Recap: Warriors 110 Bucks 115- Unclutch... Again

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 3, 2006 12:29 AM PST in Recaps

Tonight the Warriors followed up their tough loss to the Pacers with a stupid loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Yup, stupid. There's really no other way to put it.

Final Box Score

At least the threads were hot!
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Thanks for the Great 3 Quarters...
The Warriors were absolutely rolling on all cylinders for the first 3 quarters of this game. Offensively at least they looked like this:

SMOKING HOT!

There are undoubtedly several positives to take from this loss:

Boom Dizzle had a pretty nice night featuring some beautiful drives to the hole. He got his double-double and played good D. 19 points, 11 dimes, and 2 picks ain't not joke.
Monta Ellis had 19 points on an efficient 8 for 11 shooting which featured some nice glides to the bucket. His 7 assists and 3 steals were money too.
Andris Biedrins didn't have his best defensive performance or do his smartest job avoiding silly fouls, but he still pitched in big with 17 points, 12 rodmans, and 3 swats.
Troy Murphy had his best game of the season (see below).

Keep ya head up BD! You showed up tonight.
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)

But the Game is 4 Quarters Long.
The Warriors just fell apart in the 4th quarter. After 3 quarters of high scoring (24, 36, and 34 respectively), the Dubs only managed 16 points in the final period. They looked like this in the 4th:

It wasn't pretty.

Going scoreless in the final 2:54 of a close, high-scoring game won't get you a win in middle school, high school, college, the NBDL, or the NBA. The Warriors deserved to lose this game. They earned this loss. You can't blame the refs, the injuries, or anything else.

Milk Carton: Warrior Small Forwards
Last season the Warriors had a gaping hole at the small forward spot. Tonight they were completely MIA. Check out these lines (or better yet don't!):

Mickael Pietrus
12 minutes: 4 points (2-6 FG, 0-3 3pt, 0-0 FT), 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls

Mike Dunleavy
19 minutes: 0 points (0-6 FG, 0-3 3pt, 0-0 FT), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls

A Mike Dunleavy sighting!
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

And another one!
(AP photo Ben Margott)

Uh, thanks for playing guys?

Trust me- these guys DO NOT want to talk to Nellie after tonight.
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Operation Unclutch
It's becoming painfully obvious that this squad as presently constituted is unclutch like the Utah Jazz against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. Well I guess after a 3 point loss at home to the Suns, a 3 point loss at home to the Nuggets, and a 2 point loss at home to the Pacers, you probably already figured that one out.

Someone please tell me how this formula makes any sense: Hall of fame head coach + close game + homecourt advantage + best fans in the league = loss?

Warrior Wonder
Troy Murphy hasn't put up the numbers this season, but tonight he filled up the box score with 23 points, 11 boards, 4 dimes, and a steal. His 5 treys were pretty impressive too.

The Warriors just kicked off a tough December month with a silly home loss to an inferior Leastern Conference squad. This month the Warriors will be on the road 10 times, including 6 straight away games. What are your predictions for the Warriors in December? Will it be a December to remember or a December to forget?

Tweet Comment 35 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

That easy Dunleavy layup??

Remember that easy Dunleavy layup that he missed? It was wide open, and even Barnett and Fitzgerald got on his case for once and replayed it over and over commenting on how a person should layup the ball when they're wide open and standing still underneath the rim with no players closeby. Shameful. Absolutely shameful.

by gsdubz on Dec 3, 2006 12:33 AM PST reply actions

Not just layup

DUNK IT.

Send a message. Instill some fear in your opponents. When you're 6'9-6'10 you have to do that. Go up strong.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 3, 2006 12:37 AM PST up reply actions

Go up strong.

