SB Nation - Kelenna Azubuike

Game 20 Preview: Oklahoma City vs. Golden State

Zorgon — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:34:20 -0000

More photos » by Don Smith - NBAE/Getty Images

Last time we met, the Thunder won on a last second buzzer-beater by Jeff Green. It was also one of Desmond Mason's final games playing for the Thunder, before he busted his knee for the year.

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

Time: 7:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Comcast Sports Net Bay Area

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Golden State of Mind

Backstory: Ah, the time has arrived.

It's my favourite time of year. The time of year where I get to cheer on my favourite team in the NBA against a crowd of enraged fans as they lose miserably against my other favourite team. I make a lot of enemies in the process, but a Thunder-Warriors game, for me, is truly a great spectacle to behold. No matter what, I win, and I always have a lot of fun. And, I know there are those of you who think I'm a traitor for cheering against the Thunder, but I don't care. I've been a Warriors fan ever since I was a young one, and they will remain my favourite team through thick and thin. I love the Thunder almost equally as much, but they'll just never take the place of the Warriors in my heart. You could lecture me all day about how they've been the worst team in the NBA over the past 15 years (correct), how the organization stinks (correct), how the players are punks (wrong), how Oakland is trashy (wrong), and how much better the Thunder are. But the fact remains that they're the team I was raised on, the team that has captured my love, and the team that I'll watch until I die.

And before I go on to the actual preview, I'd also like to give a big shout out to Golden State of Mind. I've been a loyal member of their community since they first moved to SB Nation and Mike Dunleavy and Derek Fisher were bricking treys on a regular basis. It's a huge honor to be on the same network as them, and a dream I've always had.

But, enough personal asides. Let us get to the analysis.

Who are the Warriors? Well, they're a very two-faced team. When they play well, they're a team with excellent ball movement that can drive the ball into the post when there are no open shots, and a team that can also run down the floor, and knock down the first open shot they get. When they play badly, oh man, do they play badly. It usually consists of a complete lack of scoring combined with them shooting bad, completely guarded jumpers within the first few seconds of the shot clock, leading to large deficits. It's usually a result of exhaustion and a lack of big men. You might think that the bad Warriors show up more often than not, and they do, but it's not because of a lack of talent. This team has seen more injuries than the Mexican Army as they tried to take the Alamo. 3 of their big men, Biedrins, Turiaf, and Wright are all out with injuries. Both of their off-season acquisitions, Devean George and Speedy Claxton, are out as well. Heck, even Raja Bell, who came in a trade, has needed hand surgery, and to make it all complete, Kelenna Azubuike was out with surgery, and Anthony Morrow was recently out to attend a funeral. This left the team with 8 active players (including Forward Chris Hunter, who was called up from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants out of desperation). This is nothing new for the Warriors, as Azubuike himself was a D-League find in a similar time of trouble. Rather, it is just another chapter in the book of a team of injuries, bad draft picks, bad management, bad coaching, and just overall futility. Anthony Morrow will be back for tonight's game at the Ford Center, but Don Nelson won't make the trip. Can a team of 9 guys and an assistant coach overcome the hungry Thunder?

Well, anything is possible. The Thunder are coming off of a bad loss against the Celtics, but that's the exception rather than the rule. They've been known to put the lower-echelon teams when they've needed to, but they've also been known to play them tight into the second half. When you've facing the Warriors, who are capable of going on huge runs all at once, it's a dangerous thing to do.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nick Collison vs. Mikki Moore (Possibly Anthony Randolph)

Mikki Moore did well in garbage time against the Thunder last year when he played for Boston, but I wouldn't expect a repeat performance tonight. He's been useless in every sense of the word when he's played for the Warriors, missing open layups, fouling far too often, and not rebounding as much as they'd like him to. There are very few matchups where Nick Collison can legitimately eat someone alive, but this is one of them. Expect at least a double double.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Vladamir Radmanovic (Possibly Anthony Randolph)

Again, this matchup provides a huge advantage for the Thunder. Jeff Green always beats power forwards that are smaller than him, and then though "the rad man" is 6'10", he's a defensive and offensive post softie. He'll hit a few threes and grab a couple of rebounds just because of he sheer amounts of shots being taken, but don't expect him to put up nearly as good of numbers as Green will.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Monta Ellis

Well, this is a matchup I never thought I'd see in my day. Kevin Durant against Monta Ellis? It will never sound right in my head, but apparently, it's about to happen. As they're both mains scorers for their respective teams, and seeing as how neither have excellent defense, expect a huge scorefest tonight from both players, with Durant racking up more rebounds and blocks and Ellis racking up more assists and steals. Sounds kind of obvious, but what else am I supposed to say?

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Anthony Morrow

Anthony Morrow can score from all over the floor, but he's mainly a shooter. That being said, he'll probably perform a little below par if he has to play against Sefolosha, since Sefolosha closes out on shooters pretty well. He won't be shut out though, because he'll probably be on the floor for some of the time Sefolosha will be on the bench, and it's hard keeping such an elite scorer down.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry has been one of the leagues best Rookies this year. Widely considered to be the Warriors future Point Guard, he can score from anywhere on the floor and pass it smoothly to the right guy with the style and grace of a veteran. Russell Westbrook can do that too, but without the great shooting.

Battle of the Benches:

The Warrior's bench, while depleted, is better than you think. Hunter is pretty useless, but Maggette is great at getting to the line when he wants to, and C.J. Watson scores well in spurts. Most importantly, Anthony Randolph, coming off of a 28 Points, 13 Rebound, and 5 Assist performance against Orlando, looks poised for greatness. He's the Warriors best kept secret, and easily owns anybody we have on our bench, including Ibaka, Wilks, and Harden.

Coaching and Intangibles:

The Warriors don't have Don Nelson, who has known to be a bit silly with his player management, but they will get tired. Not because they've had 5 games in their last 9 days, but simply because they play such a tiring game and only have 9 guys to play it. It can be evidenced by the Magic suddenly and dramatically going on a 15-0 run at the end of the last game while the Warriors were firing up well-guarded duds. On top of that, they have a horrible record, and they're playing in the Ford Center. Most everything is on the Thunder's side.

Bottom Line:

I would shout with joy if the Warriors won this game, but it's just not going to happen. They've made big runs against every team under the sun, but shown a huge inability to close those same games. Also, most of the teams they've been able to compete with have consisted largely of outside shooters, while the Thunder are mainly a inside scoring team. All in all, it will be close for a while, but the game will end quietly, with most of the fans filing out with 3 minutes to go and the Thunder having won by 10.

Prediction: Oklahoma City 122, Golden State 112

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 Warriors on, but I'll be back to write a recap later tonight. Go Thunder WARRIORS!

Poll

Who's going to win tonight?

RECAP: Warriors 118 Magic 126 - So much for my early XMas Present

R Dizzle — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:04:09 -0000

Where you at Ronny? We got a dance off coming after this game!

Final Boxscore | Warriors Web Links | Open Thread (1100+ comments)

Final - 12.5.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Orlando Magic	42	30	25	29	126
Golden State Warriors	33	31	36	18	118

Complete Coverage >

Oh Warriors, how you break my heart. I gotta be honest - I wasn't even going to watch the game. I was just going to watch the replay today (Sunday) on League Pass, fast forward through the Magic dominating us and then come up with some kinda recap.

You can't blame me for that. Let me go back and take a quote from my preview.

5. The Warriors are missing these players - Brandan Wright, Kelenna Azubuike, Raja Bell, Anthony Morrow, Ronny Turiaf, Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Speedy Claxton, Devean George.

6. The Warriors will play these players tonight - Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Corey Maggette, Chris Hunter, Mikki Moore, C.J. Watson, and Vladimir Radmonovich.

How in the world were we supposed to win with that? In fact, how were we supposed to be even close?

So I went on with my night...did what I had to do. Like an idiot, I decided to briefly check the score during the 2nd quarter.

I check the score, and what do I see? Warriors are down by 15. (I got rhymes son!)

Surprise surprise R Dizzle. Box Score at that point? Nothing out of the ordinary. Monta with the most points, AR just got in and did a few things, Vlad Rad looking half decent.

But there was an interesting number. Dwight Howard like 3 fouls already. Weird. Maybe we were doing something right? Getting him into foul trouble early? Gortat too?

Naw naw, we still had no chance. Vinsanity was playing out of his mind. Get it? Visnanity? Playing out of his mind? I'm so creative.

The Magic kept scoring more 3's at a rate faster than I was eating Xmas Cookies. We had no chance. None at all.

So I said "whateves." Got back to the task at hand. Decorating my Xmas tree. It was dope. I had warm hot chocolate (what else would it be? cold hot chocolate?), the N Sync Christmas Album playing in the background, cool ornaments and I was hanging with a lil special someone.

You gotta love the holidays! Fun filled times. I mean jeez, look at my tree! (I got rhymes son!)

But something was missing. The night wasn't right. I had to be honest with myself. I can't just "not watch" the Warriors because they're guaranteed a loss. No, I must enjoy the bad times, I must find some pleasure in it all.

