OPEN THREAD: Game #38 - Warriors vs Pacers - Welcome Home!

Warriors (W-L): 21-16
Pacers (W-L): 17-21
TV: FSN +
Radio: KNBR 680
Time: 6 pm

I won't lie. I've been waiting for this game for quite some time. Some old friends are coming home and I can only imagine the warm welcome they're going to get.

A Link to the Past
We'll definitely try to do a lengthier retrospective/ introspective on last year's 8 player deal between the Warriors and the Pacers soon, but for now these links should keep you more than busy (and entertained).

The Trade:

• Trade: Dun, Murphy, Diogu, McLeod for Harrington, S. Jackson, Jasikevicius
• The Warriors & Pacers Blockbuster Trade: Throwing Up W's and L's
• Basketball Obituaries -- Mike Dunleavy Jr. 2002-2007
• Dad's got my back!
• Warriors Head Coach Don Nelson Talks about the Blockbuster Trade
• Warriors-Pacers Blockbuster Trade Linkfest
• A Little Pacer Perspective on the Blockbuster Trade
• New Warrior Al Harrington Talks about the Trade
• Everyone's Talking About the Trade!
• GSoM Q&A with Matt Steinmetz - 01/18/07 (Part 1 of 2)
• A Reality Check on the Blockbuster Trade between the Warriors and Pacers
• GSoM Q&A with Marcus Thompson II - 01/30/07 (Part 1 of 2)
• Jon Barry on the Warriors and Pacers Trade
• Simulation Analysis of the Warriors-Pacers Blockbuster Trade

2006-2007 Report Cards:

• Sarunas Jasikevicius (D+)
• Troy Murphy (D+)
• Mike Dunleavy Jr. (D-)
• Josh Powell (C)
• Ike Diogu and Keith "Who?" Mcleod (Double D+)
• Al Harrington (B)
• Stephen Jackson (A-)

2005-2006 Report Cards:

• Troy Murphy (C+)
• Ike Diogu (B-)
• Mike Dunleavy (D)

Believe It or Not

• The Pacers are the 7th highest scoring team in the league thus far at 103.1 ppg, but they give up 104.7 ppg. In case you were wondering the Warriors are 2nd at 108.4 ppg and surrender a league worst 107.1 ppg. Tonight's going to be a shootout- meaning the Warriors are going to shoot the Pacers out of the building.
  
  
• Holding down the 3rd worst spot in the league the Pacers let opposing teams shoot 38.1% from downtown against them. The Warriors lead the league in 3's attempted, so you do the math. Should be a fun one.
  
  
• Troy Murphy, the artist formerly known as T-Double, has had only 3 double-doubles in 33 games this year for the Pacers. GSoM friend Jim Barnett used to say about TMurph "He has a nose for the ball." I see him posting some huge rebound totals tonight in that tradition.
  
  
• After posting a career worst 28.3% 3pt rate with the Pacers last season after the trade, Mike Dunleavy has caught fire this season and is hitting trifectas at a 42.9%. Good for him, but it's a fluke. He's the shooter who can't shoot. Come back and talk to me in mid-April when the Pacers have missed the playoffs for the second straight season and we'll revisit his 3pt %.
  
  
• Ike Diogu was supposed to be set free by the trade to the Pacers, but he's actually played less minutes under Jim O'Brien than he did under Nellie at this point in the season. (This might not be a fair comparison however because Ike's been injured for a huge chunk of this season).

Don't miss our ongoing Q&A with Indy Cornrows for more on the Pacers and the trade that helped bring us the We Believe Movement.

BOOleavy
As somewhat expected, the "winner" by a landslide (or should we say Dunslide?) of the GSoM poll that run for less than two days prior to tonight's showdown was Mr. Excuseleavy:

A few of you randomly voted for Jeff Foster who the Warriors selected with the 21st pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, which I think think is completely uncalled for. Seriously, explain yourselves. Haha how can you boo a guy who never once gave the Warriors lazy minutes or poor focus? I can't name a single time. Can you?

For some fun- or make that not-so-fun- history on former notable Warriors making their return to the Bay check out GSoM friend Tim Kawakami's piece The big return of Dunleavy and Murphy won’t be anything like Arenas, Webber or Sprewell for Warriors fans [Talking Points- SJ Mercury]

5 Reasons Why This Should Be an Easy W

1. Andris Biedrins should be able to put up 15 easy puts tonight against the porous Pacer D. If the Pacers stick Murphy and his absence of any lateral movement on him for major minutes, bump that number up to 25. Simply put, the Pacers aren't athletic enough and are too slow to keep up with the Dubs. I won't even get into the kind of damange Monta Ellis should be able to wreak on them in transition with Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, and Al Harrington QBing.
   
   
2. The Pacers have no answer for Baron Davis. Expect a big night. All Star numbers gauranteed.
   
   
3. Aside from Jermaine O'Neal the Pacers are even softer than the Warriors inside.
   
   
4. The Pacers are on the second night of a back to back thousands of miles away from home. Last night they took out the Kings by 6. See Pacers 111, Kings 105: Small Was The Call [Indy Cornrows] and The View From Section214, 1/12 [Sactown Royalty].
   
   
5. Warrior fans at the Roaracle and at home watching TV are going to cheer on Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington against their former team. We will do our part in making sure they get this W. We Believe it's going to be a playoff atmosphere at the Roaracle tonight.

I'm sorry, but there's absolutely no excuse whatsoever for the Warriors not to win this game. NONE.

Predictions

• Warriors have a 30 point blowout of the Pacers heading into the 3rd quarter, but intentionally decrease the point differential to 17 in honor of the January date of the trade as they pick up this W.
• Stephen Jackson goes 20-4-5
• Troy Murphy puts up a meaningless double-double
• Al Harrington hits 4+ treys.
• TMurph and We Like Ike get more cheers than boos from the Roaracle crowd.
• A few people randomly try to heckle former Warrior Jeff Foster much to my dismay.
• Mike Dunleavy has another triple-single.
• Ike Diogu plays less minutes than 102.9.
• Dunleavy breaks down crying in appreciation from all the welcome back cheers and love Warrior fans give him.
• Dunleavy tries to post up Monta Ellis, but fails miserably.
• Dunleavy airballs at least 2 three's.
• Dunleavy gives us plenty of Funleavy Foto Fun for the recaps tonight and Wednesday night!
• After the refs call him for an obvious foul Dun tosses his jersey into the stands and throws a tantrum while being ejected. Just like good old times.

The guy who put on the Dunleavy jersey in this clip is officially banned from Warriors Nation FOE LIFE.

Don't miss the preview and game thread our friends at Indy Cornrows have for tonight's game.

Drop your predictions and live game thoughts in the comments. Let's get this open thread going strong!