I’m not going to make too much out of this win. The Jazz were on the road on a back-to-back, and their three top backcourt players were out of action. And even when the Jazz are at full strength, they’re a team I think the Warriors should run out of the gym virtually every time they play.

The Warriors are way too quick and way too skilled for the Jazz, when they actually play Don Nelson, errr… Warriors basketball.  Pushing the tempo, spreading the floor. Pick and roll, with three of the most gifted offensive basketball players on the planet.  Creating.

This was a great game to watch not because it was a great win, but simply because it was one of the rare games in the last two years when the Warriors were actually allowed to play the way Don Nelson, errr… Larry Riley designed them to play.

Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry:  Can we stop with the carping about these two players?  I mean seriously, sometimes it seems as if Warriors fans have no memory.  They have no memory of Monta Ellis shooting 60% in a month for Don Nelson.  No memory of him carrying 6 man Warriors teams for three months.  No memory of his spectacular assist games. No memory of him checking Durant and Roy, turning over Kobe Bryant 7 times, or absolutely devouring Derrick Rose.

No memory of Stephen Curry averaging 21 – 7 – 5 in the second half of his rookie season, while shooting 46-43-88.  Numbers that only a handful of NBA players in history have achieved.  Put up in his rookie year, playing with a D-league front line.

Are these guys really only as good as their last game?  Only as good as they appear to be while playing in the WRONG system, for rookie coaches, at a drastically slowed pace?

Nonsense.  Complete and utter nonsense.  Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, when healthy, when allowed to play in the system for which God created them, and when given the proper support, are two of the very best players

In. The. League.

Period.

David Lee:  Did you notice the difference between Lee’s 2-12 first half and his 7-11 second half?

Obviously, Lee was cold in the first half.  But he was also being played in the WRONG SYSTEM.  The Warriors walked the ball up the court, and posted Lee up.  WRONG.

In the second half, Mark Jackson got it right, finally, when Biedrins left the court.  Pick and roll after pick and roll.  That is what David Lee is designed for.  That, and beating his man down court, which he did as well.

There is a current meme among Warriors fans that David Lee is “soft.” That he only gets easy rebounds, never “clutch” rebounds. This is one of the most absurd things I’ve ever heard.  There is simply no such thing as a soft player averaging 12 rebounds a game at the center position, as Lee did for the Knicks, nor averaging 10 while playing out of position at power forward, as he has for the Warriors. No such thing.

And isn’t David Lee the guy who almost single-handledly beat the good Knicks team (pre-Melo), in Madison Square Garden, with a filthy Wilson Chandler fang lodged in his elbow?

Any memory of that, Warriors fans?

Soft?

Beans: Dre is kryptonite for Al Jefferson.  Has been his entire career.  Not just too long and quick for him, but too smart.  Never goes for any of his multiple pump fakes.  Positions himself perfectly, challenges the shot without jumping, and beats him to the rebound.

A huge contrast to the two mentally-challenged jumping beans on the overrated Clippers front line, whom Jefferson absolutely tortured yesterday.  I watched the game.

The Nightmare:  Did you see that 20 footer?  Udoh is now shooting the shot that Nellie would have had him shooting since day one. Why? Because win, lose or draw, that is the shot that opens the floor for David Lee in the pick and roll. As we saw.

And we also saw that Udoh can hit that shot. Repeatedly.

7 points on 3-5, 4 rb, 1 assist, 1 stl, 3 BS.  Not quite a winning fantasy basketball line.  But very, very close.

Can we get him, say, 28 minutes instead of 18?

The Injury Miracle that ended the Kwame Brown Era just may turn out to be the key to this Warriors season.  If The Nightmare keeps coming.

Jeremy Tyler:  Although I can see what attracted Joe Lacob to Tyler — he’s a heck of an athlete for his size — I have several problems with playing him in an NBA basketball game.

Because he’s not even close to being an NBA basketball player.  He literally has no idea what’s going on on the court.  This kid belongs in the D-league, along with Anthony Randolph.

I’m sure the rationale for playing Tyler is that the Warriors need to develop him now, because they’re going to need him later in the season.  And also, Joe Lacob needs to demonstrate to the assembled media that he didn’t leave the Warriors bare-assed naked at center.  For the second straight year.

These rationales are bad.  First of all, because no matter how many second quarter minutes Jackson spoonfeeds Tyler this season, he will never be ready for first quarter or third quarter minutes, let alone fourth quarter minutes.  This is a multi-year project, at best.

And second, because he is killing the Warriors’ second-quarter unit.  Since the second injury miracle that brought Nate Robinson to the team, the Warriors actually have a very deep small ball bench. And that is exactly how the bench has been lighting up opposing teams.  By running.  With small ball.

But since Tyler has been added to the second quarter unit, this running has turned to a crawl.  This needs to end, if the Warriors want to compete with good teams.

To win against big front lines, the Warriors shouldn’t be trying to match up big.  They should be running these teams off the court.

You know, the way George Karl did to the Kings a couple of nights ago. (That’s how you get 90 points in the paint, Bob Fitzgerald.) Or the way George Karl did to the Clippers tonight, 112-91, in Staples Center.

Or the way Mark Jackson did to the Jazz in the second half tonight, mirabile dictu.

Mark Jackson:  Beyond the second half adjustment to running and pick and roll, one other major adjustment caught my eye:

At the end of the second half and again at the end of the third quarter, it was Curry who had the ball in his hands, not Monta Ellis.  Curry hit a clever 12 foot leaner to close the half.  To close the third Q, Curry ran pick and roll with Lee.  Lee’s pass was disrupted, but on the ensuing inbounds, Curry set up Monta for a three with a beautiful behind the back pass.

I really, really like this adjustment.

And I really, really liked the sarcasm that Jackson unleashed in the post-game presser, in response to a question about the great play of Ellis and Curry:

Too small, can’t handle the rock, can’t play together….

If Jackson gets the right lineups on the floor and gets the Warriors out and running and gets Udoh out firing on the wing and gets David Lee at center in the pick and roll… then we’ll just see about that, Matt Steinmetz.

Except me.

I think the Warriors lost this game for four reasons:

1) They have a GM who doesn’t believe in spread fours, and you need a spread four to beat this team.

2) They have a GM and a coach who don’t understand that David Lee is a great running center, and are not willing to use him to destroy players like Kendrick Perkins.

3) They have a coach who is unwilling to craft a targeted defensive game plan. Like Keith Smart double and triple teaming Russell Westbrook to keep him from driving, and force him to do what he hates: pass. Not to mention to keep Curry out of foul trouble.

Or Don Nelson pushing Kevin Durant RIGHT, into traps, instead of letting him go left at will. (I know, those tapes have been burned.)

4) They have a coach who doesn’t understand matchups and rotations. Like maybe there is no reason to play Biedrins against Kendrick Perkins.  Like maybe Jeremy Tyler should only get his developmental minutes against big frontline centers, and never against lineups that the Warriors should be running off the court with small ball. Like maybe Dom McGuire (6-9, 235) is the Warriors best player against Serge Ibaka (6-10, 235).

Like maybe it is a mistake to have both Ellis and Curry off the court at the same time in the fourth quarter. And Nate Robinson and rookies on it.

Small things like that.

Mark Jackson threw his players under the bus again in his post-game comments.  I’m starting to wonder how long they are going to take that from a guy who is so profoundly out of his depth as a head coach.

And I’m wondering if they’re wondering what I’m wondering right now…

Did Mark Jackson try to win this game?

And a coaching staff that gives them a chance to play in a winning style. In this game as in the last, there are signs that may be happening.

Mississippi Masala:  What do you get when you mix Monta Ellis with Stephen Curry?

One of the best damn backcourts this league has ever seen.

This was a vintage Stephen Curry performance, 32 points on 12-19, 6-8 from three, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals.  He did this for the entire second half of his rookie season under Don Nelson, remember?

Those people who have used his last year of injury-related and Keith Smart induced bad performances to assert that Monta Ellis was obviously the best player on this team…  chew on this game.  When you have Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry on the same team, there is no best player.  They are both among the very top players in the league at their positions.

Curry spotted up for three quarters in this game, as Monta Ellis took over the distribution.  But in the fourth quarter, Curry seized the reins of the offense with some beautiful pick and roll action with David Lee, to bring this win home. Something we have never seen before even though David Lee has been in a Warriors uniform for over a year.  One can only hope that Mark Jackson will build on this.

And what can one say about Monta Ellis’ game on this night?  I have been saying for some time that he could be one of the premier point guards in the NBA.  Tonight is another exhibit in an increasingly fattening portfolio. 12 assists against 2 turnovers.  Including, I believe, most of Curry’s buckets.  Monta is demonstrating an increasing genius at drawing the defense and finding the open man.  And when he passes…

Hands.

