Remember what life was like for Warriors Nation before Baron Davis came to down? The Warriors were unwatchable. Tonight without Boom Dizzle against the Western Conference power Spurs, the Warriors fizzled. They were pretty much, well... unwatchable.
It was at best a longshot for the Warriors to beat the Spurs in San Antonio without Baron tonight, but there was no excuse for the awful offense on display with 33.7% shooting. If you missed tonight's game, you should feel happy. If you TiVoed the game, as soon as you get to your TiVo box hit "Delete". This game was boring from the tip-off, but don't worry Golden State of Mind recaps are never boring. So keep reading!
Box Score
Troy "the Homeless Guy" Murphy had another good game with 12 points, 12 boards, a swat, and a pick!
The most shocking part about this loss was that the Warriors for the most part played some pretty decent defense. Tim "Snooze" Duncan was held to single digit points on 4 for 17 shooting. Biendrins and Murphy deserve some serious credit for this. Tony "Overrated" Parker only had 14 points. Manu "Flop" Ginobili only had 13 points on 33.3% shooting. Defense wasn't the problem tonight. (Wait a sec- I really don't know how a Warrior fan like me has the nerve to make fun of the NBA Champion Spurs. This is what it's like being part of Warriors Nation, my friends.)
So why did the Warriors lose? The Spurs dominated the boards collecting 8 more rebounds than the Dubs. The Warriors leading scorer (the kid Monta Ellis) only had 16 points. Defensive wonder, but offensively challenged Bruce Bowen of the Spurs (14 points) scored more than Foyle, Dunleavy, Zarko, and Biedrins... COMBINED. It was FUGLY.
Mickael Pietrus has really missed Baron Davis. Fisher has filled in admirably for Baron, but he's not the type of player to get others going. Playing Fish, JRich, and Pietrus at the same time is like having 3 shooting guards on the floor. MP2 has really struggled the past two games. He's been quiet, Dunleavy quiet. Mickael shouldn't lose his starting spot though. Give him some time to work through it. Remember, Mike Dunnuthin- sorry I mean Dunleavy- stunk it up for 152 games straight and was still the starter. Look for Pietrus to bounce back on Monday against the Jazz.
Let's not forget to give it up to Mike Dunleavy for another BRILLIANT performance. In 29 minutes, Mike EXPLODED for 4 points, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers, 4 boards, and an assist. He was on fire again making 2 of his 8 attempts. At least he didn't miss a 3 pointer (0 for 0)! Baby steps... baby steps...
Make no mistake the Warriors as a whole were pretty awful tonight, but Mike is the only Warrior who logs heavy minutes and routinely walks away with horrible performances infesting boxscores everywhere. I'm a little worried that the 44 million dollar flop couldn't be a star in the NBDL. Seriously. No joke.
Well actually I lied. Here's another Dunleavy joke:
Mike doing his best Dave Stewart "Death Stare" impression against Nick the "Quick Hurt Knee" and Tim "Never" Dunkin'. (AP Photo)
WARRIOR WONDER I
Dave Stewart.
The Warriors desperately need some attitude. Some ferocity. Some intensity. The Warriors should fire Coach Montgomery and hire the A's legend himself Dave Stewart to replace him. Shout out to the great Athletics Nation!
WARRIOR WONDER II
Monta Ellis. This season Monta's had some fine moments. He's been a bright spot all season long. Monta's lightening quick, tough, has handles and a nice shooting touch. I've had a tough time this season imagining what he could be when he develops. I think I've finally figured it out. In his prime Monta is going to be a tougher version of Tony Parker with a better outside shot.
I've never been a big fan of Tony Parker's game. I think Duncan and Pop's schemes make him look a lot better than he really is by hiding his shortcomings. Parker's a good player, but not a superstar as Fitz and Barnett were calling him on the Warriors TV broadcast tonight. If Baron was on the Spurs he'd be 10x better than Parker. Monta's going to be better than Tony Parker some day too. He might never be as appreciated, but he'll be better.
And oh yeah, since I know you're wondering- Yes, Monta will have a fine lady too.
Even Eva knows: Monta's going to be 5x better than Tony some day!