Enjoy It (Warriors 116, Clippers 100)
Earlier in the season when the Warriors followed an off game with a dominant one, I often called it inconsistency. Nearly 70 games into the 07-08 campaign, I now know better. The Warriors admittedly played a crippled Clippers team Wednesday night, but quickly blew away any lingering memories of their loss to the upstart Kings the night before. The threes were dropping, the lay-ups were fast and furious, and the debate in the final minutes was over whether Marco — not Baron — should be in the game. It’s hard to get too excited about just taking care of business, but it’s fun nonetheless.
I’ve talked to a few fans the past week or so — and read comments from you — talking about the sense of fan-fatigue settling in about now. The 82-game season is a long one (particularly how far in advance we anticipated its beginning). The most die-hard fans gain an appreciation for the relentless nature of the NBA schedule. Still, I think there’s something else at play here. After so many years of having our expectations dashed in January (and having only a hope, a prayer, and Stephen Jackson’s wicked grin this time last year), it’s been more than a decade since we carried a season’s worth of expectations. Like POB in early October, we’re not ready for what this team is demanding of us. When you expect a team to win, it’s stressful when they don’t. That’s not to say that fans of winning teams need to be a bundle of nerves all year long — that would totally defeat the purpose of fandom. What it means for some is that we actually have meaningful goals in our reach. The risk is greater, but so is the reward. If this team keeps up the good work, I’m sure we’ll get used to it. But right now, this feeling of not only playing games that matter in March, but being expected to win them, is an emotional rollercoaster I haven’t ridden for years.
All of that is a long way of saying that it’s nice to have games like Wednesday’s to remind us just how fun the Warriors can be. When Monta runs a lay-up line down the lane, Jackson drops his threes at will, Davis pushes the tempo, Pietrus delivers two-armed swats, and national TV announcers say the words “Kosta” and “Pervoic,” we know we’re onto something good. In honor of the Warriors’ blowout, some scattered thoughts from the top of the roster to the bottom:
Davis - Baron’s 27 minutes was his lowest total in a month. He hit the Clippers hard early, got others involved as the quarter progressed, and earned his extended rest. We’ll need Baron at the top of his game to punish Houston’s backcourt on Friday, so the blowout game at an opportune time.
Jackson - After an awful game against the Kings, it was good to see Jackson bounce back. More impressive than his shooting was his ease of movement on the court. After hobbling around for much of the past two weeks, he’s starting to look healthier. His defense has suffered the most during his injury-pleagued stretch. He’ll be put to the test against Tracy McGrady.
Ellis - With the Clippers mounting a mini-surge in the fourth quarter, Nelson inserted Ellis to jump start the offense. After seven rocky quarters in a row, Monta looked like his old self to close out the game. The five made shots in a row weren’t particularly meaningful since the beleaguered Clips line-up would have been hard pressed to close the lead even with their charge, but it was great to see him get the swagger back a bit. He finished with some classic drives to the hoop and a jumper or two. Monta is more consistent than anyone we have, but he’s still human. We may fixate occasionally on his limitations, but we’d be foolish to forget how quickly he exposes the shortcomings of 90% of the poor souls sent to guard him on a nightly basis.
Pietrus - MP also managed a nice bounce back game, particularly in terms of his energy. He fought for boards (even with his own team, on occasion - he’s still the old MP at times) and turned up his defensive intensity. His two-armed swat may not have been the most efficient play (just catch the ball and start the break), but it wins points for being particularly emphatic. At the other end of the court, gone are the days when Pietrus lives and dies behind the arc. Now? We get put-backs, running slams, and the occasional open look from 18 feet. We just need him to keep it up.
Azubuike - Kelenna appears to be heating up again at the right time. Nelson has always claimed that his offense flows from his effort on the boards and defense. Wednesday was no exception. Azubuike had some nice looks at the basket, but left his biggest mark as a physical presence inside. It was particularly nice to see the difference between the first and fourth quarters. In the first, the cameras caught Jackson yelling at an out-of-position Azubuike on defense. In the fourth, after meeting a Clipper driver at the rim to challenge a dunk, KA got a congratulatory thump on the chest from Jackson. The captain coach knows that Azubuike’s rebounding (whether grabbing them himself or laying a body on others to clear the key) can jump start the entire team. His shooting also pulls defenders away from the Warriors’ typical options, opening up lanes for others. Wednesday night, it all worked according to plan.
Wright - Brandan didn’t have a bad game, but Thornton gave us a taste of his weight limitations on defense. While guys like Harrington can body up to Thornton and push him off the block, Wright doesn’t have the lower body strength yet to move anyone. As a result, he plays off his man a step, hoping to block shots rather than deny position. It’s not necessarily a bad strategy — just a different one — but it’s easily exposed by players with smooth moves and nice touches inside. Thornton, who will be on the All-Warrior Killer team this year, falls into those categories and did some damage in the second half. All things considered, however, the more of that Brandan sees now, the better chance he’ll have of stopping it against, say, Utah or San Antonio.
Barnes - If you’re looking for some dings on our gilded win, Barnes’ play provided them. It’s not saying much when you look the least comfortable on the floor out of a line-up of Watson, Belinelli, Wright, and Perovic. From ball-handling mistakes to forced shots, Barnes hasn’t found a multi-game groove. There’s still time to work him into the flow however. Nelson has been working through his bench to give players steady minutes one-by-one. First came Pietrus, then Azubuike, Watson or Barnes may be next. Let’s hope the results are similar.
Belinelli - If Darko was Larry Brown’s human victory cigar, Belinelli is Nellie’s human party popper. When you see his twisting torso springing shots, you know the Warriors have had a fun night. Whether it was just ESPN HD or reality, Marco looks like he’s added quite a bit of muscle over the past few months. For a guy unlikely to win on his foot speed, it’s not a bad plan. Marco also seemed much more comfortable on the court than in garbage time past, cutting and rotating more naturally. Rookies need time, and ours our finally starting to show the benefits of a little aging in Nellie’s fine DNP-CD cask. Which brings me to…
Perovic - Since no one enjoys a fine hypothetical more than sports bloggers, let me pose this one: would Nellie have played POB with three minutes left in this game? My mind says “sure,” my gut says “no way.” Regardless, Nellie seemed ready and willing to give Kosta a run and he didn’t disappoint. In super meaningless minutes he covered the court well, boxed out nicely, dropped a sweet turn-around post move and then closed the game doing something that elicited oohs and aahs from the bench-luxuriating duo of Baron and Andris. What was the move? We’ll never know, thanks to TNT’s clueless camera work, but at least we know Kosta’s teammates liked it. I’d be lying if I said a little tiny part of me wasn’t secretly looking forward to Kosta Perovic Summer League 08 action.
