SB Nation - Baron Davis

Orlando Magic 97, Los Angeles Clippers 86

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:32:59 -0000

Dwight Howard's stellar all-around play keyed the Orlando Magic's 8th consecutive road win tonight as they defeated the host Los Angeles Clippers, 97-88. On his 24th birthday, Howard tallied 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a season-high 7 blocked shots, leading Orlando in all 5 of those categories. He also shot 7-of-10 from the field and 11-of-15 at the foul line. His brilliance took the spotlight away from Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Jason Williams, the other Magic players to score in double-figures. Lewis and Williams hit 4 three-pointers apiece and Orlando drilled 14 as a team. Second-year shooting guard Eric Gordon led L.A. with 21 points on 12 shots, while point guard Baron Davis traded poor shooting (7-of-19, 18 points) for solid playmaking (11 assists, 0 turnovers) which helped keep the Clippers in the game.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Magic	88	109.8	54.9%	26.8	19.4	19.2
Clippers	93	92.0	43.5%	14.1	19.6	13.9
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

Tonight's contest followed a pattern that we've seen from this Magic team in recent years: it jumps out to an early lead, the opponent grinds back into contention in the two middle periods, only for the Magic to shut its offense down in the fourth period. The Magic's frequent turnovers, especially in the second quarter, led to easy transition baskets for the Clippers. In a halfcourt setting, though, their offense didn't muster much against Orlando. The Magic assigned small forward Mickael Pietrus to cover Davis, which took away his driving lanes. The crossmatch forced either Williams or Anthony Johnson to cover Gordon, who looked to post up in order to exploit the mismatch. This strategy worked for a bit, but the biggest factor in limiting the Clippers' offense was Howard's defense on Chris Kaman, an unheralded player in his seventh year posting All-Star-caliber numbers here in the early going. Kaman took 22 shots, the most of any Clipper, but Howard limited him to 8 makes, for 16 points. Excellent work by Howard, who was not whistled for a defensive foul at all, in 43 minutes of work.

Kaman did have his moments defensively, ending the Magic's first 3 possessions of the second quarter with a block and consecutive steals, including an impressive deflection of a Matt Barnes alley-oop intended for Howard. This came after Howard scored 12 points in the first period. From the second quarter on the Clippers' defense adjusted, sending quick double-teams at Howard and daring the Magic's outside shooters to beat them. This strategy worked, to a certain extent. Howard didn't make another field goal until the fourth quarter, and the Magic shot 8-of-26 on three-pointers after a blazing, 6-of-8 start in the first quarter. Orlando won this game with its defense, without question.

To be fair, an extraordinary number of the Magic's shots bounced out after going halfway down; the unkind rim victimized J.J. Redick twice in the first half alone.

Credit the Clippers' defense for holding the Magic to 39 points in the second and third quarters after surrendering 34 in the first quarter alone. Orlando's turnovers and L.A.'s own deft passing on the perimeter helped them surmount what had been a 13-point Magic lead midway through the second quarter. With Kaman's post game neutralized, the Clippers had to rely on Gordon, Davis, and Al Thornton to score with a jumper or a drive to the hoop. Howard's help defense down low challenged numerous shots--and he blocked 7 others, remember--so the game would ultimately come down to whether or not the Clippers could get hot from midrange and beyond.

No such luck. DeAndre Jordan gave the Clippers their last lead at 69-68 with a dunk at the 2:55 mark of the third. The Clippers didn't mak another field goal until the 7:24 mark of the fourth, on a Thornton dunk after he rebounded his own miss. Prior to that dunk, Orlando had gone on a 14-2 to wrest momentum away from L.A.

I'm not sure what the big takeaway from tonight's game is; these sorts of wins (not to be confused with "wins" in general) have become sort-of routine. Enjoy Howard's growth, Lewis' sharpshooting, and Williams' efficient play (16 points on 11 shots, 3 assists, no turnovers), and the knowledge that you're watching a Magic team that just improved to 17-4 for the best start in franchise history.

Pacers 86, Clippers 73: Better Late Than Never, Pacers Run Past Clippers In Fourth Quarter

Tom Lewis — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:59:28 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

All's well that ends well, like this dunk by Dahntay Jones.

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The Indiana Pacers were only half good again tonight, but this time they saved their best for last to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 86-73.

After clunking and clanking their way to a 34-point first half, the Pacers used the third quarter to work their way back into the game and then just exploded for 31 points in the deciding fourth to cruise by the Clippers.

There were a lot of moving parts that had to come together to eventually create the winning combination. Leading scorer, Danny Granger was a late scratch and remains day-to-day after an MRI revealed the Pacers resident all-star has a sprained MCL in his left knee. But Granger's absence was no excuse for the ugly first half that saw both teams shoot in the low 30% from the floor.

In fact, the Pacers only scored 34-points in the first half, ironically matching the pitiful second-half point total in the last two home losses to the Knicks and Cavaliers. Fortunately the Clippers weren't much better and the Pacers only trailed by nine at the break. The game continued to creep along in the third quarter, but the Pacers cut the lead to four heading into the fourth.

