Recap: Warriors 98, Lakers 110

by Hash on Nov 1, 2006 11:13 PM PST in Recaps Comment 42 comments

And here we are.

This off-season Warriors fans rejoiced as Don Nelson returned to the bay. With the coming of Nellie came a new hope. A hope of a team that would develop an inside presence. A hope of a team with an improved free throw percentage. A hope of a team that would harness the dormant potential of players like Mike Dunleavy.

Now I'm not saying these hopes are dead, but tonight we just saw same old Warriors.

Boxscore

Yep. You've got your work cut out for you man.

I want to say that I'm more worried than upset at tonight's performance. Even though it is just one game, it awakens the fear within that the Warriors' problem stems from the inability of this squad to play together as a team. Every Warriors possession seemed to result in a one on one scenario, while every Lakers possession seemed to come from an effortless dish or an offensive rebound that was all too easy to get. And seriously... who the hell is Ronny Turiaf?! I mean, aside from the guy that dropped 9 boards, 3 dimes, 2 jacks, 2 swats, and 23 points on us. That's just embarrassing man.

Last season we were a team that was plagued with excessive (not to mention horrendous) 3 point shooting. Tonight, our collective 3 for 19 shooting from beyond the arc served as a sickening nostalgia. Combine that with some FUGLY shots from the key tonight and you will see that we wasted a LOT of possessions tonight. I can't believe how many missed layups we were forced to endure!

During the game the announcers told us of a new regimen that Nellie has included in practice; players shooting 100 free throws each. After tonight's performance, I had to question how strict this exercise actually was. I'll admit, it took a little sleuthing but I did manage to get a snapshot of the Warriors practicing more free throws after tonight's game.

Dunleavy going 100 for 100.

Needless to say, I'm sure it was a lot more difficult for them on a real 10-footer tonight. But hell, I'm sure they'll get the hang of it!

Yes. There were some positives tonight. Beidrins with only 3 fouls?! Is that a fluke or has he actually learned to defend in this league? If the latter is true, we might see some big things from him this year. T-Double was par for the course with his 13 boards and 11 points. One can only hope that his three blown layups in the first quarter was simply a result of opening night jitters.

Overall, it was a disappointing night for all Warriors fans, but we cannot hang our heads to low. There are 81 more games to go this season and I refuse to believe that our coaching change will have no effect. Nellie is a solid coach with a strong track record, but he's not a miracle worker. It would be truly na?ve of us to assume that he would have completely flipped this team around in the off season.

I guess we were all hoping for just a little more change than this...

Warrior Wonder: My love affair with Monta Ellis continues. How many Red Bulls does this kid drink before each game?! Despite his ridiculous speed and relative inexperience in the league, he always manages to stay controlled when he has possession. He left us last season wanting more, and tonight showed us that he's got plenty more in his bag of tricks. Keep an eye on him... if you can keep up.

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I think

Monta played better than Richardson and Davis tonight.

I miss last season....

by Zorgon on Nov 1, 2006 11:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Disturbing

No Kobe. No Phil Jackson. No Kwame Brown. No Chris Mihm. Yet guys like Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf go off.

The Lakers are only going to be much better next time around.

Yup, JRich was understandably rusty, but the Warriors had all their starters tonight and their head coach. Props to the Lakers for back to back Pacific Division wins against the Suns and Warriors.

Very poor outing by the Warriors.

At least we got some fun from Hash for opening night tho!

by Atma Brother ONE on Nov 1, 2006 11:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Monta and Biedrins were the bright spots for me

Biedrins because he showed that if he stays disciplined, he can be an efficient (if not voluminous) scorer inside (3 for 3), and can defend pretty darn well in there too (3 blocked shots). His rebounding was a little dissapointing, though.

Ellis, well, what can you say. Bravo, I guess, is all.

Also Anthony Roberson was pretty horrendous in a lot of minutes which was not so promising.

