Golden State Of Mind

Happy 6th Birthday, SB Nation!!! Congrats to Tyler and the entire SB Nation fam! For those of you...

2009-11-10T23:19:04Z

Happy 6th Birthday, SB Nation!!!
Congrats to Tyler and the entire SB Nation fam!

For those of you counting at home GSoM will turn 4 in a few short months. For those of you who go way back to our Golden State Warriors BLOG days this whole project turns 5 next May. My how time flies when you're counting NBA lottery balls!

RECAP: Warriors 146, Timberwolves 105 - There's no I in TEAM

2009-11-10T07:18:39Z

More photos » by Rocky Widner - NBAE/Getty Images

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Boxscore

Preview/ Game Thread (1150+ Comments)

We have to be sure to not get carried away with tonight's game. All that we've established is this:

Western Conference Power Rankings (updated)
14. Golden State Warriors
15. Memphis Grizzlies
16. Minnesota Timberwolves

I'm not trying to take anything away from the Warriors, they played dominant, amazing basketball tonight. I'm just worried that the success is more a result of the opponent and that the Warriors won't consistently play with this level of effort and intensity.

Hit the jump for some more thoughts.

Can we play the Timberwolves for 82 games?

All the things that the Warriors had done the last 2 games against the Clippers and Kings are what the Timberwolves did tonight, but much worse. I mean it was ugly. Heck, Canis Hoopus, the SB Nation Twolves blog, started writing their recap with 1:50 left... in the 3rd quarter!

Like I said in the preview, there's not a whole lot to like on this Twolves team. I never got the sense that any of these players had ever played together before. There was zero chemistry on the floor.

Guards turned the ball over a lot: Flynn 6 TO's, Sessions 4 TO's, Pavlovic 4 TO's, Ellington 3 TO's.
Lazy passes: There was no zip on the ball. Just a lot of lob passes and passes to the wrong side of the man.
Guys not coming to the ball when passed to: You have to come and meet the ball when someone's passing you the ball. The Twolves players just stood and waited for the ball to get to them.
There was no sense of urgency. They looked like they had given up midway through the 2nd quarter.

T.E.A.M. - the acronym for success

This wasn't all about the Twolves sloppy play. It was actually more that the Warriors finally decided to play with some life.

Teamwork: It was amazing. It was as if they had the most amazing practice sometime between the Kings game and this one where they learned how to play with each other. All 10 Warrior players seemed to know where everyone else was going to be on offense. They moved without the ball and even looked to set each other up. Tonight made it seem like they actually want to play with each other.

Effort: The guys were all over the floor tonight. You could just see the difference. They played with energy, life, and passion. Players were making things happen on offense and defense just by staying active. They were in the passing lanes all night as well as putting pressure on the guards while doubling down on the big men. Check out this stat: leading rebounder for the Warriors? Monta Ellis with 10.

Assists: The ball was zipping around tonight. The Twolves defense never got comfortable as the Warriors moved the ball with ease - 36 assists to just 12 turnovers. 15 for Jack compared to just 3 turnovers. Even Corey Maggette passed the ball. Corey Maggette! If he's passing the ball, you know something is going right. Seriously though, props to Maggs for 11 points in 10 minutes. But I digress. The Twolves D had something to do with the excellent ball movement, but the Warriors put forth a major effort to move the ball around.

Minnesota: Clearly the most important ingredient for another team's success.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

One thing that worries me: How did Brian Cardinal block Monta Ellis on a fast break layup? Is the ankle 100%? Will it get back to 100%? There's no reason Brian Cardinal should be blocking your shot on a fast break.
The Warriors are only 2 games under .500. Yessss.
Kelenna Azubuike was ridiculous tonight. 31 points on 13-19 shooting. He couldn't miss in the first half.
I liked what I saw from Anthony Randolph tonight. It was probably his best game of the season. He attacked the basket under control and didn't try to do too much.
Acie Law with 5 steals 12 minutes? I like his hustle. He really works hard out there.
Morrow had a good shooting night but there's still something lacking about his game. He tends to disappear at times and his defense can still use a lot of help.
Like I said, this game was against the Twolves which proves almost nothing. The Warriors played great, but they have a lot to prove. They'll get their chance to prove it with the upcoming road trip without Andris Biedrins (out 2 weeks). @ Indiana, @ New York, @ Minnesota, @ Cleveland, @ Boston, vs Portland, @ Dallas, @ San Antonio, vs LA Lakers. Before anyone gets too optimistic, let's see how the Warriors look after this tough stretch of the schedule.

Sorry ladies, it's not Kelenna Azubuike. I'm going with Stephen Jackson.

Damn impressive game from Jax tonight. He was Steve Nash-like with his passes. The 15 assists in 3 quarters weren't simple passes. It wasn't a bunch of passes to Anthony Morrow standing wide open. He was threading the needle to the big men as they rolled through the lane. He was able to drive into the lane and create for others on the floor. And what was even better, he didn't force any shots tonight. I'm not sure what was going on, but he really increased his trade value tonight.

Final - 11.9.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Minnesota Timberwolves	29	26	22	28	105
Golden State Warriors	33	41	37	35	146

Complete Coverage >

Poll

Will the Warriors win more than 25 games?

GAME THREAD #6: Timberwolves vs Warriors - Battle of the Bottom Feeders

2009-11-09T19:30:32Z

Welcome to being a Warrior fan

Warriors: 1-4
Timberwolves: 1-6
Tip off: 7:30 pm
Radio: KNBR 680
TV: CSN Bay Area (do you really want to watch?)
Blog Buddy: Canis Hoopus

Ooooookaaaay. So much for starting hot out of the gate. Remember, this was the easy part of the schedule. It's going to get a lot harder soon. You know I didn't want to make the playoffs this season anyways. In fact, I didn't want the Warriors to win 20 games this season. Whatever. Stupid Laker fans, it's their fault. And Al Davis's fault. And I blame Bush. And Tim Kawakami. Actually, it's the economy. I blame it all on the economy.

So many questions, so few answers: Is Don Nelson tanking already? Is John Wall that good? When is Stephen Jackson going to get traded? Can we trade for Chris Bosh even if he doesn't sign an extension? Will he even be any good playing for this cursed franchise? If you could trade all the Warriors for all the Clippers, would you do it? Do vegetarians eat animal crackers? Can fat people go skinny dipping? How does a thermos know whether a drink should be hot or cold?

Let's review:

Loss to the Rockets without Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady
Beat down by the Suns without JRich
Blowout loss to the Clippers without Blake Griffin
Served by the Kings without Kevin Martin

I'm sure if Minnesota sits Al Jefferson, they'd beat the Warriors too. Here's what would happen:

Oleksiy Pecherov would dominate inside
Brian Cardinal would laugh in our faces as we grabbed his 15th rebound
Ricky Rubio fly over from Europe so he could play just this once so he could tear up our backcourt
Jonny Flynn would drop 30 all against Stephen Curry
Corey Brewer would shoot higher than 35%

Actually, wow this Minnesota team is bad. They beat New Jersey (the worst team in the league, no offense Warrior fans) and then have lost 6 straight. Even though they lost to the Clippers in LA by only 3, I just don't see a whole lot on this roster that I like: Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Jonny Flynn, Corey Brewer, Ramon Sessions?

The Warriors have to win this game. If they have any pride at all, they win this game. It's becoming a matter of pride and effort. As of right now, it looks like the Warriors have no pride and give no effort.

Awww comfort food. A nice bowl of curry (not Curry) to make the pain stop

Predictions

Warriors by 6
Al Jefferson DOMINATES
Monta has a field day and scores 30 since nobody on the Twolves can stop him or block his shot
We will all know who Oleksiy Pecherov is after the game
Anthony Randolph continues to struggle

Poll

Will the Warriors win more than 25 games?

