GSoM Interviews with Deadspin and Utah Jazz Blog

GSoM should associate with that blog anymore. I have never seen such biased/unfair claims on a game in any blog before. They are totally demonizing Al, Jrich, and Baron in their post game recaps of Game 4. I know Baron displayed SLIGHT poor sportsmanship; but honestly.... the opinions expressed by the writer can influence and mislead plenty of readers, that might not know as much about the game, into thinking that the Warriors are just a band of "thugs" when they are far from that.

When JET shoved Baron to the ground in the Dallas series, Atma Bro and CO. didn't set out to demonize JET in their recaps.

It just seems like the writer is an uptight conservative who can't stand the fact that the Warriors even dare to flagrantly foul the Jazz. And that the Warriors should be praising the Jazz for their well executed game and invite the Jazz to taste some wine and cheese after the game or something. It's like the guy has never seen playoff basketball from the 80s before.

    * What was your first thought when you heard you'd be playing the Jazz? What concept or opinion did you have of the Jazz as a team and how has it changed thus far?

Honestly, I was pretty pissed. Not only was Houston the better matchup, but we knew we could beat them. With Utah, I hate to say it but the story was different. Much different. I won't say I was or still for that matter am scared of Utah, but we knew that they were our worst nightmare. We knew they were going to murder us on the boards. It was Davey vs. Goliath part two, and he just beat Goliath 4 days prior.

    * Break down the huge mid-season trade for the Warriors. What did you think about it at the time, and how do you feel about it now?

   I went absolutely nutty. It's one thing to trade away one of the scars on our franchise, but to trade two in one fell swoop was amazing. Not to mention that I absolutely love Stephen Jackson. So while everyone else was sitting there with the notion that this could backfire for us, I was sitting here with the notion that Jackson would bring some much needed experience to this team.

* Which player or players on the Jazz have surprised or scared you with their play? Who don't you fear?

Without a doubt in my mind, Boozer. The guy has tortured us. There are about 3 games the Jazz probably would not have won without him. He kills us on the boards, he bangs us around offensively. He's our cryptonite. With that being said, I think the man needs to get some Proactiv.

    * What similarities do you see between the Jazz and the Warriors? What differences?

The only similarities I see is at the point guard position. Give Deron four or 5 years, and he might be what Baron Davis is. He's strong, and he can muscle past people for a clear take to the basket.  Say what you want, but not many point guards can do it. Give it up to baron for perfecting the art, because people are starting to take heed in the NBA.

    * Describe the merits of "Nellie-ball." How does the style of play make the Warriors more dangerous? What effect does this style have on the fans?

What effect does Nellie-Ball have on the fans? Ask the 15,000 Season ticket holders who bought them just to see them warriors in the playoffs. The beauty of Nellie-Ball is that it's a gamble from the tip off to the closing buzzer. You win some, you lose some. Come out hot or go home.

    * Oakland has long relished its bad boy image, with the A's and Raiders as well as the Warriors. Where does this come from, and how is it reflected in the current Warriors team?

Well to be honest, I have never once picture the A's as "bad boys." so, I don't know what to say on that. The Warriors got that swagger because of one thing in my opinion: team chemistry. You tell me about a team in the NBA that chooses to hang out together in their off time. You might find a few players that like to chill, but the entire team? That's unheard of.

     * Describe Stephen Jackson's role on the Warriors, as well as his reputation around the league. Is his reputation justified?

Well, I'll argue to the death that his thug rep isn't justified. I can see why people would draw that conclusion, but he's just a player that is down for his teammates no matter what happens. You have to respect that. That being said, I think he was crucial to us getting to the playoffs. He's been there, he knows whats up. He's pretty much the only guy on the team that has a ring, so you know he knows what it takes, and I think the team respects that.

     * Oracle Arena has only recently come into the national conversation as a tough place to play. What sets Oracle apart from the EnergySolutions Arena, Arco Arena or other tough road venues?

Right now, it's just that the fans are hungry. Even the new fans are getting up at the ROARACLE. I honestly feel like it will die down during the regular season, but everything came together and now it's just on 'til the break of dawn. Expect the ROARACLE to be a tough place to play in the playoffs for years to come.

...the Warriors "thugs." I think that term is pretty misleading and has gang-related and racist connotations that don't apply here.

Read on in that post on utahjazzblog.net for my comments on things. I do consider it poor sportsmanship on Baron and J-Rich's part, but I'm not sure Memo should have been trying for the dunk there either.

I think, aside from no foul being called on Baron, that the in-game calls on those fouls were more or less correct. No real malice, just very hard fouls. They got their flagrants, the Jazz got the win, and we move on.

Please don't let a knee-jerk reaction after the game dissuade you from our site. I think all Jazz fans were really upset at the time, but taking a step back (and reading Fisher and Okur's comments about the fouls) puts things in perspective a little.

towards their team, aren't they?  That is what makes them a fan.  It's being able to convey your feelings on the team without going over-board that shows class from lack of.

please do not associate yourselves with that lame ass blog.  those recaps are horrible, from the pimple faced type of fans i'd deck if i had to sit next to him.  hey shums or whatever, why can't you get some real BASKETBALL FANS to write for that weak blog rather than your whiny ass fans that probably couldn't even shoot a decent jumper himself?  seriously, they are so lame.

