Player - AST/TO [APG]
1. Willie Warren - 3.80 [1.7]
2. AJ Price - 3.00 [3.0]
3. Eric Maynor - 2.83 [2.1]
4. Ty Lawson - 2.52 [3.9]
5. Ishmael Smith - 2.44 [3.0]
6. Jeff Teague - 2.50 [2.2]
7. Jrue Holiday - 2.40 [7.1]
8. John Wall - 2.33 [9.1]
9. Darren Collison - 2.29 [4.4]
10. Brandon Jennings - 2.26 [5.7]
11. Stephen Curry - 1.95 [5.7]
12. Jeremy Lin - 1.63 [1.3]
13. Eric Bledsoe - 1.63 [4.9]
(Monta Ellis - 1.62) [4.8]
14. Toney Douglas - 1.57 [2.1]
15. Tyreke Evans - 1.56 [5.2]
(Eric Gordon - 1.56) [4.7]
16. Greivis Vazquez - 1.56 [1.4]
17. Armon Johnson - 1.41 [2.1]
Assist Rate - Usage Rate
1. Willie Warren - 39.1 - 15.0
2. Ishmael Smith - 32.1 - 17.2
3. Jeff Teague - 31.9 - 16.6
4. Eric Bledsoe - 30.8 - 17.6
5. Jrue Holiday - 30.3 - 21.0
6. John Wall - 30.0 - 25.2
7. AJ Price - 29.8 - 21.3
8. Eric Maynor - 26.9 - 17.3
9. Armon Johnson - 26.6 - 23.0
10. Ty Lawson - 26.4 - 19.3
11. Greivis Vazquez - 23.7 - 19.8
12. Jeremy Lin - 22.8 - 17.3
13. Darren Collison - 22.6 - 22.6
14. Brandon Jennings - 22.4 - 25.6
15. Stephen Curry - 21.5 - 26.1
16. Tyreke Evans - 19.0 - 26.1
(Eric Gordon) - 15.9 - 28.6
(Monta Ellis) - 15.8 - 26.8
17. Toney Douglas - 14.7 - 20.0
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Hornets Are Going For It. Carmelo Anthony Coming Along For The Ride?
The Hornets have shocked the NBA community with their success to this point. They're 11-1, tied with San Antonio for best in the league. Side note: one team starts Marco Belinelli, another starts DeJuan Blair.
And the world rejoices.
Chris Paul is as good as he ever was, Trevor Ariza is recuperated (Houston, we have a problem), Emeka Okafor is skinny and healthy, Marco Belinelli is skinny and healthy (who knew he could do it?), and David West is still making jump shots like he's Peja Stojakovic or something. Etc.
After the entire league was certain Paul would force his way out of town or quit for two years so he'd be healthy for a max deal to contend in New York or wherever, he's gone another direction. The smarter direction. The brilliant champion's direction:
"Fuck you, I'll kick your ass."
And the world rejoices.
Now he's got his buddy Jarrett Jack in tow after an interesting multi-stage trade with Toronto over the weekend that sent the aging corpse of Peja north with still-interesting young talent Jarred Bayless (younger than GQ Curry) in exchange for Jack, semi-OK reserve big David Andersen, and expiring contract Marcus Banks. The move suggests future moves, too. That's right, NBA West. Don't sleep on GM Chris Paul. He's in it to win it.
The Morris Peterson trade exception used to acquire Marcus Banks was useless as part of larger trades. But laundering it now, over the weekend of November 20th-21st, converts it into a fully liquid $5 millionish for multi-player deals as early as one month before the league's February trade deadline. That one month of salary relief potential might make a major difference to a team looking to cash out on big salaried stars committed to leaving town at season's end no matter what their teams do. Getting out of financial commitments via trade exceptions or other means a month early on a multi-million dollar contract is a major draw. David Andersen is liquid, too, as less than $200,000 of his 2011-12 contract is guaranteed. Chump change write-off for most. Anyone but the California Warriors, really.
The Hornets have started the Carmelo positioning season off with a bang.
Total in effectively expiring contracts the Hornets now hold:
About $18 million if Belinelli and Jason Smith are expendable on a true star (they are).