At winning time, though, the Pacers answered big time, winning the fourth 31-14 in a game that became quite intense and a little chippy. At one point Baron Davis and T.J. Ford had a silly squabble of wills with neither wanting to flinch, but it added some juice to the game and although it woke up Baron Davis at the offensive end, it also engaged Ford at both ends as he included his teammates who put forth a great team effort to close out the game. I'm convinced Davis was initially upset because Ford was actually giving him some fits with his defense.

Ford was just one of several players who wiped away a poor early effort to finish strong and find a way to win. Whether it was foul trouble or poor shooting, nearly every Pacers was struggling. But they used a strong defensive effort to stay in touch until the offense came around. In fact, the defense created some easy offensive chances. For instance, Roy Hibbert rotated over to block a Craig Smith layup early in the fourth. The block slammed off the backboard, fueling a layup by Ford at the other end and pushing the lead to four points. The Pacers would never trail again.

More on the major contributions after the jump.

Dahntay Jones was a monster in the fourth quarter and his game highlights how this one went from start to finish. Dahntay had zero points and three fouls in the first half. He forced a couple of shots but just couldn't make a jumper to save his life. He even missed a couple of free throws. But he kept grinding in the second half and drew a couple of fouls on drives to the rim. The made free throws helped his rhythm and before long he was scoring from all over the court, finishing with 18 points in the second half. He even knocked down a classic Quisy three where you beg him not to shoot and then watch the ball go in. Jones also helped slow down Baron Davis after the T.J tango re-engaged the Clippers' point guard.
Luther Head was one player who deserves credit for playing well in both the first and second half. For a three minute stretch early in the second quarter, Luther scored eight straight points which kept the Pacers in the game. He also had a couple of assists later in the quarter including a sweet leave for Roy Hibbert as he rolled to the hoop for an easy bucket. In the second half, Luther continued his solid play with six more points to finish with 14. At one point, I thought JOB was going to ride Luther home, but eventually the foul-strapped Brandon Rush returned to the court.
Troy Murphy also weathered three fouls in the first half while not shooting it particularly well. He did play much better defense, though and rebounded pretty well, although Marcus Camby was a nightmare for everyone. In fact, after Camby closed the third with a 3-pointer (seriously) he had 15 points and 20 rebounds. But in the fourth, Camby could only muster up one rebound and zero points. Meanwhile, Murph continued to scrap on the glass, even keeping a couple of possessions alive on the offensive glass, and then found his stroke when it mattered most. Murph's two three pointers in the last five minutes (set up nicely by T.J. Ford) helped suck the life out of the Clippers. The final trey put the Pacers up nine and was the deciding dagger. Murph finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
T.J. Ford came out of nowhere to produce big time down the stretch in this one. Until the fourth, it was the same old, same old with Ford. Not exactly spilling his guts at either end and offering up a couple of mind numbing turnovers. But tonight when it mattered, Ford stood up to Baron Davis and wasn't going down without a fight. While he made a few key shots and finished a couple of nice drives at the hoop, his assists were the difference in the fourth. Ford had three key dimes in the final five minutes that all set up made three-pointers and buried the Clippers.
Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush were a bit up and down as they both tried to play through foul trouble. Hibbert only ended up playing 25 minutes and aside from a couple of nice pick 'n roll finishes couldn't make a shot. Hibbert did hold his own defensively though and scrapping with Chris Kaman and helping to hold the Clippers leading scorer to 10 points. Hibbert finished with 3 blocks.
Rush finished the game with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Like Luther helped bolster what little offense the Pacers had in the first half with a couple of three-pointers. He struggled down the stretch, missing two free throws that were a result of two possession-saving offensive rebounds by Murphy and Jeff Foster. Fortunately, it didn't come back to bite the Pacers. Rush also felt the wrath of T.J. Ford after the two weren't on the same page during a critical late possession. Dahntay Jones mediated with an arm around each as they made their way to the bench for a timeout.
Jeff Foster and Tyler Hansbrough did a lot of dirty work during their time on the court. They actually played some together for the second night in a row. As you can imagine, the combo keeps things lively on the court. At the time in the third quarter, the Pacers needed all of the juice they could get and they provided a little boost.
When the game started, I was wondering which players might step up to fill the void with Granger sidelined. As it turned out, nearly everyone did a little something at least a little better than they have been to combine to turn this ugly game and potential fifth-straight loss into a sweet victory. Now the turkey will taste a little better tomorrow.

Gold Lion: Grizzlies beat the Clippers 106-91

djturtleface — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:16:01 -0000

More photos » by Lance Murphey - AP

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Mike Conley might not have responded well to the push Marcus Williams has been making for his job, but the Grizzlies certainly responded well to Conley's foul trouble, both with Williams and O.J. Mayo running the offense. The Grizzlies offense absolutely tore up the Clippers, shooting 54% from the field and getting to the line 19 times with 17 hits on those free ones.

After another big 3rd quarter push, just like against the Wolves, the Grizzlies took control and never even thought about looking back. Memphis has now won two in a row, and even if the Timberwolves and Clippers aren't exactly playoff teams, that's still something.

You can get more at Clips Nation, or hop over the jump for a longer recap.

