Preseason Game #1- Warriors 111, Lakers 110- Homer and the Reality Check

by Atma Brother ONE on Oct 10, 2007 2:19 AM PDT in Recaps Comment 52 comments

I know, I know, I know. It's only the preseason and the preseason means absolutely nothing, but after getting owned by the Fakers and Ebok all of last season, man it feels good to finally beat the Lakers- even if it's not in the continental United States!

Preview/ Open Thread (200+ Comments)

kaz.warriors_lakers_basketball_himg102.jpg
One of Kaz's many highlights from tonight.
He had two JRich-esque slams too.

Final Box Score

The Warriors' starting unit opened up tonight's preseason festivities by showing the Lakers how we do Showtime in Dubland with a 41-20 lead. After that 1st quarter Nellie gave BD, Stephen "that's Captain" Jackson, Al, and Andris the night off to see what the reserves and Kelenna Azubuike could do. For the remaining 3 quarters of the game the Warriors and Warrior-hopefuls scored 70 to the Lakers' 90. However, thanks to a big, clutch shot by the rapper and point guard they call THud as the game was winding down the Warriors were able to pull of the huge, monumental, upset, meaningless win- but we'll take it! Anything's better than last year's frustrating beat downs to the Lakers:

[Nov 1, 2006] Recap: Warriors 98, Lakers 110
[Jan 23, 2007] Recap: Warriors 103, Lakers 108- It Just Doesn't Add Up
[Feb 25, 2007] Recap: Warriors 85, Lakers 102 - Answer: Owned!, Question: Warriors?
[Mar 25, 2007] Recap: Warriors 113, Lakers 115- Sick of Losing to the Fakers

I'll be the first one to tell you how meaningless the NBA preseason is (someone keep a running count of how many times I've said that today), but sometimes it's just fun to make bold homer-esque predictions and extrapolations based on one single meaningless NBA preseason game (I think I'm up to 7). Well I guess it's okay if you balance it out with a harsh dose of reality. Probably somewhere in between is what will actually go down this season.

D'oh it's a meaningless game!

See what Homer and the Reality Check is all about after the jump!

UPDATE:

T-Hud draining it!

UPDATE 2: Check out this video clip of T-Hud's game winner and his thoughts.

Let's do a little episode of Homer and the Reality Check for each Warrior who played tonight.

Baron Davis

Homer: Boom's just in phenomenal shape. He was absolutely dominant out there in his 12 minutes of play tonight. Over 48 minutes his rate of production would be All NBA 1st Team: 48 points, 12 rebounds, 16 assists, 8 steals, and 12 3-pointers. Actually that's not just All NBA 1st Team that's like playing a whole game of NBA Jam ON FIRE!
Reality Check: IF Baron stays healthy for at least 78 games and the Warriors are a top 5 team record-wise we're looking at the 2007-2008 league MVP. Um, neither's going to happen.

Stephen Jackson

Homer: Did you see Jax looking to set up his teammates at pretty much every opportunity? He was on pace for 20 assists! Also, did you see Captain Jackson on the bench rooting for his teammates and showing them support?
Reality Check: He was still dribbling awfully high tonight. Jax is most likely going to have a lot of turnovers this season unless he's more careful handling the rock, especially on those crossovers. This might be the only time this season where we don't see him going back and forth with the refs. To his credit this is probably the only time we'll see the refs not screwing him with the calls.

Al Harrington

Homer: Al's dropped 20 pounds (I actually thought he needed to put on muscle not shed fat last season) and is ready to jump out of the gym! Did you see his nice soft finish on the glass tonight?
Reality Check: Was his 3pt shooting percentage last season (good for top 10 in the league) a fluke?

Andris Biedrins

Homer: He dribbled up court tonight! Andris is only 21 years old. Sky's the limit for this young big man. He was very active on the glass and challenging shots in his limited minutes tonight. 12 and 12 nightly.
Reality Check: If he's so dedicated to improving his game and taking the next big step why is his shooting form still so disgusting at the start of his 4th pro season?

Kelenna Azuibuke

Homer: This guy is built like a rock! He played the best game out there tonight by a landslide. All this from a guy who wasn't even drafted last year. 27 points (9 of 16 shooting), 9 rodmans, and 0 turnovers. Intelligent, strong, fast, and savvy. Write it down: The 2007-2008 NBA Most Improved Player
Reality Check: Actually I'm fairly sold on Azuibuke, but let's see how he does in the month of November when the games aren't meaningless (you keeping count at home?). I like what I see.