5 Questions for Stephen Jackson's Agent Mark Stevens

2009-11-09T08:02:16Z

UPDATE (11/9/09 7:43am): Adding question #6 for Stevens: Do you realize Nellie ressurected your client's career and took it to new heights when practically NO ONE in the league wanted anything to do with him?

-------------------------------------

Over on ESPN.com Chris Broussard details a telephone tantrum courtesy of Stephen Jackson's agent Mark Stevens who seems to be all about killing his client's trade value.

So the first question you're probably asking is who is Mark Stevens? (Okay that's probably your second one, since the first question you're asking is- when is Chris Cohan finally selling the Golden State Warriors?). Jump for the answer to your second question and 5 additional questions for the agent of the "Captain".

Believe it or not Stevens is Ron Artest's (former?) agent. Make you wonder if Stevens had some fond memories of the Malice at the Palace or something.

Check out these pieces from Sports Agent Blog for a little background:

This part in particular caught my eye:

The main problem in the whole Indiana-Sacramento-Ron Artest-Mark Stevens line of communication was the fact that Ron Artest and his Agent that he pays to negotiate for him, were not on the same page. Gavin Maloof, part-owner of the Sacramento Kings even said, "Obviously, I guess they weren't on the same page."In any type of negotiation, it is vital that a client's Agent knows the client's wish-list and that the client defends his agent throughout the negotiation. Apparently, in this case, there was a lack of correctness on both fronts.

I have one final request for all current and future Agents. PLEASE, do not go to the media unless you are sure it will be beneficial. Obviously, the media was all over Artest, the Kings, the Pacers, and Mark Stevens to try to squeeze out any info possible. But if there is any uncertainty within any camp in a negotiation, solve the problem internally before the public has a chance to scrutinize your ability to do your job.

Good to see Stephen Jackson associating himself with such a "successful" agent.

5 Questions for the "Captain's" Agent

1. Did it ever hit you and your client that each and every inane public outburst you guys make just makes decreases the chances some other GM and head coach are willing to foolishly trade for Jackson and the remaining 3 years on his contract (thank you Robert Rowell)?

2. Do you charge your clients extra for unfathomably making it even harder for home fans to root for them?

3. Do you seriously want to bring up "credibility and character" when your client is none other than "Captain" Jack?

4. Do you really think it's classy or the least bit wise to talk trash about your client's head coach through the media when he's still playing for him?

5. Who are you again?

Got any other questions for the "Captain" and his agent?

Jack-ed Up:

Poll

Do these weak cheap shots from agent Mark Stevens make it even harder for the Warriors to trade his client Stephen Jackson?

AV Pre-RECAP: Golden State Warriors 107, Sacramento Kings 120- Just don't get blown out?

2009-11-09T07:17:55Z

More photos » by Steve Yeater - AP

These guys don't look too happy. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

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Preview/ Game Thread (1250+ comments)

Final Box Score

Kings Bring the Hammers, Beat Warriors 120-107 [Sactown Royalty]

My main man Hash will have a full recap of this game for the ages for you fine folks soon enough, but here's a few video clips about tonight's amazing win to get this party started off right. Well amazing win for the Sacramento Kings that is. Seriously I didn't think the Kings would win 2 in a row all season! Props to Sactown.

Final - 11.8.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden State Warriors	29	25	23	30	107
Sacramento Kings	30	35	31	24	120

Complete Coverage >

Jump for some AV-ness!

From our friends at Yahoo! + NBA

From our friends at CSN Bay Area

Poll

Will the Warriors win another game this season?

GAME THREAD: Game 5- Golden State Warriors @ Sacramento Kings- JUST WIN IT (seriously)

2009-11-08T18:52:19Z

Seriously, JUST DO IT fellas and get this W tonight.

Warriors: 1-3

Kings: 2-4

Tip off: 6pm

Radio: KNBR 680

TV: CSN Bay Area

Blog Buddy: Sactown Royalty + Preview

Around the Association: It's all up from here

Who will be the real kings of Northern California? It all starts tonight. JUMP for a preview.

The Kings are coming off a very impressive win over the universally despised Utah Jazz in the SLC- see Kings Whip Out 104-99 Win Over Jazz in SLC by the ever-astute Ziller. The Warriors are coming off an impressively bad loss (seriously that was some impressive suck) to the LA Clippers at home in Oakland- see RECAP: LA Clippers 118, Golden State Warriors 90- It's a Great Time Out for Clipper Raj!

But let's not bring up old stuff and make things confusing, both teams are bad. Real bad. How real bad exactly has yet to be determined, but as long as neither team decides not to show up to work today (like the Warriors on Friday night) this should be a pretty fun game. Don't be too surprised if this game is decided in the last few minutes or goes into OT. There's quite the precedent you know:

Warriors 105 Kings 100 - The Final Three Minutes (4/6/09)
Warriors 143, Kings 141 - Let 'em score! We'll get the ball back! (4/2/09)
Warriors 133 Kings 135 - UNSTOPPABLE BABY! (1/15/09)

A matchup against the Kings is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Believe it or not Warriors vs Kings does intrigue me a bit. There's a quad comparison that I've detailed previously- see Polling GSoM: Which "hoops quad" will be the kings of Northern California in 2k9-2k10?

Head Coaches: Don Nelson vs Coach Paul Westphal- I do like Westphal more than most and think he's a bit underrated, but Nellie's still one of the greatest tacticians this league has ever seen. Advantage Tonight: Warriors
Shooting Guards: Monta Ellis vs Kevin Martin- Truth be told I really dig Martin's game and would rather have him than Monta Ellis at the 2-guard. After K-Mart's monster start to this season 30.6 ppg through 5 games, he will be sidelined for quite some time- see NBA's Third Leading Scorer, Kings' Kevin Martin Likely Out 6-8 Weeks With Wrist Fracture [SBNation.com], so by default Advantage Tonight: Warriors
Sophomore Power Forwards: Anthony Randolph vs Jason Thompson- I was talking to my buddy Houston Savant, a big time Rockets fan, yesterday and he just couldn't believe how bad Anthony Randolph looked on Friday night. He couldn't believe all that off-season hype and thought Randolph just didn't look like an NBA player with all those countless- "What the... is he doing?" moments. Those 4 fouls in under 10 minutes (if I recall correctly) were the epitomy of cluelessness. On the other hand there's quite a lot to like about what the Kings' JT has done thus far in the season. Not only is he averaging a shade over 11ppg and 9rpg, but he's also dropping 4 dimes a game (with only 0.7 turnovers) somewhat out of nowhere. That's smooth. Advantage Tonight: Kings... Also see Polling GSoM: Which rookie forward will have the better sophomore campaign?
Centers: Andris Biedrins vs Spencer Hawes- Biedrins looks to be out tonight (again), which is a big red flag. I worried in the offseason if Biedrins' future health was a concern after his missing 20 games last season and unfortunately that looks to be a reasonable worry. As my colleague JAE will tell you Hawes is not a center you'd like to starting on your team, but he's done some things that I've really liked this season early on. He's had two back-to-back nice performances against the Spurs and Grizzlies that really stand out. Against the Snores he posted 22 points and 10 rebounds, then in the next game against the artists formerly known as the Vancouver Grizzlies he racked up 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Maybe those 7 dimes were an outlier, but the highlight passes he was dropping to cutters down the lane were Vlade Divac-esque. Advantage Tonight: Kings

But let's take the comparison one step further because as GIlbert Arenas tells us "It takes 5":

Rookie Point Guards: Stephen Curry vs Tyreke Evans- On a team of me-first players all looking "to get theirs" first, young Kid Curry has stood out as the only Warriors player looking to distribute and set others up first. There's something to be said about a rookie who has the highest hoops IQ on his squad. Kings point guard Evans is coming off an extremely impressive outing against Deron Williams and the Jazz where he dropped 32 points (thanks largely to a whopping 19 trips to the free throw line) and 7 assists. There's a lot to like about both rooks and any number of things could happen in this matchup tonight. It could go to Curry and his crafty court vision or it could go to Evans and his power scoring. Advantage: Push

Predictions

Stephen Curry bounces back from his worst game as a pro and drops 6+ dimes.
JT inhales over 12 boards.
AMMO drains 3 treys.
Hawes collects a few Divac-esque assists.
Both teams combine to score over 230 points.
The final outcome comes down to the last minute of the game.
Warriors by 3

Post your predictions and ongoing game thoughts in the comments.