Zach Randolph got dirty on offense, shooting great and passing effectively despite only earning one assist for that work. Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo were just splashing every jumper they took, often open catch-and-shoots, a rarity for the Grizzlies. But again Marc Gasol stole the show on offense. Big Gasol was nearly perfect from the field, and he even dished six dimes. The high-post Gasol attack was on display tonight.

And while the offense definitely was the shining star in this game, the defense was pretty solid too. I actually liked what Zach was doing, how often do you see dude get four fouls? Not often, but he should try it more often. Craig Smith, a surprisingly decent offensive backup, got his buckets, but Zach protected the rim better than normal.

I even liked the bench out there. DeMarre's jumper was a little less crooked, and Hasheem Thabeet returned to look a little less goofy against the Clipper scrubs. Sam Young led the second unit again, but I thought he looked to pass a bit more than usual.

Rockness Monster: Marc Gasol might be the Grizzlies best player. He just keeps showing new moves and more vision every game this season. Last season Marc had definite limitations; he banged the boards and showed flashes of other skills. This year the younger Gasol is dangerously close to mastering the high-post.

U-Turn: Marcus Williams played better with the starters than he does with the subs. He clearly defers more often, and even though he shouldn't be shooting threes with that wonky jumper, Williams played well within himself. Look, he's still a terrible defender and seems to have no concept of when to push or slow things down, but results are results. And Mike Conley is terrible.

Bitter Limon: I bet you can guess... Mike Conley shoots 0-4 from the field, has 2 assists to 2 turnovers, and collects 5 fouls in just 16 minutes on the court. I didn't realize you could so much damage in so little time.

Sleeping With the Enemy: Well, Baron Davis certainly didn't do his team any favors, and nobody else bailed the Clippers out, as hard as Chris Kaman might have tried. Al Thornton might be out of the league in three years, and Rasual Butler got revealed as a product of Chris Paul like he was a Scooby-Doo villain. What else is there to say about this team? Without Eric Gordon, they're not very good.

Give Me Two: Grizzlies vs. Clippers Preview

djturtleface — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:05:09 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

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Tonight the Grizzlies will get their first second look at a team when the Los Angeles Clippers visit Memphis. Chris Kaman is eating a rack of ribs as I speak. Baron Davis is trying to get the sauce out of his beard.

Get over the jump for my preview, and stop by Clips Nation for their rather comprehensive look.

I don't believe in Coach Hollins, but I also don't believe that you can truly judge a coach until you see how he reacts to playing a team the second time. Hollins has slowed down the Grizzlies in the past few games, which has caused their efficiency on the offensive end to plummet and hasn't addressed the defensive issues either.

With team like last year's Magic and this year's Suns proving that pace and defense aren't inversely correlated, I'd like to hope that Hollins sticks with his intuition and lets the bulls run tonight. Let Rudy do his thing against Al Thornton and Rasual Butler, Zach Randolph doing what he wants whether Hollins likes it or not, and maybe let O.J. Mayo try to be the primary ball handler with Butler matching up against him.

Defending the Clips should be much easier tonight, with them coming off a long loss last night and Eric Gordon, who is every bit as much a franchise player as O.J., out still. Baron Davis will be a gamebreaker. By my estimation a nice night from Boom Dizzle will probably win it, a bad game will lose it.

Look for all the Grizzlies to have another nice night offensively, but for Rudy Gay to bounce-back in particular. Marc Gasol should have a bit of a down night dealing with Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby, both of whom are effective against players like himself, but if Zach Randolph has a heart, he'll play it out tonight.

As much as I hate to knock on what little wood the Grizzlies have left, I'm going to stick my neck out and predict a Grizzlies win in this one. The team has said the right things to the media in the wake of Iverson-gate, and I like their chance to be focused after this long break in the schedule.

Game 10 Recap: Los Angeles Clippers 101, Oklahoma City 93

Zorgon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:01:27 -0000

More photos » by Layne Murdoch - NBAE/Getty Images

Kaman: Ooga Booga! Let me take a 3! Davis: Whatever.

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Yahoo! Sports Box Score:

Did we seriously just drop one to the Clippers? At home? Well, these things happen. Sometimes, when you've got a young team like this, you feel like you're on top of the world, ready to join the real NBA. And then a game like this comes along, and reminds you that this is still a young team, a team with flaws, and a team in development.

Nevertheless, I can't help but feeling like I was some sort of good luck charm at this game. I came in at the beginning of the 2nd half with the Thunder down by 10, and the crowd seriously demoralized. And then, the Thunder shot out of the gate to take the lead with 5:37 to go in the 3rd. That's a prime example of how you trigger the other team into a third quarter collapse. Just keep penetrating and penetrating, only taking an outside shot if you're absolutely open.

On top of that, you can't discount the 82% free throws made for this team. Being a Warrior fan, I've seen a lot, and I mean, a lot of bad free throw nights, where the Warriors would literally shoot themselves out of the game. Here, the thunder's high free throw percentage basically keeps them in the game.