Troy Hudson

Homer: Tonight was just the first of many game winners THud will hit as a Warrior! I absolutely loved this guy's speed and scoring ability when he was with the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers.
Reality Check: Derek Fisher was guarding him back then and the Warriors only get to play the Lakers 4 times this season.

Austin Croshere

Homer: For a few plays out there Croshere looked like a beast. He looked quick and had a nice little J too.
Reality Check: Waste of space on the Warriors' roster.

Mickael Pietrus

Homer: Luv the man's hustle, energy, and smile.
Reality Check: Same old Pietrus. The Warriors are saturated with 2's and 3's and MP2 will probably play less than last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded this year. Still who would've ever thought he'd outlast Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, and Jason Richardson in the Bay?

Matt Barnes

Homer: The mohawk's back baby! With his improved handles he'll be able to help take pressure of BD.
Reality Check: Tonight might have been the worst I've ever seen Barnes play in the Warrior jersey.

Patrick O'Bryant

Homer: Did you see that? That's what I'm talking about baby! That was amazing. I always had a sneaking suspicion O'Bryant could be a nice shot blocker with all that length, height, and timing. I saw some shades of Robert Parish and Marcus Camby tonight in the POB. With 12 boards and 3 swats tonight he was simply the best big man on the floor. He looked like he cared for a change and tried to challenge every shot. I'm not saying he'll ever be better than Biedrins, but POB has more god given talent- he's more coordinated, fluid, and skilled. If someone could light a fire under this guy or if he had a motor like Andris, he could be a solid big man for the Warriors.
Reality Check: Popcorn + Bakersfield + Jammin' + Cheesecake + 1 game fluke = Bust

Marco Belinelli

Homer: I got to hand it to Marco, he has amazing hands (terrible, terrible joke). His catch and shoot, crossover and shoot, pullup and shoot is just a joy to watch. (notice how much he likes to shoot)
Reality Check: For most of the night Belinelli looked pretty lost on defense. He took a little too many off-balance, wild shots for my liking. We'll just have to see how many of those off-balance, wild shots actually go in consistently.

Pat Burke

Homer: The future mayor of Dublin, California!
Reality Check: He almost cost the Warriors the game tonight with some complete foolishness. No veteran player should be making that kind of mistake. Cut. Immediately.

Tierre Brown

Homer: I'm always down for the brown.
Reality Check: The next cut after Burke.

Final Reality Checks:

The guy the Warriors traded JRich for didn't even play tonight- in a preseason game! Let's check the injury report in the morning. Hope everything's fine health wise for Brandan Wright. Otherwise that's a bad sign.
Kosta Perovic, who the Warriors used most of their midlevel exception on, couldn't even crack the rotation in a preseason game.
Milk Carton: Stephane Lasme. Injured? Let's hope not.
Carlos Powell looks like he'll be getting Josh Powell treatment except a whole lot faster.
Take care Monta. Neck injury's are a serious pain in the you know what. I wouldn't wish them even on a Laker fan.
There will be cuts and demotions to the DLeague. I wouldn't be too surprised if Nellie's thinking doing the Wright thing means sending Brandan to Bakersfield for a little bit.

Normally we hand out a Warrior Wonder award to a Warrior who exemplified some serious unstoppable-ness from the game. It seems wildly inappropriate and silly to hand out such a cherished honor for such meaningless preseason games, but if I were to hand it out I think it'd be a tossup between Kelenna and The Notorious P.O.B. I still can't believe what I saw from O'Bryant tonight. Actually I can't believe what I wrote about him in the Homer section. Again meaningless game. Um, I think it's time for me to go to bed...

capt.4a15a59d4e1e457ab0d00790dec86b72.warriors_lakers_basketball_himg101.jpg
Aren't you glad I'm above making fart jokes?
Seriously that's just some immature 5th grade style humor.
I would never do that.

Photos: Marco Garcia (AP), Andrew D. Bernstein (NBAE via Getty Images)

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Comments

I couldn't watch the game in SoCal

So i had to listen to the NBA.com broadcast with Fakers announcers (blech). It was awful trying to hear them try to find different ways to be optimistic about their talent ("Wow, At this rate..Vujacic is gonna be a STAR! Look out NBA!").