So I turned it back on at the beginning of the 2nd half. Something was different this time around.

Sure Monta was doing his thing - playing at an All Star level. Vlad Rad was doing his thing. Curry was getting his Butter on (Butter Chicken anyone?) and handling the ball silky smooth. But there 2 things that stuck out to me at that point.

1. Dwight and Marcin were in foul trouble.

Very key. Without their two big men, they were forced to play Brandon Bass at center. We didn't really have one at the time (don't try to tell me that Mikki Moore or Chris Hunter are great substitutes) so we could play small ball.

Yes, classic Nellie ball. Put a 4 at the 5 position (Vlad Rad) a 3 at the 4 (Corey Maggette), put in guys that "have the ability" to score (Monta, Randolph, and Curry) and run run run run run.

2. Anthony Randolph was "different."

Define different you say? Can't put my finger on it. Something was just..."different." Sure I can throw out numbers but really, what difference does THAT make? It can't really describe what was becoming of Mr. AR. It was just "different."

Maybe finally living up to his "potential?" Not being "out of control?" "No one on the corner had swagga like him?"

Who knows - but at least he wasn't being his usual "Tigger self."

I had to watch the game. I just had to. I had a feeling, or was it more than a feeling, that I had a chance to see something special. Let me quickly summarize what I said in the next 15 minutes of my life.

"We have no chance."

"Wow that was pretty."

"Wait, how did he..."

"We're closing the lead."

"Ooooooo"

"Aaaahhhh"

"NO way is this happening."

"No, really, NO WAY IS THIS HAPPENING."

"That Monta - he's so acrobatic."

"Wait, what's with Anthony Randolph?"

"How is playing like that?"

"Where has been all season?"

"No really...what's going on."

"It's the end of the 3rd and we're up by 5."

"WTF MAN?!?!!??!"

This is why he's hot. This is why he's hot. This is why, this is why, this is why he's hot.

"WTF MAN?!?!?!" - indeed. The "impossible" was happening right in front of our eyes. We had a team with 8 guys. We were playing the Magic. Yes, the Magic. The same Magic that were the Eastern Conference Champions. The same Magic that manged to get BETTER over the off season.

It was happening. Monta Ellis was playing at an All Star level. He was leading the team. Curry was getting his PG on and handling the ball well. Corey Maggette was slashing in the line, playing strong. But most of all - Anthony Randolph was becoming something special right in front of our eyes.

I was going to be able to put my first present under my new Christmas tree. I was going to see the Warriors do the impossible again. I was back to believing.

IT WAS GOING TO BE AN EARLY CHRISTMAS.

But no, I was wrong. Not too get too depressing but essentially things didnt' come together. Call it being a young team. Call it being inexperienced. Call it playing against a better team.

Whatever you want to do - truth of the matter is we got destroyed in the last 5 minutes. The Magic made it one "Magical" night.

Hey, but like always - let's refer to the one thing I had right in my preview.

FICTION

1. The Warriors will win tonight. (That is all...)

Hooray...

Thanks for NOT giving me an early XMas present guys...

But hey, one question. How in the world did Matt Barnes for from this

To this

Who else? Anthony Randolph. 10-23 shooting, 28 points, 13 boards, and 5 assists.

Two things popped out to me from AR in this game.

1. He still can't crack a smile.

Seriously, when is this kid going to be happy? He was scoring left and right, making crazy passes (that dish to Monta was nuts) and he still looked like he was about to cry.

The only time I saw him smile was after he fouled Matt Barnes in an attempted block.

...what's up with that?

1. He's living up to his "potential."

Yeah great stuff. We all know where the hype is and what it's about. But please just do me one favor. For my Christmas gift, just please make sure that

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YOU DO THIS AGAIN!!!!

Oh ya, one more thing....

IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!! YAY!!

All about Holiday Cupcakes!

Poll

Which was a tougher loss this week?

GAME THREAD #19 - Warriors vs. Magic - Superman that..

R Dizzle — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:36:43 -0000

My arms are this big - I swear.

Warriors: 6-12

Magic: 15-4

Tip-Off: 7:30pm

TV: CSN Bay Area

Radio: KNBR 680

Blog Buddy: Third Quarter Collapse

Alright so things aren't going so well. We lost the last game to the Rockets by a stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid (I think you get the picture) play and it was heart breaking. Monta's been scoring out of his mind but also giving up turnovers at a rate that is out of his mind. Yay.

But hey, at least we get to see another great Warriors game tonight. We're going to finally have a full roster...right?

Right?

What's this? IQofaWarrior says...a big fat N-O.

Sigh...

FACTS

1. The Magic are tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

2. The Magic will set a new team record with 7 consecutive road wins,

3. Don Nelson will miss the next 5 road games.

4. Anthony Morrow will miss tonight's game.

5. The Warriors are missing these players - Brandan Wright, Kelenna Azubuike, Raja Bell, Anthony Morrow, Ronny Turiaf, Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Speedy Claxton, Devean George.

6. The Warriors will play these players tonight - Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Corey Maggette, Chris Hunter, Mikki Moore, C.J. Watson, and Vladimir Radmonovich.

7. Mickael Pietrus was one of the most fun Warriors players. (See Below)

8. The Warriors are in desperate need of some magic "health" potions.

9. Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes, and Adonal Foyle will all get standing ovations when they step on the court (if they do).

10. This guy (pictured below) will Superman the Warriors.

FICTION

1. The Warriors will win tonight. (That is all...)

Poll

Who is your favorite ex-Warrior on the Magic?

RECAP: Warriors 121, Knicks 107 - WESTSIDE til I Die!

R Dizzle — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:16:16 -0000

I don't get it man. We destroy the Knicks and NELLIE RUMORS ARE STILL POPPING UP? This is ridiculous...

Peep out my #1 brother's take on the whole situation (RUMOR: Golden State Warriors Head Coach Don Nelson on his way out)

Preview/ Game Thread (800+ Comments)

Final Box Score

Blog Buddy: Posting and Toasting

Final - 11.13.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden State Warriors	32	34	20	35	121
New York Knicks	26	26	28	27	107

Complete Coverage >

After seeing this post on SB Nation yesterday, I got a little inspired...

Let's be real - Warriors vs Knicks? Two poor teams that can match 'em to each other? West Coast vs. East Coast? Isn't this a bit reminiscent of...

Stephen Jackson

"With nothing to lose, it's just me against the world."

Me Against the World

The harsh reality in this situation is that no matter what Stephen Jackson does from this point on, no Warriors fan has got his back. He can have a strong performance like last night, 23 points, 8 boards, and 5 steals, but still be hated on (and rightfully so). Mu ch like 2Pac, you don't know what you're going to get outta him. One day, he'll be inspirational and give you a reason to wake up and do something to change this world. The next - he'll throw a temper tantrum and look like a fool. Good work tonight, and here's to hoping if he'll "Hit 'em Up" tonight.

Monta Ellis

"Picture me rollin in my 500 Benz,

I got no love for these n----, there's no need to friends"

Picture Me Rollin

Monta's got the epitome of the - "I don't give a - what you think of me, I'm doin my thing" - attitude. His 22 points will win the game, but the 2 assists, 4 turnovers, and 4 fouls will prove why he's not a PG. Let's be real, he's not making many friends on the team with his selfish play and his lack of desire to do things ("That's why I won't do it. I just won't do it.") But why would he care? He's got a dope moped. Picture Monta rollin!

Nate Robinson

"Sky is the limit and you know you can just keep on

Keep on pressin on"

Sky Is the Limit

Sigh...I feel really really REALLY bad for Nate Rob. The man's got talent, he's fun to watch but he's stuck on THIS team. Yeah yeah, the Dunk Contests are rigged, but they're still awesome. Who knows where he'll end up next year, but I wish the man well. I kinda wished he slammed all over SJax's face...

Donnie Walsh and Isiah Thomas

"Mo Money, Mo Problems."

Mo Money Mo Problems

Sucks to be Donnie Walsh...

Darko Milicic

"Been around the world and I I I
And we been playa hated [say what?]
I don't know and I don't know why
Why they want us faded [ahehe]
I don't know why they hate us [yeah]
Is it our ladies? [uh-huh]
Or our drop Mercedes [uhh, uhh]
Bay-bee bay-BEE!"

Been Around the World

Remember who got drafted after Darko? 3 All Stars. Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade.

How many teams has Darko been on since his first draft team - the Pistons? 3 teams - Magic, Grizzlies, and Knicks.

Been around the world? Been playa hated? Still got a fine lady? Rollin in a Benz?

Kelenna Azubuike

"Soon as I stepped on the scene I'm hearin hooches screamin

Fiendin for money and alcohol

The life of a west side playa where cowards die and it's all ball"

California Love

This man has been ON FIRE. Over the last 3 years, he's grown into his own and you can expect a consistent game from him every night. Pullin down 22 points on 9-13 shooting ain't no joke. Mad props to Booke. I'm sure the ladies love his biceps...

