If only it were horseshoes and hand grenades. . .
I graduated from college earlier this year and my graduation gift was or is lower level season tickets to the Warriors. If you're a fan, you know that the 08-09 season holds little if no playoff hope. In the off season, the Warriors signed Monta Ellis, one of the most explosive and talented players in the NBA, to a five year contract extension worth upwards of $66 million dollars. To celebrate, Ellis went home to Mississippi to participate in activities deemed illegal according to the verbiage in his contract. He's out for at least three months and even if he weren't, the Warriors suspended him for thirty games. Because the Warriors play in the West, a conference that's never been so dominant in the entire history of professional basketball, only the best of the best of the best make it to the playoffs. The Warriors won 49 games last year and did not make the playoffs. To put that in perspective, the eighth seed in the east had a win loss record of five games below .500! The icing on the cake? The Warriors open the season by playing the third best team in the NBA, the New Orleans Hornets.
It should have been a rout. It should have been over before tip off. The 19,128 people that were in attendance were there to welcome the beginning of the season, to see some new faces, and to watch Chris Paul, the best young point guard in the league, dismantle the W's. And all signs pointed to just that when the Hornets got off to a quick 8-2 lead. But then something happened. The Warriors locked up the interior of the court and force the Hornets to take off balanced shots from outside the key. They still made them but at no where near the pace they would have had they been able to drive to the hoop. And the Warriors didn't go away. Every time I thought the Hornets were about to pull away and put away the Warriors, Steven Jackson or Corey Maggette hit a clutch three that put the Warriors back in the game. They even had a ten point lead with seven minutes to go in the second quarter.
The Oracle crowd brought it, as we always do, and when the Hornets called time with four minutes to go in the game and the Warriors down by just two points, a look of disbelief flashed across the Western Conference semifinalists of last season. Could this Monta-less team really be keeping pace with the league's elite? Even the home crowd didn't believe what they were seeing. You see, Northern California possess a rarity in sports towns, knowledgeable fans. And as much as we wanted to see a win, nobody really expected it. For 47 minutes and 46 seconds, the Warriors held fast. Never completely loosing control and always staying in the Hornets' rear view mirror.
But there they were, 14 seconds remaining, down by one with control of the ball under their own basket. Fourteen seconds, a lifetime in the NBA. More than enough time to inbound the ball, move it around the floor, and take it to the hoop. And seeing as how the Warriors were in the bonus, the Hornets would be hard pressed to foul with anything less than five seconds left on the clock. Then it happened. The hopes of 20,000 strong were dashed when the inbounds pass was tossed, out of bounds.
The Warriors fouled, the Hornets made both of their free throws, and with 3 seconds left, Al Harrington (who wants out of GS) threw up a three to tie that was on line but rattled in and out of the cylinder. The final score was 103-108, David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakavic, and oh yeah Chris Paul were just one clutch shot better than the Warriors. But if that's how the W's are going to play against one of the league's best, this season may not be as depressing as we thought. Loosing Ellis for the first 30 games is a death sentence on the 08-09 season. But if the end is inevitable, I'd much rather watch a team fight and claw its way to the finish than lay down and wait for the doors to close. The Warriors could have given up at a number of points last night but they didn't. What last night did for me was get me wondering.
What if they keep in the race for the first thirty games? I'm not saying that they have to be leading the West but what if they stay about two or three games back of the eighth seed for the first thirty? What if Monta comes back and is healthy? What if Al Harrington gets traded somewhere and the Warriors get a serviceable point guard in return? What if Marco Belinelli and Brandon Wright have the kind of break out seasons that Ellis and Biedrins had back in 06-07? It'll take a minor miracle for those stars to align but here's the thing, the Warriors have the talent to do just that. They're deep on the bench and if the rooks play up to their potential, we may be in for an interesting season. I don't like quoting people but, Alexander Pope said that "hope springs eternal." I may be wrong but hasn't that been the motto of Warriors fans since that magical spring of 07?
