RECAP: Warriors 102, Hornets 108 – Good Effort

Beaten by 7 year olds. Sigh, it's been a long season
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The Warriors almost won. Does that count for something? This is loss number 21, 7th in a row, 11th in the last 12 games with the one win coming against the Nets. So here's what we've established - the Warriors are better than the Nets and Timberwolves. Like I wrote in the preview, this is looking like the 1999 19 win season.
But wait! If you think the losing is bad now, close your eyes, the next opponents are Phoenix (18-11), Boston (22-5), @Lakers (23-4), @Portland (19-12), and then @Denver (20-9). Are any of those 5 teams going to slip up and lose to the Warriors? I don't think so. So we're looking at 12 straight losses. The game after Denver is @Minnesota. That's the best chance the Warriors have of winning but it's on the back end of a back to back and the very last game of a 5 game road trip. Won't be easy. I'm sure Minnesota is looking forward to that game as well since it's just one of very few they have a shot at winning.
If you think it's ugly now, just wait. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Why does David West look like he's smiling?
Tonight's game saw the beginning of what will hopefully be some more minutes for Anthony Randolph. 36 whopping minutes! And he rewarded the team with 8 blocks, 6 of them in the first quarter. Glad to see him being more active in the paint. It's about time! He still had a poor shooting game (5-14) which is nothing new, but at least he was active in the paint. If he keeps that up and works on not shooting the ball outside of 5 feet, he'll get back to the success he had at the end of last year. Keep playing the young guy Nellie!
I think tonight's loss really exemplifies how badly injuries are hurting the Warriors this year. The Warriors got essentially nothing from the bench tonight while the Hornets played 11 guys, all 5 starters scored in double digits, and 3 of the 6 bench guys had 8 points. Distributed scoring, distributed minutes. Only David West and Chris Paul played more than 30 minutes.
Hornets bench = 90 minutes, 40 points
Warriors "bench" = 34 minutes, 11 points
Then you look at our bench.
Vladimir Radmanovic may well have not even played. 10 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound, -19 plus/minus. If not for being one of a few healthy bodies, he'd most likely be getting DNP-CD's.
The other bench player, Anthony Morrow, had 10 points and 3 boards in 24 minutes. On a tangent, I'm glad to see Morrow is producing something again. Maybe not at the pace he was before, but in the games after he had to attend the funeral, he did not play well. These last 2 games we've seen him score in double digits and shoot 4-9 from the field. Is he back to where he was before? No, but at least it looks like he's getting his mind right again. The Warriors need him back.
Chris Hunter, DNP-CD.
The Warriors just aren't going to win many games, especially on the back end of a back to back, without quality minutes from the bench. Monta cannot play 48 minutes, Curry cannot play 47 minutes, and CJ should not play 37 minutes. That's just too much. But there's really no other choice if Vlad and Morrow don't start stepping it up.

Nellie resorted to the macarena and some sexy belly dancing to distract the Hornets.
When will Biedrins and Turiaf get back? This team will continue to get murdered on the glass until some more big bodies can get in the game. The Hornets had 14 more rebounds. Okafor had 9 offensive rebounds which helped the Hornets net 12 more shots than the Warriors. That was a big difference right there. Those extra shots kept the Hornets' possessions alive allowing them continual second and third chance points.
Speaking of rebounding though, I have to give props to Corey Maggette and Stephen Curry. They both had 10 rebounds. If not for their efforts on the boards, that rebounding differential would have been even worse and the Warriors would have had no shot at winning. Curry even had 7 assists and 17 points for a near triple double while Maggette chipped in with 22 points on 8-12 shooting.

Julian forgot this is basketball, not football. You don't need to tackle.
The starters played quite well tonight and just ran out of gas tonight. The Hornets didn't blow the Warriors away in any one quarter, they just beat them by a little each quarter. Overall, it was a good effort, the Warriors just don't have enough healthy bodies to win a game against a better team.

Monta Ellis. Kept the Warriors in the game with his high percentage scoring - 35 points on 15-26 shooting. The 5 assists and 4 steals are a nice bonus. But all these nice games are coming in losses. When are we going to win?

