Warriors’ Most Important Player

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Dey Dey

(Via TheRinger.com's e-mail newsletter)

By Jonathan Tjarks

Despite the hurdles that the charmed Warriors have faced early in these playoffs, Draymond Green’s star continues to rise. In the five games against the Rockets and Blazers since Stephen Curry’s knee injury, Green has had the highest plus-minus of any Warrior, plus-107 in 186 minutes. As a team, Golden State’s point differential in that span is only plus-71. Green has averaged 22 points, 10.6 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and a steal a game on 48.7 percent shooting and 48.5 percent from 3. From a statistical perspective, it has been the best stretch of his career. Klay Thompson has emerged as the team’s top scorer in Curry’s absence, but Green is the system keeping the Warriors afloat.

Without Curry, Green’s role in initiating the offense expands. Instead of being the roll man, he’s now the primary ball handler in the pick-and-roll, dribbling around screens and either pulling up for the jumper or hitting the cutter. He’s just as effective in the post, where he has long been one of the best passing big men in the league.

Green is also looking for his shot more, even coming off screens and launching 3s as if he were a secret Splash Brother. He went 8-for-12 from behind the arc in their Game 3 loss to the Blazers on Saturday, a remarkable feat for a guy who couldn’t buy a 3 when he first came into the league. Green has gone from shooting 20.9 percent as a rookie to 38.8 percent from 3 this season, a staggering improvement comparable only to Kawhi Leonard’s transformation from a 25 percent 3-point shooter in college to a pro who boasts a 39 percent career mark.

That isn’t the only time Green and Leonard should be spoken of in the same breath β€” they are 1A and 1B as far as the best two-way players in the league. That kind of impact is felt at a foundational level. The Warriors’ fabled Lineup of Death cannot exist without Green. He can defend like a big man in the post and at the rim, and he can defend like a guard in the pick-and-roll and on the perimeter. On offense, giving him the ball with four shooters around him means you’re almost always giving up an open shot. That’s how the Warriors outscore their opponents by a point every two minutes when Draymond is on the floor β€” and he’s played 77 percent of the possible 384 minutes so far.

The Blazers don’t have an answer for him, nor does the rest of the league. The Warriors may have lost Saturday because of a dazzling offensive showcase from the Blazers, but their long-term prospects remain bright. Draymond is playing at an MVP level, excelling at everything there is to do on a basketball court. These playoffs have shown that Green isn’t bound to Curry’s gravity when it comes to taking control of the game.

"The Sunday Section" - Selected Stories From Around The Bay

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Bay Area Athletes Look Toward August Olympics in Brazil

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By Connor Buestad | connor@section925.com

Missy Franklin:

Missy "The Missile" Franklin won four gold medals at the London Olympics at the ripe age of 17. Since then, Franklin spent two years at CAL before turning pro to focus on the Rio Olympics. She plans on still finishing her Berkeley degree after spending time on Bob Costas' couch this summer.  

Alexander Massialas:

Alexander Massialas (R) of the United States in the bronze medal match in 2012.(photo by Hannah Johnston)

Alexander Massialas, a San Francisco native and Stanford student, is the favorite to win the gold in Men's Foil Fencing.

Marti Malloy:

Marti Malloy of the United States celebrates winning the bronze medal in 2012. (photo by Julian Finney)

San Jose State product Marti Malloy will try to improve on the Bronze medal she won in Judo back in 2012.

John Mann:

John Mann poses with his USA polo cap earlier this year. (photo by Sean Haffey) 

John Mann led the 2006 CAL Bears to a national championship. In 2012, Mann scored three goals at the London Olympics. The U.S. finished eighth that year. 

Danny Barrett:

Danny Barrett makes a pass on Team USA. (photo by Hannah Peters)

Danny Barrett was a four-time All-American at CAL. Before starring in Berkeley, Barrett attended Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco. Rio de Janeiro will be his first Olympic Games. 

Alex Morgan, Kelley O' Hara, Julie Johnston:

Alex Morgan controls the ball in a match versus UC Davis during her college days. (photo via the Daily Cal)

Alex Morgan played soccer at CAL for four years from 2007 to 2010. Today, she is a superstar on the Women's National Team, both as a player and as a spokesperson for women's athletics in general. Stanford alum Kelley O' Hara and Santa Clara alum Julie Johnston will also play with Morgan in Rio. 

