These games are perhaps the most difficult to blog about. There were several inspiring performances tonight, but none matter because at the end of the day it really comes down to wins and losses. Thus far, the Warriors have played two really close games, both of which they led in the final minutes, and yet lost both. 0-2 in the tough western conference. Luckily our next two games are against somewhat weaker opponents, and there's still plenty of time to recoup, but you just can't help but think, "What If?"
I think the biggest positive tonight was the defense. Aside from the occasional lapse in position or assignment, our man to man ball defense was pretty good. It was good in Game 1 as well, however I became very annoyed of the countless switches. Today still had its fair share of switching on defense but it didn't hurt us like it did in Game 1. I hope this defense continues because down the road teams will look at us and have to game plan around our solid D, particularly in the paint where it seems Turiaf makes it a dead end for the opposition game in and game out.
There were two major weaknesses tonight that really worry me for future games.
1. We obviously have a major issue with our PG situation, and it's really taking a toll on how we run our offense. First of all 18 turnovers is just too much for such a close game. It's inexplicable. More importantly, we lacked a capable floor general down the stretch when we really needed some ball movement and penetration. The last 7 or 8 possessions all had the same basic flaw: no movement at all, and everyone standing around watching one man ISO againt the Raptors. Our success earlier in the game was a result of ball movement and cross-court swinging that got us open shots. This one-on-one basketball, particularly at the end of games where refs like to keep their whistles to themselves, in not smart basketball.
2. Depth- Again, it's one of our supposedly biggest strengths and again Nelson has been reluctant to play anyone other than our main 6 guys consistently. Maggette, Biedrins, Jackson, and Harrington all logged 43+ minutes with a game tommorrow night. That's unacceptable. I understood the first game was opening night and Nelson was trying to steal a game from a great team, but I don't think that excuse really holds up tonight. I'm looking forward to Belinelli and Wright getting 10+ minutes each against New Jersey tomorrow night.
Final Comment: I'd hate to say it but I think we aren't being coached properly. Nelson held an excellent training camp and clearly instilled some defensive identity within these Warriors, but the offense has seriously lacked any potency at all. I don't know how we can actually scare teams, the way we play without a PG the majority of the game, and how we play Iso-basketball every other possession. Down the stretch I think Nelson needs to call some more plays rather than just let Jackson and Maggette take whatever shot they want.
Top Performances
1. Al Harrington- I'm not giving this to him as much for his 26 points as I am for his 11 rebounds. Any time he grabs 8 or more boards I'm excited. And it helped too as we actually out-rebounded the Raptors and their twin towers.
2.Kelenna Azubuike- I didn't mention him last time, but off the bench he and Turiaf have been ridiculously consistent and helpful. I love this guy's game because he boards, takes it to the rack, and can finish. When our offense starts to cool down it's a real boost to the team to have him make one of his plays.
3. Andris Biedrins- This guy has been so consistent the past year or so, his only problem has been staying on the court. I think our offense is much more efficient when we actually use him as opposed to late game situations when he's invisible (there's reasoning of course because he can't hit a free throw but why not use him to at least give someone else a pick).
31 October, 2008
29 October, 2008
Game 1: Hornets 108 Warriors 103
Well, it was an intriguing game to say the least. On opening night, the Golden State Warriors put up a heck of fight, but ultimately fell to their favored opponent 108-103. Questions circled the team heading into the contest on and off the court, and to be honest I think a lot was left unanswered. With Al Harrington seemingly demanding a trade in recent days, and some trade speculation floating around regarding Stephen Jackson and the Detroit Pistons, who knew what to really expect on opening night? I'll try to break down what we learned tonight.
I was hoping that after tonight, I would grasp what the Warriors identity would be this year without Baron Davis and Monta Ellis (for now), but I have a strong feeling that what happened tonight was not indicative of what's left to come for the remainder of the season:
-Are we a fastbreak team anymore? I assumed we still would be heading into the season, and maybe we still are, but tonight the Warriors didn't show any of the fastbreak Nellie offense we saw last season. To be honest, this game actually had some of the most half court offense I've seen from a Nellie-team period. Aside from a few pushed rebounds, the Warriors looked to secure the rebound first, wait for the defenders to clear out, and then slowly bring up the ball. That's not what we're accustomed to in Oakland, and I'm not sure it was really a good thing. Obviously we won't know more until we see this offense further, but I'm not at all excited about us playing one-on-one offense the majority of the time from a halfcourt set. If halfcourt basketball is what Nellie wants, I'd prefer to see more set plays.
-What are we doing on defense? Sure, we got some stops here and there, but I lost count of how many times Andris got switched on a screen and was matched up with Chris Paul. I understand in the past Nellie and the Warriors have used alot of switching on defense, but the idea of Demarcus Nelson on Hilton Armstrong or Tyson Chandler, or even Biedrins on Paul is ludicrous. Nellie claims he spent the entire training camp working on the defense, and I do see some improvements: Our zone was effective in the short amount of time that we used it, and our on the ball defense individually wasn't bad (although David West just continued to hit turn around after turn around). I just refuse to believe the plan for the rest of the season is to continue switching the way we do.
-Another thing we saw tonight was Nellie's lack of use of our new-found depth. I highly doubt this was indicative of the rest of the season simply because Nellie saw we had a chance to upset a great team on opening night, and he didn't want to risk blowing it by putting any of the youngsters in. NO, JACKSON WILL NOT PLAY 48 MINUTES A GAME! I strongly believe we will use the depth we have as a huge asset, it just wasn't in the gameplan tonight.
-Jackson played a large majority of the time at PG tonight, and if that's the plan for the rest of the season I think we're in trouble. Sooner or later teams are going to catch on that we lack ball handlers, and I think if they set a few more traps, pressure the ball more, and heck, even press us, we're going to be in a lot of trouble. For that reason, I think we need to limit Jackson's minutes at the one as a precaution against teams who decide to challenge our ball handling abilities without a PG on the floor.
All in all though, the Warriors obviously put up a good performance, one that Warriors fans can appreciate. We played well against excellent competition, and that sends a message around the league that even though we are without Baron and Monta (for now) we can still compete with the best out there. Like I said though, we still have alot to learn about this Warriors team as I don't think this game exactly previews the rest of the season by any means.
I'll end the post with something new, being that this is the first game of the season... I'm introducing my top 3 individual Warriors performances of the night, which will be highlighting things you may or may not have noticed as key performances.
1) Maggette- 27 pts and 8 boards. He was huge tonight and was our go-to guy besides Jackson. When he had to leave because of foul trouble, we really struggled.
2) Jackson- Where would we be tonight without Jackson? Led the team in assists with 5 and made 5 threes. He finished with 26 points as well.
3) Turiaf- With Biedrins in foul trouble, Turiaf had to come in and have a good game. Even though he didn't score, his defense was huge and he finished the game with 4 blocks, 4 boards, and 3 assists. This is something we sorely lacked last year off the bench. Great pickup.
27 October, 2008
Final Week of PreSeason
Notes before I Begin
-Sorry for the delay in blogging. Had a week of 3 midterms which equals HELL
-Had a dilemma with getting my blog out there. Some people in forums don't take blog marketing lightly. My view is heck, we're all Warriors fans, I'm not promoting on anything but Warriors sites... People on Warriors sites go there for information/discussion/analysis on anything Warriors related. Why wouldn't they want to hear about another blog where they can get go to for information? And also, no one is forcing anyone to come here. I do it for the fans. But that's fine... I've decided I will continue running the blog even if only a handful of people read it. No harm No Foul.
