Smooth (Warriors 127, Bobcats 96)
No one would mistake the Bobcats for a good team. Fortunately, the Warriors didn’t make them look like one on Friday night. After struggling with putting away inferior teams for the last month, the Warriors built upon their decisive victory over New Orleans with a good old fashion blowout. On the night that Richardson returned to the court, Webber returned to the bench, and Davis tried to set the league straight, the real story wasn’t about individuals. The Warriors dominated because they got back to playing smooth team basketball. Everyone got touches, everyone got points, and victory was locked up in the middle of the second quarter. Heading into a five-day break, you can’t ask for much more.
The Warriors dished 32 assists against the Bobcats. This number is even more amazing when you consider Davis only had 6 of them. For comparison, the team had 31, 25, and 23, in the Phoenix, San Antonio, and New Orleans wins. The Warriors were looking for - and finding - each other Friday night. The easy points simply followed. Davis made an unexpected statement, not trying to take on the world following the snub. Instead, he played the perfect teammate, getting others involved and making sure the Warriors didn’t need his heroics to take down the Bobcats. Jackson’s passes had even more zip than usual, including a few creative ones that really got the offense rolling. Monta also deserves a lot of credit for finding Andris on some beautiful looks, forcing Charlotte’s already weak interior defense to draw further away from the Warriors shooters. Together, the Warriors’ three initiators made sure that guys who had struggled recently - Pietrus and Azubuike in particular - finally got it going.
The Warriors’ defense also deserves credit for laying the foundation for an easy win. As in New Orleans, the intensity looked to be more consistent. Rotations were quick, the small guys got lots of hands on passes and drives, and Andris did his usual fine job of protecting the rim. It was the closest I’ve seen the Warriors all season to their impressive pre-playoff run of last year. The Bobcats’ offense often looked broken against the Warriors’ defense in the second quarter. The Ws still gave up a few easy baskets, but they entirely derailed Charlotte’s offensive flow an equal number of times.
By the time the third quarter rolled around, the real story of the game became the wait for the youngsters. CJ looked like an old pro out there by the time Marco, Brandan, and Patrick hit the court. Nelson finally found a lead comfortable enough for the end of the bench. The fourth quarter wasn’t always pretty, but it sure was fun.
Marco Belinelli indulged the crowd in it’s constant calls to shoot, putting up three good shots (two of which went in), one bad shot, and one heave that would have drawn laughs at the pregame shoot around. Still, the minutes allowed him to settle in a bit. His defense improved as he gained a feel for the pace of the game. He’s got a long way to go, but there’s still evidence of improvement over earlier in the season. His biggest challenge in becoming an NBA player will be figuring out how to compensate for his lack of foot speed on defense. It’s possible (see Mullin, Chris) but it takes some craftiness and quick hands.
Brandan Wright had the play of the night, running the break and unfurling his wingspan to throw down a one-handed tomahawk. For those like me waiting for more glimpses of what he can do, it was a thing of beauty. Beyond the flashiness, however, he showed other ways in which he can be a game changer. His reach for rebounds is excellent. He’s always a shot-blocking threat, even when off the ball, and he looked awfully comfortable snagging a board and pushing the ball up court. His jumper outside 10 feet still looks awfully clunky, but he finally nailed a baby hook on the baseline. Right now, Wright, much like Andris early in his career (and now), depends on either good passes or put-backs for most of his points. He should benefit greatly from Webber’s presence on the court (both from nice passes and missed jumpers).
Last, and in Nelson’s eyes, least, Patrick O’Bryant finally got a chance to break a sweat. With seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter - and a thirty point lead - it was unclear whether POB was going to get a chance. Nelson finally called his number and O’Bryant made pretty good use of the time outside of his cell. His defense was weak, but it was garbage time in a blowout so I won’t condemn him on that count alone. He delivered two nice baskets off comfortable looking moves, much like we saw in the preseason and other brief glimpses. POB may still have what it takes to be an NBA player, but it’ll be up to another coach on another team to figure that out.
Somebody stop the presses: two games in a row in which I can find nothing worthy of complaining about. Our starters even managed a ton of rest in this game, just in case the next five days wasn’t going to provide enough. Overall, I’m encouraged that the Warriors seem to be finding their rhythm right about now. Following the All-Star break, the experienced, top-tier teams will get down to business. With a little luck, we’ll be well rested with the kinks worked out of our offense and defense. Now if we could just find some GM willing to make an even more lopsided trade than Jerry West just made to the Lakers. Who knows, we might even throw in a front office position next year to the lucky GM who steps up to the plate.
just as an fyi, chris wallace (not west) made the trade with LA.
Domination, baby! Too bad it had to go against our boy JR, but that’s business. Gasol or no, you don’t want no part of these Warriors. Obi-Don-Kenobi will lead this band of Jedis to victory… just a few comments:
Marco: get some new shoes, baby! And again: shave and a haircut… you’d look sharp in some Bay Area style close cropping…
BWright: Thunderous, man! Damn! You makin’ Nelly look stupid… Fast, smart, good hands… it’s just a matter of time… you are NBA-ready…
CJ: You’re so good, I thought you been on the team 5 years already…
Oh, and not to forget:
Stephen Jackson rules! Go Jack! Git ‘em Jack!
Today’s game was a work of art.
The Warriors are rolling right now. Maybe not the best time to work in Webber? BW has to play more.
Looking at the Garnett trade, the A’s trades, the Johan Santana deal, and of course Gasol, it struck me that this is a great time to trade for a star. All of these deals involved top-notchplayers being moved for young, unproven maybes. Mullin needs to get on the lot and make a deal. The Lakers didn’t give up anything, and don’t say Jarvarvis Criterion (or what have you).
They even dumped perennial piece of junk Kwame Brown. Thanks a lot, Mr. West.
FYI Chris Wallace is Biggie Smalls, not to be confused with Chris Webber, Kanye West, or the man they call Logo.
The kids got an extensive run tonight, no doubt sending ChuckC into spasms of delight. Here’s what I saw:
CJ: CJ played a terrific, aggressive but controlled game tonight. He’s got a terrific handle, makes all the right passes in the offense, shoots the 3, finishes layups, and makes everything in between as well. Even more impressive to me than his obvious talent is that he is clearly already well along in understanding the W’s sets on offense and defense. After 2 weeks. Amazing. This kid is another Nellie diamond in the rough (not to be confused with a Mully draft pick).
BW: Mini-Gatling opened the kiddie parade with a Worthy-esque dunk on the fast break, that set all the mouth-breathers aquiver. He then threw up an out-of-control running prayer, that was answered after 3 hard bounces. His last shot was an unequivocal brick of a wide-open bunny from the elbow. He got 3 rebounds in 12 minutes against the Hornets 3rd line (2 less than Harrington got working against Okafor). He made an absolutely ridiculous looking turnover at halfcourt on the fast break. On defense, he got dunked on 7 (or was it
times by future teammates of POB in the European leagues. ChuckC, make this appearance last, there won’t be too many more of them this year.