CJ Watson

Who knows when CJ will be on the court long enough to earn one of these, so I'll give the man his moment of praise. CJ played well and was ALL OVER THE COURT. 7-8 shooting and 2-2 three point shooting are amazing stats...kinda makes ya wonder why he's not in more?

I'll follow MTII's Pac quote....

"I know it seems hard sometimes, but

Remember one thing

Through every dark night, there's a bright day after that.

So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out

Keep ya head up

And handle it."

Me Against the World

REST IN PEACE TUPAC SHAKUR AND CHRISTOPHER WALLACE

Yahoo! + NBA

CSN Bay Area + Golden State Warriors

Poll

Which player is most like 2Pac?

Stephen Jackson

197 votes

Monta Ellis

73 votes

Kelenna Azubuike

45 votes

C.J. Watson

13 votes

Anthony Randolph

21 votes

Corey Maggette

15 votes

Andris Biedrins

66 votes

430 votes | Poll has closed

Kentucky Basketball: A Season to Embrace

Ken Howlett — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:03:37 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Enjoy the great Wall while you've got him.

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With the official start of the Kentucky basketball season now less than 36 hours away, the sense of anticipation among Big Blue backers is palpable. Found on message boards, blogs, sport's pages, and Starbucks throughout Kentucky, are opinions (some good, some lame), prognostications, and some downright emphatic enunciations about the prospects of UK fans witnessing a gloriously historic season. And really, who can blame them?

For a program and fan-base accustomed to Final Four runs, SEC championships, national accolades, and local adulation, the previous four basketball seasons have been the equivalent of an unwanted killjoy. We've seen two coaches depart, one of his own volition (sort of), and the other of his own hand. We've seen bad basketball, bad decisions by those trusted to make good decisions, and generally an unsettled feeling within the basketball program. It hasn't been fun, regardless how one may choose to spin the distaste-full events. And if sports are supposed to provide a fan with one thing, that thing would be enjoyment ... an escape, if you will, from the every day problems and trials of life. We don't want to be made to lament the state of the program. We want to celebrate victories, and discuss how much enjoyment we derived from our 'Cats schooling the Gators, Vols, and Cards on the art of winning, and winning decisively.

But through a series of unfortunate choices, we have had four years of enjoyment pilfered from under our noses. We've witnessed embarrassing losses to rivals Kansas, Indiana, Louisville, and North Carolina ... We've witnessed ESPN glorify Gardner-Webb and VMI, while at the same time de-glorifying the most tradition-rich college basketball program in the nation ... We've witnessed Rupp rumble with displeasure, dissatisfaction, and an inordinate amount of disharmony ... We've filled out NIT brackets for chrissakes. Yes, Kentucky has been the reluctant, yet cooperating whipping boy of UK wannabes since Kelenna Azubuike left for the Association ... it's been a long and frightful journey. But, like a Jeff Goodman column, we can now rejoice that it's over.

So, how should the average Kentucky basketball fan respond to this felonious four year theft? Simple, by enjoying, and reveling in the season ahead. Fight off the temptation to dissect every substitution, and every missed or made shot. Let's not bemoan a margin of victory not as substantial as we thought it would be. Let's not decry the freshmen when they make freshman mistakes. Push back the urge to criticize that which we don't understand.

After four years of purgatory, shouldn't we be able sit back in our easy chair, or our ~~uncomfortable~~ Rupp Arena seat and bask in the sunshine of certain victory? Shouldn't we be able to, with wonderment, nod our heads approvingly at the cumulative talent playing in our hallowed hall? Players such as Wall, Bledsoe, Patterson, Cousins, Orton and Dodson displaying their considerable skills for our viewing pleasure is not a sight often enjoyed at the collegiate level. So my advice is to take it all in, and TiVO the show if possible, because this season will be a singular sensation not seen again for who knows how long.

I know, I know. I hear UK fan now, "Well, wait a minute, John Calipari is a recruiting genius, what, with his dribble-drive as dangled bait. What recruit wouldn't want to play for him? And he's so darn nice."

Yeah, all that's probably true, but an accumulation of talent as rich as this Kentucky squad is indeed a rarity. Oh, it's happened before at UK ... 14 looong years ago. And like the 1996 team, this team will lose early, and lose late, but they'll have a chance to be great. Our Italian friend residing down I-64 had it right when he implored, "Embrace the precious present," because we don't know when it will again be this good.

The empire will not always glisten with a gilded glow, this we should know. So don't take for granted the spectacle of Big Blue's superior athletes running roughshod over the competition, for this is a time to enjoy and praise, after so much heartache, the team of elite achievers dancing across our screens. Will UK be good over the next several years? I would think so, but what we have awaiting us this season is a tonic which is intended to vanquish forever the bitter after-taste of four years wasted. It's a tonic not often prescribed by the basketball gods, so it's intended to be cherished, not picked apart by the masses.

Am I saying the gods have opted to bless UK and its fans with a championship? No, that determination will be made on the hardwood. But, whether a championship is forthcoming or not shouldn't be the all-consuming, overriding theme of this 2009-2010 season. This season should be an exercise in enjoyment, something that has been absent from the experience for far too long. It's been Kentucky fans' nature to allow the enjoyment of the game to be corrupted by expectations, and although this team is talented in a scary sort of way, I choose to not expect, only to watch in anticipation of seeing something I've never seen before. That's how special this group is. And like the shooting stars of the past, players like Ron Mercer, Antoine Walker, and Jamal Mashburn, they'll bless us with their presence for only a short period of time.

So, when John Wall, Patrick Patterson, and DeMarcus Cousins suit up to please you, I, and Calipari, remember the clock is ticking. The hour glass has been turned upside down as of tomorrow night, and no amount of pleading will stop the sand from obeying gravity. This is a one year deal, with no option for a second. Cheer hard, and cheer often, keeping in mind the cheering only goes on for so long.

Of course, if the 'Cats don't beat the Cards, all bets are off.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

RECAP: Warriors 146, Timberwolves 105 - There's no I in TEAM

Fantasy Junkie — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:18:39 -0000

More photos » by Rocky Widner - NBAE/Getty Images

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Boxscore

Preview/ Game Thread (1150+ Comments)

We have to be sure to not get carried away with tonight's game. All that we've established is this:

Western Conference Power Rankings (updated)
14. Golden State Warriors
15. Memphis Grizzlies
16. Minnesota Timberwolves

I'm not trying to take anything away from the Warriors, they played dominant, amazing basketball tonight. I'm just worried that the success is more a result of the opponent and that the Warriors won't consistently play with this level of effort and intensity.

Hit the jump for some more thoughts.

Can we play the Timberwolves for 82 games?

All the things that the Warriors had done the last 2 games against the Clippers and Kings are what the Timberwolves did tonight, but much worse. I mean it was ugly. Heck, Canis Hoopus, the SB Nation Twolves blog, started writing their recap with 1:50 left... in the 3rd quarter!

Like I said in the preview, there's not a whole lot to like on this Twolves team. I never got the sense that any of these players had ever played together before. There was zero chemistry on the floor.

Guards turned the ball over a lot: Flynn 6 TO's, Sessions 4 TO's, Pavlovic 4 TO's, Ellington 3 TO's.
Lazy passes: There was no zip on the ball. Just a lot of lob passes and passes to the wrong side of the man.
Guys not coming to the ball when passed to: You have to come and meet the ball when someone's passing you the ball. The Twolves players just stood and waited for the ball to get to them.
There was no sense of urgency. They looked like they had given up midway through the 2nd quarter.

T.E.A.M. - the acronym for success

This wasn't all about the Twolves sloppy play. It was actually more that the Warriors finally decided to play with some life.

Teamwork: It was amazing. It was as if they had the most amazing practice sometime between the Kings game and this one where they learned how to play with each other. All 10 Warrior players seemed to know where everyone else was going to be on offense. They moved without the ball and even looked to set each other up. Tonight made it seem like they actually want to play with each other.

Effort: The guys were all over the floor tonight. You could just see the difference. They played with energy, life, and passion. Players were making things happen on offense and defense just by staying active. They were in the passing lanes all night as well as putting pressure on the guards while doubling down on the big men. Check out this stat: leading rebounder for the Warriors? Monta Ellis with 10.

Assists: The ball was zipping around tonight. The Twolves defense never got comfortable as the Warriors moved the ball with ease - 36 assists to just 12 turnovers. 15 for Jack compared to just 3 turnovers. Even Corey Maggette passed the ball. Corey Maggette! If he's passing the ball, you know something is going right. Seriously though, props to Maggs for 11 points in 10 minutes. But I digress. The Twolves D had something to do with the excellent ball movement, but the Warriors put forth a major effort to move the ball around.

