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Written by Rasheed
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Friday, 04 January 2008 |
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WW.NET hooked up with Janny Hu of
the San Francisco Chronicle to get her thoughts on the season thus far,
possible trades and other Warrior related items.
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WW.NET: Biggest surprise and
disappointment thus far in the season for the Warriors?
Hu: Biggest surprise is
how well Baron is holding up at his mega-minute pace -- not just because of his
injury history, but because of the pounding he consistently takes driving to
the basket and guarding bigger guys. There’s been at least a half-dozen times
he’s hit the floor and come up limping/grimacing, and I start thinking “Uh oh.”
And yet, he plays right on.
Biggest disappointment? Probably the
bench. Nellie thought he’d be two or three-deep at every position, but he’s
barely scratching out an eight-man rotation right now. It might not be the
smartest thing to overplay BD, Jack and Monta, but Matt Barnes and Mickael
Pietrus haven’t been at last year’s level and Kelenna Azubuike has been quiet
after a strong start. Injuries to Troy
Hudson and Austin Croshere don’t help, and Nellie’s already made the decision
to go with his vets, so forget about Wright and Belinelli for now.
WW.NET: What changes have you
seen in the way teams approach or prepare for a game vs. the Warriors?
Hu: As Avery Johnson
likes to say, the Warriors aren’t Cinderella’s anymore. Teams know they’re
legit, know their strengths and weaknesses. And opposing coaches almost always
mention the breakneck pace and the tough
matchup against BD.
WW.NET: Why didn't the Warriors pick up the option on
O'Bryant's contract? What downside could there have been?
Hu: The downside is
money. The offseason was all about clearing cap space for this summer. Every
key guy outside of Jack and Al are playing for contracts – and it’s going to
take a lot of money to rework BD’s deal and keep Andris and Monta, if that’s
the direction they decide to go.
WW.NET: O'bryant played his
best game vs. the Clippers and hasn't been given a legit opportunity since, what
is Nellie's reasoning behind that?
Hu: Nellie will say that
he sees the guys in practice every day and knows what they can and can’t do.
Whatever that is, its obvious POB isn’t going to play for Nellie, and so the
Warriors can either try to get something back in a trade, or simply have him
come off the books this summer.
WW.NET: Pietrus has struggled
thus far and seems to be making the same silly mistakes that have plagued him
his whole career i.e. silly fouls, no offensive repertoire, horrible shot
selection etc.., was he disappointed to come back to Golden State after he didn’t
get the big contract he was hoping for?
Hu: He was absolutely
disappointed. But he didn’t have any leverage given the market for restricted
free agents. The Warriors had no reason to offer more than the qualifier, and
they didn’t like any of the sign-and-trades presented. So here they are again
until the trading window expires on Feb. 21. If MP isn’t moved for something
the Warriors deem better before then, he’ll walk this summer and sign with
another team for part of their midlevel exception.
WW.NET: Do you envision the
Warriors using the Trade Exception to acquire a player?
Hu:
No, not unless it’s going to net them that coveted big man. Again,
they want cap space.
WW.NET: With Hudson's season
and career likely over, are they looking to bring in another guard ASAP to help
take the load off of Baron's back?
Hu: There have been talks,
but it also seems like the backup PG position is jinxed, doesn’t it? Keith
McLeod, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Troy Hudson – they all haven’t worked out for
various reasons, or maybe one big
reason, that BD is BD and there’ll be a big drop off no matter what. For now,
they can use Monta, Jack and Matt to spell him. Just don’t expect any trades
for vets with a decent salary or non-expiring contract.
WW.NET: Azubuike has been a
pleasant surprise this year, is he still getting acclimated to the NBA and the
Warriors because he seems passive at times when he should be more selfish and
aggressive.
Hu: Yes, but the
flipside is that he rarely takes bad shots. He’s as good a finisher as the
Warriors have, so it would be nice to see him attack the rim again like he did
early in the season. But like many a Warrior, it seems like he’s fallen into
shooting mostly 3’s.
WW.NET: Wright and Belinelli
have played sparingly at best, any plans to increase their minutes in the near
future?
