Warriors v. Suns 7:30

The protégé v. the professor. Curry v. Nash. Can't wait to see it. Let's see if GS really is trying to establish a new defensive identity. This will be a good test against a team who is only slightly ahead of them in the standings...

 

Yikes, it's only the half but we couldn't guard the Suns starters nor the second unit. Lots of bad bounces, but some bad flubs as well.

 

Terrible defense. Monta is kind of a phony out there. His defensive instincts are nil. The guy just doesn't seem to care. It's weird -- his defensive behavior is that of a prima dona superstar who doesn't have to play defense because he's above it. I don't think he wants to come off that way, but he does.

I mean, he has NO ability to see ball-man. He just stares at ball. Go back and watch this game. Monta just stands and watches Steve Nash -- meanwhile, his man, Jared Dudley, or Grant Hill, is completely hiding behind him, to cut back door, or crash in behind him for a rebound.

In transition, when you have to read the floor and "pick up" the unguarded man, boy is he awful at this. Just comes down, nonchalantly lolly gagging, half-heartedly picks up whoever is unguarded...kind of... watches Steve Nash some more... pass goes right by Monta's knee... he kind of flips his hand out there... meanwhile, the guy he was just guarding sliped behind him for a wide open shot...

There's a reason Monta is not an all-star. His defense is absolutely horrendous. All he has is quickness and steals, when he chooses to use that quickness... but that's only if there's a chance for a fast break... he's always leaking out early, or standing to watch his teammates do the dirty work inside... I'm sorry but I could go on and on here...

Go back and watch the 1st half when Jared Dudley first enters the game... First play, he just walks right behind Monta's blind ass for an easy baseline shot. I mean, I don't have an NBA body, I'll tell you right now there's no way you're sneaking back door on me uncontested. Seriously, wtf is that?

That's weakness is what it is.

 

The Warriors shot poorly and were dying by the 3-ball that you can't blame this loss on one person. I listened to the game on KNBR during work, and the game wasn't available on NBA League Pass so that was it. It sounded like the Suns picked the Warriors apart in the 1Q with the high post and their pick and roll game. The Warriors couldn't stop it. Then on offense the Warriors kept shooting 3-balls and missing when they should have been taking it to the rack against PHX according to Keith Smart because the W's can't beat PHX at their own game.

Second, it sounded like the Suns had too much talent against the Warriors. The Warriors play great at times (like against Chicago), but they have these kinds of games because they don't have enough talent. Now, I've seen the Suns play bad like the Warriors and miss shots, but they seem to have the match-ups against the Warriors. I couldn't stand that stretch when Hakim Warrick was scoring and doing damage against the Warriors. He only had six points and played 6+ minutes, but the Warriors could not stop him. Also, I couldn't stand Grant Hill just posting Monta up and no one was there for the Warriors to use to stop it.

 

Keith Smart said he went to the 1-2-2 and 2-3 zone later in the game. The only thing was he didn't go to it early enough. The Warriors didn't have enough left to make a comeback. It's not like the Suns play great D either:
"You had to (play zone). They just spaced you out so well, and I knew they were going to come back and start posting up again so I had to try to go zone to mix it up and take them out of some of things they were going to try to do … The zone bought us some time, got us back into the game and gave us some momentum to where they were taking shots that they really didn’t want to take because they’re a pick and roll team."

He should have replaced Monta on Hill, too. That was awful.

 

The zone was fools gold. The Suns killed the Warriors because they got wide open looks from 3 early on and they buried them. Frye, Dudley, Pietrus, etc. The zone would not have helped, especially the 2-3, because that's the shot that the zone gives up. Since I was a kid, the way to beat the zone up top is play the 1-2-2 or 3/2 offense, the two guys at the top of the zone cannot guard 3 guys on the perimeter and the guys on the blocks are always hesitant to come out on the perimeter, thus open looks from 3 at the elbows.

Warriors played horrible D early on, trying too hard to collapse without an effort to get back on the shooters, then just hoisting up jumpers on the offensive end and making sloppy turnovers (that's you Steph.)