Golden State Warriors (20-32) at Minnesota Timberwolves (25-30)

Tip-off: 5:00 pm PST

TV: CSN Bay Area (HD) | Radio: KNBR1050

Blog Buddy: Canis Hoopus

With the current state of the Warriors, Dubs fans are coping in a variety of ways. Many have turned the standings upside down as they actively root for the Warriors to lose in hopes of holding on to their first round draft pick, while others have let hoops apathy take hold and have begun to look elsewhere for their nightly entertainment. Now I must admit that I have been lending my support to the Pistons, Nets and Kings when I can catch them on League Pass, but I'm still not entirely comfortable actively rooting for the loss while my Dubs push hard against teams like the Lakers and Grizzlies. So, instead of pulling for the other team I've made myself a little list of things to look out for as the season goes on. There is still plenty to learn about this team as they close out the season. Jump to see a few of the things I'll be keeping an eye on.

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The official report from the Golden State Warriors is that Stephen Curry will sit out the next two weeks while he continues to rehab his injured ankle. After this two week period it is presumed he will be reevaluated, and possibly cleared to play. But let's be honest, in recent days it seems as though Warriors fans have been more focused on the loss column, and the sliver of hope that the team may keep its first round draft pick, than they have been on the actual quality of play on the court. And it looks like they may not be the only ones. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that management may have some reservations about putting him back on the court this season.

Doctors will re-examine Curry at the end of the two weeks to discuss clearing him for a return, but league sources say that the Warriors may not be inclined to bring him back this season. Nevertheless, Curry is pushing for the chance to return to the court, sources said.

Golden State management wants to protect the young point guard’s ankle, but also are trying to hold onto a 2012 first-round draft pick that will belong to the Utah Jazz unless the Warriors finish with the seventh or higher spot in the draft. Essentially, the Warriors are willing to tank games down the stretch to assure themselves the best possible chance of keeping the pick that they traded away.

We may see some tension build as Curry's competitive nature and his personal financial future drive him to return this season, while the franchise as a whole would clearly stand to benefit from him taking the rest of the season off. So the question presents itself: Would you, as Warriors fans, prefer to get one more look at a healthy Curry this season, or let him sit in hopes that the losses pile up while his ankle continues to get healthy for next season.

Ahh... That feels better.

Honestly, I never really understood all the hate that Dunleavy got from Warriors fans during and after his time in the Bay, but on a night that was more about emotion than basketball I thought I'd let myself indulge a bit. Truth time: I was a fan of the trade, but it was hard to see Monta Ellis in a Milwaukee Buck uniform tonight. It was hard to see Steph Curry and Andrew Bogut in street clothes on the bench, knowing I'd have to wait until next season to see what this team was capable of. It was hard to watch Mike Dunleavy bury the already wounded Warriors in the fourth quarter. It was hard to listen to Bob Fitzgerald... but hey, it's always hard to listen to Bob Fitzgerald. Jump for some more emotional responses.

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If there is a game left in this season that demands your full attention, this is it. As if it hasn't been strange enough for Warriors fans to see Monta Ellis - a player that has provided them with nearly seven seasons of breathtaking plays while displaying the heart of a Warrior - traded away, tonight he returns to the Oracle in a Milwaukee bucks jersey. I imagine this will feel a bit like showing up at a restaurant to find the girl you broke up with three days ago cuddling in a booth with her new beau, and to make matters worse, you are dining alone because the girl you dumped her for is recovering from breaking her ankle while going up to block a shot against the Houston Rockets. Okay, my analogy is clearly breaking down, so let's hit the jump to see what to watch for in tonight's game.