Plus a nearly $10 million Traded Player Exception. The kind the California Warriors never used after cash-dumping Jason Richardson for Brandan Wright right after We Believe! in 2007.
When this deal went down, it seemed like the Hornets had sold way short on a major gem in the Stojakovic contract. But using it as part of a deal to free up the Peterson TPE for multi-player deals actually increases the Hornets' flexibility while dropping the team under the luxury tax threshold. They up their largest available TPE to a whopping $9.7 million or so (remainder of the Peja deal) and still have a full max contract's worth of expiring contracts. They can get TWO major difference makers now and pay some tax or get "just" Anthony and still avoid paying luxury tax.
That's flat-out brilliant executive work by Dell Demps & co.
I apologize for thinking they'd screwed this up at first.
The New Orleans Hornets just blew the Western Conference out of the water for contender-with-flexibility-to-improve status. If their fast start is no mirage (and it still could be one- nail-biter in Sacramento last night), no other team can say it's atop the tougher conference AND has a top 5 NBA superstar firing on all cylinders AND can run the February trade deadline on all fronts, with multiple teams.
The Hornets sale price should have just jumped.
No luxury tax and they can still potentially add Carmelo. Then, if you'd like to, new Hornets owner, you can pay luxury tax to add another difference maker. Make it JR Smith with Carmelo so the Nuggets are enamored with a spare parts and salary relief offer, for example, and you'll lose luxury tax handouts and pay an extra $6 million BUT you're going to kick major ass and be at least a temporary destination for top players again. Strong chance Paul convinces Carmelo to simply play out his final year and then they'll both be free agents together for 2012. And if he can't? You could get in on a S&T deal with Anthony and, bare minimum, you've got the same brilliant cap room you otherwise would have only you've still got Paul and you probably just ran some fools in the playoffs. NBA players run to contention. Good vets take less money to play with motivated superstars and players' coaches who seem to know what they're doing on all sides of the ball.
Things look better for the Hornets no matter what they do at this point. If they're about to make more moves and if they're in on Carmelo, Marcus Thornton is a decent young player to throw into the mix to sweeten a cash dump proposal to the Nuggets or another team with a departing or disgruntled star available this February. I'm less clear on the status of the Hornets' first round draft pick. Dell Demps traded a top-7 protected 2011 first round draft pick in the Bayless deal. The Hornets will not finish in the bottom 7 of the league. They'll be keeping their draft pick. But I don't think that means they can re-trade it unless they acquire another pick somehow, and they cannot trade their 2012 pick with the 2011 pick outstanding still. Anyone smarter than me, please explain this situation.
The Nuggets seemed well past the point of getting a blue chip prospect like Favors for a Carmelo rental. Before this Hornets-Raptors deal adjusted the Carmelo Destination Landscape, the Nuggets were set to fail miserably in a short-sighted, imaginationless ticket sales desperation impotence like Toronto with Bosh or surrender to one of the lowly rental offers promising mere salary relief. But the Hornets now can take as much unmatched, pure cash-dump salary in a deal with Denver as anyone AND offer at least one extremely promising young player. Possibly some draft picks, too. Marcus Thornton for JR Smith is a deal the entire league would make right now if you offered it. Chris Paul/Dell Demps may be the only executive branch in the NBA willing to be on the other end of that deal. It's a perfect storm. Carmelo is leaving Denver however he has to. This may ultimately up the offers from other teams with less firepower than New Orleans once they realize exactly what just happened. But NEVER underestimate Pre-Lockout/Retirement David Stern's manipulation of league business and behavior and his obstinate refusal to give up on a dying New Orleans market. This is his chance to rectify the Toronto problem and this is a team that has to sell locally. HAS TO.
(see: Warriors sale to Lakers/Celtics fans, rigged; anti-hiphop culture dress codes, enacted; Tech Foul ramp up, inexplicable; Donaghy, Tim; and revenue lies, constant).