-- More about the Sacramento Kings --

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Kevin Martin	5	41.8	9.4	22.2	42.3	3.4	7.6	44.7	8.4	9.8	85.7	1.2	4.2	5.4	2.6	1.4	2.0	0.2	1.2	30.6
Tyreke Evans	6	32.8	4.8	12.8	37.7	0.5	2.0	25.0	4.5	6.5	69.2	0.7	2.3	3.0	4.2	2.3	1.5	0.0	3.0	14.7
Jason Thompson	6	34.3	3.7	9.0	40.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.8	5.0	76.7	4.0	5.3	9.3	4.0	0.7	0.7	1.3	4.3	11.2
Spencer Hawes	6	31.0	4.7	10.8	43.1	0.0	1.3	0.0	1.7	2.0	83.3	1.8	5.2	7.0	2.0	2.0	0.8	0.8	3.0	11.0
Beno Udrih	5	24.2	4.2	8.6	48.8	1.4	2.8	50.0	1.0	1.2	83.3	0.4	1.4	1.8	3.2	1.6	0.6	0.2	1.8	10.8
Andres Nocioni	6	24.3	3.7	8.5	43.1	1.7	4.3	38.5	1.5	2.5	60.0	0.7	3.3	4.0	0.8	1.0	0.3	0.5	2.7	10.5
Omri Casspi	5	19.8	4.0	7.4	54.1	0.8	2.0	40.0	0.4	1.6	25.0	1.4	0.8	2.2	0.4	1.0	0.6	0.8	0.6	9.2
Ime Udoka	1	20.0	2.0	5.0	40.0	1.0	2.0	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.0	3.0	1.0	0.0	3.0	1.0	2.0	5.0
Sean May	6	13.7	1.5	3.3	45.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.5	0.7	75.0	0.3	1.7	2.0	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.2	2.3	3.5
Donte Greene	3	7.0	1.3	2.0	66.7	0.7	0.7	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.7	0.0	1.0	3.3
Jon Brockman	5	8.6	1.2	2.0	60.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	1.4	14.3	1.6	1.6	3.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	2.6
Sergio Rodriguez	4	7.3	0.8	2.5	30.0	0.5	0.8	66.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	1.0	1.0	0.5	0.3	0.0	0.5	2.0
Kenny Thomas	3	12.3	0.3	1.3	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.7	100.0	1.7	2.3	4.0	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.3	1.0	1.3

Sacramento Kings News

Golden State Warriors (1-3) at Sacramento Kings (2-4), 9 p.m.
(Sports Network) about 3 hours ago.
Recap: Utah vs. Sacramento
(Sports Network) about 12 hours ago.
Sacramento Kings (1-4) at Utah Jazz (2-3), 9 p.m.
(Sports Network) 1 day ago.
Kings G Martin to have wrist surgery
(Sports Network) 1 day ago.
Kings G Martin has left wrist fracture
(Sports Network) 2 days ago.
Kings F Nocioni arrested for DUI
(Sports Network) 2 days ago.
Kings waive G/F Mason
(Sports Network) 2 days ago.
Recap: Sacramento vs. Atlanta
(Sports Network) 3 days ago.
Kings sign Udoka
(Sports Network) 3 days ago.
Atlanta Hawks (3-1) at Sacramento Kings (1-3), 10 p.m.
(Sports Network) 4 days ago.

Next Game

Golden State Warriors
@ Sacramento Kings

Sunday, Nov 8, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
ARCO Arena

posted by Tony.psd about 1 hour ago

5 comments | 4 recs

Complete Coverage >

Poll

Who will be crowned the kings of Northern California tonight?

Guys, take those bags off your heads and win tonight!

2009-11-08T17:34:32Z

Guys, take those bags off your heads and win tonight!

RUMOR: 76ers Contacted Warriors about Samuel Dalembert + Warriors trying to trade Stephen Jackson + Cavaliers still interested in Jackson

2009-11-08T01:30:21Z

Kind of a stinky haircut don't you think?

via www.depressedfan.com

Jump for a tiny tidbit about the talks between the Sixers and Warriors about the man our friends over at Liberty Ballers call SAM BAM Dalembert.

Marc Spears writes for Yahoo! Sports:

One NBA general manager said the Philadelphia 76ers are still actively trying to move center Samuel Dalembert. A league source said the Sixers contacted the Warriors to see if they had any interest in Dalembert, but talks never progressed. The Warriors are still trying to trade Stephen Jackson but have yet to field a suitable offer. The Cavaliers remain interested in the veteran swingman.

Samuel Dalembert

#1 / Center / Philadelphia 76ers

Height: 6-11

Weight: 250

Born: May 10, 1981

College: Seton Hall

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2009 - Samuel Dalembert	4	23.3	2.5	5.3	47.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.0	3.8	80.0	1.5	5.0	6.5	0.0	2.5	0.0	1.5	3.3	8.0

From Spears' report it doesn't appear that Stephen Jackson was what the 76ers were asking in return for Dalembert, but something like Jackson and Speedy Claxton for the Sixer Center [ESPN Trade Machine] ain't bad at all for the Warriors. The Warriors get rid of Jack before he makes a bigger mockery of himself, Robert Rowell (actually that one's pretty funny), and finishes the 2009-2010 season as the league leader in turnovers. Plus the Warriors shorten their financial commitment by 2 years, thus setting the Dubs up for the Chris Paul sweepstakes (I kid).

In terms of defense (gobbling up rebounds and protecting the paint) and unfortunately making mistakes Dalembert is Ronny Turiaf on steroids. I must say the Haitian center has always intrigued me. He never fully "developed" just like Andris Biedrins never "developed" any low post moves or a jump shot. However just like Biedrins Dalembert is raw, but effective. SAM BAM would instantly be the Warriors' best interior defender and would do a ton to help out their rebounding woes.

After this season there's only 1 year left on the 28 year old Dalembert's deal, so he could potentially be valuable as a single, sizable expiring contract during the 2010-2011 NBA season. A contender might even want to pick up his defensive tenacity for a stretch run in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Compare that to the remaining 3 years on the "Captain's" contract (thank you Robert Rowell) taking him into his mid-30's (read: way past his athletic prime) and Jack's history of well... throwing tantrums.

So why would our friends in Philly do it?

I have no idea.

And that's the problem.

Would you trade Stephen Jackson and Speedy Claxton for Samuel Dalembert?

RECAP: LA Clippers 118, Golden State Warriors 90- It's a Great Time Out for Clipper Raj!

2009-11-07T18:17:08Z

Seriously, what is going on here?

