L.A. Clippers @ Golden State, Game Thread, 11/6/2004

Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) at Golden State Warriors (0-2)

Saturday, November 6, 7:30 PM PST
At the Arena in Oakland

Starting for the Los Angeles Clippers:
PG Marko Jaric
SG Corey Maggette
SF Bobby Simmons
PF Elton Brand
C Chris Wilcox

Aaaand, starting for your Golden State Warriors:
PG Speedy Claxton
SG Jason Richardson
SF Mike Dunleavy
PF Troy Murphy
C Adonal Foyle

Quick recaps:
The Los Angeles Clippers are starting their season without starting C Chris Kaman and starting SG Kerry Kittles, but Chris Wilcox and Bobby Simmons have more than adequately filled those plugs left by the team's injuries. The team started out strongly by overtaking Seattle in the first game, but lost to Portland in the second game because of a talented shotblocker, Theo Ratliff, was defending the basket better than a hockey goalie.

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Utah Jazz and their flawlessly executed offense (59% shooting) and stingy defense (holding GS to 37% shooting). While Dunleavy (16 points) and Fisher (17 points) paced the scoring, they weren't able to sufficiently hold down the Utah attack or break through their defense. In particular, Troy Murphy and Jason Richardson had trouble finding the bottom of the basket.

Key Matchup:
Jason Richardson v. Corey Maggette

These two young rising stars have had a sub-par first two games. Both are shooting well under 40% from the field, but both have shown great offensive prowess in the preseason and in the past years. Both players will have to step it up if they want to help their teams win.

Prediction:
The Warriors match up well with the Clippers, and hold an edge because of the Clippers' injuries. Even if they can neutralize Maggette, they still have to deal with Elton Brand and also the emerging duo of Chris Wilcox and Bobby Simmons, who look like they both could have career years given enough minutes this season. The Clippers don't have shotblockers anywhere close the caliber Golden State has just seen (Ratliff and Kirilenko) which bodes well for them. Unless Los Angeles gets unexpectantly hot, Golden State has a very good chance for its first victory of the season.

 

I know its real early in the season but this is almost a must win for the Warriors. They cannot open the season with 3 straight losses on the road. The Clippers, as usual, are not a very good team and lost pretty bad to the Blazers tonight.

The Warriors "Big 3" need to come up big in this one.

 

I dunno, I think the Clippers could beat us. Magette and Brand are better than anything we have right now. Only thing we have is good team defense and teamwork, but no scoring.

 

We need to at least score the first points to give the Warriors a physcological boost.
We can't afford another loss especially with the road trip looming.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post">I dunno, I think the Clippers could beat us. </div>
Any team could beat us right now. We are not at that level where we know there are teams that we could beat. We need to come out with some intensity and JRich and Murphy need to get going early. Speedy needs to show that he deserves that starting role cuz fisher is looking pretty damn good.

 

i think the warriors can pull out a win tonight. but i expect this to be a close game. 88-83

 

This should be a good game. I think that these two teams matchup very well with each other. Looking forward to watching this one.

 

Warriors have been getting killed in this game but are now on a 9-0 run. 14 point game. Richardson looks horrible.

 

I think I may become a wizards fan, soon. This is terrible, I didn't think they would be this bad. I knew they would be bad, but not this bad.

 

It's pretty hard to watch. I like the coaching style and the defense, but Mullin jumped the gun on some signings.

 

Come on Gohn, get rid of that talk. We will come around...hopefully.

 

Miami heat... Miami heat... Miami heat...

 

I have stayed with Golden State for 11 years and if they dont win a single game this year I will never jump ship to a winner. The Bay Area is my home, my loyalty is here.

As far as the game goes: That may have been the worst game I have seen the warriors play in a long time. Richardson was awful, Dunleavy was so bad I don't think there is a word invented to describe it. Murphy was awful. In the first he took so many terrible shots and disrupted the flow of the offense by setting up a screen to take his stupid jumper. He did better later on but at the end of the game the clips bigs were abusing him. He couldn't hold his own at all. Barnett and Fitz were praising him? Please. Play in the post then come out and shoot your jumpers kid, your not a 2 guard.

The Clips didn't have to try hard playing zone because there are so many screens going on all over the court it crowded the middle and the players had to settle for jumpers. Not only that but it took the team way too long to start the offense and there should be some more fast breaks. No one on this team besides the point can handle the basketball. They didn't work the ball around enough. Oh my god this team was bad...

Najera, Foyle, Speedy and Cheaney all did very well. I really feel bad for Mullin because as of now he is looking like an absolute moron. It's been a long time that someone was signed to an extension and they started off this badly. Maybe they'll start hitting their shots and master monty's system but if they don't this could be the worst season ever.

 

I feel your pain. I am a warriors 4 life too, but I pray we climb into it like the Miami Heat from last year. They were what? at the start of the season? 0-11 or something? They have to believe.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rudeezy:</div><div class="quote_post">Come on Gohn, get rid of that talk. We will come around...hopefully.</div>

I don't know, after J-rich and Murphy were signed to those long contracts, I don't feel like this team will be good at all for another ten years. Just so many decisions from mullin that I didn't like.

 

Yeah, the Heat really pulled it together.

On the other hand, the Orlando Magic lost 19 in a row early in the season, but even without climbing back in, they recieved the first draft pick of 2004.

Moral of the story? Either play really well, or failing that, suck really bad. Yeah, ok, maybe there's no moral.

Remember, since Richardson and Murphy are now Base Year Compensation players, we're pretty much stuck with them for two years, unless some team with salary cap room next season wants them (Atlanta?). All we can do is hope for them to get it together and play well. I really did expect the W's to stumble out the block a bit no matter how good of a coach Montgomery is, because just wasn't enough time (and no breaks early on). It's only the third game. Don't bail just yet.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Gohn:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't know, after J-rich and Murphy were signed to those long contracts, I don't feel like this team will be good at all for another ten years. Just so many decisions from mullin that I didn't like.</div>

Yeah, but had Mullin not signed those contracts and they were playing like this we would have said, "oh, its cause we did not sign them to an extension and now they are sulking..." Maybe there is some pressure on them.

Personally I think it is just going to take time to get used to the coach's system and style. I wish they would mix up some of Musslemans phylosophy and Monty's. Run and gun as much as possible, but then when you have to run a half court offense, have some structure unlike Mussleman's offense.

I would like to change my predictions to 20-62....

 

I don't know what really is. It could be because of the new system. But then, didn't we have pretty good preseason? Or, maybe because the hunger factor is gone for Richardson and Murphy. Whatever the reason is, we lost 3 straight home games that we should have won if we ever dream of making PO. Hope we fix this pretty soon. Throughout 3 games, we scored 80 pts, 37% shooting, while allowing 91 pts with 50% shooting. Neither offense nor defense are working for us...

 

My kingdom for a jump shot! Like the old saying goes The Warriors big three couldn't hit water if they fell of a ship. I really don't buy into the "they are learning a new system" crap. If you can shot it dosen't matter what system a team is learning. If I was the coach I would make the Warriors especially the big three practice jump shots for 4 hours every day.

 

...and free throws. No excuse for missing those.