I am extremely confident

by Number22Drew on Nov 7, 2007 2:01 PM PST Comment 46 comments

I know the Warriors are off to an 0-4 start. I know they've played some crappy games and lost a couple that they really should have won (Clippers, Cavaliers). However, I am really confident about this team. I just think the Warriors have so many offensive weapons, and I think they'll get their team defense together. I actually think they're a much better team this year. I mean Al has gotten much better. Azubuike is stepping up. I think Ellis is going to be a better scorer this year. I mean think about why the Warriors haven't won yet this year. Their team defense hasn't been there, they're getting handled in the paint, and Baron Davis has been making some bad decisions. However, with time I think their team defense will step up, they'll still get outrebounded, but I think they'll improve there, and I think Davis will start making better decisions with the ball. I don't even expect them to win on Thursday, but I think they'll be alright. I would still love a solid big man, but I believe this team is too explosive offensively to not put it together soon. Does anyone else share this feeling of confidence?

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

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Hell Yes

Does anyone else share this feeling of confidence?

Yes! People always over-react to the first few games of the season. But I have a feeling we're in the minority here until the Warriors get a nice win under their belt.

It's almost like the Warriors have 6 guys out there... they always have a guy open! - Jon Barry commentating game 3 last year

by gsw4life on Nov 7, 2007 2:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

this has been Warriors basketball for years now

It's always a roller coaster season. I think that if you look up during the past couple of years, the Warriors are one of, if not the best team during the final month of the NBA. Last year was taken to the next level, but almost every year Warriors were up and down (mostly down) until they get hot for the last month or so and have the fans wanting for more.

So, if I know the Warriors well enough. Things will get better at some point. How much better, we don't know. But I always felt the Warriors are in the worst possible position of a franchise. We don't suck so bad to warrant the top pick of the draft. Yet, at best we're barely a playoff team. I used the team barely loosely as out of the 8 possible playoff spots, six of them are already reserved.

by lightz0ut on Nov 7, 2007 2:18 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

i do

-last game Nellie used just 7 man rotation

i think Jax1 gonna change picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQACa4ATBoY

by Lat We N Trash on Nov 7, 2007 2:27 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

asdf

That's the best webpin I've ever seen bro.

by J Rich 4 MVP on Nov 7, 2007 4:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

ghjk

thanx
-it was pretty hard to draw with touch pad

by Lat We N Trash on Nov 8, 2007 12:44 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nice webpin

haha.. i love the tattoos as scribbles

by ilubthedubs on Nov 8, 2007 11:15 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

clogging the middle

In the games that I've seen this year, it seems like opponents are successfully clogging the middle and when the warriors are defending the basket, they look like thin twiggy skeletons. I hope Brandon Wright beefs up fast.

Also, I think Monte is great. His speed to the basket is unbelievable and he was starting to really hit his outside shots against Cleveland. My main concern is that because of his daring penetration, he frequently ends up sprawled-out on the floor and I know A.I. is the popular comparison, but there aren't too many players that have taken the beating Iverson has over the past 5-10 years. I just hope Ellis holds up.

by candlestickkid on Nov 7, 2007 2:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

2-2

With Jackson in our lineup I think we would be 2-2 right now. Unfortunately he's not in our lineup so we are 0-4. I don't stress it too hard though, we've played some tough teams so far (except for LAC, I was convinced we would stop them and instead we made Kaman look like KG), but as long as we can squeak out 2 wins without Stephen I'll be happy. Where those two wins will come from I'm not entirely sure. Hopefully a big inspirational win tomorrow night against Dallas, and then we work the Clips over at home on the 16th. I'll take 2-5, 0-7 is a disaster.

"Oooh, watch yo biceps Buk, watch yo biceps Bukie."

by tobin on Nov 7, 2007 2:55 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Me too!

I do feel this confidence, especially after last nights game. Despite having our poor moments and our mental lapses, improvement on the Warriors front is surely showing. Now it is time to get all the pieces of this erratic puzzle and glue them together. Al is coming into his own, Kaz has shown some promise, and Monta is hopefully starting to return to last years form after last night. Jax might be that glue, but hopefully something can formulate before his return, this way, when he comes back we have already turned away the hinderance of the early seaon.