I will be the first to tell you I love to watch basektball.  I have watched the Jazz most of my life.  But you know if they win it all or lose the next 3 to the Warriors.  Boozer, Williams, Fisher all go home.  They go to there million dollars homes while driving there nice sports cars.  While I still go to work the next day paying the same bills as before.  So to be honest its not that big of a deal when it comes to my life.

    * What was your first thought when you heard you'd be playing the Jazz? What concept or opinion did you have of the Jazz as a team and how has it changed thus far?

-I was a little unhappy, as I felt the Rockets would pose as an easier matchup for the Warriors.  The Jazz, like many NBA teams, are a better half-court team than Golden State.  The problem they pose for GSW, is that they can also get out and run.  Most teams either hurt the Warriors in the paint but get blown out in transition, or hold with our run-and-gun pace, but don't punish us inside. Utah can do both.  I knew Boozer and Williams were good players, but they have really surprised me this series.

    * Break down the huge mid-season trade for the Warriors. What did you think about it at the time, and how do you feel about it now?

-I could not have been happier.  The only negative thing out of this trade, is we may have lost 2 rebounds a game.  But what I saw when the trade was made was this: We had two players, Murphy and Dunleavy, who were wonderful in theory, poor in execution.  Dunleavy could supposedly do it all, and be a point forward.  Murphy was a big guy who could hit the 3, run and finish, and also rebound, exactly what Nellie needed. However, they lacked in execution, and failed to bring what they should have to the Arena each night.  In return for them, we got 2 players with the exact same upside...only they actually performed.  And we got rid of 2 horrendous contracts, leaving room to (knock on wood) re-sign Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins.

That's what I saw at the time. Little did I know just how good Jackson could be, or how much passion these guys played with, or how much camraderie they would bring to this team.

    * Which player or players on the Jazz have surprised or scared you with their play? Who don't you fear?

- Boozer and Williams.  Boozer has the strength, skill, and heart to absolutely dominate.  You know he'll get his 20-10, but you have to realize he's a threat for 40-20.  I loved him at Duke, and I apart from this series, I've loved him this season. He's really a fantastic player.  And Williams has been incredible...he's like a mini-Baron Davis, and the fact that he's outplayed Baron for a portion of this series says something about him. This kid is special.  Obviously, Fisher has been clutch in the playoffs, something we never got to see in Oakland.  Okur doesn't impress me too much, but he scares the hell out of you in the last few minutes of a game.

    * What similarities do you see between the Jazz and the Warriors? What differences?

-Well the main difference is the Warriors live for fast-break layups and 3-pointers, whereas the Jazz live for post-ups, offensive rebounds, and easy buckets.  Defensively, the Jazz go for blocked shots, while the Warriors go for deflections.  They are very different ball-clubs, but like I said, Utah has the advantage in that it can also run with the Warriors, whereas Golden State can't pound with the bigger, stronger Jazz players.

    * Describe the merits of "Nellie-ball." How does the style of play make the Warriors more dangerous? What effect does this style have on the fans?

-There are many ways it makes them dangerous. As a defender, you have to know that whoever you are guarding can score.  You have to have speed and stamina to keep up with their fast-tempo. As a fan, it's much more exciting to watch a team run up the court, passing back and forth, and ending in an alley-oop, than to say, watch San Antonio's Tony Parker dribble off the shot clock, then pass to Duncan for a hook shot.

    * Oakland has long relished its bad boy image, with the A's and Raiders as well as the Warriors. Where does this come from, and how is it reflected in the current Warriors team?

-I don't know where it originated, but Oakland itself has more of a bad-boy image than, say San Francisco or Sacramento.  The Warriors, with Murphleavy didn't used to fit into that image, but the addition of Stephen Jackson has really helped that. :)

    * Describe Stephen Jackson's role on the Warriors, as well as his reputation around the league. Is his reputation justified?

-SJax has been so crucial to this team. Looking back, I would easily have traded Dunleavy and Murphy for Jackson alone, let alone him and Harrington.  What makes Stephen special for this team, is his play-making ability.  You can give him the ball and trust that you're going to score. Before he came to the Bay, Baron Davis was the Warriors only playmaker...having both of them is a dual threat, and allows Baron to post up and isolate more often.  Jackson brings a little bit of everything to the table; like I said, he's what Nellie wanted Dunleavy to be. He passes, rebounds a little, scores, and is a terrific defender.  Also, although some don't like his bad-boy image, his emotion has brought a lot of passion, heart, and soul to the Warriors.  The whole team feeds off of his energy.

    * Oracle Arena has only recently come into the national conversation as a tough place to play. What sets Oracle apart from the EnergySolutions Arena, Arco Arena or other tough road venues?

-One of the main things is, the Warriors made the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. They have as good, and dedicated fans as any in the NBA, and couple that with an Arena jam-packed with playoff-deprived fans...it's a scary combination for the opposition.
For instance, I'm not a Jazz fan, but I can easily remember Stockton and Malone running that flawless pick-and-roll against the Bulls in the NBA finals.  However, I was 1 year old the last time the Warriors won a playoff series.  It's that that brings out that extra emotion in the fans. Warriors fans go to 11, so to speak.

Bill Simmons has some disheartening comments on the Oracle crowd during the Jazz series. "Will from Oakland" confirms:  

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons

What do you all think?