Unfortunately, by the time it came to the mid to late 4th quarter, the thunder started settling for mid-range jumpers, which are a lot more iffy, while the Clippers were penetrating and Baron Davis made an open 3. This little run at the end of the game ended all hope of a Thunder come back. While some would like to say it's because of the Clippers veteran experience, in my opinion, it's just dumb luck from happening on to a run at the right time. Had the game been 3 minutes longer or shorter, the Thunder would have been back there with them. The fatigue could have factored into it, but I thinks that's more so why the Thunder were losing all night, rather than giving up a run at the end.

Below: Analysis, Awards

Kevin Durant is really starting to separate himself from Jeff Green, and today he did it in a big way. 40 Points on 14 of25 Shooting and 8 rebounds is enough for a Thunder Wonder any day. And one can't discount Russell Westbrook. 17 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 7 Assists is a great performance, even if it came with 5 of 17 shooting. It definitely merits a Thunder Down Under.

But, for the most part, that's where the good performances end. Jeff Green was in foul trouble all night, leaving him with a paltry 7 Points and 1 Rebound in 21 minutes. Sadly, he didn't do as bad as tonight's Thunder Blunder, James Harden. He shot 0 of 8, including 5 missed 3 pointers. he had 3 Rebounds and 2 Assists, but that didn't help the team out much in the long run.

Speaking of poor 3 point shooting, boy, did both teams stink it up tonight. Kevin Durant and Kareem Rush both went 50%, but aside from them, both teams shot a combined 5 of 32 from three point land. That's right, 5 of 31. And the Thunder shot 1 of 16 without Durant. Right now, the Thunder are tied for 25th in the league for three point percentage. In their two big wins (Sacramento and Orlando), guess what happened? They shot over 50%. In their close games and losses, they often shoot around 20%. Don't get me wrong, it's not a beat all solution, but if the Thunder could find some way to improve their production or just stop shooting them altogether, it would improve their offensive production tremendously. Maybe I'm being a bit of a P.J. Carlesimo here, but after a loss like this, it's worth a try.

Next Game: At the Heat, Tuesday, November 17th, at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time

Talking Trade: Warriors GM Larry Riley + Former Warriors "Captain" Stephen Jackson Videos and More

Atma Brother ONE — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:58:14 -0000

Jump for some videos from CSN Bay Area.com and transcripts courtesy of GSoM friend Marcus Thompson.

Larry Riley with Greg Papa (11:05)

Stephen Jackson reacts to trade (0:48)

Matt Steinmetz details Warriors trade (0:58)

Jackson's Parting Shot [Inside the Warriors]

How badly did you want to be out of Golden State?

"I wanted to be out pretty bad. Things were going bad and I was getting blamed for everything. I wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with the team. I got fined in preseason for one-hundred-and-some thousand. It was a lot of things that I didn't agree with going on from when I got there. We made history by beating Dallas in the first round. Then things started getting worse and winning stopped being a priority. Once winning stopped being a priority, I didn't want to be a part of it."

Describe the decline of the Warriors

"It started when we got rid of Jason Richardson and then the next thing you know, it was Baron (Davis) And then it was Al Harrington and Matt Barnes. The team that we had when we made that run, that beat Dallas in the first round, went South. Once it started doing that, I didn't want to be a part of it.

Good old "Captain" Jack. How can someone be so right and so wrong at the same time?

Jack is right that everything has gone south since that wonderful spring and that Warriors owner Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell's priority is not winning. 110% right. Since former (rightfully so) Warriors front office man Chris Mullin pulled the trigger on that inane Jason Richardson for Brandan Wright swap after a failed attempt to land Kevin Garnett, it's been one endless WE BELIEVE destroying move after another. No doubt about it.

But let's get things straight. Jackson signed on to play with a LOSER. Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, and Mickael Pietrus were all long gone by the time he inked that silly extension gift from Rowell. Shoot, even Harrington was half way out the door at that point. Jackson wanted to be part of a LOSER to the point he signed on the dotted line for 3 more years. That was his choice and his choice alone. It was just like his choice to leave the San Antonio Spurs after that championship run to play for a then headed nowhere fast Atlanta Hawks with worse ownership drama then even Cohan's dysfunction junction off 880. His supposed passion for winning and playoffs is no stronger than your average NBA player who is primarily motivated by the loot.

There's nothing wrong for wanting to get paid- at all- but there is something wrong for distorting the facts, badmouthing the folks who showed you more than enough love (a lot of it undeserved), and acting unprofessional both on and off the court. If Jack and his quack agent Mark Stevens handled this situation with any sense of class, the Warriors would've sent him to a championship contending Cleveland Cavaliers squad. But they didn't and now he's headed to an even bigger LOSER franchise- which is pretty hard to do.

Truth be told even if the Warriors passed up a better trade offer with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jackson as ESPN's John Hollinger has intimated, props to Riley and Nellie. They set a good precedent. If you're going to act a fool here, they're not going to do you any favors. If you make their lives miserable, they'll do the same to you. (Hope Monta Ellis is paying attention.)

Stephen Jackson says the Golden State Warriors don't care about winning, but the Charlotte Bobcats do [Orlando Sentinel]

Q: You named several teams you'd be interested in playing for, this wasn't one of them. Are you happy?