Minnesota: Clearly the most important ingredient for another team's success.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

One thing that worries me: How did Brian Cardinal block Monta Ellis on a fast break layup? Is the ankle 100%? Will it get back to 100%? There's no reason Brian Cardinal should be blocking your shot on a fast break.
The Warriors are only 2 games under .500. Yessss.
Kelenna Azubuike was ridiculous tonight. 31 points on 13-19 shooting. He couldn't miss in the first half.
I liked what I saw from Anthony Randolph tonight. It was probably his best game of the season. He attacked the basket under control and didn't try to do too much.
Acie Law with 5 steals 12 minutes? I like his hustle. He really works hard out there.
Morrow had a good shooting night but there's still something lacking about his game. He tends to disappear at times and his defense can still use a lot of help.
Like I said, this game was against the Twolves which proves almost nothing. The Warriors played great, but they have a lot to prove. They'll get their chance to prove it with the upcoming road trip without Andris Biedrins (out 2 weeks). @ Indiana, @ New York, @ Minnesota, @ Cleveland, @ Boston, vs Portland, @ Dallas, @ San Antonio, vs LA Lakers. Before anyone gets too optimistic, let's see how the Warriors look after this tough stretch of the schedule.

Sorry ladies, it's not Kelenna Azubuike. I'm going with Stephen Jackson.

Damn impressive game from Jax tonight. He was Steve Nash-like with his passes. The 15 assists in 3 quarters weren't simple passes. It wasn't a bunch of passes to Anthony Morrow standing wide open. He was threading the needle to the big men as they rolled through the lane. He was able to drive into the lane and create for others on the floor. And what was even better, he didn't force any shots tonight. I'm not sure what was going on, but he really increased his trade value tonight.

Final - 11.9.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Minnesota Timberwolves	29	26	22	28	105
Golden State Warriors	33	41	37	35	146

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Will the Warriors win more than 25 games?

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769 votes

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Micro-Warriornomics :: GSoM's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview (Part 1 of 2)

Atma Brother ONE — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:30:46 -0000

It's the moment you've all been waiting for...

Actually that's probably a little too dramatic. As far as I know Chris Cohan (aka the worst owner in all of sports) is not selling the Golden State Warriors today.)

Okay it's the next best thing. Ladies and gentlemen get ready for Golden State of Mind's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview!

(Well at least the first part.)

We about to BUMRUSH the Roaracle on opening night for GSoM Night 7!

You've read the rest. Now it's time for the best.

After the jump we drop science at the university level!

At most universities if you're interested in taking Economics you usually first take Micro-Economics and then Macro-Economics. We'll follow that course sequence here and start with the Micro (individual players) before we tackle the Macro (the assemblage).

Micro-Warriornomics: It takes 15!

To do what exactly nightly at the Roaracle I'm not so sure, but we'll continue...

Golden State Warriors Roster

	#	Pos.	DOB	W	H	College
Kelenna Azubuike	7	F	12.16.83	220	6-5	Kentucky
Andris Biedrins	15	C	4.2.86	240	6-11	None
Speedy Claxton	10	G	5.8.78	170	5-11	Hofstra
Stephen Curry	30	G	3.14.88	185	6-3	Davidson
Monta Ellis	8	G	10.26.85	180	6-3	None
Devean George	19	F	8.29.77	235	6-8	Augsburg
Stephen Jackson	1	G	4.5.78	215	6-8	None
Acie Law	2	G	1.25.85	202	6-3	Texas A&M
Corey Maggette	50	F	11.12.79	225	6-6	Duke
Mikki Moore	33	F	11.4.75	225	7-0	Nebraska
Anthony Morrow	22	G	9.27.85	210	6-5	Georgia Tech
Don Nelson	-	H	5.15.40	0	0	Iowa
Anthony Randolph	4	F	7.15.89	205	6-10	L-S-U
Scott Roth	-	A	6.3.63			Wisconsin
Stephen Silas	-	A	1.1.00	0	0	Brown
Keith Smart	-	A	9.21.64	0	0	Indiana
Ronny Turiaf	21	C	1.13.83	250	6-10	Gonzaga
Russell Turner	-	A	10.24.70			Hampden-Sydney
C.J. Watson	23	G	4.17.84	175	6-2	Tennessee
Brandan Wright	32	F	10.5.87	210	6-10	North Carolina

Anthony Morrow

#22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height:6-5

Weight:210

Born:Sep 27, 1985

College:Georgia Tech

Ammo + Chocolate Rain

Before we look at toMorrow I wanted to take a look back at yesterday. Here's a interesting per 36 minute comparison for these two sharp shooters at age 23 in the NBA. (significant highs in bold)

Sharp Shooter A: 16.1 ppg (47.8% FG, 46.7% 3pt, 87.0% FT), 4.7 rpg, 1.9 apg

Sharp Shooter B: 16.0 ppg (47.9% FG, 40.2% 3pt, 84.4% FT), 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg

Who are these sharpshooters you ask?

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

A is Anthony Morrow.

Lights out.

B is none other than... Reggie Miller.

Reggie must've been Steve Kerr's man to guard here.

Reggie Miller Part II? Okay that's obviously going a little overboard (a little?), but I like what I see. I do like what I see.

-- Atma Brother #1

Read the rest of Anthony Morrow's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Anthony Morrow Scouting Report

Strengths

Elite shooter with fantastic muscle memory

More than adequate rebounding rate that sets him apart from those one-trick pony sharpshooters (Jason Kapono, J.J. Reddick, etc.)

Willingness to get scrappy on defense

Weaknesses

Limited handles and ability to create for himself or others
Slow feet especially on D
Not an elite NBA level athlete

Golden Number: 46.7%

Ammo is the reigning NBA 3pt Champ and 96% of folks here at GSoM think he's got a great shot to repeat. As you can see, there aren't many haters around this neighborhood.

St ephen Jackson

#1 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-8

Weight: 215

Born: Apr 05, 1978

College: None

O Captain, My Captain No More

O Captain, my Captain!

Say it ain't so

O Captain, my Captain!

You don't wanna be captain no mo

O Captain, my Captain!

This is getting out of hand

O Captain, my Captain!

Get outta here with your trade demands

O Captain, my Captain!

I can't support this

O Captain, my Captain!

TWO Techs? Just for kicks?

O Captain, my Captain!

You are DEAD WRONG

O Captain, my Captain!

You no longer belong

O Captain, my Captain!

I can't believe it's all happenin'

O Captain, my Captain!

You are a huge distraction

O Captain, my Captain!

It's time for you to depart

O Captain, my Captain!

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR YOU IN MY HEART.

-- R Dizzle

Read the rest of Stephen Jackson's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Stephen Jackson Scouting Report

Strengths

Bamboozling Warriors President Robert Rowell in contract negotiations that don't need to be happening in the first place
For the most part doing all that's asked of him on the court by Nellie and to his credit that's a lot because of the many holes on this roster
Wanting to win... as long as he gets paid (e.g. leaving the San Antonio Spurs after winning a ring with Tim Duncan and company to pursue lottery dreams with the Atlanta Hawks and inking an absurd long term extension with the Warriors AFTER the fabulous WE BELIEVE show was destroyed)

Weaknesses

Saying the "right" things to the media to help boost his trade value
Turnovers, shot selection, rebounding
Being a captain

Golden Number: 2

As in 2 technical fouls in 3 PRESEASON games?! We don't call him "Captain Technical" for nothing.

Acie Law IV

#2 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-3

Weight: 202

Born: Jan 25, 1985

College: Texas A&M

(Not the 1st, 2nd, or the 3rd, but the 4th!)

Speedy Claxton

#10 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Born: May 08, 1978

College: Hofstra

Devean George

#19 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-8

Weight: 235

Born: Aug 29, 1977

College: Augsburg p>

Wouldn't Count on It

Law. Claxton. George.

There is always a chance that one of these players will step up and contribute.

But I wouldn't count on it.

-- JAE

Read the rest of the Acie Law/ Speedy Claxton/ Devean George 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Acie Law/ Speedy Claxton/ Devean George Scouting Report

Whatever Nellie can get out of these 3 would be an unexpected, but welcome bonus. Nellie has talked about using Law in a point forward role. This is a 6'3 guard we're talking about.

Don Nelson also once hyped up Chris Mullin favs Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy before promptly demanding that they be shipped out. Point being, Nellie says a lot of entertaining things before the season starts.

Golden Number: 9,025,614

As in dollars. That's a nice chunk of expiring contracts that Nellie and GM Larry Riley might be able to cash in on closer to the annual NBA trading deadline come February.

Brandan Wright

#32 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 210

Born: Oct 05, 1987

College: North Carolina

Injury Prone

INJURED.

Sorry, too easy.

But in all seriousness, a shoulder dislocation is one of those injuries that you can call being "injury prone." It does weaken the joint and lead to further injury if it is stressed by a big force - say, a big guy trying to block you. Now, I don't know how the "slap" happened in practice on Friday, but I'm assuming it was by someone bigger than him. (I think someone mentioned it being Anthony Randolph, but I don't know for sure.) Either way, it happened, and it shows that he does have recurring shoulder problems.

Now there's one obvious question that comes up - how did he get reinjured after bulking up? I'm no doctor, but two things pop in my head as a bioengineer.