The Preseason Finale-- The Warriors won 126-106 against a non-nba team (Lietuvos Rytas). Jackson demonstrated once again he was the go-to guy, whether that be good or bad, and finished with 28 points. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that he's been surpringly accurate thus far in the preseason from the 3pt line and beyond, and that could be huge if driving down the lane starts to fail and he begins forcing way too many turnovers. I won't say much more on this as it's already late and most people have already gotten over this one, but I'd like to point out that neither PG really demonstrated they were ready to take the starting spot over (although Nelson did grab a team high 8 boards). Also, our youngster Wright and Belinelli were solid. Wright had another 15 point game, and Marco interestingly only had 2 points but 5 assists and 5 rebounds. I wouldn't seeing a few of those types of games out of Marco, showing us he's not just a shooter. He looked to be creating for others and with Baron gone we could use as much of that as possible from every player on our roster...
Open Practice-- I wasn't there as I'm in school in San Diego but from what I hear Jackson again demonstrated he's far and away the best player on the roster. More importantly however it seems Randolph had a very aggressive showing. Going back to the final preseason game, Don Nelson mentioned it would be dress rehearsal for the regular season. If that's the truth, then it seems all the youngsters will be given a chance, atleast in the beginning of the year, to get into the rotation. In particular, Randolph and Wright both getting 15 minutes a game would be great. If nothing else I would hope to see them aggressive and active for the entire time. They won't be needing to conserve as much energy as say, Jackson or Maggette. Lastly, Marcus Williams had an excellent offensive showing in which he scored 25+ odd points, and yet after the practice Nelson completely dissed him. I believe one reporter said something like wow, Marcus was impressive tonight, and Nelly replied, he was? Than you weren't watching the same game I was. Very interesting to see how we gave a pick for a guy who's already in Nelly's doghouse.
Final Words-- The roster is set. Kurz was recently cut despite his heroic performance over in China. That means we're keeping both Morrow and Williams, but doesn't necessarily mean we'll play them both very much, if at all. Opening night is Wednesday at Oracle Arena, 7:30pm and we open up the season with a tough game against New Orleans. I'd love to see Demarcus Nelson open up the year with a stellar defensive performance on Chris Paul but I'm sure that's wishful thinking... Feel free to post any predictions or any other wishful thoughts before the game. Don't forget to check back here Wednesday Night for the recap.
-Sorry for the delay in blogging. Had a week of 3 midterms which equals HELL
-Had a dilemma with getting my blog out there. Some people in forums don't take blog marketing lightly. My view is heck, we're all Warriors fans, I'm not promoting on anything but Warriors sites... People on Warriors sites go there for information/discussion/analysis on anything Warriors related. Why wouldn't they want to hear about another blog where they can get go to for information? And also, no one is forcing anyone to come here. I do it for the fans. But that's fine... I've decided I will continue running the blog even if only a handful of people read it. No harm No Foul.
The Preseason Finale-- The Warriors won 126-106 against a non-nba team (Lietuvos Rytas). Jackson demonstrated once again he was the go-to guy, whether that be good or bad, and finished with 28 points. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that he's been surpringly accurate thus far in the preseason from the 3pt line and beyond, and that could be huge if driving down the lane starts to fail and he begins forcing way too many turnovers. I won't say much more on this as it's already late and most people have already gotten over this one, but I'd like to point out that neither PG really demonstrated they were ready to take the starting spot over (although Nelson did grab a team high 8 boards). Also, our youngster Wright and Belinelli were solid. Wright had another 15 point game, and Marco interestingly only had 2 points but 5 assists and 5 rebounds. I wouldn't seeing a few of those types of games out of Marco, showing us he's not just a shooter. He looked to be creating for others and with Baron gone we could use as much of that as possible from every player on our roster...
Open Practice-- I wasn't there as I'm in school in San Diego but from what I hear Jackson again demonstrated he's far and away the best player on the roster. More importantly however it seems Randolph had a very aggressive showing. Going back to the final preseason game, Don Nelson mentioned it would be dress rehearsal for the regular season. If that's the truth, then it seems all the youngsters will be given a chance, atleast in the beginning of the year, to get into the rotation. In particular, Randolph and Wright both getting 15 minutes a game would be great. If nothing else I would hope to see them aggressive and active for the entire time. They won't be needing to conserve as much energy as say, Jackson or Maggette. Lastly, Marcus Williams had an excellent offensive showing in which he scored 25+ odd points, and yet after the practice Nelson completely dissed him. I believe one reporter said something like wow, Marcus was impressive tonight, and Nelly replied, he was? Than you weren't watching the same game I was. Very interesting to see how we gave a pick for a guy who's already in Nelly's doghouse.
Final Words-- The roster is set. Kurz was recently cut despite his heroic performance over in China. That means we're keeping both Morrow and Williams, but doesn't necessarily mean we'll play them both very much, if at all. Opening night is Wednesday at Oracle Arena, 7:30pm and we open up the season with a tough game against New Orleans. I'd love to see Demarcus Nelson open up the year with a stellar defensive performance on Chris Paul but I'm sure that's wishful thinking... Feel free to post any predictions or any other wishful thoughts before the game. Don't forget to check back here Wednesday Night for the recap.
17 October, 2008
Warriors and Bucks in China Part 2
WHAT A PRESEASON FINISH
In a game that probably ended later at night in California than any other game in many years, The Warriors lost 108-106 on a shot by Matt Freije with 1.4 seconds left (right after Kurz tied the game at 106 with a 3 pointer). BUT WAIT!!! With 1.4 seconds left Kurz gets the ball again and drains another 3 pointer at the buzzer!!! WARRIORS WIN!!!
That's gotta be good for business over there in China. Gave the folks a great game and made everyone happy. But for the Warriors, eh. It's cool to see, but the reality is Kurz has little to no chance of making this roster, so although the outcome isn't meaningless, it just isn't that big of a deal. There were, however, many points to take back from a very interesting game, and I'll get straight to it.
PG Issue-
Marcus Williams started the game, played 7 minutes, and had a turnover. We didn't see him again (we even saw Dickau). In the second half we saw Watson and Nelson start the game at 1 and 2 respectively, and it was more or less a success. The Warriors went on a 6-0 run on two buckets from Nelson and one from Watson and Milwaukee was forced to call a timeout. It was very fun to watch.
Both guys had pretty good games. CJ finished with 14 points and 7 assists on 4-13 shooting while Demarcus finished with 10 points and 2 assists including a rim-raddling JAM on a fastbreak with Richard Jefferson all over him. CJ got the assists tonight but I still liked Nelson's game. Excellent defense, a ton of penetration in the paint, and he set up guys for would-be assists, the shots just didnt go in.
Jackson-
Good game, he made 5 threes and finished with 24 points. I don't understand why he played 30+ minutes again. I'd hate to see him burnt out late in the year. I also caught him a few times doing what he do OH so many times last year: walking back on Defense while the opponent gets some transition game going. He also got a technical in the 3rd quarter. Not very spectacular
Maggette-
Quick note here: Again, he's an absolute beast, and I question who the best post player on this team is. Is it Biedrins or Maggette? Because it seemed like all his buckets came down low and he was getting position all night. It was great to see.
