Craxette: 17-51 (33%) from the floor on a combined 105 minutes. The other 8 players: 19-39 (49%) from floor on a combined 133 minutes. I'm SO glad Stephen Jackson played 39 minutes as the Warriors got completely squashed by the Bulls. That was really great all around. Good for development, good for Jackson's stats, good for team chemistry. I really love how Nellie is making the young players earn it by playing hard. It's great how he is riding the vets to Chinatown and making Randolph get on his hands and knees and beg for 14 minutes. We wouldn't want Randolph developing the wrong attitude, now. This is great this way. Maggette shakes-n-bakes for 5-16 from the field with 4 turnovers in 31 minutes. Meanwhile Randolph goes 2-4 with 10 rebounds in 14 minutes. Nellie is sending the right message. "Watch the vets, young fella." "Watch how Maggette does it, Anthony. Do you see that? Some day, you'll see. Some day, if you play your cards right, maybe you too can play like Corey Maggette. Study what he does. I give him 30+ minutes because he has earned it the hard way. Do you see how he plays? Selfish, ball-hogging, without a care for his teammates? Do you see how he NEVER passes to the open man, because he believes HE is always the only open man? Do you see how he leaves his brothers out to dry on defense, preferring to stand and watch while everyone else plays? Anthony, if you keep working hard, and keep studying the guy that I give the minutes to... If you play that way, young man, like Corey Maggette...I'll give you more minutes!" And then Nellie watched Randolph do this to Tyrus Thomas: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/whh9ZCFoYLQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/whh9ZCFoYLQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Then he yelled "Get me Maggette!" and benched Randolph. .
Well, maybe Nelson thought our 'big' 3 can do a great tanking job. I mean, after 'disastrous' start, Bulls outscored us by around 40 pts, and our 'big' 3 made sure that yesterday's mistake would not happen. I really don't know what Nelson thought about today's game's rotation. He needs another run of sitting at least one vet out...
Tank tank tank tank tank! Great video by the way, AO. I don't understand Nelson sometimes when it looked like he was trying to win or teach his guys.
Randolph also strained his groin. Too bad because he was having a monster game on the boards. Jamal Crawford has been horrible lately. Maggette has had two bad games in a row. When he's having that kind of game, he should be pulled. Nellie should treat him as a bench player and put him in only when he's effective, not allow him to shoot his way into a rhythm. Either Maggette has it or he doesn't. He's pretty easy to gauge that way.
Serves me right for not watching the whole game. I didn't catch that Randolph strained his groin. Well, I still think the minutes/percentages thing is valid. Those "big 3" combine for almost as many minutes as the rest of the team combined, yet they shoot on 33% versus 49%. I know Morrow (my 'lil buddy) was only 3-9, but I'd still much rather have Morrow, Belly, Biedrins and Randolph taking the shots if I'm coach. I don't mind that they are the vets and they are starters. But those three players took 51 out of 90 team shots, and they couldn't hit the side of a barn. Their teammates were the ones who could make shots, the only problem is the big 3 wouldn't pass.