Jax: I'm happy because it gives me a chance to compete, gives me a chance to get back where I want to be which is in the playoffs. That's where I belong. I don't belong being home in April watching the playoffs; I belong in the playoffs and I got a good chance here with a great team. A team that competes with a coach the type of coach I like that have your back. That's something that's big to me. If a coach has my back I don't mind playing 110% for him.

I honestly feel bad for the guy. Just a straight up delusional. Again Jack signed up for loser and he's headed to a loser because he acted like a loser during trade talks. Warriors head coach Don Nelson is the best thing that ever happened to his career.

My friend Mr. Meshery over at Fear the Beard puts this far more eloquently that I can in Stephen Jackson goes rogue. Gets traded by his own ego., so I'll just pass the mic:

Back to going rogue. So, what do Stephen Jackson and Sarah Palin have in common (besides maybe a fondness for guns and not liking to take directions from old crazy white dudes)? Well, I remember spotting this article back during the election where some therapists armchair diagnosed Sarah Failin' as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Symptoms are:

A grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements). Has a sense of entitlement, i.e. unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.

Sound like someone we know? That last part is what gets me - the unreasonable expectations. C'mon Stack Jack, did you really expect to hustle Bobby Rowell for millions, disrespect the organization and teammates, say you're as good as Kobe Bryant, let your agent talk crazy about your coach, dismiss being a team captain, demand to get traded (and to a winning team at that), and think that your demands would be met in full? Really Stack Jack? Really? This, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when someone gets hijacked by their Texas-sized ego.

I think onixn sums up the situation well:

You brought swagger to a team that had forgotten what it felt like. You reinvigorated Baron. You covered for hundreds of defensive lapses (early on, anyway). You mystified Dirk Nowitzki. You nailed threes on fast breaks and laughed as you ran back down the court. YOU ENABLED US TO DUMP MURPHY AND DUNLEAVY! All that stuff was awesome.

Did you go out like a jackass? Sure. But it should be noted: your jackassedness was not solely your fault. Robert Rowell gave you a contract extension befitting a star; Don Nelson gave you the huge minutes and offensive leeway of a star. If you think you're better than you are, it's partially because this franchise did too, and foolishly told you so.

The sad part is in general Dubs Nation genuinely loved this guy. We gave him a second chance and for about 2 years he made us proud. Very proud. It's honestly too bad it had to end like this.

In a few years we'll be able to look back on this fondly, but unfortunately not right now.

Monta Ellis Doesn't Sound Happy [Inside the Warriors]

Seriously is this guy ever happy? Moody Moped Ellis.

Will you have to do more to make up for the loss?

"I'm not (going to) put no more on my back. Somebody else gone have to step up. I'm not gonna do more, somebody else gone have to step up and take on the role that Jack had and be that player. But I'm not putting no more extra on my back."

Do you feel a need to be more vocal?

"Nope. Uh, uh. Not at all"

And this is the guy Chris Mullin and Robert Rowell were so eager to build around and anoint as a franchise leader? No thank you to you two for destroying WE BELIEVE. Well Mullin's gone and hopefully Rowell will be soon too.

What do you guys lose with Jack gone?

"No. 1, besides his scoring and the ability to make the extra pass. What we've been emphasizing the whole time is defense. That's one of our best defenders on the team. And we're trying to get better as a defensive team. And now, who we got now that's going to play defense? We got me. And who else?"

Just like his buddy the "Captain", Monta sounds extremely delusional. Monta is one of the worst defenders in the entire association. It's hilarious how he pouted about how bad of a defensive combo he and rookie Stephen Curry would be (by the way true) before the season started, while not realizing that he was publicly admitting how terrible his effort and results were on that end of the court.

It's also funny how Monta thinks he's going to talk to Jackson everyday now. I hate to be cold, but I bet Monta just got played by Jack too. Jackson is his buddy like he's Rowell's buddy. Used and abused.

Good bye Jack. Sorry it had to end like that, but that was pretty much your own doing.

Monta- Don't be surprised if you're next.

Will Monta Ellis be the next disgruntled Warrior shipped out?

YES: Mo Moped Mo Problems

562 votes

NO: Like he said "I'm a Warrior"

315 votes

877 votes | Poll has closed

Game 10 Preview: Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City

Zorgon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:48:41 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Can Russell Westbrook become the next Baron Davis? Well, he has to get past him first.

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 6:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Clips Nation, ClipperBlog

Backstory: We're almost an eighth of the way there, and things are looking good!