2 recs |
22 comments
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Comments
I'm going out on a limb
and predicting that if Biedrins and Turiaf really come back in the next game, the Warriors will get a win in the next 5 games. Portland being the most likely target.
I actually predicted we’d keep it close through the final minutes in the open thread and I was right! I didn’t however, predict the outcome…
Anyways, onto the game. It’s clear that Monta NEEDS help from someone, anyone. He can’t do everything himself. AR had a very solid game despite the poor shooting. This looks to be a twenty win season at best.
WARRIORS BASKETBALL!!! Patiently waiting for a title...I may be waiting for a long time...
by JustSomeName on Dec 24, 2009 12:38 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Anyways, onto the game. It’s clear that Monta NEEDS help from someone, anyone.
are you serious? Maggette played great. 8-12 shooting for 22 pts & 10 rebs.
In his last 6, he’s been averaging 23 pts, 6 rebs & 3 assists on 66% shooting. you can legitimately argue that he’s been our best player during that stretch. also Curry had 17,7,10 & AR had 12, 8 & 8 blks.
by homer simpson on Dec 24, 2009 9:57 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, great stats, but it means nothing if we still lost! Maggette is such a big, black hole on offense. I cringe every time he takes those 15-20 foot clankers late in games.
WARRIORS BASKETBALL!!! Patiently waiting for a title...I may be waiting for a long time...
by JustSomeName on Dec 24, 2009 10:25 AM PST up reply actions
i think you can legitimately argue that he’s been are best player all season. maggette has been playing very well this year.
and again, before you jump out and say “but he’s a ballhog!” remember that monta hasn’t exactly been doing much passing either. if we ask ourselves who has been the more productive selfish scorer this year, the answer is maggette.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
Seriously, AR and Monta need to get more respect from the refs. The officiating was a joke.
You know I spit technique to the freshest freak
Gimme a call you will see results in just a week
With the soul of a LOST HAWK
Is there a heaven for a Rap Cat, let's talk
1. The NBA officiating is horrendous, with last night as just one in a long line of examples.
2. As well as Curry played defense on Paul last night, you just knew he would get that game winning shot to fall.
3. The Warriors win that game if Biedrins is playing and producing at his normal level. I thought we outplayed the Hornets in every facet other than rebounding.
Sittin in my scraper watchin Oakland goin wild, ta-dow!
the officiating
wasn’t bad on Monta – but AR literally got no calls and had a few legitimate gripes. I think the refs watch tape too and they just always assume that he’s out of control so he won’t get the benefit of the doubt.
John 8:44 -Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
Officiating really wasn't that bad in the game as in other games we've played in.
One of AR’s 8 blocks was CLEARLY a goaltend that the refs decided not to call.
WARRIORS BASKETBALL!!! Patiently waiting for a title...I may be waiting for a long time...
by JustSomeName on Dec 24, 2009 10:26 AM PST up reply actions
I see Nellie getting the record this year
Faith, and health, only more injuries can derail the record breaker, and if so then he’ll be BACK next year… but he might come back anyway…
GO DUBS!
Answer
When are we going to win?
The year 2010, here we come!
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Dec 24, 2009 8:10 AM PST reply actions
I see a lot of positives
We still aren’t going to be a top level team, but with hopefully all of our roster healthy next year, we could have something. It all depends on what we get in the draft. We figure to have a top 5 pick, and I haven’t had a chance to watch too much College Ball this year, but asssuming that we don’t get Wall with the #1 pick, I’d like to see us grab an athletic wing who can shoot the 3 and play lock down d.
What is watching the game is Monta Ellis is
becoming a true star. One does not even need to look at stats. HE SIMPLY EXERTS HIS WILL upon the game. He may not be in Lebron and Kobe’s league but he defintily looked as dominate as Wade looks and he was the better a better player than Paul last night. He is definitly 100% back to the Mississipi flash and a top 5 guard in this league.
by Eschew Obfuscation on Dec 24, 2009 9:02 AM PST reply actions
Randolph needs to start more. Even if Nellie won’t give him 30-35 minutes a game, if you at least start him, it really boosts his confidence and you could see it in that game, even though he didn’t exactly shoot the ball very well and still made some rookie mistakes.
WARRIORS BASKETBALL!!! Patiently waiting for a title...I may be waiting for a long time...
by JustSomeName on Dec 24, 2009 9:18 AM PST via mobile reply actions
I wish..
Nellie had switched Monta onto Paul at the end of the game
New Orleans - GS Warriors Recap ¡EN ESPAÑOL!
CRONICA DEL PARTIDO, VIDEO, COMENTARIOS, ANALISIS Y MAS
http://losgswarriors.blogspot.com/2009/12/buena-imagen-pero-otra-derrota-golden.html
Warriors ¡¡ EN ESPAÑOL !!!!
www.losgswarriors.blogspot.com
Who would you rather have playing, S.Jack, or Radman now? If only we had healthy bodies, like the above said, Radman would be getting DNP CD’s
7
did you forget how bad the team chemistry was with s jack? did you forget how stagnant our offense was with jack?
You know I spit technique to the freshest freak
Gimme a call you will see results in just a week
With the soul of a LOST HAWK
Is there a heaven for a Rap Cat, let's talk
by LostHawkGSW on Dec 24, 2009 11:54 AM PST up reply actions
i was really happy to get a sack of potatoes back for stephen jackson. we get out of his contract for the next few years, team chemistry is better, the team is a lot more enjoyable to watch. it sucks that the sack of potatoes we got for him is playing, but that’s a sacrifice i’m willing to make until we get ronny and andris back.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
Monta just needs his big men...
Monta+Biedrins is the duo of the future.
by Cpt. Jack in the Box on Dec 24, 2009 11:01 AM PST reply actions

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