Alysia Montano:

Montano at the 2012 London Olympics (photo by Josh Haner)

The girl who runs with a flower in her hair, Alysia Montano, is hoping to appear in her second Olympics this August in Rio. She did her college running in Berkeley, and Section925 wrote a feature story on her before she ran in London back in 2012. Montano finished fifth in the London Games. Sadly, it has been reported that two of the four women that finished ahead of her in that race were reportedly on performance enhancing drugs. Montano has had a baby girl since then and will look to qualify for Brazil in the coming months.  

Katie Ledecky:

Katie Ledecky smiles after a race in 2015. (photo by Clive Rose)

19-year-old Katie Ledecky is a swimming star in the making. Her coming out party is expected to unfold in Brazil in August. In September, she'll enroll at Stanford and swim on The Farm. 

The Splash Brothers:

Back-to-back-to-gold?

Will Steph's playoff injuries allow the Splash Brothers to chase gold together in Brazil this summer? We can all agree it would be a joy to watch. 

Blue Chip Wide Receiver Demetris Robertson spurns SEC, signs with CAL

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The future. 

By Connor Buestad | connor@section925.com

On May 1st, Demetris Robertson shocked the college football world by signing with the California Golden Bears. Living deep in the heart of Georgia, the Savannah Christian High senior figured to be a lock to stay in the SEC and play for the Bulldogs. That, or head to South Bend and play for Notre Dame, or any of the other 28 schools that extended offers to the star wideout. 

For a time, Robertson was committed to Alabama, but he never went as far as to sign with the Crimson Tide. Instead, Robertson opened up his recruitment and let the Golden Bears in. Now two months after national signing day, Robertson was the last 5-star recruit to sign with a college for the 2016 season. 

At 6-feet, 175 pounds, Robertson is scary athletic. Multiple outlets have pegged him as the best wide receiver in the nation for his age. Moreover, his natural physicality leads some people to speculate he could also play some defense in college. 

Wherever Sonny Dykes decides to line up Robertson for the Bears, there figures to be some added electricity in Strawberry Canyon come next fall. 

β€œI am excited to take my talents to the University of California, Berkeley,” Robertson said at a press conference in Atlanta. β€œThe first reason is that the education was a big part of my decision. I wanted to keep that foundation. When I went there, it felt like home. Me and the coaching staff have a great relationship. That’s where I felt were the best of all things for me.”
— Demetris Robertson

Oakland Product Devin Haney Wins Bout at MGM Grand

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(photos by Christian Petersen)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

Technically speaking, Devin 'The Dream' Haney isn't allowed to fight in a professional boxing match until he is a legal adult. However, still only 17-years-old, Haney has managed to fight five times already (he's undefeated). 

Raised in Oakland, Haney fought his first four fights in Mexico, where apparently, there's no age rules. On April 9th, Haney fought for the first time on U.S. soil under a special permit from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Haney's first fight in America was no slouch. Held at the MGM Grand as part of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley undercard, Haney fought and beat 25-year-old Rafael Vazquez of Puerto Rico. Young Devin won 40-36 on all three scorecards, showing his raw speed and flash throughout. 

To avoid distractions, Haney has since moved out of Oakland and into new digs in Las Vegas where he trains with the infamous Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Full video of the Haney-Vazquez bout is below. See for yourself how bright The Dream's future really is. 

San Jose defends home ice, goes up 2-0 vs. Nashville

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Captain Joe Pavelski celebrates his game-winning goal in Game 2 at the Shark Tank (photo by Tony Avelar)

By AP

The Nashville Predators frustrated Joe Pavelski and San Jose’s top line for much of the night, forcing turnovers, blocking shots and limiting chances.

That all changed with one big shift late in the game that put the Sharks in control of their second-round series.

Pavelski scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:40 left in regulation and Martin Jones stopped 37 shots to lead San Jose to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night and a 2-0 series lead.

β€œI don’t think it was our line’s best game, by any means,” Pavelski said. β€œOur last shift, you take a look, there’s three minutes left, it’s tied, you hope for a chance.”

