@ Time: 4:30 pm Arena: Quicken Loans Arena TV/Radio: FSNBA/KNBR 680AM Season Series: Warriors 1-0 Records: Warriors 22-27 Cleveland 29-20 Warriors Starting Lineup Cavaliers Starting Lineup
Dude, why bother? Do you honestly think we will win? I know we can but do you think we will? I don't.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting upsidedownside7:</div><div class="quote_post">Dude, why bother? Do you honestly think we will win? I know we can but do you think we will? I don't.</div> The Warriors smoked Cleveland by almost 30 last time they played, so I don't see your reasoning here.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AlleyOop:</div><div class="quote_post">The Warriors smoked Cleveland by almost 30 last time they played, so I don't see your reasoning here.</div> Baron = our best player. This game is alot different than our last game too, LeBron isnt exactly struggling this time. I know alot of people are really down on Baron right now but we are just terrible without him.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Problem is that Davis is injured..</div> Is that really a problem? At this point I'm not so sure.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">Baron = our best player. This game is alot different than our last game too, LeBron isnt exactly struggling this time. I know alot of people are really down on Baron right now but we are just terrible without him.</div> Baron was suspended the night the Warriors smoked Cleveland by almost 30, so I don't see your reasoning here.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AlleyOop:</div><div class="quote_post">Baron was suspended the night the Warriors smoked Cleveland by almost 30, so I don't see your reasoning here.</div> My reasoning is that you're saying we can/should/will beat this team because we did it without Baron the last time we played them. Last time we played them Lebron was 5/22 or something like that, also, it was probably in GS. Tonight won't be as easy but it sounds like you're not hearing it so we might as well end the debate right here.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">My reasoning is that you're saying we can/should/will beat this team because we did it without Baron the last time we played them. Last time we played them Lebron was 5/22 or something like that, also, it was probably in GS. Tonight won't be as easy but it sounds like you're not hearing it so we might as well end the debate right here.</div> I didn't know there was a debate -- looking at my posts, I just question the doubt expressed about the Warriors chances of winning tonight. You quoted me, and you reply was that "Baron=Our best player." I never said "we can/should/will beat this team because we did it without Baron the last time we played them." I just pointed out that they, infact, did beat this team last time, without Baron. The win was in GS, and LeBron did struggle. But I think the main thing to remember, in my humble opinion, is that the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers by almost 30 last month, and they did it without Barn Davis.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AlleyOop:</div><div class="quote_post">I didn't know there was a debate -- looking at my posts, I just question the doubt expressed about the Warriors chances of winning tonight. I never said "we can/should/will beat this team because we did it without Baron the last time we played them." I just pointed out that they, infact, did beat this team last time, without Baron.</div> I understand what you're saying. It sounds like we arent thinking on the same page about anything here. Obviously you never said "we can/should/will beat this team..." but it looks alot like you were implying it. Anyway, as I said, theres no point in talking about it (since its not debating) anymore, its just miscommunication. Back to the game, Warriors are playing good defense but need to stop fouling and getting to rebounds. Diogu is 2-2, we should go to him more IMO since 2 of our top 3 scorers are out and Cleveland's frontline is Charmin soft. Fish always seems to step up in the absence of Baron but we still need more than he and J-Rich playing well to pull out a W.
We aren't terrible without Baron, we're just not going to be as good in creating our own shot unless we're shooting it well, moving without the ball, avoiding turnovers and hustling on defense. No single player can really dominate alone unless its Shaq or Jordan we're talking about. The other four guys and the bench have to do something too and a lot of times they don't and defer to Baron hoping he's the savior. The other problem is Baron and everyone else sometimes gets in that 40% shooting mode, turns the ball over, lags behind on D and getting on the glass, and that's where the W's are sure to lose (either losing on 2nd chance points, poor D, points off turnovers, and poor shooting). Right now we're in the game because we're hitting a good field goal % and playing the D. So yeah I'd have to agree with Oop that the Warriors aren't drastically terrible without Baron. There's always a chance when the Warriors are playing like a team and giving the effort on defense and using their brains/teamwork on offense. The 2nd half is the only half that matters so we'll see if the Warriors can actually finish.
Actually, I sincerely believe the Warriors can and should beat the Cavaliers tonight -- with or without Baron. I'm not down on Baron -- he's actually one of my favorite players -- but I think lately the Warriors have played very well without him. I don't believe that the Warriors are terrible without him. In many respects, I prefer to watch Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins, and IMo they actually give the Warriors a chance to win. If only the other players can catch on to their spirit, desire, defensive intensity, and enthusiasm. And if Fish stops trying to play like he's Jordan. And if JRich runs back on defense. And if Foyle stays away from our offense.
Ugh, Foyle get's stuffed by Big Z and then tries to shoot... a jumper? Diogu showed a bit of maturity on that rebound by kicking out to Fisher, something he's strugled with (knowing when not to shoot). He also did that earlier -- had position, but kicked it out for the repost, got the ball back in better position, and scored on Gooden. Maybe he has more patience now that he knows he'll get more minutes (with Troy out).
