Wow, Yao is absolutely raping Andris tonight, this is depressing. Granted there's probably not many centers who can do that to him but Yao is in a different class altogether. Of course a lot of that is just height but nonetheless...
You think getting Nelly his 1,200th win is getting to them? Maybe its too much pressure? They better do something quick to change their play because they are starting to look like a lottery team
<div class="quote_poster">Kwan1031 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Er, what game? Just like yesterday, I don't recall Warriors having a game... Sigh...</div> Seems like the warriors forgot too...But I guess this shows the importance of J-rich to this team. I admit that I wanted to trade him earlier in the season, but they look like they really need him out there. Granted the players do not seem to be playing on the same level as at the beginning of the season for whatever reason, especially Pietrus.
Well...Maybe the Warriors are coming back to Earth a little bit. Pietrus' offense isn't as great as it was earlier this season, eventhough the team was never really planed to build off his scoring. Andris Biedrins is just outmatched by better players, superstars over the last two games. Jason Richardson is out while Murphy and Dunleavy are turning into bench role players. Add all these variables up and the equation doesn't look so great. There is no Kobe Bryant, KG, or Tim Duncan on this roster, currently.
Add in the fact that Baron is playing like a lazy-ass ball hog. He started the game shooting 5 lazy jumpers, all ugly bricks. The guy just cannot shoot from outside -- you'd think he'd have figured it out by now. A ball-hog point guard who can't shoot is NOT Nellie-ball. Damn -- that's the only reason why Baron won't be a super-star -- he just can't recognize (or admit) his own weaknesses. He needs to move the ball around, penetrate and drive to the hoop, Not pound the ball for 20 seconds and brick a three ala Derek Fisher. Man that was a horrible point guard performance to start the game -- it just killed any chance for GS to get into a flow. Ugly
Oh, P.S. How is Keith Mc-Clang! still on this team? WTF I can't believe I'm about to say it, but I'd almost rather have Derek Fis... *ack* *ahem* ...nah can't go there. But I'm tempted. That's how little a fan I am of McCleod. He thinks he's Jordan. Pretty soon he's going to start calling him self K-Mac, at which point I'll throw in the towel and start watching hockey for the first time.
What I'm not seeing recently is the defensive intensity. They were getting lots of steals when opponents drove the middle, but that hasn't been happening recently and that equates to alot of fastbreaks they're not getting. Couple that with an offensive slump against some really good teams and you get blowouts.
As optimistic as we want to be. It's hard to say that the Warriors should have won. True we want them to at least be competitive and obviously that didn't happen tonight. However the Rockets are a good team. TMac and Yao Ming alone would beat this squad at its current condition. The next three games are going to be big games and tests to measure where this team actually stands. 12/9 - vs. New Orleans/Okla City, 12/10 - at Seattle, 12/12 - vs. Sacramento. If the Warriors lose these, then I will start to panic for sure!
Also, i want to point out that even though November had lots of home games, the opponents were generally pretty good. I've been thinking that if they end december around .500 they're doing just fine.
Yeah -- was Matt Barnes hurt tonight? Because he has been a defensive spark at the SF-PF position. But yeah, no question the Warriors have been getting away with being undersized by masking it with the zone and small ball -- tonight there was no way to hide it. The Warriors have no way to contain a guy like Yao lol. Nellie started the second half with Foyle AND Beans and it still wasn't enough. In order for the zone to work, the guards have to be super-active and hassle the ball whereever it goes. The Warriors beat the Jazz with that zone, in large part due to this simple fact, IMO: Matt Barnes. He played the "1" at the top of the key, and with his long arms he hassled pretty much every entry pass from the top of the key to the free-throw line. That superb execution of his role in the zone is what earned him PT from Nellie. I hope he's not hurt; we need his energy off the bench. And I hope Baron stops shooting senseless bricks from outside.
There was a game today? Holy crap. I'm glad I didn't get excited about it or anything. This is just like last year, sort of. The suckfest might begin again for real!
<div class="quote_poster">DTKennedy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I've been thinking that if they end december around .500 they're doing just fine.</div>It would be fine, but they're not going to end December at .500, not playing like this. 8 of their next 13 games to end December are on the road, where they're 1-5.
I totally agree with Alleyoop on Baron shooting too many high volume 3's. But for anyone who has played any form of 5 on 5 basketball and guys don't get open/they don't space the floor or there's no mismatch in the paint to hit, the three ball sometimes is the only option to shoot if there is worry that deep two might be contested. But then again we're talking about Baron, the overdribbler, who gets pretty selfish during those moments where he goes one versus five. He needs to be more unselfish especially because he's such a gifted playmaker and such a lousy shot % wise. You can't be an allstar and suck that badly as a career % unless you're also doing something else like how Jason Kidd is or when Antoine Walker was actually good for the Celtics. But then again of those three players, Antoine Walker is coming off the bench and he no longer has that consistent effect on the scoreboard and making others better. Jason Kidd at least has that triple double threat and true pure point guard mentality and leadership. I don't know about Baron.... Me thinks he's too much like Steve Francis/Stephon Marbury And1 type of baller. That's not going to work for the team IMO, especially if the rest of the team isn't good enough to make the playoffs without him.
<div class="quote_poster">HiRez Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">It would be fine, but they're not going to end December at .500, not playing like this. 8 of their next 13 games to end December are on the road, where they're 1-5.</div> I'd settle for .500 at this point, but how does this look? NO/OK - W (need to get back on winning track at home) @ SEA - W SAC - W (Kings are struggling a bit like the Warriors. Home court edge.) HOU - W (Payback time!) @ PHX - L @ TOR - W (EC fodder) @ NJN - W (ditto) @ BOS - W (ditto) @ ORL - L (Magic playing well) @ MIA - L (Miami sucking but they're stil champs) PHI - W (Back home again) BOS - W (ditto) @ SAC - L That's an optimistic 9 - 4, but like you said we are not road warriors and have six straight during one stretch.
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I don't know about Baron.... Me thinks he's too much like Steve Francis/Stephon Marbury And1 type of baller. That's not going to work for the team IMO, especially if the rest of the team isn't good enough to make the playoffs without him.</div> That's what I've been saying. Baron is supposed to be our best player, but he sure doesn't play like it. I suspect he's part of the reason why the chemistry isn't always good on this team, i.e. he starts to play individual and then everyone else starts doing it. I wouldn't trade him for Francis or Marbury, but Iverson is another story if he becomes available.