(If it appears I'm talking out my ass, it's because I was only really able to listen (can't watch anymore) to the last few minutes of the game after I got back from the Celtics game and finished a paper that's due tomorrow (today) and all I have is the box score with which to guide. Someone do correct me if Roberson looked better out there than I perceive or Biedrins worse, or something like that.)

by jonathan on Nov 1, 2006 11:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

nope

Roberson from preseason was not seen tonight.

by namjagerungbengi on Nov 1, 2006 11:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yes...

Roberson played 16 minutes and went 0-6 for well... 0 pts

by FoyledAgain on Nov 2, 2006 11:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

mistake

haha nevermind.... sorry

by FoyledAgain on Nov 2, 2006 11:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Wagner

Any news on whats up with the absence of Ddub?

by unblinded on Nov 1, 2006 11:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

According the SJ Mercury

Wagner can't play D, so he's not active.

by LancerEvoV on Nov 2, 2006 12:33 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Great comment...

Hahaha

by mightymadskillz on Nov 2, 2006 10:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The positives

JRich did well to even play this soon after surgery so his timing had to be off, I think his performance was a positive if he doesn't have any pain tomorrow. Murph looked good on the boards, the mask was probably why he missed some easy shots, those things mess up your vision and breathing. Biedrins looked like he's learning to not foul. Monta showed his speed is there if we can exploit it. and The negatives, pietrus was forcing his play, he needs some downers before the games, dunleavy didn't seem to want to be there. I think nelson has baron afraid to be baron. Foyle hasta be more usefull than o'brian or mcleod?

by Skeptic con Urquell on Nov 1, 2006 11:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Agree

With everything you just said.

by Zorgon on Nov 2, 2006 9:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

some ol' same ol'

missed FT's and missed 3's. Is it time for Jrich to slide over to '3' and get Monta in the starting lineup? Maybe they would get some more points going to the basket instead of hoisting contested 3's.

Let's Go Oakland! Gas, Brake, Dip.

by OaktownFunk on Nov 1, 2006 11:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Yup

some ol' same ol'

Hit it right on the head in your title. I wouldn't have minded if we lost while we were running. It looked exactly like last year to me, including horrific free throw shooting, no defense, and stagnation on offense.

To be fair, it may take a few more games for some of our starters to get used to playing Nellie's style. I'm not going to bail on them yet. If they still look like this after 10 games, I'll be boooing as well.

by chrisz42 on Nov 2, 2006 8:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Man

I hate to admit it, but they could have used stone hands Foyle out there to protect the paint.

by namjagerungbengi on Nov 2, 2006 12:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

being at the game......

it just hurt that much more, I just don't get the FT
situation, and I'm sure all of you noticed murphy and jrichs very unorthodox ft shooting method, whats up with that?

Murphy's FTs were SHORT all night. Can someone please call Rick Barry?

At the end of the game, Monta gave us a ray of hope, only to be crushed by two POB bricks.

Thats all I can say tonite. Good night warrior nation.

by 9thw0nder on Nov 2, 2006 12:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Looked okay on the fast break in the 1st qt but...

The Warriors will get slaughtered every night if they have to rely on their half-court play. And the Lakers slowed them down and made them play half-court. They just look absolutely terrible in the half-court. What's with jackin up all those brick threes and choking on the free throws again??! Apocalypse 2005 Redux!

Like we all know, the Ws do not have any pure shooters but a bunch of unevenly matched scorers. Poor Nellie had the look like "Yeah, maybe the WHEN is actually an IF" referring to his comment how he simply doesn't know when the Warriors will get good.

Same old Warrior matador defense. Yeah, Foyle is their only defender other than Monte and Biedrins. But he's on the bench now. Maybe Nellie will have to rethink that.

But in the first quarter if Murph made a few layups the Ws would have had a decent lead because they looked fast. Hey, it's all good. At least good ol' Nellie can suffer like the rest of us though I wish I had his payola. Nellie probably called Monty late last night and said "Hey, buddy. I feel your pain now."

