Last night Curry was hammered driving to the hoop with about 48 seconds left in the game.  Being a blowout the refs were holding their whistles a bit, but the lack of a foul call on that play was outright scary.

Curry was obviously hurt, potentially injured, and the refs seemed to be more interested in ending the game than applying the rules and protecting the players.

1 day after the 60 minutes interview I am shocked any ref had the balls to no call something like that, let alone all 3 refs.  I expected a long list of complaints by the time I logged in here this morning including a petition to be sent to the league offices.

That was the type of foul that hasnt been allowed since the Detroit "Bad Boys" were shut down and disbanded.

Imagine the implications that would have had for our season if Curry was really injured.  The Warriors would have been reduced to D League status with all the injuries and a ton of pissed season ticket holders wondering why they paid so much to watch sub par basketball.

This deserves some major discussion and pressure on the league to control the refs and level the playing field.

I believe 100% that the refs are not impartial overseers.  The calls are inconsistent at best. They are not only changing the outcome of games and playign God with the future of the franchises, but they are also puting the future of these players in danger.

What would a guy like CJ Watson do if he was hammered on a lay up because those calls arent made during blowouts? CJ breaks a vertebrae in his back and on a 1 year contract is out in the cold next year with no way to make a living in the sport he has dedicated himself to. 

I am livid and utterly disappointed

Looking for some D-League experts to weigh in here....I have been wondering how many guys who get a shot in the D-League get bounced out for personality issues rather than lack of talent.

The news about Nate Miles wasnt a surprise. He sexually assaults a woman and violates the restraining order, all the while being treated like basketball royalty.  I have to assume this told him it doesnt matter how he acts as long as he keeps scoring.

This got me wondering how many times playes have come in with good hoops IQ and talent, but not had the emotional intelligence to make it.  I see this as far more likely in the D League than in the NBA because if you have obvious NBA level talent teams will find a way to deal with your personality flaws (Ron Artest anyone?)

If I was a D League coach, I wouldnt put up with sh*t from players. Nothing hurts a locker room more than a spoiled a-hole or a guy that is so irrational he can barely function. No amount of talent will make that team right, and there is way too little room of error in the D League already.

Maybe I am wrong, though,  and you guys know tons of players who are a wreck but played for years.

Over at Daily Dojo writer Joshua James quoted some info yesterday that applies directly to what we are seeing with JAX and Monta. I think Fear The Beard was on the right track, but this sounds exactly like what we are dealing with.

“The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which “people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it”.[1] The unskilled therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their own ability as above average, much higher than actuality; by contrast the highly skilled underrate their abilities, suffering from illusory inferiority. This leads to a perverse result where less competent people will rate their own ability higher than relatively more competent people. It also explains why actual competence may weaken self-confidence because competent individuals falsely assume that others have an equivalent understanding. “Thus, the miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others.”[1]”

In layman’s terms, people who don’t really know what they’re doing tend to believe that they’re much better at it than they actually are … and people who do know what they’re doing tend to think they’re not as good as they actually are.

http://writerjoshuajames.com/dailydojo/?p=1558

JAX and Monta have had some great moments.  I will not deny that. But neither is a player a team should, or can, build around....neither is an All Star caliber player....neither knows how to be a leader....neither one knows it.

You have to wonder if they would have reached this point if they spent the meat of their playing years in Detroit or LA (or San Antonio?!) with really great players and coaches.  The Warriors have been in a state of disarray for so long that they had to treat these two guys like saviors instead of like the role players they are. These two players may not be able to function properly anywhere now except on other decrepit teams.

I fear they may be facing a premature demise soon like Allen Iverson because no team can figure out how to use them despite an uncanny amount of talent.  I wouldnt wish that on anyone (except Cohan and Rowell...ok maybe Sarah Palin too).

Anyone think there is a way to save Monta? Considering how few years you get in this league, I fear he is a lost cause already.

Let's say we dump Nellie and bring in someone who is dedicated to the triangle....we have seen flashes of how good the team is when they are passing and moving with a purpose on offense. 

Morrow & Buike would have more chances to catch the ball ready to shoot

Monta & Curry would have better lanes to play triple threat from

JAX & Maggette would know who to pass the ball to when they dont have a GOOD shot

Randolph would benefit from the additional discipline

There are college teams who are running the triangle system successfully now, so my initial thoughts that a young team would struggle are waning.

I also think that having purpose on offense will make the defense better.  They wont be so frustrated getting back on D.

There are other offensive schemes out there, but I have not seen another one that allows high scoring teams who do not run/gun  to have open shots so often.

This post is not meant to say let's do it this year, just what are your thoughts on running this offensive scheme with this group of players.

Did anyone read this article from ESPN.com?

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/7054/memo-to-a-young-baller

It basically kisses Kevin Durant's butt and criticizes him sharply at the same time. The points that are made are 100% valid however, and the whole article reminds me of the Warriors due to the level of talent mixed with youth and lack of experience.