There's no downside to going all-in on a Carmelo rental in New Orleans. Carmelo is better than Chris Bosh and Paul is WAY better than Chris Bosh. This set-up says real playoff success, whereas Toronto had nothing going for it. Bosh was a soft complementary player and couldn't lead Baron Davis to a doughnut. Chris Paul is the real effing deal. Give him an elite player who has already proven he can play score-first second fiddle to Paul to brilliant effect, and you win. You win.
Other teams in the West have one month to make similar moves to show they mean business on a Carmelo Anthony move. Paul and Carmelo were the top players for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics and they want to play together. They complement each other ridiculously well. One could argue no other superstar pairing makes more sense in the league today. They may well end up in New York with Amar'e in the very near future. But New Orleans is now a top candidate to land Carmelo's services for the immediate future and that should scare the living shit out the Western Conference and the league. And unlike that spoiled, moronic owner's-son-turned-can't-close-executive, Bryan Colangelo, Dell Demps has something to work for and he's going all out to keep Chris Paul happy and win everything he can.
Right. Now.
And the world rejoices.
Chris Paul is as good as he ever was, Trevor Ariza is recuperated (Houston, we have a problem), Emeka Okafor is skinny and healthy, Marco Belinelli is skinny and healthy (who knew he could do it?), and David West is still making jump shots like he's Peja Stojakovic or something. Etc.
After the entire league was certain Paul would force his way out of town or quit for two years so he'd be healthy for a max deal to contend in New York or wherever, he's gone another direction. The smarter direction. The brilliant champion's direction:
"Fuck you, I'll kick your ass."
And the world rejoices.
Now he's got his buddy Jarrett Jack in tow after an interesting multi-stage trade with Toronto over the weekend that sent the aging corpse of Peja north with still-interesting young talent Jarred Bayless (younger than GQ Curry) in exchange for Jack, semi-OK reserve big David Andersen, and expiring contract Marcus Banks. The move suggests future moves, too. That's right, NBA West. Don't sleep on GM Chris Paul. He's in it to win it.
The Morris Peterson trade exception used to acquire Marcus Banks was useless as part of larger trades. But laundering it now, over the weekend of November 20th-21st, converts it into a fully liquid $5 millionish for multi-player deals as early as one month before the league's February trade deadline. That one month of salary relief potential might make a major difference to a team looking to cash out on big salaried stars committed to leaving town at season's end no matter what their teams do. Getting out of financial commitments via trade exceptions or other means a month early on a multi-million dollar contract is a major draw. David Andersen is liquid, too, as less than $200,000 of his 2011-12 contract is guaranteed. Chump change write-off for most. Anyone but the California Warriors, really.
The Hornets have started the Carmelo positioning season off with a bang.
Total in effectively expiring contracts the Hornets now hold:
About $18 million if Belinelli and Jason Smith are expendable on a true star (they are).
Plus a nearly $10 million Traded Player Exception. The kind the California Warriors never used after cash-dumping Jason Richardson for Brandan Wright right after We Believe! in 2007.
When this deal went down, it seemed like the Hornets had sold way short on a major gem in the Stojakovic contract. But using it as part of a deal to free up the Peterson TPE for multi-player deals actually increases the Hornets' flexibility while dropping the team under the luxury tax threshold. They up their largest available TPE to a whopping $9.7 million or so (remainder of the Peja deal) and still have a full max contract's worth of expiring contracts. They can get TWO major difference makers now and pay some tax or get "just" Anthony and still avoid paying luxury tax.
That's flat-out brilliant executive work by Dell Demps & co.
I apologize for thinking they'd screwed this up at first.
The New Orleans Hornets just blew the Western Conference out of the water for contender-with-flexibility-to-improve status. If their fast start is no mirage (and it still could be one- nail-biter in Sacramento last night), no other team can say it's atop the tougher conference AND has a top 5 NBA superstar firing on all cylinders AND can run the February trade deadline on all fronts, with multiple teams.
The Hornets sale price should have just jumped.