Peace,
Kirk

by kirkkazas on Nov 2, 2006 3:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm ready to BOO

I've followed the Warriors for a long time. I was a Warriors faithful even before their last appearance in the playoffs and i've stuck with them through 12 losing seasons. I've watched a few games in person, almost every televised game, and i follow the play-by-play on the radio or the internet when i have to. Through all of this time, i've never even once booed them. I think i'm ready to do that now.

I encourage all Warrior fans new and old to boo the shit out of your woeful Warriors team anytime you don't like what you see. Trust me, you'll feel better. Because trust me, you and i deserve better.

by ssmokinjoe on Nov 2, 2006 5:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Word.

BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Opening night, on our homecourt, against a depleted and exhausted middle-tier team playing without their best player ... and we don't even put up a fight???

Yes, BOOO. Tonight, for the first time in 12 years, BOOOOOOOO. I mean seriously, what's the f---ing point? What's the point of Troy Murphy? What's the point of Mike Dunleavy? What's the point of Pietrus, Biedrins, Diogu, and POB? Or Baron Davis for that matter?

Is it the hope that some magical day we might reach 38 wins? Is it being able to say that we're not one of the five worst teams in the NBA? Is it the thrill of once in a while beating a good team -- Dallas, twice on their homecourt in the same season!!! -- so Fitz and Barnett can wax poetic about it and we can replay on YouTube as if it were the NBA finals?

I just don't get it anymore. I had high hopes for Nellie, but the guy's not King Midas. It's time to blow the whole damn thing up. Seriously -- everything. Start with Cohan, then Mullin, and all the way down the line to everyone on the team not named Monta, Dajuan, or Jason. The sooner the better.

I'm not even talking about all the gaffes of days gone by. If we didn't have our heads so far up our asses the last two years we could easily have Memphis's young, exciting forward tandem of Hakeem Warrick and Rudy Gay instead of the steaming pile of mediocrity we're forced to watch now.

Back to square one. Again. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

by Sleepy Freud on Nov 2, 2006 6:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dunleavy

The only positive I can find from last night is Nellie's comment that Dunleavy was a "disaster". I expect in another couple months, Dunleavy's butt will be firmly planted at the end of the bench. I'm not sure what this guy did during the offseason, but, from what I saw last night, he certainly didn't improve his game. Same old soft, timid Mike who can't shoot a lick.

by GoNellieGo on Nov 2, 2006 7:02 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

The whole 3-4 starter

fiasco will start up again soon enough.
Its like the Quarterback controversy of the NBA!

Names in the mix always: Dunleavy, Pietrus, Ike, and Biedrins.

Way too many lineups were out there last night, most of which were undersized up against 3 big men from LA.

38 point 3rd quarter by the Lakers killed the Warriors.

Baron can carry us to easy buckets if he drives to the hoop, laying off falling in love with his 3's. JRich left wing/corner post isolation wasn't working too well with him not at 100% and it making everyone else stand around and watch without cutting to the hoop, or going in for a rebound opportunity.

Monta as the backup point didn't work well either until a bit too late.

Here's hoping for a much better showing in Portland on Friday. They've certainly got more lineup problems than the Dubs!

by back2back51s on Nov 2, 2006 7:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

opening night

I thought we were gonna run? I watched Phoenix on Tuesday; they were running. What I saw last night was the same as last year: Baron posting up guards... people standing around... bricks thrown up from the 3-point arc... troy the only one crashing the boards.

Take out Pietrus and Dunleavy.

Insert: Ike and Monta.

why?

...because they can shoot from the field and the free throw line!

" Sleepy Floyd is Superman!!!"

by CoachBarry on Nov 2, 2006 7:47 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Dunleavy going 100 for 100

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHaHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH that picture was great Hash! oh man... that almost made me feel better about the disturbing loss... bottom line guys...

The Warriors lost by 12, and missed about 15 free throws.

