I guess it's because of all the trade talk hype about two weeks ago, especially at a time when we had a little momentum, that I'm now anxious for something to happen. When the talks first started, GS had rebounded from a little slump and pushed a few games above .500. Plus, the pieces in play (specifically Murphy) were playing well and confirming their trade value around the league. Then we played Indiana. Man,was that a turning point IMO. Around the league, the concensus was that Indy was against the ropes, needing to make a decision so the team could move forward, while GS was in the driver's seat, confident and playing well and not really "needing" to make a change. And Indiana simply manhandled the Warriors, probably amazed at how easy it was to roll over the lifeless GS corpses. JRich made Stephen Jackson look like MJ. And Murphy? He made Croshere look like Larry Bird. That game, IMO was pivotal, because first it was a huge springboard for Indy, giving them unity and confidence and inspiration. They looked excited, energized, and united as a team. Golden State? Suddenly, in the land of the GM, they were against the ropes. Donnie Walsh suddenly had a powerful chip on the table; the very fact that everything wasn't smelling rosy in oakland, and that perhaps Mully was feeling just a bit more eager to make a move than he was letting on. Further, that win for Indy helped increase their stability and helped prove, to themselves, that they can win with or without Artest or an Artest trade. Before, it was "Trade Artest so we can move on." Now, it's "We've moved on, eventually we'll also trade Artest." Ever since the Indy game, Murphy's uninspired play has only helped demote him to a second-tier NBA player; perhaps Indy now thinks they can do better. Also, the further the Warriors plummet into the abyss of incompetence, the stronger Donnie Walsh's bargaining position becomes. He's <gulp> now the one in the driver's seat. I'm a little anxious now, obviously because of the way the Warriors are making the Raptors look like playoff contenders, but also because I know in the back of my mind the trade deadline is more than a month away. And perhaps we'll have to wait that long for a change. Perhaps longer If the team won't even offer me a morsel of hope to chew on, perhaps you all will. Any encouraging words for an exasperated fan here?
great thread...i agree whole-heartedly. i just feel like the potential trade is hanging over everyone's heads, and it's getting to them. if the trade isn't gonna happen, we can't play half-assed for another month while we wait around.
The trade rumors are definitely distracting. Murphy's fantasy value kind of took a dive because of it. Like, he'll get rebounds, but he's been slumping in terms of shooting. Meanwhile, Dunleavy's scoring and number of shot attempts goes up. Sometimes, I do wish Murphy would shoot more open jumpers since Dunleavy tends to miss everything like he's got bad depth perception.
Dunleavy's shot attempts have been going up but mostly from inside the arc. Murphy has looked banged up lately. You can see that his step is a bit slower than before. It's too bad that moving Ike to the 4 and Foyle/Beidrins to the 5 would kill any trade value Murphy has altogether.
