Golden State: 105 Seattle:99

They did just enough to rack up this W. But maybe I'm just not with the times. It took years for us to get 34 wins during the drought but right now we're at 34 wins. Save the credit for monta later the real star was Austin Croshere Boxing out, fighting for loose balls, making lay-ups, throwing his body into opponents don't make you All Star calliber but they do change a game that was slowly going in Seattle's favour.

Boxscore



This wasn't Brandon Wrights best night by far. Even though he didn't have much of a shot Nellie decided that in just a five minute span he hadn't done enough to warrant more PT. On the bright side I didn't think after all the DNP's he collected he did enough to warrant Nelsons attention but apparently Nelson sees something in him. He did grab 3 rebounds and a nice dunk and was slightly more effective then Webber. I alo liked the fact he closed down on jump shooters something which our post players are prone to not doing. Webber was ineffective mostly proving that when it comes to the wild and srambling ways of Golden State he can't keep up.

But seriously I knew Croshere could be solid but damm 6-6 from the field? 5 offensive rebounds. Nelson must have been delighted because this must have been the way he pictured Croshere a hustler for loose balls and doing the dirty work. He bought energy to a dull game as did the bench. Barnes got some Rebounds and Pietrus hit some shots. If Pietrus contributes like this down the stretch what a benfit this will be for the short challenged Warriors.

Even though Harrington had another poor night 1-8 from the floor I don't think there's any real reason to be worried. Hopefully agianst Philly this Friday the slump can be broken out off. On the other hand even though Baron had a miserable 8-24 shooting night with 20 points, 7 steals and 8 assists it's becoming clearer by the day why Nelson gives him ungodly minutes. He attacked the rim, getting some easy baskets and creating looks for others. Jackson won't want to remember this game in a hurry but at least when he's out there there's much more assertivness in the offense especially on the offense where he grabbed 7 rebounds.Sopme nights he can be the star other nights he can just be a role player. Even though it was all about the latter at least his deamounour cannot be underestimated.




And finally give a shoutout to the Defense. Don't let the Sonics shooting 50% fool you Golden State caused 14 steals and a horrendous 24 Sonic turnovers. They pressurised the young Seattle team into mistakes. As stellar as the Defense was it would be foolish to ignore the development of a young Monta Ellis 26 points on 61% shooting. His february streak has been nothing short of spectacular. Ignoring the PPG he has accumulated a total of 4.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, with 1.3 steals and is shooting 70%, 91.7%, 80%, 50%, 66.7%, 53.9%, 42.9%, 50%, and 64% the last couple of games. His defense is where he needs improvement the most but he's taking another giant leap in his development and it's been damn fun to watch

Golden State V Seattle Preview

Versus

This years Warriors are the most mixed team to ever play Basketball. One night they're knocking off the best team in the league, the next night they're getting blown out by a team struggling to make the playoffs in the East. In any other season losing to the Hawks and still being 11 games over .500 wouldn't be a major cause of concern. Unfortunately you can't do that this season take off nights against supbar teams. There are 9 excellent teams contending for 8 spots. Even with Yao done for the season Portland could reel another 13 in a row streak or T-Mac could become the next MVP if his scoring picks up by 10 Points per game. Either way against mediocre teams like the one we face tonight Golden State have to come out straight away and not suffer the bad 1st quarter starts we've seen them.

The current Seattle team preoccupied in moving to Oklahoma stink. Durrant has a nice jump shot but the role players aren't anything special since they trade away Kurt Thomas. They even traded away their best shooter Wally something. On the other hand the Warriors last few wins have been decided by a jump shot literally Boston, Phoenix, Washington, and Sacramento. Sooner or later this will come back to haunt them but when?

I would hate to see Chris Webber start tonight. Let him get some game time against the second Sonics unit. I don't think when he starts this team don't run out of the gates like they used to so they have to accomodate him more in their offense. For he has proved against the Hawks Brandon Wright deserves his starting spot. He can rebound, block shots and change shots on Defense. If he works his way onto Nellie's rotation there is every opportunity he could provide some PT.

Hopefully th Dubs start out strong and take tonights one with ease much like the Charlotte game. With Seattle only having 9 players for this game in theory although doubtful the Warriors should romp home tonight/

Perdictions:
Nick Collison is the new Warrior killer
Monta gets 32
Wright impresses more and more
Warriors by 6

Youtube Monday Warrior Fan obsession

Today is a first here at Irish Warriors. A new section called Youtube Monday will be launched. Every Monday we'll drop a vide via the main Internet TV source. What better way to start then a look at our fanbase the very bunch which suffered an unimaginable 12 year playoff drought. To put it short as illustrated by these fans here the average Warriors fan knows and understands Basketball. They know players. They know stats. Because of the failures we have fans who eat and sleep the game. Anyway as this video illustrates it can lead to broaderline obsession.

nhoughte

Most obscure Warriors

Obscurrity is a common enough thing. Chances are that even with a franchise that has such a knowledgable and loyalty base as Golden State do there will always be one or two players that because of a wide ranging combination of things will entirely be forgotten about. The years 1994-2006 were filled with Warriors that were obscure to say the least. Hopefully this post might bring them into light again.


Calbert Cheaney


Okay Cheaney wasn't that obscure at all but there are times when I wish he could maybe have toned down the chucking of 3's a little bit. During his tenure here he missed all 21 of his 3 point attempts but his most memorable contribution was being most vocal 13th man in the league with his towel chucking and trying to endure himself to Biedrins or Caparkapa whenever they made a mistake. There are times when i question the wisdom of NBA Gm's when they were foolish enough to draft him ahead of Sam Cassell

Here is a highlight reel of the 2005-2006 season. Oh well what could have been!




Jim Jackson


Funny thing was Jim Jackson although most associated with a jounreyman wasn't all that bad a player. Golden State were no 4 of his 12 team NBA journey and even though he averaged a career high of of 18.9 points 5.6 rebounds he moved on after one season. Funny thing is had it not been for Toni Braxton Kidd and Jackson would be together on the Mavericks.




