I'm not trying to steal Hash's thunder and this is by no means a recap. This is simply me, a keyboard, and some frustration.
I went to the game tonight.
I left the game after the 3rd quarter ended (I considered leaving at halftime).
I've never left a game early until watching the team tonight.
It was bad. Real bad. Disgustingly bad basketball. So bad it hurt my eyes to watch and made me sick to my stomach. I had to leave. Had to get out of that atmosphere. I just could not watch anymore. Never felt that way before. Have I hit bottom?
It's a weird feeling leaving before the game is over. There's no crowd pushing their way to get out of the doors. There's nobody in your way walking across the skybridge towards BART. There's nobody on the roads as you head towards 880. It was lonesome and quiet, but oddly satisfying. It was something I had to do. I couldn't sit there and force myself to watch garbage. When my favorite team puts out such a poor effort, I don't need to sit there and watch. It was too painful for me to take. I left with a bitter taste in my mouth.
What made me disgusted? Hit the jump.
Just a few notes from the game and reasons I left early.
- Martin Gortat outplaying Biedrins in the first half. Offensive rebounds galore. Dunks. What a joke. Biedrins numbers looked great but when the opposing team's backup center plays just as well, it doesn't mean anything.
- First few possessions, Biedrins driving the lane and turns the ball over two times in a row. First a pass to Stephen Jackson that was about 8 feet off and went into the stands. Reason? He jumped to make the pass and guess who wasn't there? Next time down he turns it over again on what? Another pass where he jumps in the air before passing. In fact, this is a plague that's hit almost all the Warriors. Jumping before you pass is a big no no. Little kids know this. Why don't our players know this?
- CJ Watson has no idea how to run a fast break. 3rd quarter, a 4 on 2 break with the ball in CJ's hands in the middle of the court. We wind up with an off balance, wild layup miss by Jamal Crawford. CJ dished the ball way too early and passed before the defender stopped him. This isn't the first time he's done this. Numerous times in previous games he's completely screwed up a routine fast break.
- The Jamal Crawford - Ronny Turiaf 2 man game is just not successful. Please stop. That was a painful 24 second shot clock violation.
- Boxing out. Try it. A 2 on 3 break by the Magic - the Warriors had numbers. The Magic miss the layup and there are 3 Warriors in the paint. Oh but here comes Rashard Lewis in for the offensive board and tip. It would have helped to box him out. In fact, it helps to find a man and box him out when the other team shoots the ball.
- Do we have any offensive plays? If it's not someone who doesn't have the skills to go 1 on 1 but thinks they do, it's this lame pick and roll that nobody on the team can run.
- Honestly, it's the first time I wanted to go down and yell at Nellie. Does this team practice any sort of fundamentals? Teach them Nellie. Coach them. They are a poorly coached team with no discipline. They don't know how to play. They're not the most talented but they are basketball players but none of them know how to play fundamentally sound basketball. It's sad. I don't care nearly as much about the rotation patterns, Nellie knows what he's doing there. But my goodness, go back to basics and teach these guys how to play.
- Belinelli had a very nice offensive game, but man was he bad on D. He's too weak, got pushed around, and could barely fight through screens.
- Speaking of bad D, anyone else find it oddly funny that when the crowd chants "DE-FENSE," the team has no idea what it means? It really seemed like every time the crowd chanted "DE-FENSE" the Magic scored.