He got one and San Jose’s captain delivered just as he always seems to do in the biggest moments.

Joe Thornton started the sequence by sending a cross-ice pass to Matt Nieto, whose initial shot was stopped by Pekka Rinne. But Pavelski knocked the rebound in for his sixth goal of the playoffs to give the Sharks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

β€œThose guys, I’m sure they’d be the first to tell you, they didn’t spent a lot of time in the offensive zone tonight like we’re used to,” Sharks forward Logan Couture said. β€œBut, when we needed a big goal, those guys stepped up and they did it for us.”

Couture added a power-play goal and Thornton scored an empty-net goal that proved crucial when Ryan Johansen scored with 3.6 seconds left for the Predators.

Mattias Ekholm tied the game earlier in the third and Johansen scored late for Nashville, but the Predators head home from California in much worse shape than they did in the first round when they won the first two games in Anaheim on the way to taking the series in seven games. Pekka Rinne made 22 saves.

β€œI think we were better team out there tonight,” Ekholm said. β€œWe were just as good as they were tonight. They got a lucky bounce in the end and scored the game winner.”

Game 3 is Tuesday night. San Jose won the most road games in the NHL this season and all three in Los Angeles in the first round.

Rinne had helped keep Nashville in the game long enough to get the equalizer midway through the third. With San Jose leading 1-0, Rinne robbed Nick Spaling with a pad save on a 2-on-1 with San Jose short-handed.

A few minutes later, Ekholm got the equalizer when his shot from the high slot got past a screened Jones to make it 1-1.

The Sharks scored first following an odd penalty late in the second period. Nashville defenseman Roman Josi tried to rush off the ice after a bad line change to avoid a too many men penalty, but jumped into the Sharks bench because he couldn’t reach his own in time.

β€œI was trying to change, right when I was changing, the puck came up to our bench and came up to me,” Josi said. β€œI tried to get off, but it was too late.”

That move shocked the San Jose players but didn’t avoid the penalty and the Sharks made Nashville pay for the mistake. Early on the ensuing power play, Brent Burns fired a point shot on net that Rinne stopped with his pads. But Couture jumped on the rebound and knocked it in with 1:24 left for his third goal of the series.

Burns and the rest of the Sharks had struggled to get shots on net before that with Nashville blocking five shots by Burns before he finally got one to Rinne off a deflection by Pavelski.

Even when they did manage to get shots through the defense, Rinne was there to stop them. His best sequence came early in the second period when Joonas Donskoi slid a pass to Couture, whose shot from the slot was stopped by Rinne. Donskoi got the rebound and appeared to have an empty net to shoot at but Rinne slid over to make another save.

The power-play goal by Couture was San Jose’s third in its first five chances with the man advantage this series as special teams have played a major role in the Sharks’ success the past two games

San Jose even killed a penalty for too many men in the ice shortly before Couture’s goal as Nashville fell to 2-for-31 on the power play this postseason.

"The New Angel of L.A." - And More Tales From the NFL Draft

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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel)

By Charlie Wheary

Seeing as how Thursday was a national holiday, The NFL Draft, I figured I’d give you a quick snapshot of what transpired.  Starting with my man Jared out of UC Berkeley…

You stole my heart last August, Jared and you’ll be stealing it for years to come in the NFC West.  His only alleged knock was small hands, small hands?! This kid has all the intangibles, first and foremost humility.  He’s got a bazooka for an arm, Einstein intellect, and he can run.  I’m still crying the Niners didn’t somehow trade up.

Carson Wentz is a wild card.  I like my quarterbacks facing NFL prototypes and you’re not going to find that in Fargo, North Dakota.  Having said that, he may be able to make the transition, but I’m just not sold.  Who’s ever even been to North Dakota?  Hasn’t Canada annexed them already?  You sort of look left at Mount Rushmore and say, good luck up there guys.  Down here we call them buffalo, not bison.

Joey Bosa at three blew my mind!  Did you see him at the combine?  I nicknamed him Joey Slowsa.  Terrible motor, played around an entire NFL team, beat my Oregon Ducks to a pulp, so I’m not biased at all.  Still, a complete stretch at 3. Good luck in all your future endeavors, San Diego. 