Since we've last seen the Clippers, they've lost to Toronto in an embarrassing fashion. Now they're on a 3 game losing streak, and seeing how badly they've played lately, I really , really doubt the Thunder have much of a chance of losing this one. Nobody has come back from injury, Russell Westbrook (our worst performer of last time) has beaten Tony Parker in a fierce battle, and it's in our house this time.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nenad Krstic vs. Chris Kaman

Last time, Chris Kaman had a better game overall than Krstic, but he was much less efficient. I mean, 9-26 shooting is pretty unacceptable for a center by my standards. I'll say that the same goes for this game, with Kaman scoring more points and grabbing more rebounds, but with Nenad Krstic doing less with less minutes and less opportunities.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Marcus Camby

This will be a defensive battle, for sure. Last game, neither of them was able to score on a consistent basis, and Camby won the battle of the intangibles. If Green wants to win this game, he's going to have to get a 3 point shot going.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Al Thornton

Al Thornton is probably the most efficient Clippers player, but I doubt he'll have a better performance than Kevin Durant. Expect him to get roughly half of KDs numbers.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Rasual Butler

Thabo Sefolosha had a horrible night last time, but at least Rasual Butler was able to rebound the ball for his team. I'd like to think that Sefolosha will do better this time, but there's no big scoring threat for him to stop, so I think we might even be better off starting James Harden at this point. Rasual Butler will outperform him by a bit.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Baron Davis

This is the matchup I want to see again. Last time, Westbrook got injured, and Baron Davis outperformed him in every single way. But, Russell Westbrook had a great game against Tony Parker, doesn't seem any worse for the wear, and probably wants to show his stuff against this Clipper team. I'll give Baron Davis the win, but I still truly hope that Westbrook can rebound from his bad performance last time.

Battle of the Benches

Last time, the only players who mattered on the bench were James Harden and Kevin Ollie. I wouldn't expect that to change for us, as Collison and Thomas aren't huge game changers, but I'd expect more out of Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair on the Clippers side of things. Smith is a nice inside scorer and rebounder, while Telfair can distribute just as well as Baron Davis can.

Coaching and Intangibles

The Thunder are on a two game winning streak, have beaten this team before at home, and are at home themselves. The Clippers are without two of their best players, on the road, have lost 3 straight, and have only beaten the lowly Timberwolves, Warriors, and Grizzlies. I'd say the intangibles are in our favor.

Bottom Line

If the Thunder can get solid production from the guards, make sure that guys like Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, and Craig Smith don't have productive games inside, and drop a few threes, then they can win this game. It may sound like a lot, but it's no herculean task. Again, these are the Clippers we're talking about.

Prediction: Thunder 95, Clippers 90

6-4? Like Kevin Garnett, anything is possible!

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. I'll be in the Ford Center cheering the team on, but I'll be back to write a recap later tonight. Go Thunder!

Poll

Who's going to win tonight?

The Oklahoma City Thunder

16 votes

The Los Angeles Clippers

10 votes

26 votes | Poll has closed

RECAP: Warriors 125, Bucks 129 - At least we were entertained...?

dj fuzzylogic — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:59:59 -0000

(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Warriors contribution to the development and fandom of the NBA industry should not be overlooked. The number of D-league success stories that have passed through the Warriors system is a testament to the NBA's attempt at creating more career opportunities for players. The number of stars that have began their careers at Golden State shows how much the Warriors can -- at times -- evaluate talent. But more importantly, without the Warriors, we wouldn't have exciting games like last night, watching young rookies transition into rising stars in a matter of 48 minutes. The Warriors are the reason why the "NBA is Fantastic!"

Okay, I'm just being facetious... but you know it's kind of true. Anyway...

Even though the Warriors lost this game, there is much to love about what we saw from last night...

Warriors vs Bucks boxscore

Recap: Bucks 129, Warriors 125 (aka the Brandon Jennings show) [Brew Hoop]

Final - 11.14.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden State Warriors	30	27	26	42	125
Milwaukee Bucks	21	28	43	37	129

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The most obvious thing to love: Brandon Jennings second "debut" in two games. After going for 32 and 9 against title contenders, Denver Nuggets, Jennings tops that by showing an amazing arsenal of moves from the inside and out. Floaters over giants, freezing opposing pgs with hesitations then blowing past them for easy layups, rainbow threes...this kid can do it all. In his 5 assists, Jennings showed what has been missing on the Warriors since Baron Davis left: A point guard who can see the floor, get in the paint, and lead his open man. It's only been about 10 regular season games, but will we start including Jennings in discussions of elite point guards by the all-star game?

Love: Curry vs. Jennings mini-shoot out. While Jennings clearly dominated, Curry showed that he could hold his own. Like Jennings, Curry has a couple crossovers which led to easy 15 foot jumpers. You kind of wonder why the Warriors didn't go him more given that he had the hot hand early on. During the stretch of the third when the Warriors couldn't score on the zone defense, I was thinking how helpful Curry might have been had they brought him in earlier.

Like Jennings, Curry plays the point under control... or at least more so than anyone else trying to front like a point guard on the Warriors. Unlike Monta, Curry tends not to put his head down, driving straight to the hoop only giving it up in the event that he needs to get bailed out when 2 big men have closed in on him. The unpredictability of his hesitation moves on dribble drives either gives him just enough space for a jumper or draws defenders in. Check the end of the clip above where he picks Jennings, then while driving to the hoop freezes Jennings with a fake crossover. AMAZING!

Love: The return of the fundamentally-sound big man. Bogut may be considered a racist, but the dude has some nice footwork and a great touch in the paint. Granted, the Warriors big men weren't necessarily much resistance, but there's a lot to like about this guy's inside and outside game. We're beginning to see some of this in Randolph, too. There's a lot to appreciate about shooting .500 and having 0 turnovers.