Yes, he bulked up, but it might have been in a case of too much too fast. If you add a bunch of muscle quickly, you basically didn't do it naturally. It's pretty physically hard to toss on 10 pounds of muscle (or more) in a month without the use of steriods or a bunch of protein. He had a small frame prior to the extensive working out and it might not be able to support it all initially.

The injury at his shoulder joint never fully healed. If this is the case (which is pretty possible) little things (like a slap) would set it off. When you're doing muscle training and just trying to bulk up, if you're doing it properly (which he probably was because he had a trainer present), the shoulder muscles were isolated. This means abnormal movements or things that would aggravate the joint would not have occured in the muscle training, thus, it would be possible for him to add on pounds.

-- R Dizzle

Read the rest of Brandan Wright's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Brandan Wright Scouting Report

Strengths

Extremely efficient scorer
Inspector Gadget-like blocks
Low turnovers

Weaknesses

Soft rebounder and defender
Still looks fairly clueless more often than not on the court
Sadly... injury prone

Golden Number: 68.7%

The percentage of games Wright has racked up a DNP for whatever reason in his first 3 seasons in the league. (169 games missed/ 246 possible games)

Stephen Curry

#30 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-3

Weight: 185

Born: Mar 14, 1988

College: Davidson

Years in the making!

Let There Be Hope

Wrong Curry. But equally as exciting!

I would be remiss to not mention that if you have any percentage of South Asian blood in you, or if you just happen to like Indian food, go out and buy a Curry jersey. Long after this kid starts to average 25 ppg and goes to another team for $20 more because Rowell refuses to match the offer, a jersey that says "Curry" on the back will bring you endless joy. Also, discounts among Indian restaurants across the greater Bay Area. It's really the gift that keeps on giving.

-- Hash

Read the rest of Stephen Curry's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Stephen Curry Scouting Report

Strengths

Court vision and distributing the rock
Hoops IQ
Great attitude and willingness to learn and work hard from the best

Weaknesses

Shooting- believe it or not, but Curry has struggled mightily both from the field and long distance in the summer league, preseason, and practice. This doesn't mean he won't/ can't be a great NBA shooter someday, but don't expect much his rookie season in this department. Don't forget it took Steve Nash quite some time to post elite FG and 3pt percentages.
Guarding bigger and stronger players.
Questionable support from the vets on this team (not his fault of course)

Golden Number: 28.6

The number of points Curry averaged at the age of 20 while facing constant double and triple teams in college (admittedly against b-rate competition). Will he score like that in the pro's? Probably not, but that's undoubtedly intriguing.

Here's some bonus numbers for you-- Allen Iverson Age 20 vs. Stephen Curry Age 20

Monta Ellis

#8 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-3

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 26, 1985

College: None

Back in the Saddle

First the 2008/09 recap. One fine August day in Mississippi, 2008, Monta mounted his moped ...

OK, fast forward. One chilly January day in Oakland 2009, Monta returned from hoops purgatory. The season was already in the tank, spirits of Warrior Nation were low, and Monta's game didn't do much to raise them, initially. His first five games back from the DL, he looked nothing like the irresistible force we had last seen at the end of '07/08 doing a passable impersonation of Dwyane Wade. January '09 per game numbers: 29.8 min / 12.4 pts (.369 fg%) / 2.8 reb / 2.4 ast / 2.4 to.

In February things picked up -- a bit. 35.3 min / 14.0 pts (.414 fg%) / 4.1 reb / 3.0 ast / 2.5 to.

Then the ankle got cranky again, and the kid was shut down for a couple of weeks. Upon his second coming in mid-March ... lo and behold, he started to look a bit more like the Monta we knew and ... loved? 37.4 min / 23.5 pts (.493 fg%) / 4.5 reb / 4.4 ast / 2.8 to. And finally, to close out his season, a cherry of a game on top off the distinctly un-sundae-ish pile of suck that was the season as a whole: 42 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists.

Fast forward to the present. What to expect in 2009/10? Well, even if you attribute some of his '07/08 success to the elite distributive skills of Baron Davis, I don't see why we can't look at his last healthy stretch of play as a baseline. We have a tendency to forget just how good Monta was the second half of that season, pre- fat contract, pre-moped, pre-awkward dissembling, pre- breaking the hearts of Warrior Nation, pre- Stephen Golden Curry. To jog people's collective memory:

Feb '08 -- 40.2 min / 26.0 pts (.602 fg%) / 4.7 reb / 4.8 ast / 1.7 to

Mar '08 -- 41.4 min / 22.6 pts (.529 fg%) / 6.3 reb / 4.6 ast / 2.6 to

Apr '08 -- 38.3 min / 22.3 pts (.538 fg%) / 6.3 reb / 4.3 ast / 3.2 to

Unless you think the ankle injury has permanently sapped some of his explosiveness, I don't think it's unreasonable to imagine that Monta, at age 23/24, can be that guy again. Efficient scorer, sweet mid-range shooter, spectacular finisher, solid rebounder for his size ... Monta Monti Monté Montay Monteigh will always be those things. Still ... a few nagging questions persist:

-- Sleepy Freud

Read the rest of Monta Ellis' 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Monta Ellis Scouting Report

Strengths

Attacking the rim
Rebounding well for a smallish 2-guard
Running the one man fast break

Weaknesses

There's a reason Monta Ellis garnered so many votes for the 2008-2009 2008-2009 WDWY (Worst Defensive Warrior of the Year)
Court vision and too many turnovers
Sounding the least bit intelligent in interviews
Riding mopeds at "low speeds"

Golden Number: 57

The number of games Ellis missed last season thanks to Moped Gate after this franchise ran out the greatest backcourt show on the hardwood (Baron Davis and Jason Richardson) to foolishly build the team around a non-defending, undersized 2-guard with questionable maturity.

Corey Maggette

#50 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-6

Weight: 225

Born: Nov 12, 1979

College: Duke

The 6th Wonder of the Oracle

Like his heavy contract or not, it's tough to deny that Maggette isn't a offensive force. Last year Mags averaged 18.6 ppg, and 5.6 boards per game, a considerable contribution for our leading non-starter.

The issue with Mags is, is he capable of making a bid for more? Before the dabaucle that was media day, Nellie had already come out and said that Maggette will be starting the season in the role of 6th man again.

Corey Maggette will be the sixth man. If Curry starts, Ellis plays the 2; if Azubuike starts, Ellis plays point and Jackson plays the 2; if Morrow starts, Ellis plays point and Jackson plays 3; and if Wright starts, Randolph moves to the 3 and Jackson plays the 2.

That's a lot of options. All of which put Maggette at the six.

It's clear that Nellie is going to bring in his scoring capabilities when needed, but the priority this season will be building up the young guns to run this team. Poor Maggette. But then again, just because he's paid $9 million doesn't mean we're going to get $9 million worth of talent, right?

-- Hash

Read the rest of Corey Maggette's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Corey Maggette Scouting Report

Strengths

Miraculously getting "Michael Jordan" treatment from the refs nightly
Not only getting to the free throw line an astounding 8 times a game, but sinking over 80% of his free throws
Dope verses on the Snoop Dogg track produced by Dr. Dre "B*tch Please"

Weaknesses

Sharing the ball (1.8 apg : 2.4 to)
Staying healthy
Playing all that much defense which is pretty disappointing given his stunning physique

Golden Number: 3

The number of times Maggette has played over 70 games in a single season over the course of his 10 year NBA career.

Anthony Randolph

#4 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 205

Born: Jul 15, 1989

College: L-S-U

Hope Beyond the Hype

Randolph has certainly grown into the hype and hopes surrounding him. His name appears as the only real "untouchable" on the Warriors roster. His summer league performance indicates mostly that he significantly outclassed the competition, and he looks to build on the the success enjoyed at the end of last season in a bigger role this year. While he must continue to refine his shot and shot selection to be able to carry a greater portion of the offensive load and give the Warriors a real threat in the paint. He will need to reduce his fouls and show more defensive discipline as well. But there is every reason to believe this is possible. Nelson now says that Randolph turned his work ethic around and is now perhaps the team's hardest worker. With Wright now sidelined for somewhere between a few months and eternity, Randolph will have every chance to shine full time at PF, though in Nellie's offense that is predicated on versatility, he will have much opportunity to flash those skills that excited many early last year as well. As a 4 able to put the ball on the floor at times who is also a beast on the glass who can swat shots with authority. HOF potential like Lakers' versatile big man Lamar Odom suggests?

Let's not get so far ahead of ourselves. Odom also said that Randolph could shoot the three, of which there's yet no evidence. And while he did seem to find some success with a shot off the right elbow, outside of the paint, AR has a ways to go. His opening performance against the Clippers shows that his willingness to shoot -- 13 shots in 10 minutes -- may precede his ability to knock 'em down. The part of his offensive game that has worked has not been effectively all that different from that of front-court mates Andris Biedrins or the once again injured Wright. Wright, despite appearing to have fewer weapons upon which to draw, managed to both take and make more shots per minute on the floor. Randolph must show that his skills warrant getting him the ball in designed sets. There's still quite a bit of polishing that needs to be done before booking reservations to Springfield. But as long as he can clean the glass with the best of them, he should get opportunities to improve.