For the last two years, particularly when Curry is off the court, Monta has frequently found himself being guarded by three players.  But with Curry on the court, the lane-clogging Kwame Brown Era on hold, and Monta displaying the extraordinary unselfishness that he did on this night, no defense can possibly get away with that in the future.

And the phenomenal versatility of the best passing and shooting team in the league can be unleashed. If Mark Jackson is willing to play this style of offense going forward, the NBA has been put on notice: Pick your poison.

Those of you who said that Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry could never co-exist, could never complement each other, ….  Chew on this game.

Those of you who said that Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are too small to play in the same backcourt….  Tell it to World Champions JJ Barea and Jason Terry.  Tell it to World Champions Joe Dumars and Isaiah Thomas. Tell it to World Champions Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe, who sent Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West packing. The same Jerry West who drafted Klay Thompson with the idea of sending Monta Ellis packing.

The Warriors have a world-championship caliber backcourt.  For god’s sake, keep them together.  And LET THEM PLAY.

David Lee:  Kevin Love is averaging 25 points a game.  David Lee is averaging 18 points a game.  What accounts for the difference?

Well Love gets more offensive rebounds, and as a result gets to the free throw line more.  9 per game vs. 5.  That’s part of it, but not the main reason.

The main reason is very simple:  Kevin Love is featured in the TWolves offense.  He is their go-to guy.  In the fourth quarter in particular, Adelman gets his bigs off the court, plays Love at center, spreads the floor with Tolliver, and then it is Rubio and Love in the pick and roll until the cows come home.

Kevin Love gets 18.4 shots a game, and shoots 43%.  David Lee gets 14.9 shots a game, and shoots 51%.

Remember that the next time someone tells you that Love is an All-Star and David Lee is not.  And the next time someone tells you that David Lee is overpaid.

David Lee has been playing for the last season and a fraction with two of the best offensive players in the NBA.  He has been an unselfish, uncomplaining third wheel.  He has been played out of position, on the wing, at the four, waiting for escape passes.  He has been playing in the wrong system, getting asked to post up or isolate and play one-on-one, with players just as big and even more athletic than he is.  Just as he was in the first half of this game, against LaMarcus Aldridge.

Is that finally about to change?

Take a look at the last play of the first half.  It’s usually been a Monta Ellis isolation, guarded by three players, resulting in a prayer.  Tonight it was a Curry and Lee pick and roll, that resulted in a 20 foot Lee rampage down the lane for the score.

THAT is what David Lee was born for.

6:00 4th Q:  Nate Robinson and Lee pick and roll, bucket.

5:30 Curry and Lee pick and roll, bucket.

1:40 Portland tips its hand trying to trap the pick and roll, Curry makes a beautiful decision to take the ball away from the pick, leaving Lee wide open for the POP.

Ballgame.

David Lee is one of the two best pick and roll big men in the entire NBA. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are both fantastic pick and roll point guards. So why has it taken so goddamn long for the Warriors to actually run pick and roll for Lee? Where in the world has it been?

I’ll tell you where.  It’s been lost in Keith Smart land.  Buried beneath the Kwame Brown Era.

Trapped in Joe Lacob-ville.

The Nightmare:  Are you one of those who’s been saying that Don Nelson blew this draft pick?  That Greg Monroe is clearly a better basketball player than Ekpe Udoh?

Well, chew on that +18.  And the fact that Udoh is once again leading the entire Warriors team in +/-.  Think that’s an accident?

Wondering how he does it, scoring only 4 points?  I’ll tell you how.  He does it like he did it tonight, by guarding the entire Portland team, all over the floor.  Making it tough on their best scorer, LaMarcus Aldridge.  And still making every single rotation. Blocking shots. Generating steals. Disrupting.

That’s what a winning player looks like.

Udoh did something new in this game, that I think was a very positive development.  He crashed the offensive boards.  He picked up two, but it was actually more than that, because he also generated two loose ball fouls. This is one more way in which a smaller but more mobile big man can and should be utilized.

I called Udoh a longshot sleeper in my fantasy basketball preview this year. I didn’t draft him, because I believed we were in for a long  and nightmarish Kwame Brown Era.

But I just picked him up off the waiver wire. The four points ain’t great. But 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals? That’s the stealth way to win a fantasy league. If Udoh keeps picking up 26 minutes a game, I’m pretty sure he’ll help me.

He’ll sure as hell help the Warriors.

The Warriors franchise hit absolute rock bottom tonight.  Which means it’s time for Feltbot to look at everything that was encouraging about this game.

Yes, I’m serious.  I’m a bit of a contrarian, but it’s not about that.  I am also notoriously early on my calls — that’s how you make money — but it’s not really about that either. Well, maybe a little bit. What it’s really about is that I saw a lot of improvement in the Warriors in this game.  Yes, I’m serious.

Starting with the fact that they tried to win the game. By which I mean, Mark Jackson tried to win the game. By actually playing the style of basketball that this roster was built to play.

Mark Jackson:  Coach Jackson might be turning a corner with regard to the Warriors’ style of play.  For the second game in a row, the Warriors broadcasters stated that pushing the pace and generating early offense were points of focus for the Warriors.  I think we can assume those talking points are coming from Jackson.

And unlike the Pacers game, in this game, those talking points were actually put into action.  I saw a lot more pace to the play of the Warriors starting unit to start this game, as the Warriors jumped on Memphis early.

And I thought Jackson did a great job with the Warriors rotations.  I loved the fact that he didn’t return with Biedrins in the fourth quarter, but made the commitment to match up small for small and offense for offense in the fourth quarter. That will be a winning choice on a lot of nights going forward.

His players just didn’t get it done on this night.  As Nellie would have said: “Their smalls were better than our smalls.”

The Memphis Grizzlies:  Before going into your well-deserved fit of apoplexy over the play of the Warriors backcourt, you should stop for a moment and give some credit to the Grizzlies.  This team is for real. They are legit. And they are getting better.

Mike Conley and Marc Gasol broke out in last year’s playoffs.  I think Conley clearly outplayed the “allstar,” Russell Westbrook.  He is just a tremendously assured player, and a team leader on both sides of the ball.

Gasol was also incredibly good in last year’s playoffs.  And now he’s legitimately great.

Yes, I’ll go there.  I think he’s the second best center in the league.  Don’t laugh. He was the Western Conference Player of the Week this past week. And he’s currently the 8th ranked player in fantasy basketball: 15 and 11, along with 3 assists and 2.5 blocks and other goodies.  I’m particularly well-disposed towards him since he’s kept my Stephen Curry-led fantasy team afloat through Ankle-Gate. (Oh yes, I scooped Gasol in the fourth round.)

Fantasy basketball just gives you an inkling of the stats Gasol’s putting up. Unlike Greg Monroe, he’s about more than just the stats. He’s a winning basketball player, the anchor of the Grizzlies defense, and a terrific pick-setter and facilitator on offense.

The pundits are going to start noticing soon that Gasol’s a legitimately great center. Just as soon as someone like Jeff van Gundy tells them.

We haven’t even gotten to Zach Randolph, who’s out this year, and Rudy Gay, who was out last year.

Nor Tony Allen, who as the premier defensive wing in the league has had a huge impact on the Grizzlies identity. (Does anyone else find it curious that the ex-Celtic whom Joe Lacob busted a gut trying to get was the completely overrated Kendrick Perkins, and not Tony Allen? Lacob let the Grizzlies scoop up Allen for peanuts, while he was busy signing Jeremy Lin and tanking, errrr… preparing for the lockout.)

Tony Allen won this game for the Grizzlies.  He was the guy who took on Monta Ellis single-handedly and won.  The guy who shook his team by the ears and said, “Let’s go!”

He would have looked great in a Warriors uniform.

Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry:  Our stars got absolutely steamrolled by the ferocious defensive pressure of Conley and Allen in this game.  12 turnovers: ball game.

Don’t panic.  This kind of play won’t last.  I remember an almost identical thing happened a year or so ago against the tremendous wing pressure of Westbrook and Sefalosha of the Thunder.  They picked apart the Warriors wing entry passes and dominated the Warriors backcourt.

It didn’t last. Curry and Ellis have owned the Thunder’s backcourt ever since that game.  And they will own the Grizzlies backcourt in the future.

What needs to change?  Well, first, obviously, Curry needs to get his conditioning back.  This may take several weeks.  Second, Curry needs to knock the rust off his game.  And third, Curry and Ellis need to re-establish their chemistry in Mark Jackson’s system.

Who knows how long that will take?  Because Mark Jackson, at least up until now, has not been too clear himself what his system will be.  Are the Warriors going to pound the ball inside to the Kwame Brown Era, or use guard play? Walk the ball up the court, or push the pace?

There were positive signs in this game that that fatal indecision is getting resolved.