Love: Monta's left hand. Wow, he finally realized it exists? Last season we would never expect Monta to finish with his left, even in traffic. This season, we've seen Monta tear up defenses (soft ones like Milwaukee) going both directions...even changing directions! "The Mississippi Missile" maybe not be the best nickname, in my opinion.

Love: Under Armor gear! And Jennings work-ethic on camera

Now it's time for...

I'll have to give it up to Stephen Curry. Okay, it's pretty obvious that I'm on his jock a bit too much. And there's nothing "Wonder"ful about him picking up 5 fouls in 26 minutes. But Curry showed me that we might have a point guard of the present (notice how I didn't say future). The fact that he doesn't always drive in predictable straight lines a la Maggette, Jackson, and at times Monta pleases me... as it should please you!

For more on this game from the perspective of the winners (though we're all winners when a fun game like this happens...), check out our colleagues at Brew Hoop!

Polling GSoM: What exactly won't Monta Ellis do?

Atma Brother ONE — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:10:47 -0000

More photos » by George Nikitin - AP

Moped Ellis and "Captain" Jack : Where "leaders" happens. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

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As mcwalter44 alerted the GSoM community yesterday in MT2 Reports: Nellie and Monta clash the Dubs Drama continues.

From MT's blog:

ELLIS: "Coach. Why do I get blamed for everything?"

NELSON: "What have I ever blamed you for?"

ELLIS: "For everything. For everything. For people not knowing the plays. I didn't do this. I didn't that."

Nelson waved both hands at Ellis, as if to brush him off, and walked off shaking his head.

Ellis: "See. That's why I won't do it. I just won't do it."

Is Monta Ellis just anti-Nike? (JUST DO IT- sorry, bad joke.) What exactly won't Monta Ellis do? Make sure to rock the vote.

Jump for some more thoughts about the Dubs Drama.

A little more context from SFGate:

According to a Warriors player, Nelson reprimanded Ellis in front of his teammates. The player said Ellis wasn't the only one who wasn't quite ready when practice was scheduled to begin at noon, but the guard still took the brunt of Nelson's anger.

Basically Nellie yelled at one of the leaders of the team (both paid and marketed to have that role- which he willingly signed up for) to be more punctual and set a better example for his teammates. Nothing wrong with that, especially when the Warriors are in a terrible state of hoops disarray. This team needs order in the worst way.

A true leader, a true star, a man handed the keys to the franchise needs to be the first and last guy to practice. When the coach demands him to be that man, he needs to step up not inanely and esoterically whine about what he won't do.

Sadly after foolishly running out the likes of Jason Richardson and Baron Davis (destroying WE BELIEVE) to build around him, Monta Ellis has shown to be none of the above. Do you think Tim Duncan or even Tony Parker throws a tantrum or continually displays poor body language approaching Ellis' or makes dumb, cancerous comments or behind the scenes via his agent to the media every time Coach Greg Popovich screams at them? Don't think so.

The Warriors, mostly by the doing of Chris Mullin and Robert Rowell, have foolishly invested and built around the wrong cast of characters. It was obvious that building around a flawed and undersize 2-guard with low hoops IQ and maturity, Antoine Walker 2.0 (inefficient, empty numbers) with cancerous tendencies and a history of violence and questionable decisions, a soft and unskilled center, a one trick scoring machine, a bunch of raw talents not ready for primetime (that is, if they're ever ready for this league), and a few D-Leaguers was a unilaterally DUMB idea. Yet Mullin and Rowell proceeded to do so. Mullin was rightfully let go and the same should have happened to Rowell.

Now Larry Riley has to clean up the mess while his buddy and Hall of Fame bound head coach Don Nelson is getting unjustified censure from the local and national media and fans alike. We hear this oft-repeated mantra that Nellie is the wrong coach for this team. Well guess what? There is no right coach for this dysfunctional roster "led" by two immature malcontents. No coach can win this band of misfits. The best of coach in the history of the NBA of winning with outcasts is already here in Oakland and he can't do it.

There is no "right" head coach for a young and dumb team.

Young teams lose.

Dumb teams embarrass themselves while losing.

And by the way this has nothing to do with the Don Nelson-Chris Webber drama back in 1994. Anyone who brings that up is knowingly trying to confuse you or hasn't done their homework.

Now don't get me wrong- Chris Cohan is a complete failure as an owner of a big market NBA team and Robert Rowell is not exactly the classiest or qualified executive in the league. Does Don Nelson make some coaching moves you question? Sure. Has GM Larry Riley done all that much but unload bad contracts thus far? Not really.

But let's not excuse the continued foolishness from the Warriors "leaders" and their quack agents.

Poll

What exactly won't Monta Ellis do?

Play defense

86 votes

Give Stephen Curry an Xmas present

77 votes

Stop getting ugly tats

99 votes

Not turn the ball over every 20 seconds

18 votes

Lead the NBA's Read 2 Achieve program

40 votes

Take responsibility for ruining the Warriors 2008-2009 season

73 votes

Show up to practice on time ready to go

42 votes

Be a leader after being given the keys to the franchise

246 votes

Find a different role model than "Captain" Jack

34 votes

Act mature

135 votes

Finally tell the truth about Moped Gate

53 votes

Other (specify in comments)

49 votes

952 votes | Poll has closed

3 In The Key - Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. Clippers

RaptorsHQ - Howland — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:31 -0000

by Gus Ruelas - AP

Even without Blake Griffin the Clippers have a pretty solid front-court. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

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After grabbing a win at home the Toronto Raptors have once again packed their bags and they are off to the West Coast for another road trip. Up first? LA's other team...the Clippers.