It made me want to be more cautiously optimistic about our players' growth. Although, I've always been high on Kaz and don't think his performance was much of a surprise (taking into account that he got the most burn) to most of us.

by sadleavy on Oct 10, 2007 4:19 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Its on TV

Sadlevy I thought i couldnt see the game in socal too. But they had it on Kcal 9. Theyre broadcasting thursday game as well on 9. Kaz looked awsome!! Jason who? hehe

by barojax on Oct 10, 2007 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

damn...

You're telling me SoCal is gonna be able to watch the Warriors play and the Bay Area isn't?! Wished FSN would broadcast more pre-season games. This blows...

by wander7 on Oct 10, 2007 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Barnes needs to get back to being Barnes

Barnes is talking about showing the league how he can take it to the next level. When he tried to do that last year, he got the DNP treatment from Nelliesbelly.

He has a good thing going. Why blow it? I guess I can understand the need to "prove" yourself, but it's too bad that he can't realize that his true skills might actually be as a fantastic role player and not MJ2, which he'll never be. In my mind, it just underscores the value of true role players who understand their role and don't try to reach beyond it. It's a talent in and of itself.

by chacabuco on Oct 10, 2007 7:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good point about Barnes' desire for greatness

but, its preseason and he does want to prove he can run the 2nd unit. He's probably been absorbing a lot during camp and hasn't been able to put it together yet. It will be interesting to see if he can be Jack Jr., but if not, there are others who can perform the role. Marco in the 4th really seemed to be more comfortable initiating, so maybe he and Ellis can handle the 2nd unit point duties. I never really bought Barnes as a true point forward. He does seem better on the wing launching and penetrating. We need him in the paint hustling for loose balls.

by eshock on Oct 10, 2007 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Barnes as point forward

I hope that's the last time we see that experiment. Barnes looked awkward trying to bring the ball up court at the point and it stifiled his usual productivity.

Next major question...back up point guard.
THud did well for us at the end of the game but he only had one assist in 26 minutes. Whoa, captain Jack had 5 dimes in 12 minutes. Looks like he's all about sharing the booty...beware pirate references for the rest of the season.

That T.Brown looked pretty quick but he won't make the cut, cat's going bald.

by redape on Oct 10, 2007 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great taste in Webpins LOL...

I gotta GSW Louis Vuiton Don Night rockin' in the backdrop with our boy K upfront lol!

by Tony.psd on Oct 10, 2007 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Barnes...

I think Barnes mini-success last year and being a captain this year has gotten to him. He seems much more cocky and arrogant than last year. And not in a good way. True, this may be one preseason game, but I dunno. This might be a cause for concern.

by dsham001 on Oct 10, 2007 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll caution 2 a certain extent...

Barnes seemed to get the most heat off last nights game... it's expected now that he's el' capitan'... that cocky nonsense I didn't see last night- I saw him struggle and since it's only game one, it's too early to wild out and say he's a cocky a$$ mo' fo'. Maybe he'll come to his senses within a game or 2... it's preseason yo'- when the real deal season comes about ,thats when he needs to show and prove. Overall it was a fun game to watch.

by Tony.psd on Oct 10, 2007 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

remember...

he isn't 100% (thumb and foot) and he got hurt during the game too. You can see him holding his left buttock after falling (don't remember when he fell...)...

by wander7 on Oct 10, 2007 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the 2 spot battle

Obviously Kaz Kabuki (special K doesn't do it for me) just made a resounding case for himself as the starting 2 guard. Scoring was sick but even better were the 9 boards and 0 turnovers.

I loved Belinelli. That handsome bastard has stones and fits in great with our style. He's lost a bit on defense but has obviously embraced the hands in the passing lane, go for the steal mantra. He drove to the hoop very well and on his hot nights his jumper will be unstoppable (baby).

Peace out Pietrus, can't use ya. The man looked completely confused and hesitant with the ball once again...how many years in the league?

by redape on Oct 10, 2007 9:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

On the contrary...

I like Marco's hands, he's got the quickness to poke the ball away and I think he moves his feet suprisingly well on D. I think he's going to surprise alot of us on the other side of the court. I also believe Nellie will give him alot of time at the back up point spot.

