The Golden State Warriors have got to be a little cursed
February 15th 2012 10:13
Neophyte Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson instituted a policy of energy, effort, and defense for the 2012 season. Not the same run and the gun Warriors of the past few seasons under Don Nelson and Keith Smart. And in this 66 game shortened season the Warriors are 29th in scoring defense at just over 100 points and are 4th in offensive scoring at 99 points. Scoring is down league wide, but the Warriors are really the same team under Nelson and Smart with a few minor tweaks. But they still rank 21st in opponent field goal percentage at 45.1% and are the 24th worst rebounding team in the league at 44.1 per game.
While Jackson may have the gameplan for the job, he certainly doesn't have the horses to implement exactly what he wants to do. He has talent but not a complete roster, which means he does not have a complete team. The new ownership group of Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have promised to be a passionate and very involved ownership to get a winning product on the field. But as a native of the Bay Area and with basketball being my favorite sport, the futility with which the Warriors have operated in the front office and on the court has been more than apparent over the years.
Anyone can have bad luck, but there may be something more to the fact a team in a nice market misses the playoffs for 12 straight seasons and has not produced an All Star since Latrell Sprewell back in 1997. You know what else I noticed? While they may not terrific overall seasons, but there are ex-Warriors who have played out of their realm on different teams. I started thinking about this when I saw Anthony Morrow go off for 42 points for the New Jersey Nets last week and of course the unmistakable greatness of Jeremy Lin lighting it up in New York.
Granted if Lin were doing this in New Orleans, Toronto, or Milwaukee the amount of media attention would dwarf what is happening in New York for the time being. But staying somewhat recent, I want to list a few names of role players who were Warriors to start their career or were Warriors at some point. And the reason I list these names is because I don't remember them having a string of games or success with the Warriors that they had with other teams.
That is not to say they became Hall of Fame players, but it's quite ironic to see so many downtrodden names in relatively recent history who have gone on to actually do much better than the have with the Warriors. Donyell Marshall shares the NBA record for three pointers in a NBA game with 12 and he did it with the Chicago Bulls, Mike Dunleavy is only two seasons removed from putting up ridiculous 30 point games with the Indiana Pacers. Marco Belinelli is starting for the New Orleans Hornets and C.J. Watson is playing significant minutes with the Chicago Bulls. Jamal Crawford earned a Sixth Man Award with the Atlanta Hawks. Erick Dampier's best days were with the Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks. But the Warrirors gave him over $35 million.
If it feels better there are some names who have loitered in obscurity. Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Larry Hughes, and Gilbert Arenas are a few aging stars clinging on to what is left. Jason Richardson was at his best as a Warrior if you look at the statistics and Kelennz Azubuike's career may be over due to a devastating knee injury suffered as a member of the New York Knicks. Even former prized Euro Jiri Welsh did nothing when he went to the Milwaukee Bucks so the Warriors can take solace in some things.
Having watched the Warriors all my life, it was unreal to see them in the playoffs in 2007 and reality returned quickly the following season. Until I see a consistent effort to put a playoff caliber lineup on the floor, I'm not buying anything Mark Jackson is selling in every press conference.
While Jackson may have the gameplan for the job, he certainly doesn't have the horses to implement exactly what he wants to do. He has talent but not a complete roster, which means he does not have a complete team. The new ownership group of Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have promised to be a passionate and very involved ownership to get a winning product on the field. But as a native of the Bay Area and with basketball being my favorite sport, the futility with which the Warriors have operated in the front office and on the court has been more than apparent over the years.
Anyone can have bad luck, but there may be something more to the fact a team in a nice market misses the playoffs for 12 straight seasons and has not produced an All Star since Latrell Sprewell back in 1997. You know what else I noticed? While they may not terrific overall seasons, but there are ex-Warriors who have played out of their realm on different teams. I started thinking about this when I saw Anthony Morrow go off for 42 points for the New Jersey Nets last week and of course the unmistakable greatness of Jeremy Lin lighting it up in New York.
Granted if Lin were doing this in New Orleans, Toronto, or Milwaukee the amount of media attention would dwarf what is happening in New York for the time being. But staying somewhat recent, I want to list a few names of role players who were Warriors to start their career or were Warriors at some point. And the reason I list these names is because I don't remember them having a string of games or success with the Warriors that they had with other teams.
That is not to say they became Hall of Fame players, but it's quite ironic to see so many downtrodden names in relatively recent history who have gone on to actually do much better than the have with the Warriors. Donyell Marshall shares the NBA record for three pointers in a NBA game with 12 and he did it with the Chicago Bulls, Mike Dunleavy is only two seasons removed from putting up ridiculous 30 point games with the Indiana Pacers. Marco Belinelli is starting for the New Orleans Hornets and C.J. Watson is playing significant minutes with the Chicago Bulls. Jamal Crawford earned a Sixth Man Award with the Atlanta Hawks. Erick Dampier's best days were with the Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks. But the Warrirors gave him over $35 million.
If it feels better there are some names who have loitered in obscurity. Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Larry Hughes, and Gilbert Arenas are a few aging stars clinging on to what is left. Jason Richardson was at his best as a Warrior if you look at the statistics and Kelennz Azubuike's career may be over due to a devastating knee injury suffered as a member of the New York Knicks. Even former prized Euro Jiri Welsh did nothing when he went to the Milwaukee Bucks so the Warriors can take solace in some things.
Having watched the Warriors all my life, it was unreal to see them in the playoffs in 2007 and reality returned quickly the following season. Until I see a consistent effort to put a playoff caliber lineup on the floor, I'm not buying anything Mark Jackson is selling in every press conference.
| 22 |
| Vote |
Add Comments