Yeah !! How many inches does one have to get off the floor to dunk it when they are that tall?
As fun as it is to make fun of Dun, we've got to remember that he's not the only reason we lost the game, nor is Matt's miscue on the rebound, or baron's last shot attempt. This is a team game and it takes a total team effort. Every turnover and casual posession from first tipoff to last gasp is equally important.
We have the physical skills to score points but we don't yet have the mental attitude of a winner. It would be much better to consistantly win the close games against the weaker teams than to pull off ocassional upsets against the spurs or jazz.
It's up to Nellie to figure out how to right this ship,now we'll see if he's really an upgrade over montgomery or if he's just hype?
Observations.. It would be nice to have someone with attitude like Ruben Patterson, he fouled two players at once! Smallball is good for building a lead but not for holding on to it. Seems like we need a big guy who can back down the defense at crunch time so we don't hafta stay outside all the time, maybe B'Dris will bulkup in a couple of years but for now he's not strong enough to do it. Foyle might be strong enough but we'll never know if he don't play? Wonder why we didn't play MacCloud, POB, TheDonal, etc? With the Bucks coming off a game with the Lakers it seems like making them keep up with a constant stream of fresh players would have been a no-brainer?

by Skeptic con Urquell on Dec 3, 2006 10:29 AM PST up reply actions

Agree; But I Blame Dun. . .

We don't often see the game the same way, but I
think you nailed last night's "slop" pretty well. The total team "effort" was pure 2005-6. And what scares me the most is that, once again, the lack of urgency and intensity become most pronounced at the end of the game -- where the Warriors seem absolutely lost: when the going got tough, these guys once again got going -- right out of the building.

But as bad as the team "effort" was, I lay the blame for this loss squarely on Dun's shoulders. He played the absolute worst all around game I've seen from him; worse even than his first few this year. This is precisely the kind of game (i.e. against a weaker team) where a good sixth man makes a difference: he comes in knowing what he has to do, tightens up the D, plays with a lot of energy, and helps drive a team having a hard time getting it up for a weaker opponent. Then, he's a force at crunch time. Last night Dun was none of those things (and properly wasn't around at crunch time). And there was no reason for him NOT to have played like he's been playing for the most part since Nellie's got him coming off the bench.

True, MP was awfully bad, too; JR's game has become sadly non-existent (Atma's right; give him a rest -- but for at least a week or two to see if he CAN get healthy this year); BD shows a nice "line" but falls apart again at the end; AB's touch was off (and has been ever since that monster game last week); Barnes keeps making horrible mistakes == and at the worst time; Monta's TO's were painful to watch -- and that last one was almost inexplicable (how did he lose it?). (Murph -- especially -- and Roberson had some nice threes, but didn't show much else.) But even with the poor play, the W's should have won this game -- and Dunleavy should have been the mortar holding the team together when things got rocky.

He wasn't. And that's too bad. But he'd better get back on track -- and soon -- or this team is toast, because while he's not nearly the best player, when he plays his game he IS a diiference maker -- as he should have been last night. The table was set perfectly for him, and he simply didn't perform. Let's just hope he learns from this, because tho I'm one of his biggest boosters, his game last night was as poor as any W's game I've seen in a while. And I'd like to think this group is worthy of playing better than .500 ball over the course of the season.

Finally, let's end the Oden watch right here and now. Even (indeed, especially) if this team craters, we all know that the Warriors are NEVER going to get Oden, no matter what. It's just not in the cards for these guys: even if they finished last, they'd be ping-ponged out of the first choice, or Oden would get some major injury, or stay in school. No, as painful as it's been the last few days, we've just got to dance with who brung us -- and if these guys get back to playing with energy and urgency (that's everyone, but especially Dun), I'm thinking we'll be OK.

by johnl on Dec 3, 2006 5:17 PM PST up reply actions

ah c'mon! tis the season ...

for dreams and wishes to come true - Oden wrapped in blue and gold would fit right nice under Nelson's tree ...

by hardcore on Dec 3, 2006 6:25 PM PST up reply actions

blaming dun? Did he kill your dog or something?

You really have to have it in for Dun when you start singling him out for that loss. He came off the bench, didn't play well and didn't play much. How exactly is it so much more the fault of the guy getting 19 minutes than the other guys who played the remaing 221? How exactly is his being on the bench when the the Warriors went from 8 up to 5 down an indictment of him for not being around at crunch time?