-- JAE

Read the rest of Anthony Randolph's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Anthony Randolph Scouting Report

Strengths

Serious hyperactivity on the glass and with the swatage
Work ethic (something you couldn't really say about rookie AR)
Some serious, serious, serious potential to get even a writer who despises endless and mythically bright Warriors youth movements (that would be me)... dream

Weaknesses

Out of control way too often leading to turnovers and poor decisions
Still very raw on offense
In-progress man-to-man defense

Golden Number: 4

How many months older Randolph is than rookie and budding superstar Blake Griffin. Interesting indeed.

C.J. Watson

#23 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-2

Weight: 175

Born: Apr 17, 1984

College: Tennessee

Storm-a-brewin'?

But jokes aside, Watson clearly didn't want to be here. As some reports note, with the glut of point guards, minutes might be hard to come by. Instead of going for the longer term stability that the Warriors offered (3 years at $5million), Watson took the one year qualifying offer of $1.05 million. He even rejected the Philly 1 year offer of $2.3 million.

All this is to say that with Watson's 2010 unrestricted status, next year's free-agent class - Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitski - just got more amazing (hehe...).

The other subtext is how bad are the Warriors that when guaranteed money is as hard to come by as it is in this economy, that people are more willing to opt for the "freedom of choice."

Anyway, back to CJ Watson. I'm impressed the Warriors showed some restraint and resigned him for some minimum dollars. For most of the season, he was a one trick pony. Score in bunches, do little else. And maybe that's just what was asked of him.

But in the last month of the season, when the Warriors starters were either resting up or out with injuries, Watson ended up, surprisingly averaged 17ppg, 5.5 asts, and 4 rbs a game. Stats-aside, Watson was probably one of the few ball-handlers on the team that could dribble proficiently with both hands. Although he often dribbled too much, you won't expect him to make a telegraphed pass Monta Ellis--style or to dribble into a triple team expecting-a-foul-only-to-get-stripped (see Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggete). And unlike all the rest of the Warriors, Watson actually makes his free throws!

-- DJ Fuzzy Logic

Read the rest of C.J. Watson's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

C.J. Watson Scouting Report

Strengths

Nice old school mid-range jumper
Sweet shot from downtown (40.0% 3pt last season)
Continuing Orlando Magic streak of Warriors fetishes (Andrew DeClerq, Adonal Foyle, Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes, and even Skip to My Lou)

Weaknesses

Being a point guard (2.7 apg : 1.2 to)
Not a physical force or strong rebounder
Provides ZERO resistance to penetrating guards

Golden Number: 15

The day in December when the Warriors can try to use Watson's $1 million expiring contract as part of a trade deal.

Mikki Moore

#33 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 7-0

Weight: 225

Born: Nov 04, 1975

College: Nebraska

Uh-oh.

Mikki Moore - Ronny Turiaf Sr.

In all fairness, and I'll be honest, I don't know much about Mikki Moore so he may be more than poster fodder for this upcoming season...

I also know that ESPN's player page has the pronunciation of his name in all caps: "MIKEY", not "Mickey". I think that explains why he's always screaming and yelling. He needs to be heard! From here on out, I will refer to him as MIKEY! and you can pretend I'm screaming it every time I write it.

I know MIKEY! signed for the veteran minimum, $825,497. Yup, half of what I make, sucka.

I know that MIKEY! is not going to contribute much to the Warriors championship run. He might help pour the champagne though.

-- Fantasy Junkie

Read the rest of Mikki Moore's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Mikki Moore Scouting Report

Strengths

Uncanny ability to drive Warriors fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Uncanny ability to drive opposing fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Stylin' hairdo

Weaknesses

Unimpressive rebound rate for a player billed as a "banger"
Unimpressive shot block rate for a player billed as a "banger"
ZERO upside

Golden Number: 11

The Golden State Warriors are the 11th stop for this NBA journeyman.

Ronny Turiaf

#21 / Center / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 250

Born: Jan 13, 1983

College: Gonzaga

Still Gettin' Hyphy

So Goofy.

What can I say? Ronny's just Ronny - and you gotta love him for that. He's not about to be an All Star any time soon, but who cares? He brings the fire every night and he does it with a huge smile. Coach Nelson and the rest of the teammates only speak great words about him and what he contributes.

Stephen Jackson used to be my favorite player, but as the drama continues, it's getting harder and harder to support him. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that Tender-Ronny is exactly what I enjoy about basketball players - hard-working, fun loving, and just happy to be there. Through the Youth Movement, he's never complained, never made trade demands, hell, I rarely hear his name in the Warriors Tabloids (trade rumors or other types of drama). He's exactly what we need for the Young Gunz and that makes me happy.

There aren't too many bright spots this year, but I'd put my money on Ronny Turiaf making this enjoyable.

-- R Dizzle

Read the rest of Ronny Turiaf's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Ronny Turiaf Scouting Report

Strengths

Uncanny ability to drive Warriors fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Uncanny ability to drive opposing fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Stylin' hairdo

Weaknesses

Unimpressive rebound rate for a player billed as a "banger"
Despite having a fantastic shot block rate, he's not as good of a man-to-man defender as you'd like
Shaky jumpshot

Golden Number: 3.6

Blocks per 36 minutes for Turiaf last season. It's like having Adonal in his prime-- with dreds!

Andris Biedrins

#15 / Center / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-11

Weight: 240

Born: Apr 02, 1986

College: None

The Forgotten Warrior

Whether you call it Nellie ball, small ball, or gimmick ball, Don Nelson uses his centers in a unique way. He simultaneously wants them crashing the boards and blocking shots, but doesn't want them plodding along or clogging up the middle. They need to be mobile and agile, with soft hands and good instincts. It's nice if they have a 10 foot jump shot or can pass from the high post, but their primary job is to stop penetration, secure the defensive rebound, start the break, and get down to the other end of the court to be in offensive rebounding position before the shot goes up (not always an easy task when the Warriors are going full throttle). No one has been better at this since Nelson first coached the Warriors than Andris Biedrins.

But Andris' outstanding play often gets overlooked because he's so foundational. He's not the focus of the offense, he just provides the stops and rebounds that allow the rest of the team to get out on the break. He's usually not the man streaking to the basket for a dunk, but it's often his screen that created the glimpse of daylight making the play possible. And Andris might not be getting many shots per game, but it's his offensive rebounds that give the other Warriors even more looks at the basket. When Andris goes down -- as he did with appendicitis two years ago and a variety of ailments last year -- opposing guards get closer to the rim, opposing big men get more second chance points, the Warriors take longer to start their breaks, the lanes to the basket collapse, and the second chance points dry up. The emergence of Anthony Randolph has helped take some of the pressure off Biedrins, but on far too many nights the Latvian and longest-tenured Warrior (along with Monta) still looks like Custer, making his last stand in the paint.

-- Adam

Read the rest of Andris Biedrins' 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Andris Biedrins Scouting Report

Strengths

Elite rebounder who brings it on the glass every night
Efficient scorer
Very crafty at sneaking close to the bucket for easy shots

Weaknesses

Soft defender who fouls too much
Hideous looking free throw stroke and jumpshot with hideous results (hide the children)
Probably maxed out his game at a young age with his limited game and athletic ability

Golden Number: 20

The number of games Biedrins missed last season. Was it a fluke or is Biedrins an injury concern this year?

Kelenna Azubuike

#7 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-5

Weight: 220

Born: Dec 16, 1983

College: Kentucky

The Price is Right

More importantly, Azubuike's efficiency was also up last season. See the graph below comparing 2008-09 to 2007-08: he knocked down a higher percentage of his field goals, 3-point shots (good for 4th-best in the league), and free throws, plus also drew more fouls--all leading to a higher True Shooting %.

Basketball-Reference.com has a statistic called Win Shares, which attempts to translate a player's total boxscore contributions over the course of a season into team wins. Azubuike recorded 4.1 win shares on the year--not a great absolute number, but good enough for 2nd place on a 29-win team (after Andris Biedrins). When you map win shares to salary, Azubuike and some of his low-priced teammates look even better:

Bottom line: the team performed better last year when Azubuike was playing. Opponents scored 3.3 points per 100 possessions fewer when he was on the floor, which is more than you can say for Stephen Jackson (as Tom Zillerpointed out last week). And Azubuike's raw +/- numbers landed him on Tim Kawakami's season honor roll.

-- Jason G

Read the rest of Kelenna Azubuike's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Kelenna Azubuike Scouting Report

Strengths

Vastly underrated 3pt shooter (44.8% 3pt last season)
Excellent rebounding for a swingman
Steady presence off the bench and fairly reliable spot starter

Weaknesses

Extremely poor court vision and overall assist rate
Not the fastest or quickest NBA player
Can disappear for long stretches once in awhile

Golden Number: 0

The number of games the Warriors won last season without Kaz.

