The Bay Bridge is still closed and that's made it a pain to get to and from work. BART is jammed packed in the commute hours and it just seemed like a good idea to wait a bit longer for the crowds to thin out. But that left me with a dilemma: find a place in SOMA to catch the game, or try to rush back and run the risk of missing the first bit. I chose option number two, and while crowded trains meant I missed the first quarter, I did not have to face the double indignity of a large bar tab -- in the futile attempt to suffocate the horrors of that horrendous performance -- and getting home about 4 hours after I'd originally intended to be home. As such, I didn't find myself properly seated in front of the TV until sometime in the 2nd quarter. This meant that I caught about 4 minutes of an actual competitive basketball game, followed by the interpretive dance routine summarizing the history of futility that has been the Golden State Warriors for most of my conscious lifetime.
Preview/Game Thread, 1096 comments indicating that others suffered through this as well
Final box score
Blog Buddy: Bright Side of the Sun (at least someone should be happy)
Ugh!
It started reasonably well. The set warmed up just in time to see Azubuike bury a three, then charge up to the other end to catch Amar'e Stoudemire napping and block his shot from behind. Azubuike wins the Warrior Wonder.
Congratulations Kelenna.
After that though, honestly, I'd like to forget this. The block didn't seem to make NBA.com's game recap either and other than that, the highlights were few and far between.
Perhaps the less said out this game, the better.
Observations:
If Monta Ellis ever passed the ball to Stephen Curry, it must have been in the first 16 minutes of the game. After that, there appeared to be three teams on the floor. Two of them were wearing blue jerseys, but playing with each other no more than they were cooperating with the Suns squad.
Monta wants this to be his team. Unfortunately, he seems to believe that this means he has to take every shot in order to score as much as possible. It isn't too late to turn this around, but it's the sort of problem that, if left unchecked, will spell disaster. Did anyone tell him that our quota for tunnel vision shooters ready to go 1 on 5 has already been met? It appears he's fooling some of the people some of the time, as SF Chron writer Rusty Simmons described his performance as "a standout game only from Monta Ellis, who went for 19 points, five rebounds and three assists, and was effective and active on the defensive end." 19 shots to get 19 points coupled with 5 turnovers? It might stand out, but perhaps not in the way that Rusty meant.
Anthony Randolph still has a knack for grabbing rebounds, but he appears no closer to being a SF than he was at the beginning of last year. The discipline and shot selection that seemed to be improving at the end of last season looks like it's still on summer vacation.
The Suns killed us on the boards. The same Suns that were relying on a front line of Stoudemire and Channing Frye, neither of whom should make Phoenix a rebounding power. Of course, much of that has little to do with our rebounding. Much of it is that Phoenix wasn't missing shots. Without misses, it's tough to grab rebounds.
I'd also like to offer an apology:
While I still firmly expect Channing Frye tor return to being a largely useless player who will shoot more often than his skills warrant, last night he was on fire. Did someone show him my posts about him? I'm pretty sure that his performance was meant as a personal affront to me. It is unfortunate that the rest of you had to suffer for this.
It's just one two games, right?