Hopefully the energy is going to regenerate tomorrow night against Dallas and the Dubz can bring back that playoff mentality. It's going to be difficult, but definately not unachievable. They need to be more of a team on both sides of the court and not dependant or insistent that a HERO can solve all their problems.

by lyricalgenius on Nov 7, 2007 3:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Word!

Right on dog! I am new to blogging and I was getting so disgusted with all the negative comments about our Dubs, even two games into the season. Thanks for the positive diary! Keep it coming. Obviously you have been a Warrior Fan for a long time, as I have myself!

by Baron the Messiah on Nov 7, 2007 3:16 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

This is our best basketball in years

I would love to see another playoff run, but honestly, this is the best ball we have seen in over a decade. I will be happy if every game is as fun to watch and competitive as last night vs. the Cavs.

We have entered a new era of warriors hoops here, I am going to enjoy it for what it is. PLayoffs will be a bonus

Dammit Dampier!

by attatt on Nov 7, 2007 4:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Confidence in what?

I keep hearing variations on the refrain "we'll be alright." Would one of the Polyannas care to elaborate on that? Obviously, we're not as bad as the 0-4 start would indicate, but what's "alright"? Does anyone actually think we have a shot at improving on last year's showing? We may be a playoff bubble team again, but that bubble lis looking pretty precarious with the blossoming of the Hornets...

CP3 > BD
Chandler > Biedrins
West, Peja, Rasual et al. = Harrington, Jax, Barnes et al.

Odds of our making the playoffs after an 0-5 start: 50/50, at best.

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 5:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Before we give up

I've been a Warriors fan since the early 90s and even through the tough years of their recent past, I would always try to look on the brightside of things. Not everything should be a negative because it's not. You may be right and we just might be a bubble team at best, but there is still the possibility we become more than that. We are only 4 games into this brand new season, give it some time.

by lyricalgenius on Nov 7, 2007 7:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

We are gonna

beat Dallas tomorrow. Oracle's gonna be loud as he**! We gonna stick it to Barkley!

Ballin

by ballin on Nov 7, 2007 6:05 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I appreciate the optimism

But would you bet money on it -- even money? If so, let me refer to you to a good financial advisor...

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 7:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

let me in

as well. i'd confidently put my own money on dallas

by AJC3317 on Nov 7, 2007 8:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd put my $$ on a TIE...

...in minutes played.

THIS IS OOOAKLAND!!!

by Tim N Chris Burger on Nov 7, 2007 8:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

lawl

by AJC3317 on Nov 7, 2007 9:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

outside of better defense

they need baron & monta to make better decisions - especially to take less jumpers and pick up more assists (dubs getting out assisted about 30-22 each game) and they need biedrins to stop turning the ball over.

i think the reasoning behind the optimism is how good
(1)al has looked good on both ends(should of kept feeding him against the cavs),
(2)kelenna too(despite his injury),
(3)jax's return of course - they just don't seem tough w/o him,
(4)once they aren't thinking so much out there, the rookies will get better,
(5)pietrus will help us once he's back in the 8th man role that he was in last year,
(6)we only saw one game, but croshere will eventually help our bench,
(7)pob can give them 5 min of D a game - should use that time to play marco as well. hopefully, 10 by seasons end.

by the evil monkey on Nov 7, 2007 7:15 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

look

if Baron plays as selfishly as he has all season, the warriors may as well kiss this season goodbye. The warriors have no inside presence (obvious) which doesn't allow any perimeter guy to get open. And what are the warriors? A PERIMETER TEAM. The unfortunate thing about this is that the warriors are a terrible, i repeat TERRIBLE outside shooting team.

Baron? mediocre, hot/cold
Monta? More off than on.
Barnes? Fluke year last year.
MP? Good for 2 threes a game, but THAT's it.
Jax? See Baron.
Al? See Baron and Jax.

What i'm saying is that during our hot streak and playoff wins, we were extremely hot from the perimeter. We even shared the ball a lot better. This year the guys have been cold, there has been no ball movement, and no desire to play defense. Plus we're not a SMART defensive team either with all the coverage we blow and men we leave wide open.

The problem starts with Davis. He directly affects our game for the positive or negative (again obvious). It seems like he is putting the onus on himself to score. Rightfully so i believe, its just his shot selection shoots us out of the game. I think a trust factor does go into play as well. The offense stagnates because at all times we only have one playmaker out there, and that is Baron. No one else can create for themselves without turning the ball over.