**********

Shout out to my golden peoples (Fantasy Junkie, Hash, DJ Fuzzy Logic, R Dizzle, JAE, Tony.psd, Sleepy Freud, Adam, and Jason G) for making this meta-Micro-Warriornomics piece possible.

Wait did I just write "meta-Micro-Warriornomics"? Okay, that's probably not a word, but you get the point.

Stay tuned for Part II of the GSoM 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview-- Macro-Warriornomics!

Poll

Who will take home our annual 2009-2010 WDWY (Worst Defensive Warrior of the Year) "honors"?

Anthony Morrow

100 votes

Stephen Jackson

68 votes

Acie Law IV

30 votes

Speedy Claxton

53 votes

Devean George

66 votes

Brandan Wright

12 votes

Stephen Curry

116 votes

Monta Ellis

422 votes

Corey Maggette

209 votes

Anthony Randolph

10 votes

C.J. Watson

134 votes

Mikki Moore

93 votes

Ronny Turiaf

8 votes

Andris Biedrins

7 votes

Kelenna Azubuike

4 votes

1332 votes | Poll has closed

RECAP: Preseason Game #4- Golden State Warriors 104, Phoenix Suns 101- Chocolate Raining on Indian Wells

Atma Brother ONE — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:36:40 -0000

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

It's raining CHOCOLATE RAIN in the Indian Wells! (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

Browse more photos »

Preview/ Open Thread (1130+ Comments)

Final Box Score

Warrior Wonders are the for the regular season and playoffs (PLAYOFFS?!), but if I could hand out one for tonight's fantastic meaningless preseason win you know exactly who it would go to. The man we call Chocolate Rain and AMMO.

Jump for some links from around the web in this preseason mini-recap.

Suns Fall Short Against Warriors, 104-101 - Bright Side Of The Sun

Last night the Phoenix Suns lost to the Golden State Warriors 104-101 in a preseason game that was held outdoors in Indian Wells, CA. As with most preseason games, the outcome means little. And while any NBA game played outdoors means even less than one played indoors, I do think the Suns played pretty well last night.

Exhibition #4: Ws vs. Suns - Inside the Warriors - with Marcus Thompson

Morrow is clearly not impacted by the outside conditions. He was 6-for-10 from the field at the half. A few of his 3-pointers were of the net-didn’t-move variety. He caught fire in the fourth quarter. He scored 13. He was creating his own shot off the dribble. His pull-up, mid-range looked good. The dude can shoot like nobody’s business. He finished 11-for-21 with 30 points to go with six rebounds. Everyone else shot 39.7 percent from the field.

CURRY: "Anytime he gets any kind of open look, you expect it to go in."

MORROW: "You can’t really tell you’re outside. Such great weather. It’s warm. Not a lot of wind. … I work on my game every day. Not just catch and shoot."

Warriors 104 Suns 101 " Feltbot's Warriors Blog

Stephen Curry If Don Nelson, as has been rumored, sacrificed the Biedrins for Stoudemire trade — and if he sacrificed the continued committment to the Warriors of Stephen Jackson — and if he risked the disgruntlement of Monta Ellis — in order to draft Stephen Curry…

IT WAS STILL WORTH IT.

48 Minutes.net " (Exhibition) Game No. 4: Warriors vs. Suns, live

The one interesting thing Reggie Miller has said tonight (among a whole lot of hot air), was pointing out how Stephen Curry must learn to go to his right; teams scouting his preseason tapes will overplay him to his left in short order. My add: It’s similar to Monta’s inability to go left, something he has worked hard on over the years to correct.

Ellis, Curry are the same but different [Examiner]

Ellis' five assists Saturday came one five jump shots, including a Kelenna Azubuike 3-pointer. On Friday, when Ellis had eight assists, two came on 3-pointers and three others were on mid-range shots. Because Ellis likes to drive and dish, his assist numbers will often depend on how well his teammates are shooting. He may do everything right, but if Stephen Jackson, who was suspended for Saturday's game, _Morrow" class="sbn-auto-link">Anthony Morrow, Azubuike and even Curry aren't hitting shots, he won't be rewarded statistically.

Curry, meanwhile, may be shooting just 32.5 percent from the floor (14-of-43) in the preseason, but he's known as a perimeter marksman and will get defenders rushing at him to prevent open looks. If help defenders come off other perimeter shooters, Curry tends to make the extra pass to set up open shots, which go down much more frequently when there's no defender in sight. If the help comes from post defenders, Curry can find his big men down low for easy baskets. On Saturday, four of his seven assists were on layups or dunks -- the other three were on Morrow 3-pointers. On Friday, his eight assists broke down to three on layups or dunks, three on short-range jumpers and two on 3-pointers.

There's of course plenty of "Captain" Jack drama to cover (see the SBNation.com Story Stream about Stephen Jackson's suspension), but let's forget about that for a minute and enjoy this W and the rebirth of this fun Morrow poll (hopefully we'll be able to do this many times this season).

Watching the Dubs last night I sure didn't miss the "Captain". Did you? Maybe all we need is an extra spoon of curry.

Poll

How would you describe Anthony Morrow's 30 points off the bench on 11-21 FG, 4-8 3pt, and 4-4 FT against the Phoenix Suns on national TV?

ALL DAY BABY!

314 votes

HE'S ON FIRE!

75 votes

AMMO! AMMO! AMMO!

146 votes

CHOCOLATE RAIN!

232 votes

UNSTOPPABLE BABY!

156 votes

923 votes | Poll has closed

RUMOR: Stephen Jackson for Zydrunas Ilgauskas ($11.5 million expiring)

Atma Brother ONE — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:56:39 -0000

UPDATE 2 (2:22pm): There's more over at ESPN True Hoop-- Marc Stein: Stephen Jackson a Warrior, for Now

---------------------------

UPDATE ( 2:10pm): Despite my best sales pitch our cavalier-ing friends over at Fear the Sword are not amused: Big Z isn't going anywhere - Ilgauskas trade rumors make little sense

----------------------------

Well they sure do look like teammates here thanks to a little Funleavy Foto Fun by "Captain" Jack.

Jump for the 4-1-1!

GSoM friend Marcus Thompson writes Would You Trade Jax for Ilgauskas? over at CC Times blog Inside the Warriors:

One rumor I've heard lately is that the Warriors have talked with Cleveland about acquiring Zydrunas Ilgauskas from the Cavaliers.

This seems like a move the Warriors would love to make, which leads me to believe Cleveland either isn't that interested in Jackson (they did sign Anthony Parker and they have Delonte West at shooting guard already) or they want more in exchange for Ilgauskas' $11.5 million expiring contract.

It should be noted that this trade would NOT work straight up (see FAIL on ESPN Trade Machine). Devean George [Trade Successful] or Acie Law [Trade Successful] would have to be included. The trade would also work with Kelenna Azubuike, but Larry Riley's a sharp cat- he wouldn't unnecessarily give away a solid swingman with a great deal to make this trade happen. Maybe that's what it will take for the Cavs to swallow the 4 years on Jackson's contract though? C.J. Watson cannot be traded until December 15th. Regardless, the trade can't just be Jack for Big Z. Some other names need to be included.

For the Dubs: Great long term move, but a short term step back.

In the short run, this is another move that makes the team worse. Sure it will help the team open up more playing time for their younger players (read: players who haven't earned the PT yet) which many hardcore (meaning crazy) Warriors fans oddly keep fantasizing about. But make no mistake about it- Jackson is a quality pro on both offense and defense. Unfortunately (because this should never happen on an NBA team) he was last year and is currently the Warriors best player. In terms of offensive effiency he doesn't put up the gaudy numbers of Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis, but neither of those players are asked to do as much on offense and neither stack up with Jack on D.

But getting rid of Captain Turnover and the ludicrous remaining 4 years on his deal (thank you Robert Rowell!) so that the Warriors can potentially net $22.8 million in expiring contracts? (Actually it'd probably be a little less since it would take George or Law to make it happen.) Sign me up.

The issue again for the Warriors is are they actually going to use all these expiring deals to make a high impact trade. I doubt they actually cash in on those contracts, but it's worth a shot. Let's face it- no one wants to play with the Warriors unless they overpay or the player has no other viable options. But here's a rare situation where simply dumping a player's contract could be a move for the Warriors in the long term. If you think the situation is nightmarish with the Warriors lead "captain" right now, imagine in a year or two after the Warriors have continued their losing ways (or more correctly Chris Cohan's losing ways) and the team keeps getting younger with their influx of lottery picks. That's a toxic environment that's conducive to no one. Captain Technical will not be a happy camper.

In the short term, it's a big step back for the Warriors (meaning stepping back from 10th place in the West to maybe 12th), but it could be a little interesting giving Nellie Ilgauskas. Big Z is still a quality center with a nice J. At age 34 he's probably at the tail end of his career (it's remarkable he's lasted this long after all those early injuries- give him his props), but there could be some shades of Manute Bol hitting jumpers (though not 3's) for the 2009-2010 Warriors season. An inside-outside combo of Ilgauskas and Biedrins could be interesting- especially if the two could work on some sort of passing 2-man game.

As far as starters or even heavy minutes this could present an interesting lineup:

Small Backcourt + Big Frontcourt

PG: Stephen Curry- 6'3

SG: Monta Ellis- 6'3

SF: Anthony Randolph- 7'0

PF: Andris Biedrins- 6'11

C: Zyndrus Ilgauskas- 7'3

Off the bench there's still Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, etc. to give the Warriors some other looks in the backcourt.

For the Cavs: Great short term move, but questionable long term move.

Stephen Jackson is an excellent, excellent X-factor. There's no doubt about it. When he's not asked to be the captain or the #1/ #2 option he's a key cog in a winning squad (see WE BELIEVE + recent player recap and projection). Jack brings a very capable passer, 3pt shooter, and savvy vet (though not quite with the refs). When he wants to he can put out All-NBA Defense caliber results. The 2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers would a be great fit for him. Come to think of it- it's a great fit for anyone to play with King James.

Truth be told I'd be happy to see Jackson playing alongside LeBron James contending for a title. Against the Boston Celtics, Jack could focus on defending Paul Pierce so LeBron has more energy to be a 1-man show on offense or the best help defender ever seen. Same thing against Vince Carter on the Orlando Magic. Then imagine LeBron vs. Jack against Kobe and Ron-Ron in the 2010 NBA Finals. Plus the Shaq- Kobe how does his you know what taste?- drama storyline.

The problem is next year and beyond for the Cavs when LeBron James is in NY. They'd be stuck with a malcontent who would quickly wear out his welcome and demand a trade. But maybe the Cavs could trade him to New York at that point?

This is without a doubt the entire city of Cleveland's best chance at a professional sports titlte for quite some time (don't put your money on the Cleveland Browns). Trading an expensive backup center for the ultimate X-factor? They've got to make this move.

Also check out:

99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!

Poll

Put on your Cavs goggles for a second-- Should the Cleveland Cavaliers trade Zydrunas Ilgauskas' expiring contract for Stephen Jackson (+ Devean George or Acie Law or some other contract filler)?

YES- the Cavs should do it

889 votes

NO- bad move for the Cavs

304 votes

1193 votes | Poll has closed

RECAP: Preseason Game #1- Golden State Warriors 108, LA Clippers 101- Meaningless Fun W!

Atma Brother ONE — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:16:57 -0000

Clips guard Eric Gordon #10: "Man, Morrow is smoooooooooove!"

Final Box Score | SBNation Game Page | Clips Nation

GSoM Game Thread (860+ comments... for a preseason game? This place is Unstoppable Baby!)

GSoM make you wanna JUMP! JUMP!

Highlights

Warriors held 2010 Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin scoreless. Like Public Enemy- SHUT 'EM DOWN!
Anthony Morrow aka AMMO aka Chocolate Rain dropped 21 points in 25 minutes on 72.7% FG and 66.7% 3pt. Plus he managed to sprinkle in 3 dimes and 1 interception.
Kelenna Azubuike with 19 points and 10 boards and 1 swat.

Low-lights

Anthony Randolph went 3 for 13 from the field.
Monta's BFF Stephen Curry shot 2 for 10.
Nellie has good reason to believe Azubuike should be his starting center opening night.
Stephen Jackson got a technical foul for arguing with a replacement ref in a meaningless preseason game.

Wait did "Captain" Jack just call a tech on himself?

via d.yimg.com

Linkage

San Francisco Chronicle Warriors beat writer Rusty Simmons provided some great quarter-by-quarter analysis of the game:

Let me guess- Corey Maggette drew a foul here.

Morrow leads Warriors past Clippers [AP]

Stephen Curry(notes), the Warriors' first round pick, made his debut in the second quarter, recording six assists. He finished with nine and was 2-of-9 from the field.

"Anybody who plays with Curry is going to be the beneficiary of open looks," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "He sees the court so well. He doesn't look like it but he has quick hands and quick feet. He's going to be a special player someday."

Warriors "Captain" Monta Ellis was not available for comment.

Exhibition #1: Ws v. Clips - Inside the Warriors - with Marcus Thompson

I’ve heard in the rumor mill, from a few objective insiders, that Stephen Curry has been giving Monta the business in practice. Specifically, Curry’s been pulling and nailing mid-range jumpers at will. Undoubtedly, Monta has been returning the favor. But no one expects Curry to be able to guard Ellis. But it’s pretty interesting, I think so at least, that Curry is having his way with the starting point guard.

I will tell you one thing, Nellie is bubbling inside about Curry, and Sunday was a bit of evidence as to why.

One thing noticeable about Curry is that he sees the floor and he’s good at finding the open man. Add to that the threat of his stroke, and you’ve got a match-up problem. Him on the floor with Anthony Morrow gives defenses fits because they both get their shots off quickly, and Morrow forces the defense to spread out. CURRY: “I know where guys want the ball, which is something a point guard needs to know. Especially in our system, there’s a lot of movement, so knowing who to get the ball to in what position is something that will make us better.”

Boom Dizzle still loves the Bay: Golden State Warriors : Baron of the Bay

"There are great people in this organization and some of the most amazing fans in sports history," said Davis, who led the Warriors' upset of top-seeded Dallas in 2007. "There are a lot of people who love me for what I did for the Warriors. I'll always have love for this place. "Always."

More importantly as our colleague Matt Steinmetz uncovered The Beard is back!

Baron Davis Davis Says There's 'Something Brewing' in Clipperland -- NBA FanHouse

"I want to put the work in and I want to show people again," Davis said Sunday night before the Clippers-Warriors exhibition opener. "I don't want to talk about it, really. There's nothing for me to say. I grew my beard back. That's all you need to know." So, what does the beard mean? "You know what it means," Davis responded.

BOOMing at a Staples Center near you!

via d.yimg.com

Rookie Curry impresses in a hurry at point - San Jose Mercury News

But unfortunately for the Warriors, Curry can't play power forward. Wright's injury leaves the team with a noticeable hole at power forward. Wright was arguably the Warriors' best inside scorer, so a primarily jump-shooting team is even more in need of high-percentage offense.

Golden State could pursue a trade. But a team source said the Warriors would only give up their expiring contracts or take on a non-expiring contract if it was for a player they really wanted.

Poll

How would you describe Anthony Morrow's 21 points in 25 minutes on 72.7% FG and 66.7% 3pt tonight in the preseason opener?

ALL DAY BABY!

370 votes

HE'S ON FIRE!

70 votes

AMMO! AMMO! AMMO!

157 votes

CHOCOLATE RAIN!

191 votes

UNSTOPPABLE BABY!

176 votes

964 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation - Kelenna Azubuike

Game 20 Preview: Oklahoma City vs. Golden State

Who's going to win tonight?

RECAP: Warriors 118 Magic 126 - So much for my early XMas Present

1. Dwight and Marcin were in foul trouble.

2. Anthony Randolph was "different."

IT WAS GOING TO BE AN EARLY CHRISTMAS.

FICTION

1. He still can't crack a smile.

1. He's living up to his "potential."

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YOU DO THIS AGAIN!!!!

IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!! YAY!!

Which was a tougher loss this week?

GAME THREAD #19 - Warriors vs. Magic - Superman that..

FACTS

FICTION

Who is your favorite ex-Warrior on the Magic?

RECAP: Warriors 121, Knicks 107 - WESTSIDE til I Die!

Peep out my #1 brother's take on the whole situation (RUMOR: Golden State Warriors Head Coach Don Nelson on his way out)

Donnie Walsh and Isiah Thomas

Darko Milicic

CJ Watson

REST IN PEACE TUPAC SHAKUR AND CHRISTOPHER WALLACE

Which player is most like 2Pac?

Stephen Jackson

Monta Ellis

Kelenna Azubuike

C.J. Watson

Anthony Randolph

Corey Maggette

Andris Biedrins

Kentucky Basketball: A Season to Embrace

RECAP: Warriors 146, Timberwolves 105 - There's no I in TEAM

Can we play the Timberwolves for 82 games?

T.E.A.M. - the acronym for success

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Will the Warriors win more than 25 games?

Yes, more than 25 wins

No, 25 wins or less

Micro-Warriornomics :: GSoM's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview (Part 1 of 2)

Micro-Warriornomics: It takes 15!

Golden State Warriors Roster

Anthony Morrow #22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors Height:6-5 Weight:210 Born:Sep 27, 1985 College:Georgia Tech

#22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Anthony Morrow Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

#1 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Stephen Jackson Scouting Report

Strengths

#2 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

#10 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

#19 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Acie Law/ Speedy Claxton/ Devean George Scouting Report

Golden Number: 9,025,614

#32 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

INJURED.

Brandan Wright Scouting Report

Strengths

#30 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

#8 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Monta Ellis Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 57

#50 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Corey Maggette Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 3

#4 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Anthony Randolph Scouting Report

Strengths

#23 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

C.J. Watson Scouting Report

Strengths

Golden Number: 15

Anthony Morrow

#22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height:6-5

Weight:210

Born:Sep 27, 1985

College:Georgia Tech