Two left feet, oh, so neat,
Has sweet Georgia Brown! – Louis Armstrong
Kwame Brown
If anyone had told me in 2009 that in a few short years I would be watching the Warriors’ second rookie coach in as many seasons lean on Kwame Brown in crunch time, I would never have started this blog. That’s a fact.
And yet here we are. Continue reading
Posted in Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob
Tagged David Lee, Kwame Brown, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry
I am as delighted by this Warriors win over the Knicks as anyone. More than delighted. I’m ecstatic, not just for the single win in a long NBA season, but for the promise of many more wins to come that I see in the quality of their coach, Mark Jackson.
But before I get into that, I just have to get the nonsense out of the way. The nonsense that is spewing out of the mouths of the Warriors media right now. And yes, spewing out of the mouth of their head coach. Continue reading
[I]t was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…. — Charles Dickens
So which game is it, the Clippers game or the Bulls game? Which game represented the real strength of this season’s Warriors team? Tentatively, I’m going to lean towards the Bulls game. Partly because that was the last game I saw, partly because I’m an inveterate Warriors optimist, and partly because I glimpsed a few things I like in Mark Jackson’s game-planning. And partly because Andris Biedrins is still walking in an upright vertical position. Continue reading
Don’t you know
You better run, run, run, run, run,
run, run, run, run, run, run, run
Oh I said, you better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run,
run, run, run, run, run. — Tracy Chapman
This comes straight from the playbook of Don Nelson, who back in the day when we believed, stole a game from the formidable Chris Paul – David West – Tyson Chandler Hornets, in New Orleans, like this:
Posted in Pre-Game Jitters, Previews
Tagged Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry
What is it with Joe Lacob’s reluctance to spend money on this Warriors team? Last year he refused to shore up the worst bench in the NBA for a team that was arguably in contention at the trade deadline. This year in free agency he refused to “overspend” for a quality defensive center, virtually ensuring that the Warriors came away with nothing. Continue reading
Posted in Golden State Warriors, Predictions, Previews, Trade Speculation
Tagged Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob, Klay Thompson, Monta Ellis
Klay Thompson will be in the running for Rookie of the Year. — Joe Lacob
Joe Lacob is gonna really, really regret saying these words, which he splashed all over the media in the preseason. They are wrong on so many levels, not least in the ridiculous expectations they set in the mind of a young player, for all the wrong reasons (see Evans, Tyreke). They are words grounded more in trying to establish Lacob’s credibility as Warriors GM, and in selling tickets and jerseys, than they are in reality, or the best interests of the Golden State Warriors (see Lin, Jeremy).
Let’s be real: Klay Thompson has no chance of becoming rookie of the year. Continue reading
On a rush: On a run; to be dealt a series of strong hands. – The Poker Dictionary
The Golden State Warriors have apparently traded Lou Amundson to the Indiana Pacers for Brandon Rush. I think this was a brilliant move, one that radically transforms the Warriors roster.
Think that’s an overstatement? Read on. Continue reading
Posted in Golden State Warriors, Previews
Tagged brandon rush, Dorell Wright, Golden State Warriors, Lou Amundson, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry
Most NBA pundits are predicting that Mark Jackson is about to radically transform the Warriors style, forcing them away from their run and gun roots under Nellie, and towards a slowed-down style that emphasizes defense first.
I am predicting the exact opposite.
Some things and some people have to be approached obliquely, at an angle. — Andre Gide
After reacting with the requisite knee-jerk snarkiness to the news of Mark Jackson’s hiring — I tweeted: “It should come as no surprise that Joe Lacob just hired an expert at walking the ball up the court to coach the fastest team in the league.” — I’ve taken the last few days to come to a considered opinion. I’ve read through the media statements, done some research, and remembered some past Mark Jackson statements from his coverage of Warriors games. I’ve looked at Lacob’s surprising choice for head coach of the Warriors from every angle.
You might be surprised by my take. Continue reading
Posted in Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob, Mark Jackson
Tagged Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob, Mark Jackson, Mike Malone, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry
Monta Ellis: A+
A great scorer, yes, but this year he became so much more. A great distributor, a great clutch closer, a great teammate. A team leader. A superstar in the making.
A couple of years ago, I wrote that I believed that Monta had the makings of a supreme point guard, because his passes had laser-like accuracy: they always seemed to hit his man in the hands. This opinion was scoffed at. Well, in last night’s broadcast, we learned that Monta leads the entire NBA in shooting % by recipients of his passes. Hmmm. Continue reading