MB: Is it just me, or does this guy have the fattest calves in the NBA? Unfortunately, despite his sweet shot and court-savvy (he made a beautiful drive and no-look dish tonight), this guy looks a step slow to me. He’s not quick or tall enough to get his shot off in the playoffs, and he definitely can’t guard anyone, even in garbage time in February. He won’t play this year, and probably not ever, for Don Nelson.
POB: Now is the time to be merciful.
With respect to JRich: he is a class individual who was justly honored by the faithful tonight. Unfortunately, he’s also a mediocre 2 guard who was completely exposed by the W’s tonight. I felt his pain.
The most painful realization of the Gasol trade is that the Warriors would not have done what the Lakers did if the had the option. Therefore, we can’t even hope that such opportunity would come the Warriors way, because they’re not going to seize it.
Gasol’s big contract pushes the Lakers beyond the Luxury Tax threshold. Jerry Buss knew it’s worth it and opened his wallet. Chris Cohan wouldn’t have.
Buss knows that if the Lakers will be a winner, their additional revenues will cover the expenses. But Cohan already sees consistent sell-outs in the Oracle Arena and a loyal fan-base, so the extra expenses would not be covered by the team’s improvement.
Although the salary cap meant to minimize the difference between those who have and those who have not, the “soft cap” brought it back, and the Luxury Tax highlights that difference even stronger.
Funny how this team turns it on when they get slapped on the wrist by the reality of the Western Conference. Hope they find some consistency at some point because suddenly-healthy Sacramento hasn’t dealt off parts yet and can squish the Warriors head-to-head (which happens three times still). But the health has odd timing. We’ll see if they keep it together.
Charlotte is worse than I thought.
This game was loose and easy and something was very clear immediately:
If there’s no defense, the Warriors don’t need Baron Davis at all. And when there is defense, he sucks. In between, a stat grab All Star push and some three pointers. Plus maybe one quarter of NBA defense per game, averaged over the season thus far.
Ridiculous team assists numbers without him and, yes, that has been a historical trend. Do the math on the non-All Star $20 million wannabe. Watch his precious numbers go DOWN DOWN DOWN now that the coaches said eff you you crybaby egomaniac coach killer. Fans sure love the not-quite-full-continuous-season of good play they’ve gotten out of him. Pay him! they say.
He is for real when he lasts the year at a high level. Until then, anyone with doubts is free to spout them. There are persistent, legitimate signs he is nothing remotely as special as the Dallas-series hype continues to enable claims about.
Just Charlotte? Still easily the most convincing win of the year. And we’ve played bad teams at home already. Such as the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Warriors are very clearly still impressing themselves with beating up terrible teams. Fans on board. All they’ve got if the Lakers got Pau? We’ll see how Kobe and Pau play together.
Beating New Orleans was good, though, and two convincing wins in a row is indeed a good thing. Ellis and Biedrins have been awesome. Thanks to both of them for being consistently excellent as the team’s most important and reliable pieces.
Sacramento beat New Orleans, too, who will be no cakewalk if they keep the team together. They can fight for playoffs. L-O-N-G season.
Really good to see a few folks do some good things last night. Jackson was great for a change. Immediately talking about his toe and his knee afterward. Nelson coaches Media BS at a Hall of Fame level, as evidenced by the Webber-#23 double shot on The return of another Mullin Contractual Purge to the Oracle.
Right now, Jackson is ranked dead last among all qualified NBA forwards with a .408 FG rate and, get this, he is AVERAGING ten missed shots per night. He’d be 46th out of 53 qualified guards if that were his position.
The players in the league who get to say they take less than 18 shots per game and miss ten of them:
Stephen Jackson
Jamal Crawford
Baron Davis
Kevin Durant
Oh yeah. We’re super good.
That was the most entertaining practice game I’ve ever seen for quite sometime. The good thing is, this a win. And it counts.
Whatever you do, don’t compare Azubuike and Ellis’ lines with JRs OK?
“Strictly business”
Nice solid win over an obviously inferior team. Watching this game reaffirmed to me how much more versitale a player Monta is than Richardson. I love JR and think he was a great Warrior, but all I saw from him in his limited minutes was spotting up for the three and not being able to finish when taking the ball to the rim. Very familiar to his play with the Warriors.
It was good to see the rookies get some burn. Marco started to look a lot more comfortable out there after 6 or 7 minutes. Brandon showed glimpses of his potential with that thunderous dunk. A man with a 7′3″ wingspan running the wing on the break and finishing with a one handed tomahawk dunk at full speed was something to behold. With Webber in the fold I’m hoping they continue to get some spot time in the second half. Which I think was suggested by Nelson himself.
It was nice to see that Cohen actually took the time to write some positive comments about the Warriors before returning to his normal paranoid…the Warriors can’t really be good…the other shoe will drop…they will be overtaken and beat three times by the Kings self. I can’t believe you wrote that by the way. Hopefully the Warriors will continue to disprove your and Barkeley’s feelings regarding the team. I have to say I never skip over your comments though.
this just shows how much better the Warriors are with JRich on the court.
Sorry Cohen you didn’t actually say what I wrote. Maybe I just felt that was what you were thinking.
Remember these guys - Charlotte - beat Denver, Orlando and Boston in the same week last month. A win is a win.
#12 lol
Felbot,
What do you expect out of rookies that have sat on the bench for most of the past few months? Ever see a veteran struggle his first game back after a month long layoff? Happens all the time. And everyone says they have to shake the rust off after not playing for a long time, to get their rhythm back, to get back into the flow of the game, adjust to the speed etc.
No player, veteran or rookie, is going to play at their best after a month on the bench. Especially a rookie that needs time to adjust for the first time to this level of play, and especially a rookie that hasn’t played much for 3 or 4 months.
All of the rookies, POB, Bell, BW, showed that they belong on the court. They proved that Nelson has been wrong all along. He could have been giving each of them a few minutes per game of PT, without risking losing games.
Once they get used to playing, and especially when it isn’t a once a month thing, they will play much better.
Marco actually started to make some good passes once he settled in a bit, but that didn’t happen in the 2 minutes he normally gets to be comfortable. It happened 4 or 5 minutes into playing.
This was the longest we’ve seen them play, and I think they played well. They deserve more opportunities to play imo. They should have been part of the rotation all along.
BTW,
Rumor is that now LA is going to go after Kidd.
J-Walk: all in the name of good press.
I really enjoyed both of the last two games.
Go Blazers!
Am I the only one that’s bothered that the Lakers swooped in and got a 7 foot power forward who can run the floor, averages 18 points, 8 rebounds and isn’t 35 years old? Don’t tell me we couldn’t have used that guy.
Oh well. . .go Warriors?