Thank you Dallas!  You glorious morons, for bucking the one rule of the NFL draft:  You never, ever, ever take a running back in the first round.  Everyone had Ezekiel Elliot on their board, and I get it, let’s collectively assemble and make dumb decisions.  It’s like a Donald Trump party!  Sorry, I had to go there.  Loved the β€˜Boys giving in and grabbing a running back, it made my day.

Best player and future Hall of Famer: Jalen Ramsey. He gets gifted to JAX at no. 5.  Far and away the most polished and best player of this draft.  The kid flies to the ball and makes plays. Take it to the bank, you’ll be seeing him in Honolulu for years to come.  Love this pick, he’s my favorite behind Goff.

Ronnie Stanley at no. 6 surprised me.  Obviously because of the Tunsil fiasco.  I think this a safety pick for the Ravens.  I’m not sure how much Tunsil smoking something out of a gas mask hurt his chances, but I’m not sold on Stanley.  Slow off the ball and no motivation scares me.

BOOOOYA San Francisco!!!  The Niners never draft a single one of my favorites; finally they changed course.  Deforest Buckner is going to absolutely terrorize Goff, Carson Palmer, and Russell Wilson for years.  Duck fans loved this guy from the get-go, and for good reason.  Trent Baalke, you done well good sir.

Like Jack Conklin a lot at no. 8 to Tennessee.  I preferred him over Stanley and Tunsil.  The most pro-ready and experienced OT.  And no headaches whatsoever.

Leaonard Floyd is probably the guy I’d most want to share a foxhole with.  6β€² 6β€³, 244 lbs, and runs a 4.65 forty.  Pure athlete and should fit in perfectly on the banks of Lake Michigan.

Not sure about the G-Men taking Eli Apple.  I guess Apple in the Big Apple makes sense?  Big stretch, when he was a late first rounder at best.  My sister Deidre may strike me down, but are you kidding me Giants?!!  Bad pick.

Now for a quality pick, that New York should have made, Tampa swoops in and grabs Vernon Hargreaves III.  Gamer, pure gamer.  You get a 4.4 guy to wreak havoc on Cam Newton, Drew Bress, and Matt Ryan.  Big need and Tampa filled it.

Not gonna lie, I have absolutely no idea about Sheldon Rankins going to New Orleans at 14.  Uhh he went to Louisville.  That’s a city in Kentucky and I hear they have good BBQ.  Moving along.

Steal of the draft.  Laremy Tunsil was the #1 pick of the NFL draft one month ago.  This pick reminds me of Randy Moss years ago falling to the Vikings because he inhaled something of questionable influence.  That’s not a character concern in my eyes.  He’s gonna be a stud in the league.

Karl Joseph is tiny.  He runs a 4.55 40, which lineman can run.  And he played in an abysmal Big-12.  Gotta love those Raiders!  Have fun with that one, wait aren’t you guys moving to Vegas?  Bad pick.

Corey Coleman to Cleveland is a wild card in my eyes.  He’s a burner but he’s also only 5’ 11β€³, which makes me nervous.  If I’m drafting receiver this early, I want speed and height.  But it’s Cleveland, they never really pay attention to logic.

Love Taylor Decker to Detroit.  He’s gigantic, huge wingspan, and now a little comfort for Matt Stafford.  I think he could kill a grizzly bear with his bare hands.  Great pick.

Another bizarre pick goes to Atlanta at 17.  Keanu Neal?  With all the corners and safeties still on the board you’re gonna draft a Keanu?  I can’t stop saying, β€˜Utah…gimme 2!’

Colts as they always do, identify a need, adjust accordingly, and draft correctly.  Ryan Kelly is the best center out there and the Colts pulled the trigger.  They’re like the Anti-Raiders, they just do it right, year in year out.

Shaq Lawson, besides having one heck of a name, is up there on my list of quality picks. He’ll fit in perfectly in Buffalo, not just because Rex Ryan’s son plays for Clemson where he scouted him for a year.

Another Buckeye?  Unreal the pro talent Ohio State had this last year.  I’m not sold on Darron Lee though, but apparently the New York Jets are.  Little undersized and slow off the ball.  But what do I know, they killed Oregon in the natty a year ago.

