Wednesday, December 24, 2008

STAY STRONG DIE-HARDS

It's time to let go of the past and let the future rise up.

They suck. As soon as news hit that Ellis suffered a serious ankle injury, anyone with their feet on the ground and head not too high in the clouds could clearly see that this season would test everyone associated with this franchise...from the Owner, to the Front Office, to the Coach, to the Players, and to the Fans. It was going to be a rough year - the bright spots for the team came from the young and underutilized, but they weren't going to save the season - they're not ready yet.

This may be a low point for many Warrior Fans, but this short term pain is necessary for the Warriors to turn this franchise into a perennial playoff contender sooner, rather than later. Face it, the Warriors are not a good playoff team even if all their vets were healthy...not even close. Why spin your wheels to get clobbered in the first round or most likely just miss out on the playoffs when instead, you could land a big missing piece to the puzzle in next year's shallow draft? They are in 'Stealth Tank-Mode', like it or not.

I'm on the record for not wanting to lock in Baron Davis to a 4+ year mega-million deal (anything greater than $10M) and was thrilled and excited about the possibility of starting fresh with some promising young talent to build around. I was hoping for one more year, where Cohan would put all his chips in to make a big run to go deep into the playoffs, but that didn't happen. The Warriors decided not to use the $10M Trade Exception and to break up the 'We Believe' roster so much so, that their leader, Baron Davis, left $17M on the table and headed to the Clippers. With Baron's opt-out, the Warriors proceeded to have one of the WORSE off-seasons in Warrior history - one that can only be salvaged by the drafting of Anthony Randolph and retaining of Ellis and Biedrins. What was most disturbing about the offseason was the type of talent they were trying to bring in to replace their lost star....not young talent like Josh Smith or Andre Iguodala, but aging/injury prone stars like Arenas, Brand, and Maggette. Maggette is a good player when healthy, but they severely overpaid and locked him in for too many years. He's too one-dimensional and past his prime to warrant such a big chunk of the Warriors financial commitment. They would have been much better off keeping the wind-fall of cap flexibility, but the fear of losing bandwagon fans from the whole 'We Believe' phenomenon as well as Nelson's pursuit of the coaching victory record resulted in bad moves that any intelligent basketball fan could see would end up hurting more than helping in the long run.

The Warriors, by all reports, have frozen out Mullin and are now being run by some combination of Rowell and Nelson. So far this duo has failed miserably with the pre-mature extension of Jackson and the cruel political games manifesting themselves in baffling player rotations. Marcus Williams is given less of a chance to succeed than DeMarcus Nelson. Belinelli was buried deep on the bench until he was given longer stints on the court to show what he could do. Rob Kurz has a longer leash than either Wright or Randolph. The Warriors sleeper 2nd rounder, big-time rebounding big man, Richard Hendrix was released to further the 'Bash Mullin's Guys' cause. They decided to keep DeMarcus Nelson even though the Warriors were overloaded with guards and Nelson was not a true PG nor an asset on the offensive end. Fans and the media see through Don Nelson's mind games and back office dealings - it may have worked 15 years ago, but it won't go unchecked or at least unacknowledged this time around. We are watching and hope that politics is set aside and the betterment of the team is put in front of egos and power struggles.

I loved Nelson as a small ball coach with a capable roster (strong PG) and as a talent evaluator, but his determination to run Mullin and his picks into the ground has clouded his judgment. It's clear that Randolph and Wright deserve more consistent minutes. It's also clear that the best true PG, Marcus Williams, is nailed to the bench and sees less time than DeMarcus Nelson, a scrub that will be lucky to stick in the NBA. Williams may turn out to be a bust, but at least afford him the same opportunity to prove himself just as much as Watson and Nelson are given that chance - he can't be much worse. Then again, if Williams succeeds, Nellie looks bad and Mullin looks good. Can't have that, can we?


We know Nellie loves to pull mind games, but we must not let
history repeat itself by letting his actions go unchecked.