No luxury tax and they can still potentially add Carmelo. Then, if you'd like to, new Hornets owner, you can pay luxury tax to add another difference maker. Make it JR Smith with Carmelo so the Nuggets are enamored with a spare parts and salary relief offer, for example, and you'll lose luxury tax handouts and pay an extra $6 million BUT you're going to kick major ass and be at least a temporary destination for top players again. Strong chance Paul convinces Carmelo to simply play out his final year and then they'll both be free agents together for 2012. And if he can't? You could get in on a S&T deal with Anthony and, bare minimum, you've got the same brilliant cap room you otherwise would have only you've still got Paul and you probably just ran some fools in the playoffs. NBA players run to contention. Good vets take less money to play with motivated superstars and players' coaches who seem to know what they're doing on all sides of the ball.
Things look better for the Hornets no matter what they do at this point. If they're about to make more moves and if they're in on Carmelo, Marcus Thornton is a decent young player to throw into the mix to sweeten a cash dump proposal to the Nuggets or another team with a departing or disgruntled star available this February. I'm less clear on the status of the Hornets' first round draft pick. Dell Demps traded a top-7 protected 2011 first round draft pick in the Bayless deal. The Hornets will not finish in the bottom 7 of the league. They'll be keeping their draft pick. But I don't think that means they can re-trade it unless they acquire another pick somehow, and they cannot trade their 2012 pick with the 2011 pick outstanding still. Anyone smarter than me, please explain this situation.
The Nuggets seemed well past the point of getting a blue chip prospect like Favors for a Carmelo rental. Before this Hornets-Raptors deal adjusted the Carmelo Destination Landscape, the Nuggets were set to fail miserably in a short-sighted, imaginationless ticket sales desperation impotence like Toronto with Bosh or surrender to one of the lowly rental offers promising mere salary relief. But the Hornets now can take as much unmatched, pure cash-dump salary in a deal with Denver as anyone AND offer at least one extremely promising young player. Possibly some draft picks, too. Marcus Thornton for JR Smith is a deal the entire league would make right now if you offered it. Chris Paul/Dell Demps may be the only executive branch in the NBA willing to be on the other end of that deal. It's a perfect storm. Carmelo is leaving Denver however he has to. This may ultimately up the offers from other teams with less firepower than New Orleans once they realize exactly what just happened. But NEVER underestimate Pre-Lockout/Retirement David Stern's manipulation of league business and behavior and his obstinate refusal to give up on a dying New Orleans market. This is his chance to rectify the Toronto problem and this is a team that has to sell locally. HAS TO.
(see: Warriors sale to Lakers/Celtics fans, rigged; anti-hiphop culture dress codes, enacted; Tech Foul ramp up, inexplicable; Donaghy, Tim; and revenue lies, constant).
There's no downside to going all-in on a Carmelo rental in New Orleans. Carmelo is better than Chris Bosh and Paul is WAY better than Chris Bosh. This set-up says real playoff success, whereas Toronto had nothing going for it. Bosh was a soft complementary player and couldn't lead Baron Davis to a doughnut. Chris Paul is the real effing deal. Give him an elite player who has already proven he can play score-first second fiddle to Paul to brilliant effect, and you win. You win.
Other teams in the West have one month to make similar moves to show they mean business on a Carmelo Anthony move. Paul and Carmelo were the top players for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics and they want to play together. They complement each other ridiculously well. One could argue no other superstar pairing makes more sense in the league today. They may well end up in New York with Amar'e in the very near future. But New Orleans is now a top candidate to land Carmelo's services for the immediate future and that should scare the living shit out the Western Conference and the league. And unlike that spoiled, moronic owner's-son-turned-can't-close-executive, Bryan Colangelo, Dell Demps has something to work for and he's going all out to keep Chris Paul happy and win everything he can.
Right. Now.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
New Era: Lacob Pays to Provide Full Port-A-Potty Access in Parking Lots
Big big news from last night's atrocity of a "basketball" game between the New York Knicks and the California Warriors. Two super shitty teams. One shittier than the other and poised with Bob Shitzgerald excuse-delivery for the post game. Big changes. Just wait until..... whenever.
Appropriately, Lacob-Goober unlocked and cleaned all of the outhouses in the parking lot in preparation for the huge deuce dropping administered by the Knicks and their fans. Cohan never paid to have outhouses available to fans for pre-and post-game use despite the shittiest traffic approach in the entire league.