Preview/ Game Thread (1015+ comments)

Final Box Score

Blog Buddy: Clips Nation : Now THAT's Really More Like It

Warriors Nation and Clippers Nation. Clippers North and Warriors South. We're like peanut butter and jelly, Redman and Method Man, milk and cookies, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Donald Sterling and housing discrimination, Chris Cohan and tax evasion, Windows Vista and Cntrl + Alt +Dlt-- we just go together. So naturally I went to tonight's festivity at the Roracle (or should I say the Boracle?) with my main man Clipper Raj. Getting blown out at home by a long time frenemy tonight was pretty unexpected, but hey at least Clipper Raj had a great time out!

Final - 11.6.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Los Angeles Clippers	30	27	34	27	118
Golden State Warriors	19	26	16	29	90

Complete Coverage >

Jump for the reasons why our buddy Clipper Steve decided it was an opportune time to kindly host Clips Nation + GSoM Night 1 in SoCal.

Clippers Backcourt vs. Warriors Backcourt

Let's get this one out of the way first. The Bad News: Stephen Curry (-13) probably had the worst night of his NBA career tonight. The Good News: At least he got that one of his system early. Curry was shooting blanks (1-5) and getting abused on defense (fouled out) by the bigger and more imposing Clips guards for the entire duration of his 21 minutes out there tonight. We'll go easy on the rookie.
Monta Ellis (-29) just doesn't look like that Ellis to the Rim of 2008. Baron Davis not being there to guard the opposing team's best backcourt player and provide low-mistake ball handling and distributing the rock sure does hurt. But as my man Feltbot will tell you things have changed, Monta Ellis is not a star. Not anymore. Monta's J is way off and his court vision and decisions were very shaky tonight (SIX turnovers).
To go cliche on you for a second Baron Davis (+26) looked like a men among boys tonight. BD looks absolutely chiseled and in fantastic shape. He pretty much had his way with anyone the Warriors threw at him. He was savvy. He was smart. He was hungry and diving for loose balls. He was picking pockets (4 steals). He even hit 61.5 of his shots coming into the game shooting well below 40%. He is missed.
Eric Gordon (+29) also looked like a men among boys tonight. Gordon looked wise beyond his years. He abused the Warriors backcourt with his scoring. The Clippers have had their fair share of bad draft picks over the years, but they sure got this one right. A Dizzle-Gizzle backcourt is more than serviceable.
I'm easily in the top 1% of Anthony Morrow (-10) fans, but that was a sad performance. He looked like a one-trick pony out there and that trick wasn't quite working right. What made Morrow particularly intriguing last season was his rebounding in addition to his stellar shooting. It didn't look like Ammo was that interested in trying to clean up the glass tonight. His usual scrappiness and effort on defense wasn't there at all either. Not that he was the only Warrior in this regard, but Morrow was a defensive liability all night long. Very disappointing.
Oddly enough even Stephon Marburry's cousin Sebastian Telfair got in on the fun. The Warriors backcourt (particularly Morrow) just couldn't hang with this guy. 13 points (50% FG), 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in under 20 minutes? Telfair outplayed both Ellis and Curry in Oakland. That's not supposed to happen... ever.
By the way what's up with all those losers booing Baron Davis at the Oracle? What's there to boo? Boom Dizzle is not here because 1) Robert Rowell couldn't wait to get him out of here so he could foolishly build around Monta Ellis and 2) Elton Brand pulled a sucka move. Not once did BD ever publicly whine like "Captain" Jack about his teammates. BD lost a prime year thanks to the silly roster Chris Mullin assembled around him and Coach Mike Montgomery's complete incompetence as Warriors head coach. Did you see BD complaining about that? Boo the "Captain", not the beard. Along with Nellie, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington, Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes, and yes even Stephen Jackson, Baron Davis made this team relevant for one fine spring and then some. Show some gratitude and class.
C.J. Watson sighting! Acie Law sighting! That means 1 of 2 things- 1) the Warriors are blowing out some unsuspecting squad or 2) the Warriors are somewhat expectedly getting blown out. Unfortunately tonight it was the latter.

Clippers 1, Warriors 0

Clippers Frontcourt vs. Warriors Frontcourt

Chris Kaman (+19) must have had his calendar marked for this game or something. He looked very, very good. Sure the Warriors were physically overmatched all night long against him mostly due to injuries to Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf, but that was an All-Star caliber performance tonight from Kaman. 22-9 through 3 ain't no joke, especially when it looks that easy. Don't be surprised if Kaman is donning an All-Star jersey in February. His competition in the West really isn't that tough either. Our man Matt Steinmetz has more in It's Early, But Chris Kaman Breaking Out. (Seriously Matt got off easy! He can choose to write about the Clips and not the Warriors for FanHouse.) Elton Brand made a really dumb decision ditching Kaman- that would have been a top 4-5 combo, especially with Dizzle-Gizzle in the backcourt and Camby up front.
In addition to Kaman the ever-underrated Marcus Camby (+26) really protected the rim tonight. His 12 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks were a fantasy hoops delight. The Warriors found out the hard way why this guy has a Defensive Player of the Year trophy at home. Andris Biedrins should be studying tape of this guy nightly. It's a reasonable goal for him to try to be Camby 2.0. The jumpshot won't be there, but there's no reason why the D and overall savvy can't.
Thanks to Biedrins and Turiaf nursing injuries and Anthony Randolph's current funk, MIKEY! Moore (-20) got the start. When Larry Riley signed MIKEY! in the offseason I don't think he envisioned him playing 18.5 minutes in a single game, but honestly the Warriors really had no other options especially with Randolph racking up so many pointless fouls. He wasn't quite Ronny Turiaf Sr. out there tonight.
It was pretty much more of the same from the big money veteran players on this team Stephen Jackson (-30) and Corey Maggette (-15). Lots of blanks (8-21 FG "good" for 38.1% FG) and questionable decisions with the rock (Jack with twice as many turnovers as assists). Thanks to poor front office decisions these guys have been thrust into roles they shouldn't have. Both are nice complementary vets, but nothing more. Sorry I know this is all like a broken record.
Anthony Randolph's night (-8) can be summed up in one word: CLUELESS. For all those Nellie haters demanding the Randolph "play through his mistakes" this game is exactly why that's not a good idea. To reinforce or encourage anything Randolph did tonight would be a huge mistake. From not cutting off the baseline against an infinitely slower Kaman to trying random And 1 moves at the top of the key and launching several ill-advised jumpers (5-15 FG), Randolph was just not playing smart tonight. His statline of 13 points and 14 points (mostly collected in garbage time) are incredibly misleading. If he's going to routinely play like he did tonight and play for 30 minutes a game, the Warriors are not winning a single game the rest of the way. It's frustrating because we all had so much hope for the guy.

By the way did you know Stacey Dash was 29 when she played the part of teenage BBF Dionne in this movie? Amazing.

Clippers 2, Warriors 0

Sadly both The Forward and The Guard had horrible games.

Garbage Time in the 4th Quarter

Clipper Raj: So it looks like this game is about over.

AB1: You kidding man? We got you guys right where we want you.

Clipper Raj: You wanted us to be up by 30?

AB1: 30 points? That's only 10 makes from downtown from Anthony Morrow.

Clipper Raj: Riiiight. Keep dreaming.

AB1: How about I dream about the Warriors winning the lottery sweepstakes for a gifted power forward destined for greatness, but then that dream quickly turns into a nightmare as he injures his left patella, probably costing the team any chance at the playoffs, before he even plays his first game?

<golf clap> <golf clap> Blake Grffin: "That's not very funny at all."

Clipper Raj: Hey Grffin picked up 6 less fouls than your GQ boy Masala tonight.

AB1: Okay, yeah that's pretty "Unstoppable Baby!"

Clipper Raj: Speaking of the Unstoppable-ness...