He stunk it up, but it's a team sport and blaming the part time bench player for the loss seems more than a stretch.

by jae on Dec 3, 2006 7:11 PM PST up reply actions

But I Blame Dun. . .

Hi John, Mike was on the bench with his knee in ice for a while so he probably was hurt, can't blame him for that, I think he'd have been run out there more if he was 100%.
What I'd like to know is why Nellie lets things fall apart at times? Do you think he's losing interest already? or is "crappy" our normal level of play and "good" just playing over our heads?

by Skeptic con Urquell on Dec 3, 2006 9:29 PM PST up reply actions

Good questions

First, I didn't notice Dun icing his knees, so that easily could explain why he had an off night, but he was SO off -- in all aspects of the game -- it was painful to watch (especially for one who likes the way Dun thinks and plays on the court, when he's aggressive). So thanks for the info, and let's see what happens in Texas (tho I'm not expecting us to win either game).

I don't think Nellie's either letting the team fall apart or is losing interest. One thing I've noticed thus far -- and I think it makes Nelson a much better coach -- is that he's mellowed in the last decade while his thinking remains strong. That means he's more willing to be experimental, which is critical for a team with two young stars in the making.

I expect that we'll start to see different approaches during crunch time of close games as Nelson takes his lumps over the next few months. He's already figuring out how to use AB then (primarily for defense and outlets, and for offensive boards and tips). He needs to bring Monta along as quickly as possible to get him to worjk through his cuurrent turnover proclivities when defenses start turning on the screws. That means some losses -- and the Bucks game might be one example -- but the sooner Coach feels spontaneously comfortable with Ellis handling the ball at the end, the better. Also, tho BD missed that three, it was a good look and he wasn't simply pounding the ball as in the previous game; I think Nellie's figuring out that -- especially at the end of games -- Davis is much better moving without the ball (where he's likely either to get set up or cause someone else to get open). Finally, he's got to decide whether it's worth it to keep MP in the game at the end, since his good, long arms are often overcome by his errors when pressured.

So, we've got a rough several months ahead, even if all else goes well. (I'm glad to read this morning that JR's on hiatus; that knee obviously needs time off -- and they blew it once by letting him come back too soon.) But I think (and hope) we'll start to see some end game patterns developing shortly.

And if everyone does his part, until JR can play like he should I expect our closing line-up to pretty much be: BD, Monta, Dun, Barnes (tho that's a gamble if he plays out of control) and AB. If anyone of those five falters or gets injured, tho, there'll be bigger problems ahead. But I see Nelson steering this train very well, given what he's now got.

by johnl on Dec 4, 2006 12:37 PM PST up reply actions

Nice shirt

That polo Nellie's got under that blazer is hot.

Just looking for some positives :D

by ssmokinjoe on Dec 3, 2006 12:44 AM PST reply actions

seriously

how do i get one?

I wouldn't rock that with a sportcoat like Nellie, but the polo is hot.

warriors are not hot.

by Fantasy Junkie on Dec 3, 2006 12:50 AM PST up reply actions

hahaha

way to look on the bright side!

by travisl212 on Dec 3, 2006 12:27 PM PST up reply actions

We;ve already proven that pretty much

everyone we've used is not clutch. But there is a man we have not used....

WHEN ITS CRUNCH TIME I CRUNCH YOU!

by Zorgon on Dec 3, 2006 12:44 AM PST reply actions

then again...

We're Warriors fans... We've seen worse. I'll chalk this game up to early season gitters... but by game 20 this jig better be up!

by mightymadskillz on Dec 3, 2006 12:46 AM PST reply actions

1 More Milk Carton: JRich

I know he's injured, but he shouldn't be out there if he's not ready to play.

