GDT: Warriors @ Spurs (Game 1)

[CitySushi]

At first I wrote a pretty detailed (and scathing) summary of the game, but deleted it. It's too hard to look back at the game with that much regret of how things happened. I feel too emotionally invested in this team.

At the same time I think it speaks to the new expectations and possibilities this team has. It's not the same "happy to be here" mentality anymore. There are no more "moral victories". The team simply has to find a way to get it done. Previously we would have said the other team is more experienced or more talented, but with a first round win, that's no longer the case.

I will say that the Warriors have been resilient this year. Even though this game could become a breaking point for them, I'm interested to see how they respond. Body language to start the next game will be key. We'll have to see if they believe they can win and will have to execute to do it.

We can't have let ups. Curry can't be a 3 quarter player. Jack can't lose his mind in the last 2 minutes of the game. There is no more room for rookie mistakes from Barnes, Green or Ezeli. Bogut needs to assert himself in the post and find a way to get the team a high percentage bucket. Lastly, and as Jackson said in the Denver series, we can't play the Spurs game. They're better than us at that. Their record speaks for themselves. We have to play our game. Make them adjust to us and not the other way around.

 

[Heathbar012]

Brutal finish.

It seems inevitable that the Warriors youth/inexperience will continue to cost them games. Unfortunate. The Warriors outplayed a very good Spurs team on the road for all of four minutes last night. (well, you could say both teams played mostly even in OT). But those four minutes were simply horrific. Their inability to make good decisions on offense and defense while holding a lead is just killing them.

Slept like crap last night. That said, these shortcomings are part of the growing process for this team. Not sure what they'll do the rest of this series, but I'm all the more confident that going forward, with a little more seasoning and by adding more athleticism off the bench, this team could be special.

Brandon Rush says, "See you next year."

 

[TobyTyler]

At first I wrote a pretty detailed (and scathing) summary of the game, but deleted it. It's too hard to look back at the game with that much regret of how things happened. I feel too emotionally invested in this team.

At the same time I think it speaks to the new expectations and possibilities this team has. It's not the same "happy to be here" mentality anymore. There are no more "moral victories". The team simply has to find a way to get it done. Previously we would have said the other team is more experienced or more talented, but with a first round win, that's no longer the case.

I will say that the Warriors have been resilient this year. Even though this game could become a breaking point for them, I'm interested to see how they respond. Body language to start the next game will be key. We'll have to see if they believe they can win and will have to execute to do it.

We can't have let ups. Curry can't be a 3 quarter player. Jack can't lose his mind in the last 2 minutes of the game. There is no more room for rookie mistakes from Barnes, Green or Ezeli. Bogut needs to assert himself in the post and find a way to get the team a high percentage bucket. Lastly, and as Jackson said in the Denver series, we can't play the Spurs game. They're better than us at that. Their record speaks for themselves. We have to play our game. Make them adjust to us and not the other way around.

I bet they come out fired up and embarrassed tomorrow night. I would not be surprised if they win. But this loss in game one basically ended any chance they had of winning the series. They can't beat San Antonio four out of the next six.

 

[TobyTyler]

Brandon Rush says, "See you next year."

I think we have enough Brandon Rushes on the team. We need size on the back end and a genuine "Go to" guy when Curry is under wraps.

 

[Heathbar012]

I think we have enough Brandon Rushes on the team. We need size on the back end and a genuine "Go to" guy when Curry is under wraps.

The Warriors do not have a single athletic wing that can play solid-NBA defense and drive and finish well at the rim. Barnes will be great, but right now the Dubs are missing exactly what Rush provides off the bench.

 

[CitySushi]

The Warriors do not have a single athletic wing that can play solid-NBA defense and drive and finish well at the rim. Barnes will be great, but right now the Dubs are missing exactly what Rush provides off the bench.

Brandon Rush will be a huge added boost to the team next year if he's back to his full health. The Warriors do need a go-to guy but unfortunately with our cap space and 0 draft picks in this upcoming draft, any go-to guy is going to have to be traded for. We do have Biedrins and Jefferson in the last year of their deals next year, but with looming contract increases for Curry and Lee, they'll be in a real financial bind.