After bungling a golden opportunity Tuesday, the Warriors made amends Wednesday. With losses by Denver and Houston, the Warriors move further from the lottery and closer to the top of the heap. On the rollercoaster that is the remainder of our 08 schedule, this game was that moment at the peak of the track when the cranking of gears stops, the cars roll gently along, and the riders all get to soak in the view. Then the bottom drops out and you hold on for dear life.
Great writing Adam. I love your analogy at the end there. Great win tonight, made sweeter by the Denver lost.
It was fun to see Warrior fans come out in droves for the second night in a row, away from home. Too bad we only won one. Next, we remind Houston who they really are, by giving them a three-game losing streak.
After the Bobcats game, big leads on the road don’t exactly make for comfortable viewing. I was Nervous until Monta came in and settled down the offense. Not exactly point guard like, since he mostly just called his own number but it worked. Nice to hear his brother is doing better.
Kosta Perovic SPRINTED down the court at one point and looked almost fluid (well efficient) doing it. If all he did this year was improve his foot speed, it would be a huge step. I don’t expect to see much more of him but he, Wright and Belinelli are a mysterious and tantalizing freshman class. A summer league squad with those three, Watson and Azubuike might be one hell of a fun team…but lets not get too ahead of ourselves.
Playoffs!
Oh and was that you Mr Mully jumping up and down and doing a Baron Davis with his Yellow “We Believe” T-Shirt on national television in the first quarter when Jackson was dropping bombs? Nice to see the dubs FINALLY win in LA.
Against a bad team everyone looks good. The Clips play without Brand, Cassell, and Kaman. What’d you expect?
Jackson’s 3’s falling in both because nobody guarded him adequately, and because he didn’t have to work too hard on defense, saving his energy to move and shoot effectively.
Same with Monta. I’d like to see him exploding like this in the 4th quarter when he has to guard superior players, playing for 40 minutes, and the game is on the line, like in a real playoffs game against a top team.
Pietrus is going ballistic. He’s very focused, in a top shape, playing great as a starter, crashing the boards (12rebs tonight), shooting 3s, great defense, excellent movement without the ball - if he keeps playing like this he may win the MIP.
What happened to him since the Allstar break? Oh, he’s a free agent this summer.
And why is Baron playing for a whole year 40 minutes a game without injury? Because he came to training camp in top shape. Why? Because he wanted a contract extension.
All this shows, once again, how good players can be when they play for contract. So here’s what the NBA should do: all contracts are limited to one year.
Yes, at the end of each season, all players should become restricted free agents. Their team could match any offer and keep them, but the market will be open for bidding. This will motivate all players so much, that the quality of the games will rise to a higher level.
Some players may object it, because it won’t give them the long-term security. But that can be addressed in two ways: one, is insurance coverage for injuries. The other, is offering them more per year.
Even if the Collective Bargaining Agreement won’t change any time soon, teams can implement it independently. For example, at the end of this season, instead of offering Pietrus a 5-year contract at $5M/year, I would offer him a one year contract at $7M. Why not? If he’s playing like this he’s worth it.
In the long term, players will get paid more per year, but they will also play much better. And teams will save money on discontinued contracts of players who do not perform. Overall, the same total amount of salaries will be paid, but it will be give to players who truly deserve it, and the level of the game will be higher.
Was I the only one who noticed a couple of late-4th quarter drives to the hoop by Biedrins starting out by the 3-point line. The first incorporated a nice spin move to the basket but the layup missed, the second time he went straight to the hoop for a slam. He almost looked like a 6′11″ Rick Barry! He did this a few games ago and it caught my attention then, but I thought it was some kind of abberation. But evidently it’s something he’s been working on but has been reluctant to do in the close games the Warriors have been playing. With the W’s well ahead tonite he did it twice within two minutes. Andris is very quick for a center and he dribbles well as we have seen when on occassion he brought the ball upcourt to start a break. He is very athletic (for a 6′11″ white guy) and my guess is that he has been working on developing element of his game that we have yet to see because he is very self-disciplined and has stayed totally within his established game thus far (which explains his 63% shooting percentage). But Andris is only 21(!) and is now starting to display flashes (finishing with his off-hand) of things he has been practicing. The W’s need to lock this kid up long- term as he will be something great in a few years down the road.
Great commentary Adam. You really lock into the pulse of the W’s avid fan base.
I was particularly pleased with MP last night. He is an unbelievable athlete, as the TNT announcers kept reminding us, and a valuable asset in the W’s up tempo game. If this guy leaves next year, we’re going to be sorry. His energy, blanket defense, and ability to rebound and get down on the break are key ingredients to the W’s success. So he steps out of bounds on occasion and takes a bad shot here and there. He really seems more comfortable starting and knowing Nellie won’t yank him at a moments notice. I predict he will be big in the playoffs.
Steve in Concord,
Nice catch. First time I ever saw Biedrins take it to the hole was at the end of last season against the Suns. It looked like he didn’t really want to but since no one tried to stop him he just gathered momentum and slammed it home. He has done that move a few times this year and I would love to see it a little more.
It sure beats his top of the key windshield wiper offense right now. Also, every time Biedrins catches at the top of the key he immediately passes to the next guy over. Come playoff time, defenders are gonna be jumping that pass for fastbreak points.
Nice to see no DNP-CD in the boxscore even if the stats were not particularly impressive.
I have a feeling that Mike Tirico was jonesing for some starbucks last night. Either that or he taped a kick me sign to the back of his sportscoat to stay awake, broadcasting with Hubie Bore…….He is like the grandpa you get stuck sitting next to after dinner at thanksgiving. All you want to do is rest and digest the food but he keeps going, and going, and…
Hubie is a wealth of information but his delivery is monotonous.