Hu:
I just don’t see that happening. Nellie’s playing for wins, not to get
guys experience for the future. So as much as we’d like to see what Wright can
do with his length and Belinelli shoot his way out of a slump, they won’t get
the luxury minutes like rookies on bad teams do.
WW.NET: Will Baron make the
All-Star team? Wouldn’t be bad if he didn't make the team and got some rest as
well as extra motivation for the second half, right?
Hu: Just did a blog item
about this. If you look at West guards, Kobe and T-Mac are probably in as the
starters. Nash and Iverson are locks. So that leaves guys like Tony Parker,
Deron Williams, Chris Paul, BD and maybe even Brandon Roy fighting for 1 or 2
spots, possibly more depending on injuries.
I think BD is more deserving than
Parker or Williams right now, but I don’t like his chances against Paul -- not
with the game in New Orleans.
WW.NET: If you could make a
move or two to tweak the roster, what would it be?
Hu: Call me crazy, but
I’d love to see Ron Artest here. I just don’t think Sac would ever deal him to
the Warriors. So the more realistic “tweaks” might be adding a low-cost,
risk-free vet who can be used for a few minutes in areas of need, a la Ruben
Patterson or quasi-retired P.J. Brown or Chris
Webber. And yes, I’m kidding on the last one.
WW.NET: Any plans by Nellie to
rein in Jackson and his shot selection a little?
Hu: Good luck with that.
Jack has taken more shots than any 40-percent shooter I can remember, but
that’s his game. Nellie lets him do it because he needs Jack on the floor ...
and because of those nights when Jack suddenly heats up after missing
everything.
WW.NET: Will the Warriors make
the Playoffs?
Hu: They should. Look at
the record they’ve put together without actually playing very well. Avoiding
losing streaks, finding ways to win, grinding out games on the road – that’s
what playoff teams do.
Thanks to Janny Hu for taking time to sit down with
WW.NET.
Leave comments and
feedback in the forum.
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Written by Rasheed
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Tuesday, 01 January 2008 |
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WW.NET and Marc Spears take a quick trip around the league
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Most surprising team so far in the
NBA? Most disappointing team in the NBA?
The most surprising team has been the Atlanta Hawks. It's one thing to have
playoff potential and another thing to be living up to it. Don't be surprised
if the Hawks finally get back in the postseason. The most disappointing team
has been the Miami Heat. I knew it would take them a while to gel after Dwyane
Wade's injuries. Shaquille O'Neal isn't the dominant force he once was. And
acquiring Ricky Davis and Mark Blount just before the season is hard to adjust
to right after training camp. But I could've never imagined them being a
doormat and this terrible.
How does Isiah still have a job?
The Knicks are paying Isiah a lot of money so it seems like their owner
has decided to ride or die with him.
Many young players i.e. Deng, Igoudala, Gordon,
Biedrins, etc.. either passed on contract extensions or were not offered
extensions, are we seeing a change in philosophy from teams? Or are the players
making bad decisions by passing up big money extensions?
It's hard to say if they are making a mistake right now. How they play
this season and the free agent market will determine that outcome. But it seems
like NBA teams are being intent on being careful about just paying players on
potential and not performance."
Blazers, Contenders or Pretenders?
"The way the Blazers are playing now, I doubt that they will go in the
tank. I don't see them making the playoffs, but I don't see them having a top
five pick either."
Who wins Boston v Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals?
The Pistons have more experience by far and a tough point guard to stop
in Chauncey Billups. But over a seven game series, I will take the Celtics'
defense and their hungry trio of stars. After losing to Cleveland in the
Eastern Conference Finals last season, it's hard for me to get on the Pistons
bandwagon."
Last month, you wrote a piece about KG and how he almost
went to Golden State, was it really that close? Which is the better threesome, KG/Baron/Jackson
or KG/Allen/Pierce?
From what I'm hearing, the Warriors probably could have pulled the
trigger on the deal even if Garnett didn't want to come. That being said, I'm
not sure you want to acquire an unhappy superstar. With all due respect to
Baron Davis, the Celtics star trio is much more intimidating."
How are the Warriors perceived by the rest of the NBA?