Biedrins-
He had a solid night so I'll mention it. I think he's gonna be HUGE for us this year and the people who don't already appreciate him, will definitly appreciate him very soon. He finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds
The Young Guns-
Randolph and Wright both had pretty solid games. Randolph had a very interesting game with only 4 points, but 4 blocks 3 assists and 9 boards. The announcers were very impressed with his game and also compared him to Wright, who they feel to a large extent fills the same role. I think right now that may be the case, but in the long run, I see Randolph as a SF. Brandan played well too, finishing with an aggressive 14 points and 4 boards.
Sadly, Belinelli again was a complete no show. He only played 5 minutes so maybe it's not all his fault.
That's all for now. My lasting impression tonight was Demarcus Nelson, whose game I'm really starting to love. I can't wait to see this team in some meaningful games though. I really want to see Maggette and Biedrins exposed for an entire game, as well as hopefully a better effort with the ball. Tonight we saw the Warriors commit 28 turnovers in a rather sloppy pre-season game. It gives us glimpses of the future but I don't think that's something we should start worrying about TOO much at this point.
Until Tuesday's next game, post some comments on what you thought of the action
In a game that probably ended later at night in California than any other game in many years, The Warriors lost 108-106 on a shot by Matt Freije with 1.4 seconds left (right after Kurz tied the game at 106 with a 3 pointer). BUT WAIT!!! With 1.4 seconds left Kurz gets the ball again and drains another 3 pointer at the buzzer!!! WARRIORS WIN!!!
That's gotta be good for business over there in China. Gave the folks a great game and made everyone happy. But for the Warriors, eh. It's cool to see, but the reality is Kurz has little to no chance of making this roster, so although the outcome isn't meaningless, it just isn't that big of a deal. There were, however, many points to take back from a very interesting game, and I'll get straight to it.
PG Issue-
Marcus Williams started the game, played 7 minutes, and had a turnover. We didn't see him again (we even saw Dickau). In the second half we saw Watson and Nelson start the game at 1 and 2 respectively, and it was more or less a success. The Warriors went on a 6-0 run on two buckets from Nelson and one from Watson and Milwaukee was forced to call a timeout. It was very fun to watch.
Both guys had pretty good games. CJ finished with 14 points and 7 assists on 4-13 shooting while Demarcus finished with 10 points and 2 assists including a rim-raddling JAM on a fastbreak with Richard Jefferson all over him. CJ got the assists tonight but I still liked Nelson's game. Excellent defense, a ton of penetration in the paint, and he set up guys for would-be assists, the shots just didnt go in.
Jackson-
Good game, he made 5 threes and finished with 24 points. I don't understand why he played 30+ minutes again. I'd hate to see him burnt out late in the year. I also caught him a few times doing what he do OH so many times last year: walking back on Defense while the opponent gets some transition game going. He also got a technical in the 3rd quarter. Not very spectacular
Maggette-
Quick note here: Again, he's an absolute beast, and I question who the best post player on this team is. Is it Biedrins or Maggette? Because it seemed like all his buckets came down low and he was getting position all night. It was great to see.
Biedrins-
He had a solid night so I'll mention it. I think he's gonna be HUGE for us this year and the people who don't already appreciate him, will definitly appreciate him very soon. He finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds
The Young Guns-
Randolph and Wright both had pretty solid games. Randolph had a very interesting game with only 4 points, but 4 blocks 3 assists and 9 boards. The announcers were very impressed with his game and also compared him to Wright, who they feel to a large extent fills the same role. I think right now that may be the case, but in the long run, I see Randolph as a SF. Brandan played well too, finishing with an aggressive 14 points and 4 boards.
Sadly, Belinelli again was a complete no show. He only played 5 minutes so maybe it's not all his fault.
That's all for now. My lasting impression tonight was Demarcus Nelson, whose game I'm really starting to love. I can't wait to see this team in some meaningful games though. I really want to see Maggette and Biedrins exposed for an entire game, as well as hopefully a better effort with the ball. Tonight we saw the Warriors commit 28 turnovers in a rather sloppy pre-season game. It gives us glimpses of the future but I don't think that's something we should start worrying about TOO much at this point.
Until Tuesday's next game, post some comments on what you thought of the action
15 October, 2008
Bucks and Warriors in China (Game 1)
Bucks and Warriors-- TV Impressions
The Warriors first televised preseason game of the season ended in a 98-94 victory in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks today, and although the game ended in a defeat for the "home" Warriors, it was still great actually seeing them in action for the first time. To be honest, I glanced at the boxscore before the 6pm showing, I just had to! But I noticed many different things when I watched the game, so I'll give you a boxscore vs. television analysis since it's not everyday a game takes place at 5am and then "again" at 6pm.
Numbers may be deceiving?
-Boxscore
My first impression upon reading the boxscore was this: Damn Belinelli, the streakiest shooter who ever lived went from 2 good games to zilch points and no assists in this one. OK OK, I know that looks bad when you first look. And it does. How can a starting SG take 6 shots, not make any, not get to the free throw line, and not make any plays for anyone else. Maybe that explains the lack of minutes?
-TV
Ok yes, it was a bad performance, but not THAT bad. It's not like he ruined the game for the Warriors out there. He just seemed non-existent. He was a catch-and-shoot player and happened to misfire on all his attempts. Not that it's saying much but there were a few I thought could've easily gone in but that's not the point. What interests me is on any given night he could've gone 5/6 and started the quarter out with 11 or 14 points and we'd have a 12 point lead going into the 2nd quarter. What I'm trying to argue here is once in a while it would be nice, assuming his defense isn't THAT MUCH of a liability, to start him or get him in games early JUST TO CHECK if it's going to be "One of those nights" or not. He could be lethal, and if not, pull him after 3 or 4 shots. Just like we saw tonight, if he has an off night it won't kill us. We still won the most important quarter 27-18 with Marco starting
PG Issue
Boxscore-
Just like 3 of the 4 previous preseason games, you can't take much from the boxscore. I noticed Marcus Williams didn't play and I'll comment on that later
TV-
Neither really stood out to play particularly well. I give no edge to either, however I'll throw it out there that CJ seemed to have alot of mistakes, including 6 fouls and and some shot clock violations.
Maggette
ALL THE BOXSCORES THUS FAR-
I noticed he was good, but he didn't really stand out on paper or anything because, well, I hadn't seen him yet
TV-
I hope it's not just me thinking this, but my god, Maggette is going to be huge for this year. He just seemed to make EVERYTHING look so easy. He literally dominated everyone without taking the game away from any other Warriors. I think this is the case where Baron's departure helps. Rather than Baron overdribbling for 12 seconds of the shotclock, we can have some more ball movement with a lack of a PG, and hopefully this will give Maggette MANY opportunities to attack the basket. This, hopefully, will increase our offensive efficiency in the long run, even though we won't have that clutch playmaker in the final minute.
Miscellaneous Notes
Some things I didn't need to compare vs. boxscore that I thought were important enough to mention
-I'm glad to see Morrow out there. He did what Bellinelli should've. He hit shots, and after a miss he took it to the rack and got to the free throw line. Good to see.
-Azubuike had another great game, again showing how deep we can really be this year, even if a couple of guys have an off game.
-Brandan Wright was solid and very active. Took quite a few shots, and made many. He also had 3 blocks
-And on a last side note, I really enjoyed Jackson's leadership tonight. He didn't play but he was cheering the team on from the bench the whole night long and it was great to see. I think a Baron-less Warriors team will need leadership like that from a guy like Stephen Jackson
The Warriors first televised preseason game of the season ended in a 98-94 victory in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks today, and although the game ended in a defeat for the "home" Warriors, it was still great actually seeing them in action for the first time. To be honest, I glanced at the boxscore before the 6pm showing, I just had to! But I noticed many different things when I watched the game, so I'll give you a boxscore vs. television analysis since it's not everyday a game takes place at 5am and then "again" at 6pm.
Numbers may be deceiving?
-Boxscore
My first impression upon reading the boxscore was this: Damn Belinelli, the streakiest shooter who ever lived went from 2 good games to zilch points and no assists in this one. OK OK, I know that looks bad when you first look. And it does. How can a starting SG take 6 shots, not make any, not get to the free throw line, and not make any plays for anyone else. Maybe that explains the lack of minutes?
-TV
Ok yes, it was a bad performance, but not THAT bad. It's not like he ruined the game for the Warriors out there. He just seemed non-existent. He was a catch-and-shoot player and happened to misfire on all his attempts. Not that it's saying much but there were a few I thought could've easily gone in but that's not the point. What interests me is on any given night he could've gone 5/6 and started the quarter out with 11 or 14 points and we'd have a 12 point lead going into the 2nd quarter. What I'm trying to argue here is once in a while it would be nice, assuming his defense isn't THAT MUCH of a liability, to start him or get him in games early JUST TO CHECK if it's going to be "One of those nights" or not. He could be lethal, and if not, pull him after 3 or 4 shots. Just like we saw tonight, if he has an off night it won't kill us. We still won the most important quarter 27-18 with Marco starting
PG Issue
Boxscore-
Just like 3 of the 4 previous preseason games, you can't take much from the boxscore. I noticed Marcus Williams didn't play and I'll comment on that later
TV-
Neither really stood out to play particularly well. I give no edge to either, however I'll throw it out there that CJ seemed to have alot of mistakes, including 6 fouls and and some shot clock violations.
Maggette
ALL THE BOXSCORES THUS FAR-
I noticed he was good, but he didn't really stand out on paper or anything because, well, I hadn't seen him yet
TV-
I hope it's not just me thinking this, but my god, Maggette is going to be huge for this year. He just seemed to make EVERYTHING look so easy. He literally dominated everyone without taking the game away from any other Warriors. I think this is the case where Baron's departure helps. Rather than Baron overdribbling for 12 seconds of the shotclock, we can have some more ball movement with a lack of a PG, and hopefully this will give Maggette MANY opportunities to attack the basket. This, hopefully, will increase our offensive efficiency in the long run, even though we won't have that clutch playmaker in the final minute.
Miscellaneous Notes
Some things I didn't need to compare vs. boxscore that I thought were important enough to mention
-I'm glad to see Morrow out there. He did what Bellinelli should've. He hit shots, and after a miss he took it to the rack and got to the free throw line. Good to see.
-Azubuike had another great game, again showing how deep we can really be this year, even if a couple of guys have an off game.
-Brandan Wright was solid and very active. Took quite a few shots, and made many. He also had 3 blocks
-And on a last side note, I really enjoyed Jackson's leadership tonight. He didn't play but he was cheering the team on from the bench the whole night long and it was great to see. I think a Baron-less Warriors team will need leadership like that from a guy like Stephen Jackson
14 October, 2008
GamePlan: Warriors in China
This is strictly an FYI post:
-The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic tommorrow (October 15) at 5am Pacific.
-For those of you, like me, who can't watch the game live, it will be re-aired on ESPN2 the same day at 6pm pacific.
- What I will do is just save all the commentary until after I've actually seen the tape delay version at 6pm, so even though everyone will already know the score, I'll try and watch it without glancing at the numbers before-hand.
-The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic tommorrow (October 15) at 5am Pacific.
-For those of you, like me, who can't watch the game live, it will be re-aired on ESPN2 the same day at 6pm pacific.
- What I will do is just save all the commentary until after I've actually seen the tape delay version at 6pm, so even though everyone will already know the score, I'll try and watch it without glancing at the numbers before-hand.
11 October, 2008
PreSeason: Thunder 102, Warriors 122
Hmmm, that's two encouraging pre-season games in a row. I know, its just another pre-season game, and I know, it's just the Oklahoma City Thunder. But on a night when it seemed like The "Thunder" started and played all their big time players (Wilcox came off the bench, and I'm not sure if that's the plan for the regular season or not but nonetheless all their go-to guys got minutes), and the Warriors sat Biedrins and Maggette (and heck, at some point this season we'll have Ellis so you can even say we were missing 3 key people), it seemed like the Warriors were clearly a superior team.
I think any game against Oklahoma City where Durant plays 34 minutes plus, you have to figure it was a serious game. And even without Biedrins and Maggette, and for those of you taking notes even Kelenna Azubuike, it seemed like the Warriors handled every aspect of the game. To be honest, there are very few things to complain about in the Warriors second straight preseason game, and so this time (unlike last), I'm just going to focus on the positives since their are so many things to point out.
Just like in the previous preseason games, I think the minutes that need the most analysis are in the 1st quarter. And here we go:
1st Quarter
-The game started off 13-2 in favor of the Warriors which included two quick 3 pointers from a starting Marco Bellinelli. Maybe we should just start him every game to see if he's hot enough to get us out to a quick start? I'm kidding but encouraged nonethelss.
-More Marco Belinelli: Ended the quarter with 11 points, leading the game at the time.
-I think the pace was very quick. Every few seconds we were running a 3 on 2 or 4 on 3 break. The more I see us run without Baron the more encouraged I am, even though we don't have that PG problem fixed yet. If we can keep the tempo up, we won't need Baron to make some of the difficult drives and fadeaway jumpshots that saved our halfcourt offense many times last season
-Evidence to back up the last point: We finished the quarter with 37 points and only allowed 28. We had 70 by halftime.
And other Miscellaneous Notes:
-Bellinelli one more time- Not only did he lead the team in points, but Barnett pointed out several times that he was playing excellent defense on Kevin Durant. Not seeing the game personally, I can't put my finger on that but if it's true then that's the thing that will catupult him into real games during the regular season. He finished a very respectable 8-13 for 22 points and he added in 6 assists.
-Best PG performance thus far? Demarcus Nelson. He's the best defender of the four, but today he showed a little bit of everything. Barnett really fell in love with his game and personally claimed that he believes he'll make the Warriors team now. And if nothing else, he's guaranteed a spot on another NBA team. My thoughts: We have no PG. If he's guaranteed a spot on another team, and not on ours, that would be strange. We currently have no PG. If any team in the NBA needed someone like him, it'd be us. If his defense is as good as scouts have been saying, and offensively he continues what he started tonight, I'll be in favor of it.
-Richard Hendrix: This was the first glimpse we've seen of him and it was exactly what I wanted from a second round pick. The first thing I thought of when we drafted him was of course Brandon Bass, Paul Millsap, those undersized PFs that give the Warriors so much trouble. Well he did just that against the Thunder posting 12 points and 13 boards in 22 minutes of action
-Lastly, any game Harrington gets 9 boards I have to point it out. I liked his activity this game, and these are about the number I think we'd all like to see from him game in and game out. 16 points and 9 boards. 0-4 from three unforotunately but the activity in the paint is what the Warriors are really looking to get out of him.
One last note as I could probably talk about every player on the roster for this game: I think Warriors fans have got to be pleased with the depth of the roster this year. Coming into the season we assumed it would be good but with the Warriors, you just never know. But thus far, the results have been pretty good. Unlike the last two seasons, I think the Warriors can comfortably use a 10 man rotation, and that's really going to help down the stretch.
Please post a comment with your thoughts so we can get some discussion going. It was a fun game, now let's discuss it before the team goes to China to face the Bucks and we have a completely different impression on the team (hopefully not).
I think any game against Oklahoma City where Durant plays 34 minutes plus, you have to figure it was a serious game. And even without Biedrins and Maggette, and for those of you taking notes even Kelenna Azubuike, it seemed like the Warriors handled every aspect of the game. To be honest, there are very few things to complain about in the Warriors second straight preseason game, and so this time (unlike last), I'm just going to focus on the positives since their are so many things to point out.
Just like in the previous preseason games, I think the minutes that need the most analysis are in the 1st quarter. And here we go:
1st Quarter
-The game started off 13-2 in favor of the Warriors which included two quick 3 pointers from a starting Marco Bellinelli. Maybe we should just start him every game to see if he's hot enough to get us out to a quick start? I'm kidding but encouraged nonethelss.
-More Marco Belinelli: Ended the quarter with 11 points, leading the game at the time.
-I think the pace was very quick. Every few seconds we were running a 3 on 2 or 4 on 3 break. The more I see us run without Baron the more encouraged I am, even though we don't have that PG problem fixed yet. If we can keep the tempo up, we won't need Baron to make some of the difficult drives and fadeaway jumpshots that saved our halfcourt offense many times last season
-Evidence to back up the last point: We finished the quarter with 37 points and only allowed 28. We had 70 by halftime.
And other Miscellaneous Notes:
-Bellinelli one more time- Not only did he lead the team in points, but Barnett pointed out several times that he was playing excellent defense on Kevin Durant. Not seeing the game personally, I can't put my finger on that but if it's true then that's the thing that will catupult him into real games during the regular season. He finished a very respectable 8-13 for 22 points and he added in 6 assists.
-Best PG performance thus far? Demarcus Nelson. He's the best defender of the four, but today he showed a little bit of everything. Barnett really fell in love with his game and personally claimed that he believes he'll make the Warriors team now. And if nothing else, he's guaranteed a spot on another NBA team. My thoughts: We have no PG. If he's guaranteed a spot on another team, and not on ours, that would be strange. We currently have no PG. If any team in the NBA needed someone like him, it'd be us. If his defense is as good as scouts have been saying, and offensively he continues what he started tonight, I'll be in favor of it.
-Richard Hendrix: This was the first glimpse we've seen of him and it was exactly what I wanted from a second round pick. The first thing I thought of when we drafted him was of course Brandon Bass, Paul Millsap, those undersized PFs that give the Warriors so much trouble. Well he did just that against the Thunder posting 12 points and 13 boards in 22 minutes of action
-Lastly, any game Harrington gets 9 boards I have to point it out. I liked his activity this game, and these are about the number I think we'd all like to see from him game in and game out. 16 points and 9 boards. 0-4 from three unforotunately but the activity in the paint is what the Warriors are really looking to get out of him.
One last note as I could probably talk about every player on the roster for this game: I think Warriors fans have got to be pleased with the depth of the roster this year. Coming into the season we assumed it would be good but with the Warriors, you just never know. But thus far, the results have been pretty good. Unlike the last two seasons, I think the Warriors can comfortably use a 10 man rotation, and that's really going to help down the stretch.
Please post a comment with your thoughts so we can get some discussion going. It was a fun game, now let's discuss it before the team goes to China to face the Bucks and we have a completely different impression on the team (hopefully not).
08 October, 2008
Preseason Excitement: Warriors at Blazers
Preseason Excitement: Warriors at Blazers
Well, looks like someone's been reading my blog after all huh? After a few days of bloggers/reporters concerns regarding Brandan Wright after his 9 minute "performance" in the Warriors first preseason game of the year, he answered back with an inspiring (albeit still was a preseason game) 16 points on 6-10 shooting and 5 rebounds in their 110-95 victory over the Portland Trailblazers.
Although it was just a preseason game, there's alot that Warriors fans can take back from this game on a promising note for the rest of the season. Not only did the Warriors win a game against a Western Conference opponent that many people are already claiming to be a powerhouse for years to come, they also had a key turnover advantage and several excellent performances from some of their role players. Now, the former must certainly be taken lightly seeing as how Brandon Roy got a nice DNP and the two guards who started had a combined 11 TO's, but nonetheless this game was an accomplishment that the Warriors needed.
Here's some things that stood out
-When looking at a preseason game, the 1st quarter is always most important. It was a fast paced, good scoring quarter in which we went about even with a really good team. Applause. However, Portland was out their main man B. Roy and I felt they didn't give Andris nearly enough touches in that first quarter. I was looking forward to seeing whether Oden's size would bother Andris offensively, but he wasn't given the opportunity until later in the game. He finished 5-6 shooting with 13 points in 18 minutes. I'm really starting to look forward to giving this guy more touches as he's becoming more and more consistent. Maybe Nellie will someday get the 23 and 12 (or something like that) that Andris was getting in the Euroleague when he was the focus of the offense.
-The fast pace and turnover forcing Warriors are tough to beat. When we made our runs last year with Baron Davis, they came in large part as a result of swarming defense and quick hands that led to turnovers, fastbreaks, and momentum shifts. The more we play like that, the more encouraged I am that we'll be OK (just ok) without Davis
-And then ofcourse, the individual performances: Brandan Wright and Kelenna Azubuike. Since I've already spoken about Wright (I owed it to him to put it at the top of the blog), I'll dedicate this portion to Buike. He was more aggressive tonight than he was in their first Preseason Game, and you know what? I like it. When Buike decides to take the game into his own hands he can be rather scary. He can shoot, drive, and muscle his way with some rebounds and putbacks. He's much more valuable to the team on nights like these then when he's just floating around on the 3pt line. He had a great overall performance and also led the team with a +19 +/- which I thought was worth recognizing even though plenty of that came in the 4th quarter.
I'll end on one negative note. Since it's still preseason I can't just totally praise the wins without much questioning (in the regular season, I'll take a win any way I can get it). The one thing that's still a concern is the PG play. Watson didn't play tonight, and Williams started with Dickau spelling him. Neither was very effective. Dickau had the better numbers with 8 pts, 4 steals, and 5 boards, but it still wasn't encouraging enough to say that our PG play tonight was good. The PG's kept the tempo up which they need to every night, but I'd like to see them create more opportunities for their teammates down the stretch. A combined 3 assists is just not going to get it done.
