Da-Nile: it runs run deep, and the current carries everyone nearby with them.
Warrior Update attended Friday’s Jazz-Warrior game, and saw a masterful work of art. It was precision surgery, using minimal effort to extract an NBA victory, carving up the opposition with ease and exactness. A well-coached team executing a well thought out game plan. The evening was a cornucopia of layups drills, dunks and wide-open threes, almost resembling a practice scrimmage.
Of course we describe the Jazz, not the Warriors. Jerry Sloan’s team displayed a ball movement offense that had multiple scoring options on each possession, and a defense comprised of well-timed blocked shots and filled passing lanes. The easy steals led to wealth of perfectly executed fast breaks.
For serious hoops fans, this was a reasonably predictable storyline with little surprise. But for Warrior Update, there was a plot twist. Not on the court, but in the stands.
As the Jazz began pulling away with a 20-point lead midway through Q2, a senior Warriors ticket salesman visited us in our seats. We shook hands and made small talk.
After a particularly annoying trey in which the Jazz had their choice of open players beyond the arc, we wondered aloud about season seat renew rates, given the sad state of the Golden State franchise. With the Warriors stuck in neutral and little hope for the future, we mentioned how Warrior Update should have the pick of the litter for seats next season. We didn’t see a way out for the team. The Ws have the fifth highest NBA salary commitment for the ’10-’11 season with little talent to match the price tag. Fans will recognize this.
We opened up the opportunity for rebuttal by laying it on a little thicker: we spoke of GM-in-training Larry Riley going on record saying he was content to do nothing at the trading deadline. We concluded that this reflected an organization with no strategy or direction, stuck after dismantling a playoff team 3 years and nothing to show for it.
And, yes, we were not disappointed: Being a good company man, the manager of premium seating politely gave us directions to a certain North African river: “Who knows how good this team could have been? If only we didn’t have so many injured players.”
Sure, we always believed a healthy Randolph and an uninjured Wright would overpower Carlos Boozer; that Azebuke could dominate Kirilenko and Millsap; and of course, that would pave the way for Stephen Curry to outplay all-star Deron Williams. Those 10 TOs Curry had Friday night, well it wouldn’t have happened...But it’s hard to paddle upriver, so we smiled quietly. For the moment.
We forgot to mention that this same Jazz team took 4 of 5 playoff games from a better Warrior team, the one with Baron, Stephen Jax, Al Harrington, and J-Rich. Stating the obvious, that 2007 Warrior team was much more talented team than the Friday night’s suited up Warriors – both those in NBA uniforms and in business suits.
We also failed to mention all the cases of teams, take Boston and Houston for instance, who lost superstars for long stretches, but somehow are playoff bound. The sum total of all the Warriors on the IR don’t add up to Yao Ming and T-Mac. Not even close. Yet Houston will end up winning 35 more games that the Warriors this year...
Rather than debate injured players we continued the discussion of franchise moves. Ever since Mullin was fired, we said, we have watched the organization overpay for some players while underbidding or trading others. Oh, but Maguette was a Mullin signing, said the company man.
Aha, we thought, this is how revisionist history reshapes a scapegoat.
Let’s go to the videotape: coming off a 48 win season, Mullin and Baron Davis reach a handshake deal for reasonable length and at a market price. But wait, Nellie and President L’il Bobby Rowell decide no, not so fast. Doesn’t work for us. So, Baron splits to sign a max deal in L.A. The reaction? Uh-oh, maybe that was a huge mistake. Lets cover our tracks, change the headlines, sign someone quick. A couple of rash, max deal offers were made to Elton I'm-not-really-a-max-guy Brand and Gil I-don't-need-to-keep-my-guns-
The Ws signed Maggette to a 5-year $10 million per year, an offer he couldn’t refuse. Why? Because his next best offer was mid-level exception around $5 million per. Ha. Ha Ha Ha. And somehow, now that is Mullin’s fault.
And so the sad saga continues...
Some random Warriors notes:
- Anyone else notice the alarming details behind Stephan Curry’s pre-all star break triple-double game? In a rare event, the Warriors were crushing the opposition, up by 30 early second half, and by 38 with 8 minutes left. Maybe the blowout win threw Nellie off, confusing him about how to substitute: Curry played all but 2 minutes and 13 seconds of the game. Deavan George played all of 4 minutes and Chris Hunter, 9 minutes. .... And still we wonder why the Ws have so many injuries...
- We wrote to a NYC friend to congratulate him on the Knicks clearing space for two max contract free agents this summer, and to lament the Ws standing pat with a bad team and unwieldy future salary commitments. Our Knicks fan’s response: “Well, its another lost year for us, but there is at least hope, which is better than bad and hopeless.” Not that he is implying that’s where the Warriors are. No, no...
- That “hopey, changey thing” seems to be working in D.C., for the Wizards that is. Last night the Wiz began their rebuilding project Friday night, sans their big three - Butler, Jamison, and Arenas. And what do you know? The 18-33 Wizards beat the 36-18 Denver Nuggets. Not only do the Wiz get a fresh start with lots of cap room, but they let their young talent play and they showed they could.
- That is perhaps the Warriors Update dream: trade their big three contracts - Maggette, Biedrins and Ellis, clear out all cap space and start again. And the Ws have better young talent than the Wizards. Alas, it is not to be; the Warriors are stuck in neutral, in the mud – neither here nor there, no room to maneuver, with the wheels sinking deeper into the slushy ground every moment...
- And to that end, We have to think the following trade, in its basic form, was workable: Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins for T-Mac and Carl Landry. For Houston's duo that was traded, they instead received Kevin Martin and Hilton Armstrong, both poor man’s versions of the equivalent Warrior duo. But, then again, that would take ingenuity, aggressiveness, thoughtful ideas and most of all, a plan. When do we get a little of that?
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As always, go Ws...
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