JP
You best believe I was at that game last night. Who do you think started that Warrior chant midway through the 4th after all the poser LA fans had already fled to catch a frappucino. Frankie Muniz my arse!
“Like POB in early October, we’re not ready for what this team is demanding of us.”
Does that mean we should be sent to the D-League fansquad?
#6
Those drives by AB were poetry in motion with a hint of clumsiness. In the 4th everyone was trying to get theirs and AB trying to showcase his offensive repetoire was high entertainment. If he could smoothen up those moves a little he’ll be dynamic.
I have to admit this is the first time I’ve seen KP play. I thought he was going to be a fat unathletic Euro but man that guy is built like a house. I definately think he could play in a role if AB gets into foul trouble. That kid looks nice.
Belinelli’s turning fallaway jumper was silky smooth. I hoped he would get more touches but I’ll take what I can get.
Monta Ellis’ speed and explosiveness has to be witnessed live to truly appreciate. He sliced through the Clippers like they were extras in a Michael Jordan commercial. Crazy quick and a MUCH better finisher than earlier in his career.
Barnes does not play like an NBA quality player. Sorry but it’s true.
Great game to watch live because I got a sampling of everybody. Thank you Warriors and thank you miserable Clippers for bending over and taking it up the wazoo, it was MUCH appreciated.
#7 the game was on ESPN. Hubie gives them more respect than Sir Charles. My prediction was 120-105, they won by 16. If they go 10 and 5 the rest of the way we are looking at 52-30. Maybe a 6th seed? They will have a tough time with the Jazz, Lakers or Spurs. Can make a series of it with Suns, Hornets, Rockets, Mavs. Is Pietrus eating his Wheaties or what? With Pietrus and Jackson, Baron when motivated and Andris they can play some D.
Mr Mully,
“You best believe I was at that game last night. Who do you think started that Warrior chant midway through the 4th after all the poser LA fans had already fled to catch a frappucino.”
It was pretty awesome to here the Warriors chant in the 4th quarter. At first I couldn’t really make it out, and since it was a clipper game i dismissed it. That is mad cool. Mad props for putting the Ye Area on ESPN.
off topic question…
Can anyone really justify this one year in college rule by Mr Devil Stern?
As a fan of the game I get the fact that high schoolers making the jump are very raw, relying on pure talent rather than fundamental skills to compete. But…
Does one year of college experience really make a difference?
I feel like if the NBA truly cared about the young kids they would enforce a four year mandate so that the kids would be forced to get a degree in something. All the one and done policy does is generate short term college revenue. I understand that kids have the choice to stay in school but if they weren’t really motivated to begin with, what kind of enriched experience are they really getting? Now the whole recruiting process is a smoke and mirrors dance with the media. Blue chip players sign for one year knowing that they are gonna jump and the team, coach knows that they’re gonna jump, but everyone pretends like they are undecided. And, how do we know that these kids aren’t getting loaded offers by the university since they know the kid is only gonna play one year?
The whole process just doesn’t make sense to me.
The commish should either enforce the 4 year rule or let these young phenoms make the jump!
Brian:
Remember that the one year in college allows the scouts to see how the player competes against good competition and also allows the player to understand where they might be positioned in the draft. Could translate into lots of $ for a player who shines in that one year.
It’s rare to have a projected lottery pick, as a freshman, remain in college. Remember, you’re only young once. Tell me, what kind of player would Monta be without the hops? I believe Bill Gates never finished school.
Fatigue is the right word, Adam. And I fear it might be what causes Nellie to walk at the end of the year (though I’m loathe to say those words). But ever single game has felt like a pressure cooker, and we’re only getting started. The best thing these guys can do for themselves and their future is to put teams away early so they can give their nails (and ours) a rest. I’ll take a few routs; and a few clutch fourth quarters along the way, but has there ever been a year like this, where every game feels like game three of a playoff series?
If you’re a betting man, and who isn’t? It might be a good idea to bet on Adam’s picks for W’s and Nuggets wins and losses (made two blogs ago). So far he’s four for four. Next two picks are shaky though, a Nuggets loss to the Nets, and a Dubs win against the Rockets, but I’m down with them.
Let’s try and put our frustrations in perspective. We are within 5 games of 1st place in the Western Conference. That means EVERYONE has gone through the same ups and downs through the season that we have. Every Western team has lost to bad teams and went on hot and cold streaks.
So believe it or not, according to our record, we have one of the best teams in the NBA. This season has been of the most intriguing seasons in NBA history and it feels great to be in the middle of it. It may be tiring and frustrating at times but one things for sure, it is never boring.
How huge is it that Nellie calls Ellis’ number to steady the ship. Monta comes in, does his slice-and-dice ginsu act, drops some silky mid-range magic and that’s game!
Pietrus, my man. Git ‘em Pete!
Those 2 drives by Goose were just after Nellie pulled him aside and was talking to him (and pointing down to the offensive end) on the sidelines. Who says he doesn’t develop young bigs?
Kosta to Kosta was a disturbing flashback of Mark Eaton chugging downcourt. Here’s hoping he becomes half the player.
Marco’s shot was smooth.
slo-mo replay
the sound of nothing
but net
Hey, Ginsu! Now that’s a name for Monta that I can accept. Anyone for Vegamatic?
I missed the game (Shark Tank, go Sharks!) but it looks like they played pretty well.
Now here comes the Octagon (stupid reference to the next 8 games on the FSN telecast on Tuesday).
4-4 would make me breathe easier about the playoffs. I think I’d be content w/ 3-5 and one of those wins being the Denver road game.
Here is the analysis of the W’s chances of beating out Denver for 8th spot… Assumes each team beats team below them in won/loss record and loses to those teams above…
Golden State Denver
21-Mar Hou L 21-Mar @NJ W
23-Mar @LAL L 23-Mar @Tor W
24-Mar LAL L 24-Mar @Mem W
27-Mar Port W 27-Mar Dal L
29-Mar @Den W 29-Mar GS L
30-Mar Dal L 31-Mar @Pho L
1-Apr @SA L 1-Apr Pho L
2-Apr @Dal L 5-Apr Sac W
4-Apr @Mem W 6-Apr @Sea W
6-Apr @NO L 8-Apr @LAC W
8-Apr Sac W 10-Apr @GS L
10-Apr Den W 12-Apr @Utah L
12-Apr LAC W 13-Apr Hou L
14-Apr @Pho L 16-Apr Mem W
16-Apr Sea W
Total Wins 42 + 7 =49 40 + 7 = 47
So the W’s should end up 2 games ahead… where they stand now..