We saw this last night when Baron shot a long fadaway from the corner in which he dominated the ball. Poor shot selection, no trust in his teammates. But i don't think that's totally his fault either. His teammates haven't been firing on all cylinders either.

What IS BARON's fault is not recognizing the hot man. Al yesterday and Azuibuke the game before that. Baron should stick to what he does best, which is playmaking, and slashing to the basket. Baron for his career is a terrible percentage shooter.

The worst thing that can happen is not being a bad team. Its being a mediocre team. A team that wins 33-40 games does nothing to help the team. Not good enough to make the playoffs, and not bad enough for a good pick. If we start the first 20 games 5-15, i'm going back to TANK mode.

Warriors, Stupidest franchise in the league.

by kenntoe on Nov 7, 2007 8:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yup

There's two main ways to create offense (possibly a 3rd):

Dribble penetration

Post presence

We don't have the post guy, obviously, and all of our dribble penetration without Jack comes from Baron, since Ellis isn't a distributor yet.

Azubuike might be able to do it, but he'd need more touches to prove it.

The third way would be through perfectly executed offensive schemes like Chicago...and even then, it leaves you prone to long stretches of scoring ineptitude.

Questions? Complaints?

(AIM: JetForze; email: Jon.d.ma@gmail.com)

by OptionZero on Nov 7, 2007 8:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

asdfghjkl;'

me not no dat. dank u four xpoorayning da obveeus.

by the evil monkey on Nov 7, 2007 8:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

btw

reread, i was trying to point to "the reasoning behind the optimism". or put another way, "my thoughts on why other ppl seem so confident". personally, i share no such confidence in a small team that doesn't defend well. i've been here for awhile now and though the basketball knowledge is, for the most part, fairly decent, reading comprehension on this site is...lacking.

by the evil monkey on Nov 7, 2007 8:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You know, there are quite few posters here

whose 1st language isn't english.

Don't be so hard on them. At least they're trying.:P

THIS IS OOOAKLAND!!!

by Tim N Chris Burger on Nov 7, 2007 8:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

heh

i don't know if it would offend those whose 1st language isn't english, but i wasn't even including them. you can usually spot them fairly easily...

by the evil monkey on Nov 7, 2007 9:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jason

i didn't say you were wrong.

Hey, i'm a warrior fan so i'm naturally pessimistic.

Warriors, Stupidest franchise in the league.

by kenntoe on Nov 7, 2007 9:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

"i'm a warrior fan

so i'm naturally pessimistic."

LOL! man, i feel ya

I hope you don't mind me using that for my sig tag ;)

by Anomaly on Nov 7, 2007 9:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

anomaly

not at all man. go ahead. haha.

Warriors, Stupidest franchise in the league.

by kenntoe on Nov 7, 2007 10:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nawh

i know you didn't, i was responding more towards being mistaken as being "extremely confident". i actually agree w/ your baron assessment and don't think it was pessimistic, just the reality. if you go through my past comments i say as much. what's perhaps pessimistic is even if baron plays up to par, the team still might not make the playoffs in the west.

by the evil monkey on Nov 7, 2007 10:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

shoulda-woulda-coulda

it's BS

we're 0-4 cuz we SHOULD be 0-4 because we can't beat Brand-less Clippers

anyone who thinks we "should" have beat the Cavs missed a good road win by a well-balanced team

by hardcore on Nov 7, 2007 8:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Warriors

Sleepy, yes I would bet money on it. Kenntoe, I agree with you about Davis needing to feed it to the hot man. It infuriated me last night seeing Harrington tearing it up, but then not getting the ball enough. I do think he'll be more of a distributor as the season wears on and he starts to trust his teammates more. However, Barnes is not a fluke. He played well last night and IMO is not getting enough playing time. I honestly think we're a 6th or 7th seeded team as is, but I don't think we're going to get better without more of a solid inside presence. Lets hope for another awesome midseason trade.

by Number22Drew on Nov 7, 2007 8:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Um, sure

You'd put money on it just for fun, in the same way you'd put money on 13 black on a roulette wheel.

I'm asking you to put down your house, your car, your firstborn, a wild night of passion with Jessica Alba -- whatever you care most about in this world -- on one team or the other.

If you're still saying "Warriors," without Jax and likely without Barnes, I seriously worry about your decision-making skills...