This is my team There are many like it But this one is mine. My team, without me is useless. Without my team, I am useless

by BlueNgoldBlood on Oct 10, 2007 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dislike Pietrus as much as the next

guy but he did just show up to camp

I think of anyone he gets a pass on looking confused out there (more than normal)

Barnes looked nervous

Belli looked like he has nerves of steal

by Zig on Oct 10, 2007 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pietrus/Barnes

I guess I gave Barnes a pass as he seemed to be uncomfortably trying to play the point.

Pietrus missed the opening in the Town but I think he only missed 1 (if that) day of camp in Hawaii. His freezing up with the ball hit my radar late last season (I actually remember sharing a "get him off the floor" moment with a fellow attendee of GSOM night I after a Pietrus stumble), and now when he sneezes I'm on him. I'll cheer when he does something right but it brought back Dunleavy memories of knowing something was going to go wrong when he got the ball in his hands last night.

by redape on Oct 10, 2007 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How bout some love for Croshere

Hey, he was one of my biggest question marks coming into the preseason. But, besides launching some terrible shots, he showed a niftyness and wily finish in the paint. Surprising everyone with his ability to bring the ball up to half court through traffic. He's actually quick. Maybe he works out with Mully. I'm liking our big men being able to pass effectively out of the double team. And, he's the only Mav last year to show any heart while the Dubs were spanking. All of a sudden, he's not a punk, but a Warrior!

by eshock on Oct 10, 2007 9:20 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I like him

and he will give us some vet presence and toughness in the paint when we need it

He knows how to set screens, he can rebound a bit, step back and hit some jumpers

I think he will turn out to be a good vet presence for us inside, willing to do whatever we need (including some hard fouls on opposing players strolling into the paint)

AB and the other young guys aren't there yet

by Zig on Oct 10, 2007 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

POB

I think he's going to be good. The W's are known for their back court, but in a few years it might be their front line they are known for. They have a lot of 21 year old 7' players developing.

The next 5 years could be great times for W's fans.

by Gain on 10 on Oct 10, 2007 9:43 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

His presence and

rebounding, shot blocking seem to have moved forward a lot

He still looks ridiculous of offense with that lame hook shot

by Zig on Oct 10, 2007 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Easy on the criticism

I know you are trying to find a balance, but you're being way too analytical with your criticism. It's OK to give a little praise in a preseason game without following up with a micro analysis to justify it. Be strong brother.

Just an important note, lets not call it a laker's comeback. Their top 2 scorers (Kobe and Vlade) scored 37 points and played over twice as long as our top two scorers (54 mins compared to 24 mins!)

LOL. And we still won.

The Lakers were desperate but our reserves did better than their reserves and even minimized a run by their stars and that's what matters and that's why we're better and that's why we won.

If War brings peace Dubz wit' it den!

by gsdubz on Oct 10, 2007 9:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

fuzzy math

Huh? Our top two scorers only played 24 minutes? Azubuike played 33 minutes. 33>24.

by jae on Oct 10, 2007 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

our REGULAR top 2 scorers

as in, our stars.

nice try buddy.

If War brings peace Dubz wit' it den!

by gsdubz on Oct 10, 2007 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Try?

Nice try? Try to what? Try to show that you didn't make yourself clear?

by jae on Oct 10, 2007 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read a lot on this site

over the summer about dumping POB, and I said at the time he is very tall, you have to be patient with tall guys, it takes awhile. Last night I thought he looked very good, very active. I have never liked Barnes because he doesn't value ball possession, he is as likely to throw the ball away or lose it as to make some positive play, too much of a playground player for me. Kaz is a much better player with a much greater upside. I can see Barnes struggling to get any minutes this year. Pietrus is Pietrus which is why he didn't get a decent offer from any team.
The only thing he has is athletic skill, not basketball skill.

by wushi on Oct 10, 2007 10:20 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Was I the only one annoyed...

that they had Kobe in the game the majority of the time, while not only Baron sat, but Jack sat out basically 3 quarters as well? It looked like we were trying to get a feel for some of your young players while trying to see how well our vet. bench meshed, while the Fakers were just trying to win the game and maybe build some confidence going into the season. HAHAHA we still won, tough luck Fakers, and all your lousy fans...I wonder how many of these jerks will have the nerve to show up to oracle this year...