And not only would the free throws have made their difference, but if they would have made some key ones in the 1st quarter, the Lakers would have stopped fouling and let the Warriors run!!!!!!!!! You can't run unless you make free throws!!!! Look at the Suns and Mavs!! I don't care what lineup we have or what we look like on paper, the fact is, we need to make free throws to play Nellie ball and win games! We could have beat this time by 10 or 20 if we made our free throws and played our style.

Finally, the Warriors are far from a playoff team right now, not only in their unprofessionalism, but in the fact that they choked when the attention was on them... the whole bay gave them a shot, and although I'll watch every game they play and everything they do, I'm sure many Bay Areans are gonna go back to ignoring them...

by gsdubz on Nov 2, 2006 7:50 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

wow

Simply deflating. Im still hurting right now...can we officially say after only one game that the Dunleavy experiment is officially over? What a loser. Oh and nice job Wissel, those free throws look real clean. Only a 10% drop off in game time situations? Give me a break. Lakers look for real, especially without Kobe, and they have clearly adjusted the triangle to fit in with what the league is doing in this uptempo trend. Not only that, but after one game, the Lakers have exposed to the league how to beat us: slow us down. They were great at initiating the fast break when they were on offense and then halting us to a screeching stop when we tried to push it. Bynum is going to be good. I don't think Odom will continue at this clip once ball hog extraordinare Kobe gets back, but if they can some how make that work, they will succeed this year. This is very depressing that I'm writing up a review on the Lakers because I have NOTHING to say about the pitiful performance of the Warriors. My only hope if that we can chalk this up to opening night jitters but that seems like an easy excuse. We have legitimate problems that need to be addressed. Hopefully Nelson will live up to what his reputation is and bench these losers who aren't getting it done. Oh and for future reference, all you Oakland teams out there might as well start trying to tank the preseason because all these one loss preseasons with high expectations obviously lead to the opposite come time for the real deal. I'm obviously upset this morning and I couldn't sleep it off unfortunetly, but I'm not going to start the Oden countdown quite yet. My hope is that some sucker (I'm looking at you Isiah!) will take Dunleavy off our hands for, well, anything at this point.

by MoUpInTheO on Nov 2, 2006 8:03 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

It's Just One Game

Just one game. Now, if they lose to the Jailblazers at home than Warrior nation should be booing the team until they get their act together like last night. Lakers are a better team than last year and the Warriors still have to work harder. J-Rich will eventually shake off the rust. Dunleavy and Pietrus need to step it up. Oh yah and free throws and ball movement might have helped.

by j richmark on Nov 2, 2006 9:01 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Hey!

Dunleavy was a "disaster" -- absolutely. Worst, most feckless performance I've ever seen from him, especially after the first quarter (where he got his three assists, took a nice charge, was actually moving). He was given a gift in getting exactly his kind of coach; if he does nothing with that gift, he has only himself to blame. And if he has many more games like this, I'll finally say bench the bum. And I've been his biggest fan.
But much more worrisome to me was the play of our key man at point -- Boom Fizzle -- who reverted to form immediately and in the worst possible way. Imagine, after all Nellie's preaching, he opens the game with one of his patented, horrid, off-balance threes! (Of course, he was 0-4 on his threes for the night. The guy is smart, but he just doesn't -- or won't -- get it.) Then instead of working a motion defense, ol' BD just pounds the ball, possession after possession, until all movement on the floor stops. He doesn't move the ball from side to side. He doesn't move without the ball (because he hogs it so much). He hasn't got a clue about screens. And he can't defend boo. Worst of all, he's throwing up 19 shots (against six rebounds) and hitting only six, which means his 38% average last year might have been a high point for him. (Has the NBA ever seen a worse shooting, "star" guard -- ever?) Nelson was uncharacteristic in his "gentle" remonstrations with BD, but if ol' Fizzle keeps playing like this, he and Dun can (and should) be content watching from the bench. Because the W's could hardly do worse playing the kids.
The rest of the team was almost as bad -- tho at least JRich has some excuse (tho not for waiting til;l mid-August for the knee operation -- what idiocy by the front office to allow this to happen). But this game is a bad omen, especially since the "conditioned" W's should have easily worn down the "slower" Lakers, who'd played the Suns the night before!
This was as bad as ANY game last year -- with the possible exception of the Houston "choke" in mid-December which put the team in its tailspin after the auspicious start. Let's just hope this Nellie makeover is a work in progress, because if we get too much more of what we saw last night, it'll be lights out by Christmas.