With one minor quibble:  Against aggressive and defensively talented, ball-denying wings like Conley and Allen, the Warriors cannot initiate isolation with a simple wing entry.  They need to start with a high pick and roll, penetrate and swing the ball.  So on the possessions they want Monta to initiate, they have to let him bring the ball up.

You know, like the Mavs did with JJ Barea against the Heat in the Finals. Anyone on the Warriors staff watch that tape?

That would have eliminated at least half of the backcourt’s turnovers.

The Nightmare:  Another huge positive in this game.  Please take another look at the sequence that began at 7:15 2nd Q:

1) Udoh/ Nate Robinson pick and roll.  Yes, yes, yes!  It took over a year to get to a play that Don Nelson would have run from day one.  Did you see how wide open that play was?

It wasn’t pretty, Udoh was a little slow to roll, but Nate completed the pass, Udoh picked it up with no problem and finished. More please!

2) Udoh challenges Gasol’s shot, and on the miss TRIED TO BEAT HIM DOWNCOURT.

Yes, yes, yes!  This is how Ekpe Udoh can beat big centers!  Come to think of it, this is how David Lee and Andris Biedrins have beaten big centers. And can again. Yes!

It didn’t work on this play.  Gasol ran with him, there wasn’t much separation, and the pass was deflected.

But ask yourself this: would Gasol have run with the Warriors centers the fifth time they tried to beat him downcourt? The sixth? Don Nelson would have found out the answer to that question. That’s the question he asked of Eric Dampier, back when we believed.

On this night, though, I will take some small encouragement from Mark Jackson’s baby steps in the right direction.

3) At 6:35, with Udoh now matched against Haddadi, the Warriors iso’d Udoh on the left midpost. Udoh faced Haddadi up, and dribbled right around him to the rim.

Yes, yes, yes!  Isn’t this what I have been arguing for?  Ekpe Udoh is a high-post center.  He’s more mobile than the guys guarding him, and he’s a very good (and very under-utilized) passer.

This wasn’t technically the high-post, but it would work equally well there. And Udoh didn’t actually finish this play, he missed the bunny.  He was so wide open at the rim though, that he forced the rotation, which opened up the offensive rebound putback for Dom.

4) Later in the game, Udoh faced up against Marc Gasol on the right wing. Drew him out of the lane, and buried an 18 footer in his face. Yes. Yes. Yes.

These four plays represent the way that Don Nelson would have played Ekpe Udoh from the very first day he set foot on the floor.  Just like the way he played another rookie by the name of Anthony Randolph, remember?

Udoh is a lot better basketball player than Anthony Randolph.  And I caution all those people who have been so quick to label Udoh a bust, and an inferior player to Greg Monroe.

You have never seen Udoh play.

Not the way he was supposed to be played.  Not the way Don Nelson drafted him to be played.

Until tonight.

And that’s where I’m going to leave this game. On an upnote.

…. No, sorry, I can’t resist.  I’m going to let my landsman Robert Zimmerman sing us out:

And here I sit so patiently
Waiting to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of
Going through all these things twice.
Oh, Mama, is this really the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

I’ve always been an advocate of the running game.  Particularly when you’ve got this kind of club. — Jim Barnett

Don’t walk it up! — Bob Fitzgerald

Early offense! — Bob Fitzgerald

Jim Barnett has been subtly hinting all season long about the Warriors need to get out and run.  Subtlety went out the window at the start of this game.  Barnett hit it hard.  And in this game, for the first time all season, Bob Fitzgerald kicked in on the chorus. I’m not sure where the Warriors announcers got their talking points for tonight’s game.  Did it come from Joe Lacob or from Mark Jackson himself?  I’m curious, because whomever it came from, Mark Jackson didn’t listen.  The Warriors were facing a great team tonight, the Indiana Pacers, an extremely big team with a dominant half-court defense.  And they let this team out-run them on their own court.                        

The Pacers outscored the Warriors 17-10 in fastbreak points.  This was not due entirely to the 18-12 turnover disparity that favored the Pacers.  The Warriors outscored the Pacers 22-14 on points on turnovers.  What it had to do with is that the Pacers pushed the tempo.  Not just after every turnover and rebound, but also when taking the ball out of bounds.

The kinds of things the Warriors should be doing all game long, but simply aren’t.  Do you realize that the Warriors did not beat the 7-2″ Roy Hibbert down court even one time in this game?

And that disparity in free throws that plagued the Warriors in this game, just as it has plagued them all of this season and last?  Believe me when I tell you that it had less to do with the Pacers size and inside play, than it did with the Warriors being forced to foul to defend the Pacers’ early offense drives to the basket.

Under Keith Smart last year, the Warriors were dead last in the league in free throws attempted.  Under Mark Jackson so far this year, the Warriors are 18th in the league.

Under Don Nelson two years ago, playing with a short-handed midget roster of D-Leaguers, the Warriors were 11th.

It has to do with PACE.

To win basketball games, this Warriors team must do what it was designed by Don Nelson to do.  They must do what the Denver Nuggets are designed to do, and are doing. They must out-run every single team in the league.  After turnovers, after rebounds, run.  And if you can’t get the rebound, run after made baskets.

The Warriors must run from the opening tip. They must run in the fourth quarter. And they must run every single moment in between.

Or they will lose.

Mark Jackson

I’m not all that inclined to diss Jackson after this game.  The Pacers are a great team.  And it was Curry’s first game back, and he was winded and tentative.  And the second unit is pushing the pace a bit.

But it’s not enough.  The Warriors are not pushing the pace enough, and if Jackson doesn’t wake up to that fact soon, it’s going to be another very long season.

He’s also going to have to wake up to the fact that to win basketball games with this roster, he needs to get creative.  Do you happen to remember how Don Nelson guarded David West?  I know, those tapes have all been burned. But we still have our memories, even if Joe Lacob’s staff doesn’t. Don Nelson guarded David West with Andris Biedrins, and used his power forward to guard the center.

Crazy Nellie, right? Except it worked.

I also happened to watch the fantastic Clippers-Timberwolves game tonight, because the Timberwolves are my new favorite team in the league to watch.  Guess what that wily veteran coach Rick Adelman did in this game? He used Darko Milicic to guard Blake Griffin, moving Love over to guard the center Jordan.  The result: Darko 22 points, 7 rbs; Griffin 21 points on 7-17, 10 rbs.

Adelman also played small the final three minutes of the game, with Love at Spread-Five. He played a two point guard backcourt of Ridnour and Rubio. Completely opening the court for the Timberwolves’ offense, which overcame a 7 point deficit to tie the game with less than a minute left.

And with 1.9 seconds left, Adelman designed an absolutely beautiful double-guard screen that got Kevin Love a wide open three to win.

In the post-game interview, Love made a point of congratulating his coach for his brilliant substitutions and play-calling.  Ever seen that before?

That coach is Rick Adelman, the guy that Joe Lacob didn’t even deign to interview. Not a defense-first coach. Not the right guy to coach this team.

I’m just saying.

Monta Ellis:  Of course, all the discussion will be about that last play.  I’m not even sure what the right call should be.  Hill definitely made a kicking motion as the ball contacted his foot, but I think it’s obvious that Monta would have dribbled off his planted foot regardless.  Monta made a careless play.

Or maybe Hill and the Pacers read his mail?  It is his pet game-ending move, isn’t it?  The cross-over, dribble left and pull up from 18?

Maybe Jackson should have called a timeout, gotten his non-shooters Biedrins and McGuire off the floor, and designed a play.

I’m just saying.

Up until that point, Monta’s game was absolutely brilliant.  Particularly in the fourth quarter, when Jackson had the wrong lineup on the floor, and the Warriors had no offense but Monta going one-on-one.

And also on defense, against the 6-8″ Paul George, who has been lighting it up this season.

Monta is a fabulous all-around player.  I absolutely love his game.  One day he’ll get his due.

When he’s on the right team, with the right coach.

David Lee:  The Warriors post-game crew stated that Lee got outplayed by David West in this game.  I think that’s bogus.

Lee simply didn’t have his shot going.  He got away from West with ease, got himself wide-open all game long. He simply missed every jumper and virtually every layup as well.

But that didn’t stop him from working.  He doubled West’s rebound total 14-7.  And I think his team defense was superb, particularly in crunch time, when West went 1-4 with Lee guarding him.

Andris Biedrins:  How many good games did we get out of Biedrins this season?  He’s already weakened, as I predicted he would.

0-1 and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes.

It certainly doesn’t help that he’s playing in the wrong system.  Beans could beat Hibbert down court all game long.  If he were only allowed.

But the best thing to do is to simply get him off the court.