I basically think OKC's issues boil down to Durant being so far better than anyone else on his team for the last 2 years that the coaches let him run wild on the floor (reminiscent of LeBron in CLEV).  To compound the issue, Durant loves to run wild because he is so damn good at it, adn his teammates love to watch. When Durant is off the floor, they are forced to actually coach and run fundamentally sound plays in order to accomplish anything.

I can see this being a huge problem for the Warriors with Nellie out of the picture. He has the balls to sit young players and/or hold them on a short leash even if they have a lot of talent. Can you image Randolph playing for OKC last year?  He would have played 45 minutes per game while creating 100 highlight videos, but he and Durant would never have played a pock and roll properly (on offense or defense), and OKC would have had the same losing record. Everyone would have been confused as to why.

If Jackson falls apart, or is traded for what boils down to 2010 cap space, we will be dangerously close to this even with Nellie at the helm.  He will be forced to play a lot of talented youth, and let them try to win games based on talent rather than on fundamental B-ball. 

-Monta will play no defense and try to score too often

-Randolph will be as out of control as he was last year thinking he has to do it all, forgetting that slowing himself down slilghtly would be perfect

-Morrow will shoot every time he touches the ball, then be benched

-Curry will end up supremely confused about what to do at the point and have little progress to draw on for his sophmore year

-Maggette will shoot too soon or try to get fouled every time he touches the ball and he wont play any defense when the calls dont go his way (even more than now).

This "Memo to a Young Baller" needs to be mandatory reading and discussion material for our team. Fundamentally sound basketball and teamwork will serve us far better than constant highlight reel moves and one on one play that leave you with a 50% chance of success.  Fundamental basketball doesnt mean you can't run and be fun to watch.  It just means that you admit there is a right way to do everything, and you give up the highlight move when there is a strong opportunity to run a play.

   We have talked about the merits of all the Warriors players until our fingers and eyes are bleeding.  The one thing we can all agree on is that we have a core of very talented players on the Warriors, who under the right conditions, are all valuable pieces.  Maybe even crucial championship pieces when taken individually on the right team.

   When we look at the team as a whole, we have big problems though, and I am wondering more than ever if Monta is the problem.

   Monta is a great offensive player and a slighlty below average defensive player.  We get caught up in his offensive production and the attention he draws from opposing defenders because it is exciting, and you need that insane offensive threat on every team.

   We have now moved into the era of trying to make Monta be a point guard, though, and the more I think about it, the more I see this as a mistake.  The Warriors have talked about trading just about everyone else on the team because the bigs dont rebound enough or score enough, the small forwards arent strong on defense or rebounding, the others play in between positions are are just flawed in some way regardless of position.

   Monta has not been shopped too much, if at all,  because he has been the one consistently super talented player over the last few years. That amount of super talent however is not necesarily doing us any good.  We only got to the playoffs when we finally had a solid point guard.

   The best evidence for the value of a true point guard in the NBA came last season when Denver acquired Chauncy Billups.  You would not associate Billups with the word exciting, but he has delivered a missing factor to Denver in his leadership, facilitation, position defense, and ability to turn on the offense as needed.  These are crucial qualities in the absence of a Jordan/LeBron type player whose talent takes over every other factor in a game.

   The second best arguement for finding a talented point guard above all else arrived in the form of Chris Paul.  Since he has joined the Hornets he has steadily improved as a point guard - not just as a player or scorer - and they have not improved at any other position, yet they have become a perrennial playoff team.  He facilitiates the offense, is a threat on offense himself, has leadership qualitieis, and plays solid defense for his position.

   For a point guard, Monta is not under-sized (heck, Paul is 3 inches shorter) so moving him to this position eliminates that negative factor.  I dont doubt that Monta can develop some PG skills and mindset, and he can improve his defense if he decides he wants to, but here is the big problem with this experiment...

     While we wait for Monta to become an All Star point guard Biedrins' best years will pass by, and Curry-Radolph-Morrow will never learn how to play to their true potential.  They will be struggling while Monta is struggling instead of developing while we have an anchor at the floor general position.  Biedrins is not a great center due to his lack of a shot which is why he will get shopped around as long as a Bosh or Amare are potentially available. You cannot have good guys playing at both the PG and C positions at the same time and win anything. Yes we can be exciting, but we have been there and done that, lets move on.

     Monta is our most valuable trade option besides Randolph if he is 100% back from injury.  His talent is clouding our vision of this team's future and we should trade him for a solid point guard right now so that we can see what we really have in the other young guys. I couldnt tell you who is available right now on the trade market, but I have to think if we suddenly offered Monta and Wright as a package deal, we would have more interest from around the league than the Warriors front office could handle.  If we throw in the expiring contracts from our recent acquisitions the pot becomes even sweeter.

     So the question is, why would you all want to hold on Monta even if it meant stunting the development of the other younger players? Why would we hold onto Monta knowing we will never win a championship with this team and that the player most lilke him in the NBA - Allen Iverson - was never able to take his team to the promise land either after causing the same type of confusion with his talent in the front office of his respective clubs?  Why would you hold onto Monta knowing the right point guard could take us to the playoffs right now?