Could the Raps make it two in a row in this late night match-up?

Here is what I know about the Los Angeles Clippers.

The have a good team (on paper).
They have to love the fact that Elton Brand decided to skip town and end up with the 76ers.
They have to be somewhat disappointed with the play of Baron Davis.
They must be chomping at the bit waiting for Blake Griffin to hit the court.
They have one of the worst owners (Donald Sterling) in all of sport and I can't help but wonder if he and Al Davis are not the same person.
Mike Dunleavy is a horrible coach and this team looks like it is in complete disarray on both ends of the court.
Their three wins this season have come against Minnesota, Golden State and Memphis.
As much as the Raptors frustrate me sometimes, I am grateful that I am not a Clippers fan.

For those living in the Eastern Time Zone I don't think there is a worse opponent for the Raps to have with a 10:30 pm start time on a Friday night. Just a hunch, but I think viewer numbers are going to be down for this game.

Nevertheless, this is an important game. Given their upcoming schedule against some of the elite teams in the league this is a great opportunity for the Raptors to build of the second half of the Bulls game and secure back to back wins for the third time this season. I have said this before, if the Raps can get some momentum early on this season it is going to go a long way down the stretch.

Despite all my points above I don't think this Clippers team is simply going to hand the game over to the Raps as an early Christmas present. We all know that the Raps have a propensity to let the opposition score at will and this Clippers team with the likes of Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Al Thornton can, if given the opportunity, fill it up.

Speaking of Chris Kaman, he alongside Marcus Camby, makes for an interesting match-up against the Raps two-headed monster in Andrea Bagnani and Chris Bosh.

After the win against Chicago there was a lot of talk on the site about Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh and which player is the most challenged on the defensive end of the court. It sparked quite the debate.

Well, now it's really time to evaluate and the NBA's schedule makers have provided a number of opponents, Clippers included, who will really help resolve the debate.

Kaman is an excellent back to the basket player and a very good rebounder. Camby, over the course of his career, has been a great paint presence with shot-blocking ability and a terrific nose for the ball. It's going to be a test for the Raptors bigs no doubt about it. Let's see how Raps defend these two bigs and see who, if anyone can step up their defensive game. Bosh? Bargnani? Or will Triano be forced to look at Amir Johnson to help provide the required resistance.

The match-up between the big men is really what I will be watching but here are three other keys to tonight's game:

1. Perimeter Defense: For those who have not seen a Clippers game this season, if it wasn't for the nasty beard, you probably wouldn't recognize Baron Davis. He has really taken care of his body and is much more fit and slim this season. He is looking more agile on the court and although his shooting percentages still leave much to be desired, he has a little pep in his step. He will undoubtedly be looking forward to his match-up against Jose Calderon in hopes of using his quickness to attack the paint. Al Thorton is another Clipper who loves to attack the rim.

If the Raptors defenders can't stay in front of the Clippers guards and small forwards it could make for a long night. It will also make it more difficult on Bosh and Bargnani to defend their respective match-ups. For all the talk about the lack of defense being shown by the Raptors bigs, it is all a rather moot point if they are not getting help from their teammates.

2. Shooting Contest: These Clippers have no hesitation when it comes to shooting the rock. Given the lack of game plan on the offensive end I am sure you will all make note of each of their player's willingness to jack it up at every opportunity. They also like to shoot the three ball, much like the Raps.

If we learned anything from the Bulls game it is that the Raptors have a better chance at succeeding when they focus on getting the ball inside and then looking for the three. As Franchise pointed out the Raps took 16 three's in the first half of the Bulls game and were down. When they finally started to get aggressive on offense in the second half it helped turn things around. In my opinion the Raps simply take too many three's. Against a team like the Clipper's it would be natural to get into a three ball contest but the recipe for success is a heavy dosage of Bosh and Bargs in the paint either drawing the foul, making a hoop from close range or drawing the double team and then, and only then kicking it out for the three ball.

3. Play Above Your Opponent: As mentioned from the top this Clippers team is good on paper but the results simply are not there. The Raps cannot play down to their opponent tonight. A loss here could set a bad tone for the next week. As someone mentioned on the site yesterday the Raps are treading water around the .500 level right now which is respectable given the early schedule of games. It would be nice to see that trend continue.

One player we won't see dressed for the Raptors in tonight's game, or any other game going forward for that matter is Quincy Douby. Douby, despite his respectable summer league performance in Vegas was really the forgotten man on this Raptors roster and yesterday was released. Douby is yet to live up to his billing when he was selected in the first round by the Sacramento Kings and I question whether he gets another chance at making an NBA roster. Unfortunately he becomes another member of a long list of forgettable Raptors.

We, of course, are going no-where and will be here live-blogging the game into the wee hours of the morning so join in the conversation!