Also two other huge factors for us in the upcoming off season are the pending free agency of Jack and whether or not Landry will opt out of his contract. In the beginning of the year I thought it was a foregone conclusion he would opt out. However he did struggle towards the latter part of the year and hasn't had any dominant games since his hot start. It'll be interesting to see what he does.

 

[Heathbar012]

Brandon Rush will be a huge added boost to the team next year if he's back to his full health. The Warriors do need a go-to guy but unfortunately with our cap space and 0 draft picks in this upcoming draft, any go-to guy is going to have to be traded for. We do have Biedrins and Jefferson in the last year of their deals next year, but with looming contract increases for Curry and Lee, they'll be in a real financial bind.

Also two other huge factors for us in the upcoming off season are the pending free agency of Jack and whether or not Landry will opt out of his contract. In the beginning of the year I thought it was a foregone conclusion he would opt out. However he did struggle towards the latter part of the year and hasn't had any dominant games since his hot start. It'll be interesting to see what he does.

Agreed. I'm glad Rush signed for two years, last summer. Jack and Landry need to do what is best for their careers, and I think that would be re-upping with the Dubs (but I'm a bit biased). Jack will get plenty of run with Curry's ankles, and the desire to have a solid ball handler that can drive and feed the shooters, even when Steph is healthy. Most of his regular season and first round were impressive, but his decision making could keep him from the starting job that he seeks (if it was a possibility, anyway EDIT: elsewhere, of course). We seem to be having discussions for this off season and next year's trade deadline in two different threads, when we should be discussing how the Warriors blew out the Spurs in San Antonio for the first time in over a decade and a half. What a difference a three-to-five-minute collapse makes?

 

[Yoshi]

The Warriors do not have a single athletic wing that can play solid-NBA defense and drive and finish well at the rim. Barnes will be great, but right now the Dubs are missing exactly what Rush provides off the bench.

Not to mention, Rush can hit 3's. They could do wonders from both an offensive and defensive standpoint since Rush wasn't too shabby on his defense as well.

It's not this offseason but the next where the Warriors will have some wiggle room financially and having a draft pick I believe in 2014. Barnes and Rush off the bench and hopefully by that time a backup PG (assuming Jack isn't back) that can penetrate and spell Curry about 8 - 10 minutes a game. Seeing Curry icing both ankles last night and being in the medical field myself, I know the Warriors are playing with fire if Curry continues to log this many heavy minutes. The only problem is the offense looks out of whack when he's off and Jack is running the show. For the 16 minutes Jack wasn't playing last night, the Dubbs were +10, but when he was on the floor, the team was -12. I don't think it's coincidence, I think it's the Warriors needing to do something off the ball because you just can't have Jack dribble the ball for 20+ seconds and then "jack up" a shot (no pun intended). That just isn't smart offense at all.

 

[Heathbar012]

Not to mention, Rush can hit 3's. They could do wonders from both an offensive and defensive standpoint since Rush wasn't too shabby on his defense as well.

It's not this offseason but the next where the Warriors will have some wiggle room financially and having a draft pick I believe in 2014. Barnes and Rush off the bench and hopefully by that time a backup PG (assuming Jack isn't back) that can penetrate and spell Curry about 8 - 10 minutes a game. Seeing Curry icing both ankles last night and being in the medical field myself, I know the Warriors are playing with fire if Curry continues to log this many heavy minutes. The only problem is the offense looks out of whack when he's off and Jack is running the show. For the 16 minutes Jack wasn't playing last night, the Dubbs were +10, but when he was on the floor, the team was -12. I don't think it's coincidence, I think it's the Warriors needing to do something off the ball because you just can't have Jack dribble the ball for 20+ seconds and then "jack up" a shot (no pun intended). That just isn't smart offense at all.