That's for all Preseason Game 2. Please feel free to drop a comment if you agree disagree or just want to discuss. Thanks
Well, looks like someone's been reading my blog after all huh? After a few days of bloggers/reporters concerns regarding Brandan Wright after his 9 minute "performance" in the Warriors first preseason game of the year, he answered back with an inspiring (albeit still was a preseason game) 16 points on 6-10 shooting and 5 rebounds in their 110-95 victory over the Portland Trailblazers.
Although it was just a preseason game, there's alot that Warriors fans can take back from this game on a promising note for the rest of the season. Not only did the Warriors win a game against a Western Conference opponent that many people are already claiming to be a powerhouse for years to come, they also had a key turnover advantage and several excellent performances from some of their role players. Now, the former must certainly be taken lightly seeing as how Brandon Roy got a nice DNP and the two guards who started had a combined 11 TO's, but nonetheless this game was an accomplishment that the Warriors needed.
Here's some things that stood out
-When looking at a preseason game, the 1st quarter is always most important. It was a fast paced, good scoring quarter in which we went about even with a really good team. Applause. However, Portland was out their main man B. Roy and I felt they didn't give Andris nearly enough touches in that first quarter. I was looking forward to seeing whether Oden's size would bother Andris offensively, but he wasn't given the opportunity until later in the game. He finished 5-6 shooting with 13 points in 18 minutes. I'm really starting to look forward to giving this guy more touches as he's becoming more and more consistent. Maybe Nellie will someday get the 23 and 12 (or something like that) that Andris was getting in the Euroleague when he was the focus of the offense.
-The fast pace and turnover forcing Warriors are tough to beat. When we made our runs last year with Baron Davis, they came in large part as a result of swarming defense and quick hands that led to turnovers, fastbreaks, and momentum shifts. The more we play like that, the more encouraged I am that we'll be OK (just ok) without Davis
-And then ofcourse, the individual performances: Brandan Wright and Kelenna Azubuike. Since I've already spoken about Wright (I owed it to him to put it at the top of the blog), I'll dedicate this portion to Buike. He was more aggressive tonight than he was in their first Preseason Game, and you know what? I like it. When Buike decides to take the game into his own hands he can be rather scary. He can shoot, drive, and muscle his way with some rebounds and putbacks. He's much more valuable to the team on nights like these then when he's just floating around on the 3pt line. He had a great overall performance and also led the team with a +19 +/- which I thought was worth recognizing even though plenty of that came in the 4th quarter.
I'll end on one negative note. Since it's still preseason I can't just totally praise the wins without much questioning (in the regular season, I'll take a win any way I can get it). The one thing that's still a concern is the PG play. Watson didn't play tonight, and Williams started with Dickau spelling him. Neither was very effective. Dickau had the better numbers with 8 pts, 4 steals, and 5 boards, but it still wasn't encouraging enough to say that our PG play tonight was good. The PG's kept the tempo up which they need to every night, but I'd like to see them create more opportunities for their teammates down the stretch. A combined 3 assists is just not going to get it done.
That's for all Preseason Game 2. Please feel free to drop a comment if you agree disagree or just want to discuss. Thanks
Brandan Wright--Another Opinion
Brandan Wright-- Another Opinion
Quick Entry, just thought this might add to the previous post but it was a little too much to just throw in there. Reading through Hollinger's PER rankings for the upcoming season, I came across something that literally shocked me.
"2007-08 season: I'm trying to stop myself from getting too excited since it was only 377 minutes, but man ... this guy looked fantastic, and I'm a little puzzled as to why he didn't play more. Wright scored at a decent clip and shot 55.4 percent from the floor, plus he blocked over two shots per 40 minutes and had a low turnover ratio. He was a tweener last year because he lacks strength and is a poor outside shooter, but as he fills out he'll be a very capable power forward.
Scouting report: A long left-hander, Wright is an excellent finisher around the basket and has the reach to be a serious pest at the defensive end. He only played one year of college ball and is still refining his skills -- most notably his outside shot, but he also needs to get better at drawing fouls and learn how to use his quickness advantage to beat bigger players off one dribble. Right now most of his points come on transition run-outs and feeds at the basket, so he needs to learn how to score in more structured settings.
2008-09 outlook: Wright is an obvious breakout candidate who is likely to push Al Harrington for minutes at the power forward spot and may own the job himself by the end of the season. It's not quite clear how his game will fit into Don Nelson's system if he has a major role, as both Wright and Andris Biedrins are non-shooters and Nelly likes to space the floor with 3-point options, but Wright is too good to keep out of the lineup for long."
Wow, he seems really high on Wright. Obviously he's not at practice everyday like Nelson is, but we all know everything he says to the media has to do with motivation. He's probably trying to send Wright a message to get his act together before the regular season tips off. Personally, I think Hollinger is overrating Wright a bit, but being a Warriors fan, I can't complain about it. There would be no better thing for Wright, than to develop into exactly what Hollinger thinks he can and will be. I guess we'll have to find out
Quick Entry, just thought this might add to the previous post but it was a little too much to just throw in there. Reading through Hollinger's PER rankings for the upcoming season, I came across something that literally shocked me.
Link to Wright's page by Hollinger
"2007-08 season: I'm trying to stop myself from getting too excited since it was only 377 minutes, but man ... this guy looked fantastic, and I'm a little puzzled as to why he didn't play more. Wright scored at a decent clip and shot 55.4 percent from the floor, plus he blocked over two shots per 40 minutes and had a low turnover ratio. He was a tweener last year because he lacks strength and is a poor outside shooter, but as he fills out he'll be a very capable power forward.
Scouting report: A long left-hander, Wright is an excellent finisher around the basket and has the reach to be a serious pest at the defensive end. He only played one year of college ball and is still refining his skills -- most notably his outside shot, but he also needs to get better at drawing fouls and learn how to use his quickness advantage to beat bigger players off one dribble. Right now most of his points come on transition run-outs and feeds at the basket, so he needs to learn how to score in more structured settings.
2008-09 outlook: Wright is an obvious breakout candidate who is likely to push Al Harrington for minutes at the power forward spot and may own the job himself by the end of the season. It's not quite clear how his game will fit into Don Nelson's system if he has a major role, as both Wright and Andris Biedrins are non-shooters and Nelly likes to space the floor with 3-point options, but Wright is too good to keep out of the lineup for long."
Wow, he seems really high on Wright. Obviously he's not at practice everyday like Nelson is, but we all know everything he says to the media has to do with motivation. He's probably trying to send Wright a message to get his act together before the regular season tips off. Personally, I think Hollinger is overrating Wright a bit, but being a Warriors fan, I can't complain about it. There would be no better thing for Wright, than to develop into exactly what Hollinger thinks he can and will be. I guess we'll have to find out
07 October, 2008
Anthony Randolph vs. Brandan Wright
Anthony Randolph vs. Brandan Wright
Reading through my regular Blogs/Sports Websites today, I came across something very misleading and thought it was worth a post (No Worries everyone, The preseason game 2 recap will be available tommorrow shortly after the game so stay tuned.)
Check out these two links and tell me what you think...