Imagine the Warriors giving Brandan Wright Harrington’s minutes and finding time for Marco on the floor. Develop the talent, don’t sit on mediocrity (Harrington, Jackson). Marco sees the floor better than Baron ever will. Baron has an extremely low assists to minutes played ratio, and half his assists are bailouts to Andris. Keep Baron’s and Jackson’s minutes down. Monta is the (future) All Star, not Davis. Great to see the passing and team ball played the last couple games. Warriors look like a different team. Let’s hope Webber doesn’t mess it up completely.
I was at the game last night, and I have to say it was terrible for the Warriors PR department to give Jrich the shaft in his return to Oakland. Fans were given 5 seconds to acknowledge him when he was introduced during the starting lineups and then they have the audacity to do a combined tribute with Chris Webber? The man who ruined our franchise for 13 years? Terrible. Give the man his own tribute video. Webber never did shit for the franchise. JRich deserved a better tribute considering all the hard work he’s done for the team. Screwed over, once again. But a good win by the dubs.
Let’s not forget Matt Barnes in this group hug. He’s playing some inspired ball the last week of games.
Good win.
Only 1 road game in Feb - time to make a move up the standings.
Mr. Cohan:
More than a little perspective needed here regarding Stephen Jackson…
Notwithstanding your definition of “qualified” here is a small list of forwards who have played as many or nearly as many games as Jackson who have a lower field goal percentage: Bowen, Nachbar, Stackhouse, Jeffries, Antoine Walker…
More importantly, you forgot to mention these numbers…ranking out of 177 forwards in the league
Scoring 12 (20.4 per game)
Assists 6 (4.3 per game)
Rebounds 69 (4.4 per game)
Minutes 6 (39.1 per game)
Steals 11
So while I too cringe sometimes when Jackson hoists some of his threes, the balance tips heavily in his favor when I realize that he regularly guards the best player on the opposing team; one night a guard, the next night a center (not many other players have that responsibility); he is unquestionably the emotional center of the team, etc.
I am not sure who you’d rather have, but if you are going into negotiations with Jackson and all you have is your one number 40.6%, outcome won’t tip your way.
And that’s a little perspective.
James,
I’m one of the biggest supporters of playing the young 1st rounders (POB, Bell, BW), but I think you start them off a few minutes per game. I wouldn’t jump to give BW AH’s minutes. If the plan is to let them play 5 minutes, but they are having a great game, leave them in a little longer. I really like AH as this team’s SF. He could play side by side with BW.
BD is the key to this system. We go nowhere without BD. BD runs this offense great. BD is a scoring PG, but his assists are decent.
Jacks, when he plays his game and is more selective about his shots, is a force. Few players have the defensive abilities as Jacks, he can guard the 2, 3, or 4.
I agree we should keep Jacks and BD’s minutes reasonable, but only becuase they are so important to the team and I don’t want them to get tired or hurt.
Rio,
I think the PR dept combined JR and Webb on purpose, to try to give Webb some of the good feelings the fans had for JR. If they did them separately, it might have been bad for Webb if they cheered the JR video and booed the Webb video. That’s why I believe it was intentional that they combined them.
^ boo hoo
stop being a baby and move on.
Perspective - those other guys all suck and/or do not take 20% of their teams’ shots. You’ve just helped me out by putting Stephen Jackson a half step above five dudes I wouldn’t put anywhere near my 2008-09 roster. Thanks a bunch.
Jackson has been better this past week because either his shot selection has been better or he’s made more shots (STREAKY). Period. He makes those other contributions (and I JUST said he was great!) near meaningless on nights he goes 1-8 from three without giving offensive flow any chance to brew.
A little perspective.
If you really wanted to impress me, you would have spit up Antawn Jamison. But you didn’t dig very hard, now did you?
Having said that, Jack’s looked like his old self in the very recent past and that’s good to see. His distribution was excellent even without that awesome circus dish to Beans.
Chucky,
Lose to Timberwolves on Baron’s Sundance Hangover.
Thrash the Cats, rack up gaudy team assists and percentages, get the whole roster in on the act in Baron’s effective absence.
Come on now.
(PS Baron is super important)
Nice write up Adam
The opportunity to give JR love was great, but also abit disappointing, but that was partially because the W’s dominated.
I was hoping JR would get some late game play and maybe one final dunk. Oh well.
Rio,
I understand your disappointment combining the “Boys are Back in Town” JR/CW, but it was the right thing to do. JR got what he was hoping for - proven by his tears at the standing O introduction (short as it was). As far as CWebb goes, its best for THIS W’s team that it went that way. The PR dept. could have opened “Pandora’s Box” and got CWebb and this W’s team off to a bad start if they did it any other way. Giving fans a chance to punish CWebb would also be punishing the team. TIme to move on for the benefit of this team.
CHuck
Nice to see some good solid opinions devoid of any sinister connection to Nelson or Mullin.
Bold prediction you read here first:
Warriors will pass the Spurs in the playoff standings this month (maybe even by mid-Feb.).
1) They’re old. 6 players with 10+ years in the league.
2) Injuries to Parker and Barry.
3) 7 of next 8 games on the road where they’re already only 9-11 this season.
4) Their next 6 games are in 9 days on an East Coast road trip with 2 back-to-backs. The final 3 games of that trip are in 4 nights @BOS, @TOR & @CLE.
In the end, we’re fighting with SAN, UTA, DEN, HOU, and, maybe, POR &/or SAC for the bottom 4 playoff spots.
I like our chances.
I CAN has playoffs!
The Blazers have come down to earth. Anyone catch some of their overtime win against an exhausted Knicks squad? They’ll be needing Oden after all.
Blowout win. Playing time for the rooks. Lots of rest for BD. Fan tribute to JR.
We should all be happier today if not for those smog-breathing Fakers!
I’m mad about LA getting Gasol– but for the Warriors it boils down to Cohan (no, not you Chris, the real one) being willing to pay for the missing piece/s of this puzzle.
Very good ball movement last night. Everybody helping each other out. Webber’s legs might be slower but if his mind and hands still work fast, he will help in that department. Perfect timing for the 5 day minicamp.
Agree with Rio that JR got shafted again but can’t disagree with the PR Dept.’s ploy. CWebb owes JR one.
On Jax– He does get trigger happy but Nellie can rein him in like he has recently. When Jackson plays smart he makes the other players around him so much better, which is why Nellie likes him. He just needs reminders every once in a while to stay under control.
Pbob,
Thanks. I know I get stuck debating some posters on whether coach is right or wrong about giving a little PT to the youngsters. In the process of arguing with other posters, I’m sure it seems like I am 100% anti-nelson or 100% anti-Mullin. I’m not at all. I think there are a few areas they could do better, but that’s just my opinion and also the opinion of a few others. Overall, I like them both. I have said many times I hope Nelson is extended. Mullin is learning on the job and has made many mistakes, but is getting better. He’s made some good picks, some good trades. He’s missed too and overpaid some guys (Foyle, JR).
