Warriors vs Grizzlies @ home - wed feb 21, 2007 7:30pm pst FSN

http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/preview_022107.html

The return of JRich! Woohoo!

I'm not expecting this guy to get it going right out of the gates, but I'm glad he's back.

 

I want to see left-handed free throws by J-Rich.

 

I'm hoping the depth chart will look like this, but I'm not betting on it since Nelson is in love with Harrington @ PF for whatever darn reason just like Dun at PF and Murph at C idea:

c: Andris Biedrins (rebounding, shotblocking, defensive player)
pf: Josh Powell (rebounding)
sf: Stephen Jackson (shooting guard, drive n dish)
sg: Jason Richardson (small forward, scoring, rebounding)
pg: Baron Davis (drive n dish)

c: Foyle (defensive player) / POB / Al Harrington
pf: POB (rebounder) / Pietrus (defensive player, rebounder) / Barnes (rebounder)
sf: Al Harrington (sixth/seventh man scorer, 3 point specialist) / Barnes (rebounder) / Pietrus (rebounder, defensive player)
sg: Az (glue guy/scorer/defender) / Pietrus (rebounder, defensive player)
pg: Monta Ellis (sixth/seventh man, glue guy, defensive player, rebounder) / Cabbages

 

Cus.... i think Harrington should always start. If there is one thing he has been consistent at is hot hot starts. Sometimes he disappears after the first 7 minutes or so.... but he always comes out on fire.... which i am sure is conditioning to some extent.

Intrestingly. They put a poll on TNT tonight....

A New Orleans B clippers c warriors d minnesota

the poll asked which team would make the playoffs and the warriors

by 47% were the favorite..

BArkley during the wrap up show not only stated the dubs are the best team not currently in the playoffs but are going to be a team no one will want to face.

I guess as the next segment was showing how teams have fallen apart without their stars, pierce in boston, etc

so if you figure J-rich is our star.... then yeah maybe, had the team remained healthy they most likely would be sitting in a play off spot.

 

Interesting statistics. I would have said New Orleans. It's even stranger that Barkely said something positive about the W's

 

<div class="quote_poster">boogielew Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Cus.... i think Harrington should always start. If there is one thing he has been consistent at is hot hot starts. Sometimes he disappears after the first 7 minutes or so.... but he always comes out on fire.... which i am sure is conditioning to some extent.
</div>

Ah, maybe then I just don't like his game like the stats guy David Berri (from this article Source that Shapecity posted). Berri thought he was one of the 5th worst regulars (to play at starting power forward spot I'm assuming). I tend to agree even just based on watching Harrington. When he's scoring, yeah it's all good and dandy, but when he's not, I can't think of one good thing he's doing for the club outside of scoring at the four position (a very important position that requires a lot more dimensions). But there lies the dilemma dollar for productivity: both the former warriors Dunleavy + Murphy combo wasn't doing much either for the variety of stats they put up and they amount they were getting paid. Defensively, they were both bad (mainly because they were slow), but they could provide things like defensive rebounding, nice passes without the high turnovers, lower shot attempts when they weren't feelin it, and the occasional flop or hustle play. One of them was also very consistent, although more like role player consistent.

I just think sometimes AH's game, it's more one dimensional than Murphy's game and I didn't like Murphy already with just shooting and rebounding and nothing else in between. But if it works to get AH to be an effective 50%+ shooter some nights (when he gets his shots early as a starter), then I think that's how we make him the most successful. And if he's successful then I think the team can be successful. That is, if the other guys are maintaining a steady consistent game production from the other players and making up for Harrington's shortcomings outside of just scoring. Since we lack high volume 45-50% scoring shooters (especially guys shooting from downtown), Harrington can be seen as an asset on the drive and kick finish. If Don Nelson can use this guy in his awkward lineups and it helps to secure something in this 8th seed playoff goal, so be it. But man I can't complain enough if Al Harrington should ever fail to score efficiently a few nights in a row (I can barely handle one). At least if Baron is jacking 20 shot attempts he always make some plays without turning the ball over at a 1:1 turnover to assist ratio. AH on a bad night just takes away shots from guys who IMO could do it more efficiently and get more people involved and make the game easier for everyone else.

