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Win some and lose some, but the loss tonight was pretty tough. The Warriors gave it away.
Actually, that's not entirely fair. Scratch that, I really can't be fair. Let's be specific instead - Jarrett Jack and Klay Thompson gave it away, repeatedly. Ten times between them. This is the first game this year where Brandon Rush could have made a huge difference, because 2 of our 3 guards didn't cut it in the second half tonight.
So why am I angry? Because 2J wasn't even looking to pass most trips down the court, while going 4-11. Eight assists are great, but most of them were in the first half, while most of his turnovers were in the second. In the 4th 2J was 1-3 from the field, with 1 assist and 2 turnovers. Klay looked pretty good in the first half - and utterly dreadful in the second. In the fourth he went 0-3, with no assists and a turnover. Carl Landry was a spectacular -19 for the fourth quarter, registering nothing in the box score for his entire 5 minutes.
In two floor minutes, the unit of Curry/Barnes/Jack/Landry/Lee went down 11 points. The unit was 0-3 shooting, had a turnover, and 2 personal fouls. That was it, other than auditioning for a matador role in Carmen. It was the same story with Thompson on the court instead of Barnes.
I'm angry because we know how good these Warriors can be, and because they weren't outpaced by superior talent tonight, but because of stupid mistakes. Yes, Jack is still hurt, Curry was hobbled, Klay took a serious groin kick. We could have used Biedrins. Yes, they didn't get the calls. And those aren't the reasons they lost. It's not fair to the team to be this upset, because it is a young team, and they know how they lost it. They didn't look for the open man, and too often they passed directly into the teeth of the defense. They failed to establish rebounding position. They let Gallo take all the time he wanted, completely uncontested. They lost focus, lost tempo, lost sync. They lost what it is to be this Warriors team.
No good or bad tonight, no special shoutouts. Barnes mostly played well and hit a career high - he needed more shots; Lee mostly played well; Curry mostly played well - and should have had more touches. They'll learn, they'll grow.
Tonight after the game, Jackson sounded tight with controlled anger. He won't shout, he won't blame, he won't make excuses. They screwed up tonight, and it's just the way it is. He'll focus on the next game, and getting them prepared, and staying focused on gearing them to win again. But you know that this one stung him, and is going to be with him for a while.
A serious team wins games like this, and it's time for the Warriors to get serious.