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 10:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I've pledged allegiance to the Dubs

since the days of Run TMC. But damn, it's hard to share the unbridled confidence in this team; maybe it's the years of conditioning not to get too hyped; who knows

I'm not sold on all these reasons why the Dubs are/will be better primarily because they view the Dubs in a bubble - not in relation to the league; they don't take into account that other teams have also gotten better and/or are firing on all cylinders

As far as I know they haven't added additional brackets to the Playoffs and our competition for those few choice spots are all rollin'; meanwhile we struggle to find ourselves. By the time when and if we do? It just might be too late

I want them to win. I want them to ANNIHILATE every team they play, at Oracle or on the road. At season's end, I'll continue to rock my retro J-Rich jersey proudly regardless of their record

But until this '07-08 roster starts throwing together 5-6 game win streaks consistently, I just can't have reckless abandon, unjustified confidence in them

Heck, at this point, even 2-3 game winning streaks will do. Once bitten, twice shy I guess

by Anomaly on Nov 7, 2007 9:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Sigh

I agree totally -- I think your webpin pretty much sums up the way a lot of us are feeling right now...

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 10:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm holding off

on this one:

and hopefully I'll never have to use it...

"Hey, i'm a warrior fan so i'm naturally pessimistic." - Kenntoe

by Anomaly on Nov 7, 2007 11:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

To Sleepy

But I wouldn't bet those things on anything. I'm not a fool. If those are your standards for making an actual bet, then I wouldn't bet on any team in the NBA.

by Number22Drew on Nov 7, 2007 11:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

OK then, hypothetically

The third option -- i.e. not betting -- means instant, painful death. Imagine I'm a sadistic nazi like that guy in the Sophie's Choice. Is zee choice becoming clearer now?... Herr Nowitzki, nein?...

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 11:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Plus...

what am I betting on. All I'm saying is that the Warriors are a legit 6/7 team, but no better as of now. I'm not claiming they're an elite NBA team nor have I ever. I just see so much promise in this team, and it makes me confident.

by Number22Drew on Nov 7, 2007 11:16 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

See above

We're not talking about the whole season, just this one game tomorrow. You're betting everything you have on either the Mavs or the Warriors. You keep saying the Warriors. And I keep not believing you... ;-)

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 11:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Edit

Looking back, I see it was ballin', not you, who made the initial Warriors prediction in the Mavs game. My bad. Evidently you thought I was replying to your initial post. This discussion would be a lot less confusing if you distinguished between replying to specific posts and replying to the main diary.

Also, no one, other than maybe BlueNgoldBlood (hmm, where is that dude these days?) ever posited that the Ws were an "elite team." The debate is basically where on the playoff bubble we'll end up. I think 6th seed is pretty much top of the range for us, with #8-10 most likely. Overall, I'd say this 0-4 start has put our chances of making the playoffs at slightly less than 50%, but I defnitely don't rule out our catching fire à la last season...

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 7, 2007 11:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

oh...

my bad

by Number22Drew on Nov 8, 2007 1:08 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ownage is ownage...

...as Krukow so eloquently puts it. Add that to the fact that the Warriors are starving for a win, the home crowd will be amped to see the Mavs, and that Dirk uses no-more-tears shampoo.

I'd say it's fairly obvious that the Warriors will beat the Mavs tonight. This is the exact team we need to face right now. A great team, but one we know we can beat, at home. Let's turn this season around!

by GameSix on Nov 8, 2007 6:40 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

'fairly obvious'

i appreciate your optimism man ;)

for me? it seems more like Rocky IV - did you see that movie? the one where a roided-up Drago 86's Apollo then Rock's gotta go to Russia to fight?

well, Mavs are Drago and Warriors are Rocky - only this time, he's fighting with his left hand tied behind the back. Remember - he's a southpaw...

anyway, hope you're more right than me ;)

"Hey, i'm a warrior fan so i'm naturally pessimistic." - Kenntoe

by Anomaly on Nov 8, 2007 8:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm getting my 0-5 blog post material ready...

It seems like half the roster is questionable 4 the game. It might end up being the total opposite of the last reg. season game against thed Mavs. =P

THIS IS OOOAKLAND!!!

by Tim N Chris Burger on Nov 8, 2007 8:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Win or lose...

Im just stoked 2 be at the roaracle arena! I haven't been to a game since opening nightand it was fun. The atmosphere- the people... basketball! I'm hyoed 2 be there and so should you. (If you're goin')

It's always...

at the "Roaracle!"