This is my team There are many like it But this one is mine. My team, without me is useless. Without my team, I am useless

by BlueNgoldBlood on Oct 10, 2007 10:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I was kind of annoyed as well...

Our starters minus Kelenna basically sat the last 3 quarters, while Kobe played through the third.
At times it looked like Kobe was trying to prove something by trying to outdo Kelenna. Maybe put on a show for all those Fakers fans in Hawaii. Whatever. Congratulations Kobe & co., you looked good against our 2nd and 3rd units. It also looked like they tried to run a more uptempo offense in the first quarter but failed. I can't wait for the Dubs to beat them when the season starts.

by nautica on Oct 10, 2007 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kobe just didn't...

Look happy to be there... he looked like he had to drop the kids off the pool... not the best performance from LA... I hope we can own em' during the season... lol- who's chris Mihm again?!?

by Tony.psd on Oct 10, 2007 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

100% agree... see my comment above

If War brings peace Dubz wit' it den!

by gsdubz on Oct 10, 2007 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Baron Davis

looked AMAZing. He came out the gate like a lion who hadnt had blood for a week. His performance in the 1st quarter alone overshadowed Kobe's entire game. Its a little premature I know, but if Baron stays healthy, I can honestly say that he could very well be the new MVP of the league.

This is my team There are many like it But this one is mine. My team, without me is useless. Without my team, I am useless

by BlueNgoldBlood on Oct 10, 2007 10:27 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That got me fired up

Baron coming in like a lion. Awesome quote. Man, I gotta get me some satellite radio.

by walkerp on Oct 10, 2007 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Team Game

All I can say after watching that scorching first half is WOW. It was clear who the better team was and their Dubs cohesiveness on the offensive end of the court was beautiful. How many passes were made before the guy even started cutting? And that fast break that went from Baron to Jacks to the Buke was one of the more beautiful plays I have seen in a while. It almost seems like they are in each others heads and know where people are going to be before they get there. I like the look of this squad. And don't sleep on Harrington. He looked thin, quick, and dangerous. I hated loseing JRich but I think being able to keep their nucleus for the long term was the right move. WOW. wait till Monta gets back. GO DUBS!

by garin423 on Oct 10, 2007 10:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm loving

our second unit. I know they got outscored last night, and I know Lil Wayne er T-Hud is garbage, but damn this team is deep. Cannot give enough props to Mulson for the way this roster is put together. So much athleticism. So much shooting. This team will be taking the league by storm.

by thatrabbi on Oct 10, 2007 11:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Pre Season Means Everything!!!!!!!

I already know everything I need to know.

Baron Davis is going to be NBA MVP

Biedrins avg 14 pts 12 rebs

Jackson is an amazing captain

Al Harrington will be a great 7th option

Kelenna Azabuike will be more solid than J Rich (come on J Rich Lovers, Kelenna can dribble.)

Marco Belinelli could be a legit ROY candidate if he gets the PT...I think he will get the PT and he has a very nice dreamy Euro Tan

Matt Barnes might have a down year after seeing his stellar play last season net him only 3.5 mill and zero offers from other squads..he has the "product of nelly's system" blues right now.

POB - Wow, he might legally change his name to O'Bryant now from O'Bust.

Pietrus needs to be traded..

Hudson will hit some big shots but will also take some very bad ones.

Croshere - Wow, you really like to take shots...Hopefully you will make more than last night..you had flashes...You are what you are...I am not worried.

Pat Burke - man...you...are........CUT...I couldn't believe that shot with 10 seconds left..Nelly was actually irate.

Tierre Brown - It's been fun.

Wake me up next year...I already saw everything I needed to see.

by JimBarnett2KevinGarnett on Oct 10, 2007 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

your "reality checks"

your "reality checks" were anything but. They were just jokes. Lets review:

Croshere is a waste of space?? Yawn, keep beating that drum b/c it is so easy. I don't understand how its so hard to see his use on this team. I think it was fairly easy to see for most ppl that he is not a complete waste of space and Nelson knows what he is doing. Nelson DOES NOT use "wastes of space." He would not have been brought in if he was one.