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One of the definitions of maturity is the ability to delay gratification. Today the Warriors pulled the trigger on a move sending away fan-favorite, high scoring, highlight producing Monta Ellis for a legit defensive presence at center who might not even play again this season in Andrew Bogut. If you buy into that definition of maturity, then this was a grown man move by Joe Lacob and the Warriors front office. So far the fan reaction has been mostly negative from what I've seen, but the Warriors have decided to take the short-term PR hit from the fans for what they believe will be in the best interest of the long-term health of the franchise. I for one am glad to see the front office shift their focus from short-term goals, like scratching and clawing their way to an 8th seed, to long-term goals like the future of the center spot on this roster, and maybe even keeping this years lottery pick. Say it with me! "MATURITY!"

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Game Links | Blog Buddy: Sactown Royalty

On a night where the Warriors pre-game meeting started off with the news that the team's leading scorer and best defender had been traded the game itself may have become an afterthought to most Warriors fans. Well, the remaining Warriors went out on the floor and put the focus back on the game of basketball by trouncing the Kings 115-89. Jump for some surprising game notes.

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Final Box Score | Preview/ GameThread | Links

Blog Buddy: Liberty Ballers

Maybe it's just an overload from the nonstop all-day media coverage of the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game, or maybe it was watching the Warriors offense evaporate in the second half, but I just don't want to talk about scoring at all right now. I just don't care if Monta Ellis and David Lee keep putting up 20 a night if they continue to set the tone on the defensive end of the floor by doing their best matador impersonation. Well, maybe that could lead to effective defense if they ever move past the part where they use the red cape to dodge the bull and get to the part where they start shoving swords into it until it dies. Great, now I feel sick to my stomach... Hit the jump so we can change the subject.

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After an All Star Weekend that served to remind Dubs fans of their place in the NBA universe, we were welcomed back to the wild world of Warriors basketball with a less than inspiring 102-78 beat down at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. So, what now? No time to rest and let the sting of that loss set in, because the Warriors are off to Atlanta to face another not-quite-powerhouse Eastern Conference team. So let's take a quick break from fantasizing about a long-term romance between Dwight Howard and Joe Lacob to take a brief look at tonight's match up.

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Warriors fans know that going into Denver and walking away with a win hasn't been an easy task in recent memory, but thanks to some key Nugget injuries the Dubs had an opportunity to make it five losses in a row for Denver, and they took advantage. Thanks to some impressive performances from Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and others, this one was basically a blow out until Mark Jackson sent in all the young pups late in the fourth quarter and watched them let most of the big lead slip away. Hit the Jump for some Quarter Notes and tonight's Warrior Wonder.

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For the second time this week the Warriors faced off with their Nor-Cal rivals(?) the Sacramento Kings, and for the second time this week the fate of the team was in the hands of the second unit, while the starters looked on from the bench in the fourth quarter. The subs came through again making up for a poor third quarter from the starters with a fourth quarter push to force overtime. Unfortunately, by riding the second unit hard in the fourth and leaving the starters to get cold and stiff on the bench Coach Jackson had painted himself into somewhat of a corner when faced with an overtime period. The team fell apart in OT and the Kings walked away with the crown in the intense battle of the irrelevant NBA franchises in northern California. Hit the jump for a big picture breakdown of this game, and a look at Mark Jackson's handling of the rotations.

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Final Box Score | GameThread (1030+ comments) | Links

We all knew beating the Thunder would be a tall order, but despite getting crushed on the boards and at the free throw line, the Warriors were somehow able to hang around until OKC shut the door in the fourth quarter. We all know what they did wrong, but I don't want to start my weekend by beating a dead horse, so jump to take a look at what the Warriors did right. Yes, this will be a short recap...

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Golden State Warriors (5-8) vs New Jersey Nets (3-11)

TV: CSN Bay Area (HD) / Radio: KTCT 1050

Tip-Off: 4:30 pm PST

Blog Buddy: NetsDaily

After a horrendously ugly game in Charlotte, somehow the Warriors have put themselves in position to head home with a winning record on this road trip. All it took was David Lee being possessed by the ghost of Wilt Chaimberlain (hmm... I wonder if his post game activities have been equally effected. Is he now on the road to 10,000?). Jump for the good news, and the bad news.

