from the Warriors Official Website Jason Richardson On his desire to have the ball in the last 3:00 tonight: ?Oh yeah, I want the ball in my hands. I?ve been asking, saying it for the longest of times, and tonight proved that. I had to be the go-to guy in the fourth quarter. I can make plays.? "Guys just really want to go out there and win. It doesn't matter who's scoring or who's doing what as long as we come into this locker room at the end of the game with a win. I haven't seen that in my two (almost three) years here." -- G Jason Richardson, in the March 30 Oakland Tribune, on the Warriors' seven-game winning streak I love that confidence and desire to be a leader and to keep on improving the areas he's weak in. I don't think he's playing for stats like some suggest. I think he enjoys being on the Warriors and has seen positive changes happening in the club that he would like to stay and be depended upon. The one thing you have to admire about the warriors is that its a great blend of vets, rookies that everyone gets along (Maybe Muss, Damp and NVE ruin the harmony a bit). I think Muss is actually the key to keeping next year's players together because what if Jrich gets pissed that Muss is no longer coach.
I know it is very late in the season when the games really don't "matter", but I still think he is taking huge steps in becoming our go-to-guy. He has a passion for the game and a passion to be the best. Aren't too many players in this league with those qualities.
As long as the future core of the warriors show signs of poise, and they put up numbers as GREAAAAAAT as against cleveland.... then it'll be all goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
Yeah that too. But then again remember the Raptors game at home with the 17 point lead that was supposed to be the blowout? I mean how can a team only score 2 points in one quarter? WTF? Okay I don't need to bring that up for the millionth time, but still. The best game this season was the first game against Minnesota where Jrich nails the game winning 3 pointer. If it weren't for NVE's court vision and decision-making I think the W's would have lost. It's too bad he creates instability off/on the court when the W's were losing and he was playing all crappy and complaining.
For JRich, i thought the game in Chicago where he put the team offensivly on his shoulders was his best performance. He wasn't shooting lights out but he kept working hard to get good shots, and wasn't going to let the Bulls beat them. JRich and Pietrus that game was a great duo.
What about desire to shut the guy down at the other end when there's 10 sec left and you are ahead by 1? He always seems to forget the other end of the court.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting philsmith75:</div><div class="quote_post">What about desire to shut the guy down at the other end when there's 10 sec left and you are ahead by 1? He always seems to forget the other end of the court.</div> I've seen worse from Dunleavy, frankly. Dunleavy makes Jrich look like Bruce Bowen.
I hope to see J-Rich develop into the player he wants to prototype himself after. Michael Finley. Although, I think its better if he prototype's himeself after Michael Jordan. If you wear 23 you better play like 23.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting philsmith75:</div><div class="quote_post">What about desire to shut the guy down at the other end when there's 10 sec left and you are ahead by 1? He always seems to forget the other end of the court.</div>But the thing is that this guy wants to get better. He works his ass off and it shows. You can even see him putting the effort in on defense even though he will still get burned on occasion. The guy has a passion for the game, put that along with his talent and we have an all-star in the making.
IT's good to hear JRIch talking like this because that shows how big of a step he's taken from when he first came into the league. He's gotten a lot more mature and now realizes that his team needs him to step up in the 4th quarter in order for them to succeed.
I look forward on seeing J-Rich up his FT% to 75-80% and his 3PT% to 35-40% next year. If he's consistent and I believe he can, he should almost be unstoppable. His scoring Avg. should go up to 22-24PPG easy. That might even go along with like 8 boards and 5 assists.
I want to see that next year too. I also want to see him improve even more on defense because you have to change the game on both ends of the floor if you hope to be seen as a bonafide superstar. He's done an okay job this year. I think the team overall needs to improve on defense because the help defense is just nowhere to be seen when guys like Murphy and Dunleavy and Nick Van Exel get in the game. Cheaney is only an average defender, I think Jrich can do better.