The Warriors playoff appearance definitely makes them
respected now. You can't talk bad about the Warriors any more. The fact that
Golden State starting playing much better after Jackson returned shows you how
important he is. Baron is still an All-Star caliber player and the heart and
soul of the team."
Which players are on
the trading block right now?
Jermaine O'Neal, Andre Miller, Mike Bibby, Jason Williams,
Pau Gasol, Kirk Hinrich, Eddy Curry, Damon Stoudemire, Lamar Odom, Jason Kidd
and Nene."
The West is stacked with great Guards, who do you think
makes the all-star team? Does Baron get in?
Man, it's going to be interesting to see who gets in. Steve Nash and Kobe
Bryant will get voted in by the fans. Then the long list of guards vying to get
in will include Davis, Tony Parker, Allen Iverson, Brandon Roy, Deron Williams,
Chris Paul, Tracy McGrady and Manu Ginobili. I probably missed somebody. Good
luck West coaches on picking the West All-Star reserve guards."
Good move or Bad move by the NBA in having
coaches/players wear mics ?
Bad move. I'm old school. Talk to them after the
game."
Thanks to Marc Spears of the Boston Globe.
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Written by Ray Yocke
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Tuesday, 11 December 2007 |
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“Did you see the Warriors game last night?”
Used
to be, if someone asked you that at work in the morning, it was
followed by something like “Tracy McGrady dunked on six Warriors at
once”, or “some of the fans ran onto the court and beat the Warriors in
a pickup game”.
But no more! Finally, regular-season Warriors games are now events for all the right reasons- most importantly, the team wins most of them. And
they’re winning in style now, stealing the close games against good
teams that they used to squander, and running teams in the bottom half
of the standings right out of the gym.
After
years of polluting an otherwise untarnished Bay Area sports scene, the
Warriors are now consistently playing good, exciting basketball, and
you almost expect them to beat anyone they play. That doesn’t happen, of course, but there are no longer teams that show up on the schedule as an automatic Warriors forfeit. The
season is just over a month old, and the W’s have already played great
games with Dallas, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Houston, Sacramento, and
Washington. And the beatdown they put on the Knicks in
Madison Square Garden last month was one of those games you never
thought you'd see as a Warriors fan: getting cheered on the road, with
the opposing team’s fans openly rooting for a blowout so that their
coach would get the axe.
The Warriors are a big-league team now, finally called up from the basement to eat at the big people table. And being a big-league team manifests itself in a million different ways, all of which make the games more fun to watch. For instance, the Warriors should
be able to afford to pay some luxury tax money now that they can charge
higher prices for their seats every night, meaning half the team won’t
be lost to free agency this summer.
And
the team should also be able to spring for a decent earpiece for FSN’s
Matt Steinmetz, so that he actually hear himself talk and won’t have to
inadvertently yell at Bob and Jim every time he tries to tell them
something. A win-win, I believe that’s called.
One of the better perks that comes with being a big-time team is a good rivalry or two. Take the Dallas Mavericks, for instance. We own them. We know it, they know it, you know it. Nellie
is in Avery Johnson's head, to the point where he calls him in the
middle of the afternoon like he’s Jason Bourne to say "I wouldn't open
that file if I were you" and hangs up, just to mess with him. We've got a patent on sucking the life out of Dallas Mavericks basketball.
Unfortunately, there are also some rivals who own you. And right now, the Warriors are fully and completely owned by the Lakers. The Lakers have no more payments to make, they own us outright. They are the rich heiress, and we are their lapdog….. though it might even be worse than that. We're probably closer to being those dogs whose owners force them to wear sweaters and
pants. Phil
& Kobe dress us up in our cute little throwbacks and parade us
around the Staples Center just so they can be seen with us, like we're
their hip new accessory. If that’s not the
most frustrating thing in the world, it’s definitely right up there,
only behind BART not running past midnight on the weekends. And
the worst part is, it's not just Kobe who does it to us, it’s always
some scrubtastic bench player like Ronnie Turiaf or Smush Parker or the
ghost of Kurt Rambis. When my head hits the pillow every night, I pray & thank the gods
for 2 things:
1) That “Cheaters” still airs reruns during the writers' strike
2) That Mark Madsen isn't still a Laker. I just don’t think I could handle watching someone that goofy put up 20 and 10 on us
But
even when they’re losing to the Lakers, or missing 100 three-pointers
in a row, it’s nearly impossible to stay mad at this Warriors team. They’re like a trouble-making kid that you want to punish, but just can’t. They’ll do something wrong more often than you’d like, and they know it’s wrong when they do it- heck, they almost enjoy it. But just when you’re about to get upset with them, they win you back over. That
0-6 start to the season doesn’t even seem like it really happened
anymore, and the team seemed to jump straight from winless to picking
up where they left off last year. A big part of that seems to be how cohesive this team is, which is really just an excuse for me to use the word
“cohesive” – it’s fun to say, so I’m working on adding it to my “repertoire” (also fun).