Agreed. Plus, an O with good ball movement is just so much more fun to watch. I can almost take the defensive lapses if there is great passing at the other end of the floor (especially when up by double digits with 3 minutes left). Standing around and watching a good player run the iso is fine if you have a superstar that gets to the rack, gets fouled or drains a fade away virtually every time, but the Warriors don't have that, and they are certainly at their best when one person isn't trying to create their own shot. Take advantage of Curry's quick release with off-the-ball screens, and only he, Klay or Barnes get the occasional iso play with time running down on the shot clock.

 

[TobyTyler]

The Warriors do not have a single athletic wing that can play solid-NBA defense and drive and finish well at the rim. Barnes will be great, but right now the Dubs are missing exactly what Rush provides off the bench.

I haven't seen a whole lot of Rush but I consider him just another swing man. I'll watch him closer when he comes back.

 

[TobyTyler]

Brandon Rush will be a huge added boost to the team next year if he's back to his full health. The Warriors do need a go-to guy but unfortunately with our cap space and 0 draft picks in this upcoming draft, any go-to guy is going to have to be traded for. We do have Biedrins and Jefferson in the last year of their deals next year, but with looming contract increases for Curry and Lee, they'll be in a real financial bind.

Also two other huge factors for us in the upcoming off season are the pending free agency of Jack and whether or not Landry will opt out of his contract. In the beginning of the year I thought it was a foregone conclusion he would opt out. However he did struggle towards the latter part of the year and hasn't had any dominant games since his hot start. It'll be interesting to see what he does.

Not Lee. His injury has shown just how little his loss would mean to the team. I believe, in fact, that he slows the team down, is a detriment to the defense and is retarding the growth of both Green and Barnes. They should trade or let him walk.

 

[CitySushi]

Not Lee. His injury has shown just how little his loss would mean to the team. I believe, in fact, that he slows the team down, is a detriment to the defense and is retarding the growth of both Green and Barnes. They should trade or let him walk.

Lee's contract in scaled so that the last few years of his deal INCREASE his salary. I'm not talking about extending him, his contract is for 4 more years, with each year increasing in the amount of annual salary he is paid.

They can let him walk...in 4 years.

 

[tzill]

The Warriors do not have a single athletic wing that can play solid-NBA defense and drive and finish well at the rim. Barnes will be great, but right now the Dubs are missing exactly what Rush provides off the bench.

Still screaming at the abyss, Heath?

 

[TobyTyler]

Still screaming at the abyss, Heath?

Down Fifi, down girl. get off my leg.

 

[TobyTyler]

Lee's contract in scaled so that the last few years of his deal INCREASE his salary. I'm not talking about extending him, his contract is for 4 more years, with each year increasing in the amount of annual salary he is paid.

They can let him walk...in 4 years.

He has value if he will change his game. He could play a poor man's Kevin McHale role on this team if he would work on his defense.

 

[Heathbar012]

I haven't seen a whole lot of Rush but I consider him just another swing man. I'll watch him closer when he comes back.

You will be impressed. Even if the knee injury took a step or two from him, he can still defend and finish well. He was my pick for 6th man of the year before he went down (Z-Bo! ). If Jack had gone down, too, this team might never have made it to the playoffs, strictly due to lack of depth... and Biedrins (the expensive version of Eli Whiteside; or should that be RJ now?)

 

[Heathbar012]

Still screaming at the abyss, Heath?

Nah, man. I never scream. I just point out blatant fallacies. I'll bore of it soon. Fish in a barrel and all that. You know.

 

[TobyTyler]

You will be impressed. Even if the knee injury took a step or two from him, he can still defend and finish well. He was my pick for 6th man of the year before he went down (Z-Bo! ). If Jack had gone down, too, this team might never have made it to the playoffs, strictly due to lack of depth... and Biedrins (the expensive version of Eli Whiteside; or should that be RJ now?)

For all the crap and ridicule Jack takes, you'd think he was terrible, but I agree with you, he has been very valuable as the third guard and sometimes seems to be the only one who wants to take a shot in a critical situation.

As for Biedrins, he gets paid millions just to watch NBA games from the best seats in the house. How do I get a gig like that?