It will be interesting to see how coach Nelson uses CWebb. If it’s mostly as a sub for AB, then I’d say his offense hasn’t evolved enough to use two big men (traditional PF and C). Will we see AB and CW in the game together for major minutes. It will be interesting to see how that works.
I’m with Adam. We should go after Mike Miller.
Wordbfree,
Not so bold a prediction if Parker remains hurt. He’s a big part of their team. If Parker comes back and is healthy (not just playing hurt and therefore limited), I don’t think your prediction proves correct.
Chris Cohan-
when you talk about jackson’s numbers, you seem to be forgetting how many more possessions per game (and hence how many more shots) the dubs put up. granted, he has taken that pull-up three way too often, but its been different lately.
in the last few wins, the w’s have been shooting about 10 fewer threes than their average. everyone’s letting the game come to them more, especially jackson, and this is translating into a higher field goal percentage. i dont’ know what’s caused the turnaround, but i hope it keeps up. less threes, and they shot it over .500 last night (%55.6 to be exact).
#6: Wonderfully funny satire on BW’s game last night — torquing it humorously to make it look like BW was actually stinking the place out. Didn’t realize (1) the Cats HAD a third line and (2) that Al was actually guarding Okafor — who I saw as undefended by anyone until Goose came into the game and essentially shut him down.
BTW, haven’t seen a better W jam since BD over Kirilenko last year — those loooong arms are amazing, and reinforce prior claims that BW is a LOT like Worthy (sort of an anti-Gatling in my book, tho Chris had MUCH less talent and always tried). Also, that baseline mini-hook BW flashed, heretofore unseen around here since CWebb 1, is unstoppable (and 6-8 feet shorter than Olajuwan’s killer fallaway). If BW starts making that shot regularly, we’ll be flying.
Ideally, we should now see a lot more of BW this year — and we’re going to love it. C’mon, Nellie, give the kid 10-12 minutes a game — and give Al some time at the three.
Finally, the secret to Jack’s enhanced play this week? He’s not shooting off the dribble unless he’s really close. I don’t think he’s tried a three off the dribble for over a week — and it has done wonders for team offense; witness the ball movement and assists yesterday.
Caveat: Kidd looks ripe for the taking — for Odom and change. If that happens, it’s likely three teams fighting for one playoff spot. Still, if we stay healthy, start playing BW, and work CWebb in with both Goose and BW (getting BD and Jack some much needed rest), I like our chances.
1. Charlotte plays no defense and the Warriors had an open lane all night. The three is what they do when their predictable offense does not work against teams that actually play defense. I’ve stated this consistently and I think pointing out that they were very successful last night while not relying too heavily on that shot only reinforces everything I’ve always maintained about their reliance on the shot.
Second, the pace factor is fine but in no way excuses Jackson’s acknowledged poor selection before the past 2 or 3 games– that the selection was addressed and that success is the result, again, only reinforces all I’ve been saying with many others. In fact, the quick dumb three he is now famous for missing a lot and making now and then in the fourth quarter only INCREASES the possession count at his percentage by enabling more possessions (usually for the opposition) from rebounds!
Jackson has taken 28 three’s in the last four games. He’s actually been above his average. His offense was not very different and, frankly, not very necessary last night. What grabbed my attention was how free he was to hurl the ball around to all the open teammates and how much fun the overall game is when the Warriors can run up and down with absolutely no resistance.
The Warriors average 27.6 three’s per game. They took 27 against the Hornets. They just happened to make 48% of them, crushing their average. They shot 30 against the Rockets, making only 12. They went 7-27 on 3’s in that nailbiter home victory over the surprising Knicks– totally better than those overrated, league-hyped Blazers! In the two point home victory against the Powerhouse Nets preceding that, oh Bebobby, they made 10 of 26 threes.
Did you just make your bogus crap up? Do you even like basketball? Holy crap, the crap I put up with.
Thanks for making all of this clear, Be-bob “Fitz” Monkey.
Feltbooty,
Regarding #6 and your take on BW, don’t try imitating Cohan. It doesn’t work for you. You can try putting a negative spin on BW’s performance last night, but its futile. He was solid. After what you said about him in yesterday’s post, that windmill dunk was in your eye.
Watching the young guys play last night was refreshing. Seeing the length of POB and BW gave the team a different look. Don’t know if its fits in this year’s version of the Dubs, but it would be nice look for the future. Unfortunately, I think Adam is right. POB has not future with the team. I keep noticing Barnett intimate that POB and BW should be getting more time. Of course, I concur. I didn’t think we’d have to wait until deep into January to see that dunk by BW. Nellie has denied us that pleasure with his line-ups.
Speaking of Barnett, he and Fitz called their best game this season. Great insights and some funny lines. When Fitz said that Adam Morrison was in the Witness protection program, I had laugh out loud. Anyone notice that Fitz actually did not laugh at his own material. Also liked their comments regarding the consistency and maturity of AB. It’s true. The guy is so level headed and he takes care of his business down in the low block every game.
Feltbot - BW did well. Not fantastic but also not the “dunked on seven times” portrayal you posted. Brandan finishes very well for a guy his height and age be it the hook, dive, put back or on the move, and has a workable jumper to about 10 feet. No surprise his 15 footer didn’t go in. His handle is better than you’d expect for a guy his height, but he’s so skinny it’s hard for him to protect the ball. That comes into play with his rebounding etc. On the other hand his length-wingspan and quick-explosive jumping put him in play for the ball even when he’s out of position. Rapid improvement will come with strength, some weight and experience.
Dunked on 7 + times? Check the rebroadcast on Comcast. A bunch of those weren’t his man. He still has a ways to go on defense, no doubt but let’s not warp reality just to try to prove your BW is a dump theory. On at least one he rotated over after someone else gave up the lane. He went for the block, missed it and the clean up Bobby (his man) got the put back dunk. There were a lot of dunks when he was in the game though. You’d hope he’d be able to stop more of them even if they weren’t his man. Plus, some of them were also on POB.
The comparison of Galting to Wright isn’t a very good one.
Gatling came in as an older, experienced college player to fill a need. He didn’t have a huge upside, but as an energy guy could give you some banging, could challenge shots, rebound, get put backs, some hustle plays and had a little bit of a post up game. His upside…just doing that exact some stuff better and he did.
BW comes in a frighteningly young and light player with loads of talent and a chance for Nelson to train him from day one similar to how he took Nowitzki under his wing. No, I’m not comparing the rookie level talent of Wright to Nowitzki, just the aspect that Wright is Nellie’s current big man project. Dirk came into a lottery team that needed him to play right away, Wright landed on a bubble playoff team that’s scrapping to make it to the post season, so I wouldn’t read too much into the disparate playing time but I know that everyone will anyway. There’s nothing genius about it, just different ways of coaching different players.
Right now BW can give you the “challenge shots, rebound, get put backs, some hustle plays and had a little bit of a post up game” albeit without the banging that you got from Gatling as a rookie and he’s four years younger. Add strength, some weight and experience and he’ll more than match the best achieved by Gatling. The lack of experience is a double edged sword and a catch 22 when it comes to playing time but it will all balance out in the end (had to get my cliché and idiom quota in).