This is a train wreak, but there is light at the end of the tunnel if you stick around long enough to chug down the tracks during this trying time. Here are the few positives among the many negatives:
  1. Anthony Randolph looks to be a special player that can contribute today on the boards and on defense, but also has a big upside on the offensive end. He could be the type of player that could carry a franchise into contention if developed properly and coached to his potential. His size, aggressiveness, ball-handling, and work ethic make him a valuable piece for the future. He's shown an aptitude for making nice passes as well as the ability to hit perimeter shots. At only age 19, Randolph is a raw package of potential that cannot be allowed to be dealt the same fate as Webber 15 years ago.
  2. Brandan Wright is pretty good. He seems to have a better offensive game than Biedrins had at this stage of his development, and I believe he'll have an even bigger impact on offense than Biedrins is having right now. He has more moves, a better touch around the rim, and best of all, a jumper. Wright's frame will continue to fill out, he'll improve his post play, his shot will go down with more consistency, and more experience will give him more confidence and savvy on the court. The more Nelson plays him, the faster he will develop into a great starter at PF who is not only an offensive threat, but a shot changer that could wreak havoc in the passing lanes along with Randolph and Biedrins' quick, long arms.
  3. Andris Biedrins is a double-double machine. At only 22 years old, he has already been mentioned as one of the best centers in the league. He's agile, intelligent, works hard, and is well respected by his teammates. He will only get better. Put him next to a true PF that will allow him to deal with less than 1 or 2 opponents at once, then he will thrive. Small ball puts a lot of pressure on him on the defensive end, forcing him out of position and to work twice as hard as he tries to make up for the lack of size in the other frontcourt positions. Warriors are lucky to have locked him up long term at such a good price.
  4. Monta Ellis will be back. His rehabilitation seems to be going well. We know he can be an unstoppable scorer with the ability to put up All-star numbers when he reaches his prime. The ankle injury delayed his PG development, but if he is not rushed back and joins the team on the bench, watches, learns, and takes it all in, he'll be more than fine.
  5. Marco Belinelli is starting to live up to the hype brought about by his big summer league performances and dismantling of Team USA in the World Championships. You could see him improve with every game. His defense is no longer a huge liability, he helps the team by promoting ball movement and unselfish play, has vastly improved his ability to finish at the rim, and with more work and greater confidence, he'll knock down the 3 with more even more regularity. He could be a solid starter if Randolph can evolve into a Lamar Odom type of big giving the Warriors a 3rd distributor, but I envision him as best suited as the 6th man (like Ginobili) that leads the second unit and provides instant offense. Belinelli knows how to play basketball the right way.
  6. The Warriors have several very good role players that could stick around long enough for the team to blossom. Azubuike, Turiaf, Morrow, and Crawford strengthen the bench and provide toughness, change of pace, and complimentary skills. Maggette is starting material, but hopefully, when the Warriors are ready to compete for a title, he will be gone. Jackson has the makings of a good leader, but his 180 degree change in attitude once he signed his over-priced extension leads one to question whether or not he is a player that is worth keeping around as the young core develops. His injury and the losing are understandable sources of frustration, but to hear that he argued with Nelson and would welcome a trade even after the Warriors rewarded him with a big contract is very disappointing. Robert Rowell got played and in the future, should have zero say in ANY basketball related personnel decisions. PERIOD!
  7. A huge positive that could potentially be a franchise fortune changer is the high draft pick the Warriors are on pace to attain in the 2009 Draft. Although this is said to be a weak draft, there are a few players that could push the Warriors back into instant relevance, namely Ricky Rubio, James Harden, and Blake Griffin. PG's Jrue Holiday and Brandon Jennings may have that impact as well. Earl Clark is intriguing, but unless he can play SG (doubtful at the NBA level), he's a redundant piece. Blake Griffin could be an upgrade over Wright, and would enable the Warriors to package Wright along with Maggette or Jackson to regain breathing room in the salary cap department and perhaps replace the pick lost in the Marcus Williams trade.


If Rubio decides to declare for the draft in 2009 and the
Warriors are lucky enough to win the lottery, they will
be well on their way to building a contender.