Beans shot being "disgusting"?? again, yawn, same ole same ole easy criticism that doesn't really hold much water. Which shot did he take that looked so disgusting? Was it the ONE he missed while he went 2-3 from the field in 13 min. Or was it the free throws he took that looked so disgusting---oh wait, he didn't even take any! Did you even watch the game, Atma?? Please don't keep relying on old cliches to analyze the Warrior games, man. It makes you look lazy.

POB being a bust still--the guy had his best game ever (which admittedly, isn't saying much) and showed a complete new sense of urgency, energy and intensity and your reality check is basically--"don't even try, your worthless." Nice analyzing.

Al's 3 point shooting possibly being a fluke. Uh,,,he was 0-1 from 3pt range, Atma?? So he's never gonna make another one again? sheesh.

Your "reality checks" ended up just being mindless harping on things that didn't even exist in the game. I feel they were unwarranted and personally, they kinda offended me (i know, thats kinda laughable, but still...).

by myron on Oct 10, 2007 11:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I should clarify

The reality checks weren't just based on this game- how could they possibly be? It's one meaningless game. They were meant to temper whatever meaningless excitement I had from what actually happened in the game.

I think folks really need to revisit what I wrote here:

I'll be the first one to tell you how meaningless the NBA preseason is (someone keep a running count of how many times I've said that today), but sometimes it's just fun to make bold homer-esque predictions and extrapolations based on one single meaningless NBA preseason game (I think I'm up to 7). Well I guess it's okay if you balance it out with a harsh dose of reality. Probably somewhere in between is what will actually go down this season.

I know there's a lot of homers and bandwagoners in Warriors Nation (not that you're either of those myron), but we're always going to keep it real here at GSoM when we're writing. We bleed lighting bolts, but we're always going to tell it how we see it- and it might not be pretty sometimes. People might not agree (which is fine, smart people can disagree), but hopefully they at least respect our honest opinions and analysis.

On a side note it's funny how so many people have accused us of being homers at GSoM, while at the same time there's a ton of people who say we're too critical and negative. You just can't please everyone.

by Atma Brother ONE on Oct 10, 2007 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

to me

to me you weren't being objective--that, I can handle. I felt you were taking pot shots at players on things that didn't even happen in the game. You clarified that your reality checks weren't based on the game, but your "homer" sections directly addressed the actual game, so of course I assumed that your "reality checks" directly addressed the game and what it meant for the upcoming season. This wasn't the case, so I guess we can chalk it up to a misunderstanding on that one.

I understand these are your opinions, but I just felt that your opinions weren't based on anything but the regular, cliched arguments like POB is a bust or Andris has no outside game etc...If there were things that happened IN THE GAME that backed these claims up, that would be one thing, but on all the ones I pointed out, there were non such instances. That got me riled up (maybe a bit too much, I confess!!!).

Anyway, I still appreciate your write-ups and don't mean to sound confrontational, I just wanted to throw my opinion out there.

by myron on Oct 10, 2007 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

All good

On POB- does 1 meaningless preseason game really change the fact that he had one of the worst rookie campaigns for a lottery pick in NBA history? I'll ground any claims that the guy is going to break out this season with that evidence.

On Biedrins- I have yet to see or read anything that the man's committed to correcting his awful shooting stroke for this season. I doubt he can make the next jump to a serious offensive threat until he corrects that. Even if he never does I think he can be a solid starter in the league for years to come though, just not someone worth an enormous multiyear contract and all the hype.

Again, 1 meaningless game. We'll see. I'm of course rooting for every single Warrior to have an All NBA 1st team season.

by Atma Brother ONE on Oct 10, 2007 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

on

on POB. Well, of course it doesn't change the past, but what it does change in my eyes is that he actually does have some heart. That was the most important part in my book--he showed some fire and energy. With his skill set, if he can consistently show that level of energy, he will be alright. Of course, that remains to be seen.

On Beans. I know that me and you don't quite see eye-to-eye on Beans, but I guess it depends on what you mean by "shooting stroke." I'm assuming you've watched some of his FIBA highlights and some of the practice footage over the summer? He has shown an improved post game already with a solid turn around jumper in the lane. Is he going to be able to consistently knock down a 15 footer?---that would be nice, but I don't think its necessary. Will he continue to develop his turn around jumper--yes I think we've seen flashes of that over the summer. Will he be able to improve his free-throw shooting? I believe so. He improved it enormously from years 2 to 3, so we'll see if he makes even more improvement from years 3 to 4. I think he can be a serious offensive threat if he keeps improving his post game and moves. Dude has already shown his knack for being in the right place at the right time and his EXCELLENT court awareness and body control (which I know you don't agree with). I think he can be a big factor on offense with the weapons he already has...if he adds a few more, look out.

