http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...SPGV9GMO761.DTL Forward Mike Dunleavy, who arguably had the best offensive game among the starters, said afterward he wasn't sure what the Warriors' offensive identity was. "We can't just go throw the ball out there and play street ball, and that's what we rely on," Dunleavy said. "When the going gets tough, that's what we rely on. You can't just let your All-Stars, your best players, go one-on-one. As good as those guys are, the other guys are good, too. "I've been trying to explain this to everybody since the first game of the season," he continued. "Everybody thinks we can get by on it. We got by on it early in the season because we weren't playing good teams. The majority of teams in the league, as we are finding out, are good teams." and also: www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/basketball/nba/golden_state_warriors/13617231.htm "You're not going to be a good team in this league, you're not going to be a winning team, a playoff team, whatever you want to call it, playing the way we're playing," forward Mike Dunleavy said after totaling 15 points on 7-for-14 shooting, nine rebounds and five assists.
Well, Dunleavy does bring up exactly what some of us have been saying all along with the Warriors' current style. It just won't work against good, athletic defensive teams that can score. Still, it's not like Dunleavy can say he wasn't to blame as well. For a guy who is labeled a pure shooter, he doesn't deliver much. We had to rely on Pietrus/Fisher's killer instinct off the bench to put the ball into the bucket.
I'm glad to see someone who is finally speaking out about the W's major problems. Everyone in the organization is always being as politically correct as possible when its obvious that theres problems that need to be adressed. I don't even care that its one of our most inconsistent players thats criticizing the team, someone has to do it because obviously no changes are being made.
Its the players fault (sorry for the repeating 45). Clearly. Although I have never attended a practice or been on the sideline during the game I would bet my life that Monty has tried to instill a set offense but the players controlling the ball just refuse to execute when the game is on the line. That's how I take Dunleavy's comment.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting philsmith75:</div><div class="quote_post">Its the players fault (sorry for the repeating 45). Clearly. Although I have never attended a practice or been on the sideline during the game I would bet my life that Monty has tried to instill a set offense but the players controlling the ball just refuse to execute when the game is on the line. That's how I take Dunleavy's comment.</div> Which is why we need a veteran coach who can get the players respect and create stability and consistency out of our roster.
Yeah, it's been a little ugly lately. If I didn't know the team as well as I (think) I do, I'd speculate it's Baron who's being a ball hog, not getting others involved, etc. But that's bull crap. He's doing exactly what he should do -- exactly what Steve Nash does for 48 minutes every time he scorches the Warriors: control the ball, penetrate the lane, attack the paint, and thus create shots for teammates. These two are actually very similar players in this regard. The problem is that Phoenix hits their shots, be-it 15 foot jumpers or raining down trey-bombs. What the Phoenix "supporting cast" doesn't do when they aren't wide open is catch the ball, get frustrated, and try to go 1-on-1. They swing it. Even Shawn Marion. How often do you see that guy try to go 1-on-1 and force the issue? IMO almost never. Yet he dominates the game at his position, simply by out-hustling the guy in front of him, continuing to move without the ball, getting himself open, and crashing the boards for loose points and tip dunks. He knows he doesn't need to force it; if it ain't there, swing it and start moving again. He's got faith in Nash. The Warriors have too much faith in Baron, such that when he does what he's so good at doing, they stand around expecting him to work his magic time and time again. If a guy penetrates or even just begins to be a threat with a live dribble, then if you continue to move, you make that dribbler more of a threat by making yourself a target. In effect, just by being alert, swinging baseline to baseline, setting back picks or screens that aren't necessarily part of a (broken down) play, just keep moving and cutting and keeping your hands open, you "equip" your point guard with a valuable asset that makes him better: a target. Look at Marion, Thomas, Eddie House -- take a look at Raja Bell -- that guy is constantly moving and hustling. They make Nash so much better, and he in turn rewards them. Just imagine if Boom Dizzle was playing with Marion. It's not that the Warrior players can't do it; it's just that they are definately not doing it right now. It's the one thing Dunleavy does indeed have that some of the others do not; their athleticism and confidence has overshadowed his game until now. But his competence for understanding team ball is starting to surface and it's shining like a lighthouse on a moonless ocean night.
As much as Dunleavy has been a part of the problem, his comment is pretty accurate. In offense, I don't know what we are doing. One too many times, we just throw up passes and watch one player go one on one. There has been hardly any ball movement, and outside jumper suddenly dried up all of sudden. Dunleavy struggled to shoot from outside all season, and for some reason, all of Richardson, Murphy and Fisher also couldn't drop jumpers. And, for the team that doesn't have inside presence, it basically means a death sentence. That's why Davis tried to take matters in his hand and drive to the hoop like his life is depended on it, and for last 6 games, he didn't average more than 7 assists. Is this yet another struggle to install Monty's offense scheme? Internal problems? Or, simply lack of energy? I guess we will find out soon enough...
Seems he's calling out B-Diddy, J-Rich, and Murph. Which is unprofessional of him I think. While he is right about the problem, the way about he said it is wrong. No one on the team called him out when he sucked asssssssssss for the longest damn time. And now that he's doing decent, he makes these comments. He's been a big part of the problem, it seems he's trying to say he isn't.
I hate this kind of stuff. There's no way to know who he said this to and in what context. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with his statements... Now if he called out a reporter so he can let off some steam, that's plain wrong. I have a hard time believing that being around the NBA as long as he has, he'd do such a thing.