I graduated from college earlier this year and my graduation gift was or is lower level season tickets to the Warriors. If you're a fan, you know that the 08-09 season holds little if no playoff hope. In the off season, the Warriors signed Monta Ellis, one of the most explosive and talented players in the NBA, to a five year contract extension worth upwards of $66 million dollars. To celebrate, Ellis went home to Mississippi to participate in activities deemed illegal according to the verbiage in his contract. He's out for at least three months and even if he weren't, the Warriors suspended him for thirty games. Because the Warriors play in the West, a conference that's never been so dominant in the entire history of professional basketball, only the best of the best of the best make it to the playoffs. The Warriors won 49 games last year and did not make the playoffs. To put that in perspective, the eighth seed in the east had a win loss record of five games below .500! The icing on the cake? The Warriors open the season by playing the third best team in the NBA, the New Orleans Hornets.
It should have been a rout. It should have been over before tip off. The 19,128 people that were in attendance were there to welcome the beginning of the season, to see some new faces, and to watch Chris Paul, the best young point guard in the league, dismantle the W's. And all signs pointed to just that when the Hornets got off to a quick 8-2 lead. But then something happened. The Warriors locked up the interior of the court and force the Hornets to take off balanced shots from outside the key. They still made them but at no where near the pace they would have had they been able to drive to the hoop. And the Warriors didn't go away. Every time I thought the Hornets were about to pull away and put away the Warriors, Steven Jackson or Corey Maggette hit a clutch three that put the Warriors back in the game. They even had a ten point lead with seven minutes to go in the second quarter.
The Oracle crowd brought it, as we always do, and when the Hornets called time with four minutes to go in the game and the Warriors down by just two points, a look of disbelief flashed across the Western Conference semifinalists of last season. Could this Monta-less team really be keeping pace with the league's elite? Even the home crowd didn't believe what they were seeing. You see, Northern California possess a rarity in sports towns, knowledgeable fans. And as much as we wanted to see a win, nobody really expected it. For 47 minutes and 46 seconds, the Warriors held fast. Never completely loosing control and always staying in the Hornets' rear view mirror.
But there they were, 14 seconds remaining, down by one with control of the ball under their own basket. Fourteen seconds, a lifetime in the NBA. More than enough time to inbound the ball, move it around the floor, and take it to the hoop. And seeing as how the Warriors were in the bonus, the Hornets would be hard pressed to foul with anything less than five seconds left on the clock. Then it happened. The hopes of 20,000 strong were dashed when the inbounds pass was tossed, out of bounds.
The Warriors fouled, the Hornets made both of their free throws, and with 3 seconds left, Al Harrington (who wants out of GS) threw up a three to tie that was on line but rattled in and out of the cylinder. The final score was 103-108, David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakavic, and oh yeah Chris Paul were just one clutch shot better than the Warriors. But if that's how the W's are going to play against one of the league's best, this season may not be as depressing as we thought. Loosing Ellis for the first 30 games is a death sentence on the 08-09 season. But if the end is inevitable, I'd much rather watch a team fight and claw its way to the finish than lay down and wait for the doors to close. The Warriors could have given up at a number of points last night but they didn't. What last night did for me was get me wondering.
What if they keep in the race for the first thirty games? I'm not saying that they have to be leading the West but what if they stay about two or three games back of the eighth seed for the first thirty? What if Monta comes back and is healthy? What if Al Harrington gets traded somewhere and the Warriors get a serviceable point guard in return? What if Marco Belinelli and Brandon Wright have the kind of break out seasons that Ellis and Biedrins had back in 06-07? It'll take a minor miracle for those stars to align but here's the thing, the Warriors have the talent to do just that. They're deep on the bench and if the rooks play up to their potential, we may be in for an interesting season. I don't like quoting people but, Alexander Pope said that "hope springs eternal." I may be wrong but hasn't that been the motto of Warriors fans since that magical spring of 07?
posted by eric at 9:29 AM
1 Comments:
Nice looking blog Eric. As for your loyalty to the Warriors, nothing compares. As for how many stars must align for them to see the post season? I"m thinking they are going to be at least off by two. But I LOVE how you believe.
CHEERS
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