Lester Connor


Was drafted in the 1st round 1982 draft by the Golden State Warriors. Even though he wasn't anything spectacular (highest PPG average was 11.1) did earn a reputation for his defense hence his nickname Lester the Molester. perfers playing Poker.


Jiri Welsch


Apparently even though Dubs fans never got to see it he had a sweet outside shot and ability to drive to the basket. Only played in 37 games averaging 1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.7 apg.



Vinny Del Negro


An Italian American will be remembered for his stints with the Spurs and Treviso rather then the Warriors. Played in only 29 games but is it a safe bet to assume that our very own Marco will turn out the same way?. Not a hall of famer but he did receive his own locker as a gift


Ronny Seikaly



Probably the first lebanese player to play in the NBA he just about averaged a double-double for his career. His stock as a player fell rapidly here although he picked himself up in Orlando the following year. Unsurprsingly he doesn't get as many search hits as his supermodel Wife

Ronny flushing it down



Bill Curely


My favourite most obscure Warrior. Forget Jim Jackson this was a jounreyman at it's best. He spent only one season with Golden State and played for five NBA teams in five seasons but is legendary in Massachussets Basketball circles. Over two seasons played 29 games with the Warriors


Jud Bluecher


Isn't it ironic that a player like Jud Bluecher can have as many championship rings as Wilt Chamberlain. Played 3 seasons with Golden State and whilst averaging career highs across the board will be remembered more fondly for wanting to stay in Del Mar


Bimbo Coles


Lost at least 29 games to injury in each of the seasons in Golden State. Originally played Baseball with the California Angels. Given name is Vernell Eufaye. Part of the 1998-1999 Warriors team arguably our worst team in Warriors history.


Chris Taft


I always felt sorry for Taft. Back problems really hampered his growth with Golden State the closest example would be Stephene Lasme. Was a horrible FT shooter and was recently let go by the Rio Grande Vipers of the NBDL. A video of his only season with Golden State the 2005-2006 season is down blow he did have flashes of potential.





Chris Gatling


I think a common misconception in todays League is people point to David Robinson for starting the whole League trend of wearing headbands although he later claimed this was because he suffered a serious accident as a teenager. Averaged 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game but still never justified why he was taken so highly. Throws it down with authority though



Steve Logan


Imagine this. You get called up to a nice new job with many people not having access too but don't get offered a guarantee contract. Thats okay though because essentially the job you're doing is a privellige something students often dream about when shooting hoops or throwing a Football. Since you didn't get offered a gurantee contract you then quit and never appear in the job again. Thats what happenned to Steve Logan.


Bryon Houston



Houston was once barred as the second coming of charles Barkley. Well I supposse the only thing you can compare him to Barekley is his attitude!. Very soon it became obvious he didn't have the post game and only averaged 5 PPG as his NBA season high. Now on the sex offenders list in Oklahoma and is serving four years in prison. Literally a definition of a waste

Others
:Victor Alexander
: Donyell Marshall
:Clifford Rozier
Paul Molekeski
Alton Lister
Vonteggo Cummings
Zarko Cabarkapa

Any others I left out drop a comment in the comments box

Golden State: 110 Atlanta:117

I'll say it once and I'll say it again. This years version of the Golden State Warriors are perhaps the most fustrating and at the same time unperdictable team you will see in a while. However this game was just one of those utter fustration losses. The Warriors just let Atlanta take them to the house with horrible defense, turnovers (14 of them) and a lacksadical shot selection. Indeed Golden State were without emotional anchor Stephen Jackson and rebounding specialist Stephen Jackson but the inability to rotate whenever Joe Johson or Mike Bibby was open pretty much confirmed even if Beans and Captain Jack had been there it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Boxscore



The depressing bit about theis loss was the Hawks tried to hand the game to the Dubs. They had 20 turnvovers somethng the Warriors never captilized on. Perhaos you could tell this from the jump. The theme seemed to be relexation with several of the jumpers falling short plus overthrown passes, passes to no one, majorly clanking shots etc etc. You can't consider yourselves a playoff contender team if you beat the likes of the Celtics but play to Atlanta's ability. Thats not making fun of Atlanta in anway they were just too athletic and skilled for the Warriors tonight. Josh Childress practically got every offensive rebound in existence and Zaza Pachulia was a match for Crosshere inside

Had it not been for Baron Davis and his constant efforts to keep the game as close as possible this would have been an embarrassment. He took a record high 27 shots most of them coming off drives off Salim Stoudemire. Chris Webber also showed why he has a reputation for being a terrific passing big man. He still had 3 TO but I'm giving the Philly and seattle game to see is he really a worthwile contribution instead of Brandon Wright.

Wright to be honest showed how to play non garbage time minutes. He held his own perfectly against Smith and Hortford and his mid-range jumper looked smooth. There were no awkward shot attempts by Wright to take his man off the dribble. His rebounding were vital in not giving the Hawks second chance points. He might be able to build on this game and become a regular contributor much like Monta and Barnes did when J-Rich got injured during the stretch run.

a
This pretty much reminded me of why didn't the Warriors get someone like Artest to help out on the defensive glass. Much like what the Lakers did when Bynum went down they immediately went out and got Gasol. I'm not saying we can easily do such a thing but not making a trade for a solid role player when your starting Center is out indefintely hurts. Even though it's encouraging to see Wright get his 8 points and finally look like someone we got rid off Jason Richardson for the lack of depth when you compare it to someone like New Orleans will hurt us long term.



Simply put like they do coming off a win over the Eastern Conference's top team Golden State lacked urgency and played down to the level of their opponents. Even though Denver lost Houstons win essentially means games like this can't happen anymore if we want to make another playoff appearance. On the other hand a bad performance is usally followed by a good one. If thats the case watch out Seattle!

Biedrins out for at least a week - appendicitis

Bad news concerning starting Center Andris Biedrins. According to Janny Hu of the SF Gate she reports that Beans could be out for a week because of appendicitis.

Some bad news from practice today:

As the trade deadline passed at noon, the biggest story for the Warriors wasn't that Mickael Pietrus was still at practice.

It's that Andris Biedrins was not.

The Warriors' starting center is out indefinitely with appendicitis that began flaring up last night. Biedrins is scheduled to have his appendix removed today and will likely out for at least a week as he recovers from surgery. Suns forward Grant Hill missed 11 days after undergoing his own appendectomy on Jan. 10.

Warriors coach Don Nelson said Biedrins wasn't feeling well during Wednesday's win over the Celtics, though Biedrins still toughed out one of his best games of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He got progressively worse overnight before the Warriors' sent him to the doctor Thursday morning.

I'm not sure which is more dissapointing the fact that we didn't shell out Pietrus for any sort of Ron Artest bargain on Trade deadline day or this. I have said it all season the Warriors need to do something with getting some effective big guys. Wright is going to be thrown into the mix without having much PT. This is lucky timing because if you look at our schedule Atanta, Philly, Seattle and Portland would be the games Biedrins would possibly miss. My main worrie is Nelson would actually be foolish enough to give playing time to the likes of Webber, Croshere or Barnes rather then realising this would be the perfect opportunity to see Brandon Wright or POB see if they've got game.

Golden State: 119 Boston: 117

You want to know why following the warriors at this moment in time ias so fun. Simply record this game and show it to any self respectable neutral fan who is unsure about what team to support. This was the epitome of what it's like tofollow Golden State. There were too many turnovers to consider this a perfect game but of all the heroics we've seen this year against the Lakers, Spurs game or the Hornets solid victory this was the closest to resembling the 2007 playoffs. What Boston found out and what many bandwagon Celtics fans saw was the Warriors don't fold whenever greatness is close by. 0.3 seconds thats all it took

Boxscore



The Warriors last night set their own record of largest attendence at a Basketball game. Needless to say they witnessed a classic game with the Celtics playing the Warriors very much the Jazz way. Unfortunately they needed a Boozer or a hard no nonsense post player to run over Biedrins who played amazing defense on Garnett. Boston were physical, kept penetrating and Ray Allen was his usual self with some deadsly outside shooting. Of course as I said earlier there were plenty of ugly aspects to this game. Baron missed a few key 4th quarter Free Throws Barnes had a wild lay-up but the guts and detemination to sneak this game out without Jackson was heroic stuff and showed when they feel like it they can beat any team in the League. Apart from the Jazz.

Baron The rest he took against Utah was so benefical for last night it was scary. He repatedly showed he had the legs to attack the Basket and even though he missed a few Free throws in the remaining minutes stretch but the law of Basketball dictates whenver Baron drives to the Basket good things happen. Just to see him take it to the Celtics was more rewarding then the buzzer beater

Biedrins Outside of Hollywoods heroics how refreshing was it to see Biedrins after a Utah no show bounce back and hold his own against KG. He was extremely relentness at crashing the boards and giving Golden State a lot of second chance opportunties posting up 21 and 13. Nice game.


Now thats Defense

HarringtonOn nights without Jackson Harrington usually assumes the role of team leader. A few missed shot attempts in the 1st half and it seemed obvious a gap was missing if the Dubs were suppossed to get back into this game. Big Al let his defense and Rebounding take over however. Right after the half Hariringtons rejubenation began something the 0-6 start was never witness too. A 22 and 12 night was extremely close to being the main heroics of the night when he took a last-minute charge to shut down a Celtics’ possession. One ref gave Al the charge, only to see it waved off by another but based on this showing fustration was overshadowed by his productivity.

Webber had one of his more productive nights actually. I thought the Utah game would be a perfect example of why we biught in C-Webb to slow down the Boozers of the West but tonight it was clear against post players such as Garnett thats when his Defense elevates . I loved his passing and mid range game even though he can't do a defensive rotation and his vertical is horrible. Having said that plays that defense night in night out things might get more interesting.

Pietrus In just under an hour we'll find out if Pietrus just played his last game as a Warrior. If so what a way to go out. I loved his extremely tight defense against Pierce and allen and that putback dunk was special. He still made notable mistakes but for once I can say he played a role in beating Beantowns best and hopefully he can do the something for what ever team he finds himself on.

Monta: Props to Monta as well. On a night where Baron was back to himself he din't need to shoot 75% for the Warriors to stand a chance. Part of what makes this kid stand out is his maturity level rare in this day and age. He had 26 points, 9 assists and 2 turnovers against Rajon Rondo renowned for his defense a major plus point of the night.

If you missed the game and shame on you if you did then here are the highlights.



I'll probably end up saying this but consistency, intensity, the playoff run we’ll need to stay with the best in the West could happen or it could just be another peak on the 07-08 rollercoaster

Golden State: 109 Utah:119

After the All Star game one of the key dates I had pencilled in on a intense and tough schedule was the Utah game. It would show us just how much this team was ready to avenge an ugly end to the 2006-2007 season and a horrible beginning to this one. Months on last night showed us that Utah has every answer for the warriors. When agressive Low post defending was applied to Boozer or Okur they simply beat us with their outside shooting. Fustrating game.

Boxscore



And yet I never thought it would turn out so ugly. Both teams played an exciting run and gun game being tied at 36 each in the 1st quarter leading fans to believe this could be a repeat of the Suns game. Monta and Baron davis both started out strong and looked like they would both have big individual nights. Monta was assertive attacking the hoop when he wanted. Alas there's 48 minutes in a Basketball game and the Warriors tonight only gave 12 good ones

The 2nd quarter is when collectively it all fell apart and turned into a Jazz victory. There were two reasons. Number 1 there was a failure to rotate to the shooter whenever he was open Utah taking full advantage as they shot a ridiculous 71% and had 77 points at the half. Number 2 was Deron Williams. It was easy tonight toi see just why coaches prefer him more to Baron since he poccesses much more of a complete game. To put it simply he dominated collecting 29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and a whopping 12 assists. His size and strengh was too much for our backcourt.

Only way to stop Williams


On the other hand a lot of the Jazz success is not just down to Deron it's down to Sloan. You may not like the Jazz for their rough and physical style (I don't) but Jerry Sloan is the most underated Coach ever. What this Jazz unit thrive on is teamwork. The amount of cuts by Kirilenko or Boozer and assists made me realise they could be a sleeper team in this conference. Just look at the disparity in assists 31-21 most of them coming from the Jazz bench. It's impossible to win in a hostile arena when your players don't share the rock or hit the boards. The most dissapointing thing to see tonight was Beans, Barnes or Webber not rebound. Obviously Okur and Boozer will hit the boards but it doesn't help when the frontcourt does nothing but stand around.

Last night reminded me of May 2007. Missed Free throws to Barons limp meant the Utah ownage continues. Well we're , in 9th place in the West with one game out of 7th and 8th behind Houston and Denver. Does Mullin hit the panic or trade button. Find out Thursday

Golden State V Utah Preview

Versus

After a nice long break with Nelson enjoying Maui, Baron going to Disneyland and the others staying in the bay area Golden State begin the second half of the season tied with Houston and Denver for 7th. From here in every game is major and detemines whether you are a playoff calliber team. Unfortunately tonight the Warriors face an opponent that I dislike and fear the the Utah Jazz. Timw and time again Utah has proved they have an answer for any small ball tactics Nelson throws at them the big reason being Carlos Boozer. Not onl is he on the ever growing list of Warrior killers but he's just too big, fast, and strong for the Warriors inside see opening night. It would be interesting to see how much Chris webber would have an answer especially with his quick hands or Harrington who torched Boozer for 38 points despite another loss in Utah. It's a start. Or lastly introduce a zone so Boozer can take some outside shots. All ways in which maybe Boozer might find it harder then usual to beat us.

On the other hand I want to see Baron and Deron Williams go at it. Baron hopefully will have used the rest to good motivation and come out strong. If Monta continues the 70% shooting for the month of February and the Warriors continue the fastbreaking form they showed against Phoenix then they might be able to pull out an unlikely W.

Perdicitions
Boozer is the Warrior killer with 26 and 12
Monta gets 26
Jazz outreboud the Warriors considerably
Warriors by 4

2008 NBA All Star Weekend- All Star saturday

Continuing on from the shooting fest that was the Rookie Sophomore game the 2008 NBA All Star Weekend continues with the Saturday Lineup

Jazzy

Here's the schedule lineup

D- League All Star Game
Shooting Stars, Skills challenge, Three Point shootout, Slam Dunk Contest

D-League all Star game

Not a whole lot of reason to watch this game unless your a Warrior junkie like me. Two players have Warriors ties see if you can spot who.

Red Team

Lance Allred
Elton Brown
Kaniel Dickens
Nick Fazekas
Eddie Gill
Randy Livingston
Dwayne Mitchell
Kasib Powell
Billy Thomas
Cory Violette

Blue Team
Morris Almond
Sean Banks
Andre Barrett
Rod Benson
Kyrylo Fesenko
Keith Langford
Ian Mahinmi
Jelani McCoy
Carlos Powell
Jeremy Richardson


Something hits you going over the rosters. these guys sure do have some funky names.
Perdictions
Announcers have a blast pronouncing these names
Carlos Powell throws it down
Blue Team by 10

Shooting Stars
The what now. It's safe to say this is the time to go up and get a beer rather then watch Bill Laimbeer trying to shoot. It's boring and is a turnoff.

Perdictions:
80& of the unfortunate watching this event fall asleep
Detroit wll win

Skills challenge
This is a little more compelling and is defintely worth using as a tool to improve your Basketball skills. Funnily enough neither of these names participated in the Dunk Contest. Interesting.
Jason Kidd
Chris Paul
Deron Willaims
Dwayne Wade

Perdictions
Kidd finishes last because he misses his shots
Dwayne Wade will win it for the 4th straight year


Three-Point Shootout
This years list of 3 point assasins.
Daniel Gibson
Dirk Nowitzki
Jason Kapono
Steve Nash
Richard Hamilton
Peja Stojokavic

Perdictions
Albert uses the phrase From Downtown all night long
Dirk after shooting 90% the whole contest then chokes in a final round loss to Nash

Slam Dunk Contest
Though not to the standard it once was this years could be compelling because it does contain a decent mix of participants. Dwight Howard immediately has to be the favourite and this will be the first year fans get to vote for the winner. Without further adoo my favourite Dunks of Slam dunk Contest history

#5

#4

#3

#2

#1

Perdictions
Howard does something nobody expected him to do see the sticker dunk
Rudy Gay wins with the between legs Dunk
Moon gets last place
Kenny Smith says the Dunk Contest is back

Sophomores: 136 Rookies:109

Tonight the Rookies streak of six straight losses duly continued but unlike last year the Rookies made it a closer game and proved to be a much better class then their 2006 counterparts

Boxscore

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images


: Gibson hit 11 3's to go for a 33 point game. I knew this kid could shoot but thats a crazy stat line

: Jordan Farmar had a tidy 17 and 12. Got the most assists out of everyone there

: Rudy Gay didn't miss going 9-12 with 22 points acting like it was a dunk contest

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

I sometimes wish Jerry West didn't do what everyone told him to do and draft Rudy Gay in the 2006 draft just ahead of our pick POB. Could you imagine how amazing a backcourt of Monta, Baron and Gay would sound. Even Nellie's refusal to play Rookies would end there.

Gibson domination

All Star Weekend 2008 Rookie V Sophomore Game

It's opening night of the 2008 All Star Weekend. for Hoops junkies worldwide this is a special event.



Schedule of tonights festivites reads like this
: NBA All Star Celebrity Game- ESPN
Rookie challenge


NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
Some people think the Dunk contest is the biggest joke of All Star weekend with all flash no substance yet seem to forget at the times the Clebrity game is unmatched in terms of hilarity and we're laughing at you not with you kind of way. Here are the lineups for 2008.

NEW ORLEANS TEAM
Ne-Yo (2008 Grammy for Best Contemp. Album)
Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights)
Taylor Hicks (2006 American Idol Winner)
Seth Gilliam (The Wire)
James Lafferty (One Tree Hill)
Master P (Hip-hop Artist)
Ruth Riley (WNBA All-Star, San Antonio Silver Stars)
AJ Calloway (Extra)
Coach: Gabrielle Union, (Starship Dave)
General Manager: Stephen A. Smith (ESPN)

HORNETS TEAM
Chris Tucker (Rush Hour 3)
Common (2008 Grammy for Best Rap Perf. By a Duo or Group)
James Kyson Lee (Heroes)
Josh Peck (Drake and Josh)
Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris)
Deion Sanders (Two-Time Super Bowl Champion)
Swin Cash (WNBA All-Star, Detroit Shock)
Tony Potts (Access Hollywood)


Coach: Alyssa Milano, (Wisegal, Touch clothing)
General Manager: Bill Walton (NBA Legend and ESPN Analyst)


He has game well a different kind

Perdictions:
Deoin and Chris Tucker spent most of the time yapping at one another
Ne Yo throws down some slow Jamz
Master P crossovers Josh Peck
Hornets are the best and they win by 8

Rookie challenge and Youth Jam

The second event after the Celeb All Star Game is the Rookie Challenge. The Sopohmores have won five straight against the Rookies so it's up to Durrant and Yi to end the long running streak. Check out the Rosters

Rookies
Mike Conley- Grizzlies G
Kevin Durrant- Sonics G
Al Hortford- Hawks C
Jamario Moon- Raptors- F
Juan Carlos Navarro Grizzlies G
Luis Scola-Rockets- F
Sean Willaims- Nets-F
Yi Jinlan-Bucks-F
Jeff green-Sonics-F

Sophomores
LaMarcus Aldridge Trailblazers F
Andrea Bargnani-Raptors- C
Ronnie Brewer- Jazz G
Jordan Farmar-Lakers-G
Daniel Gibson-Cavalliers-G
Rudy Gay- Grizzlies-G
Paul Millsap- Jazz-F
Rajon Rondo-Celtics G
Brandon Roy-Trailblazers G

The Warriors actually have a rich representation in this event with this list of participants

Chris Webber 1994 Ironic him and Nellie are reunited

Clifford Rozier 1995 At the time the Rookie game was changed to Rookie-Sophomore Game so players like Rozier would never be part of this type of game again

Joe Smith 1996 Can you say Bust

Antwan Jamison 2000 What a great idea to trade Antwan Jamison a future All Star so Mike Dunleavy could get more playing time.

Marc Jackson 2001 Unstoppable at all aspects of his game

Jason Richardson 2002 and 2003 Can you say MVP?

Gilbert Arenas 2003 Had he stayed in oaktown who knows what could have happenned

Troy Murphy 2003 Today mullin claimed the reason he gave Murphy a $60 million dollar extension was the exposure this type of game. Well I wished he would have said that

Mike Dunleavy 2004 Excuses to the fans and coaches yawn he was a bust

Monta Ellis-2007 From being compared to Agent Zero to now being touted as one of the top 10 Guards in the Western Conference. A long way from Lakewood Missippissi

Perdictions:
Al Hortford doesn't get any blocks
Bargnani hits a dozen 3's
Durrant gets 26 points
Sophomores win by 15


Seriously Rozier of all people

Keep it locked on Irish Warriors for more blanket coverage of All Star Weekend

Golden State: 120 Phoenix: 118

What a game. I still can't get my head around just what a big win and offensive performance that was by the Golden State Warriors tonight. In front of a national audience both teams came out firing and reminded many retro fans of the classic run and Gun clashes of the 80's involving the Showtime Lakers. In a defensive minded decade this the last Run and Gun eccounter between these for sure two this was refreshing.



Boxscore

Perhaps overeacting here since Shaq was out but those who tuned in got what they expected no Defense and a lot of offense. Both teams were hot from the very start combining for 70 points. At the half Golden State were narrowly up by 4. Even though Nash and Amare were turning it on Grant Hill and Barbosa were the two major offensive threats. It's amusing to remember just hoe many experts and fans including myself were unsure as to how Grant Hill would fit in the Suns offensive scheme of a fastbreak because of a history of Knee problems but he was all over the place grabbing 15 boards. Barbosa also had 24 points and would have won the game for Phoenix had his 3 point attempt not rimmed out. The suns were given this opprotunity with Amare only making 1 of 2 Free Throws one would have tied the game.

Monta is the MIP ( Most improved player) back to back. Sure he is below average on Defense but tonight his offense weapons shone brightly. Almost a Triple double he neatly finished off with 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. There was a play where he used his body strengh by knocking Nash to the ground, continuing to finish the play. He's ready for the playoffs unlike last season. What bizarre is he's shooting double the shots Iverson is taking yet making more of them. Driving to the Basket with Amare guarding the lane. Not a problem just twist his body to ride Amare’s momentum even closer to the rim. The fear he showed in the Utah series has evaporated. For now.



Baron: I know Nash is just a libility on man to man defense but Baron did a great job on both ends with Nellie's scheme of allowing him and Monta to run at the Suns all day long paying dividends. He closed out the victory at the free throw line (thinking he was going to dunk) and rolled the ball in as he crashed to the floor over Nash. He had 27 points 13 assists but thats not the Baron stat that stands out it's the fact that Nash and Raja Bell only had 28 points combined.

We're now 32-20 and tied for 7th in the West with Denver and Houston. It's a good thing no Warriors made the All Star game because the rest will be extremely benefical. With a back to back schedule of Utah and Boston this team needs every day of rest they can get because one of these three will sit out come April. We all sit with the same record with Portland looming in the closely. Maybe the night-in, night-out top-tier competition is just what they need to see how it feels to play like this every night.

Quote of the night:

Jeff Van Gundy: "We should let them keep playing. We should let them play all through all-star weekend. In fact we should have these two teams play each other 16 times in a season

You know when a Defensive guru says something like that then you've truly earned respect

Golden State V Phoenix Preview

Versus


Like the majority of NBA and Warrior fans I was stunned when Phoenix announced they traded Marrion for Shaq. Combined with the Gasol for Kwame Brown and Kidd for Stackhouse and Devin Harris deals the West is getting stronger by the minute. Unfortunately those watching via ESPN will more then likely not get to see Shaq's debut it will come probably after the All Star Break. In this case it becomes just clear how much Marrion is underrated even though he was being paid big bucks. Though you may not see it he was the inspiration for the Suns running game giving them the Boards and blocks. Without the Matrix tonight hopefully the Warriors can take adavantage of this weakspot. If Shaq doesn't play expect to see a usual Suns Warriors encounter lost of scoring and outside shots. Golden State also has a halfcourt player of their own in Chris Webber. Until he gets in shape only then can fans fairly hold judgment.

The matchup that makes me drool in anticipation Baron V Nash. One is a two time MVP (stole the 2006 one) while the other is an All Star snub who's been putting up great solid numbers. The next matchup to watch out for Raja Bell and Monta Ellis. Both add a extra scoring dimension to this game.

The Dubs came back from 23 down to beat the Wizards. They will need to play a heck of a lot better then that if they hope to beat the team with the best record in the western Conference. On the other hand Golden State have won their past two meetings against Phoenix. Take it away Grant Hill.

Suns forward Grant Hill described Golden State's 129-114 win on Nov. 26 as a "track meeting

Hopefully after a few past lethargic meetings we see a renewed Golden State team with guns blazing in front of a national TV audience with the Roracle in full force.

Perdictions
Stoudemire gets a double double
Baron is a few assists shy from a triple double
Both teams combine for over 200 points
Warriors by 4

Warriors interested in Kyle Lowry

According to ESPN'S John Sheridan who breaks down the many possibilties of the NBA Trade deadline the Warriors along with Nuggets, Bulls, 76ers, Heat and the Nets are all interested in the Memphis Grizzlies Guard.

The Nuggets' willingness to give up this June's first-round draft pick will keep them a player in the Artest stakes, but it also could make the difference in their pursuit of Memphis point guard Kyle Lowry, who is being shopped by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis also is fielding offers for Mike Miller but is trying to include little-used, heavily compensated forward Brian Cardinal (two years remaining at $6.3M and $6.75M) in any deal.

The Nuggets, Bulls, 76ers, Heat, Warriors and Nets are among the teams seeking to acquire Lowry, the 24th overall pick in 2006 who became expandable when the Grizzlies acquired Javaris Crittenton from the Lakers in the Gasol trade.

"The Grizzlies want to have at least three first-round picks this summer," the source said.

As much as I'd like to add Kyle (see the irony) the Grizzlies as yet have to decide where they want to keep him or Crittenton with GM Chris Wallace stating his intentions of looking at both. On the other hand Lowry would be a great backup and even though he's not a scorer he can past almost as better as anyone on this team and is a decent Defender much better then Monta as Chris Duhon or Roger Mason J.R will tell you. Lowry could give better alternatives at this position and a great backup for Baron down the stretch. Worth taking a shot

Links
Wikipedia entry
ESPN Page
NBA Draft profile
Most famous NBA play

Golden State: 120 Washington 117 Unbelievable

Wait we came back from 23 down?

Boxscore

You can't analyse this team. You just can't. Without doubt out of all the professional Sports teams out there this has got to be the most inconsistent and unhealthy for your heart type of team. Nothing comes easy when watching Golden State games. You can have joyful wins over the Spurs or the Suns or you can have disappointing displays over the T-Wolves and the Bulls. It was the seasons biggest comeback and to borrow an old soccer saying "it truly was a game of two halves". 36 minutes of pain followed by 12 gold ones.

This game epitmoized what Jackson is all about. Even with a sprained ankle or that crunch 3 he hit in the final minute after demonstrating his exhaustion it appears Captain Jack showed well what being a Captain is all about. Not many players provide the excitement that Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis bring to the table even though sometimes the hype can be too much see the sacramento win or chicago loss.

Defense After the 0-6 start for a few games we saw much more defensive intensity. Tonight rendered a concern this team has got to work on defending perimeter shooting. The Wizzrds shot above average indeed but helped by the amount of open looks. They conceded a whooping 72 points at the half not helped by Roger Mason a jounreyman PG getting 21 points Monta making the mistake of repeatedly displaying poor defense against a no namer Guard see Chris Duhon.

Webber Webber has leragely had a non impact on offense unless you want to count his excciting put back dunk after a foul on Monta. On defense he was largely used as a pick and role machine something which Biedrins is adept at avoiding. The problem offensively is it's more difficult to mkae any sort of impact when there's no cutting to the Basket. There was no flow to the offense too much standing around when Webber had it. If we want to return to the running team of old find space to give C-Webb the ball it's that simple.

One quick word. Who is Roger Mason J.r. Going by the 1st half alone it seemed Agent Zero was not missed in the nations capital. The inability to deal with any pick and roll meant Roger had a ton of open jumpers which he duly made. He looked the real deal and even when it seemd Monta had him all locked up Brandon Haywood was let wide open for an easy jam.. His own website reveals all sorts of info. Why am I so fascinated by this. Probably because on a large list of Warrior killers he's probably the most bizaree inclusion

Warrior killer Number 500

Baron didn't force anything unlike the Kings game. In the 1st half he was guilty of a few silly turnovers but once he settled down we saw the Baron of old picking his spots, finding other players in good spots and driving to the basket a lot more something the Bulls and the Kings never found out. It consistently worked which meant Monta or Jackson were wide open more often then expected.

Turnovers and Miscelaneous were aplenty in the 1st half and had it not been for Big Al's defense and Monta's better ability to finish at the rim the game would have been out of hand. Once the 4th got under away they were greatly reduced. Why?. Roger Mason J.R was cooled off and DeShaun Stevenson their two Guard must have felt the pressure of living up to Agent Zero's hype and threw a few wild ones up although Nick Young started picking his game up. Fortunately the Rebounding efforts of Barnes, Harrington and Biedrins vastly improved especially on the offensive end. The play which ended the game was not the Jackson 3 but the ability of Monta to chase down the ball and hit it off Stevenson to retain poccession. This rebounding effort wasn't seen all season until now.




As of now Jackson displayed the trueness of being a Warrior. He still chucks it up like there's no tommorow but look at the numbers over the last few games 44-86 in the last 5 games, 16-37 from 3 point land. His offensive repetorie has been a lot more patient something we didn't really see last season. Keep this up and we'll be on pace to win 50 games good enough for a consecutive playoff appearance.

Lineup and wrapup We have by far the most stubborn coach in the League right now it's well known. No sign of Harrington or Biedrins both who had productive sencond half performances. A blend of Kelenna, CJ or Wright no matter how farfetched would have been ideal.



But lets ignore Nellie and his decision making . Right now there are two undisputed facts. 1. We are on course for a 49-50 win season if we keep going at this rate and 2. when Baron, Jackson, Monta, Al, Matt, and Andris get it going there is no team more exciting and at the same time heart inducing then the 2007-2008 Golden State Warriors

Golden State V Washington preview

Versus


Should be called the reunion month. First J-Rich makes his disasterous return to the bay area, then Webber who was bannished 14 years by Nellie comes back in a much hyped return and now there's the sight of seeing Gilbert Arenas and Antwan Jamison two always popular Warriors make their return to the Roaracle. I still mantain Jamison's feat of back to back 51 point games here and here is the most underated sporting achievement in the City by the bay although the lack of publicity had to do with our 17-65 record.





Mullin is crazy enough to bring both of them back unlikely as that sounds!.

But back to tonights opponents. In the Western Conference the Wizards combination of 7 straight losses and going from 24-19 to 24-26 would mean rather then thinking about the playoffs it's lottery time. However the overall well known mediocrity of the East means Washington still has 6th seed while warriors fans are forced to suffer and worry whether 10 games over 500 is good enough to keep them in 8th spot. With Caron Butler's status unclear whether he is out or not the Warriors have to contain Jamison from the very start otherwhise if he drops 40 and 15 it will be a long night.

On the other hand the Warriors are on a winning streak 7-3 in their last 10 all because of the emergence of Monta. His ability to create his own shot combined with his speed means opponents can't keep up with him. He's led the team in scoring the past 3 games and in 5 of the last 8 games. He's led the team in rebounding in 2 of the last 4 games. Let the supporting cast take it away.

Nellie:
"

That guy is incredible, he is an amazing player. They were blitzing the screen and roll and taking him (Monta) out of that so we really had to get him the ball by other means. He has the ability to smell out openings when they were zoning and he makes great cuts and then they fouled him. But it wasn't an easy night, we weren't able to gear our offense to set him up and he still comes up with 34 points. The turning point in the game for us was when we started to post up their smaller guards and drew double teams and that kind of got us rolling a little bit when it was quite a struggle. When Baron has a game like this we normally don't win it, so Monta had to have a big game and he did."

Andris Biedrins:
He was great. He really stepped it up, especially when B.D. (Baron) got his sixth foul and we needed somebody to step it up. Monta did a tremendous job on the offensive end and that's why we won, because of him

With Baron struggling this is a bonus and it should continue tonight. With the reliance of 3's expect a lot to be taken from Baron, Stephen Jackson etc . Question is will they swish?.

Perdictions
Jamsison gets 28
Nothing wrong with Davis tonight as he gets 18
Monta has a big night with 32
Warriors by 10

Golden State: 105 Sacramento: 102

Tonight the Warriors duly continued the tradition of bouncing back after a dissapointing defeat. Unlike previous games in this manner it wasn't the most spectacular victory but over a Kings unit playing some decent ball it was achieved.

Boxscore


Future of the franchise

I'm willing to bet that in just a few years Monta will be the face of this franchise. Seriously tonight he once again proved he's one of the most spectacular and efficent players in the League. He's been shooting a astounding 81% over his last 3 games and just to prove how remarkablly his offensive game has evolved his PPG total has jumped from 16.3 PPG in November to 26.7 in February. Admittely it's only 3 games but how handy is it to have a 2nd scoring option when your main one is struggling.

I'm not one to start theories for why Baron is struggling but I think the most obvious is the all Star snub. How else can you explain the recent poor shooting against the Bulls and as of last night the Sacramento Kings. It's becoming painfully obviius that once Davis and Nellie aren't on sync then this team will struggle. It's either that or Davis has done the unthinkable and injured something without wanting to tell the whole world about it. Unfortunately at the moment he has done the exact opposite since the All Star snub and has played with a lack of motivaton.

From a coaching side of the ball a large part of me is also starting to worry. Nelson knows a lot more then the average fan otherwhise he wouldn't be a coach but some of the decisions he has made could be costly if we wish to retain a consecutive playoff appearance. Last night only 7 players really contributed to the Sacramento victory Nelson once again proving his main weakness the serious refusal to use the bench. Davis, Jackson and Harrington all look like they've run their legs into the ground. His decison to keep Davis in after the 5th foul was seriously discouraging since we all know CJ Watson would have done a solid job backing him up. Where's thhe confidence Nellie!

We almost choked


Once again the Warriors proved they can play down to the level of any opponent whether it's Minnesota, Chicago or San Antonio. This is by far the most irregular team in the League and unfortunately despite the 30-20 start the volatile nature of the entire team means fans are fearing a possibly (hopefully not collapse) rather then celebrating. One thing that was admirable was the Dubs managed to overcome a slow start. Even with Baron off form he still had 3 steals combined with 7 kings turnovers gave the Warriors a decent 1st quarter lead . After the 1st quarter however fans saw a familiar sight such as Free Throws being missed, Baron struggling and Salmons trying to join the lengthy list of Warriors killers Sacramento made it a ball game.

Whats the point of talking about the 2nd and the 3rd quarters when they were both bleak spots in a increasingly worrisome month featuring the same trends such as ron Artest starting to going off and Pietrus owning the League record for stepping out of bounds. It was hard to accept the recent change. The 4th however saved the game. I counted 4 key steals and 9 offensive boards as the key factor as well as Monta and his brilliantly timed 16 points. I have yet to remember all this talk about a Franchise player but I think in one or two years the door will be open for Monta to take over. In the end the fans were treated to Kings knocking down some Free throws before Monta settled it with a clutch shot. Another ulcer induced victory all too common in Warriors land !.

Having said that the Kings are a decent team don't let the records fool you. Tonight after a for once decent 1st quarter Golden State couldn't figure how to repeat such a performance. Once the Warriors can figure out how to mantain such a good performance we can all rest a little easier

Golden State V Sacramento Preview

Versus


I love a Northern California showdown especially after a bad loss from a dubs perspective. Tonight unlike the last meeting there is actually a bit of spice to this matchup. For the Warriors it's Chris Webber facing a team he spent a large chunk of his career with but to be honest I'd expect Webber to start his time here slowly. Apart from Thursday he hasn't played competively since game 6 of the 2007 ECF. It's likely going to take him more than a few games to get back his rhythm, timing, and whatever speed he has left in his tank.

The Kings tonight won't be anything but easy. Knowing the Warriors nothing is a guranteed win but don't let Sacramento's losing record say anything else Kevin Martin, Mike Bibby or Ron Artest are three immediate standoutish players and they are also coming in with xonfidence having won 5 of their past 6 games including a big win against our nemisis the Utah Jazz last night.

The Warriors on the other hand have come off a depressing national TV loss against the Bulls even without Heinrich, Deng and Gordon. If this team can actually start the game strong something that has been lacked this season then it should be a joy to watch at the Roaracle. Either way this should and hopefully will be a confidence booster to get back on track.

Perdictions
Webber gets 10 points 5 rebounds
Davis bounces back from a off shooting night with 20 points
Reggie Theus continues with his Hang Time coaching strategy (it's worked)
Warriors by 10

Golden State: 108 Chicago: 114

Wow did this just happen. Did a Bulls team minus Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and Kirk Hinrich just come to Oakland and kick the Warriors butt on national TV. Oh dear!

Boxscore



: When Joe Smith and Chris Duhon combined to dominate the Warriors frontcourt then thats when things are obviously going awry. Smith is the protypical NBA journeyman who bounces around from team to team but with our charming soft Defense he dropped 27 points and 8 boards. Long though of as a bust by Warriors fans this was hard to accept but what wa even harder was seeing Chris Duhon a Guard who averages 5 PPG erupt and dominate Ellis so frquently. Thomas and Noah also looked solid the latter impressing with Rebounding and Hustling.

: Quick starts have been the enigma of the team this season and on national TV it was no different. They conceded a whooping 32 in the opening period and 37 in the next. Dfense was horrible with Air France fouling out as expected and Harrington and Biedrins almost fouling out as well.

: Shooting was a team killer. 75% of 3 pointers were clankers nuff said. But on the other hand the main storyline of the night was.



Webber wasn't actually that bad. He came nowhere near as close to the 14 points I duly perdicted but he hadn't put on a NBA jersey since detroit so rustiness was to be expected. His assist to Biedrins, a nice steal on Duhon and two jumpers were postive points. He still looks slow but give this time before C-Webb becomes back in the swing of things. There was a scene where his cut pass to monta reminded me of the Sacramento Kings used to run the play with him and Mike Bibby. More of the same we hope

Not much else to explain. Even with Nelsons bizzarre coaching decisions such as keeping hot hand Al out for Matt barnes who was in a slump didn't make sense. With all but 1 of this months games being away the Warriors can't afford dumb losses at home if they want to stay in playoff contention. The Rockets win puts them ahead of us. Only time will tell if adversity is overcome

Golden State V Chicago preview

Versus

Six days without Warriors Basketball. Might as well be the offseason. But tonight forget the long break, sub-.400 Bulls vs the .600 Warriors, the no 1 overall pick via trade Chris Webber in 1993 (Warriors) versus Joe Smith 1995 Warriors no 1 overall pick from the 1995 Draft or even the interesting tidbit of info that the last time Webber, Nellie and Barkley were ever on national TV Barkley exploded for 56 points in a exciting Suns Warriors playoff series. As hopfully anticpated the Dubs will let an American audience know that snubbing baron Davis was a big mistake. Understandbly the whole team must bwe slightly peeved that for the 13th straight year there was no Warrior representative at the All Star game but this team absolutely thrives in the role of the underdog. It's a big statement game and what better way to see at it then a TNT Thursday game.

With Barkley one of the TNT pundits and of course one of the best Forwards to play the game what better way to end this preview then to show Webber back in his day and dunk on him.



Perdictions
Webber drops 16 as a sea of 1994 throwback jerseys greet him
Davis gets a triple double
Webber and nellie do a Pregame hug
TNT replay the Dunk with Charles making silly excuses
Warriors by 8