Assuming we land a top 5 pick, the future lineup could look something like this: Ellis / Harden / Randolph / Wright / Biedrins - Bench: Belinelli, Crawford, Turiaf, Morrow. Harden and Ellis are big time scoring threats in which Ellis excels in mid-range shots and drives to the hoop while Harden hits from 3, defends, and scores in a variety of ways. Both have adequate PG skills. Randolph is the key to the starting 5 that will determine whether or not the Warriors will be able to be thought of as among the top contenders in the NBA. If he can also be a versatile scoring threat to complement Ellis and Harden, he would be a weapon on both ends of the floor, blocking shots, rebounding, defending, deflecting, bringing up the ball, and distributing at the SF position. Biedrins is already well on his way to being one of the top centers. Wright has the potential to follow a similar path as Biedrins with a little more offense, less rebounding, and more blocking. Belinelli, Morrow, and Crawford add more perimeter scoring while Turiaf comes in to defend the occasional big that the starting frontcourt can't handle. It's definitely not the small ball lineup Nellie is obsessed with pushing, but perhaps after Nellie breaks the record, he'll turn over the reins to a more open-minded coach that appreciates defense and starts the best players every night, no matter how tall they may be.

Warriors need to be strong, stay the course, stay positive, and stick to tanking. Do not be tempted to bring back Ellis too early just to win a few meaningless games. If the Warriors are far enough in the standings as to not hurt their lottery chances with a few wins, maybe they bring back Jackson, Maggette, and Ellis to excite the fan base and salvage a few season ticket holder sales. The smart thing to do, however, is to play the young guys as much as possible, hold Ellis out until the very last month of the season insuring that he is 100% healthy, play Marcus Williams to pump up his trade value and so the young guys know what it is like to play with a true PG, do everything in their power to trade Jackson and Maggette, and get the Minority Owners to buy out Chris Cohan.

If the Warriors play their cards right, they can turn this thing around faster than you think. Die-hards will always be around. And for those of you that came on board during the playoff run of 2007, just keep in mind that sticking with this team even at it's lowest moments makes winning even sweeter. See 'We Believe'. Accept that it is gone, brace yourself for a rough 2009, and watch this team get back on track.

Happy Holidays to all!


POSTGAME: HEAT - 12/23/08

Watson was the best shooter tonight but
needs to act like more of a point guard on the break


MVW: C.J. Watson

The Good
C.J. Watson: 39 min, 7-15 fg, 2-4 3pt, 2-2 ft, 1 to, 18 pts
Kelenna Azubuike: 40 min, 2-2 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 16 pts
Andris Biedrins: 30 min, 9 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl
Anthony Randolph: 20 min, 4-9 fg, 2-2 ft, 6 reb, 2 bs, 10 pts
Brandan Wright: 18 min, 4-7 fg, 4-4 ft, 2 stl, 12 pts
Ronny Turiaf: 18 min, 2-4 fg, 5 reb, 2 ast

The Bad
Kelenna Azubuike: 40 min, 6-19 fg, 4 to
DeMarcus Nelson: 16 min, 1-5 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 to, 6 pts
Anthony Morrow: 27 min, 3-11 fg, 1 ast, 2 to, 8 pts
Andris Biedrins: 30 min, 3-8 fg, 0 bs, 6 pts
C.J. Watson: 39 min, 2 ast, 1 reb, 0 stl

The Ugly
Marco Belinelli: 32 min, 3-11 fg, 3 ast, 1 reb, 7 pts

Best and Worst +/-
Ronny Turiaf: +7
C.J. Watson: +5
Andris Biedrins: -15
Marco Belinelli: -15

Team Statistics
Warriors : Magic
pts - 88 : 96
fg - 33-89 (.371) : 38-74 (.514)
ft - 17-19 (.895) : 14-25 (.560)
3pt - 5-15 (.333) : 6-15 (.400)
reb - 41 : 48
oreb - 16 : 9
ast - 14 : 20
to - 16 : 19
stl - 16 : 19
bs - 3 : 7
fastbreaks - 7 : 13
points in the paint - 42 : 46