The Ballerina:  My new nickname for Dorell Wright.  I was planning to praise Wright in this game.  He had a beautiful floor game, going against one of the NBA’s premier players, Danny Granger.  And since my rant, he has shown an occasional propensity to drive the lane and take the foul.

But there was that godawful play at 3:20 2nd Q, that brought to mind his nearly identical play at the end of the Lakers game.  Wright drove the lane, but when confronted by Hibbert under the basket, jumped straight up into a 360 piroutte to avoid contact, and turned the ball over.

The ballerina.

The great Jim Barnett: “Go right into him and get to the line!”

The Spread Four:  The Pacers don’t really need one, because both West and Hibbert are scorers that must be guarded.  But they have one anyway, 6-9″ 228 lb. Danny Granger.

The Warriors still have none.  Unless you want to count Dorell Wright, who took an absolutely punishing turn on West in the fourth quarter.  Which led Mark Jackson to bring Biedrins back.

Stephen Curry:  A long way from himself, but still great to see on the court. I have been praying to Buddha regularly about his ankle.

Just to make sure that base is covered too.

The Dominator: People, by which I mean Bob Fitzgerald, need to recognize that Dom is not a small forward. He is playing power forward for the Warriors virtually every minute he’s on the floor.  Even when guarding Melo, he was playing four.  Because that’s what Melo was playing.

8 rbs in 13 minutes.  Mark Jackson, please take note.  There are other options to putting the ghost of Andris Biedrins back in the game in the fourth quarter.

Running options.

Nate Robinson:  Love his energy. He’s just not a thinker. Nor a passer.  In a backup point guard, that will wind up killing you on a lot of nights in the NBA.

Like this night.

The Nightmare: Apart from the 2 rebounds, a signature defensive performance against the Pacers weak second line. (Lou Amundson!)

I really wish his two pick and rolls with Nate had been completed. You know, the  two that Nate threw out of bounds.

Klay Thompson:  The kid can really shoot.

But they play a lot of zone when he’s in, don’t they?

0 rebounds.

Authentic Fan Friday:  Anyone else struck by the name of this promotion? Like, you have to have a ticket to the game to be an authentic fan?

It kind of reminds me of Joe Lacob’s comment that bloggers weren’t true fans, because they weren’t season ticket holders.

Bob Fitzgerald: If every authentic fan had a ticket to the game, why would we need to be blessed by the golden tones of this man?

Come to think of it, why do we need to be blessed by the golden tones of this man? Isn’t that the great Greg Papa I now see gracing the Warriors’ studio broadcast? Anyone else reading something into this? Why would Papa take this job?

One can only hope. I am having serious difficulty keeping the sound turned up on the Warriors games. The only reason I still do is in the hopes of catching a perfect moment like occurred tonight, after Fitz started shrieking about the officials not hearing the shot clock go off.

Jim Barnett: “Hold on. It’s going to be fine.”

One can only hope.

Because the Warriors first unit is still being held captive by Mark Jackson’s vision for this team.  They are walking the ball up the court against bigger, slower teams, and it is just killing them.  Take a Popcorn Machine look at how the Warriors first unit performed, particularly in the third quarter, against Cleveland and New Jersey. I simply don’t understand how Joe Lacob and Mark Jackson can believe that this Warriors team can win games playing halfcourt basketball.

The Denver Nuggets vs. The Warriors

The Denver Nuggets are a really good team, and the Golden State Warriors are a really bad team.  This is universally recognized.  But have you ever compared the two teams’ rosters, and wondered why the Nuggets are better than the Warriors?

The Nuggets backcourt is Ty Lawson and Aaron Afflalo.  Are they better than Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry?

Is Nene a better center/PF than David Lee? Doesn’t score more, doesn’t rebound more.  Is Gallinari better than DWright? Can’t defend small forwards, doesn’t shoot threes as well.  Is Mozgov better than Biedrins? Not on defense.

Are any of the Nuggets starting five better passers than their counterparts on the Warriors?

If you handicap the Nuggets’ starting five ahead of the Warriors’ then you know something about basketball that I don’t.

So why are the Nuggets so much better than the Warriors? Here are my top 5 reasons:

5) Veteran leadership off the bench:  The Nuggets picked up Andre Miller — who George Karl has called the smartest player he’s ever coached —  and Rudy Fernandez, to back up Ty Lawson at the point.

No offense to Nate Robinson, who has been a lifesaver for the Warriors empty bench, but both Andre Miller and Fernandez can run a team.  And Nate would not even be on the Warriors bench if Curry hadn’t gotten injured.

4) The Spread Four:  Danilo Gallinari becomes a really good player when he slides over to the four. Add Al Harrington to the mix, and the Nuggets are playing three quarters of every game with four shooters on the floor.  This makes them extraordinarily versatile, and virtually impossible to defend.

As chronicled ad nauseam here, the Warriors have had no spread four since the releases of Tolliver and Vlad Rad.  Dorell Wright has taken quite a few minutes there since Kwame’s injury, and rebounded quite well, but he’s really too slight to play a whole season there.  He’s already got a sore knee.

3) Pace:  During the Kwame Brown Era, the Warriors were 14th of 30 in the league in pace. They’ve since moved up to 12, out of necessity.

The Nuggets are #1.

2) Ownership and Management:  Unlike Joe Lacob, the Nuggets ownership is clearly invested in the core of their team, and committed to winning now.  As evidenced by the multi-year contracts they handed out this offseason.

And unlike Joe Lacob, Masai Ujiri knows the importance of a spread four. Knows the importance of a veteran backup point guard.

And knows the importance of a veteran coach.

1) George Karl: It really comes down to this, in the end, doesn’t it?  Take a look at that pace. 1st in the league. With a team that I would wager is not as fast nor as athletic as this Warriors team.

George Karl, while stressing defense every bit as much as Mark Jackson, understands the kind of roster he has, and how to help them win.

Run. Spread the floor. Pick and Roll.

Win.

Random Thoughts:

Jenkins:  I really like this kid.  Smart, under control, good shooter, crafty penetrator, solid defender. So why did he slip to the second round?

I think I know. He’s not fast. Doesn’t have the kind of jets that are so common among the leagues’ best point guards these days.

Which makes him perfect for Joe Lacob and Mark Jackson’s walk it up offense.

Klay Thompson:  A special shooter. But like Anthony Morrow, has trouble helping his team because he simply can’t guard.  Not guards, anyway.

It is somewhat mysterious that the Warriors are playing him almost exclusively at guard, where he is getting torched.  It may have something to do with Brandon Rush and DWright being much better rebounders than he is. Thompson had 0 rebounds in 22 minutes against the Nets. Zero.

If he can’t defend guards and is not willing to rebound, what is his position?

Ekpe Udoh: In my last post, I explained why I think Udoh is a more useful player than Greg Monroe.  It has mainly to do with the fact that Monroe sucks, in the same way that Vince Carter sucked.

Because Udoh, quite frankly, has been quite a disappointment to me this year. If he got any stronger, it is not obvious.  He is curiously weak in his core, and is getting pushed all over the floor by larger players.

And he has terrible rebounding instincts.  I was holding out hope that this was a result of his extraordinary help defense, but no.  He is focusing intently on rebounds this year, and it hasn’t helped.  The problem, besides bodily weakness, is that he seems quite poor at guessing how the ball is going to come off the rim.  He’s out of position and mistimes his jumps.

His offense has also disappointed.  Udoh is undersized, so to really be effective he needs to be able to hit a jumper, and use his mobility to get around bigger players.  Part of the problem might be how he’s being used — I think he needs to be in the high post, not the low.  But he has not looked good.

Kris Humphries:  Did you ever wonder why the Warriors didn’t go after Kris Humphries this offseason, when their paltry offers to Chandler and Jordan were rebuked?  I certainly did.

Unable to get a multi-year deal from the Nets (like Joe Lacob, they’re tanking to try to land a game-changing center next season), Humphries signed a one-year deal for a little less than $8 million.  Barely more than the Warriors shelled out for The Kwame Brown Era.

Don’t you think Kris Humphries would look good standing next to David Lee? Running the court, snarfing rebounds?

I know, Lee’s not a center.

And naturally, had a couple of Warriors-related thoughts as I watched it unfold.                                        

The 49ers were 6-10 last season.  If someone would have told you then that they had a Super Bowl roster on that team, would you have believed him?

The 49ers had a quarterback, Alex Smith, that was ridiculed by the Bay Area media, and universally despised among the fans. If someone would have told you that he had the talent and moxie to take the Niners to the Super Bowl this season, would you have believed him?

What if someone would have told you that you don’t need a superstar quarterback to win a Super Bowl?  Would you have agreed with that?

In the offseason, the 49ers owner didn’t shop his team all over the league.  He didn’t loudly seek to make a “big move” to get that desperately needed quarterback.