I don't know where you get the feeling that Beans doesn't have a strong work-ethic and isn't trying hard to get better and improve his game. Alls I hear is about him playing all the time whether it is for his country, or on his own. He has said that the main thing he's been working on is his offensive game--thats what I want to hear. What have you heard otherwise? Oh, and who cares about hype....I just care about what he does on the court and what he does on the court is easily worth $10mil/year....but thats for a different thread! :-)

by myron on Oct 10, 2007 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great points

I'm with you- I absolutely loved what I saw from POB last night, so much so that I made the seemingly ridiculous claim that he has more god given hoops talent than Biedrins.

On Andris- I wouldn't say he doesn't have a strong work ethic because that just doesn't right for a guy who stays in great shape. Still, I'd like to seem him completely rebuild his shot and focus on it- it's his 4th year. I'm not saying he has to take 10 jumpers a game or anything, but if he's at least a respectable shooter defenses won't sag down on him. Towards the end of last season I think teams really figured him out- namely don't let him stand anywhere near the bucket. Good looking out on the FIBA tip- hopefully it carries over.

by Atma Brother ONE on Oct 10, 2007 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

werd

I agree. Yeah, POB is the man who has the range. He has range out to 15-18 feet if memory serves. If he had Beans motor on him, we would have a scary 1-2 punch down low.

I think everyone agrees that if Beans cultivates a nice 10-15 footer ala Duncan, he will just be an absolute beast. The kid is young, lets cross our fingers that he doesn't become complacent!

by myron on Oct 10, 2007 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"same ole easy criticism"

I 100% agree. I posted a similar comment above. And to say the criticism makes a website more "real", gimme a break. Sometimes I guess there's a little more knbr-esque criticism, and we tend to forget this is a Warrior FAN site. lol.

Anyways, you're not alone, 1 dub.

If War brings peace Dubz wit' it den!

by gsdubz on Oct 10, 2007 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know its only preseason..

But last night's game was the first preseason Dubs game that I've been looking forward to in a long time. Our starters looked sharp and ready to go for the most part. The bench looked like they were struggling at times to keep up with scoring. I would liked to have seen some burn for B. Wright, Lasme and # 19. Seemed like Nellie was set on not playing any of the rookies, other than Belinelli, at all.

Azubuike - I think we found our starting SG. What impressed me the most was the boards and getting to the line for freethrows. If he can board like he did last night, it'll definately help offset the loss of J-Rich's rebounding and scoring. Mully starting to look like a genius signing him on the cheap.

Harrington - Looked like he's a bit quicker while driving to the rim. Actually finished at the rim at the time a couple times and got his outside shot to fall. Didn't really notice a difference in his rebounding though.

Barnes - He really had a bad game. It looked like he was trying to do too many things. It was like he regressed to last season (around the mid-season) all over again.

Belinelli - Didn't really gave a great night but did hit some mid range jumpers. I want to see how this kid would do running with the starters.

Pietrus - Ugh. Did the same stupid crap he was doing last year. Stupid fouls on defense and was hesitant when he did have the ball. I guess the bright spot is that he didn't have one of those unforced turnovers...

POB - Didn't look like a POS out there. Pretty good showing by POB. I'm still not sold on him yet but he's really showed improvement. Liked his rebounding and defense. He might actually get some playtime this season if he keeps this up.

by nautica on Oct 10, 2007 12:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Some thoughts...

The starters looked great. Baron and Al in particular looked to be in great shape and ready for the season.

Kaz was a beast. I think he will be solid this year at the two. In fact thats the exact word that comes to mind solid. Obviously last night he was spectacular but when he's playing with the first unit against top level talent I think we can expect to see good solid play, few mistakes, good rebounding (this alone may keep him on the floor) and consistent efficient offense (and the occasional game like last nights).

AB's toe sprained? Hopefully this is nothing serious but I always get worried when big men get foot injuries. Even minor ones seem to drag out forever under a 7 foot frame.

Marco is going to be fun to watch. He may claim the starting role faster than we expect but for now he will be exciting as a burst of offense and energy off the bench.