Any projection based on expected wins for each game is crazy. Who would have predicted that Philly would beat Denver or Sacramento would beat the Warriors? Who would have predicted a four game losing streak for San Antonio? As long as you don’t take it seriously, no harm in it, but some teams are going to get hotter than before, some are going to choke. I hope the Warriors are one of the former - but who knows?
Adam
Thanks for the great insight again. My schedule has been busy so I have only had the newspapers to get updates as of late. I sure do hate now, how nearly every newspaper has the same articles with a different title. Got to come back to the blog for some real insight.
I’m predicting a 4 game losing streak for the Rockets & could very easily go 1-6 after their 22 game win streak. Rockets are coming back to earth just like the Blazers did. Rockets just don’t have enough firepower. The Celtics game exposed them.
The last two spots in the west are not between the dubs and Denver… the dubs, Nuggets, & Rockets will be battling for that last two spots.
Wow after 3 wins in a row against inferior competition, many were declaring the Nuggets the playoff team and our dubs out of it. The Nuggets are just as frustrating for their fans as the dubs are for us. Probably more so because the overall talent in Denver is better than what GS has. But Denver has a lot of guys that want their points and at times don’t play like a team. Houston and Denver will be battling, Houston has the lead, but Denver may pull it out. I predict a 7th seed for our dubs.
I love the fact that anything can still and will happen. You think by now we could pick wins and losses, but nope, top teams will lose to bottom teams, and yes this will go down to the last game but for positioning only. The W’s could move way up or slightly up in the standings, the Lakers could drop some too. The games will be played, with each game meaning a lot to each team. I’m glad we’re in the thick of it. It’s the NBA’s version of March Madness.
Anything can still happen as Gene says above. But I would take comfort in over 3games lead, 3.5 or above. With 15 games left, I say we are in.
Go Warriors !!
Boy will I be pissed if the W’s don’t make the playoffs. Just set up my new 47″ HD TV and saw my first W game last night. Man can Monte get in the air! Even my wife, who’s certainly not a sports fan, was amazed at how good the W’s looked. Maybe she’ll even agree to watch the W’s in the playoffs. Finally have something in common!
Take her to the Oracle vs the Mavs. Impossible not to get caught up in that energy and excitement.
Mr Mully:
3,000 mile commute. Worst of it will be paying Oracle parking fee!
Passion Man
Good points on BD and MP being motivated because of contract years.
In BD’s case I think some of the motivation is based upon a chance at going deep in the playoffs. You look at his history and his health status, and he was durable and played well in the years with a contender.
Last year he improved his conditioning based upon the “Nelson hype”, but this year he looks like a rock. I wish players like BD would play 100% whether the team is 42-24 or 24-42, but I still like what I see. Who knows, BD may become an ironman as long as he stays on a contender.
In reference to the less than stellar ESPN announcing crew…I watched the game on the local LA Clippers station (KCAL). If any W’s fan thinks we get no respect…the entire first half of the game the “home team” announcing crew kept going on and on about how explosive the W’s were…how amazing Monte’s drives and finishes were…how strong and unstoppable BD was… Pietrus’ emerging game… In fact…the pre-halftime tease where they do a graphic about the points they’ll be talking about? #1 was Analysis of the three barrage the W’s put up
#2 was an analysis of the W’s chances of hanging on to the 8th seed… Kid you not…Their tease did not even refernce the Clips… Wonder how Sir Charles would treat themmmm(if he even knows there’s another LA team??)
While on the topic of announcing crews, I’ve watched other teams’ crew, and they are boring compared to Fitz and Barnett. Houston, for example, has Clyde Drexler as their analyst. As much respect as I have for him as a former player, he is pretty dull as a broadcaster.
I watched the Sac game online and their announcers were more anemic than the Warriors offense that game. Seriously they were mother nature’s cure for insomnia. Their team was WINNING yet they showed no inflection in their voice, you’d think they were down by 30. But then again, it is Sacramento so I’m guessing any signs of excitement would invariably kill their thriving cow population.
I agree. I was watching the Sac broadcast and just decided to turn the volume all the way down. It was painful enough having to watch Artest punish our guys without having those 2 announcers punish my ears.
“All things considered, however, the more of that Brandan sees now, the better chance he’ll have of stopping it against, say, Utah or San Antonio.”
Huh? All those jonesing to see the ragdoll play in the post-season should line up now for summer league tickets. He won’t get a minute of floor time in the playoffs, unless the Ws are getting blown out.
Please note: these aren’t the superstar powerforwards of the West that are posterizing the ragdoll night after night. Its other ROOKIES.
Its time to get a grip and get behind the actual Ws that we’ll be going to war with. And start praying we get SA, and not the Lakers.
Once again, Adam leads off with a wonderful piece of writing (insightful, clever, thought-provoking)… this is just a great place to visit after every game.
WOW, what a game from Pietrus. His energy (especially on the glass) in the first quarter was fantastic, and I’d say contagious. The fact that he kept it up throughout his time on the floor was all the more inspiring. If he can continue to play like that- even if he doesn’t shoot quite as well- we’re going to have better energy as a team, and be more likely to get into our helter skelter style.
I don’t want to get too excited about where we are right now, however. The Clippers were completely out-manned, let’s face it. We still had to execute in order to keep them down (and I agree that Monta- MontA, not MontE, dammit!- was stellar in the 4th), but there was never really a doubt that we’d have enough at our disposal to polish them off. So, while it’s great to bounce back and once again avoid back-to-back losses, our upcoming schedule is going to test us to our limits. I’d like to think that we’ll have enough success on our own (along with some help from other teams knocking off our adversaries) in order to at least get the 8th spot, but I’d rather control my optimism and my emotion for now.