Boxscore
Highlights
Popcorn Machine's GameFlow


Azubuike is making an effort to not be such a ball-hog


Notes
  1. starting 5: Watson/Belinelli/Azubuike/Wright/Biedrins
  2. inactives: Ellis/Jackson/Maggette
  3. Wright has nice block on driving Chalmers; Warriors' inability to stay in front of their guys (particularly at PG and Belinelli) will need the bigs to clean up - small ball with their current roster does not work
  4. Wright's length causing turnovers
  5. Randolph in for Wright, 5:10 left in 1Q
  6. Warriors crashing the offensive boards
  7. Biedrins can't get a call - getting played physically, but not getting to the line
  8. Warriors driving and kicking consistently
  9. Randolph with blocks, a bucket, and takes a charge; very effective stretch of minutes
  10. shooting 38% but lead 24 to 21 after the 1st Q
  11. Turiaf/Morrow/Anthony/Azubuike/Watson start the 2nd Q
  12. Azubuike continues recent trend of dishing off the drive and not forcing up the difficult contested shot
  13. Randolph with a ferocious put-back dunk!!!!
  14. Warriors have a new defensive grading system? You don't meet the grade or put in a good effort, you sit. I like it!
  15. Azubuike with another offensive board and score; 8 pts and 7 reb
  16. Warriors young guys are fairing better than if the stars were active; a lot more ball movement, better quality shots, and the use of Randolph or Wright at PF instead of a SF or SG
  17. Cooke bringing back Heat with 4 three pointers in the 2nd Q
  18. 24-5 run for Heat, Warriors down 37 to 45
  19. GSW 41 MIA 47
  20. leaders: Azubuike 10 pts, Azubuike 7 reb, Watson/Biedrins 2 ast, Biedrins 3 stl, Randolph/Wright 1 blk
  21. stats vs. Heat: .347 to .474 fg, .125 to .545 3pt, 23 to 24 reb, 5 to 12 ast, 6 to 4 stl, 2 to 2 stl, 6 to 7 to, 7 to 10 pf
  22. Daequan Cook 17 pts in 14 min, 5-7 3pt
  23. Watson/Belinelli/Azubuike/Wright/Biedrins
  24. Watson is awful dealing with the fast break; gives up ball too late
  25. first bucket of 2nd half for both teams comes w/ 8:30 left in 3rd
  26. finally, Biedrins given the ball deep in the paint; dismal shooting cured by Bigs taking close shots
  27. Wright is so smooth going to the basket; give him space and he could easily get to rim on his man
  28. Watson proves he is the worst PG on the break once again; stuffed by Watson when he should have dumped it off to Azubuike on the left or Randolph down the middle - PLEASE TRY MARCUS WILLIAMS!!!!!
  29. DeMarcus Nelson replaces Watson....damn
  30. both teams struggling to put points on the board; lots of turnovers and sloppy play
  31. Randolph follows awful offensive possession with great block on Beasley
  32. Watson/Belinelli/Morrow/Randolph/Turiaf start 4th Q
  33. Watson's 3 brings Warriors to within 9 pts; Azubuike drains a 3 to cut it to 6 pts
  34. Wade makes drives look so easy
  35. DeMarcus Nelson misses wide open 8-foot jumper, gets the offensive board and lays it in; does Nellie really believe he has a better shot at positively impacting this franchise than Richard Hendrix?
  36. Warriors start to hit perimeter shots in the end, but too little too late
  37. GSW 88 MIA 96 - Final
  38. Warriors go to 8-22, good for 5th best chance in 2009 Draft Lottery


Brandan Wright has a strong 2nd half


Postgame Quotes

Don Nelson
On Tonight's Game:
“I actually thought we competed and did a pretty good job. We didn’t shoot the ball well enough to win but I thought we made the right plays. And we would expect that with some of the young guys playing that we would have some turnovers and we did, but I thought they hung in there pretty well. I was happy with the way we played today.”


Kelenna Azubuike
On Playing Short-Handed:
“We didn’t want to use that as an excuse. We didn’t get the win so we just have to learn from it and move on to the next game. It’s been an interesting year so far. We’ve had a lot of injuries and a lot of guys are banged up. The younger guys have to step in and learn quickly. I don’t think they’re doing a bad job, but we’re just young right now. Losses are frustrating and hopefully we can get better and turn it around.”

“I think we have to try and find the positives from this. It’s tough when you’re losing but hopefully we’re getting better as a team. We’re giving it everything we have and I think that’s all you can ask for. I think we’ll get smarter as a team as the games go on.”


Golden State Warriors @ Miami Heat 12/23/08
aznpowerdaniel



Related Articles
Injury-depleted Warriors fall in Miami - Janny Hu
Nelson throws in towel vs. Heat - Marcus Thompson II
Miami Heat cashes gift in - The Miami Herald
Heat beat Warriors, match last season's win total - Associated Press
The Warriors’ implosion: It’s time for Don Nelson to take a long break - Tim Kawakami
Nelson's recent struggles look like a recurring nightmare - Ric Bucher
Game No. 30, live: Warriors (8-21) at Heat (14-12) - Geoff Lepper


Next Game

Boston Celtics
Friday, Dec. 26 - 7:30 pm
Oracle Arena
TV: CSN
Radio: KNBR 680

PROSPECT PERFORMANCES - 12/23/08


Jordan Hill: Arizona 84, Kansas 67
36 min, 11-23 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-2 ft, 4 off, 11 reb, 1 ast, 1 to, 0 stl, 2 blk, 4 pf, 23 pts

James Harden: Arizona St. 90, Idaho St. 55
25 min, 6-10 fg, 3-6 3pt, 3-3 ft, 0 off, 1 reb, 5 ast, 2 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 18 pts

Greg Monroe: Georgetown 76, Florida Intl. 38
24 min, 1-2 fg, 0-1 3pt, 8-10 ft, 3 off, 6 reb, 0 ast, 2 to, 5 stl, 1 blk, 0 pf, 10 pts

Austin Daye: Portland St. 77, Gonzaga 70
26 min, 5-15 fg, 1-4 3pt, 1-2 ft, 2 off, 9 reb, 0 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 2 blk, 2 pf, 12 pts

Damion James
: Texas 74, Wisconsin 69
33 min, 6-10 fg, 0-2 3pt, 6-7 ft, 3 off, 15 reb, 1 ast, 3 to, 2 stl, 2 blk, 2 pf, 18 pts

Patrick Mills: St. Mary's 74, Pacific 65
37 min, 7-17 fg, 4-9 3pt, 5-5 ft, 2 off, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 to, 3 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 22 pts

Chase Budinger: Arizona 84, Kansas 67
39 min, 1-9 fg, 0-3 3pt, 3-3 ft, 0 off, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 to, 3 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 5 pts

Cole Aldrich: Arizona 84, Kansas 67
23 min, 2-4 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-10 ft, 0 off, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 4 pf, 10 pts

Jrue Holiday: UCLA 113, Wyoming 62
28 min, 2-8 fg, 1-6 3pt, 3-4 ft, 1 off, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 0 pf, 8 pts

Darrin Collison: UCLA 113, Wyoming 62
27 min, 7-8 fg, 2-2 3pt, 3-3 ft, 9 off, 1 reb, 7 ast, 1 to, 4 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 19 pts

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

POSTGAME: MAGIC - 12/22/08

Randolph has one of his best games
and hopes to continue to gain Nelson's trust


MVW: Anthony Randolph

The Good
Anthony Randolph: 26 min, 4-8 fg, 3-4 ft, 12 reb, 3 bs, 11 pts
Andris Biedirns: 25 min, 9 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl
Jamaal Crawford: 32 min, 3-6 3pt, 18 pts
Anthony Morrow: 28 min, 5-10 fg, 1-1 3pt, 4 reb, 13 pts
Marco Belinelli: 30 min, 4-4 ft, 6 reb, 12 pts

The Bad
Jamaal Crawford: 32 min, 7-21 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3 to
C.J. Watson: 11 min, 1-7 fg, 0 ast, 4 pts
Andris Biedrins: 24 min, 2-9 fg, 1-6 ft, 3 to, 5 pts

The Ugly
Rob Kurz: 19 min, 0-6 fg, 0-2 3pt, -26 +/-, 4 pf, 3 to, 2 pts

Best and Worst +/-
Ronny Turiaf: -9
Marcus Williams: -9
DeMarcus Nelson: -9
Rob Kurz: -26

Team Statistics
Warriors : Magic
pts - 113 : 81
fg - 29-91 (.319) : 41-85 (.482)
ft - 18-28 (.643) : 15-24 (.625)
3pt - 5-14 (.357) : 16-31 (.516)
reb - 52 : 55
oreb - 18 : 11
ast - 16 : 23
to - 16 : 13
stl - 10 : 10
bs - 5 : 5
fastbreaks - 16 : 13
points in the paint - 30 : 38

Boxscore
Highlights
Popcorn Machine's GameFlow


Belinelli has an 'off' night but manages to pull down 6 rebounds

Notes
  1. starting 5: Crawford/Belinelli/Azubuike/Wright/Biedrins
  2. bench standing for a long time, don't sit until Warriors score first points
  3. Biedrins missing some close range shots off cuts to the rim
  4. Wright gets burned on defense and is quickly replaced by Kurz; Kurz gets bullied by Howard twice and gets to remain in the game; the double-standard continues for Don Nelson
  5. Belinelli playing heavy minutes; fits in new system that emphasizes ball movement, constant player movement, drive and kick
  6. Randolph playing like he's instructed to not shoot right when he touches the ball; passed up some wide open jumpers and is looking for teammates
  7. Randolph steals rebound from Howard and scores; very aggressive on the glass - perhaps the Warriors best rebounder
  8. missed open jumpers killing Warriors
  9. Howard is getting Hall of Fame treatment with the referees
  10. Randolph with sweet recovery and block on Orlando guard
  11. Belinelli unselfish in passing up 3 for an even better 3 from Crawford
  12. Biedrins continues to struggle, 1-7 fg, all shots at the rim; rushing and perhaps bothered by Howard's shot-blocking pressence
  13. Belinelli helping on the boards; pushes the ball up the court
  14. Wright gets back into the game at 2:16 mark of 2nd Q
  15. Courtney Lee loves to play against the Warriors
  16. Morrow with a tip in at the buzzer; Warriors down by only 8! at the half
  17. Orlando hot from beyond the 3 point arch, 7-13 3pt
  18. Warriors out-rebounding Magic 31 to 25, 11 2nd chance points
  19. Crawford cuts the lead to 6 with opening bucket for the 2nd half
  20. weaving on offense benefits Belinelli tremendously, loves to come off screens
  21. Crawford drains 3 off of Azubuike offensive rebound, cuts lead to 4
  22. Nelson looks like one of the best PG's in the NBA, so confident with his perimeter shot now; swishes in a 3 over the out-stretched arms of Wright
  23. all Warriors converge on Howard once he gets the ball in the paint
  24. Biedrins 0-4 from freethrow line; makes layup; 1-2 ft next trip at line
  25. Magic continue to strike from 3; lead back up to 10
  26. Randolph and Turiaf relieve Wright and Biedrins
  27. Morrow shooting well
  28. Magic shooting 13-21 from 3; lead 81 to 63; Jameer Nelson is continuing to play like an All-star
  29. Watson terrible on the break; seems to always look for his own shot rather than dumping it for an easier shot; selfish
  30. GSW 66 ORL 87
  31. Kurz/Randolph/Azubuike/Morrow/Watson start 4th
  32. fast break at 9:18 is prime example of Watson's selfish play, should have dumped it to the trailer but instead forces a shot contested by 2 defenders and gets blocked; prompts Nelson to put in Marcus Williams and DeMarcus Nelson
  33. Gortat has an amazing profile; that nose is huge!
  34. Marcus Williams and Belinelli should play together; love Williams' passing, ability to direct the team, and anticipate what's going to happen - needs to regain shooting confidence
  35. Williams/Belinelli/Jackson/Randolph/Biedrins should be a nice 5
  36. Randolph blocks Redick's 3 pt attempt, gets 2-hand jam at other end
  37. DeMarcus Nelson should have been cut instead of Hendrix; Warriors are loaded with guards; DeMarcus nothing special, but at least Hendrix gives them a big man with great rebounding instincts and another fouler vs. dominant bigs
  38. hopefully, Marcus Williams wins a little more playing time with his solid stint; would like to see him instead of Watson for a while; see what he could do and see if he could pump up his trade value
  39. Randolph played great, Wright redeemed himself after a rough start, Belinelli was ok, Morrow played well; overall a productive loss for the young guns that will build confidence and keep up their morale
  40. Magic's hot shooting was just too much for the Warriors; played decent defense, but couldn't do much to cool off Magic
  41. GSW 81 ORL 113; lose by 32
  42. Warriors in sole possession of 5th worst record in the league; Rubio/Griffin/Harden/Holiday/Jennings/Clark

Crawford has a poor shooting night but
seems to regaining his touch from downtown

Postgame Quotes

Jamal Crawford
On Tonight's Game:
"We had a tough time knocking down shots. I think we all got shots that we are normally used to making. It was just tough on us to knock them down. We pretty much all struggled from the field. Having Dwight Howard out there, you know that there is not going to be too many easy layups. He is going to adjust shots and block shots. They know where to push you because he is right there. It is a nice job on their part as well.”

“We had some really good shots. They were just short or they didn’t go. They are shots that normally go.”

On The Tough Start:

“I am just trying to play my part, but it is a team game. Guys are all trying to step up. As one of the older guys on the team, I am just trying to hold it down until we get some of the other guys back. Monta, Steve, and Corey are out, so when we get our whole team back we will see what we have. It is tough, but the young guys keep it refreshing. They keep you energized. They are out there and working hard. We have to continue to try and get some wins so they can see the rewards from their hard work.”




Related Articles
Warriors offense goes flat - Marcus Thompson II
Reset - Adam Lauridsen
Randolph is raw, no doubt, but Nelson has tried to coach him like finished product - Matt Steinmetz
Game No. 29, live: Warriors (8-20) at Magic (21-6) - Geoff Lepper
Nelson helps Magic rout Warriors - Associated Press
Nelson stars as Magic rout Warriors - Orlando Sentinel
Nelson powers Magic over Warriors - The Sports Network
Offense is offensive: Warriors shoot 31.9% from field in blowout loss at Orlando - Janny Hu


Warriors-Magic 81-113 I Nelson 22pts,7ast vs Crawford 18pts,2stl
1EDmanLV





Next Game

Miami Heat
Tuesday, Dec. 23 - 4:30 pm
American Airlines Arena
TV: CSN
Radio: KNBR 680

Monday, December 22, 2008

PROSPECT PERFORMANCES: 12/22/08


B.J. Mullens: Ohio St. 83, N.C. Asheville 59
25 min, 8-11 fg, 0-0 3pt, 3-5 ft, 5 off, 8 reb, 0 ast, 2 to, 0 stl, 3 blk, 1 pf, 19 pts

Patrick Patterson: Kentucky 102, Tennessee St. 58
32 min, 15-17 fg, 0-0 3pt, 3-3 ft, 5 off, 11 reb, 2 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 2 blk, 3 pf, 33 pts

JaMychal Green: Alabama 82, Chattanooga 63
24 min, 4-6 fg, 0-0 3pt, 2-2 ft, 3 off, 8 reb, 0 ast, 0 to, 0 stl, 2 blk, 4 pf, 10 pts

Al-Farouq Aminu: Wake Forest 95, East Carolina 54
25 min, 6-11 fg, 0-2 3pt, 9-9 ft, 5 off, 12 reb, 5 ast, 1 to, 1 stl, 2 blk, 3 pf, 21 pts

Jeff Teague: Wake Forest 95, East Carolina 54
23 min, 4-6 fg, 2-3 3pt, 0-0 ft, 0 off, 2 reb, 5 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 4 pf, 10 pts

Nick Calathes: Florida 88, Georgia Southern 81
34 min, 7-14 fg, 2-7 3pt, 5-8 ft, 2 off, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 21 pts

Jonny Flynn: Syracuse 82, Coppin St. 71
40 min, 2-9 fg, 1-5 3pt, 5-6 ft, 0 off, 3 reb, 10 ast, 5 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 0 pf, 10 pts

Blake Griffin: Oklahoma 70, Rice 58
37 min, 9-11 fg, 0-0 3pt, 9-17 ft, 1 off, 11 reb, 3 ast, 6 to, 1 stl, 4 blk, 2 pf, 27 pts

A.J. Ogilvy: Vanderbilt 68, Furman 49
28 min, 6-8 fg, 0-0 3pt, 10-13 ft, 1 off, 8 reb, 2 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 2 blk, 3 pf, 22 pts

DeMar DeRozan: USC 76, Georgia Tech 57
32 min, 8-16 fg, 0-2 3pt, 1-3 ft, 0 off, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 17 pts

Gani Lawal: USC 76, Georgia Tech 57
24 min, 1-4 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-3 ft, 1 off, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3 to, 2 stl, 1 blk, 4 pf, 3 pts
NBAStore.com