Will Fuller is an interesting pick at 21 for Houston.  I like his hands and speed but not sure how you grab him with Doctson and Treadwell still on the board.  Should complement Deandre Hopkins, but it’s a stretch for me.

Which brings us to my favorite receiver of the draft.  Josh Doctson crushed it at TCU consistently week in and week out.  Best route runner, big hands, perfect guy for Washington.  Desean may have a little company in the capital.

Laquon Treadwell to Minnesota was a given.  Teddy Bridgewater needs a little help on the edge and this is the guy to do it.  I’m a little nervous about the knee injury against Auburn a year ago, but he seems good to go.

William Jackson III seems ready to go for Cincinatti, I just didn’t see much of him playing at Houston.  Another guy I’ve heard nothing but good things about, but know nothing.

The Pittsburgh Steelers grabbing Artie Burns at 25 was a steal.  Besides football, he ran track, the hurdles mind you.  Pure speed and complete athlete.  The knock is he’s got raw talent, but you can figure that out pretty quick in the Steel City.  You can’t teach speed.

The Broncos trading up for Paxton Lynch made sense, but again, I don’t dig quarterbacks from small schools.  Memphis did play some quality opponents, but it’s not the Pac-12 over SEC.  Good BBQ, mediocre competition.

Not to sure how Myles Jack is still on the board especially with the Packers drafting his teammate Kenny Clark at 27.  I think this is another safe, no worries pick.  I hate that style of drafting, but the Packers always know what they’re doing.

I’m still shaking my head at the Niners trading up to take a guard who they could have nabbed in the third round.  Remember all those kind words from earlier Trent Baalke, off the table!!!  Moronic trade and just a friendly reminder how much we despise the Niner’s front office.

I love Nkemdiche more than you know, and it is going to be painful having to gameplan his attack for my Niners. Absolute stud, hall of fame game.  Arizona just got a blank check from the rest of the NFC to book the conference.

Vernon Butler sounds like he should be a waiter at a steakhouse.  I’m not sure about his game, being a Louisiana Tech guy.  But do the Panthers really need any more help?That team is vengeful after that Super Bowl loss.

Seattle trades down and grabs the better guard that San Francisco passed on.  Germain Ifedi is 74 feet tall and 19,000 pounds of pure anger.  Just google a picture of him, it looks like he’d punt you 200 yards if he wanted to, nice work on passing on him SF.  SMH, SMH, SMH, Baalke!!!

So that’s your first round sports fans.  More fun tomorrow!

Roll Tide.

A Bay Area native, Charlie Wheary owns and operates the blog  "The Rolling Tide." Wheary is best known for playing wideout for Kenny Dorsey in high school, circa 2000.

Section925 Podcast Ep. 108 - Del Rey 5th Graders Talk Warriors Basketball

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For this edition of the Seciton925 Podcast, Connor heads deep into the heart of Warriors country to discuss NBA basketball with the students of Del Rey Elementary. The group of 5th graders hold a roundtable discussion on topics ranging from bandwagon Dubs fans, Steph's ankles, Draymond Green's defense, and the Warriors' potential move to San Francisco.

No. 18 CAL Baseball Beats Stanford at Evans Diamond

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Sophomore catcher Brett Cumberland is leading the pac in round trippers. (photo by Phillip Downey/DailyCal.org)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

Sophomore Brett Cumberland had yet another big night at the plate for the Golden Bears on Tuesday, going 2-5 on the evening including a double and a home run. The power hitting catcher is leading the PAC-12 in homers with 11th long balls on the year.

With the win over rival Stanford, CAL improves to 22-11 overall and 9-6 in conference. The Bears will welcome in the University of Arizona for a three game set at Evans Diamond starting this Friday night. The Wildcats are 22-14 overall and 7-8 in conference play.

Unfortunately for the Bears, ace pitcher Daulton Jefferies (6-0, 42 innings, 47 strikeouts) is currently out of commission with a strained sub-scapular muscle in his throwing arm. The time-table for his return is roughly another two weeks. In the meantime, Ryan Mason will take the ball on Friday nights, followed by Jeff Bain and Matt Ladrech.