Foyle and Fish... Foyle has the jumpball against Big Z and where was Fish positioned? Fish must have missed every single opening tipoff to think Foyle would ever win a jump ball. The ball gets tipped way back toward the Warriors goal and Eric Snow track it down for an easy layup. That was just plain dumb for Fisher not to see that coming and be where Snow was. Barnett called that all the way. Also, the Foyle shot over Big Z was just stupid.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AlleyOop:</div><div class="quote_post">Ugh, Foyle get's stuffed by Big Z and then tries to shoot... a jumper? Diogu showed a bit of maturity on that rebound by kicking out to Fisher, something he's strugled with (knowing when not to shoot). He also did that earlier -- had position, but kicked it out for the repost, got the ball back in better position, and scored on Gooden. Maybe he has more patience now that he knows he'll get more minutes (with Troy out).</div> I like Ike's big man skills. BTW, Warriors can win almost every single game if they play the percentages. Often times they don't, they just chuck and chuck and chuck. Sometimes, there are bad shooting nights, but some warriors don't even go to the hot hand, they just continue to stubbornly set up their own shot or defer back to Baron too much. The other game what happened to Pietrus? Get him the ball, stop shooting 30%. Win those %'s and we have a better chance of beating teams without their star players. There are teams that have virtually no stars kicking our asses because we continue to avoid playing as a team. It's been a trend for the longest time even when we've had young star type talent. There is a way for a perimeter team to score inside if they just play the right way, plus if we have zero inside talent might as well play Ike more. ...or Biedrins will do. Nice!!!! When the Warriors have that ball movement where it touches at least three people's hands before going up, it's just so pretty. Biedrins gets 10 points off 5 of 5 shooting. That's what Foyle should have been getting after its served to him so easily, but then again Foyle is a 50% dunker. Jrich misses two free throws in crunch time. Goddamit. He'll never be an allstar if he can't hit 80% or hit the ones that count the most. Three in a row now. My god, Pietrus and Jrich combined to hit 2 of 6 shooting from the foul line in a two posession game. If we didn't hit such a nice % from the field and played the D, we'd have lost at the foul line probably. 55% from the foul line... awful. And what's with Dunleavy airballing a free throw? Oh well good win. See, Run BJM? It's not all doom and gloom when the Warriors are actually playing like a team and moving the ball more than once and cutting toward the hoop. And AlleyOop called the game. We won! I like it when the Warriors have some quick matchups in there like Pietrus, Biedrins and Ellis. Nobody on the Cavs could react to it.
Nice win... only con was the horrible free throw shooting at the end, other than that incredible win. Another thing what was Lebron doing passing the ball throughout the 2nd half, he pulled a KG.
Yeah, if Biedrins can continue to stay more-or-less out of foul trouble, he should eventually pull the starting job from Foyle. I like him off the bench though, but Foyle just doesn't bring anything any more, and what's worse is he gives to the other team -- turnovers, turnovers, offensive fouls, defensive fouls, terrible passes, terrible shots, terrible hands, terrific human being. Monta continues to be the most pleasant Warrior to watch. I relax when the ball is in his hands, and I get anxious for a steal whenever his man gets the ball. Monta and Pietrus are both quick, but monta is quick without hurrying. He moves like lightning but is always under control. It's awesome to see him dart around on defense, switching for a moment and then flashing back to re-cover his man. What happened to LeBron in the second half? he was on his way to pulling a Kobe, and then it looked like he just fogot there was a game to win.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting trg_tony:</div><div class="quote_post">Nice win... only con was the horrible free throw shooting at the end, other than that incredible win. Another thing what was Lebron doing passing the ball throughout the 2nd half, he pulled a KG.</div> Thx for doing the thread again. The pics add a nice touch. Lebron was shooting 58% I wonder what he was thinking passing to guys who just stand back and shoot the three ball. The Cavs style of play was like ours. Live and die by the three. I guess they were counting on offensive rebounds against our smaller lineup with Big Z and Varajao in there. Oh well for the Cavs, at least Lebron had the mentality to pass and move the ball around instead of taking some ill advised shots on those double teams the Warriors threw out there. Warriors won after losing Murphy/Baron/Zarko. Good job Warriors! NOw I wonder if the Cavs would have beaten our asses if they had Larry Hughes healthy. Hughes ain't a good 3-point shooter, but he'll drive and dish on people and get those steals going for the fastbreak. With our transition defense the way it is, we'd probably lose to a lot of the teams that can push the ball. Hughes could have made Lebron a lot better and backed him up with the scoring load. Now the Warriors are different from the Cavs in that we have no trouble with the scoring load because of our depth of offensive players, but the problem is how we set up our scorers. Tonight, the Warriors took care of that problem by executing and limiting the one-pass shots on offense, moved without the ball, and on defense they forced the Cavs to become a one-pass/one-shot type of team. Without an additional guy to simulate guard play and score, I thought the rest of the Cavs team struggled to create. Cavs offense seemed pretty predictable with the way the three point specialists would line up behind the arc while Big Z would try to get deep as he can in the paint. That offense might have worked with the Shaq n' Kobe Lakers, but man they ain't Shaq and Kobe. Anyway, some of the nice Warriors plays I thought were reminiscent of our out of bounds plays. Great execution! We can win if the Warriors play smart and play with good %'s. Sometimes they don't play smart and take too many risks that lead to bad offense and poor effort on defense. I hope the Warriors players will begin to see that difference and eventually buy into it because all of the guys played pretty well when they're working together to make each other better.
I'm very happy with the win but I can't figure the Warriors anymore. The losses against the Wizards and Pacers are just unbelieveble and then the turn around with wins like tonight without Baron? I'm not trying to look to much into it but maybe the Warriors seem to play better when they have a us angainst the Worls attitude. The Warriors were favor to make the playoffs and it seem that the players thought that it was just a formality to play the games but it looks that the more adversity the better the Warriors play. I'm just glad that it is still early february and there is still hope.