No, he hired a great coach who had the ability, not to change Alex Smith, not to turn him into something he isn’t, but to finally put him in the right system. A system that emphasized his strengths and minimized his weaknesses.

And the 49ers owner opened his pocketbook to surround the great, Super Bowl-bound 49ers core with the supporting cast they needed.

Bobcats 112 Warriors 100

Quite simply, Mark Jackson allowed the Charlotte Hornets – who were playing their third game in as many nights, on the dreaded back-to-back-to-back — to run the Warriors right out of the gym.  Paul Silas, for the first time this season, moved Kemba Walker into the starting lineup alongside DJ Augustin for a two point-guard backcourt. And he moved Diaw out of the lineup and Gerald Henderson in at the three, in order to create a three guard starting lineup that ran rings around the Warriors starting five.  And of course the Hornets have a spread five, Byron Mullens, and a spread four, Boris Diaw, who allowed Paul Silas to have 4 three point shooters on the floor at all times, and hopelessly spread out the Warriors bigger, slower defenders.  It wasn’t until 3 minutes were left in the first half, that Jackson showed the first sign of adjusting (or throwing in the towel) by putting his own three-guard lineup on the floor.

But the third quarter played out just like the first.  The final straw came when Jackson inserted Earl Barron for a 5 minute time-wasting stretch. Why? So the Warriors could continue to play big against the small-ball Hornets? Play the “right” way?

Was is it a surprise that the Warriors’ second unit got the team back into the game? It shouldn’t have been, because that was the first small-ball unit that Jackson played.  And the kind of team that the Warriors should have had on the floor from the start.

Look, do you think David Lee could match up with Byron Mullens?  Do you think David Lee and Monta Ellis could beat Mullens in the pick and roll?  Do you think they could have fouled him out?  When the Warriors finally went small again in the fourth quarter, they immediately picked up two quick fouls on Mullens.

Do you think Don Nelson would have allowed the likes of Byron Mullens to drop a 20 and 7 on his head? Ha. He would have run Mullens off the court so fast he wouldn’t have known what happened.

Are Tyrus Thomas and Boris Diaw man-eating fours?  Don Nelson would have started Dorell Wright at four, Brandon Rush at three.  And he would have transitioned to Rush at four, and the three point guards Jenkins, Monta and Nate on the wings.

And run the Charlotte Bobcats right out of the gym. Right from the start. The way it should have gone down.

You can buy Mark Jackson’s line that the Warriors didn’t show up for this game if you like.  I think the result was predestined, beginning with that 38 point first quarter.

Here’s a little taste of Mark Jackson post-game, with my annotations:

Asked whether the Hornets did anything to surprise him: “No. No. Everything they did we saw coming from a mile away.”

Really?  Wasn’t this the first time that Kemba Walker started with Augustin?  Wasn’t this the first time Diaw came off the bench?  Wasn’t this the first time the Bobcats employed a three-guard lineup?

“They didn’t show up. My guys didn’t come out ready to play.”

Either that, or they were forced into a nonsensical and horrible mismatch that made them look terrible.

“It wasn’t until we decided to do something with that group off the bench — got under their skin, hustled, extra effort plays, played Warriors defense — that we got back in the game.”

You mean got a lineup on the floor that could win?  Simply imagine what might have been possible if you had decided to play the basketball this team is designed to play RIGHT FROM THE START.  No, no.  I know, that’s the sins of the past.

“I’m embarrassed as a coach and disappointed in their effort.”

I understand the first part, but would leave off the second.

“[This performance] cannot and will not be tolerated.”

One can only hope.  The truth of the matter, Mark Jackson, is that your post-game comments were a load of BS.  The truth of the matter is that Paul Silas bent you over his knee and spanked you but good.

If I were the Warriors PR guy (can you imagine?), I would prepare a very simple form statement for Mark Jackson to read to the press after every game.

It would go like this:

“Tonight Coach _________ ate my lunch.  Any questions?”

Warriors 99 Pistons 91

Wow, is this Pistons team bad.  I mean they are horrible.  And again, I think they should have been run out of the gym.  It should be obvious to you that David Lee could have absolutely tormented Greg Monroe, if allowed to run the court, and if allowed to run pick and roll.  As it was, he was quite effective posting up the smaller Jerebko.  But this game should have been more lopsided than it was.

Unbelievably enough, through three quarters, it was the Pistons that were getting out on the fastbreak, not the Warriors.  With Jerebko, their spread four, leading the way.  Do you think Dorell Wright could have handled Jerebko at the four?

Well of course he could, and I’m now heading into repetitive terrority.  Let me just point out that the reason the Warriors EXTENDED their lead when Lee fouled out was because they finally got the right kind of lineup on the floor — a small-ball lineup, with Udoh at the five.

Now let’s move on to what was interesting to me about this game.  Which is the reason why the Pistons are so horrible.  I believe it starts with their young “star” in the middle, Greg Monroe.

Ekpe Udoh vs. Greg Monroe

Let’s get this out of the way first.  Greg Monroe was not the guy that Don Nelson wanted to draft.  Don Nelson got the guy he wanted to draft, Ekpe Udoh. How do I know this?  Let me run down the reasons.

First, Don Nelson was the real GM of the Warriors after Mullin left. He put Larry Riley in that job, and Riley worked for him.  Just as Riley is now working for the real GM of the Warriors, Joe Lacob.  Don Nelson drafted Stephen Curry, and he drafted Ekpe Udoh.  He traded for David Lee, and picked up Dorell Wright.  All four quintessential Don Nelson players.

Second, Don Nelson brought David Lee to the Warriors to play CENTER. He’s made that clear in interviews.  Why would he draft Monroe to sit on the bench behind Lee?

Third, Greg Monroe could not play for Don Nelson.  Nellie wouldn’t let him on the court.  Why not?  Well to start with he is a complete non-entity on defense.  He doesn’t block shots.  He doesn’t like to bang.  As Jim Barnett noted tonight, he just simply “disappears.”  And he is absolutely horrible at extending out to guard the pick and roll.  As Monta Ellis clearly demonstrated late in this game, after Mark Jackson finally rolled out the small lineup, by picking up two quick fouls on him.  Greg Monroe is a hopeless defender.

He also doesn’t run the court.  Slow as molasses.

These are the two reasons I believe Monroe is killing the Pistons, despite the beautiful stats he puts up.  The Pistons have quick guards and wings, and lots of spread forwards: Jerebko, Prince, Daye.  They are built to get out and run.  But Monroe mires them in the half-court.  And he doesn’t have that absolutely essential ability of good non-running centers, which is dominant shot-blocking defense.  He’s not Patrick Ewing, who almost won a title. He’s Al Jefferson (at best) who’s never won anything.

Do you think Monroe is a good player? I don’t care if he goes to the all-star game. I don’t think he’s a winning player. His stats are empty. Wake me up when the Pistons have a winning record.

Fourth and finally, Ekpe Udoh is a player Don Nelson would have loved for his intelligence, defense, mobility, and shot-blocking and passing ability.  A look at his all-around game against Monroe tonight gives an inkling.  Held him to 0 points in the fourth quarter. Blocked him three times, four for the game. 3 steals.

I’m pretty sure Nellie would have used Udoh’s defense to complement Lee. And I think he also would have made Udoh an understudy (and backup) to Lee at center.  Taught him pick and roll, pick and pop.  Taught him the HIGH post.  Played him at POINT-CENTER.

And used him to run bigger slower players off the court.

Like the Warriors should be doing now.

This game against the Orlando Magic was extremely interesting in the questions it has raised.  Was the Hack-a-Dwight a good strategy? Would Don Nelson have done the same thing?  Did the Warriors miss Kwame Brown in this game? Did the Warriors have a good game plan in this game?

Could this game have been won?

My one word answers to these questions, in order:  No.  No. Yes and No. (That’s three words I guess, sorry.)  No.

Yes.

Surprised by these answers?  Well, I’m going to surprise you further: I’d like to show you some very simple stats to support them. Yes, this avowed stat hater is going to convince you of the rectitude of his positions by trotting out some very simple stats.            

The Hack-a-Dwight

Let’s get this out of the way fast:  Mark Jackson’s Hack-a-Dwight was a completely moronic strategy, and there is no way in hell that Don Nelson would have done the same thing.  Want immediate proof?  Here it is:

Did Don Nelson ever break Wilt Chamberlain’s free throw record against Shaq? Did he ever come close?

QED.

Now let’s dig a little deeper.  Dwight Howard’s career FT% is 60%.  Last night he shot 54% from the line.  The Warriors shooting % this season is 45%  (although they happened to shoot lights out last night at 52%).  I’m too lazy to look for their true shooting percentage, which would be slightly better, but trust me, it won’t matter for my analysis.  In fact, let’s just assume that the Warriors TS% is 50, which is far higher than it really is.