AB1: Yeah what about it.

Clipper Raj: You know how you cats over at GSoM have that world famous mantra:

"UNSTOPPABLE BABY!"

Golden State Warriors rookie Marc Jackson to the Mavericks' bench, after hitting a lay-up during a 29-point loss (2000)

Well a new Clipper one for matches against the Dubs is about to be formulated today.

AB1: Whatchu mean man?

DeAndre Jordan's dunks and celebrations during garbage time were pretty hilarious.

Clipper Raj:

"UNSTOPPABLE BABY!"

LA Clippers DeAndre Jordan to the Clips' bench, after throwing down a nasty jam for the umpteenth time during a 28-point win in garbage time (2009)

AB1: Good one.

Clippers 118, Warriors 90

Tonight's award goes out to Coach Don Nelson. Nellie's about to irrationally get bashed left and right by the histrionic and randomly vengeful "Fire Nellie" crowd. I'm not sure why. Honestly what is the man supposed to do? Tonight was on the players. Injuries happen (Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf), but the guys who were out there tonight were absolutely awful.

Did Nellie have the greatest coaching performance tonight? Doubtful, but tonight the players and their collective low hoops IQ, limitations, and raw-ness were the problem. Coaching was not the problem tonight. I give Nellie credit for not going AWOL.

A picture says a 1,000 words.

via s3.images.com

Video "highlights" courtesy of our friends at Yahoo! Sports and the NBA

Postgame video courtesy of our friends at CSN Bay Area

Poll

Who gets your vote for tonight's main Warrior Killer?

"I'm the Forward... He's the Guard." In any other NBA Team that quote would be true. Not in...

2009-11-07T15:54:46Z

"I'm the Forward... He's the Guard." In any other NBA Team that quote would be true. Not in Nellie's system. Still confused about yesterdays starters, Mikki Moore over Anthony Randolph? There was that miss match that didn't seem to work against Chris Kaman. Oh well, hopefully this Will Smith parody gives people something to smirk at!

GAME THREAD: Game 4 - Warriors vs. Clippers - The battle for the back of the pack rages on!

2009-11-06T17:45:22Z

In reality, in the young season, it's probably too early to cut anyone out of the playoff picture, and after netting our first win on Wednesday, things seem much more upbeat than they just two days ago. Still, history suggests that this isn't a clash of titans, and the Clippers' rapid accumulation of 4 losses against a lone close win over the visiting T-wolves on Monday won't shave away too many doubts about where they'll wind up come season's end. But they play 'em for a reason, and expect plenty of drama to be had.

Warriors: 1-2

Clippers: 1-4

Game Time: 7:30pm

Radio: KNBR 680

TV: CSN Bay Area

Blog Buddy: Clips Nation : Preview : SoCal Viewing Party

Around the Association: Warriors South No More

Rumor has it that the Clippers won the 2009 draft lottery. Rumor has it that they selected the draft's closest thing to an instant help big in Blake Griffin, though you would not know it from watching any of their games so far. At present, Griffin has scored no more points, grabbed no more rebounds, and logged no more minutes in NBA regular season games than I have. And while it's the general spiteful bad luck that has a an opponent's top gun get healthy just in time to face the Warriors, Griffin is still sidelined with a stress fracture of the patella (or "knee cap" for those of you who aren't up on your anatomy and osteology).

Broken knee caps just make me wonder if he spent too much time trying to act like this guy:

And while Griffin, who appeared ready to help in the pre-season, would certainly be a welcome addition for the Clippers, it hasn't been the front-court where the Clippers have been hurting. Center Chris Kaman has been putting up more than 20 points a night while shooting 60% from the floor to go with his 10 rebounds (albeit in 40 minutes on the court) while Marcus Camby is averaging his usual double double while connecting on more than half his shots as well.

In fact, as a team, the Clippers have shot reasonably well from the floor, slightly better than their opponents despite a terrible start to the season by Baron and the unholy duo of Rasual Butler and Al Thornton doing their best to do make the SF position a major negative for the other team from LA. The factor that stands out above all others has been turnovers, where the Clippers have averaged five more give-aways a night than their opponents the afore-praised Kaman being the chief culprit. It is hard to win when you hand the ball over so readily before even getting a chance to shoot.

Meanwhile coming off a win where finally more went right than went wrong, our Warriors will be confident and poised to make it back to .500. And doesn't that sound much better than "look for their second win"? Here's to hoping that the tide *has* changed and we can shave out another victory!

That task will be made somewhat more difficult without centers Andris Biedrins, whose availability is presently unknown after straining his back in the tailing minutes of Wednesday's victory, and Ronny Turiaf who remains sidelined with injury as well. Mikki Moore and Anthony Randolph will man the middle for the Warriors who will, undoubtedly turn to "small ball" for most if not all of the game as a result. Randolph performed his best last year after Biedrins went down and he had to spend most of his time in the paint, so there's hope that this could get the talented young rebound machine back on track. (And if that doesn't work, perhaps Nellie will make good on his promise to put Acie Law IV in his front line.)

Predictions:

Monta does it all, trying for a 2nd consecutive double-double, challenged only by the fact that there's only so many assists to go around, and Curry's steady passing and continued emergence as a bona-fide NBA lead guard.

Anthony Randolph gets his season on track, spending more time in the post and hits double figures, at least in minutes played. Serious, this is a big opportunity for Anthony. We need him to step up big tonight.

Jax gets a technical. He's due!

Baron misses 10 shots and looks in the stands for an old lady to lend him her walker before the game ends.

Warriors wonder to be: Stephen Curry, just because.

Warriors by 9 when it's all said and done.

2009 D-League Draft Results and First Impressions [Ridiculous Upside]

2009-11-06T16:03:58Z

2009 D-League Draft Results and First Impressions [Ridiculous Upside]

Find out who the next Golden State Warrior will be by tracking the 2009 NBDL Draft.
* 2009 D-League Draft Preview
* Indeed, The D-League Had A Draft [SBNation.com]
* The D-League Has a Draft? [SBNation.com]

RUMOR: Charlotte Bobcats (+ Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets) Interested in Stephen Jackson- Boris Diaw anyone?

2009-11-06T06:48:18Z

I thought R Dizzle's joke and entire recap from earlier today was pretty hilarious, so let me hit the rewind button for this Stephen Jackson tidbit:

YESSSSSSS - no one likes me.

Say YESSSSSSS to trade rumors and make the jump!

Marc Stein writes on ESPN True Hoop Don't forget Bobcats in Stephen Jackson sweepstakes (read that again- "Stephen Jackson sweepstakes"... hilarious):

It's been about a week since we had any certifiable chatter to pass along on the Stephen Jackson trade front. That's not because the Warriors have slowed the search for trade partners -- to the contrary -- but because the most interested parties (Cleveland and Denver) are generally high-payroll teams that can't easily absorb Jackson's long-term contract. The Cavs and the Nuggets, furthermore, just aren't teeming with tradeable (and available) assets to hook Golden State.

What we can confirm, though, is that Charlotte has to be mentioned more prominently on the list of interested suitors. We've briefly noted the Bobcats' interest in a couple of previous entries, but further checking reveals that the Bobs have seriously explored the prospect of trading for Jackson, apparently undaunted by the fact that they weren't mentioned when Jackson announced late in the summer that he wanted to be dealt to Cleveland, New York or one of the three Texas teams.

...

Charlotte's first choice -- in any deal -- remains moving Nazr Mohammed first, Vladimir Radmanovic second and packaging them together if possible. The Bobcats have been trying to move Mohammed for months and could make a deal with Golden State work cap-wise by combining Mohammed and Radmanovic -- both of whom are earning $6.5 million this season and $6.9 million next season -- for Jackson and the smaller expiring contracts of Acie Law and Devean George.