by johnl on Nov 2, 2006 9:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

i agree

during the off season i didnt want to part ways with baron but now i wished we would have traded him and someone else for iverson. i didn't see much heart or desire from this team i was thinking how good iverson would play for us especially with nelson.

by travisl212 on Nov 2, 2006 3:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

wow

that was a really hard game to watch. I was up pretty high, but maybe that was better. This team has a really long way to go. They never started running, and when the game slowed down, it magnified all of their problems. Murphy missed a couple of shots that my 7 month old daughter could have made, and dunleavy just couldn't cut it. Way too many turnovers, and no free throws. What a disappointment

Big Tone

by tadams1080 on Nov 2, 2006 9:47 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Next Up Portland

Hope, this game against the Blazers can take the bad taste in my mouth about this game. Go Warriors!

by GSWof Oaktown on Nov 2, 2006 9:59 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Odom is left handed

Does anybody in the Warriors organization realize that Lamar Odom is left handed? Cuz he kept driving left all night.

by LancerEvoV on Nov 2, 2006 10:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Odom

You're certainly right about Odom -- who is great left-handed, but terrible moving to his right. It's so obvious, it's painful. But what's worse, the W's actually noted this and -- at the beginning of the game, with MP on him, Odom WAS being corralled into moving right or passing out. I was proud the boys had pickerd it up. Then, after about the first 10 minutes, they stopped protecting against Odom moving left (in fact, after the first 10 minutes they came to a grinding halt in about every facet of the game). No excuse for that whatsoever. Really a major loss since the W's were -- as Nellie says -- "just like last year -- or worse."
The one potential bright spot? For a while there, they seemed to grasp the concept of the 2-3 zone, and were actually switching and helping out. It allowed them to stay in the game in the second quarter even tho they were otherwise outplayed -- and definitely outrun -- by a team that should have been tired after playing the Suns the night before.

by johnl on Nov 2, 2006 11:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I actually never knew that Lamar could only go left until last night. Even Barnett pointed it out. The Warriors really had no single player that could defend him properly.

It's going to be a long season of gimmicky zones. They'll work for a little bit, but like we saw last night they won't work in the NBA with the amount of capable shooters on every roster (except for the Warriors).

by Atma Brother ONE on Nov 2, 2006 2:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Odom

I was watching the Lakers-Suns game Tuesday night, and it became clear that Lamar cannot shoot with his right (even on his moves to the right -- which he hates to take -- he'll end up shooting left-handed). MP seemed to get it at first, and for a while Odom was passing out of it, but then the W's started playing him straight up -- and disaster. Odom's so good he doesn't need much room -- and he split the Suns several times Tuesday -- but it's almost criminal not to play him tight and always block off his left.
Too bad, tho, that we have to talk about a Laker since our guys were so horrible last night, and as you might have noticed, I put my (soon to be former, if he keeps playing like this) guy Dun right at the top along with BD (Dun actually played worse, but BD's poor play makes a bigger difference for the team). Not a good start; not at all. I was stunned at how slow they played. I want Nellie ball!

by johnl on Nov 2, 2006 2:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Barnes stayed in front of him for

One possession but his long arms allowed him to pass over the top and nobody on the weakside had their man covered or boxed out from the easy cut and 2 points.

by back2back51s on Nov 2, 2006 6:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Know your personnel

Ellis is a good player now and has star potential. Dunleavy is a bad player with the potential to be mediocre. And Murphy is killing us.

by SpreeForThree on Nov 2, 2006 11:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

in a glass case of emotion....

