And I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite sports writers, Bill Simmons:
Ricky Rubio started for Calderón and was solid, if not great. But the feat itself? Do I need to remind you he's the same age as Jamie Lynn Spears? Imagine Team USA picking Chris Paul and a high school kid as its point guards, then Paul missing the gold-medal game and the teenager holding his own? How many commercials would he be filming right now? Twenty? The nonstop Pistol Pete comparisons are beneath Rubio; his defensive instincts, playmaking and athleticism bring him closer to a hybrid of Scottie Pippen and a young Magic—if they happened to look like one of the Jonas Brothers. I love Ricky to the point that I might move to whatever NBA city gets him. You think I'm kidding.
Related Links
LA PISTOLA - ESPN the Magazine
Ricky Rubio may enter 2009 NBA Draft - Interbasket.net
Ricky Rubio - NBADraft.net
Ricky Rubio Prospect Profile - Draft Express
Ricky Rubio Draft Bio - ESPN
Ricky Rubio : Next Bio - ESPN the Magazine
If a career high of 42 doesn't prove he's back, nothing will.
Missing in action for the 2nd half.
Don Nelson puts tired small ball and head 
Q: YES! YES, YES, YES!!! Please write about Anthony Randolph! I've been telling people about him all year long. There's never been an NBA player with his size and skill set. Ever. He's a looong 6-foot-10, runs like a gazelle, has great hops, and can handle the ball. Love it. As an added bonus, he looks like he's constantly crying or really getting his feelings hurt. He's fascinating. I get genuinely giddy any time the Warriors are on, for him alone. Can you please let America know about Anthony Randolph?
-- Aaron, Chicago
SG: He's one of the most breathtaking rookies I've seen in person -- ever -- for all the reasons you just described. There has never been anyone quite like him. He's like a cross between Josh Smith and Lamar Odom, only if you fed him 10 Red Bulls and told him right before the game, "If you can make 10 things happen during the 10 minutes you play tonight, we will quadruple your salary and you will start for the rest of the season" ... and then he does just that, but the coach reneges on the promise so Anthony has a near-crying meltdown on the bench. That's every Anthony Randolph game. I caught him once and, in the span of two hours, he made three "MY GOD!" plays and broke down on the Warriors' bench because Nellie wouldn't put him back in, followed by an assistant consoling him through an entire timeout like Randolph was a third grader who got in trouble for something he didn't do, then had a meltdown and got kicked out of class. It was riveting. The odds of me missing another Clips-Warriors game for the next five years are 10,000-to-1.
One other thing: There hasn't been nearly enough made of how screwed up the Warriors are right now. Their front office and ownership situation is a world-class mess. Their coach has been in "I'm Keith Hernandez" Mode since the 2007 Dallas upset and looks like he's actively trying to get fired. They have two young players everyone loves -- Randolph and Monta Ellis -- only they've been antagonized to the degree that it might affect them long-term. In Randolph's case, how can a lottery team not play a talent like Randolph 35 minutes a game? What the hell is going on here??? For some reason, the only media member who seems to care is Tim Kawakami. I don't get it. If I were a Warriors fan, I would be organizing protests outside the arena complaining about Randolph's playing time. It's insane. Imagine if Chicago was 16-50 and played Derrick Rose 10 minutes a game. Would you think that was weird? You would, right? Welcome to Anthony Randolph's world. This is the single weirdest subplot of the 2008-09 season, narrowly edging Zaza Pachulia's bacne.
On the other hand, James Harden had yet another underwhelming NCAAtournament performance, concluding a weekend that will raise eyebrows even amongst his biggest supporters, and clearly opening up the discussion for who the third best prospect in the draft is after Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio (if he declares). The concerns around Harden have always revolved around whether or not he has enough of a go-to mentality to warrant being picked in the top-5, as most teams would obviously like to get a franchise caliber talent that high in the draft. This weekend put those questions right back onto the table.
Harden had yet another passive, lethargic start, similar to the way he performed in the first half against Temple. He actually finished the first half without a single point, and wasn’t able to pick up a field goal until the 9:30 mark in the second half. There is no question that Syracuse’s defensive game-plan had a lot to do with the way Harden played, as they adjusted their 2-3 zone significantly to try and deny him the ball, at the risk of leaving other players—such as Rihard Kuksiks (6/13 3P) and Ty Abbot (6/10 3P) wide open.
It was a little bit concerning to see the lack of aggressiveness Harden showed trying to overcome that, though, as he gave up the ball quite easily on numerous possessions without even looking at the rim, and just didn’t display much urgency trying to make things happen. Late in the game (just like against Temple) Harden got a lot more aggressive and immediately started making things happen on the floor, putting the ball on the floor and getting to the free throw line a few times, picking up a nice steal, grabbing a crucial offensive rebound and making some great passes. It was too little, too late, though, and you have to wonder why it took him so long to get going. He also had problems finishing around the basket, which is not surprising considering that he’s not terribly explosive.
Harden’s resume speaks for itself, and there is no question that he is the top shooting guard prospect in this draft. Considering that he’s only 19 years old, he’s only going to improve as he continues to gain experience and understands how to better utilize his incredible all-around talent. His performance here in the NCAA tournament didn’t help his draft stock, though, and definitely opens up the door for him to be leapfrogged by other players. At the end of the day, that might not be the end of the world, as he’s clearly the type of player who needs to find the right fit.
* In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were down 114-111 after a Richard Jefferson lay-up. The inbounder, I think Turiaf, passed the ball in to Jackson. Jax started dribbling the ball up court. Crawford started screaming for the ball from Jackson, who at the time had 42 minutes and seven turnovers under his belt. At about half court, Jackson heard Crawford and gave up the ball.
Finally.
One glaring intangible lost with Baron Davis was the confidence the team had in the fourth quarter. You can live with bad shots, though you don't prefer them. But nothing is as debilitating down the stretch as turnovers. You knew Davis wasn't going to turn the ball over. Most times, he would get the shot he wanted (though it wasn't always high percentage). The Warriors need that bad.
If Crawford is going to be the point guard (since I don't think he's opting out and walking away from $20 million), he needs to control the game down the stretch. He needs to facilitate who gets the ball and when. Put all those handles to use. Jax DOES NOT need to be bringing the ball up down the stretch of a tight game. Neither does Maggette. The Warriors need a point guard to run the show, make the decisions down the stretch.
They won't all be good decisions. But that's what you work on in March of a lost season. So next year, that role is defined and not on a game-by-game basis.
Crawford, of course, gets the ball from Jax and seconds later throws up a heat-check of a 3-pointer. A terrible shot and a costly miss, as the Bucks followed with five straight points to take a 119-111 lead. He also had two untimely turnovers in the fourth quarter.
But he's got to learn. If he's going to be here, if he's going to be the point guard, he's got to learn. To his defense, he's never played point guard before. He's always been a two guard who can run the point, but never a point guard. This is the time he needs to work on that. None of that meek, submissive stuff. Demand the ball. Make sure everybody is in the right position. Make sure the right guy has the ball in the best position for him to succeed. Make sure mismatches are exploited. Manage the clock properly. That's what the Warriors need.
The reality is, Crawford is the closest thing the Warriors have got to that. He has the dribbling ability, he has the shot-making ability, he has the experience and unselfishness that his teammates can respect. The last part of the season should be to see if he can be that guy.
Crawford: "I'mma be more vocal. A lot of people who say they miss certain guys (read: Baron), they were emotional leaders. At first, I didn't want to step on any toes. But I've been here for four months.”
Posts
All Comments