Ahhhh but the upside factor. BW can already handle the rock better than Gat, and despite what you described as a “clunky shot”, he’s a better jump shooter than Gat was when he was drafted. Add to that Wright is substantially quicker, a more explosive jumper, has a quicker re-jump, a longer reach, etc. Significantly, according to Mullin and Nelson, Wright also possesses an acute basketball IQ. No one ever accused Chris Gatling of being a Mensa NBA player.
You’re welcome to the opinion that Wright is just another Gatling or Stomile Swift, Tynus Thomas, etc. From a physical standpoint, Swift, Thomas, Prince, Marion, Pippen, Bosh, etc are all valid. I see a much higher ceiling for BW than Gatling because he’s an extremely bright kid. In all the games I’ve attended this year, at some point I’ve seen Nelson take the time to go over and discuss the game with Wright. For comparison, I’ve never seen him do that with POB. I could be reading into it because for all I know they could be debating the Macallan 12 yr vs. the Caol Ila 24 yr for a private tasting after the game. In a nod to the title of this post, as far as comparisons go, those two Scotch’s have more in common than Gatling and Wright.
Nellie, that dog, denying us HOW CAN HE?!?
It just ain’t right, I tellya!
Of course if we’d lost just two more games giving extra time to rookies to break in, where would be in the standings?
It’s a pleasant change though, caring about the bench and knowing there’s potential in the youth, isn’t it?
Wow, and it’s February and not only are we in playoff contention, we have a chance to move up in the rankings (thanks to a slipping SAS and POR). Been a minute since we could say that.
Kids didn’t look too bad, for all that sitting, did they Chuck? I mean against a lousy team up thirty at home, of course…
Why are the Bobcats so bad anyhow? They have some talent for sure.
Now I remember why I really hate the Lakers. I never actually forgot, but sometimes the wounds get reopened. Well let’s hope for ego explosion to go with the luxury tax!
ChuckC and Johnl:
All you seem to pay attention to is offense, and the ability to make highlight reel dunks in the open court does not make you a good offensive player. Guys who can do that are literally a dime a dozen. (Do you think that Kwame Brown can dunk in the open court?) Mini-Gatling will be a good offensive player when he can create for himself, hit open shots, and create for his teammates. He can’t do any of that right now. The Warriors half-court offense was horrible in the 4th quarter.
But that’s really beside the point,isn’t it? Any big man who plays for Nelson has to carry more than his deserved load on defense. Mini-Gat can’t even spell defense. Do you even watch that end of the floor? Mini-Gat and POB were dunked on virtually every trip down! DUNKED ON. In the half-court. Were you even watching?
Bottom line: Nellie will never give these guys anything but garbage time. Get used to it, and try to enjoy the terrific coach and terrific team you do have.
Regarding Pau Gasol: Gasol instead of Webber might have made the W’s a true contender. The fault for not getting him lies not with Mully but with (the real) Cohan. He just can’t pay double Gasol’s salary (the cap penalty). He’s not that rich.
But try not to whine about this too. Its a lot more fun to try and beat the Yankees than to be the Yankees.
There’s no way to quantify Jackson, nor Baron’s effect on this team - hell this franchise through statistics alone. Suffice to say the team that started the season - without Jackson - looked like it might be battling the Heat right now for worst record. And the team pre-BD was worse than that. They drive me crazy too - Jackson mainly during his bad foot, lazy D, hoist a three games - but whatever we are right now springs directly from those two.
This team plays on attitude - and when they’re cooking, on focus and team speed. The more I watch hoops the more I start to think it’s 50 % body language.
The Dubs have now put up their best 10 consecutive quarters of the season. The team seems to have rediscovered the smarts and the discipline they’ve been lacking lately. Better shot selection, better movement without the ball, better outlet passing, and unselfishness have elevated the overall performance.
Bebobmonkey (great moniker) nailed it when he said at #39, “in the last few wins, the w’s have been shooting about 10 fewer threes than their average. everyone’s letting the game come to them more, especially jackson, and this is translating into a higher field goal percentage. i dont’ know what’s caused the turnaround, but i hope it keeps up. less threes, and they shot it over .500 last night (%55.6 to be exact).”
Yup, Jackson was back to his old Larry Joe Bird self last night, playing a great all-around game and making that nifty 360 behind the shoulder pass to AB (who else?). Welcome back, Jax.
Finally, an interesting quote by Jackson regarding the All Star snub (Lepper, http://www.mercurynews.com/warriorsheadlines/ci_8149202)
“They’ve got to play us with a chip on our shoulder,” Jackson said. “I think that’s going to be worse for them and better for us. . . . We’re going to really focus on winning a championship, because that’s the only way we’re going to be able to get back at those people that didn’t pick us.”
Make no mistake about it, the snub was significant. The Dubs are the most entertaining team in the NBA. What a travesty that not one guy makes the all star team or the rookie-sophomore game.
But you have to love Baron and Jax’s response. They are talking about winning as a team. They are aiming for the stars. Last night, I expected them to come out and play a little selfishly, just to prove a point. Instead, they played unselfishly and the team blew out the Bobcats. Its impressive and it bodes very well for the rest of the season.
Feltbot,
Do agree with you that Cohan, not Mullin, is the one to look at in the Pau trade.
Maybe its time to reevaluate the soft cap.
Nah:
“It’s a lot more fun to try and beat the Yankees than to be the Yankees.”
Word.
How much more fun to beat the overpaid Lakers than to play their $$$ game? It’s achievable, all we have to do is be the better team.
Feltbot,
The defense wasn’t great. I saw it. Lots of dunks on both sides of the court.
But these are rookies, all playing together, all for the first time to see extended minutes this year. I think you have to expect some mistakes, along with the good that we saw. That’s why I’ve recommended playing them a few minutes at a time. They learn so much from those minutes, and no, they can’t really learn all those lessons in practice against their own teammates.
If you want to talk about W players getting dunked on, this is the NBA. I see lots of dunks on both sides of the ball. We dunk a lot on guys, and even our Veterans give up many dunks. I’ll agree that defense is an area that POB and BW need to improve, but admit they looked like they belonged on the court.
My theory, based on lots of years of experience, is that they will play better the more they play, as long as they learn from their mistakes and successes. And they will also play better if they are not all on the court at the same time. You’ve heard the saying that good players make their teammates better. That applies to the W veterans too. A rookie playing with veterans has the advantage of those Veterans helping make them better, and advantage the rooks didn’t have since they all went in together without any starters.
I didn’t see any reason, in summary, this game, or previoous games, that the rooks and POB shouldn’t be given more of a chance to play and develop. I’m not calling for them to start. But they can sub in if a big gets into foul trouble or play a few minutes per game each as part of a consistent rotation.
How do we know playing them would hurt us? Wouldn’t it better to play them then to play starters that are tired and playing at 1/2 speed, pacing themselves.
I know rookies have to wait their turn and pay their dues, but Nelson’s treatment of them goes way beyond them. Give the kids a chance. I believe they can help us win.
Regarding defense, I look at it a lot. Jacks is a tremendous defender and versatile. He’s been hurt until recently with a toe injury, so his improved performance could be related to feeling better. But one of the things I love about his game is his defense. So yes, I definitely notice defense. And the youngster should and can improve in that area.
I liked Gatling. He was a solid low post scorer.
#34 Caught the Blazer-Knick game as well. Blazers are becoming an average team. Sure they have good chemistry but they lack the veteran leadership that will push them in the 2nd half. Knicks were without the malignant cancer (Marbury) and festering sore (Curry) and almost pulled out a victory if it weren’t for some terrible shot selection in the last 2 minutes. I don’t think the Blazers will have a better record than Sac by end of season.
The Blazers are out of the playoffs two days and are suddenly done. The Kings are barely mentioned. The Rockets are clearly feared and rooted against actively.
All from the fanbase whose team had the single most unlikely playoff appearance in the last 20 years just last season. Who relishes underdog status. Who sees a Charlotte trampling on the heels of the first convincing win against real competition in ages as something special. Who has a notorious first halfer with recurrent injury trouble at the helm. Who has the league’s worst shooter taking a striking majority of its shots behind the Great All Star Snub.
Delusions of Grandeur.
Whoa, FeltBot. It’s no secret that BW is not yet an NBA defender — though your “seven/eight dunks” comment is either hyperbole or wishful thinking. The critique of his D, tho, was fair (if a wee bit hyper, and defensive, itself, especially re the phantom dunks); but to criticize his O last night just means either you weren’t really watching or you have some emotionally vested interest in BW’s failure. (I thot BW’s slam, his elevated li’l hook and Jack’s no-look to Goose were the three most exciting plays of the game — regardless of the competition.) It says here, tho, that’s not gonna happen — BW is the future here, and a bright one at that.
Moreover, I can’t see how even a young, thin, inexperienced BW could have done any worse defensively on either West in Q3 of the NO game or Okafor in Q1 last night. With his long arms he would have had the advantage of speed and reach over both those guys; and Al did nothing to stop them. Of course, it was the Goose who finally came in and just shut ‘em down.
Finally, as to the “whining”? As Hamlet famously quipped: “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” And since we all think so highly of Nellie — let’s see if BW is really “never give[n] . . .anything but garbage time.” My money says Nellie’s getting the point, and better late than never.
Sorry to digress, but something has been bothering me:
Can I just ask why Brandon Roy is so overrated? He has been in the league one year and somehow merits an All-Star nod over vets with better numbers? You have to be NUTS for new Hollinger-style sabermetrics to think Roy deserved that spot. His old-school stats are not All-Star: 19 ppg 4.5 rpg 5.7 ast .9 stls. Nothing against dude I just don’t understand the level of respect he already gets. I think it’s great he went to college for 4-years, but that doesn’t mean he’s an NBA OG.
I am not bitter about Baron being left off, either. We all know Davis needs the rest. I’m just sick of the over-hyping of Roy. It seems to me there are an inordinate amount of NBA writers that are Blazer fans– it’s weird. This year they’re just crawling out of every orifice.
Thanks for letting me rant.
#19: Read yesterday’s blog (JRich’s Return) and you’ll see that I along with many others vented after we learned about the Laker trade.
“Delusions of Grandeur”? Well if you call expecting this team to win about 45-48 games this year and get into the playoffs “Delusions of Grandeur”… then I’m guilty of being delusional. Although in this conference it looks like they’ll have to be closer to 48+ wins to get in. I still think they’re going to get in. Sacto has a long uphill battle, Portland has come down, Houston still is battling. It’ll be a battle all season, but here’s hoping C-Webb still has some Magic left.
#55: Roy is a good player, offensively and defensively. He is the one guy that makes that Blazer team go. The problem the coaches had was that Nash and Paul were virtual locks, and it came down to a choice between Roy or Baron. They gave Roy the nod because with three PGs (counting Iverson) in the game they couldn’t throw in another PG in Baron.
Feltbot- Sorry to pile on, but tossing BW in the future garbage bin because of 4th quarter defense last night strikes me as way over the top. Rookies that haven’t played try to block every shot that comes their way leaving the offensive rebound and put back for guys like Hollins last night. That stuff happens and they learn to hold their position and get ready for a rebound with time, especially real live playing time. BW is never going to be a Boozer or a Duncan, but he’s a different kind of player with a ton of potential and a game that fits beautifully with the way the Ws play.
The biggest development for us in the past few weeks.
We’ve finally got a good back up point guard to spell Baron and it cost us next to nuthin
“a game that fits beautifully with the way the Ws play.”
Nelson will never put more than 2 non-shooters on the floor. That mean mini-Gat will never play with AB. Every “4″ Nelson plays can spread the floor: Harrington,Barnes, Pietrus from 3, Webber from the high-post. Mini-Gat’s effective range is currently about 5 feet — if the 3 bouncer goes for him like last night. How could this fit beautifully (much less at all) in Nellie’s system?
“I liked Gatling. He was a solid low post scorer.”
Mini-Gat is too light to post up a 2 guard, let alone move a real 4 off the box.
“It’s no secret that BW is not yet an NBA defender — though your “seven/eight dunks” comment is either hyperbole or wishful thinking.”
1) Watch the tape. Close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Turn your calculator on and start counting.
2) If he’s not yet an NBA defender, then he’s not yet in the W’s rotation. The end.
You guys need to get out of la-la land, and start enjoying the real Warriors. They’re pretty darn good . And so is their coach.
edit: I meant “more than 1 non-shooter”
Here comes the Warriors’ much-ballyhooed rest.
They get 6 days off.
I need to correct my previous prediction, which still has a twisted truth:
Two weeks ago on this blog, see Last Call, #84, I boldly guaranteed two wins against the Lakers next month.
Well, I no longer guarantee these wins. Now that the Lakers have Gasol, I think they’re likely to trash the dubs again and again.
Nevertheless, I also said that since Bynum is injured, “No way they’re going to win against the warriors with Kwame as their center.” I still stand by that - the Lakers will never win against the dubs with Kwame as their center.
When Bynum recovers and with his emergence as an Allstar center over the next few years, together with Gasol’s integration into the Triangle Offense that will utilize all his tallents, Odom and Kobe at their prime, the Lakers are going to have the best starting 5 in the NBA.
Passion Man,
Have you also heard the rumor of the Lakers getting Kidd too?
I think the price would be Odom and Farmar plus?
Feltbot,
OK, if BW is as bad as you say, why did we trade JR for him? Couldn’t get anyone better for our 2nd leading scorer? I understand the cap manauvering, but I think we could have named any player for JR, unless the trade happened after they made their pick.