    The promises his talent has shown us are mirages.  They seem nice now, but you never really get anywhere.

The Flights of Fancy post got me thinking...we have a lot of season ticket holders here either as occassional readers or active posters.  We have had innumerable discussions on the Front Office, Team, Treatment of Season Ticket Holders, Future of our Players, etc...and the consensus seems to be negative, or hopeful with no trust in the organization.

I am extremely interested to know how many renewed their season tickets and why if you are inclined to respond.

I was really on the fence about buying season tickets last year and decided not to because the product really doesnt warrant the expense when I can see the games on TV in high def.  This year I am very excited about seeing our young players, but have even less faith that the club is going in the right direction with the failed attempts to lure in a big name player to anchor the young team.  Another year, same old same old.

I truly bleed Warriors blood, but in this economy there are too many other things above season tickets on my priority list.

Check out this article from espn.com

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-43-69/Your-Second-Favorite-Team.html

The Warriors get a lot of love and it really got me thinking.  I have been trying to come up with a second favorite team for a long time.  I really enjoy the mess that is the Clippers, and when we beat them it is that much sweeter to have your favorite beat the number 2, in conference.

But, from a pure love of the game perspective, I am really torn.  I love watching LeBron play.  He is totally unique not only in today's game, but as a historical figure in the NBA the same way Pistol Pete or Big O were when you watch the reruns on espnclassic...but I hate the Cavs as a team. So far, the team has really let LeBron down and not been fun to watch.  I enjoy Chris Paul, but same thing, the rest of the team does not deliver.  Utah is consistenly good and entertaining, but I hate them almost as much as the Lakers, and that will never change.

When the Warriors are not on, I dont think I am a hoops fan anymore.  I am so thoroughly filled with Warriors blood after 30 years as a fan that I cannot even consider really rooting for another team.  I lose interest during the playoffs and spend more time on the court myself....and find myself turning more and more to other sports where I dont have such an emotional attachment and can watch from a love of the sport standpoint.

Is it possible that after so many years of ups and downs with our crazy ass team, that I have passed over the standard fan threshhold into the realm of complete lunacy? When I watch two other teams play I want them both to lose even though I know it isnt possible.

Anyone else with me on this or are you able to just switch over and root for one of our NBA enemies?

Considering the NBA play of Morrow and Buike last year, and the fact that we have had 2 years of media-hyped, solid NCAA play from Curry to review, I think it is reasonable to expect that the Warriors will have three players in the NBA top 5 for 3 point shooting at the All Star break.

A lot of teams have had the potential for two.  I can't think of another team who has ever had a legitmate chance at three, so please jump in if you have the memory for it. 

Curry is a big "if" right now, but I think he will earn a decent amount of playing time based on his collegiate play, draft position, summer performance, and pedigree, and it will be easier for him to get 3pt shot off than do anything else as a rookie.  Everyone knows he can shoot, so he will be guarded, but finishing inside and distributing the ball are much more difficult than finding his spot and catching/shooting.

Here are last year's stats for each player:

                   3PM-A                   3P%

Azibuike     94-210               0.448     4th in league at year end

Morrow      86-184                0.467     Lead the league

Curry          130-336             0.387     5th in NCAA at year end based on made 3pters

The NBA has no responsibility to select anyone for the 3pt shootout based on their performance.  We all watched the Dubs get egregiously snubbed last year so they could select based on a mysterious agenda. But let's say these three lead the league at the break and have made enough shots to meet the volume requirements.

Would the NBA dare to completely diss our team again?

What should our reaction be if that takes place?

I would not be surprised if they ignore 1 or 2 of the guys if they are sent to the Frosh/Soph game. The NBA considers any amount of participation in the weekend to be so amazing that players should kiss Stern's feet for simply being allowed in, but I find the 3pt Shootout to be far more prestigious, especially when you have earned a spot by out-performing your peers. Not to mention way more people watch it than watch the rookie game.

As an NBA fan, I would rather have the drama of the league's best shooters competing against each other, even if several participants are from the same team.  The NBA could hype that up as a dominant shooting team with players who are seeking to show each other who the man really is.  They can pretend like they hate each other during the contest and talk mad trash to make it interesting for the casual fan.

Is that crazy?

With the likely signing of Gortat, the Mavs are said to be dangling the expiring contract of Eric Dampier in front of a lot of teams.

When I read that on NBA.com today my heart sank and I started remembering all the missed lay-ups and dumb fouls Dampier brought to the team in years passed.

I am on the verge of tears typing this and thinking he could end up a Warrior again somehow based on that comment that the Warriors need some Beef in the line-up.

Please tell me this cannot happen!  There is no scenario where bringing him in is a good thing which is exactly why it could potentially happen as Cohan's last poke at the Warriors fans he hates so much.