20 minutes, 6 points, 1 reb, 3 assists - 2-7 FG, 0-3 3pointers

by Fantasy Junkie on Dec 3, 2006 12:53 AM PST reply actions

Yeah,

I was wondering where he was that game. That guys needs to get rest and try to rehab his knee. It just seems like he's destining himself to be Grant Hill (out for essentially 3 seasons) or T-Mac (Will be in and out for the rest of his career). Get some rest, man. Lay on the couch and watch a couple Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns. Don't ruin your career.

by Zorgon on Dec 3, 2006 1:09 AM PST up reply actions

haa!

FRESH PRINCE, NICE! maybe he can do the carlton dance when the warriors win a game.

by gsdubz on Dec 3, 2006 3:27 AM PST up reply actions

Yup

Just like I noted in the preview he really should've sat out. I just thought they'd be able to get an easy win with or without him. Instead they lost and he didn't get the rest.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 3, 2006 9:26 AM PST up reply actions

Monta and the Turnovers

The title of the post sounds like one of those great bands from back in the day like Smokey Robinson and the Temptations or Diana Ross and the Supremes. Unfortunately this is about Monta and his tendency to give the ball to the other team.

Geez Monta, as great as you've been playing, what's with all the turnovers? 3.3 per game this year. In the last 4 games you have 20 turnovers (6, 4, 5, 5). Please take care of the ball. I know Christmas is coming and you want to share, but giving the ball away 3 or 4 times a game to the other team is not a present.

by Fantasy Junkie on Dec 3, 2006 12:59 AM PST reply actions

turnovers

Agreed. Monta's still got a great future and is still a net positive, but his turnovers are very costly, especially to a team that suffers so much on the boards, and since having him on the court is part of the reason we're terrible on the boards, he really needs to take care of the rock.

Every turnover is equivalent to a missed shot rebounded by the opposition in terms of a wasted possession. Since the average NBA team scores about a point a possession, 5 turnovers is like handing the opposition 5 points.

by jae on Dec 3, 2006 11:48 AM PST up reply actions

I'm not saying that TO's are good but...

Look at the company Monta keeps:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/statistics?stat=nbaturnovers&season=2007&seasontype=2

Curious...Are his TO's ball handling errors or are they forced? Is he scoring more points off opposing TOs than he is giving up?

by pyro on Dec 3, 2006 12:20 PM PST up reply actions

holy crap

That's amazing. Wow... Nelly really trusts my boy Monta, and also must really want to mold him into a PG if he's letting him handle the ball as much as these other guys.

Nice find!

by gsdubz on Dec 3, 2006 12:35 PM PST up reply actions

Bingo

Dude, I am a King's fan (who also happens to float some love to the Dubs) so I am golden on finding the bright sides. : ) Nellie is totally priming Monta and the fact is that high scoring "star players" get a lot of touches, are smothered more and therefore turn the ball over more. Monta is on the right track if his TOs are primarily forced.

by pyro on Dec 3, 2006 1:02 PM PST up reply actions

His

Assist to turn over ratio is:
1.361/1
which means he gets .361 more assists than turnovers.

LeBrons James A/T ratio is
1.982/1
Not that far behind, eh?

by Zorgon on Dec 3, 2006 3:18 PM PST up reply actions

assists and turnovers

It means that Lebron gets almost 2 assists for ever turnover he makes while Monta gets about 1.3 assists per turnover. That's a pretty sizeable difference.

However I don't think that A:TO is as terribly meaningful a stat as it appears to be. Assists are not the opposite of turnovers. Turnovers always mean a possession got wasted without scoring. An assist is not always needed for a possession to end in a score.

by jae on Dec 3, 2006 4:51 PM PST up reply actions

add to the equation

a pretty shitty opposition

and we could not play any defense tonight it was pathetic. i kept asking the tv. can we get a stop here can we get like 3-4 stops in a row and put this damn team away they suck. it was pitiful

by travisl212 on Dec 3, 2006 12:25 PM PST reply actions

Listening

driving home listening to the game it sounded like:

Ws never sustained enough intensity to put away an inferior (?) team
Expectations are rising for GS - they "should" beat teams now (a good development)
Monta was taking over the ball at the end of the game - despite BD's late shot ... It's up to Nelson to decide who is doing what at the end of the game. We can't afford to develop Monta at the expense of losing games if we hope to make the playoffs. That's on Nelson, not Monta.