I thought Hubie Brown was better than usual last night. He seemed to have familiarized himself with the Warriors in a sincere way. In general, though, I agree- he’s kind of monotonous… but I’d rather listen to him and Tirico than Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins. The worst thing about these national broadcasts on ESPN and TNT, though, is that there’s no Comcast on-demand replay. :o/
The Clippers crew-Ralph Lawlor and Mike Smith-are two of the best. If you have League Pass, you’re much less likely to complain about Fitz and Barnett because most of the crews out there are either boring or just bad.
As far as “homer announcers”, David Stern was talking to the Portland annonncers a few weeks ago and flat out said that most announcers are instructed to be homers by their bosses.
The Houston guys said last week, “If you want the homer call, watch it with us instead of the national guys.”
Barnett is way more objective about foul calls than most commentators.
Ragdoll? Please.
I’ve also seen Andris drive the key a few times before. Teams know he is no threat to shoot from the high post, so they sometimes get careless about guarding him. If he’s got the ball and the lane clears out, he’s learning to take advantage of the opportunity.
Kosta was hustling so well, I thought he was Croshere for a moment!
Brian, I sympathize with your viewpoint, but it’s not realistic. College is not for everyone. I like that they give them that year (soon to be 2?) to encourage them to at least give it the “old college try”.
What I would like to see is a change to the rule that takes away their college eligibility. Guys who drop out and don’t even get drafted, or 2nd round picks that bomb out end up going overseas to play now. There should be some way to reinstate them, and give them a 2nd chance at a college education.
Where’s “NO PLAYOFFS” Cohan? Chewing on his chapeau?
Very thought provoking Petaluman…
My train of thought this morning was Mr OJ Mayo at USC. I don’t really understand why he should have to play one year at any college if his intent is to make the jump to the league anyway. I am not trying to institute a 4 year policy, I am just confused why these kids, their parents, coaches, and the school all pretend like there is no action plan when we all know that it is one and done for these kids.
My position is kind of an either or. Either make them do 4 years so that they get the education to fall back on, or let them make the jump and let the market dictate their value.
I feel like Mr Sterns policy is a pimp and ho situation where the school is the pimp and the blue chip player is the ho. And we all know whose pockets get fat in that relationship!
Adam, thank you for letting me get off topic for a bit…just trying to make sense of a policy that (to me) has no merit.
JanG,
i think your investment is safe.
but even if the Dubs don’t make the playoffs you are still set up in high def - no shame in that.
isn’t it kinda funny when our spouses start liking our teams for really random reasons. at least it saves fighting over the remote!
So excited to see Marco play…..did anyone see his clutch shot !!!!
Then Kosta came in…..Tall, long, athletic….we could use him…..Fantastic.
Please Nellie….plsy these guys. and of course Kelenna and BW rock!
Don’t forget to play JaX!
Pietrus isn’t playing better because it’s a contract year. If it were as simple as turning on a switch, he would have played lights out before the trade deadline because he was desperate to get traded. Most players give it everything they have every night, but sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. Lot of psychology involved. It would be strange if you didn’t want to be a great player just for the joy of playing as well as to earn respect and a lot of money in the future, because if you play well, your financial future is assured. A few players are lazy and only bust their butts in a contract year - Erick Dampier comes to mind - but they are the exception. Certainly ego drives most players to be the best they can be, and Monta will get better every year regardless of his contract situation.
Great game last night…that’s how it should be on the daily soon. We get better the more everyone has a chance to shine and Coach Nellie provided the opportunities well last night. Tip of the cap on another win keeping us at one back to back loss since 0-6 and a bigger TIP of the hat for one win more than last year. And we’re not done yet. We can only try to improve ourselves daily and the Dubz are proving that to us. Great writeup Adam, one of your best this year. Hang on….
after a Dallas lost to the Celtics, and Utah getting killed by the L.A Losers this is how the standings look like: why settle for 8th if we can climb higher.
http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html
I think that you have to give Chris Mullin a lot of credit for exercising patience with MP, and not giving in to any of MP’s early silliness. I think we all saw the potential early on but Mickael was way too erratic, unfocused, and lacking in much basketball IQ. But Mully refused to give him up for any of Miami’s or Toronto’s junk, and refused to a offer a MLE contract that wasn’t totally deserved.
But it seems like MP is finally getting it. We will desperately need his energy, defensive ability and athleticism down the stretch. If he keeps this up through the playoffs (if we make it), do you think Chris will offer the full MLE to keep him? Will it be enough?
Just wondering. If the W’s nail down the 8th seed with three or four games left and they have a favorable matchup with the Number one seed, does Nelson
finally rest the starters, giving them maybe 20 minutes a games, and play the bench guys or do they try to get every win even though it really doesn’t benefit them? Do they trade the loss of momentum for some much needed rest for Baron, Monta, and Jax and playing time for Croshere, Wright, CJW, Perovic and Belinelli?
You write really well Adam! If you’re anywhere near as good a lawyer then you must have some happy clients!
kidkim2 Says:
March 20th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Where’s “NO PLAYOFFS” Cohan? Chewing on his chapeau?
No Playoffs.
Can’t disappoint my fanbase.
“So excited to see Marco play…..did anyone see his clutch shot !!!! ”
Yes, very clutch…when we were up by 20! But I guess you can call it clutch since as sparcely as he plays, any shot Marco shoots could be considered a ‘last second’ shot.
Interesting game tonight. We usually own the Rockettes but this is the new look, Yao-less version. I think the key will be containing Skip and BJack. If those two go off for big nights from beyond the arch we could be in trouble. Unfortunately for the Warriors though, I’m predicting a win tonight. Since I’m NEVER right go ahead and pencil in the L.
Nah, we’re back on track. We’ll torch ‘em.
I’m getting reassurance from CC? The same CC that predicted the Kings and Trailblazers to be serious playoff threats and has been proclaiming “No Playoffs” for most of the season? As much as I’d like to believe you my man your predictions hold about as much weight as mine right now, which doesn’t bode well for tonight’s game.