These guys seem to genuinely enjoy being around one another, and as group, they’re collectively very feisty. In
fact, I’m pretty sure the only teams in history who could beat these
Warriors in a team fight are the ’94 Knicks and the ’96 X-Men.
This team seems almost like a family, and by all accounts, they do most everything together as a group. When Matt Barnes’ mom died a few weeks ago, everyone in the organization went to the funeral. That doesn’t happen in any company, let alone a sports team. It
was only a few years ago that Antawn Jamison of all people compared
leaving the Warriors to being released from prison, and earlier in 2007
we were all still booing Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy at home games. There’s
probably not one single reason for this franchise’s dramatic
turnaround, but there is a single face- and it belongs to Stephen
Jackson.
Stephen
Jackson becoming the most popular Warrior in a matter of months seems
about as likely as Will Smith taking a cab all the way from West Philly
to Bel Air, but somehow, here we are. Jack has reached the point where Warriors fans love him so much, we’d support just about anything he did. If
he missed ten shots in a row, then hit a 3-pointer from half court with
22 seconds left on the shot clock, we’d love him for having the stones
to take the shot and for not getting down on himself. His popularity has grown to the point that it’s almost strange if you meet a Warriors fan whose favorite player
isn’t Jack, like those kids who pick someone other than Michaelangelo as their favorite Ninja Turtle. Off
the top of my head, Jack is one of the most interesting people I can
think of right now, and yet somehow no one has commissioned a camera
crew to follow him around for a documentary. As a society, we can greenlight a sequel to "National Treasure", but we can't find an audience interested in Jack? This is why the terrorists hate America. And as Jim Barnett would say, "quite frankly Bob, they have a valid point on this one."
Ever since he arrived in Oakland, Jack has been pure excitement. Whether
it’s draining 3’s, or making a great pass out of the post in traffic,
or just generally causing mischief- like trying to deflect the ball
back into play from the scorer’s table in Seattle, or approaching a ref
after a disputed call and walking away with both men laughing, when
everyone in the building was expecting a minimum of at least one
technical foul. His shots are great to watch not just
because he always seems to hit them in big moments, but because he also
has one of the most awkward-looking jumpers in the league. When he shoots, Jack looks half like a geriatric old man, half like a lazy SOB. He doesn't bend his legs much, jumps maybe 2 inches off the ground, and launches an overhand heave that's almost Hardaway-esque. And
yet, he gets such great arc on his shot that when it hits, it's all
net; against all odds and rational explanation, Stephen Jackson’s jump
shot is the most beautiful thing you’ll see on a basketball court.
All
of this represents what amounts to a big Fordham University (FU, for
short) for Pacers fans, who reached their tipping point with Jack and had
to let him go, only to watch him immediately thrive with a Cinderella
playoff team, becoming everyone's new darling in the process. Warriors
fans can sympathize, having gone through the exact same thing with
Latrell Sprewell during his run to the Finals with the Knicks in the
late 90’s. The entire nation (or what seemed like the
entire nation, given how often that Knicks team was on TV) got caught
up in Sprewell-mania, and the Warriors and their fans were forgotten,
along with the actions that got Spree kicked off our team in the first
place. At the same time, the Sprewell experience is also what allows us to enjoy Jack that much more- we're never the
team that new players embrace.