Indeed, "something special is happening already."
"Someone" has been reading my past thoughts on the facilities recently, I can confirm from my site stat info.
http://chriscohansucks.blogspot.com/2010/01/oracle-arena-parkingouthouses-cohan.html
In other news: Goober watched the first half courtside, gazed dreamily at me for a while, then disappeared for the second half. Either he had a flight to his LA home to catch or he was hiding his hair from the shitstorm on the court. David Lee is a true team leader. He's really leading at least one Warriors girl. Or at least planning to. Eyes glued to and winking at the ladies at all team timeouts.
Appropriately, Lacob-Goober unlocked and cleaned all of the outhouses in the parking lot in preparation for the huge deuce dropping administered by the Knicks and their fans. Cohan never paid to have outhouses available to fans for pre-and post-game use despite the shittiest traffic approach in the entire league.
Indeed, "something special is happening already."
"Someone" has been reading my past thoughts on the facilities recently, I can confirm from my site stat info.
http://chriscohansucks.blogspot.com/2010/01/oracle-arena-parkingouthouses-cohan.html
In other news: Goober watched the first half courtside, gazed dreamily at me for a while, then disappeared for the second half. Either he had a flight to his LA home to catch or he was hiding his hair from the shitstorm on the court. David Lee is a true team leader. He's really leading at least one Warriors girl. Or at least planning to. Eyes glued to and winking at the ladies at all team timeouts.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Fred Harman, Warriors Co-Owner: Anyone Will Do. Epic Cash Whore.
Willing to ride in the backseat with Cohan, Ellison, and/or Lacob.
He was a minority owner under Chris Cohan.
Then he teamed up with Larry Ellison for the bidding process.
Then he bought in (free?) with Lacob & co. after he lost the bidding process.
If no money has to change hands, his 5% stake should represent $22.5 million of the $450 million (besides the $150 million league loan) Lacob & co. don't have to pay now, right? Harman said he would NOT be a part of Lacob's group when last asked. Now, magically, he's front and center with Joe Lacob at the games.
This guy don't give a FUCK who he rides with. Just give him that sweet sweet cash.
Fuck the, you know, basketball operations.
Terrible sign.
In other news, the Warriors' legal representation on the sale, Katten Muchen Rosenman LLP, has no Bay Area offices.
He was a minority owner under Chris Cohan.
Then he teamed up with Larry Ellison for the bidding process.
Then he bought in (free?) with Lacob & co. after he lost the bidding process.
If no money has to change hands, his 5% stake should represent $22.5 million of the $450 million (besides the $150 million league loan) Lacob & co. don't have to pay now, right? Harman said he would NOT be a part of Lacob's group when last asked. Now, magically, he's front and center with Joe Lacob at the games.
This guy don't give a FUCK who he rides with. Just give him that sweet sweet cash.
Fuck the, you know, basketball operations.
Terrible sign.
About that Sophomore AST/TO tracker.
Disagree with any reports or stats that make Stephen Curry look bad. Only positive stories and WinSpeak moving forward. This product must seem tasty. This is Show Business.
(Qualified Leaders PG Rank)
1. Eric Maynor - 3.17 (9)
2. Ty Lawson - 3.00 (10)
3. Brandon Jennings - 2.52 (22)
4. Jrue Holiday - 2.48 (23)
5. Jeff Teague - 2.33 (27)
6. Darren Collison - 1.83 (42)
7. Stephen Curry - 1.77 (44)
8. Tyreke Evans - 1.69 (51)
9. Toney Douglas - 1.27 (73)
10. James Harden - .82 (82)
(Qualified Leaders PG Rank)
1. Eric Maynor - 3.17 (9)
2. Ty Lawson - 3.00 (10)
3. Brandon Jennings - 2.52 (22)
4. Jrue Holiday - 2.48 (23)
5. Jeff Teague - 2.33 (27)
6. Darren Collison - 1.83 (42)
7. Stephen Curry - 1.77 (44)
8. Tyreke Evans - 1.69 (51)
9. Toney Douglas - 1.27 (73)
10. James Harden - .82 (82)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Season AST/TO Check: Sophomore PG (and James Harden)
10 games in. This list will not include John Wall, Mike Conley, or DJ Augustin.
