All games produce statistical oddities. You just don’t have to look as hard to find them in preseason box scores.
Lindy Waters III made five of seven 3-point shots for Golden State on Saturday, including a walk-off game-winner for the Warriors, who edged the Los Angeles Clippers 91-90 in the exhibition opener for both teams. A sellout crowd of 10,300 filled SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center for the matinee.
OK, you say, that’s exciting, but what’s so weird about it?
It has to do with the plus/minus stat, which started to appear in box scores about 20 years ago. The idea is simple: Your plus/minus is the number of points your team scores compared to how many your opponents score while you are on the court.
It gets confusing when you see things like this: Despite making all those 3-pointers, including the game-winner, Waters was -5 in plus/minus for his 15 minutes on the court.
So, did the Warriors win because Waters was hot from outside and made a clutch shot at the end, or did Golden State prevail despite the fact that when Waters was on the court, the Clippers outscored the Warriors by 5 points?
It’s probably an anomaly, because there are always nine other players who affect your plus/minus — your four teammates, and the five opponents on the court.
His fellow Warriors certainly didn’t overthink it. They mobbed Waters after his buzzer-beater like it was Game 7 of the Finals, not the first preseason game. Steph Curry was the first to give Waters a big chest bump.
Curry’s plus/minus didn’t quite add up, either. The future Hall of Famer played 14 minutes and made just two shots from the floor in eight attempts. That includes a bagel from 3-point country — 0-for-4 for the greatest outside shooter, ever. He made three turnovers, too.
But the Warriors were +1 when Curry was in the game. And this was a 1-point victory. Steph Curry’s a winner, but we all knew that already.
Let’s be honest about this: As much as the Clippers and the Hawaii Tourism Authority tried to make Los Angeles the home team for this one, the people came to see Curry.
It could’ve been Steph and nine guys from Paki Park playing and it would’ve sold out.
OK, maybe I exaggerate.
Brian McInnis deadpanned, “Nah, 8,000.”
Sure, a few of the full house showed up because they’re big fans of the Clippers’ James Harden, owner of the world’s most famous beard since ZZ Top and Fidel Castro.
And those who think watching cars crash is fun came hoping for a Draymond Green blowup.
But the Warriors’ human volcano appeared to be on his best behavior, despite being called for three fouls in 13 minutes. He scored just 2 points. But, +2 — he’s a winner!
Everybody wanted to see Curry make a bomb, but the fact that he did not doesn’t mean his act was one. Everybody still adores him.
Rico Nakashima — a member of the hard-working Sheriff Center staff — got something to remember the day infinitely more valuable than seeing Curry make a 35-footer.
Just for kicks, Curry took his off before he left the court, autographed them and threw them into the stands. My guess is he does this every game, since fans are going to yell for them anyway.
Nakashima was standing with his dad, Rick, in front of a tunnel next to the seats. One of Curry’s shoes bounced off the hands of a guy in the fourth or fifth row. It landed between the Nakashimas. I still think of the former UH track coach as Rick the Quick, but his son’s got youth on his side and is now the proud owner of a Steph Curry-game-worn size 13.
Rico says it is a prized possession that he would never even think of selling.
Rick isn’t jealous, just happy for Rico.
“How cool is that?” he asked.
Cooler than cool, or ice cold, as OutKast would say … and nobody will remember or care that’s what Curry was from beyond the arc while wearing that shoe.