Even
at the time of last year’s big trade with the Pacers, Al Harrington was
the unquestioned prize, while Jack was really more of a throw-in. We had to take Jack if we wanted Al, and there were whispers that Jackson’s contract might be bought out at some point. Now, Jack is the unquestioned glue of the team, the Warriors’ second-best player, and Baron's lieutenant and second-in-command. And while he seems to fits the roles perfectly,
it’s actually not hard at all to see how he wore out his welcome in Indy.
Those
early 3-pointers are a killer in a halfcourt system, and if Jack had
played for the Warriors under Mike Montgomery, we might have run him
out of town, too.
But
with this coach, in this system, on this team, Stephen Jackson is a
perfect fit- somehow, the rules change when you’re playing for a coach
who has to be told by the league that he can no longer bring cans of
beer to his post-game press conferences. Nowadays, Jack can’t take enough 3's- I'm always a little disappointed when he passes up
opportunities on the perimeter, like he's depriving us of something. Try finding a single Warriors fan who ever felt that way about Mike Dunleavy. It's
a double-standard, to be sure, but it's understandable- you love the
guys on your team when you're winning, and ever since Jack became a
Warrior, we've won. After all, Warriors fans are the same people who still give Barry Bonds standing ovations I don't even think Barry Bonds
likes Barry Bonds at this point, but we do (for being an area that
prides itself on being smarter than everyone else, we sure have a funny
way of showing it).
But
it’s not just Stephen Jackson - the whole team is playing well right
now, and most of them have actually gotten better since last season,
something I used to think was impossible if your name wasn’t Jason
Richardson. Monta’s jumper is Cash Money Records from
absolutely anywhere inside the 3-point line, Barnes couldn't miss a 3
from the corner if he tried, and Biedrins' shots hit the center of the
hoop so fast it looks like he’s throwing magnets. When Adonal Foyle
returned to the Oracle with Orlando last week, it occurred to me that
in the entire 15 years I’ve been a Warriors fan, the team hadn’t had a
single good center prior to Biedrins.
Biedrins
is our first big man who’s ever been able to do things like "catch
tough passes" or "score in traffic" or "do absolutely anything
athletic" or "not make the home fans want to cry". And yes, I'm making little quotations with my fingers as I write this.
Every
day during Foyle's reign of very polite terror, I used to wish we had a
center like Biedrins, and now we almost take him for granted. When Biedrins' agent goes to talk contract extension with Chris Mullin this summer, he really only needs to follow two steps:
1)
Slide an 8x10 photo across the table of Foyle wearing a huge full-body
1930's swimsuit, diving headfirst into his giant vault filled with cash
and coin à la Scrooge McDuck, courtesy of the insane contract extension
Mullin gave him 2 years ago;
2) Wait for Mullin to turn beet-red and sheepishly hand over a blank
check
And
speaking of players fighting for a contract extension, Baron Davis has
been playing possessed this season – a triple-double threat every
night, Baron’s in best shape he's ever been in as a Warrior, though
you'd never know it because his beard will always make him look like a
chubby little walrus.
And
he even argues less with the refs this year, which seems to be a
team-wide effort to make the other team pay for bad calls rather than
whining and collecting T’s. Of course, there are still a
few times each night when you can catch Baron or Al or Jack snap their
head around after a no-call and give the refs a Reverse Care Bear Stare
before they sprint down to the other end and immediately foul their man
as soon as he touches the ball. But the ref-fighting is nowhere near
the level of last year’s playoffs (we were in
last year’s playoffs! Hooray for surpassing low expectations!), and
Jack even has fun with it now, defending his T's as part of the 5
technicals he promised he'd receive this year. The man has given himself a strict quota, and he's adhering to it. That’s growth, holmes.
The
W’s also have a nice garbage-time lineup this year, a highly underrated
quality in a good team that makes the team’s wins that much more
enjoyable. In particular, I like having Patrick O’Bryant
& Brandan Wright out there at the same time, mostly because they're
so similar- Nelson hates both of them and wishes he could trade them
for a 6’7” point forward like Paul Pressey (even now), so they're
always out there busting their butts, running point center and trying
touch the ball at all costs. In fact, they’ll usually
both chase the ball around like little kids playing bumblebee soccer,
and it’s pretty entertaining since they're both 6'10", 105 pounds. I also kinda like the fact that I can’t immediately tell them apart on the court, like we have twin rookie big men or
something. It’s the one Stanford legacy I’m grateful Monty left behind.