Yet you shouldn't expect Golden State to settle for anything less than Diaw, whose abilities as a point forward would undoubtedly appeal to Don Nelson. The Warriors continue to transmit the message that they won't rush the process just for the sake of parting with Jackson, preferring to wait until Dec. 15 or maybe even the trade deadline in February in hopes of getting back something of value for a player who, in their view, has been far more productive than problematic when you look at his whole Warriors career.

Shipping "Captain" Jack to the hoops boonies for Boris Diaw aka Miss Gossip's main crush?

Where do I sign up?

Stephen Jackson said he wanted to play for a contender.

How about a contender for John Wall?

via dunkside.com

Diaw broke out back in 2005-2006 with the original 7 Seconds or Less minus Amare Stoudemire Phoenix Suns where he shockingly put up 13.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 6.2 apg with a swat mixed in for good effect. After that he never quite matched those averages with the Suns and was shipped out to Charlotte for Jason Richardson. Diaw did have a nice resurgence last year dropping nearly 15-6-5 under the always fidgety Larry Brown. At age 27 Diaw is right at his NBA prime, so it's probably not the last time we'll see this type of production from the French forward. And who knows? If Diaw managed to kick that croissant habit maybe he'll even better those numbers in the coming years.

In Nellieball my crystal ball sees Boris Diaw as Billy Owens Part II and for the cost of a "Captain" that's quite the bargain.

Billy Owens drawing his usual quadruple team.

Also see: Polling GSoM: Was Billy Owens a "monumental NBA bust"?

Boris Diaw

#32 / Forward / Charlotte Bobcats

Height: 6-8

Weight: 235

Born: Apr 16, 1982

College: None

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2009 - Boris Diaw	4	36.0	3.5	8.5	41.2	0.5	2.0	25.0	3.5	3.5	100.0	2.3	2.8	5.0	5.0	2.3	1.3	0.8	2.0	11.0

I must say though props to Larry Riley and Don Nelson. They're playing this exactly right. Riley is showing patience in this undesirable situation and an unwillingness to sell low on Jackson just for the sake of getting rid of the team's former "Captain". Nellie is saying all the right things to the media as well- hyping up Jackson and not publicly criticizing him when he deserves it for his "leadership" and on-court play. He's even going so far to say he hopes Jack doesn't get traded. Crafty Nellie is doing his best used car salesman impression. Hornets fans aren't buying it, but maybe some unsuspecting GM in the association can be duped.

More from True Hoop about kicking the "Captain" off the Warriors ship

From the GSoM Vault:

99.9% of rumors never happen, but 99.9% of them are fun to talk about!

Poll

Who would you rather have on the Warriors right now?

Q&A: Matt Steinmetz (AOL FanHouse + Comcast Sports Net Bay Area)- Part 3 of 3: Talking hoops with a balla

2009-11-06T02:45:18Z

It's time for the 3rd part of our interview with Matt Steinmetz. By day he's writing for for AOL FanHouse and by night he's on CSN Bay Area sharing the insights of a former college baller on Golden State Warriors broadcasts.

Part 1: Making Sense of Stephen Jackson

Part 2: Warriors defensive woes, Stephen Curry's jumpshot, and managing playing time

Good things come to those who wait. In the final part of this Q&A Matt lets fans know what are some of the intricate details of the hoops game to pay attention to while watching Warriors games at home on TV and where some great playground spots are in the Bay Area to hoop it up.

Golden State of Mind: Given your experience playing college ball and years dedicated to covering the game, you have a better eye for the little things players do that everyday fans don't pick up on. What are some intricate details of some of the Warrior players that either help or hinder their play that we should look for while watching games on tv?

Matt Steinmetz: Thanks for the butter-up. Well, keeping with that theme, the one thing I would suggest is for Warriors fans to take note of how many times the Warriors have a possession with zero or no passes. Or count how many times a player gets the ball and just swings it for no other reason than to get ball movement. Point is, it doesn't happen nearly enough.

But there's a reason it doesn't happen. They don't have the kind of personnel that does that. Ellis, Jackson and Maggette like to make plays for themselves first and teammates second. All three of those guys can make shots from the outside and go the basket. The problem with that is that every time each one of those guys gets the ball, that's the first thing they're looking to do.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I want to see improvement in this area. I want to see the ball move more and guys being a little less greedy. I want to see more cohesiveness at the offensive end, not five guys seemingly on their own.

That falls solely on coach Don Nelson. That is his responsibility and his responsibility alone. The Warriors aren't the first team in NBA history to have a bunch of guys who like to shoot the ball instead of pass. Bottom line, though, is it's up to Nelson to get this team to play more like a team.

That's what I'm going to be looking for in the coming games. I want to see if Nelson can actually get this team to start improving, to start playing together and to start resembling a team rather than five guys out their on their own. That's his job.

Golden State of Mind: You're a former college hoops player and known to mess around on the blacktop. What are your favorite spots around the Bay Area to get in a pickup game?

Matt Steinmetz: When I first moved out here in 1990, I played at the Marina all the time ... at all three courts: the upper court, lower court and that little indoor gym in the middle. Those games were pretty good. More recently, I've played at Grattan playground in the city and "States Street," also in the city.

When I moved to Oakland about 10 or so years ago, I was running regularly at Club One in City Center, and those were the best games I played in out here. Those are the places I've played consistently over the years, but I've also driven out to Bollinger Canyon and played on that outdoor park and also played at a place out there by the name of "Snake Park," I think. Now, I'll pop into a health club in San Ramon for an early morning run here and there. But I'll still go anywhere for a game, provided I know 10 guys are going to show up.

Got any good spots?

**********

I must concur. Central Park in San Ramon (of all places) is shockingly a great spot for pick-up ball. How about it GSoMers- got any other good spots to hoop it up in the Bay Area?

All of us at GSoM wanted to thank Matt for coming on our show and for his continued support of this community. When he was doing the Warriors blog rankings last year he awarded GSoM with the #1 spot and the player comparison of the incomparable Kevin Garnett. Much appreciated.

RECAP: Warriors 113 Grizzlies 105 - Yes, YES, and YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

2009-11-05T17:22:17Z

YESSSSSSS - no one likes me.

Preview/ Game Thread (1370+ comments)

Final Box Score

Blog Buddy: Straight Outta Vancouver

Final - 11.4.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Memphis Grizzlies	29	27	24	25	105
Golden State Warriors	19	38	33	23	113

Complete Coverage >

WIN #1 baby!

Let's take a peak and what I like to call...

Yes, YES, and YESSSSSSSSSSSS!

But first, check out the highlights from the game provided by our good buddies at NBA.com and Y! Sports

To be quite honest, I'm pretty surprised that we pulled off the win. I was sitting next to my friend while watching the game (PIstons fan...psshhhhh) and I was explaining to him how the Warriors sucked.

He just looked at me and said, "Yeah, you guys have problems. Who decides to just give up their captain role?"

Good question my man, good question.

Anywho, now for the fun! (But it ain't as fun as Funleavy Foto Fun!)

YESSSSSS: Monta doesn't play defense!

YESSSSSSSS: I lost 50 pounds with Jenny Craig!

YESSSSSSSS: I'm getting playing time even though I look like a monster!

YESSSSSSS: I look the same in every picture!

YESSSSSSS: I can get 4 points and 3 boards in 7 minutes!

YESSSSSS: I don't suck today!

YESSSSSSSS: I haven't punched anyone this year!

YESSSSSSSSS: They finally gave me the ball!