Given those percentages, is hacking Howard something you’d want to do all game long, if you had the fouls to give?  The answer is obviously not. The Heat would be scoring 1.2 points (.6 x 2) every trip, while the Warriors were scoring only 1 point (.5 x 2).  In what possible way could this be a winning strategy?

I have no idea what Mark Jackson, and his “genius” on the bench Mike Malone were thinking when they trotted out this strategy in the first half, with the Warriors up 8.  It was moronic.  And it was moronic in more ways than just the simply mathematical one.

For one thing it extended the game by stopping the clock.  You never want to extend the game against a superior opponent when you are ahead, right?  Quite the opposite, you want to shorten the game.  And as Steve Kerr noted, it completely took the Warriors out of their own (putative) running game, forcing them into half-court basketball.

Are you confused now?  Wondering why, if all this is true, that Don Nelson ever invented this strategy?

Here’s why:  It is an excellent strategy under the following two conditions:

1. You are behind in the game.
2. Time is short.

What the Hack-a-Shaq is ideally intended for is to make up a big point deficit in a short amount of time.  It allows you to potentially trade 3 points for 1 or none. And it extends the game by stopping the clock.  With Nellie’s willingness to go for the quick three, the Warriors could cram a huge number of possessions into the final few minutes of a game.  That is a winning strategy, when behind in the game to a superior opponent.

Nellie did occasionally employ the Hack-a-Shaq in the first half.  The very end of the half, not like the extended fiasco of last night. It may have been a psychological ploy. It could change the momentum entering the lockerroom. And it planted the seed in Shaq’s mind.

“You know what’s coming, big fella.”

The Warriors Game Plan and The Kwame Brown Era

Do you think Andris Biedrins and David Lee looked overmatched by Dwight Howard last night?  Well, of course they did, left on an island with him as they were by Mark Jackson’s utter refusal to double team!  This was a completely inexplicable decision to me.  Did any team ever beat Shaq by refusing to double team him? Wilt Chamberlain? Jabbar? How about Tim Duncan? I mean, the mind boggles.

The Warriors did not allow Biedrins and Lee to front Howard.  They did not send  an immediate double to force the ball out of his hand.  They did not send delayed doubles to disrupt his dribble when he began his move.  And they did not even try to block his path to the middle or challenge his shot. Simply incredible.

Was the Warriors coaching staff trying to make a point for Joe Lacob? THIS is why we signed Kwame Brown for $7 million? THIS is why we’re immediately going to go out and sign Fat Fess or some other big stiff to clog the Warriors middle?

Or was this just a continuation of the ethos of no-excuses personal accountability that Mark Jackson is trying to instill?

Whichever, it was completely ridiculous.  Yes, I know the Orlando Magic make you pick your poison.  I know their three point shooters are absolutely killing it this year.  But what is Dwight Howard’s singular weakness?  If anything, it is his passing ability.  So make him use it.

The way Don Nelson forced Dirk Nowitzki to use his passing ability, back when We Believed. Remember?

I actually thought Biedrins looked pretty good against Howard at certain points. He blocked his shot twice, something Kwame couldn’t even think about doing.  And Lee has the strength to body Howard out of the lane. For a time. But not an extended five second eternity while Howard dribbles and bangs his way through the paint.

I just simply could not believe that Mark Jackson would abandon Biedrins and Lee to that kind of treatment.  Dwight Howard CAN be defended by those two guys, and WOULD HAVE been defended by those two guys under Don Nelson.

With HELP.

So was Kwame Brown missed last night?  Well, yes, of course, given Jackson’s remarkable defensive game plan. If you refuse to double Howard, you’ll need a player who won’t get flattened like a pancake.

Would he have helped the Warriors win? That is a far more complex question, that brings the offensive side of the game into the picture.

It’s time for some more stats.

The Kwame Brown Era

This season, the Warriors have given up 99.2 points a game.  Last season they gave up 105.7.  Quite an improvement, right?  Mark Jackson’s focus on defense and playing a big stiff in the middle has really shown results!

Well, not so fast.  Let’s look at the rest of the story.

Last season, the Warriors scored 103.4 points a game.  This season they are scoring 93.9.  That’s an eye-opener, isn’t it?

How about this?  Last year, under the universally scorned Keith Smart, the Warriors point-differential was -2.3.  Under the universally admired Mark Jackson, the Warriors point-differential is -5.3.

In other words, the Warriors have demonstrably been a hugely worse basketball team under Mark Jackson in the Kwame Brown era.

Here’s a few other stats to consider.  Last year, the Warriors had the 5th highest pace in the league.  This year they are 14th out of 30.  Middle of the pack!  The Warriors! With Monta Ellis! Dorell Wright! David Lee! And even, for a couple of games, Stephen Curry!

14th in the league in pace.

Last season, the Warriors scored 19.6 points off turnovers.  This season 14.8.  Last season, the Warriors scored 18.8 fast break points a game.  This season, 11.  Last season, the Warriors shot .461 from the field.  This season, .447.  Last season 39% from three.  This season 34%.

All of these stats are directly related to The Kwame Brown Era and Mark Jackson’s philosophy of basketball.  The shots are a lot tougher, a lot more closely contested, when they come out of the half court.  Particularly when your low post go-to guy is not Patrick Ewing, not Rick Smits, but Kwame Brown.

The Warriors walked the ball up the court last night.  Even though they had fabulous athletes like Monta Ellis, Nate Robinson, Charles Jenkins, Brandon Rush and David Lee going against the likes of Jameer Nelson, JJ Redick, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson.

Even though they were walking straight into the gaping maw of Dwight Howard, the premier defender in the league.

Does that make any sort of sense to you?

It does to Mark Jackson, apparently.  The guy who before the season promised that the Warriors would run.

I heard Mark Jackson in an interview the other day, before the Heat game. His interviewer remarked that Spoelstra had really upped the tempo of the Heat, gone to an all-out running attack.  Jackson’s response: “Yeah, but it’s hurt their defense.”

Here’s what I have to say about that:  Last season, the Heat gave up 94.6 points a game. 6th in the league. This season they’re giving up 97.7, 25th in the league.

Bad, right?  Not quite.  Last season, the Heat lead the league in point-differential, at +7.5.  This season they’re at +8.7.

In 2007-8, Baron Davis’ last season with the Warriors, and one year after We Believe — and with Don Nelson coaching the last relatively intact team he ever had — the Golden State Warriors gave up 108.2 points a game, the most in the league.

Their point-differential was +2.2.

The sins of the past, indeed.

Frisco Joe Lacob

Rewatching the TNT broadcast last night after I got home from the game, I had to laugh at this exchange back in the studio.

Ever Truthful Charles Barkley: “Whoever the GM is out there in Golden State, that was a great pick-up in Nate Robinson.”

Ever Politically Correct Ernie Johnson: “Uh, Larry Riley as a matter of fact.”

Uh, that would be incorrect, Ernie.

Joe Lacob has stated that he wants his team to be a cross between the Kendrick Perkins Boston Celtics and the Don Nelson Golden State Warriors. One glance at the stats can tell you how that idea has been working.

Or you can just let Eminem give it to you straight:

There ain’t no such thing as half-way crooks.

*[Edit: I'm quoting Eminem's character Rabbit from the movie 8 Mile, but the term "half-way crooks" was originated by Mobb Deep on the track "Shook Ones (Part II)" from the album The Infamous.  Thanks to dpkp for pointing this out in the comments below.]

That 19 point 3rd quarter?  A Joe Lacob and Mark Jackson joint production: The Kwame Brown era.                

When Mark Jackson reinserted Kwame Brown at 7:20 4th Q — after what can only be described as a disastrous game up until that point — the Lagavulin bottles chez feltbot started rattling in their boxes.  The Thaiblonde had her fingers stuck in her ears, as her lips silently formed the words, “Honey!”  The Warriors had just come off a nice stretch of small ball, that even if it only cut the deficit by two, had nicely snapped them out of their Kwame-induced funk to start the third quarter.  And then Mark Jackson brought him back, to face the quick and mobile Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem front line that had torn him to pieces the entire game.

But then it happened.  The miracle.  At 6:12 of the fourth quarter Kwame blew yet another rotation, and was forced to foul Haslem under the basket.  And in the process injured his shoulder and was forced to leave the game with the Warriors down 9.

You saw what happened next. Small-ball. David Lee at center.

Beautiful Golden State Warriors basketball.

Do you think it’s a coincidence that every single one of the Warriors three wins this season — against three of the best teams in the league, the Bulls, Knicks and Heat — have come with David Lee playing the entire fourth quarter at center? If you do, then Joe Lacob and the Kwame Brown Era are for you.

Kwame Brown: First of all, let me make clear that I am in no way glad that Kwame got hurt. I would never root for someone to get hurt, nor root for someone to stay hurt. I wish Kwame a full and speedy recovery.