There’s also a newcomer this year named Mbenga, who looks like the hunchback Leonidas wouldn't allow in his army in 300. I
keep waiting for Charlie Villanueva to show up dressed as Xerxes and
lure him into turning on the Warriors, teaching NellieBall to the Bucks
in exchange for an unlimited supply of Milwaukee's finest pasty
400-pound women. Mbenga was probably given a first name
at some point, but he’s way more fun as a one-name mystery man, like
someone out of Street Fighter II. In my head, Nelson ends each practice by lining Mbenga up against other guys on the team and yelling, "Mbenga! Buke! Fiiiiight!" Or if Utah’s in town, Paul Millsapp just stops by and pretends he’s Balrog.
Of course, there are times when you're reminded that this Warriors team isn't exactly chock-full of interesting personalities.
For instance, every time Monta or Azubuike give a post-game interview, you begin to appreciate Jack just a little more. In
fact, during Buke's interviews, you start to wonder things like "I
wonder which celebrity starlet’s boyfriend Baron is making
uncomfortable right now" or "is Andris' girlfriend the same girl in
those commercials telling me to text WIN A or WIN B to win 15 thoushand
dollarsh?" But then again, when Buke talks, I also think
about things like folding my socks and cleaning my bathroom. He's a
boring guy, is what I'm trying to say.
But
he has been a great find for the Warriors on the court, and if Austin
Croshere somehow isn't invited to the Dunk Contest this year, there's a
chance that Buke may be the team’s only All-Star Weekend representative. Not
bad for a D-League rookie pickup from last year; he’s definitely
Exhibit A in the argument that shooting guard is the deepest (and
therefore easiest to replace) and most talented position in the league.
Sadly, Exhibit A against that argument is Mickael Pietrus. MP is now in his 20th
consecutive year with the Warriors without making any forward progress,
and minutes after a game is over now, you have no memory of whether he
even played or not. In fact, if he hadn’t broken his face and been forced to wear a mask for the 10th time in his career, I would have forgotten he
was even on the team. He
really has no impact on a game at this point, other than to reduce Jim
Barnett's life span every night by continuing to take a backwards step
out of bounds before he starts his drives from the perimeter. This
habit has gone on way too long, and at this point I'm in favor of
stationing all manners of poisonous, easy to provoke animals along the
sidelines just to scare Pietrus into staying in-bounds, sort of like an
old WWF lumberjack match.
Pietrus doesn't even want to be a Warrior anymore, and the
Warriors don’t want him to be a Warrior anymore, yet neither side seems too concerned about it.
I’m
convinced we kept him around this year just because Nellie needed an
extra European presence on the court when he gets bored and decides to
play Risk during games. With Biedrins, Azubuike, Belinelli, Perovic,
and Pietrus on the floor, Nellie can dream of being able to fend off
attacks from Russia while simultaneously invading Northern Africa
without losing too many troops. It's why he's a Hall-of-Famer, people-
the man is a master strategist.
Other than Pietrus, about the only thing that isn’t perfect this year is the absence of Jason Richardson. Azubuike’s ascent has kept the team from missing Richardson’s production too much, but the team does miss him. J-Rich
will probably end up being remembered with the old
Murphy-Dunleavy-Jamison-Foyle teams, but he was the best we had for a
long time, and you can’t help but cringe every time he shows up on TV
in a Bobcats uni. The Warriors made most of their run last season without J-Rich, and they're in position for another second-half run this year. The W’s play only 10 games in the month of February, 9 of which
are in Oakland. The
first of those February games is at home against J-Rich and the
Bobcats, and he should get a pretty good look at a team that hasn’t
missed a beat since last year’s run through the postseason. But
now that we live in a world where every regular-season home game has
become an event, there’s a chance he may not recognize what he sees at
all.
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Written by Rasheed
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Tuesday, 04 December 2007 |
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WW.NET recently had the time to speak with Rod Benson of the Dakota Wizards in the NBA Developmental League. Rod is a bay area native who played his college ball at UC Berkeley. Rod is also an active Blogger, his work can be seen at http://www.toomuchrodbenson.com/.
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WW.NET: Tell us which team you’re currently playing for
in the D-league and how the season has been thus far?
R.B: I’m currently in Bismarck, ND with
the Dakota Wizards. Team wise, the season has been a little disappointing
so far considering we are 1-3. However, personally I’m currently the league
rebounding leader though, so hopefully that can continue
WW.NET: Why did you decide
to stick in the D-league rather than go play elsewhere
overseas?
R.B:
I came back to the D League because I feel there is a lot of interest in
me. I also feel that my game is much more NBA ready that overseas.
I am definitely more of a complimentary/energy player who can contribute
to help a team win vs. being a go to scorer every night.
WW.NET: What are Rod Benson's strengths and
weaknesses on the basketball court?
R.B: Strengths: Athletic, shot
blocking, guard multiple positions, rebounding (especially offensive rebounds)
Weaknesses: All around strength and offensive consistency
WW.NET: What is the weirdest/funniest story you can
share with us from your experiences in the D-league?
R.B: Ha-ha it's tough to answer this
question because I pretty much do that on a regular basis. I still think the
funniest was when this girl was getting dragged out of the local bar out here.
4 security guards are literally dragging her away and she's fighting
them. Out of nowhere she starts yelling
"Let hip hop live! Let hip hop live!" She never stopped.
WW.NET: What team or system in the NBA best fits
your style of play?
R.B: I definitely feel that the Warriors
would be a great fit for me. Any team that likes to run, switch on defense,
and run the pick and roll is a great fit for me. I played well for
Memphis in a similar system as well.
WW.NET: Don Nelson had some kind words after seeing you
play; did you get an invite to camp by the
Warriors?
R.B: As far as I know, I was not invited
to camp. Every team has a plan and
strategy for success. I
didn't fit into their plan at that time. All I hope is that I stand out
enough to where a team feels that there is a better plan that involves me.
WW.NET: Ever doubt whether or not you will make it
in the NBA? If so, is making it to the NBA what drives and
motivates you?
R.B: You'd have to be stupid not to have
doubt. But what I think had changed for me specifically is that I know
that it's really on me right now. If I do what I need to do, I will get there.
If a team is looking to call up a big man, why not the leading rebounder,
solid role player, shot blocker, and good locker room guy? If I can be all
those things, I set myself up for success.
WW.NET: Did you happen to catch the Warriors playoff
run last season? If so, what were your impressions?
R.B: Of course, everybody caught the Warriors playoff run. As a guy
who played in the bay area and has kicked it with guys like Matt Barnes and
Monta Ellis, I wanted to see them succeed. I'm a Californian so it's
always nice to hype a local team.
WW.NET: You have one of the more entertaining blogs
in sports, touching on topics such as the fear of a physical/drug test, the
"no homo" topic etc.., do you plan out what topic you want to write
about or just freelance and see where it takes you?
R.B: I usually do have a good idea of
what I'm gonna write about. The funniest writing usually just comes out
while I'm in front of the computer. Taking a topic and rolling with it might
be my greatest
strength as a blogger.
WW.NET: The "boom got them tho" videos are
classic, any plans on making any more?
R.B: I definitely plan on making another
“boom tho” video. My plan is to get called up and make it then. Let's pretend it was to Golden State.
Who wouldn't want to see Biedrins holla "BOOM THO!"?
WW.NET: Rod Benson gets to have 3 things in the
world, what are they?
R.B: Jessica Alba. Megan Good.
Madden 09 a year early. The rest can I do myself.
WW.NET: What are you listening to in the iPod right
now?
R.B:
My IPOD has a wide range of stuff on it. Very wide. Regina Spektor
is real hot right now, Plies, DJ Khaled,
of course Lil Weezy and Mac Dre always. I'm feelin Massive Attack because
of their song in the Assasin's Creed video game commercial. I'm crazy like that.
WW.NET: Do you miss the Bay Area?
R.B:
I love the bay. More than the area, I miss the people. It's
the only place where people sometimes frown upon being too flashy and too
cocky. It's the only place where 5 Toyota Prius' can be found at one 4 way
stop. It's the only place where people live the city life but are as
friendly as the suburbs. I love it.
WW.NET: Ever visit Warriorsworld.net?
