<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Big revelation here: Nick Van Exel isn't necessarily the devil. It's just that when he has more than $12 million at stake and a trouble-making reputation to shake, Van Exel's better angels aren't always visible, audible or splendidly quotable. But late Monday, after the Warriors' 115-113 double-overtime loss to Memphis at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, Van Exel didn't blast his coach or second-guess his role on the offense. He flipped the script and ripped himself and his 0-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter, the lowlight of the Warriors blowing an eight-point lead. No, the Warriors haven't had anybody like this guy before. You can hate it if you want, but you should appreciate the ride. ``I just needed to make a couple shots -- that's it,'' said Van Exel, who finished 9 for 25 for 23 points. ``All we had to do -- all I had to do -- was make some shots. . . . I let the team down.'' Just another night in the Van Exel melodrama, where he takes the big shots, makes the fascinating speeches and generally overwhelms the game with his presence, good or bad. The Warriors kept going to him ``unfortunately,'' Van Exel said, ``and I kept missing.''</div> http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...ors/7698110.htm
Since Warriors don't have a true go to guy, they usually play the hot hand. Van Exel obviously wasn't on, I don't know why they continued to give him the ball when he kept missing shots. Down the strecth of a game like that, I felt Cliff or J-Rich should have been getting the ball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple N Gold:</div><div class="quote_post">Since Warriors don't have a true go to guy, they usually play the hot hand. Van Exel obviously wasn't on, I don't know why they continued to give him the ball when he kept missing shots. Down the strecth of a game like that, I felt Cliff or J-Rich should have been getting the ball.</div>Well Cliff was fouled out early in the fourth quarter but I definately would have gone to J-Rich. How does a guy that can create his own shot and have a good game only get one shot in the 4th quarter?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rudeezy:</div><div class="quote_post">Well Cliff was fouled out early in the fourth quarter but I definately would have gone to J-Rich. How does a guy that can create his own shot and have a good game only get one shot in the 4th quarter?</div> Exactly. The Grizzlies didn't really have an answer to him the whole game. Who on Memphis can stop J-Rich? It frustrates me sometimes when the Warriors come so close, and they lose a game that was easily winnable. They need better execution down the stretch, and a backup when their best player isn't hitting the shots (NOT Brian Cardinal! :mrgreen: - btw, did you see his fadeaway in OT? I went crazy when he hit that).
Yes, Cardinal was the reason they went to a 2nd OT with his hustle plays. J-Rich needs the ball in the final minutes, especially if Van Exel is shooting 9/25 from the field.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rudeezy:</div><div class="quote_post">Well Cliff was fouled out early in the fourth quarter but I definately would have gone to J-Rich. How does a guy that can create his own shot and have a good game only get one shot in the 4th quarter?</div> My bad, didn't see the game, just assumed he was still in. Yeah, J-Rich has been very clutch this season, yet Van Exel is the guy trying to take the game over in the 4th. Give it to him in the post, set him up for some shots, they need to do something to get him more involved during the closing minutes of games, he hasn't let the Warriors down.
i think this was a good move by van exel...i think speedy claxton is MORE than ready to have a starting position anywhere in the NBA...that's right, i'm very high on speedy, and i think the warriors will do fine with some speed like last year
Yep, look at the difference. Speedy spreads the ball, 3 boards away from a triple double. Best game for the Warriors of this year. Cliff Robinson is something else, J-Rich played awesome, and now I'm confident that they will put up a good fight when their at home. Winning on the road is the only problem now.
I love Speedy Claxton's game. He runs the floor better than any other warrior and can dribble past anyone in the league.
Speedy is just an amazing player, and if given more burn he'd be compared with Earl Boykins because of his quickness, lack of size and the difficulty he presents opposing defenders. But Speedy is better than Earl, and he can prove it by playing consistently from here on out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"I didn't plan on getting hurt," said Van Exel, who came back earlier than expected from the October surgery. "I didn't plan on having a chipped bone locking my knee up. I guess that's what I created. But I was in Denver and it took me 31/2 years to get frustrated. We just didn't start losing when I got there." Van Exel, who is averaging 13.4 points and 5.9 assists per game, said anyone suggesting he isn't hurt and is merely "shutting it down" because the Warriors are losing (nine of 10 before Thursday's game) don't know him. "The only thing I can do is get it right," he said. "I can't worry about what people who haven't played the game or know what's going on say. I can't worry about what people who don't know pain and who don't play basketball say. I have to do what's right for me and the team." </div> http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctime...ors/7725402.htm <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"I was talking to a buddy of mine," Van Exel recalled of the cross-country conversation. "(He said,) 'You got your shot blocked by Jason Williams and Earl Watson' (in the Memphis game Monday night)." The veteran point guard thought about that for a second and drew the obvious conclusion: He needed to take some time off. </div> LOL...poor nick. http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,14...1894983,00.html
I like Speedy too but he was always in some kind of injury funk. Like beginning of this year he was turning the ball over, missing shots during the time when he sprained his finger, tore his groin muscle, hurt his back, and so forth. Then he got a lot of rest each game. You could say it was all those injuries most likely affecting his consistency, but when he got that rest he came out and attacked the zone which is what we needed. I think the same will happen for NVE once he gets healed. He's going to be "nick the quick" again, but hopefully it will be this season and not after.