I think AH makes things just complicated because in order to fit his role in Don Nelson's lineup, he's also got to do things that a real nba power forward also has to do and what a nba shooting guard/point guard has to do. The big man stuff is especially hard to find, unless we're trying to get these things at smaller positions. And that isn't the same as having a heavy duty four clean up on the glass, box out, and post up when we need something in the halfcourt and be physical against other 6'9-6'10 240-250 lb players. He just plays weaksauce to me especially going inside. He gets a lot of offensive rebounds mainly cleaning up his own misses. Troy Murphy could at least do that, clean up other guys' misses if he's hangin inside the painted area, in addition to being a productive defensive rebounder. But the trade can't be complained about if it's just a short term thing... we all knew the trade was a bit of a wash except for salary relief/tax relief and we all knew that. I think we came out on top with Sjax over Dunleavy. Now, I just hope Powell becomes something that Ike Diogu does when he's not scoring. We're talking a guy who can put a body on somebody, contest shots, and finish when given the chance. There's no room for big men missing point blank opportunities because they were too weak or lacked shot touch or hands to catch the ball.

<div class="quote_poster">boogielew Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">
Intrestingly. They put a poll on TNT tonight....

A New Orleans B clippers c warriors d minnesota

the poll asked which team would make the playoffs and the warriors

by 47% were the favorite..

BArkley during the wrap up show not only stated the dubs are the best team not currently in the playoffs but are going to be a team no one will want to face.

I guess as the next segment was showing how teams have fallen apart without their stars, pierce in boston, etc

so if you figure J-rich is our star.... then yeah maybe, had the team remained healthy they most likely would be sitting in a play off spot.</div>

Well I agree based on the records of other teams vying for the 8th seed, we have a good chance (especially with a coach who is trying to go all in vs. half in and half out, no identity), but at the same time there's nothing that will make that nervous feeling going away if we start showing signs of falling short like in previous years. There's always something... and that's just annoyed the heck out of me because I know we're not a big, mature team. And I wish we were! I just don't enjoy fast tempo games that aren't well rounded and we have young guys not knowing what to do. There's just no real killer one-on-one player that can beat everybody up inside and out just yet (except maybe Ellis but he's so young)... so it's like we're totally going to miss on some nights when we need a halfcourt threat if people decide to stand around and wait for the ball (as opposed to moving and screening for each other like a shuffle offense).

Having Jrich back should help, but we'll see how he exists with Harrington jacking up quite a few. I want the ball in Jrich's hands more than I do with Harrington's 3 turnovers a game or more. Jrich is at least 3:2 on most nights, but 3:3 or 3:4 oh man... and some of them were just not very bright moves as opposed to being clumsy like Jrich dribbling off his foot or trying to drive between two defenders when he's not that quick with the ball (this could be seen as dumb, but maybe he did have a chance on some plays). I know that's some negative stuff coming out about Harrington's game, but I'm just calling it like I see it. When his offense game ain't rolling I don't think he nearly has the intangibles as an Ellis or Jrich doing the same thing with the ball.

 

Between the four teams, it's a tough call. All of the teams except for the Warriors have had clearly higher expectations that they have not fulfilled this season, but that doesn't necessary mean that they are "on the rise" to paraphrase what Barkley said. True, a fully healthy Warriors team would be dangerous. However, New Orleans has also been without Peja, who could come back sometime soonish. Minnesota and the Clippers, on the other hand, have just been disappointing. The first seven seeds look like they're going to hold onto their spots, so only one team among the four will sneak in. There's no guarantee everyone on the Warriors can stay healthy, but obviously that's going to have to be one of the keys.