OZ was right AB can pass. lol. I'm not handing him the assist crown yet but it is nice to know that as he demands more attention down low he can and will dish or hand off to cutters.

Wright, Lasme? Hmmm... I wonder why these guys didn't get any run. Wright I could understand but with how much Nellie was talking up Lasme's game I figured we would see him for extended minutes with the starters sitting.

Croshere is "automatic"! LOL. Hopefully he will be automatically riding the bench most of the time. Don't get me wrong, I think he will be effective in spurts but I don't want to see him on the floor much at the expense of the young guys.

POBallin'. Hey, he actually looked like a basketball player out there. I guess there is still some hope for the guy. Of course if he ends up being a good NBA player I think JAE's head will explode.

Tierre Brown is not an NBA player.

Matt Barnes had a rough night but I wouldn't get so down on him. It was good to see him bring the ball up and get some experience at point forward. I know it didn't go well but look who he was on the floor with. Even Nash wouldn't have many assists playing with POB, Brown, Croshere and MP2 on the recieving end of his dishes. So all in all I'll chalk it up as experience which will come in handy during the season.

by olympicmike on Oct 10, 2007 12:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Croshere

LOL Barnett kept on jinxing him on the threes. I agree, I think Croshere will be decent in spurts.

by nautica on Oct 10, 2007 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

omg!

yeah, did you hear Barnett have to stop COLD in the middle of his sentence while Cro was shooting. "He is automatic fro...(cro clangs one off the backboard on an open 20 footer) uh...normally." I laughed very hard. Oh Barnett.....

by myron on Oct 10, 2007 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

off topic

but foyle had a decent game,and why isnt j-rich in the bobcats stat sheet?

by frankiescgswhoops on Oct 10, 2007 6:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He is

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=271010019

His full name is "Jason Richardson." 17 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists.

by Sleepy Freud on Oct 10, 2007 8:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd just like to shout out to all

of the Foyle Haters: Thanks for giving him motivation to become truely great.

All-Star!

Can't WAIT for him to finally be on TV! Miami is Friday, can only hope....

Tony.psd = Da Man

http://adonalobsessed.blogspot.com/

by Zorgon on Oct 10, 2007 9:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

baron davis

is the point god

by gswLLBatman on Oct 10, 2007 8:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Easy on Biedrins

Biedrins does not have a jumper. It would be nice but he does so much else. He played nice D, rebounded and contested shots in the lane without getting into foul trouble. He rolled into the lane on the screen and roll. He definitely needs to hit FTs but even without an offensive move, he's next to Baron, the most indispensible player on the Ws; without him they are lottery bound.

One game, but what a game for Azubuike; especially with the first team.

Love Belinelli. Its been a long time since the W's had such a pure shooter (Mully?) You can see in his catch and shoot form that he's used to shooting in traffic and still hitting the shot. Nice vision too. He looks like he's going to be a great find at 18.

Nothing better than "The City".

by philsmith75 on Oct 10, 2007 9:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Can't be too critical of Pietrus

Honetly, I don't even think he wants to be here. He looks like he's just kinda hanging around until he can be picked up by another team next season. Constantly dangled in trades and the whole nine yards. Honestly, I don't think any of us would be too excited to come back to the Warriors.

My prediction- Sits like a lame duck until he gets traded or his contract expires. Maybe plays to try to increase his trade value, but I doubt it.

Tony.psd = Da Man

http://adonalobsessed.blogspot.com/

by Zorgon on Oct 10, 2007 9:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

i understand that your trying

to be real and all

but those "reality checks" were some downers and pessimistic thinking.

there were so many positives from this game.

the starting unit gelled so well and they were in phenomenal running shape. most of the guys looked like they were on there game. they defended and ran very well. Kaz is a stud and was very solid. Baron was holding back and still basically put on a perfect quarter and was the ultimate floor general. it also looks like he practiced his shooting quite a bit. Al had some nice plays. Jack was coo, andris looked good. POB looks to have taken leaps and bounds as far as activity, attitude, confidence, awareness and defense and rebounding. I really liked croshere after this game also.

The second unit didn't look so hot. Bellinelli can stroke it and played pretty good. With monta back we will be a lot better and we will have another scorer. I wonder why BWright, Lasme and Perovich didn't play?