Was BW a bad pick/trade?
What about Marco? Bad pick?
What about POB? Bad pick?
What about Kosta? Bad Pick?
None of these guys can break into a game for even spot minutes. Not even 5 mpg. So what in your opinion is going on?
On the hyped up rest this week, I’d love to hear from media folks who know whether or not the rumored mini-camp is for real. If so, Baron gets a break since he doesn’t practice (PRACTICE?!) but no one else does?
Or is it only Webber mini-camp against the scrubs?
Who gets the rest? Is the plan to rest Jack and Baron up now so we can run them 40+ in the second half, too?
In answer to Chuck@64
To dump the guy who was beaten out by Jackson and Ellis/To dump the worst max contract in the league/To try and con the Timberwolves into giving us Garnett.
yes, for this year at least, and unless he gets substantially bigger (unlikely), or suddenly develops the skills to play the 3 (even less likely), forever. tradebait at best.
yes. Gordan Giricheck at best.
YES.
Hmmmmm. Give me some time to decide with this big lug. I actually loved his performance against Bogut. 4 pts. 4 rbds, 1BS in 7 min. nice. The kid bangs and competes in the post. He had a +2 +/- (your heroes POB and BW were -9 and -2, as always). I want to see more of him. He can’t run though, so Nellie will probably keep his keester glued to the pine along with the other poor stiffs. Any you know what? I’m ok with that. The Ws are a great team, probably the most entertaining in the league, and i’m going to go out on a limp and say they will be even better with Webber.
Feltbot.
“1) Watch the tape. Close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Turn your calculator on and start counting.”
I did. Live at the game and on TiVo this morning. I realize you’re now completely vested in proving your BW is a flop argument but flat out making stuff up to prove it is frowned on in this blog. Brandan got dunked on. Welcome to the NBA kid. Sticking with the “dunked on 7 times” story, welcome to the end of your credibility.
“2) If he’s not yet an NBA defender, then he’s not yet in the W’s rotation. The end.”
It’s actually the beginning. Everyone knows up until now he hasn’t gotten a lot of burn. I’m predicting that will change. A bit crazy considering Nellie hasn’t played him a ton so far but that’s what I’m predicting. You can bring that up if I’m wrong btw. But while you’re doing that you might notice his playing time has also picked up recently. Granted, his defense does need improvement but you’re not seeing the big picture if you blame every break in the teams defense on one player. As Chuck astutely noted, his defense will improve when he’s playing with the Vets. Expecting him to be an impenetrable last line of defense with the Paper Tiger, Serpico and CJ letting guys drive to the hoop all fourth quarter long is a bit much.
btw, the probable reason Nelson is giving POB more minutes than Perovic right now is because he wants to trade him. Good Luck. What a stiff. I hope gets the dents out of his head from that Bobcats dunk-a-thon last night.
Interesting stat I just posted for Mano on the other thread, but it pertains to Feltbots opinion of BW.
Based on BW’s admittedly limited chances, if you calculated his stats based on 36 minutes of PT, he’d average 15.9 points and 11.4 rebounds in those 36 minutes based on his performances thus far. Behind BD, Jacks, AH and Ellis only.
Not counting Kosta’s incredible 7 minutes, which puts him #1 in scoring and rebounding per 36 minutes played, BW would rank 5th among all W’s in points per 36 minutes played.
He would also rank 2nd, behind only AB, in rebounds per 36 minutes played.
BTW, POB would rank 3rd, behind AB and BW, in rebounds per 36 minutes.
Those are the facts.
Give the kids a chance.
Water for our horses. Tequila for my men. We ride.
One more thing about labeling Brandan Wright trade bait, that would be mixing up the unsubstantiated trade rumors. The J Rich trade was presumably already in place for Wright. The KG deal was supposed to be for Al Thornton. So Mully and Nellie wanted Wright, not for trade bait but for the Warriors. It’s still possible he could end up being trade bait, but labeling him so as if he was drafted solely for that purpose is mixing up the rumors that were flying around. Bottom line, that’s a suspect label.
Don Neslon, as a 3rd round pick, played over 1000 minutes in his rookie season.
BW, 1/2 the season gone, 120 total minutes.
Montgomery played AB in close to 100 games his first two season, for close to 1400 total minutes.
If Montgomery hadn’t given AB a chance to develop with real PT, would AB have been ready to start for Nelson in his 3rd season?
Everyone gives Nelson credit for playing AB his 3rd year. But if another coach hadn’t played his rookie and 2nd year player a little, would AB have been the player Nelson saw in this 3rd year?
Feltbot,
You can go out on a limp all you want, but you’re basically saying that Mullin has made bad draft picks the past couple years, and that he really overpaid JR too.
If the players are bad, and Nelson is right to not play them, then Mullin had to have made bad picks. I’ve always said someone is wrong here, Mullin or Nelson. The picks are bad, and Nelson is right, or the picks are good, and Nelson is wrong not to play them.
Oh, brother, this is gonna look like i have no life. (Actually i have a half a life, my gf is flying in for the weekend tonite — so no more posts after this for awhile, hooray!)
You guys forced me to go back and watch that wretched 4th quarter again, to defend my credibility. I hope you’ll do me the favor of doing the same, with my writeup in hand, so we can raise the level of this discussion (or even end it). Here’s what I saw:
10:51 BW loses Hollins in the lane and fouls him on dunk attempt
9:55 Carrol layup over BW.
7:52 BW jumps OFF THE COURT on block attempt. Hollins dunks.
6:18 BW gets lost on block attempt. Hollins dunks.
5:25 Dudley layup over BW.
4:21 Dudley layup over BW.
1:27 Hollins gets the ball at the elbow, pushes BW all the way under the rim, and gets fouled on dunk attempt.
(Please watch this play 10 times like I did and then tell me this kid is ready to play at the 4 in the NBA.)
1:09 BW loses point-blank rebound to Dudley, POB takes monster facial from Hollins. Then POB falls on his back when Hollins glares at him. This play is absolutely hilarious. The true highlight of the 4th quarter. “Mama, the big bad man took my manhood!”
OK, so here’s the count: 3 dunks, 2 fouls on dunk attempts, and 3 layups, for a total of 8 plays at the rim. All out of half-court sets. All against players who couldn’t even sit on the bench for most NBA teams.
Granted, I took some poetic license in making my point. But you guys are all missing the larger point in attacking my credibility. POB and BW are inexperienced and largely unskilled offensive players. But that pales next to their defense which is absolutely non-existent/totally humiliating. These guys simply cannot be given any meaningful minutes this season. Period. I defy you to review these plays and believe differently.