 

How quickly they forget.

The Warriors probably had the highest expectations of all the teams. 12 years of no playoffs which is the worst in NBA modern history. New coach in Don Nelson who is the second winningest coach in the NBA ever. The players vowing to make the playoffs THIS year. Season tickets being sold to an all time high. Mullin pulling the huge trade with Indiana when nobody thought he could get rid of both Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy's contracts. He also dumped Derek Fisher's albatross before that.

Now we're 1/2 game back of the 8th spot. Even if it's first round and out, the playoff experience will help the Warriors!

 

1/2 game out of the 8th spot is nothing to give much hope IMO. We were in that position almost every single year but we blew it by going on bad losing streaks. It can very well happen again. Don Nelson can't get everyone to do what it takes to win when we can't rebound or make stops inside or can't shoot the three ball or make free throws. I'm saying, it's a flip of the coin. Especially, on road trips or facing guys in our own conference.

Oh yeah, and it takes defensive stops to run it out, because we're not that quick of a transition team where some guy can march the ball up and take a shot off the dribble for a 3 pointer in their face.

 

For tonight, I'm good to go with the Warriors moving into the 8th spot. They got JRich back and are playing lowly Memphis after a nice all-star break. Memphis is on the second game of a back-to-back and have already started the second season losing to weak Seattle. The only bad news is Matt Barnes can't play because of injury. Or is that good news?

That's the closest the Warriors have to being in the playoffs in 12 years!!!

 

Wait you're saying J-rich is back and Barnes isnt playing? How could we possibly lose? Talk about a win-win. I wonder what the status is of MP? any news?

 

<div class="quote_poster">boogielew Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Wait you're saying J-rich is back and Barnes isnt playing? How could we possibly lose? Talk about a win-win. I wonder what the status is of MP? any news?</div>

"Also expected to make a comeback, albeit from a shorter absence, is Mickael Pietrus. The 6-foot-6 swingman sprained his right ankle on February 9 and has missed the team?s last three games. Lastly, the Warriors will welcome a familiar face back to the bench, as the team recalled rookie center Patrick O'Bryant from the NBDL's Bakersfield Jam. Over his last 10 games with the Jam, O'Bryant averaged 14.6 points and 11.2 rebounds."

from the W's website

 

Yup. Minny lost tonight so the table has been set. They're even giving away an JRich autograph print if you buy a Playoff Push Pack. It's the stars finally lined up for the Warriors tonight.

 

lol Barnett thought Mike Miller was one-dimensional???

I guess no guard-like forward was as multi-dimensional as his own blood, Mike Dunleavy Jr.

 

As expected, Jrich is showing some rust, but he's doing some things to help. He's got to take less shots if he's not there tonight.

 

yeah J-Rich is definitely rusty, but he's passing well and rebounding. almost the end of the 3rd quarter and he has 6 points on 2-12 shooting (0-4 3P), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a turnover.

 

Man the Warriors NEED to win this game. They need to turn it up here in the 4th. They have yet to win a quarter yet. Now if they can outscore the Grizzlies by 7 points in ths quarter, then I will be very, very happy

 

Man, Jrich love him! His biggest challenge is learning to play within the flow of the game. When he tries to rush or try too hard and force the play, that's when the problems happen. But dang, he is such a factor when he's making those hustle plays and learning to not try to do things outside his game.

Sjax is looking pretty good thus far. He's taken those low % shots but he's making it. Plus, his real skill is that he plays like a prototype shooting guard (pass, dribble, shoot, make good decisions).

And how about Biedrins?? Man love him!

 

Hmm? What just happened? I am following the game on Yahoo and it said Jackson missed lay-up, GS rebound, and then a 8 second back court violation and now Griz timeout. How did that happen?

 

<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">

And how about Biedrins?? Man love him!</div>

Cause he's on your fantasy team also?