That doesn’t mean I can’t critique his role on this basketball team, or argue that the Warriors are almost always a better team with him off the court than on, though, does it?  Because that to me is obvious.  Kwame can be helpful taking minutes against the behemoths of the league, as he did in the Lakers game against Andrew Bynum.  But against quicker centers, or centers that spread the floor, or teams like the Heat that play no center at all, Kwame Brown is a losing basketball player. Period.

Kwame had decent stats in this game: 8 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes. A very respectable Lacob quotient.

Now look at his +/-:  -13. In other words, stats lie.

These are the reasons the Warriors struggled so badly with Kwame on the court tonight:

1. He could not run with the Heat.  This was never so obvious as when, at 10:00 1st quarter, Kwame scored on a post up. And then Lebron received the inbounds pass and beat the Warriors for a layup, with Kwame still lumbering around half court.
2. Kwame prevented the Warriors from running with the Heat.  He was the slowest player on the court.  And he turned Lee, who is one of the fastest centers into the league, into the slowest power forward on the court.
3. He was absolutely helpless on defense.  Dwayne Wade and Lebron scored over and around him at will.  Bosh shot over him.  The Heat were far too quick for him.
4. He kills the Warriors on offense.  I’m not talking about his point production here.  I’m talking about what his lane clogging does to Monta Ellis, and David Lee, and the entire Warriors offense.

David Lee:  Are you one of those people who accept the received wisdom of the pundits that David Lee can’t play defense?  If so, you probably didn’t see him shut out Dwight Howard one-on-one last year.  Or shut down Lamarcus Aldridge. Or break Kevin Love’s phenomenal 20 and 10 streak.

Or, like Adam Lauridsen, you watched those games with your eyes shut and your brain turned off.  It makes me laugh every time Adam tweets, “That was David Lee’s man,” after Kwame Brown completely blows a rotation. Just watch David Lee play defense when he has a healthy Andris Biedrins behind him.

Or watch tonight’s fourth quarter, when he had Ekpe Udoh beside him.  Or when Udoh was off the floor, four active athletes harassing the ball around him.  I dare you to rewatch tonight’s fourth quarter and overtime, with a totally gassed David Lee manning the middle against the league’s best team, and come away thinking that Lee can’t play defense.

Lee put up 20 and 14, numbers very close to what he averaged in his last season as a Knick playing exclusively at center. But those stats don’t come close to telling the complete story of his game. His 4 steals? Now you’re getting warm.

Nate Robinson will get all the credit for this win.  But it was David Lee’s great all-around play, brought to you by an injury miracle, that saved the Warriors’ bacon.

Monta Ellis:  Monta looked terrible in this game, but never so bad as when Kwame Brown was in the game.  The Warriors’ clogged up middle closed off Monta’s drive, and allowed the Heat to absolutely swarm him with defenders.

A thought occurred to me as I saw Monta get swallowed up by three Heat jerseys for the umpteenth time. Doesn’t Eric Spoelstra believe in his players taking personal responsibility on defense? Doesn’t he think the Heat should be a no-excuses team?

You know, like Mark Jackson, who absolutely refused to double-team Dwayne Wade.

Nate Robinson:  Everything great about Nate shone tonight.  his game made a better argument than I could ever make that an NBA point guard must be a scorer. And must be able to make his free throws.

There’s something special about Nate.  Despite his size, he’s a real physical presence, and a great team defender (4 steals).  And he has that indomitable confidence that he can make big plays and change the game.  It was clear that he has the respect of Dwayne Wade. Wade jawed at him the whole game, and at the end gave him a playful head cuff.

It’s too bad he can’t pass.  Nate made several terrible passes tonight, but I want to draw your attention to one that might have slipped under your radar. At 4:50 2nd Q, Nate attempted a simple swing pass to a wide-open Dorell Wright, that was so off the mark that it pulled DWright over the three point line, and caused him to force a drive.  If either Monta or Curry (or Lee) had thrown that pass, it would have hit Wright right in the hands. This is the kind of thing that drives coaches (and feltbot) crazy, and is a big reason that Nate has had trouble getting playing time in his career.

A couple of other thoughts:

1) If Curry hadn’t gotten injured, would Nate Robinson even be on this team? Or would we be stuck with the quintessential Lacob back-up point guard, Ish Smith?

2) Why is it that Nate gets to the free throw line so much more often than Monta Ellis? Is it because his balance isn’t as supreme and he falls heavier? Or is it something else?  Give me your thoughts.

The Spread Four:  The Heat have several.  Bosh, James, Battier.  The Warriors still have none.  Which is what gets you 19 point third quarters.

But what about that Warriors finishing lineup? Lee, Wright, Rush, Ellis and Robinson.  You know, the lineup that was +6 for the final 4 minutes, and got the game into overtime? And then +3 in overtime, to get the win?

Who’s the power forward in that lineup?  I guess it’s Dorell Wright.

The Warriors’ 200 lb. spread four.

Dorell Wright:  Wright is a terrific all-around basketball player, as we saw tonight.  His clutch three-point shooting returned, but we know all about that.  He also played some pretty good defense on Lebron, and biggest of all, pulled down 10 boards.

This doesn’t mean that criticism I layed on him in my last post doesn’t still apply.

The Nightmare:  What a game from Udoh, even though he didn’t score a point.  The perfect defender to play against the Heat’s uber-quick front line.

Unlike Kwame, superb rotations.  And those blocks, something that Kwame can never do.  I was particularly amazed by the block of Lebron. And this is the best I’ve ever seen him rebound.

I’d like to see him used better in the Warriors offense.  If he’s going to be guarded by the center (which he is), then post him out on the baseline wing to get his man out of the lane.  Let him shoot that outlet baseline jumper even if it’s not high percentage at the moment.  It will do wonders to open the court for Lee and Monta.

Or use him in the pick and roll.  He’s mobile, he’s being guarded by centers, he’s a great passer…   Why not?

Brandon Rush: Phenomenal floor game, even when his shot isn’t falling.  3 blocks! And that huge crunch time steal.

He needs more minutes.

Klay Thompson:  He did some nice things on the court tonight, even though his shot was off.  He’s a really good passer.  He’s got Monta, Curry and Lee’s ability to hit his target on the hands.  And he might become a decent rebounder.  Liked that tip-in in traffic.  Seems like a really nice guy on the court though.  He could use a bit of an edge.

I don’t believe he will ever have the kind of all-around game at small forward that Dorell Wright demonstrated tonight. So he’s really strictly a bench player for this Warriors team.

Until Joe Lacob pulls the trigger.

Mark Jackson:  Two post-game comments caught my attention:

On Kwame Brown: “I can’t believe this guy was at home when we called him.”

Really?  Let’s ask the other 29 GMs and 29 coaches in the league how that could possibly have happened.

On the Warriors miserable third quarter: “Credit the Heat’s defense, they got us out of our stuff.”

You can credit the Heat defense if you like.

I’m crediting the Kwame Brown Era.

Kwame Brown:  This was an eye-opening performance, wasn’t it? First of all, can you ever remember a Warrior not looking like a pre-game appetizer standing next to Andrew Bynum?  Kwame almost looked the same size.  And I’ll lay 2-1 he has the bigger ass.

Kwame also fought Bynum pretty much to a standstill.  Considering how Bynum has been absolutely beasting the league, we won’t quibble about the 16-6 rebounding discrepancy.  This was a tremendous defensive performance, the likes of which Warriors fans haven’t witnessed since… Wilt Chamberlain?  Joe Barry Carroll?  I’m struggling here, help me out….

But what about the offense?  Kwame amazed tonight when running the pick and roll with Monta Ellis.  He caught some passes in traffic, and actually finished.  How is it that he was able to finish against the Lakers front line, but not over 6-7″ Dejuan Blair?

And he passed!  In back to back possessions starting at 5:28 3rd Q, Kwame made a beautiful bounce pass off the dribble to David Lee, and then another to Monta Ellis on a give and go. This was truly a revelation to me. Can it continue?

It may sound like I have a grudge against Kwame. I truly don’t. I recognize his value, particularly on nights like this against front lines like this.

I simply want him to be used correctly by Mark Jackson.  I want him to be used against big lineups like the Lakers, and not against small lineups like the Sixers, and Suns, and Spurs.  I don’t want him to be used to defend the pick and roll in crunch time against point guards like Chris Paul and Steve Nash.  And I don’t want him on the court any time the Warriors are in the penalty, and in particular when they are in the penalty in crunch time.

I want Kwame Brown to look good, OK?

Like tonight.

Mark Jackson: Got the starting matchups right.  Loved playing DWright on Kobe, and Monta on Barnes. Loved starting with Jenkins on Fisher.