I know this is a little off the subject, but I’m still a little upset from what I had seen in the Clipper game and the state of the NBA in general. Was I the only one to witness Corey Maggette get the ball and drive right into the teeth (or dentures) of the W interior defense, and draw foul upon foul? Shades of Karl Malone getting to the line 15-20 times a game. This is not basketball. Places a huge burden on the defender to get ’set’ in an effort to draw the O foul. Otherwise, it’s a foul call every time despite being in great position. Saw it again last night in the Mavs-Celt game with Paul Pierce doing the same thing. I think the NBA needs to do something to prevent guys from barreling down the lane expecting to get foul calls. The arc at the basket only made it worse. If the Clips can do this against us, just think what Boozer, Duncan, Carmelo will do. And it’ll surely suck if AB and SJax get into early foul trouble in the playoffs.
CC
I am going to back your “No Play offs” cry except I am applying it to Utah. They are showing cracks in their armor and they finish with the toughest 6 games in the NBA. There is definately some wishful thinking at the root of my prediction, but how sweet would that be. Denver is down 3 losses to utah and GW is even.
If nothing else it would be great if the W’s and Utah finished in the 7 and 8 seeds to keep them apart until W. Finals.
So CC, wishful thinking is at the root of my prediction, what about you?
I never said the Kings and Blazers were “serious” playoff threats and I don’t think we are one, either.
I said the Blazers are a great young team that could make the playoffs this year and certainly next year. The Blazers will perhaps finish with a better record this year than the Warriors have had in about 15 years until now and this is despite losing the #1 pick in the draft for the year and having traded away their top rebounder and scorer from last year. Roy is for real. Aldridge just helped cost Paxson his job in Chicago.
I still call that good as a fan of the entire NBA and those who don’t have Warrior-Homer-itis, not my ear.
Sacto rocked us pretty good and may even finish at .500 on pure talent alone + Theus’ apparent ability. They also traded away almost the last vestige of their glory days and I believe I was pretty clear about their chances if they started making strong statements about their future direction by breaking up their veterans this year and playing youngsters like Hawes a lot.
If this is about misinterpreted “predictions,” your interests run far too narrow for me.
We’ll kill the Hot Rockets tonight as they come plummeting back to earth thanks to the crushing gravity of the Black Hole where their Land Mass once stood. They can’t run with us and Adelman is on Nellie’s list of favorite b___es.
He’ll pull the Avery and mess his pants.
See now if you gave that full explanation of all your arguments maybe there wouldn’t be so much room for misinterpretation. The fact that most of your comments come in quick one-liners leaves your meaning open for interpretation and apparent misunderstandings.
But I agree for the most part, especially on Portland. Add Oden(if he can ever maintain health) to that mix of young guns, PLUS a lottery pick this year and you have a team built for long term success. Unfortunately for them that ‘if Oden stays healthy’ caveat is a pretty darn big if considering he has failed to do it for 2 straight years now. Human beings are not meant to be 7 feet tall hence the numerous durability issues of such players. For the sake of the league I hope he can stay healthy but for some reason I think he will be more Brad Daugherty than Hakeem Olajuwon.
Sac on the other hand is a clusterfudge of agendas. If they were going rebuilding mode than why are they holding onto BMiller and Artest? If they’re playing to win than why are they playing Hawes significant minutes. They are stuck in the limbo of mediocrity bunking with the Clips.
And hey I agree with you, I think the Dubs will win, unfortunately my prediction of success is usually a death sentence. Hopefully by calling out my jinx, I am reverse jinxing and…ah nevermind, I’m too supersticious for my own good. Go Warriors!
Mully,
Miller is there because he’s still very good and because he’s the most appropriate active NBA player to teach Spencer Hawes how to be really good within his abilities. The Kings are playing their veterans all of the time, not sure what you’re talking about. They’re 10 games ahead of the Clippers and can finish with a .500 record. If they’re tanking, the Warriors are in even worse trouble than I thought after the way the Kings tanked all over us the other night.
Really incredible that Hawes, who is already a Miller clone in many ways, will have access to him for his early years and won’t have to do too much too soon. Miller is a fairly compensated “good King” who is an asset, not a liability. Bibby was the opposite of all of that.
Moving Bibby ends all of the worst of Sacramento’s issues. Artest is ridiculously cheap for being a top-30 NBA player and might be a sign-and-trade option. If so, he’d be an outstanding one. No one was offering much for him as long as the Kings (wisely) tried to ditch Thomas or Rahim’s contract in any deal of Artest.
Something to keep the pot bubbling before tonight’s game:
Booed loudly the first time he played in Utah this season, ex-Jazz guard Derek Fisher of the Lakers — who asked out of his contract with the Jazz last summer, citing his young daughter’s battle with cancer — received a few more cheers than jeers during pre-game introductions Thursday. Fisher was, however, mildly booed each time he touched the ball in the opening quarter. Afterward, Bryant — who slammed the ball to the floor at the final whistle — suggested that reception from late November was not forgotten. ‘I’m very upset,’ he said in a TNT interview. ‘You know, the last time we came out here they booed Derek — for no reason. I (said) this morning it was very personal.’”
Less than a year after basking in the feel-good glow of Fisher’s return from his daughter’s bedside to play the Warriors, Jazz fans are now booing him. Maybe they can throw in a few racial slurs for good measure, as some fans directed towards Davis, Richardson, and Jackson during the playoffs. Assuming we squeak into the playoffs, part of me would love a chance to play the Jazz — despite our constant struggles against them — if only for a chance to settle the score.
Ever lived in Salt Lake City?
You’d be angry, too.
Keep your predictions coming CC. When things get slow, it keeps the adrenaline going. All the cranky replies to your posts are not that interesting to me, but the humorous (usually well-deserved, IMHO) putdowns and off the wall comments they inspire add a certain literary quality to the blog, and keep things interesting. So keep it up, somebody out there loves you..
Pbob20:
Utah has a 6 game lead over Denver. They’re in. Not only that, (if I understand the seeding rules correctly) they are guaranteed at least the #4 seed for winning the NW Division.
Steve in Concord:
It is extremely unlikely the Dubs will be in the PO’s with 4 games to go. (Maybe with 3 if they can finish a sweep of Denver on Apr 10). It is even more unlikely that their PO matchup will be defined at that time. Also, if they somehow secure the PO’s with 4 games to go, they will surely be in a position to make some serious seeding improvement The Apr 14 game against Phoenix could be critical. I’m thinking that best case, Nellie rests his starters in the final game against Seattle.
