Anyone have any thoughts on the game? The game was terrible from a shooting standpoint (especially at the foul line), but I absolutely loved watching Baron Davis and Monta Ellis play. They were just dominating the Pacers backcourt. Unfortunately, our cast of characters in the middle and frontcourt were just not that good tonight, but they made good plays down the stretch. Nelson made a smart move playing Biedrins and Barnes because they made some crucial hustle plays. If this is a playoff type situation we want those two in there. And this game was like a playoff situation. Despite this victory, the free throw shooting coach Sidney Moncrief will have to sit these guys back down again. BTW I felt bad for Dunleavy. Sure he comes off as a complainer, but there was no need for that. The only time it was ever okay to boo Dunleavy was when he was in a Warriors uniform. He didn't betray us, he just wasn't very good in Oakland.
Just got back form the game. It was pretty ugly but I guess a win is a win right? Baron and Monta were great, it seemed like Al was pretty good there in the 3rd but the box score tells a different story. Biedrins barely played, I heard Nellie on the radio say he didn't want to push him too much on that bruised knee and also wanted Cro and Al to draw JO from the paint. Dunleavy is clearly a different player from a mental point of view. In seasons past he would piss himself and clank and/or airball every shot, hes much more mentally tough these days and I'll give him props for that. Still booed him every time he touched it though. Not because I was mad that he never panned out as a player but more because he was a finger pointer and shit talker in the media and never took accountability for his own actions. Jackson was horrible. Barnes made a few decent hustle plays. I officially encourage Moncrief to get Baron to shoot his FTs by hop stepping into the lane from the right side, having the ref time a pass to get there right whne he lands, then take a fading 16 footer. Hes much better at those than stand still FTs. Also nice to see Monta show some passion and toughness after getting decked by Tinsley. Even if it was for just a second and he regained his composure right after, nice to see him playing tough. He played really well after that too. Kid's a gamer.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Run BJM @ Jan 14 2008, 12:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Just got back form the game. It was pretty ugly but I guess a win is a win right? Baron and Monta were great, it seemed like Al was pretty good there in the 3rd but the box score tells a different story. Biedrins barely played, I heard Nellie on the radio say he didn't want to push him too much on that bruised knee and also wanted Cro and Al to draw JO from the paint. Dunleavy is clearly a different player from a mental point of view. In seasons past he would piss himself and clank and/or airball every shot, hes much more mentally tough these days and I'll give him props for that. Still booed him every time he touched it though. Not because I was mad that he never panned out as a player but more because he was a finger pointer and shit talker in the media and never took accountability for his own actions. Jackson was horrible. Barnes made a few decent hustle plays. I officially encourage Moncrief to get Baron to shoot his FTs by hop stepping into the lane from the right side, having the ref time a pass to get there right whne he lands, then take a fading 16 footer. Hes much better at those than stand still FTs. Also nice to see Monta show some passion and toughness after getting decked by Tinsley. Even if it was for just a second and he regained his composure right after, nice to see him playing tough. He played really well after that too. Kid's a gamer.</div> That game must have been fun to watch in the 4th... dodged a bullet there with the way Pacers responded to every run (especially when their coach called a timeout)! Whew! I think the problem with Baron Davis is he doesn't put any arc on his free throw. That's why he never gets that consistent. It should be a simple shot for a smaller player. Shooting hand side foot a little bit forward, knees bent a little, elbow tucked, and ball coming off the index finger, with the follow through. Maybe the problem is not just Baron's ugly ass form, but also his mental toughness in a foul line situation. These should be going down softly rather than rattling in, but he just has a terrible technique as well as probably not practicing his current technique. Shawn Marion has terrible technique but he's a consistent and accurate free throw shooter and he manages to put some arc on it so it has a high chance of staying down.
Ya, people need to get over it. Booing a guy who's obviously worked hard and is playing well in another system because he wasn't mature enough physically or mentally here. I'm indifferent on Dunleavy, the only ex-Warriors that deserved a boo-ing IMO were Webber and Spreewell. Oh well, to each his own, I guess. The thing I loved about yesterday's game was Baron and Montay's toughness. They would take it at the rim when everyone else was chucking. Good stuff. That's how you claw back into a game when the outside shot just isn't dropping. From Janny Hu's SF Gate Article <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Baron on Mike: "People expect certain things out of individuals, and sometimes expectations are too high. But he gave this organization everything he had. He played hurt a lot, which I think that kind of hurt him because it's something that hurts your performance. A lot of times I would tell him, 'You can't play hurt,' but who am I to tell him because I'm the same dude that does the same dumb thing. A player like that, you have to respect his heart and passion for the game. He gave his heart and soul to this organization and he played while he was hurt, unlike a lot of guys who wouldn't, know what I mean?"</div>
Warriors either (1) got lucky or (2) showed the mental toughness to win a game that they should absolutely not lose if they want to be known as an above-average team. Given their performance this year I'm going with No. 2. SJax is in a huge funk. Don't know what it is but he's playing less like an indispensable Co-Cap and more like a gunner, sulker who does not hustle back when he does not get the foul call at the other end. He's played better before and I think Nellie will get him back on track somehow. Baron just makes the plays that helps the W's get the win. Monta scores but his are more in the open court points. Baron gets points for the W's when its in the half court, which are the toughest to get. Monta was great though. I thought Nellie played Croshere against O'Neal because he was a teammate so long and he would know how to play him and Croshere did an awesome job, making him shoot an airball on one possession. As for the FTs, I'll just say it was one of those days. The W's are great from the line right now for the year, better than I could have ever expected. Baron will get back on track, he shot 80% for Dec. Dunleavy looked like a #3 pick last night. He shot confidently, played confidently. He even posted Baron(?) and went up and shot over him like it was no sweat. A totally different player. Good for him. Jermaine was an elite player. Looking at the box scores this year, it looked like he was on the way down. Now I'm thinking maybe its because they don't look for him enough. Maybe the Pacers want to unload him to the Ws? (Wait, I want to keep Biedrins and Monta.)