Chuck - you are forgetting the FACT that BWs (and POBs) stats are basicall ALL against players who would not be on the court if he were playing 36 minutes, so those numbers you throw out a not reliable. Also, you arn’t factoring in the FACT that playing 5 minutes is different than playing 36 minutes. Fatigue is a FACTor. Don’t trink yourself into believing in those numbers. Again, most of us here (besides feltbot) want to see more of the kids. And many of us think they will get more of a chance in the second half of the season. But you cannot claim that we would have the same record or be in the same position if we played them 5 minutes a night from the start of the season. That is making assumptions and is has as much validity as me saying that we would have lost games had we done it. Nellie has done what he felt comfortable with and what he thought gave him the best chance to win. That is a FACT. Whether he was right or wrong is up for debate, but the FACTs are that we are now 10 games over .500 and it has obviously not hampered the development of these kids too much if they were able to play the way they did last night. That was the big gripe all season - Nelson wasn’t developing these kids because they weren’t getting PT. Well….from your post regarding how they played, it looks like you were wrong about that. But maybe you are right that if BW and POB got PT all season they would be ready to contribute 15 minutes a night…maybe. No way to say for sure, so don’t act like its a FACT.
Feltbot - I think the excitement for what we saw out of BW, Marco and POB stems from half of a season of wanting to see what they can do. Nobody is say that they are the second coming of Jordan. You’re prognositcation of what they will become is as far as I’ve seen anyone go either direction. There is the HOPE that BW is somewhere close to Bosh. No one can say for sure what he will become when all is said and done, but, personally, I like what I’ve seen so far. Not only in the limited minutes, but also the way he seems to have kept his confidence and composure throughout (probably) the first time in his life that he wasn’t treated like a superstar. That tells me a lot about his personality. I believe in the kid and think with his size and athleticism he could be a great player for the franchise. He should not be judged solely on his performance last night or in the previous games. Remember, he’s only 20 years old. You are probably just posting your comments because you want to get off on pissing other people off, but your arn’t as good at it as Cohan, so you have a LONG way to go before you can get to that point. Keep trying though, you’ve got potential, kid….not as much as the kid you are berating, but some potential none the less
#63 ChuckC,
I’m sure the Nets would love to get Odom and Farmar for Kidd. While Kidd’s career is at its tail-end, Odom and Farmar will rejuvenate their roster. They would probably keep Farmar, who’s Jewish and has lots of fans in the NY area, particularly in Brooklyn where the Nets are moving.
And they may be able to move Odom for other valuable parts to bolster their front court. Odom is a tradable commodity, unlike Kidd.
Kidd is more of a liability than an asset. At 35, $20M/year with bad knees is a huge risk. Therefore, I don’t think that the Lakers will go for it.
From the Lakers perspective, taking on Kidd’s risk will only be worthwhile if he would get them a championship now. But he won’t. Bynum is not ready, and they need a good year to integrate Gasol with the other players and the Triangle Offense. By then, Kidd will be over the hill.
I think that the Lakers are planning for championship runs over the next 2-5 years, when Bynum matures, Gasol complements him in the front, while Kobe and Odom are still at their peak.
A moment of silence to honor Kwame Brown. Since his name came up in the news, I’m reflecting on this guy.
Here’s a man whose only asset in life is being 7 feet tall. That’s it. No brain, no hands, no coordination, no communication skills. Nothing. He can’t even sing, dance, or use a PC.
And he was picked right from high school to be a celebrated star, and has already made forty million dollars. Why? Because he’s seven feet tall.
Think about it.
What are we going to do for the next five days?
Talk schiße…
How long did it take Andris to become a solid NBA baller? Figure on about the same for BW.
BW has better raw skills to start with than Andris. He definitely needs to add more skills but what he lacks most right now is the body to go along with the skills. When he gets stronger and heavier he’ll be a force.
Valr,
I agree they were both raw as rookies. The difference is that Montgomery played AB so he could get better, a little in his rookie year and much more in his 2nd year. And in his 3rd year Nelson played him a lot. He wouldn’t have been ready in year 3 if Montgomery had only let him practice imo, and not given him close to 100 games and 1400 minutes in his first 2 years.
BW’s potential, whatever it is, will be slowed imo by his lack of playing experience his rookie year thus far.
It’s fair to argue he’s not ready and we have to play the veterans to make the playoffs. But I don’t see how anyone can fairly argue that no PT is will delay his development.
I’m pretty sure you meant “I don’t see how anyone can fairly argue that no PT…will NOT delay his development”, but once you start getting lost in double (and triple) negatives, it gets more difficult to reign in your points.
Biedrins played in 30 games his rookie season, about 12 mpg. Wright has played in 17 games so far in his rookie season, averaging about 7 mpg.
Biedrins was getting more time on a less competitive team. Wright will see about the same amount of games, probably avg 9-10 mpg by season’s end.
Sounds like a fair first season for a young, thin player with lots of upside (and plenty of work ahead of him).
Feltbot –
Thanks for taking another look. BW’s D does need work but it wasn’t as bad as you originally posted. No surprise he’s not ready for starters minutes but a few minutes with the Vets would mask his current deficiencies. Especially now that the Warriors have a schedule conducive to making adjustments game to game with a month light on games and almost exclusively at home.
Reviewing the premise, BW is a dump because…
1.) He was only drafted as trade bait.
That’s pure rumor. In recent interviews Nelson (grain of salt) and more importantly Mullin, are effusive and almost sound giddy when talking about Brandan Wright’s talent. The trade bait angle is woefully shaky, especially since it’s not even the right rumor.
2.) Nelson isn’t playing him a lot yet.
You have a limited point here but I expect that to change. It’s interesting that Nelson has both a reputation for being especially hard on rookies while simultaneously earning the rep of playing anybody that’s ready to contribute regardless of their age. You argued (and I mostly agree) the second aspect a few threads back. Others have already argued the first. Surprise! Nellie is a coach who is more difficult than most to decipher. The type of guy that eschews convention, throws you slow curve balls mixed with high heat and flat out junk just to keep you off balance. If there was one coach I wouldn’t make predictions on based on past performance or ANYTHING he says, it’s Don Nelson.
3.) His defense needs work.
True. Name one 20 year old that’s come into the NBA and has been ready to play NBA defense their first year? For every highlight play you got from Price, Thomas, and Bosh there was another play where they got flat out molested. The NBA is a man’s league and Brandan is just now knocking at that door. Not equating his talent to this next group but even guys that have came into the league this young, with NBA bodies, had problems on defense. Moses, Magic, LeBron, Garnett, Kobe etc, they all got abused their fair share in their first year. So Brandan’s defense needs improvement, that’s not really that shocking or unexpected. That’s a pretty tepid smoking gun.
Not to pile on to Mike, but I’d take his D over Dunleavy’s right now. Wright got himself out of position couple times against the Bobcats because he was over eager trying to make plays or covering for break downs in the team defense. Dunleavy wouldn’t have even tried to challenge those shots at the rim. I’ll take errors of aggression over passive nonchalance any day.
P.S. Hollins going King Ghidorah over the Paper Tiger was high comedy.
@ #8: I’m rarely enticed to answer a post, but man: please. Why even watch basketball with that attitude? We’ve got a team that’s 10 games over .500, curren