Regarding tonight’s game, I think McGrady is going to have a field night. That’s ok since he won’t beat us. The guy I’m afraid of is Battier (with his all around game). I rate the game a toss-up.
Adam
Great point. I would especially love that opportunity if the W’s and Utah come in as 7 and 8 seeds, being that it would come in the Western Conf finals.
Im getting way ahead of myself but think about that. Right now the crazy Western conference could easily have the 7th and 8th seeds playing for the chance to play in the finals this year. I don’t think that has ever happened. Even crazier those two teams could be the Spurs vs the Suns or the W’s vs Dallas. Crazy.
They booed a guy who needed out of his contract in order to provide his daughter with proper medical care. A guy who flew in as fast as possible to play in a game directly after his daughter underwent procedures that could have endangered her life. Classy. Maybe they thought their Spiritual healings should’ve sufficed.
At least they have good guys to cheer for now unlike that scurge DFish. Like Carlos Boozer who stuck a dagger in the back of his blind former owner. Or AK47 who has a once a year green flag to cheat on his wife. But what am I saying, blindness is punishment for sinners and Mormons believe the idea of one wife is too restrictive anyhow.
Was I being cranky? I thought I was AGREEING with him yeesh. Where’s GHC when u need him.
Royk…get a room.
I agree. Anyone who would boo DFish is a loser…
TVFan
First off, I said my Utah prediction is based on wishful thinking and I wouldn’t bet a dime on it, especially since they have 8 home games and 4 road games left.
That said, UTah would have to finish behind Denver for it to work. THey are 4 games ahead of Denver, but only 3 in the loss column. And they have one remaining game with Denver (which could tie the series).
At this time of year I think looking at the loss column as the best indicator. Utah is tied for 6th place with two other teams with 25 losses.
The only way this happens is if Utah loses any of their next three home games against weak teams. IF they do, Denver has a shot, and you heard it here first.
My mistake. Utah is up by 4 not 6.
I think they still are guaranteed the 4 seed if they win the NW though. Can anyone confirm?
Cohan’s greatest hits continued…
Sept 28, 12:43 p.m.
Cohan’s over/under:
41 wins
Oct 17, 9:06 a.m.
“Cohan’s over/under stands…42”
Oct 17, 12:00 p.m.
If a hair better than .500 ball over the whole season seems like a pessimistic outlook to you…you’re on the happy juice.
.500ish is a 7th or 8th seed this year.”
TV Fan - Division winners are guarenteed at least a #4 seed, so either the Jazz or Nuggets would have that spot
Contrast Utah fan booing to Roaracle receptions for JR, Foyle and even Webber homecomings. Worlds apart.
Be careful what you wish for Adam…Sloan is still too smart for Nellie’s tricks. He has bigger, stronger and better-trained players, and despite the loss to LA, they’re very strong at home. But you knew all that.
Only way we win ANY series is if we play way over our heads. I’m still waiting for the Warriors to push the intensity switch on. Clippers was not an indicator, just an expected win against a depleted team. Tonight against Houston would be good point to start playing really serious basketball. 15 games left. Going 8-7 would get us to 50 wins, unbelievable! Do better than that and you’re talking very good mojo heading into the playoffs. Everybody strapped in?
Don’t forget our main man Funleavy!
Big night tonight to say the least. Denver has a very winnable game in New Jersey and both the Lakers and Spurs have home games against sub-500 teams. We have the game of the night and need to win to keep pace. With a win tonight, we go into our back2back with the lakers 4.5 games behind them for the division lead. Tonight is the start of the most exciting portion of our season prior to the start of the playoffs. I’ve circled this final 15 games on the schedule (10 against Western Conference playoff contenders) as our time to shine and prove to everyone - that means you Cohan - that this team is ready for a follow up to last years playoff run. No one - that means you Cohan - will be able to call our playoff position a fluke this year.
Cohan’s over/under for today:
42 wins.
When more teams in the West are over .600 than are under .500, .600 is the new .500. Sorry to burst GHC’s NBA nincompoop archivist bubble but them’s the facts: we got trashed by a sub-.500 team in the heat of a struggle to make the 8th seed and we play like crap regularly.
Homers of the World, unite!
Valr - The Warriors are about as serious as they play. They’re seriously great one night, then seriously not so good on another night. But they have managed to win a bunch this year.
I think they booed Fisher in Utah, because he wanted out of there to care for his daughter and when he got his wish almost immediately signed with the Lakers. They felt slighted. As far as playing the Jazz goes, Nellie would have to come up with a few new tricks to put them and Sloan on their collective heels. It’s not impossible, but it will take some creativity. Meantime, tonight should be a very competitive game with the home crowd helping us get the win.
“When more teams in the West are over .600 than are under .500, .600 is the new .500.”
You’re starting to sound like Hollinger reconfiguring his statistics to validate his previous proclamations.
“10 games ahead of the Clippers and can finish with a .500 record.”
“we got trashed by a sub-.500 team in the heat of a struggle ”
On one hand you use the King’s record to validate them for the sake of your argument but then use that same record to discredit the Warriors recent efforts for(ding ding ding) the sake of your argument.
GHC doesn’t have to work too hard to find the hypocrisy in your arguments today.
On a lighter note I’m with Rouk…your presence here is a delight
Beware of Scola tonight. This guy is very fundamentally sound and likes to bang inside. I think his resurgence is one of the reasons for their recent success.
Love to see a BD slam right in the face of Mutumbo and then a finger wagging. Would that excite the crowd!
You sure u wanna see Scola’s botoxed face and DiMummy Mutumbo on HD JG? Your significant other might swear off basketball for good!
No Mully, .500 is still a percentage.
If you still need me to hook more phonics for you, just consider .500 the new .400 in the West this year and call it a day. Your brain will thank you and your mean spirit (Mr. Holier-than-thou) can return to its delusions of grandeur.
Mr Mully:
Fortunately the sig other will not be watching tonight but thanks for the concern. She likes Marco. I however would love to see Mutumbo posterized before he retires.
Yeah that made absolutely no sense but sure, if u say so.