KEYS TO VICTORY

1. The "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" Factor = 11

I did a quick scatter plot of this phenomena and it looks a little something like this. (You've gotta appreciate my extreme nerdiness and dedication to this joke. I should hand my Stats professor THIS as my Regression Analysis homework due on Monday.)

Briefly, I'd like discuss a few points to Figure A. Notice that there is a correlation between # of times "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" is yelled in a game and the percent chance of the win. Normally, I find that when that statement is screamed, it usually is not in a good context - dumb shots, turnovers, not playing defense, shot clock violations - you name it. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation (R^2 = 1) between the two variables.

There were a few times in early in the game where this statement was used, specifically during Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson silly shots and Andris Biedrins early fouls. But hey, we still remained to about a 40% chance of victory, and we stuck to it!

2. Allen Iverson going 8-12, scoring 18 points and dropping 7 assists OFF THE BENCH

Notice the last three words in that - "OFF THE BENCH." Very key points. AI played well, no doubt. But check out these key points to this (Frustration grows for Grizzlies, Iverson - Yahoo! Sports)

He came off the bench.

And the Grizzlies lost.

Plain and simple. And The Answer's thoughts about it?

"The focus is on it because everybody in this whole world knows that I have a problem with it," Iverson said. "That’s why it’s an issue. It’s easy to say I’m selfish. My response to that is it’s something I’ve never done. And if we had success with us doing it than obviously I’d want to do it because we are winning basketball games. But if we had no success when we do it, than obviously I would have a bigger problem from the beginning.

YESSSSSSS: We're losing

3. Anthony Randolph played 7 minutes and 6 seconds.

He scores 4 points and gets 3 boards in 7 minutes. Efficiency if you ask me. Then he gets put on the bench for the rest of the game. Then we win.

Makes sense to me. I suggest we do this again.

(If you people start going off on me about this, you all have no sense of humor).

YESSSSS: I get free courtside tickets!

4. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry DISTRIBUTED the ball

I can't understate this point enough. Together, they combined for 21 assists. When was the last time 2 Warrior players did this? (Seriously, someone look that up.)

Point being, this means something very very simple but clear. Although Monta pulled out 24 points (and a double-double) he realized one thing after putting up silly jumpers.

HE DID NOT HAVE THE HOT HAND.

5. Anthony Morrow

'Nuff said right?

Well, a guess a few more words won't hurt.

How in the world does he go 10-12 shooting with 4-4 in the three-point category? WHY WAS HE UNDRAFTED?!?!!

Check out with "Captain" Jack had to say (Ellis, Morrow pace Warriors to first win - Yahoo! Sports)

"His upside is what’s scary, how good he can be," said Jackson, after Morrow scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Golden State Warriors to their first win of the season, 113-105 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

"He’s definitely one of the best shooters in the game, pure shooters. There are a lot of people that can shoot but he’s a pure shooter. There’s been a shortage on those in the league the last couple of years. He is definitely one."

Word. And Morrow's thoughts?

"It’s just really all about doing what I have to do to stay on the court," Morrow said. "(Gay) scored some buckets but I wanted to make sure I did the best job I could and also went back at him offensively. He’s a great player so I just wanted to match that level of intensity."

That's kind of humble - wasn't it? If it were me...

"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR DRAFTING ME SUCKHAZ!

YOU DON'T WANT ME IN YOUR 3-POINT CONTEST COMISSION STERN?!?

I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MISS WITH THE MORROW!

3-MORROW COMES TODAY!"

Just sayin...

Poll

How would you describe Anthony Morrow's 24 points (10-12 FG, 4-4 3pt) against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Roaracle?

OPEN THREAD: Game 3 - Warriors vs. Grizzles - This Sucks

2009-11-04T18:03:56Z

Warriors: 0-2

Grizzlies: 1-3

Game Time: 7:30pm

Radio: KNBR 680

TV: CSN Bay Area

Blog Buddy: Straight Outta Vancouver
Around the Association: 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies- Going Back to Vancouver

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Note - Let's be real here. This season is getting off to a terrible start, nothing seems to be working out, and nobody really wants to discuss our losing team. Yes, we're playing the "lowly" Grizzlies, but let's remember that they beat us in EVERY game last year! Don't believe me? Check out here, here, and here. So what if Rudy Gay didn't get an extension is now going to be an unrestricted agent at the end of the season? Nobody wants to hear me break that down and our "potential" of getting him over here...Straight Outta Vancouver has that locked down. Howza bout we all sit back, take a sip of that Golden Drink, and enjoy my silly creative writing?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 16, 2009,

Disneyland, CA

R Dizzle: So there it is - all done with the quest. Not only have I been clever enough to find all the Warriors personel, but I ALSO found all of the GSoM homies. Yes, I'm the hero for the day. Ladies, the line starts behind Princess Jasmine (my one true love.) Oh ya, and I'm the best at Kindgom Hearts!

Meanwhile at Frontier Land...

Chris Cohan: That R Dizzle thinks he's sooo funny calling us the bad guys. What did WE ever do? [If you REALLY want to know, check out here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here - that's a lotta references to something so terrible)

Robert Rowell: Nothing! We've always had the team's interest in mind, not our own!

Chris Cohan: Exactly. I'm tired of getting a bad rep about everything. We need to show the world what happens when someone criticizes us and I have just the idea.

Robert Rowell: Oh ya? What's that?

Chris Cohan: You'll see....

At the Airport

Pilot: Alright! Everyone on board! Let's get this show on the road and get the heck outta Laker land!

Chris Cohan: Sounds great...but hey R Dizzle, wait a minute.

R Dizzle: What's up? Still mad that I called you Jaffar? Hahahaha!

Chris Cohan: No, no. That was hilarious. You know, Robert Rowell and I wanted to congratulate you for doing such excellent work this last season, covered some great moments and never criticized us. And to reward you, we decided to get you a private plane home!

R Dizzle: Really? That's awfully nice of you.

Chris Cohan: No problem. Enjoy this "special" Golden Drink too! Mwahahahaha!

R Dizzle: ...what's with the evil laugh?

Chris Cohan: Umm...ignore that. Have a good flight!

R Dizzle: Thanks! You're not so bad after all Chris Cohan! (boards plane)

Robert Rowell: Where is he going?

Chris Cohan: Like I said, we need to make an example of him. He's going to some place real cold....

Robert Rowell and Chris Cohan: MWAHAHAHAHA!

6 Months Later

R Dizzle: Man...that really knocked me out! Wait..what the...where am I? Why are there so many yellow shirts around me? Am I in "We Believe heaven?"

Ok, ok. Don't flip out. Let's see...excuse me, sir? What day is it?

Random Guy #1 - November 4th.

R Dizzle: WHAT?!?! I've been out cold for 6 months? How did I end up here? WHAT'S GOING ON?

Random Guy #1 - Look, I don't even know who you are. Stop being all crazy.

R Dizzle: Right. Ok. I just woke up after 6 months...just calm down and do what you do first thing in the morning. Check Golden State of Mind!

Wait..this doesn't make any sense. I've been out 6 months and I've been writing articles?

Ok wait, hold up. More importantly - where the heck am I? And why is it so cold? Why do I keep asking questions instead of finding answers? Ok ok ok, let's just go to a sports store and check out jerseys and stuff. That'll make this easy. Let's see...a #25 yellow and blue jersey next to a Washington Bullets #5 jersey that says "Howard," a #5 yellow and blue jersey next to a #5 Nuggets jersey that says "Rose," and a yellow and blue #4 jersey next to a #4 Warriors jersey that says "Webber." Rose...Howard...Webber...that's 3 out of the 5 Fab Five.

Wait a second...Fab Five..they played at Michigan...

OH.

MY.

GOD.