Straight from Matt Steinmetz blog at the Golden State Warriors Examiner:
http://www.examiner.com/x-441-Golden-State-Warriors-Examiner~y2008m10d7-Don-Nelson-says-that-Anthony-Randolph-is-ahead-of-Brandan-Wright-in-Warriors-rotation?cid=examiner-email
and the feature story over on the Golden State Warriors official website:
http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/belinelli_wright_feature_0808.html
Any contradictions? Well, don't blame the marketing team over there in Oakland. This is a case of plain old Nellie, be it for better or worse. While the Golden State Warriors are busy promoting how Bellinelli and Wright are ready to take bigger roles in their 2nd years, Steinmetz is quoting Nellie saying that Randolph is much further along than Wright, and that Wright needs to step up his game and show he can play. Furthermore, the evidence of Bellinelli taking a larger role was backed by the article, saying how he just led the team in scoring in the first game. Wright's evidence? "Wright, meanwhile, was aggressive all game, showing that he knows he needs to work hard to earn an expanded role. " ...hmmmm, not exactly inspiring is it?
Should we as Warriors fans have something to worry here about Brandan Wright? Maybe. Nelson pointed out that his toe has been bothering him, which must've been the reason he was held out of practice the day the media came to watch which I alluded to in a previous post. On the other hand, I just think it's harder for Wright to really stand out in training camp the way Randolph has because they're such different types of players. Brandan Wright let's the game come to him and his game consists of doing all the little things right, whereas Randolph is the opposite. If he let the game just come to him he'd probably be out of the league rather quickly. Randolph's strengths are with him creating offense with the ball in his hands, and using his extreme athletic ability for a 6'10'' power forward as a mismatch game in and game out.
Ultimately, I think we'll begin to see more as the season goes on. It's not training camp anymore and if Randolph continues to turn the ball over like he has in real games since he's been a Warrior, he'll find himself behind Wright in the rotation as long as Wright consistently does those little things right. Hopefully he gets more of an opportunity do so though, seeing as he played the fewer minutes than Demarcus Nelson in their openener. That'll have to change.
Reading through my regular Blogs/Sports Websites today, I came across something very misleading and thought it was worth a post (No Worries everyone, The preseason game 2 recap will be available tommorrow shortly after the game so stay tuned.)
Check out these two links and tell me what you think...
Straight from Matt Steinmetz blog at the Golden State Warriors Examiner:
http://www.examiner.com/x-441-Golden-State-Warriors-Examiner~y2008m10d7-Don-Nelson-says-that-Anthony-Randolph-is-ahead-of-Brandan-Wright-in-Warriors-rotation?cid=examiner-email
and the feature story over on the Golden State Warriors official website:
http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/belinelli_wright_feature_0808.html
Any contradictions? Well, don't blame the marketing team over there in Oakland. This is a case of plain old Nellie, be it for better or worse. While the Golden State Warriors are busy promoting how Bellinelli and Wright are ready to take bigger roles in their 2nd years, Steinmetz is quoting Nellie saying that Randolph is much further along than Wright, and that Wright needs to step up his game and show he can play. Furthermore, the evidence of Bellinelli taking a larger role was backed by the article, saying how he just led the team in scoring in the first game. Wright's evidence? "Wright, meanwhile, was aggressive all game, showing that he knows he needs to work hard to earn an expanded role. " ...hmmmm, not exactly inspiring is it?
Should we as Warriors fans have something to worry here about Brandan Wright? Maybe. Nelson pointed out that his toe has been bothering him, which must've been the reason he was held out of practice the day the media came to watch which I alluded to in a previous post. On the other hand, I just think it's harder for Wright to really stand out in training camp the way Randolph has because they're such different types of players. Brandan Wright let's the game come to him and his game consists of doing all the little things right, whereas Randolph is the opposite. If he let the game just come to him he'd probably be out of the league rather quickly. Randolph's strengths are with him creating offense with the ball in his hands, and using his extreme athletic ability for a 6'10'' power forward as a mismatch game in and game out.
Ultimately, I think we'll begin to see more as the season goes on. It's not training camp anymore and if Randolph continues to turn the ball over like he has in real games since he's been a Warrior, he'll find himself behind Wright in the rotation as long as Wright consistently does those little things right. Hopefully he gets more of an opportunity do so though, seeing as he played the fewer minutes than Demarcus Nelson in their openener. That'll have to change.
05 October, 2008
Preseason Game 1-- Warriors at Hornets
Preseason Game 1-- Warriors at Hornets
Finally, after months of thirst for Warriors basketball, the first preseason game is over with. The final score in New Orleans was Warriors 103 Hornets 106 in an entertaining opening to the season that ended with an Anthony Morrow missed 3pt shot that would've sent the game into Overtime. As entertaining as that sounds, let's try and keep our blood pressure low as it was only (and obviously... see: 19 turnovers) a preseason game, one which certainly looked (or sounded, since it wasn't broadcasted on television) like one through most of the game.
It's really hard to get a thorough analysis of a preseason game (particularly the first one), when it wasn't even broadcasted on television. So please, take the following analysis with a grain of salt.
The game started out great for the Warriors as they started off with a 6-0 lead for the first 2 and half minutes to start out the season in another ballclub's house. I'd rather focus on that first quarter, and some on the third as well, because those represent the closest to real-game situations.
A few notes on the first quarter:
1. As Nelson had previously stated, CJ Watson started the game at PG (although Williams did play about the same amount of time despite not starting and supposedly spraining an ankle in the last practice before the game.
2.Harrington seemed very active early on, which I found interesting considering the coaching staff for the second year in a row were claiming Harrington was having a very strong camp. Even though his numbers in the end certainly weren't impressive (4-11 fg, 1-4 3pfg, 11 points and 3 boards), I like the activity to start off the season.
3. It looks like even though we're without Baron Davis, the tempo didn't slow down at all with the starters, which is indicative by the 27 points we put on the board and the emphasis the commentators put on our break-neck fast break offense.
4. Overall, I was encouraged by the first quarter because our starters played a good portion of it, as did the Hornets, and we came out on top. This is a good sign seeing as how we play this team in a "real" game to open up the regular season.
Miscellanous notes:
- I was not encouraged by the play of either PG, but particularly CJ Watson who started the game, played 20 minutes, and failed to register an assist. Atleast Williams had 3 assists and no turnovers, but that still isn't saying much. This is something that needs to be kept an eye on all preseason.
-Speaking of assists, what a game it looks like Turiaf turned in. Although the announcers didn't even mention it, which might mean that the assists were relatively unspectacular, Turiaf finished the game with 6 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists in only 24 minutes. I don't care if it's a preseason game, or if he got lucky, or whatever other excuse anyone tries to use to justify Turiaf's 7 assists, when your big man gets that many assists in only 24 minutes of action you gotta give him his credit.
-I'm already picturing the future and I'm scared... With Monta Ellis out for what seems like the first half of the season, Jackson is going to try and take his shots and whatever other shots Maggette leaves him to try and carry the load. His 4-12 shooting is hopefully not a sign of things to come. If so, we're gonna be in trouble.
-The game was lost, as many were last year, in the third quarter where we came out sluggish to start the half, and we let the other team get some momentum and build a run. We ended up only losing the quarter by 12, but we allowed 36 points which is way too high for a team that was focusing on defense all of training camp.