R.B:
I Google my name from time to time to keep my ear to the ground. This summer
there was some “Rod Benson” mentions on your site and I found it via Google. Thanks for the love.
WW.NET Thanks Rod for spending some time us and please share all comments in the forum
http://forums.warriorsworld.net/main/
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Written by Flashfire
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Sunday, 02 December 2007 |
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I've got a few things up around the workplace - one of the "We Believe" towels they gave away last year, the Baron/Kirilenko thing taped to the back of the seats on opening night, a wider shot I took of the tipoff in Game 3, the first home playoff game in so long - and sometimes it's still hard to believe all of that actually happened.
We were stuck in the same old mediocrity this team had been stuck with for so long until that trade last January. Somehow, our team pulled it all together that last quarter of the season and got it done. We witnessed an amazing run. I saw exciting games in Sacramento and Portland for the season-clincher, but the playoff experience topped it all.
We got national attention we haven't had in ages, to the point that the Warriors became a focus of Charles Barkley so much that he ended up wearing a "We Believe" t-shirt after Dallas got knocked out. We as fans were recognized by Bill Simmons and others for our passion, noise and the atmosphere we generated. After so many years of insignificance, being a Warriors fan was more than something to be laughed at with pity or wickedness. All of a sudden, it meant something.
The Jackson-less start had a lot of people shaking their heads saying "I told you so." No Richardson? No heart. No Jackson? No matter. What could he do? Already, people started forgetting about the Warriors. Fluke, one-hit wonder, lucky break catching Dallas, etc.
Now Jackson's back and showing why he's so vital to this team. He brings it every night, people feed off that, and he balances out everyone else's roles as well. Baron doesn't have to feel like he's got to do it all. Monta's starting to come around again. Other guys are doing good things in various ways. We've gone from 0-6 to 8-7, just like that.
Things are looking good again. There are still some of the same flaws - rebounding, free throw shooting, too much of a reliance on the 3-pointer in certain cases, and so on. But the team defense looks strong and can really buckle down when they have to, they're taking good care of the ball and even if some bad shots ruin a few possessions, at least they're getting those shots instead of turning the ball over a lot. They're getting back to playing with that gritty desire that defined last season's run and they're pulling some games out late. That's something good teams do.
It's still early. Maybe that pace can't be maintained the whole season. Maybe they'll have a few low points along the way that they have to fight through.
But...what if they don't?
Right now, there are only a handful of teams in the NBA that concern me. In the West, I look at the Spurs and the Jazz and think those are the only teams I'm not sure about in a playoff series. Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Denver, the Lakers and so on - I think we can hang with any of them. In the East, after Boston maybe there's Orlando and a couple others, but like I said before it's still early.
I'm not ready to annoint the Warriors Championship contenders yet, but I'm seeing a lot of good things going on right now that could put them in line for an excellent chance to really do some damage. Hopefully they can strengthen the roster a little bit more as needed and go from there.
It might not last long. There are going to be a lot of questions to be answered this offseason. I'm just going to enjoy the ride we're on right now. It's a good time to be a Warriors fan
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
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It is officially 21 days, 8 hours, fifty minutes and change until the real questions get answered on the 2007-2008 Warrior Campaign. Time to analyze the tough questions that will be answered on opening night vs. Utah. |
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Read more...
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Written by James Venes
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Monday, 01 October 2007 |
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This year, the Golden State Warriors go into their new season with even
greater expectations than before. It's hard not to hope for more on the
heels of their most successful season since 1991, capped off by a
stunning first round upset of the top seeded Dallas Mavericks.
The offseason saw comings and goings. Notable losses include Jason
Richardson, Adonal Foyle and Sarunas Jasikevicius, while the team
sought to replace them with draft picks Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli
and Stephane Lasme. In addition to them, Austin Croshere and Troy
Hudson were brought in. While the main core of the team remains intact,
the newcomers will make up a solid third of the roster.
Monday, October 1st, was Media Day at the practice facility the
Warriors have in downtown Oakland. They were nice enough to invite
Warriorsworld to come be a part of it and I ended up being the one
fortunate enough to experience it. Using BART, getting to the practice
facility couldn't be easier.
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