Alright, don't trip. You can find a way out of this. Let's see...EMAIL! That's the way to go! There's gotta be some more information in there about how you ended up here. Or at least what's going on with the outside world.

Look at that 1,213,1231 unread messages. Guess 6 months is a long time. Wait..check this. It's something from Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell...

Dear R Dizzle,

Hope you enjoyed that private flight! Time to show you and the rest of the GSoM crew what happens when you start criticizing us about our front office. We're sick of hearing your Mike Dunleavy jokes, your tears about Jason Richardson, your criticism of Marcus Williams , and worst of all, your infatuation with Rob Kurz. Maybe this will teach you "jokers" a lesson!

Hope you enjoy the cold suckha!

Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell

Wow..that wasn't very nice. How cold is it going to get anyway? Let's see Weather.com says that today it's going to...SNOW?!?! WHAT THE....

Ok, don't panic. Let's look at the good here, you still have internet. You can get league pass on your phone. You're finally miles away from that cheerleader. You can still write for GSoM. In fact, let's see when you have to do a preview and recap...look at that. We're already at Game 3...and we're 0-2. Great.

GSoM Night 7 already happened? Even better.

Well, since it's my turn to handle the preview...I should toss down some of my super accurate predictions.

R Dizzle's Predictions

Warriors by 1
Monta Ellis with 20 points and 5 assists
Stephen Jackson with 20 points and 5 turnovers
Jamal Crawford with 15 points and 0 assists
Marco Belinelli with 10 points and 5 boards
Rudy Gay with 18 points
I cry because it's really really REALLY cold and the game is awful to watch

R Dizzle: Hey look...one last thing from that note from Cohan and Rowell.

P.S. You're now closer to Sleepy Freud!

THIS SUCKS.

Poll

Are we looking at win #1?

Long time GSoMer Dubs fan in Boston's recent piece The Warriors as Simpsons is currently the 3rd...

2009-11-04T05:32:06Z

Long time GSoMer Dubs fan in Boston's recent piece The Warriors as Simpsons is currently the 3rd most popular FanPost of all time around these golden parts. Click and roll over to see why it's a hit!

From the Archives: Homer Simpson Signs with the Golden State Warriors

SB Nation Site Design Visual Refresh

2009-11-03T15:54:53Z

SB Nation Site Design Visual Refresh

GSoM and all of the other SBN sites (Athletics Nation, McCovey Chronicles, Niners Nation, Silver and Black Pride, California Golden Blogs, and Fear the Fin to name a few) got a facelift in the wee hours of this morning. Tell us what you think. More FANtastic things to come!

Q&A: Matt Steinmetz (AOL FanHouse + Comcast Sports Net Bay Area)- Part 2 of 3: Warriors defensive woes, Stephen Curry's jumpshot, and managing playing time

2009-11-03T04:03:38Z

In the first part of our Q&A with Matt we tried to make sense of Stephen Jackson's trade demands. That was quite an interesting exercise.

In this segment we talk about the Warriors defense (or lack thereof), rookie Stephen Curry's shooting woes early on in the Las Vegas Summer Leagues and the preseason, and how to balance the minutes on a talented, but imbalanced roster.

Jump!

Golden State of Mind: The Warriors were easily one of the worst (if not THE worst) defensive teams in the league last year. How can the Warriors improve in that area this season? How much of their defensive issues come down to defensive system (i.e. coaching) vs. effort vs. poor defenders?

Matt Steinmetz: You don't get to be the worst defensive team in the league for any one particular reason. A lot of it, to be fair, has to do with style of play. If the Warriors, for whatever reason, decided to become a halfcourt team tomorrow, they would no longer be the worst defensive team in the league ... even though they didn't change in any fundamental defensive way. That said, it's not great, is it? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they struggle to guard two of the most important positions on the floor - point guard and power forward/center. I say power forward/center as a way of saying post-up guy. I know you're supposed to pick one side or the other in the whole Baron Davis debate, but the fact is that he could at times set a defensive tone from the point guard position that then got his teammates involved. It didn't mean the Warriors became a lock-down defensive team, but it meant that they had guys swarming and hovering and trying to wreak havoc and it was effective in stretches. Let me make clear: at times. But when Baron started pressuring out front, it usually got everyone else more active. They don't have anyone like that. And by the way, I'm basically talking about last year. I don't anticipate things will change drastically, but I'm just saying. As for opposing big men who are skilled, the Warriors struggle there, too. And I say that acknowledging that Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins aren't bad defenders at all. Turiaf gives you a chance against a lot of back-to-the-basket players. But he's just never going to be more than a low-20-minute per night guy. He's going to get in foul trouble. He goes after every block and doesn't allow easy buckets. I wouldn't want him to play any other way. But he's never going to anchor your frontcourt. It's no secret Biedrins struggles against powerful centers. So even though between them they're not bad defensively, my point is that there are some holes up there. And once you get past those two, you're looking at Anthony Randolph and Corey Maggette. Now we're getting into a real problem area in terms of frontcourt defense.

Golden State of Mind: Coming out of college Stephen Curry was most known for his sweet shooting stroke. However Curry has struggled mightily in terms of FG% in the summer leagues and in the preseason. He has however put up some nice assist totals, which should come as no surprise to anyone who heard Coach Bobby Knight hype him up as the best passer in college basketball last year. Will Curry's jumper and FG% in the NBA be more in line with the scoring acumen he displayed at Davidson? Is there something different about his shooting technique that's causing the low %'s? Will handling and distributing the rock be his forte in the league?

Matt Steinmetz: Coming out of college, much of what we heard about Curry centered on whether he was a point guard or two guard. Seems to me, that's not much of a debate anymore. The kid's a point and looks like he'll be a pretty good one. I'm less concerned now with his shooting than I was a month or so ago because I now see he can help your team without necessarily shooting the ball well.

The challenge for Curry this season will be figuring out how to best run this team ... or try to run this team. He's got a lot of teammates who aren't as willing to pass the ball as much as he is, and they're going to want the ball from him as much as possible. Trying to decide among Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette is going to be a thankless job, and it's going to be impossible for him to make everyone happy. That's not an easy position for a rookie to be in.

Golden State of Mind: Let's say you're the head coach of the Warriors and trying to manage this imbalanced roster with talent, but some gaping holes. Who would be your starting 5 and how would distribute the minutes to get the bench players involved?

Matt Steinmetz: That's actually a tough question. On the one hand, the starting five would seem to be pretty easy: Curry, Ellis, Jackson, Randolph and Biedrins. On the other hand, I'm not sure that Randolph playing with those guys is best for the team or Randolph. Randolph is still young and learning so he's finding himself worrying more about his own game than how it fits into the team concept at this point. Also, there's no doubt that Nelson might have to look at using Curry and Morrow more together.

It's pretty amazing that Curry is the only player on the team that seems to look for Morrow. Then again, if you really take a good hard look at the personnel of Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette, they aren't really players who look for teammates. All three of them, Jackson included, think of themselves as scorers. So when they don't find Morrow - or any open teammate, for that matter - it's not so much they don't want to pass the ball, it's that their games are limited and that's not really what they're cut out to do.

It's easy to say the Warriors have played only two games and there's no reason to panic. On the other, it seems apparent that there's too much overlap of position and skill on this team and the Warriors could really benefit from having another player or two who thinks about the team more than they do about their own games.

**********

Don't forget to read Matt's insights on the Warriors and the rest of the NBA over at AOL FanHouse. Follow the good man on Twitter too and while you're at it follow the unstoppable baby-ness.

Stay tuned for Part Trey!

Jobs @ SB Nation

2009-11-03T00:04:17Z

Jobs @ SB Nation

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