And finally news on the youngsters:
1. I'll take what I can get: Marco Bellinelli lead all Warriors with 14 pts on 5-10 shooting. More important were his 2-2 from the land of beyond as that's what I'm hoping he provides during his 4-5 minute stretches during the regular season.
2. Anthony Randolph showed us exactly what he did in the Summer League. The kid can play, which was demonstrated by his 6 pts and 6 boards, but gosh he turns over the ball WAY TOO MUCH. In 17 minutes he registered 4 turnovers.
3. Brandan Wright played less than Demarcus Nelson. Hopefully the reason is he's a little banged up still. During a training camp scrimmage open to the media he was seen sitting out. If that's not the reason than I have no clue what else it could be, but i hope it's not because he's falling down the Warriors bench.
Like I said, take it all with a grain of salt. It's the first preseason game. There's more to come. We could've lost this one 100-2 and I'd still be excited because it's just that time of year again. Can't wait to let you all know how the next game goes. Until then, feel free to drop by and post some comments or analysis on some of the things I might've missed
Finally, after months of thirst for Warriors basketball, the first preseason game is over with. The final score in New Orleans was Warriors 103 Hornets 106 in an entertaining opening to the season that ended with an Anthony Morrow missed 3pt shot that would've sent the game into Overtime. As entertaining as that sounds, let's try and keep our blood pressure low as it was only (and obviously... see: 19 turnovers) a preseason game, one which certainly looked (or sounded, since it wasn't broadcasted on television) like one through most of the game.
It's really hard to get a thorough analysis of a preseason game (particularly the first one), when it wasn't even broadcasted on television. So please, take the following analysis with a grain of salt.
The game started out great for the Warriors as they started off with a 6-0 lead for the first 2 and half minutes to start out the season in another ballclub's house. I'd rather focus on that first quarter, and some on the third as well, because those represent the closest to real-game situations.
A few notes on the first quarter:
1. As Nelson had previously stated, CJ Watson started the game at PG (although Williams did play about the same amount of time despite not starting and supposedly spraining an ankle in the last practice before the game.
2.Harrington seemed very active early on, which I found interesting considering the coaching staff for the second year in a row were claiming Harrington was having a very strong camp. Even though his numbers in the end certainly weren't impressive (4-11 fg, 1-4 3pfg, 11 points and 3 boards), I like the activity to start off the season.
3. It looks like even though we're without Baron Davis, the tempo didn't slow down at all with the starters, which is indicative by the 27 points we put on the board and the emphasis the commentators put on our break-neck fast break offense.
4. Overall, I was encouraged by the first quarter because our starters played a good portion of it, as did the Hornets, and we came out on top. This is a good sign seeing as how we play this team in a "real" game to open up the regular season.
Miscellanous notes:
- I was not encouraged by the play of either PG, but particularly CJ Watson who started the game, played 20 minutes, and failed to register an assist. Atleast Williams had 3 assists and no turnovers, but that still isn't saying much. This is something that needs to be kept an eye on all preseason.
-Speaking of assists, what a game it looks like Turiaf turned in. Although the announcers didn't even mention it, which might mean that the assists were relatively unspectacular, Turiaf finished the game with 6 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists in only 24 minutes. I don't care if it's a preseason game, or if he got lucky, or whatever other excuse anyone tries to use to justify Turiaf's 7 assists, when your big man gets that many assists in only 24 minutes of action you gotta give him his credit.
-I'm already picturing the future and I'm scared... With Monta Ellis out for what seems like the first half of the season, Jackson is going to try and take his shots and whatever other shots Maggette leaves him to try and carry the load. His 4-12 shooting is hopefully not a sign of things to come. If so, we're gonna be in trouble.
-The game was lost, as many were last year, in the third quarter where we came out sluggish to start the half, and we let the other team get some momentum and build a run. We ended up only losing the quarter by 12, but we allowed 36 points which is way too high for a team that was focusing on defense all of training camp.
And finally news on the youngsters:
1. I'll take what I can get: Marco Bellinelli lead all Warriors with 14 pts on 5-10 shooting. More important were his 2-2 from the land of beyond as that's what I'm hoping he provides during his 4-5 minute stretches during the regular season.
2. Anthony Randolph showed us exactly what he did in the Summer League. The kid can play, which was demonstrated by his 6 pts and 6 boards, but gosh he turns over the ball WAY TOO MUCH. In 17 minutes he registered 4 turnovers.
3. Brandan Wright played less than Demarcus Nelson. Hopefully the reason is he's a little banged up still. During a training camp scrimmage open to the media he was seen sitting out. If that's not the reason than I have no clue what else it could be, but i hope it's not because he's falling down the Warriors bench.
Like I said, take it all with a grain of salt. It's the first preseason game. There's more to come. We could've lost this one 100-2 and I'd still be excited because it's just that time of year again. Can't wait to let you all know how the next game goes. Until then, feel free to drop by and post some comments or analysis on some of the things I might've missed
Golden Arrival--The Beginning
Golden Arrival--The Beginning
Welcome Everyone
Excitement is upon us as a new season begins today (preseason ofcourse), and since the Golden State Warriors have the best fans in the NBA, I decided there was plenty of room for yet another Warrior blog for fans to read up on everyday. And here it is GOLDEN ARRIVAL
Being a Warriors fan for a long time now, I know how many Warriors blogs are out there, and I assure that this one in particular brings something different to the table. What's gonna go on here every gameday is something that I feel has lacked on other Blogs out there and it's something that alot of people are looking for: Game Recaps!
Yeah, my pet peeve about Warriors basketball is if I miss a game or am somewhat distracted during the game, knowing the result isn't nearly enough. I want to know everything from the major headlines, to the key small little things that lead to a win (hopefully), for instance a Turiaf pick and roll or a Biedrins block that shifts the momentum and leads to a big run by our Warriors. Heck, even seeing the game, people can come here and get another fan's impressions on the game. Win-Win for everybody (especially if the Warriors win)
So that's all for my introduction, feel free to drop any questions/comments/requests and I'll get to them ASAP. My work has already begun as I'm currently listening to the Warriors first Preseason game against the Hornets and I'll drop another entry once the game is over. Until then, Go Dubs!!!
Welcome Everyone
Excitement is upon us as a new season begins today (preseason ofcourse), and since the Golden State Warriors have the best fans in the NBA, I decided there was plenty of room for yet another Warrior blog for fans to read up on everyday. And here it is GOLDEN ARRIVAL
Being a Warriors fan for a long time now, I know how many Warriors blogs are out there, and I assure that this one in particular brings something different to the table. What's gonna go on here every gameday is something that I feel has lacked on other Blogs out there and it's something that alot of people are looking for: Game Recaps!
Yeah, my pet peeve about Warriors basketball is if I miss a game or am somewhat distracted during the game, knowing the result isn't nearly enough. I want to know everything from the major headlines, to the key small little things that lead to a win (hopefully), for instance a Turiaf pick and roll or a Biedrins block that shifts the momentum and leads to a big run by our Warriors. Heck, even seeing the game, people can come here and get another fan's impressions on the game. Win-Win for everybody (especially if the Warriors win)
So that's all for my introduction, feel free to drop any questions/comments/requests and I'll get to them ASAP. My work has already begun as I'm currently listening to the Warriors first Preseason game against the Hornets and I'll drop another entry once the game is over. Until then, Go Dubs!!!
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