I'm a little worried about this one. Definately a game we could and should win but it is a back to back on the road without Jason Richardson. The good news is that the Sonics will be without Ray Allen tonight.
Chris Wilcox won't go off on us will he? On the bright side, no Ray Allen maybe? I hope it's not game time decision. I think we can win this one. Same initial feeling about the Hornets game.
The Warriors are shooting around 70% from the field, so likely they'll cool off a bit. So far so good, but the Warriors have to keep their turnovers down.
AI who? If Baron, Monta, McLeod and JRich (when he comes back) can play like this, we don't need an upgrade. They're getting to the free throw line and making them, especially McLeod. Yes, freakin' McLeod.
It's all about the second half now. Our guards can get to the rim, but not if they Sonics packit in and force us to shoot 3's. There's a way around it, better midrange shooting and hoping Biedrins comes back. Too many PF's and C's playing away from the basket likes the undersized players or softies they are. Unless our shooting off the dribble improves, I'd like to see us swing the ball around and move off the ball rather than trying to overdribble. We need Ike! These guard isos and kickout passes can only make us do worse in the long run.
This team does not deserve to go to the playoffs. You've got to be a dumb bunch if you keep shooting threes. Jesus christ.
Well, look at the inside presence. No inside presence means more launched threes. If we get inside presence like the power forward and center are supposed to be in control of, it allows the perimeter guys more spacing to open up and move around. It does help to have a power forward to spread the floor with a longer range shot, but only if you have post presence down at center. I don't think Biedrins is a true post guy yet, but it's obvious when he goes out, we start sucking and Murphy/Dunleavy is left in. We need Biedrins in the game and to include a real power forward or real center right next to him. Also, need more depth at F/C and not these weird players that make their money shooting and not bodying people up. For fans of football, it's the equivalent of not having a very strong offensive line to protect the QB. We have to go from the shotgun formation and try to throw something out long distance rather than pound the ball in rushing and get blockers ready to do their thing to advance the ball.
I'm also thinking that bad call Watson foul where he made two free throws came back to haunt us as well. Right now McLeod would have a chance to tie if the Refs didn't jack that up.
lol -- Sonics just completely man-handled the Warriors in the 2nd half. I wouldn't be suprised to see many Sonics bench-players laughing at how easy it was to dominate -- it looked like they were just having fun. Not so for GS. That looked like a trip to the dentist w/o novicane.
<div class="quote_poster">AnimeFANatic Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">This team does not deserve to go to the playoffs. You've got to be a dumb bunch if you keep shooting threes. Jesus christ.</div> It's not that the players don't deserve to go to the playoffs (they're really trying), the it's the type of pieces that Mullin assembled that don't deserve to go to the playoffs. He really f-ed up with his contracts being handed out at 6 years each. If we can't compete in the individual matchups for the most important size positons and be in control of the tempo/production/%'s, there's very few ways we can play to keep things honest on both ends of the floor. Try playing 5 vs. 5 with a small team vs. a big team. It's a lot harder to finish inside at high %'s as a small guy than it is as a big guy trying to finish inside when the other team starts to collapse inside on you. Naturally, if the small guy can't finish because it's too hard to make the adjustment, and it's too much contact, and it's too hard to get offensive rebounds, the small guys start taking more distance shots. We should go to the foul line a lot more, but it's harder to do when the defense can play you so that all you come up with is a lot of difficult shots, bigger contact and the no-call. Plus, it doesn't help when we mess up at the free throw line quite often.
<div class="quote_poster">Warriorfansnc93 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">too many damn jumpshots!</div> What do you expect? Murphy, Dunleavy,+ guards do not have a high % inside game. The sonics bigs didn't look as soft as they let on. Believe it or not Nick Collison has a big man's game as he can offensive rebound and score with either hand. Chris Wilcox is a pretty good power forward trying to play center and he can finish in the open break. They've got a 6'10 athletic small forward that nobody on our team can guard because he can handle, rebound and shoot. And they've got a backup shooting guard that's quick and that they can swap out with a 6'6 athletic G-F who can also rebound and score some. They've got several pieces where we can't match up with because they are just quicker on the spot. Luke Ridnour had a pretty good game shooting. That was a surprise. I like his game, but he's so inconsistent. Our team did get a little more athletic and physical near the end. I mean we got more athletic by just avoiding the Murphy, Dunleavy lineups, but we still dont' have anyone that can work on low post positioning or finishing inside. This game was really shoved on Biedrins' shoulders to fulfill that role but when he goes out, it's like a free pass to run right down the middle. Without Beans producing offensively like he did in a four or five game stretch, we've got no go-to player in the paint. It's even worse when Diogu and Jrich aren't there to force more players to collapse inside. We often forget that Jrich is one of the best inside power finishers on this "team". The guards are all too small to do that at shooting guard, Pietrus is too out of control, and Murphy + Dunleavy are too soft, slow and weak to do anything of that nature. It's not their game.