(Qualified Leaders PG Rank)
1. Ty Lawson - 2.77 (12)
[CJ Watson & Jeremy Lin - 2.67]
2. Jeff Teague - 2.60 (15)
3. Brandon Jennings - 2.52 (17)
4. Jrue Holiday - 2.48 (18)
5. Tyreke Evans - 1.87 (29)
6. Darren Collison - 1.83 (31)
7. Eric Maynor - 1.83
8. Stephen Curry - 1.82 (32)
9. Toney Douglas - 1.13 (42 but a shooting guard now)
10. James Harden - .70
Stephen Curry's ankle is 100% fine.
He's just a bitchy prima donna spoiled brat 6th man who can't play defense worth even half a D League shit.
(Qualified Leaders PG Rank)
1. Ty Lawson - 2.77 (12)
[CJ Watson & Jeremy Lin - 2.67]
2. Jeff Teague - 2.60 (15)
3. Brandon Jennings - 2.52 (17)
4. Jrue Holiday - 2.48 (18)
5. Tyreke Evans - 1.87 (29)
6. Darren Collison - 1.83 (31)
7. Eric Maynor - 1.83
8. Stephen Curry - 1.82 (32)
9. Toney Douglas - 1.13 (42 but a shooting guard now)
10. James Harden - .70
Stephen Curry's ankle is 100% fine.
He's just a bitchy prima donna spoiled brat 6th man who can't play defense worth even half a D League shit.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Post Drunkout: Nellie Ball Forever (Warriors 3rd in Pace, 23rd in Opp. Points Per Game)
Chris Cohan Ownership Win Number 483!
Robert Rowell Presidency Win Number 254!
(We all mised his 250th win on Asian Heritage Night vs. the Clippers October 29th.
Sorry, I take full responsibility for letting that milestone pass as unnoticed as a Chris Mullin jersey retirement)
Warriors are now 6-2 under Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell this season. Take the Lakers loss off of their docket and their opponents' collective win-loss record is a cool 17-30 (.362). Yikes. The Knicks game highlighted shitty defense and stat-centric slop ball not seen since.... all of last season, this preseason, this season, and any time Keith Smart gets flustered in a close game vs. shitty opponents. To almost cough up a NINETEEN point lead against a doormat like the Knicks is embarrassing at best. No progress whatsoever strategically, stylistically, or otherwise despite Nellie's best efforts to orchestrate armageddon for two years running. Now we're just back to the syrupy pre-Drunkout shitball only with far worse defenders/contract pushers at point guard and small forward.
Monta Ellis, the team's obvious MVP, may get the All Star nod Baron didn't in 2007-08 and Dorell Wright seems more reliable than Stephen Jackson as a no-conscience Chucker against bad teams. But this is the same model. In EVERY meaningful way.
One minor difference: rebounding differential. Used to think this was THE major difference but I'm not so sure the Warriors can legitimately point to any meannigful or relevant improvement here just yet. In 2007-08, the Warriors were not good at outrebounding opponents over the full season. At all. Yet, they won 48 games. So far, they appear to be better and are ranked 6th in the league. Two double-digit rebounders in the starting lineup certainly helps. But then again, 6 of the Warriors 8 opponents are in the bottom half of the league in rebounding differential. And more confusing/troubling still for a shitball run-it-up team, the Toronto Raptors actually have a BETTER rebounding differential than the Warriors depite being about the absolute worst team in the league and all-purpose league punchline MINNESOTA is even better than Toronto. Strange days.
The Warriors are now giving up 104.3 points per game, good for 23rd in the league. Houston is dead last at 110.6. Memphis and New York are both lower than the Warriors in OPP PPG. Toronto is 21st at 103.8. Utah, which may finally be emerging from its cave, is still down at 20th in the league. The Warriors have played exactly two teams outside the bottom third of the league in OPP PPG:
The Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers.