i go from sad to disappointed to angry...but like someone said earlier, getting close to not caring.

i'm usually the guy to say that one game does not a season make, but i saw enough last night. blow up the team. i can't watch this stuff. not fun.

by TMC Forever on Nov 2, 2006 11:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

UGH

Man, I have had to deal with Faker fans for the past two days talkin trash. It made me sick, we lost a game to Lamar Odom + Role Players, props to turiaf for coming back from the heart surgury, but could you have your career night on some other team next time?? Please? See, thats what being a Warriors fan is all about, hoping that the other team will be slightly more disfunctional than we are. Last night proved a point though, even if we were coached by the combined minds of Phil Jackson, Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Popps, and the late Red Auerbach, there would still be a doubt as to whether or not this team could make the playoffs. Why you ask, cause our personnel are not so great, 41.5% field goals, 15.8% 3-pt???? 64% free throws?? what the expeltive?!?! No matter who is the coach, we are the same old team the same dunleavy, shooting 2-7, the same Bdiddy 0-4 on threes, and the one player we know we can count on is struck down by injury and ends up shooting 5-13. If this doesnt point to
WE NEED TO MAKE SOME TRADES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im not sure what does.... please mully you have to have something left in that bag of tricks, something anything, make a move that matters, trade the whole team for role players and draft picks 1-5 in the draft, sign big name free agents, draft Oden, Yi, and some of the other huge names. Oh, but leave monta ellis on the team please, he has been the best pickup since gilbert areanas.... but in all honesty, if he wants to go play for the wizards to, i can't argue

by FoyledAgain on Nov 2, 2006 11:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

i expected way more from baron

it looked like he didn't give much of an effort or something idk. he didn't seem like he was as passionate or excited about playing as ive seen him before. i mean he did pretty good but i expected him to be getting off

by travisl212 on Nov 2, 2006 2:53 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

roberson

i saw nothing from this guy. i have no clue why he played so much and why dajuan was inactive instead of him. i heard anthony roberson was supposed to be so good. I saw absolutely nothing from him. propz to monta, biedrins, ike did pretty good except for the fouls, there were some others who showed me stuff i liked but w/e

by travisl212 on Nov 2, 2006 2:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Monta

Ellis put up some nice numbers (a lot at the end of the game when it was over), but am I the only one that watched the game and thinks he's not quite ready to take on a big role? I thought he dribbled himself into corners or drove, jumped, and had to make a bail out pass too many times. And I feel like he lacks point guard skills, which means Mcleod might have to play more, and nobody wants that. Monta definitely has a bright future, and can make FTs, but I feel like if Ellis and/or Roberson has to play big minutes, the W's are in trouble.

by LancerEvoV on Nov 2, 2006 5:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

hahaha

nice picks of the freethrows

by travisl212 on Nov 2, 2006 7:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

comparison

i know i'm coming in late but have just now been able to face any warriors news, took yesterday off in mourning.
during the game i was switching back and forth to watch the suns/clippers at the commercials and it gave me a feeling i had last year. the warriors looked like a high school team compared to the suns. the lakers shut both us and the suns down but they really, really just plain smacked the crap out of us. it was like the lakers were a bully with his hand on our forehead as we flailed our arms around trying to hit him. half court was depressing. i think we'll do better tonight and futher into the season because last night we played the lakers, and they've shown that they will stop the run. the missed freethrows, layups, forced threes and desperation drives made me nauseous. i liked ellis but don't give the kid the point, he can't handle it. every time he tried a drive into traffic like baron he forgot to actually secure someone to dish it to. baron should only get one three attempt per quarter.
i like murphy, i'll admit it. i even own a murphy jersey (and may have been wearing it watching the game at home, by myself). I think he is one of our only consistent offensive players (jrich being the other). his near guaranteed double-double is the only thing we can count on. i hate to see him miss layups and really hate to see him miss free throws but i really don't think he should be lumped in with dunleavy constantly. anyone feel me about troy?

by redape on Nov 3, 2006 9:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs