Blue Man Hoop - A Golden State Warriors Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

The two losses from this weekend put the Warriors far from .500. In fact, the Warriors have won about 33% of their games. Eight games, six losses, two wins, hardly a turnaround from past ghosts. Up in Sacramento, former Warrior coach, Keith Smart, seems to have found a way to connect with DeMarcus Cousins and but are in no better shape than the Warriors. Is the California coast a curse to the NBA. Only the Lakers have reigned supreme, but their other fellow CA teams have often disappointed.

Speaking of the Lakers, one of the losses from this weekend were at the gracious hands of the Lakers, 97-90. Coming off a beat down by the Portland Trailblazers, you knew the Lakers looked to bounce back and unfortunately it was against the Warriors. ESPN’s article on the game focused on how tired the Lakers were and how injury depleted the Warriors are. And the Warriors are very depleted, especially the scoring front.

No matter how small or lack of size Stephen Curry is, the presence of him out there does cause a concern for opponents. You leave him open, I’m betting he’ll hit a couple wide open threes for you to watch. Try to double on the pick and roll, he’ll hit the big man, and if anything, his ability to take someone to the rim will cause other defenders some hesitation in whether to help or stay with their own man. Because Curry can hit the three (and beyond, this year in five games he’s at 41%) so well, that it will give room for Monta Ellis to operate and score.

And it was Ellis who took the burden of lack scoring on his shoulders. Monta was phenomenal against the Lakers. With little help from his fellow teammates, he basically took on the whole Laker team. And he wasn’t even getting any foul calls. The tv commentator said it best, whenever someone looks at Kobe wrong a whistle is blown and a foul is given. But when Monta drives to the basket, gets knocked down, the refs swallow their whistle and the action heads the other way. I can’t even blame Monta for getting a “T.” The calls and the blown calls were a little ridiculous.

The Warriors were called for ten more fouls (28/18) than the Lakers, resulting in more free throws for them (29-19). Both teams were atrocious from the line as the Warriors only sank 52% of their FREE throws. Those nine misses could have won the game.

Ellis finished the game with 18 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and five steals. David Lee contributed with 15 points and 11 rebounds but also had seven turnovers. As a team, the Warriors had 20 turnovers, only one more than the Lakers, so they relatively took care of the ball well. Kwame Brown, who was inserted into the starting line-up, did well on the offensive end scoring 13 points but only grabbed three rebounds. A big guy like him will have to own the boards a lot more, especially the defensive end. The Lakers grabbed 15 o-boards. Finally, Dorell Wright wants to contribute to this Warrior team. He finished with 10 points, but that is basically it. He grabbed three boards but so did two Warrior bench players who played 1o less minutes then him. He’ll need to step it up soon or Klay Thompson is about to grab his starting spot.

Thompson has been a nice surprise to a weak bench. The addition of Nate Robinson was to add a little sugar to Thompson’s punch (although it was more cause Curry has been injured like no other this season). In both losses to San Antonio and the Lakers, he’s shown he can score, no matter the situation. He posted another double digit effort in contributing with 14 points and hitting two threes.

Rumors sure are flying. It wouldn’t be a sports crazy world if there isn’t at least one ridiculous rumor floating around. Rumor has it, Apple has placed a bid for the rights of English Premier League (EPL). What is EPL? Well for one its known as “football”, but because we, Americans, have to call it something entirely different to be different, soccer is the more common name. Yes, I know. One, this is a basketball blog and for God’s sake, specifically a Golden State Warriors blog. But I just wanted to prove a point that rumors are flying around. BTW, that iPhone in which you are reading this blog on, might have a subscription to that game called soccer. And before you knock down the game of soccer (here at Blue Man Hoop, respect most and all professional athletes, since we can not do those amazing skills at any level), know that it is at least a three billion dollar venture for it’s media rights. Three big bucks of Billions.

But back to rumor central. An “exclusive” article on Yahoo has now stated that the Warriors are emerging as an aggressive neighbor in knocking at Orlando’s door. For a trade to go down, the Warriors will have to swap somebodies for Dwight Howard and absorb Hedo Turkoglu’s massive $34 million contract that is still left (by far one of the most horrible contract extensions ever!). The Warriors will no doubt have to say bye-bye to either Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry. And they will probably also have to give up a draft pick.

It is clear that new Warriors’ owners are finally doing what they were preaching before the lockout. But is it smart to basically destroy your entire team for one player and take a massive contract as well? And, while the article states that both Peter Guber and Joe Lacob are convinced that the Bay Area is an untapped market for Howard to “own”, there is no guarantee that Howard will enjoy his stay here and there is not a great Plan B if Howard leaves after this year. Howard has already mentioned three teams he would be willing to sign an extension and none of them include the Warriors (for interest sake: Lakers, Mavs and Nets).

So a rental player for one shorten season for one of your best young players. This shouldn’t come as a surprise for Warrior fans. The Warriors were aggressive in pursuing Chris Paul only to have trade talks come to a halt because they were unwilling to part with Stephen Curry, whom many believe will be the face of the franchise, either this season or next or whenever they trade Monta Ellis. Paul would have also been a rental player, but for feeling’s sake, I thought that it would have been easier to convince Paul to stay and attract other big name players. But for someone who is as dominate as Howard has been and will continue to be in the future, that may be a risk the worth taking.

 Loading ...

The Warriors are not winning. Losing to the San Antonio Spurs for the 13th consecutive time, the Spurs won the tight contest 101-95. The loss essentially makes the Warriors 1-2. The loss also claimed another victim, as Stephen Curry rolled his ankle, yet again. Most of the time, when people roll their ankles, it is by their own fault. There are times, when they land on other player’s feet and roll, but most of the time, they end up doing it on their own. Curry was faking a long pass from the backcourt and landed awkwardly on his right foot, rolling his ankle.

This happened in the third quarter. A key quarter as the Warriors were only outscored by three. They had led in the first and second before the fourth quarter came around. In the fourth, the old but veteran Spurs took advantage of Curry’s absence and outscored the Warriors 30-21. Led by Tony Parker’s 21 points, the Spurs went on a 9-0 run to take the lead back after Monta Ellis hit two free throws to put the Warriors up 88-80.

With his battery mate out injured, Ellis continued his leadership for the Warriors. He poured in 38 points while dishing out seven assists and pickpocketing into two steals. Before his injury, Curry was contributing with 20 points and eight assists. David Lee, who had been out the previous game, had a quiet double double with 13 points and 10 boards. Rookie Klay Thompson added 10 points.

Again, Dorell Wright was a disappearing act. Same with Andris Beidrins. Beidrins only had four points and five rebounds. If a big man, whose primary job is not to score, he needs to make it up in other areas. Only five rebounds and only three block shots. He’s got to find a way to make a difference out on the court, if it is not in points.

Wright on the other hand was a complete non-factor. He had no points, only shot three times, only had three boards, two assists and one steal. All in 26 minutes of play. Mark Jackson may need to shuffle the starting line-up and put Thompson as a starter while Wright comes off the bench. His play has been atrocious and he hasn’t made a difference on either side of the ball.

Kwame Brown had eight points while grabbing seven boards. While his numbers weren’t staggering, he managed to be engaged in the game. The main thing to ask him is to improve his foul shooting. He shot 25%. His six free throw misses could have essential tied the game. Overall, the team only shot 64% from the stripe. That isn’t going to win games.

The Warriors need everyone, from ALL the starters to many persons on their bench. The Spurs had four starters in double figures, while all their bench players had at least two points. They also happened to shoot the three better last night.

But shooting and how many times a team gets to the foul line are things that no one can control. Things that can be controlled were not. The Warriors gave up nine offensive boards while only tallying five for themselves. They also lost the rebounding game 45-37. That is eight extra boards, eight extra possessions.

The Warriors need to find a way for everyone to contribute and it doesn’t just mean on the scoreboard. They need to find their identity and they need to find it fast. Because before they know it, All-Star weekend will be here and that means, halfway through this shorten season.

If you’re intrigued by the prospect that Nate Robinson could be wearing the Golden Gate Bridge across his chest, then it may soon be coming true. Early reports indicate that the Warriors are close to signing the six year veteran whose rise to fame was with the New York Knicks, winning the Slam Dunk contest at only 5’9″. He was later signed by the Boston Celtics. A throw-in for the Kendrick Perkins-Jeff Green trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Robinson only gave about 3.3 points per game, 1.5 assists in about 7 minutes per game and only appeared in four games. OKC waived the guard, making him a free agent. Warriors are looking to give him a one year, one million deal.

What is the worth of this signing? Pretty much nothing. This is what those with inside knowledge call a low risk-high reward signing. He’s a great spark off the bench and can score, despite the lack of his size. He’s also apparently a hard worker and a defensive pest. But where will he fit in? Right now, it probably seems that the Warriors are lacking some veteran presence on the bench and on the court when the subs are in. Is he the answer to give Ellis and Curry the break they need? Probably not. But he does give another scoring punch, especially now that David Lee is still out and the Warriors are trying to find their style of play which is completely different with Mark Jackson at the helm.

Early stats. How does the Warriors line up against the other teams? Well, so so if you ask for my professional opinion.

Standings

They are 3rd in the conference only behind the two LA teams with a .400% win percentage. Pretty good so far, as they are only 0.5 games behind the leaders with a 2-3 record.

Early Season Stats*

And for individual stats*:

Scoring: Monta Ellis – 20.3 ppg
Rebounds: David Lee – 8.0 rpg
Steals: Stephen Curry – 2.3 spg
Assists: Monta Ellis – 8.5 apg
Blocks: Brandon Rush – 1.4 bpg

* Source: ESPN – NBA – Warriors

Those first four games were soooo last year. And it was even more irritating to be playing against a much more improved LA Clippers than the real LA Clippers. However, it was a great two bounce back wins against the Bulls and then against the newly looked Knicks. A loss to the 76ers just damped the fun in 2011. The Warriors finished 2011 with a .500 record, 2-2. Hoping to carry that momentum to Phoenix and the new year, the Suns quickly threw that notion out the window as the defeated the Warriors 102-91 victory in a matinee game. It looked like, after the first quarter, it would be a close game. Box score shows that the Warriors outscored the Suns in both the first and third quarter. But the difference between the fourth quarter, ultimately gave the Suns the cushion they needed.

Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 18 points, while Dominic McGuire and Brandon Rush had 14 points and 13 points respectively. The Warriors were without David Lee for the second game in a row, who was a late scratch due to some illness. Stephen Curry only had 10 points and was barely visible in the game due to foul trouble all game. It also did not help that Dorell Wright played 26 minutes and was a starter only to score a big fat donut, while Andris Beidrins had only four points. Kwame Brown and Ekpe Udoh contributed with 9 points and 11 points respectively. It will take more points from Curry, Wright, Beidrins and even the bench guys Brown and Udoh for this team to be pushed over the hump and win close games. They also gave up 16 offensive rebounds while giving the ball away 17 times. As coach Mark Jackson quoted, “You put teams on the foul line, turn the basketball over and give up 16 offensive rebounds, it’s a recipe for disaster.”*

But as for the positives, the Warriors did a great job in holding the Suns in fast break points, giving up only 10, while they countered for six. They also were pretty much even in the points in the paint (36-38, Suns edge) and points off of turnovers (17 (18) – 13 (15), Warriors Edge). And their shooting percentage from the field and 3-pt range were better than the Suns, though the Suns did attempt a few more. However, they missed 8 free throws, shooting only 60% while the Suns shot only 76% but only missed five.

With the loss on Monday, the Warriors are in the midst of a 3-game road trip, that began with Phoenix, a road trip to San Antonio, who are without Manu Ginobilli, (a great time to get another W) and ends in SoCal to meet the older, new looked Lakers. Then they counter with three home games against the Utah Jazz, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic before hitting the road for a four game stint. Of the next six games, only one is a back to back and it will come at a price. After getting out of LA (hoping with a tough, but a W nevertheless), they will be flying back to the Bay Area to play the next night against the Jazz. Though the Jazz is not the same team it once was, we all saw what happens to even a good team (the Bulls) when they play a tough game (ironically, it was against the Lakers) and come to play in another arena the next night. I truly believe that even though it was in the same time zone, the fact of playing a hard game, then flying does take a toll on the body and many of the Bulls shots were forced as they couldn’t get a great first step because of tired legs while they also fell short. With that said, it may be easier for the Warriors, as they are coming home instead of visiting another city and may feel more rested as they can sleep in their own beds.

Here at Blue Man Hoop also like to pay our condolences to Monta Ellis and his family on the passing of his grandmother. He must be going through a difficult time and while it was great to see him play against the Suns and missing only one game, it is a reminder to all of us that while we are fanatic fans of Warrior basketball and basketball in general, life is very short (though she lived to be a great age of 89) and we can not take anything for granted. Amidst the turmoil in his personal life, this was just the nail on the hammer to an ending of 2011 for Ellis. We are hoping for the best in his personal life as well as his professional life, now that a new calendar year has arrived.

*Source: ESPN – NBA – Golden State Warriors

Yes, I’m a bit late. It has been a great finish to the 2011 year and I can only look forward to bigger and better things come 2012. I hope everyone partied hard, stayed safe and return to the real world, looking for accomplish new challenges and open new windows of opportunity. It’s exciting for everyone this year to be a Warrior fan and I hope great things come for the Bay Area. With that said, let’s get the new year rockin! Happy New Year!

Two games, back to back, and one win. One first win for rookie head coach, Mark Jackson. And it came at the expense at Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. Both teams were lucky enough to be selected to play on Christmas day. While Chicago stunned the Lakers in a win, the Warriors were blown out by the Clippers.

Last night was a great way to open up the NBA season. First, it was Christmas. Merry Christmas everybody. I hope everyone was good this year and go whatever they wanted from whomever. Obviously, the second gift for NBA fans and basketball fans is that basketball is back and back with vengeance. Five games to start the season on national TV and the nightcap was the Warriors and the new looked Clippers.

Monta Ellis finished with 15 points and 8 assists after the death of his grandmother earlier in the day. David Lee came out to play and chipped in with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Stephen Curry, who was a game day decision, shot 2 for 12 and only had four points. Every time the Warriors made a run or cut the lead down close, the Clippers had an answer. While it was a picture perfect game for the Clippers, they managed to beat the Warriors 105-86. But while the Warriors could be disappointed in their disappearing act in the fourth quarter, they didn’t have to dwell on the negative as they played the Bulls tonight in the first of many back to backs.

The Bulls were coming off an impressive victory against the Lakers, opening night. And the tiredness showed. Derrick Rose had a horrible game, finishing with only 13 points. The Warriors, however, had their superstars come out to play. After only scoring four points the previous night, Curry bursted out with 21 points and 10 assists. Fellow battery-mate, Ellis had 26 points of his own. David Lee followed up his previous night’s performance with another 20-point game finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds. The Bulls trailed as much as 19 points before a late surge pulling them within five points. A couple of free throws later and the Warriors got their first win of the season.