They lost both games.
Keith Smart's supposedly revamped offense.... isn't.
On the other side of the ball, the Warriors are pointing to their OPP FG% rates so far. But they're dropping quickly off of stat padding stinkers from the Clippers and Utah and have already hit 45%. They're likely to get worse as the season wears on and the good teams finally hit the schedule in any sort of volume. The last three opponents:
Detroit: .431 season, .451 vs. GSW
Toronto: .441season, .458 vs. GSW
New York: .443 season, .468 vs. GSW
Unbelievably poor work against poor-shooting teams.
This recent failure to plan or execute any sort of new, non-Nellieball team defensive coherence suggests that, as the schedule gets tougher, the Warriors will continue to allow big shooting nights to their opponents and they may very well begin to give up even more points per night as other teams get some game tape under their coaching staffs' belts. It won't take long to figure out that the Warriors don't really have much of an offensive toolkit at all and are largely just taking advantage of early-season sloppiness and terrible broken teams with sucker plays Nellie already ran. All saved at the buzzer by swaggerriffic timely (desperate) three point shooting in shootouts. The Knicks and Pistons both looked like they had the Warriors' simplistic strategic composition figured out. Detroit knew how to dismantle it from the ground up and New York was nearly capable of letting the slop ball routine play itself out and simply making more shots before the buzzer sounded. Better shooting teams with even a modicum of defensive intensity relative to New York will simply torch the Warriors under similar circumstances.
The Warriors are third in pace behind Minnesota and Houston so good opponent shooting is hardly even necessary to shatter the illusion of defensive competence the team is selling desperately. This is still a Nellie Ball team. Pre-Drunkout Nellie, to be sure, but still just a chucking running idiot ball team with stat padders and no defensive presence whatsoever when push comes to shove and legitimate team structure is on the other side of the media table.
When's the sale closing?
Robert Rowell Presidency Win Number 254!
(We all mised his 250th win on Asian Heritage Night vs. the Clippers October 29th.
Sorry, I take full responsibility for letting that milestone pass as unnoticed as a Chris Mullin jersey retirement)
Warriors are now 6-2 under Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell this season. Take the Lakers loss off of their docket and their opponents' collective win-loss record is a cool 17-30 (.362). Yikes. The Knicks game highlighted shitty defense and stat-centric slop ball not seen since.... all of last season, this preseason, this season, and any time Keith Smart gets flustered in a close game vs. shitty opponents. To almost cough up a NINETEEN point lead against a doormat like the Knicks is embarrassing at best. No progress whatsoever strategically, stylistically, or otherwise despite Nellie's best efforts to orchestrate armageddon for two years running. Now we're just back to the syrupy pre-Drunkout shitball only with far worse defenders/contract pushers at point guard and small forward.
Monta Ellis, the team's obvious MVP, may get the All Star nod Baron didn't in 2007-08 and Dorell Wright seems more reliable than Stephen Jackson as a no-conscience Chucker against bad teams. But this is the same model. In EVERY meaningful way.
One minor difference: rebounding differential. Used to think this was THE major difference but I'm not so sure the Warriors can legitimately point to any meannigful or relevant improvement here just yet. In 2007-08, the Warriors were not good at outrebounding opponents over the full season. At all. Yet, they won 48 games. So far, they appear to be better and are ranked 6th in the league. Two double-digit rebounders in the starting lineup certainly helps. But then again, 6 of the Warriors 8 opponents are in the bottom half of the league in rebounding differential. And more confusing/troubling still for a shitball run-it-up team, the Toronto Raptors actually have a BETTER rebounding differential than the Warriors depite being about the absolute worst team in the league and all-purpose league punchline MINNESOTA is even better than Toronto. Strange days.
The Warriors are now giving up 104.3 points per game, good for 23rd in the league. Houston is dead last at 110.6. Memphis and New York are both lower than the Warriors in OPP PPG. Toronto is 21st at 103.8. Utah, which may finally be emerging from its cave, is still down at 20th in the league. The Warriors have played exactly two teams outside the bottom third of the league in OPP PPG:
The Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers.
