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The Warriors: Playah debatin'
The Warriors crazy train to fantasyland went a little off the rails last night as they dropped a heartbreaker to the Phoenix Suns, 113-110, snapping their seven-game home winning streak and five-game overall streak. It would have been nice to get the win last night, but the team is playing well and looking strong. They haven't looked this good since, uh, last November.
Beneath the rosy glow of third place in the Pacific Division though roils a restless roster.
Baron Davis suited up last night against the Suns, unfortunately, literally. The Diddy sat out last night's game in street clothes because of a strained rib cage, an injury he sustained in Saturday's win over Seattle. It was his first trip to the sick bay this year and his first trip to the pine in a while. Despite his career proclivity to injury, for some reason, coach Don Nelson has been playing Davis serious minutes. Like 35.8 minutes per game minutes, by far the most on the team. And now the Baron is hurt. Why Nellie? What is the point of huge minutes in November?
Armani or not, sitting on the bench in street clothes is not Baron's best look for the Warriors. Photo from NBA.com.
What about the feel-good story of the year? Young man comes out of college as a high draft pick with stars in his eyes, only to be waylaid by a crapped-out colon. Despite colon removal surgery and more than a year out of the league, young man comes back and plays well enough in preseason to make an NBA roster. But after looking very good in the preseason, Dujuan Wagner is no longer a Warrior. So wha' happened? There have been mumblings about Wagner's lack of conditioning, after he played great as a starter in the preseason but dressed out for only two of the season's first nine games. No doubt his colitis had something to do with it, but our money is on Nellie. Somehow Wagner pissed him off and that was that. Hopefully his comeback will continue elsewhere.
Mike Dunleavy is playing about up to our diminished expectations for him and Nelson is not forcing him down our throats, so we're fine with Dun-Duns so far this year. He's playing OK as a bench player, exactly his niche. But he remains a focal point for the cumulative frustration of Warrior Nation. Dunleavys -- can't live with 'em, can't trade 'em.
Remember Adonal Foyle? You know, the affable social activist posing as an undersized NBA center. Fixture in the Warriors starting lineup for eight years. He of the $51.2 million contract. Well, he's still on the official roster, but it seems that Don Nelson's plan for phased withdrawal from Foyle is nearly complete. Foyle has played just 10 minutes all season, and the Warriors are expressing an interest in buying their way out of the Foyle financial folly. Better late than never.
Ike Diogu looks good in a suit, but he didn't look happy down at the far end of the Warriors bench last night. Diogu is sitting due to an alleged ankle injury, but he's already crossed Nellie's wires a few times in this young season and personal grudges are one of Nellie's tragic flaws. With Andris Biedrins playing so well and Nelson looking for any way possible to justify a four-guard lineup, Diogu better add "seat cushion" to his holiday wish list. We don't care what his perceived transgression was, the Warriors are a better team with this guy in the playing rotation, so Nellie needs to get over his bad self and get Diogu back in the mix.
Andre Roberson and Matt Barnes are also starting to feel the uncomfortable bite of Nellie's glare. Does Nellie have enough negative energy to go around? At age 66, will he have enough stamina to ride everybody about everything all year long or will he lose his mind? Apparently, staying the course is easier than coming up with a new coaching strategy.
The NBA isn't Major League Baseball. First round draft choices don't disappear into minor league obscurity for three or four years to learn the tricks of the trade. In the NBA, they play, If not major minutes as starters for the down and out, then as role players for teams looking for specific pieces to the puzzle. Number nine pick Patrick O'Bryant appears to be on the MLB plan as far as coach Nelson is concerned. O'Bryant has only played in four games this year for a grand total of 8.5 minutes. His morale must be through the roof, but hey, at least he likes the new ball.
Monta Ellis is lighting up the night sky like the number 23 bus in Bagdad, but will his success lead to A Star is Born situation in the Warriors locker room? Who's going to sit so that Monta can play? Again, Nelson's all-guards, all-the-time lineup philosophy provides some flexibility, but is this team big enough for three high-scoring big-time guards? Things are great right now while Monta is the kid, but what happens when he starts taking minutes and/or limelight from Baron and/or JRich? Something to watch.
Along with Monta, the media darling so far this year is Andris Biedrins. After two years of doing nothing but sitting and fouling, Biedrins has finally gotten the chance to do something. Big props to Nelson for that. It appears that all Biedrins has needed is a legitimate opportunity to participate, but the fantasy world remains unconvinced of his ability to put up consistent numbers.
While we're chewing the roster fat, is it too early to start talking about Kevin Garnett again?