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Final Box Score | GameThread (470+ comments) | Links

On a weekend where the nation's eyes were on the NFL, the Warriors were busy taking a basketball tour of Charlotte and Detroit. On their second stop in as many nights they managed to pick up a nice souvenir. Mark Jackson and his team finally put it together for 48 minutes away from the energy of the Oracle to secure their first road win of the season! But can they keep it rolling into Cleveland and New Jersey? Jump for some observations from tonight's game, and...

Don't forget to grab your tickets to GSoM Night 11!!!!!

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Final Box Score | GameThread (1710+ comments) | Links

Now that's what I call a basketball game!! It's been a mixed bag for Warriors fans so far this season, but when you get to experience a game like this one it's hard to complain. The Dubs came into tonight on a five game losing skid, without their star point guard, and looking across the court at an 8-1 team that boasts the best player on the planet, a banged up but capable D-Wade, and a resurgent Chris Bosh. It would take herculean efforts from multiple Warriors to even make this game competitive. Lucky for us, we saw so many special performances that the only hard part of my duties tonight is picking who gets to be our Warrior Wonder... Jump to find out.

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Final Box Score | GameThread (830+ comments) | Links

Everything about this game was almost, but not quite. Coming off a four game slide, and looking ahead to home games against the Heat and Magic before playing four road games in five nights, this was as close to a must win as it gets this early in the season. Unfortunately, in tonight's game for every critical defensive stop there was a blown layup, and for every clutch three there was a turnover. When it was all said and done the lack of execution left the Warriors one point shy of the win. Hit the jump to take a closer look.

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It's a new year, and a time for new beginnings. Does anyone really want to spend time talking about this stinker of a game? I say we look ahead, and put a positive spin on a less than positive night for the Warriors. Hit us up with a Warriors related new year's wish, and a new year's resolution in the comments section.

If you feel like you really, really must revisit this game feel free to hit the jump for some ug-ug-ugly game notes.

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Tip-Off: 6:00pm PST

TV: CSN Bay Area HD | Radio: KNBR 680

Blog Buddy: Liberty Ballers | Q&A with Mike Levin

Tonight the Golden State Warriors hope to ring in the new year on the Liberty Bell (the Sixers do bring that with them when they play on the road, right?). Unfortunately Monta Ellis is expected to miss tonight's game to be at home with his family after recently losing his grandmother. While Monta takes some time to deal with things more important than basketball, there is some good news on the court for the Warriors: Steph Curry is expected to return tonight!

Hit the jump for an update on Curry's ankle and a very early look at how this team stacks up in this very young season. In case that sentence wasn't enough of a disclaimer... WARNING: VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZES AHEAD!!

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It's quite early, but after two preseason games and two regular season games, I must say that I like what I'm seeing. On paper you'd think that when a team has the same starting five from one year to the next there shouldn't be much mystery, but I feel like I'm watching a whole new team. With the new coaching staff and the overhaul of the bench, these look like some very different Warriors. Jump for some game notes, and some quick thoughts on this team's newly emerging identity.

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Tip-Off: 7:30pm PST

TV: CSN Bay Area (HD) | Radio: KNBR 680

Blog Buddy: Blog a Bull

Derrick Rose is coming off a huge Christmas day game against the Lakers where he nailed the game winner in the final seconds. With both teams on the wrong end of a back to back, will late game heroics be necessary, or will the fourth quarter get away from the Dubs like it did last night? Jump for some hopes and expectations...

Our man PMC is at the game with some press credentials, so hit him up on Twitter at @poormanscommish with any questions you'd like him to ask the Warriors or Bulls.

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Final Box Score | Preview/ GameThread (1130+ comments) | Links | Sactown Royalty

Let's cut straight to the point. As much as we've been looking forward to watching the dubs play, and getting a look at some of the new faces on the team, none of this was supposed to matter. Unfortunately when Stephen Curry when down with yet another ankle sprain in the first half, this insignificant preseason game against the Sacramento Kings became very relevant. This injury really casts a dark shadow over the promise of opening the season on Christmas Day, and the teams hopes for success early on in the season. The actual act of rolling the ankle didn't look all that bad, but you could tell by Curry's reaction that he was in lots of pain, and the sight of him leaving Sactown on crutches certainly doesn't inspire confidence for a speedy recover. We still don't know how serious the injury is though, so until we do let's all hope that this is just a small bump in the road for the franchise's most important player. In the mean time, hit the jump for some player evaluations and game notes from tonight's action!

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Tip-Off: 7:00pm PST

TV: CSN CA (HD) | Radio: KTCT 1050

Blog Buddy: Sactown Royalty

After months of waiting, nay, jonesing for Warriors basketball, we finally got a taste on Saturday night as our Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 107 - 96. It was a nice way to begin the preseason, but just a couple days later and a quick bus ride upstate, the Warriors find themselves at the end of preseason. Yep, with just one game left Mark Jackson and his coaching staff have the small task of putting the finishing touches on implementing their new offensive and defensive systems, getting their starters in game shape, introducing newly acquired players into the mix, playing the end-of-the-benchers enough to make final roster decisions, and... um... what am I forgetting? Oh, yeah, a win would be nice too. No problem, right?

UPDATE:

To clear up some confusion I've bumped the original article and earlier updates below the jump, and we'll keep you posted on the latest on Jordan here on the front page.

DeAndre Jordan has signed a 4 year, $43 million offer sheet with Golden State, agent Greg Lawrence tells Y!

Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter

Looks like it's a done deal. Now we sit and wait to see what the Clippers will do. They will have three days to match if they so choose.

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Nene, Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan... Our hopes at upgrading the center position through free agency are drying up before our eyes. The latest reports have the Warriors scraping their pennies together to sign DeAndre Jordan to an offer sheet that will likely be matched by the Clippers, unless of course we completely overpay for him. We aren't the only ones hearing all the rumors involving the future of the center position on this team. Andris Biedrins has been hearing them too. It seems like the harsh reality is starting to set in among Warriors fans, and for the 25 year old Latvian alike, that the team's best chance to improve at the center spot might come from Andris himself. The proof will have to show up on the court, but for the time being a confident, honest, and surprisingly upbeat Andris Biedrins is certainly a good start.

At some point it makes you a little bit stronger, that they start looking for somebody else, and you say "No, no way." I can prove to them that I'm better than those guys they are looking for. Now is my chance. Last two years were horrible for me, and I know that. Everybody knows that.

It's going to take a lot more than good training camp sound bites for Warriors fans to get behind Andris though. His on court production has fallen off a cliff the last two seasons, and his play has been hard to watch at times. Maybe more so for those of us who defended Andris and his $9 mil per year contract from '07 to '09. I still want to see him succeed, but I'm not holding my breath, and Warriors management shouldn't be either. Jump for more video, and check out Marcus Thompson's article on Andris for the CC Times.

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Let's face it, the off-season is usually the most exciting time of year for a Warriors fan. This is our chance to dream of how things might be different next year, and concoct all kinds of unlikely scenarios that might bring us an All-Star through free agency or a blockbuster trade. This year is a little different, in that we haven't had much reason to use our imagination, as each day of this lockout shortened off-season seems to bring a new rumor about the Warriors front office acting aggressively to acquire the best talent available. The most recent news, as reported by Chris Broussard Marc Stein of ESPN, is that the Hornets may be looking to move Chris Paul, and our very own Warriors are on the short list of likely suitors:

The Clippers and Warriors, sources say, are the Hornets' preferred trade partners, but both California teams have hesitations because they want to be sure that Paul is committed to stay before surrendering some of the prized assets that New Orleans is chasing.

When you combine this with the Warriors being mentioned as a possible destination for most of the top free agent big men, you have to start to wonder if the Warriors are going to finally deliver the kind of bold move they've been promising since Joe Lacob and company took over. Jump for a quick rumor round-up and more analysis.

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