And I loved starting Kwame on Bynum. Would it have happened if Biedrins were healthy?  I hope it would.  And I think it would, because I’m feeling charitable towards Mark Jackson tonight.

I absolutely loved his message-sending first play call of the the game. More on that below.

I think he got most of the game right as well.  I loved how he got Kwame out of the game the second Bynum left the court.  Loved the plays he called for Ekpe Udoh, particularly the face-ups against Gasol, with the option to shoot the jumper over him.  That was a no-no for Coach Smart.

And I loved the way he tried the small lineup against Bynum to start the fourth quarter. I was even down with him bringing Kwame back in when it failed, given the one-on-one defensive scheme he stuck Lee with.  If there is ever a front line that calls for Kwame Brown in the fourth quarter, it is this Lakers front line. There may be no other way to deal with the monster that is Bynum.

But I would still gently suggest that if Mark Jackson really wanted to try Lee on Bynum, he should have asked Lee to front Bynum, while bringing immediate double-team help from the weak side on the entry pass. That’s how Nellie got away with Al Harrington on Yao Ming. Remember? (I know, those tapes have been burned.)

My only other game quibble with MJ is that the Warriors really needed to push the ball more. It is distressing when the ancient Lakers’ fast break is better than the Warriors’ own. Part of the problem of course was the rebounding edge.  But the Warriors to my eye weren’t looking enough to run, and Kwame Brown in particular needs to outlet much better.  He’s playing for Mark Jackson now, not Phil.

As for MJ’s post-game interview… am I the only one suffering intensely from these? MJ once again closed the interview by calling his own number. He warmed up with a stirring biblical quotation.  Then he proudly (is there any other word to describe his demeanor here?) informed us that he earned his technical foul by politely asking the refs to give it to him.  And then he put the cherry on top: “I’m the first coach ever… [that doesn't curse].”

Arggh. I wonder, if the Warriors start getting good under Pastor Jackson, are they going to become the NBA equivalent of a Christian rock band?

This is not a religious issue for me.  It’s strictly about the music.

Monta Ellis v. Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose

I’m just going to keep repeating myself until someone else picks up the refrain.  Monta Ellis is a better point-guard than both of those all-stars, and that MVP.

10 assists against 2 TO’s tonight. 7 and 3 against San Antonio. 11-3 Phoenix.

After a 7 assist 0 TO performance in 4th quarter crunch-time against the Knicks.

I have been marveling at Monta’s ability to finish lightning fast drives with soft, pinpoint, no-look passes.  Passes so perfect even Kwame Brown can catch them.

But I want to direct your attention to a couple of other passes that many might think are routine. 9:30 3rd Q, Monta hits DWright for a three.  4:05 4th Q, Monta comes off a pick and roll to hit DWright again, this time with a left-handed pass.  Both of these passes were perfectly timed, and both hit DWright right on his hands.

I can not emphasize enough how rare this is, this ability to regularly hit shooters in rhythm, right on the hands. None of those other point guards I mentioned have it. And yet no one ever mentions this about Monta Ellis. Why?

Monta Ellis is a superstar point-guard. And the Warriors have that rarity of rarities in the NBA: a two-point guard backcourt that compares with Frazier-Monroe and Nash-Van Exel.

Assuming Joe Lacob doesn’t break it up.

Dorell Wright:  I haven’t been nearly as agitated as Bob Fitzgerald over DWright’s shooting woes.  Shots as good as his don’t disappear forever. My diagnosis: Lockout Legs.

Which is not to say that DWright doesn’t agitate me.  There is something about him that has been agitating me a great deal: his apparent fear of contact.

Don Nelson had a rule: If you missed three outside shots in a row, then you had to get yourself a layup. It’s a good rule, that helps both the player and the team get it going.

The problem is, DWright doesn’t want to get himself a layup.  Particularly if a defender is lurking near the lane.  Time and time again this season, we have seen Wright beat his man and drive the lane, only to pass off at the last second.  He never challenges the defender in the lane.  Never takes the ball to the rim and dares the defender to block it.  Never tries to draw the foul.  Why?

I truly believe he fears getting knocked down.  He’s of very slight build, and is just coming into his own after recovering from a knee injury early in his career. And the fact that he came into the league as a high-schooler might have something to do with it.  Implanted that fear.

Did you notice Mark Jackson’s first play-call of this game? He sent DWright on a drive to the basket. I am absolutely positive that Jackson was sending Wright a message with this play.  And I absolutely loved that.

But what happened?  Wright was challenged, and went out of his way to avoid the contact.  The shot was aborted, an airball.

Please contrast Brandon Rush’s drive at 10:25 2nd Q.  Rush drove from the right wing, put his shoulder into Andrew Bynum’s chest, and finished over him.  That is what the Warriors need from Dorell Wright.

Unfortunately, DWright’s timid tendency cost the Warriors badly at the end of this game.  With 1:10 left and the Warriors down 5, on a fastbreak that took too long to develop, DWright was driving with only Pau Gasol between him and the rim.  Did he take it hard to the rim and challenge Gasol to block it?  Did he challenge the ref to make a call?  No.

He jumped straight up, pirouetted like a ballerina, and threw the ball away.

I’m a little more mature now than I was in my youth.  I’ve grown a little averse to trotting out the P-word.  So let’s just stick with “soft”.  Dorell Wright is a Great Big…

Softy.

Nate Robinson:  Obviously a great pickup for the Warriors.  Particularly given Curry’s ankle issues, and the imminent threat of either Curry or Monta Ellis being shipped off the team via trade.

Robinson is a microwave off the bench, with unlimited shooting range.  If this means Ish Smith never gets another minute in Warriors uniform, I will be delighted.

Nate is also a tough little dude on defense.  If Dorell Wright had only a half of the edge that Nate brings to the game….

But then of course, there are the reasons that Nate has been bounced off three teams in his short career.  Beginning with that wide-open runout he turned into a turnover at 3:46 2nd Q, because he wanted to create a roof-raising showboat moment for the Hollywood crowd.  Unfortunately, basketball for Nate has always been more about having fun than about winning.

Hopefully, Mark Jackson can administer some of that loving kindness he’s been bloviating about, to get this under control.

The other reason that Nate has bounced around the league is that he agitates over playing time.  In other words, he’s been a cancer.  There is some risk here, particularly if Stephen Curry remains a Warrior with two working ankles.

Something that no one has mentioned yet may help in this regard. David Lee is a good friend of Nate’s from their rookie years on the Knicks. Perhaps that’s what ultimately brought Mr. Robinson to the Warriors.

Klay Thompson: Can really shoot.  That’s evident now, right?  But there’s more to it than that.

Take a look at those two Rip Hamilton curls at 3:35 and 1:50 3rd Q.  One on each side of the court. One shot turning left shoulder, the other right shoulder.

The footwork. The quick release. The accuracy. Wowza.

I’ve seen exactly three players in the NBA who could shoot off the curl like that. Rip Hamilton. Ray Allen. And Reggie Miller.

And now Klay Thompson.

(I won’t mention that Markieff Morris put up 13 and 9, going 3-4 from three, as Phoenix blew out a very good Portland squad. And is apparently threatening Channing Frye’s job.)

The Nightmare:  The offense: Turnaround jump hook over Pau Gasol at 2:40 1st Q. Jumper over Gasol at 1:20.  Huh?

The defense: Udoh picks up Kobe Bryant on a switch at 2:50 3rd Q. Then stones his drive and picks his pocket. Huh?

The crimes:  That second travel at 8:15 2nd Q was not a travel. Udoh’s footwork is amazing.  Apparently too amazing. And that foul on Kobe was… ah, forget it. It’s the Lakers.

The Dominator v. Matt Barnes: I really like Dom.  But Matt Barnes hit a couple of bombs in this game (I thought they were threes, but apparently his foot was on the line), one an absolute dagger in the fourth quarter. On his way to 16 points.

That’s the difference.

Charles Wright:  Can make free throws. Yes!

Can he shoot the three?

Kobe Bryant is a Superstar: Forget about his performance tonight. This is what makes Kobe Kobe:  Whenever he throws himself into a defender and gets a foul call, he immediately turns and stares at the official who didn’t blow his whistle.

I also noticed that Kobe did a lot of talking to the Warriors in this game. With a smile on his face. The way a big brother talks to his steamed-up little brother in the driveway, after he swats away another shot.

Oh Lord, when will it end?

Metta World Peace:  I like saying Metta World Peace. It rolls around on my tongue like Luc Mbah-a-Moute. Or a sip of Lagavulin.

I also like the message. And the fact that in life as on the basketball court, it is sustained by sharp elbows.

Big Brother: No, not the Lakers. Not you, Kobe.

I’m talking to you, David Stern.

When is Monta Ellis going to get some love?