In honor of Good Friday, let’s make peace and share bread
Cohan - can’t you just admit that you were wrong? Many of us made preditions on here and all of us who have, have been wrong at one point or another. At the begining of the season we gave our preditions for how many wins we would have this year. You said 41 or 42 and chided those of us that predited higher, calling us homers or saying we were on the happy juice, drinking the koolaid, yada yada yada. You were wrong. Period. End of discussion. Now you want to discredit our record by saying that because the West is so strong it doesn’t mean as much. Talk about a nincompoop. If the west is stronger, that means our record means more because if we were as bad as you said we were we would have a worse record, not the opposite. Get a clue, buddy.
Losses to Sub-.500 Teams
Nuggets: Sixers; Buck; Bulls; Hawks; Bobcats; Pacers; Clippers; Knicks
Warriors: Kings; Bobcats; Hawks; Bulls; Timberwolves; Pacers; Nets; Clippers
Suns: Sixers; Timberwolves x2; Clippers; Heat; Hawks
Spurs: Sixers; Sonics; Grizzlies; Kings
Rockets: Sixers x2; Kings; Heat; Grizzlies
Mavs: Hawks; Pacers; Bucks; Kings; Nets; Sixers
Lakers: Bucks; Nets; Hawks; Kings
Hornets: Pacers; Timberwolves; Kings
Jazz: Pacers; Knicks; Kings x2; Hawks; Bobcats; Heat; Clippers; Timberwolves; Bulls; Nets
So as you can see, Cohan, many of the teams have lost to sub-.500 teams, and all of these teams are struggling to maintain or gain playoff position. And it’s not a coinsidence that the teams that lost more games to sub-.500 teams (i.e., Jazz (10), Warriors (8), Nuggets (8)) are all toward the bottom of the playoff standings. Those games are really the difference between the #1 spot and sitting outside the playoffs at #9. Everone has been pretty consistant with the wins/losses to +.500 teams.
Nice try though…
No, the West is actually weaker, Nevin. The East sucks a lot and the West has beaten up on it. But the West has multiple Western playoff teams with losing road records, losing records against “.500″ teams, and terrible defense like the Warriors and Jazz play.
Meanwhile, I’m only wrong if the board isn’t hopping.
85 and counting…
I wanna see mad chin gristle at the O tonight, so click the link and rock some whiskers!
http://www.fearthebeard.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/diy_cutout_beard.pdf
Pass it on…
Chris Cohan Says:
March 21st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
“Your brain will thank you and your mean spirit (Mr. Holier-than-thou) can return to its delusions of grandeur”
Wow…talk about the pot and the freakin’ kettle. Mean spirit? Holier-than-thou???? DELUSIONS!!!??? **scratching head in disgust** I mean, c’mon! Really??
Nevin, why not take up some more aliases so your obsession with me can be more interesting?
Adam, I think your Utah rant has sparked copycat crimes on the board today.
Nevin, I can’t help it if irony makes you mad.
Awww so the truth comes out. CC must be Adam’s alter, demonic ego placed here for the lone purpose of spewing senseless negativity in hopes of inciting responses which lead to more hits and therefore more success!!!
SNEAKY! Adam I knew you were a lawyer but this plot was waaaaay nefarious. Brilliant, yet dastardly.
^^^Was in response to…
“Meanwhile, I’m only wrong if the board isn’t hopping.
85 and counting…”
Brian,
There’s no certainty that OJ Mayo will make it big, although it seems likely. My concern is for all the kids who are not quite as good as they think they are. There are far more of them than the instant out-of-HS success stories, we just don’t know their names.
Look at our team, though. BW dropped out after 1 year, 1st round pick, and looks like he’ll stick. POB was a 1st rounder after his 2nd year, but his future in the NBA is definitely cloudy. KA declared for the draft after 3 years and went unselected. He managed to play his way in via the NBDL, but few have managed to do that so far.
I’d be OK with saying they could only re-enter college BB once to keep guys from declaring every year, but a guy like POB could definitely benefit from a couple more years of instruction, both on and off the court. Kelenna might well have gone back too, if that had been a possibility. Do you think he’s any more visible in the D-League than he would have been at Kentucky?
As to the Warriors, we are now at 42 wins, the same as last year. We still have 17 games left, though! We’re also 9-1 in games decided by 3 points or less. According to GL, this accounts for our current advantage over Denver:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/warriors/ci_8649237
Sorry to perseverate on this idiot Utah fans topic (it’s Adam’s fault!) but I want to make this debatable comment—
Without Fisher’s clutch shooting and veteran leadership last year, Warriors might have stolen the series from the Jazz.
GAME 1 in Utah came down to the wire. Fisher DNP. We lost in the end BECAUSE of missed freethrows.
GAME 2, Fisher comes straight from the airport from NY, scores 5 points in the second half while still obviously dazed by life’s cruel realities. He provided a huge emotional lift for the Jazz in a close game.
GAME 4 in Oakland: Fisher scored 21 points, dealt 5 assists, and got 3 rebounds to seal a PIVOTAL road win for the Jazz to go up 3-1 heading back to Utah.
Game 5 in Utah: 20 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. When we tried to rally back, he calmly shot us down repeatedly with his HOT 4 out of 5 3-point shooting. He got BD mad enough who later clotheslined poor Dee Brown. The Warriors were exhausted and more importantly psychologically beaten.
Even Sloan admits they have missed him this year. Last summer Fisher helped calm down Kobe who was yapping about a trade. Saying that he’s had a little to do with their success down in LA is an understatement. Fisher is a true professional. And he took a pay cut because FAMILY COMES FIRST.
Tells you how clueless those fans are. Yeah, I admit it. I would love nothing more than to spite those idiot fans too.
Okay I’m done. Sorry to rant. Go Warriors!
Nov 11, 9:43 a.m.
“The West only got better and the Warriors only got worse.”
Now boys! Thought this was a blog about the Warriors. Getting a little personal, wouldn’t you say. Swimming too deep in a sea of testosterone.
On Houston: One key is to cut off the head of this snake — that is Rafer ‘Skip 2 My Lou’ Alston. Play very good individual D on him. Don’t make Skippy look like a superstar tonight.
Then of course clamp down on McGrady. Make him work hard all night long.
Thats anothe