They lost both games.
Keith Smart's supposedly revamped offense.... isn't.
On the other side of the ball, the Warriors are pointing to their OPP FG% rates so far. But they're dropping quickly off of stat padding stinkers from the Clippers and Utah and have already hit 45%. They're likely to get worse as the season wears on and the good teams finally hit the schedule in any sort of volume. The last three opponents:
Detroit: .431 season, .451 vs. GSW
Toronto: .441season, .458 vs. GSW
New York: .443 season, .468 vs. GSW
Unbelievably poor work against poor-shooting teams.
This recent failure to plan or execute any sort of new, non-Nellieball team defensive coherence suggests that, as the schedule gets tougher, the Warriors will continue to allow big shooting nights to their opponents and they may very well begin to give up even more points per night as other teams get some game tape under their coaching staffs' belts. It won't take long to figure out that the Warriors don't really have much of an offensive toolkit at all and are largely just taking advantage of early-season sloppiness and terrible broken teams with sucker plays Nellie already ran. All saved at the buzzer by swaggerriffic timely (desperate) three point shooting in shootouts. The Knicks and Pistons both looked like they had the Warriors' simplistic strategic composition figured out. Detroit knew how to dismantle it from the ground up and New York was nearly capable of letting the slop ball routine play itself out and simply making more shots before the buzzer sounded. Better shooting teams with even a modicum of defensive intensity relative to New York will simply torch the Warriors under similar circumstances.
The Warriors are third in pace behind Minnesota and Houston so good opponent shooting is hardly even necessary to shatter the illusion of defensive competence the team is selling desperately. This is still a Nellie Ball team. Pre-Drunkout Nellie, to be sure, but still just a chucking running idiot ball team with stat padders and no defensive presence whatsoever when push comes to shove and legitimate team structure is on the other side of the media table.
When's the sale closing?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Joe Lacob Doesn't Have the Cash or an Investment Group & is a Huge Douche Bag Control Freak.
From Ric Bucher's ESPN chat this Thursday:
All credit to the fabulous Joel Creager (Nuck Chorris) of the Warriors online fan and media community for getting this important question posed to Ric Bucher. Whose sources are excellent as always.
Warriors fans and lazy, reactionary media stooges who LOUDLY assured you that "anyone will do" so long as Chris Cohan sells the team but maybe Larry Ellison isn't the best man for the job (they said all of this in MARCH, by the way) have officially been exposed as gleaming dipshit Pollyanna Homer Moron Toolz.
No Sale Anytime Soon still reigns supreme 8 months and counting after it was proclaimed.
Oldie but a goodie by Nuck on the Warriors' anti-fanopinionfreedom PR bullshit. They're still rolling with painfully awkward attempts to control fan/media access and message such as Twit Day or whatever:
http://chriscohansucks.blogspot.com/2009/04/read-it-and-weep.html
Joel (Santa Cruz)http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/35345/nba-with-ric-bucher
What is the heck is going on with the Warriors sale?
Ric Bucher (1:03 PM)
From what I've heard, the presumptive owners are looking for additional investors to reduce the amount of cash they actually have to put up. The problem is, they're promising zero input from the minority partners. That's the way former owner Chris Cohan ran it and no one wants to put money up to be part of that.
All credit to the fabulous Joel Creager (Nuck Chorris) of the Warriors online fan and media community for getting this important question posed to Ric Bucher. Whose sources are excellent as always.
Warriors fans and lazy, reactionary media stooges who LOUDLY assured you that "anyone will do" so long as Chris Cohan sells the team but maybe Larry Ellison isn't the best man for the job (they said all of this in MARCH, by the way) have officially been exposed as gleaming dipshit Pollyanna Homer Moron Toolz.
No Sale Anytime Soon still reigns supreme 8 months and counting after it was proclaimed.
Oldie but a goodie by Nuck on the Warriors' anti-fanopinionfreedom PR bullshit. They're still rolling with painfully awkward attempts to control fan/media access and message such as Twit Day or whatever:
http://chriscohansucks.blogspot.com/2009/04/read-it-and-weep.html
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