We are at the verge of the "20 game mark" Nelson set as a barometer, and despite JR's injury-comeback status, and despite the generally weak schedule, we are not any further along than Monty's club last fall as we head into a tough road stretch.

Screw the polo shirt, make the playoffs or bring on Oden!

by hardcore on Dec 3, 2006 1:43 PM PST reply actions

December

will determine where the Warriors go this year. If we come out around .500, the outlook will be pretty good. December features one of the worst stints I think a team can have: 7 games in 10 days, including 6 on the road. .500 after that will give us a nice Christmas present.

by racsan on Dec 3, 2006 1:56 PM PST reply actions

Its like time warp basketball

Man, I thought our team turned the corner from those expected 4th quarter collapses...

by Raw26 on Dec 3, 2006 2:32 PM PST reply actions

They felt too retro in the throwbacks?

Sad to see them score soo easily through 3, then fall apart with turnover after turnover, three times in a row down the court even!

It was hardly the Toronto 2 points in a quarter game, so there's some solace in that we're not those Warriors of old.

by back2back51s on Dec 3, 2006 4:33 PM PST up reply actions

Frustrating...Nothing More

Got to watch parts of 2nd quarter, then listened to the finish.

Bucks were there for the taking in the 2nd and yet there was Gadzuric lighting them up in the middle. Luckily the Warriors were hot.

Then at the end, there was no D and poor shots on offense. Baron taking a three when they are only down 1? If there's a better way to lose at the end of an NBA game, its taking jumpers. The way to ice the game is go to the rim. Get blocked, I don't care, at least be aggressive.

Nothing better than "The City".

by philsmith75 on Dec 3, 2006 10:10 PM PST reply actions

Agree with all your points, but

I can't say I mind Baron taking that 3 at all. He was wide open and he's a capable three point shooter. If he didn't take that shot, he would be playing soft and unaggressive.

I'd really hate to pin this loss on Baron as he had a nice night overall. He came to play.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 3, 2006 10:31 PM PST up reply actions

Capable?

by capable 3 point shooter do you mean that he is capable of reaching the basket? Isn't he one of the worst 3pt shooters in the history of the NBA % wise?

The past couple of games have been a good reminder that our roster is the same as last year. I don't think you can pin the loss on Nelson when the players choke in the clutch. He put them in a position to win, and had mismatches for them on the court. When they start throwing the ball away and settling for jump shots against much slower defenders we are going to win when they fall and lose when they don't.

by chrisz42 on Dec 4, 2006 12:33 PM PST up reply actions

Capable 3 point shooter

BD's good enough to be a threat from the 3pt line. If he's wide open he has to take it. He's a career 32.6% 3pt shooter- that's not one of the worst in the league by any stretch. But that doesn't mean he should be looking to jack up a 3 at any opportunity, which to his credit he hasn't done this season.

Exactly. I was campaigning for trades earlier in these season and I still believe roster changes are necessary if this team is going to make the playoffs. These parts just don't fit. It's a deeply flawed roster.

Time to Sip Some Jolt
http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/story/2006/11/6/01243/8172

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 4, 2006 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

nellie and the team were on the wrong page

the team had the yellow city jerseys and nellie had the blue city polo, obviously that caused some confusion for guys like pietrus and dunleavy and threw their game outta wack.

by evad152 on Dec 4, 2006 11:10 AM PST reply actions

Unclutch? Close losses?

Welcome to life of a high octane team. You will feel the pain of being unclutch, of losing ALL close games, and then you will blow out the Blazers by 45 points. It is painful but when you get enough talent and consistancy, you are going to be dangerous.

This sounds exactly like what I have been saying after every Suns loss.

Boris Diaw reppin the triple double steez- eggs, crepes, and french toast. WHAT

by Lucas aka The Rising Suns on Dec 4, 2006 3:20 PM PST reply actions