This post is particularly just for Stephen Curry. No, I’m not going to do a profile, fill you in on what he did during the lockout but more importantly, give an update on his ankle. For those who missed BOTH the game versus the Kings AND the post about him rolling his ankle, Curry went out of the game in the first half and didn’t return. An MRI yesterday reveled that he DID NOT tear any ligament in his ankle and it is just a bad sprain. The surgery in the summer to repair some ligaments weren’t torn as well. This is great news. Coach Mark Jackson said it best in the fact that the team is that much better with Curry leading the team both offensively and somewhat defensively.

And finally, today, Curry will be in the NBA town hall on NBA TV answering your questions. He is part of a group that includes, Kevin Durant and Amare Stoudemire tonight at 8pm EST (5pm PST). You got specific questions for him, throw them there and hopefully they’ll answer. Click on the FB link below for more info and fire your questions.

Have a Merry Christmas and a fun New Year! See you live, opening NBA and Warrior season on Christmas day!

NBA Town Hall – Ask Stephen Curry

Remember when your parents (mostly mom) said that it would be great if you can learn from other people’s mistakes? Well apparently, the athletes who have unbelievable athletic ability that some of us can only imagine, do not have ANY common sense at all (though I have been told common sense is not all that common). It’s not just the schools that are now just learning about molestation that has happened on school grounds and with their high ranking coaches (and other people) – I am a firm believer that this has been going and is going on for years but it has only been now brought to light with others feeling more confident to share their horrible story – , or players being suspended/banned because of steriods or illegal substances, or NHL/NFL players being fined and suspended for the same type of hit. Did no one learn from Tiger Woods, Brett Farve or even Kobe Bryant? Hello?!?!!?!?!?!?

Last night, during the Warrior’s pre-season game against the Sacramento Kings (which they lost), a news banner flashed across the screen stating that Monta Ellis and the Warriors organization were being sued by a former employee, Erika Ross Smith, for sexual harassment as well as wrongful termination and other things. If any of this is true, Ellis remains adamant that this accusation is completely false, then we can add Ellis to a growing list of bonehead knuckleheads we have in our professional sports. With how the media is today, we saw a complete 24/7 news reel of how Tiger’s and Farve’s explicit sex texts were uncovered (as well as other explicit things) and if you were an athlete making more than the average person, why would you think you would be any different than those two knuckleheads?

In the lawsuit, Smith claims that Ellis had sent several sexual texts to her as well as a picture of his genitals. She also states that Ellis had come on to her but that she had rejected his advances but fearful for her job. Once Ellis complained about how she was doing her job to executives, Smith’s job was dramatically reduced and changed. Eventually, she was fired, when Ellis’ wife, Juanika, complained to higher ups. There was also an alleged confrontation between Juanika and Smith, where Juanika shoved Smith into a wall with her purse.

While there is no word what is true and what is false, bottom line is that this is bad press and a horrible distraction for the Warriors. With a great coach in place, there is unnecessary territory that the Warriors want to go. And if Tiger Woods is any indication on how personal relationship and turmoil can affect play, then fellow athletes should take note before engaging in extra curricular activities that are frown upon in the public’s eye. Ellis was just named Captain by Jackson and this is not a good way to start to lead the troops into battle.

As far Warrior news on the court, it was also a sad sight to see last night. Stephen Curry went down with an ankle sprain in the first half guarding Jimmer Fredette. He did not return in the second half and finished the game with seven points, five assists in 15 minutes of work. He was scheduled to have an x-ray today. “I’m disappointed. We need him back quick,” Warriors rookie coach Mark Jackson said. “But if not, we still have to go out and execute. It’s no excuse. The next player has to look at it as an opportunity. We hope Steph comes back quick because everybody knows we are a better basketball team with him.”*

With one key Warrior out, the Warriors looked to steal a pre-season game on the road. David Lee had a great game (for him at least) and finished with 30 points and 12 boards. Ellis had 19 points. But the Kings had the better stroke and scored the last five points of the game to seal the victory.

*Quote taken from Yahoo Sports