Although the Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, fans of the Dubs have been frustrated throughout the season. The team did not qualify for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. Bonta Hill, morning host on 95.7 The Game and pregame/postgame host for the team’s television broadcasts on NBC Sports California, expressed his thoughts on how the game proceeded at Chase Center on Thursday morning.
Within his remarks, he stated that the perimeter trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins struggled to make shots in the first half, leading to the game being extremely arduous to watch.
“It was a dreadful vibe; a dreadful environment, and God bless Draymond Green – and I’ve said this – when he’s on the floor, I can’t complain about him on the floor,” Hill said. “He’s going to [give] everything that he has. I’m not mad at Draymond Green’s performance, but the other stuff that’s going on with this team and the rotations and trying to figure out who starts, who comes off the bench or who needs to play what. Oh my gosh – I’m frustrated man.”
For Bonta Hill to convey these sentiments on the air was indicative of the team’s current state, according to co-host Joe Shasky. Hill has been on the Warriors broadcasts for several years now and covered the NBA Finals, a full-circle moment after growing up a fan of the team. To hear how he discussed and criticized the team was evident of the wider feeling around the San Francisco Bay Area, Shasky surmised.
“I think this is important because I consider you one of the faces and voices of the Warriors,” Shasky said. “If you’re frustrated even after a victory, then I think that that speaks to the big picture.”
Upon making this assertion, Hill asked Shasky whether or not he is frustrated with the team, to which he concurred that he is. Without looking at any advanced metrics, he compared the play of Anthony Lamb and Jonathan Kuminga off the bench based on the eyeball test, divulging that he is observing that the team has reduced amounts of trust in Kuminga.
The fact that Bonta Hill is agitated with the team though points to the fact that even though they claimed victory on Wednesday, there are concerns that need to be allayed to potentially author a deep postseason run. Shasky’s veneration for Hill as one of the voices closely associated with the team ostensibly affirms his respect for his opinion and recognition of ethos.
“I just don’t feel good about that win; I’m sorry,” Hill said earlier in the segment. “I woke up – I went to sleep thinking, ‘Okay, maybe I’ll get over it when I get about five hours of sleep.’ No, I don’t. I’m a little more angry about the game last night.”
