Golden State Warriors x Utah Jazz recap, No Finishing Move

By: Billy Hoyle

The game started very ugly on both sides. Just based on the quarter alone I would say Coach smart is losing the team. The play was a very one on one based style with risky passing when the players got into trouble. If I had to make a judgment based on one quarter alone, I would say Coach Smart is losing the team and it didn’t get very better through the following three.

The second quarter started much the same as the first ended, with lazy passing and sloppy basketball. Throwing an inlet pass shouldn’t be very difficult, especially with without a doubleteam, but Monta makes it seem as dangerous as knife juggling or eating blowfish. There was a distinct lack of fundamentals with the Warriors were being out-hustled on both the boards and on defense. Although the game was close throughout, the Warriors were lucky that it remained competitive.

Fitz was really bothering me during the game. His act has long been tired but now its all I can do to watch. Throughout the game I catch myself arguing with him like a crazy person shouting at the TV.

I really think he doesn’t understand the game of Basketball very well. At one point, David  Lee was cutting through the lane without the ball and Monta shot him a pass, a very hard but pin-point pass that bounced off Lee’s hands and went out of bounds. Bob seemed to think that “Monta was trying to force something that wasn’t there” but it very clearly WAS there, Lee just couldn’t handle the ball.

Bob also made the comment that Biedrins was getting a “Well earned rest” when he went out with 3 and a half minutes to go in the third. According to Bob 6 pts 12 rebounds with  22 minutes played is an exceptional effort. It seems like he’s building him up to the fans because those aren’t that good of numbers. It’s the spinning that is really driving me crazy. At another point Andris didn’t box out and Bob starts to complain about the foul call on Andris giving Fesenko an elbow to the chops, until Barnett stops him from making a fool of himself and saying he would call that foul on Andris every time.

“Monta gave ground and Deron Williams just fell down.” Shouted Bob with outrage. What Monta very clearly did was run into Deron while Deron was driving the hoop. Its such an obvious call on horrible sloppy defense, its insulting to me as a viewer to say it was anything else. Monta lowered his shoulder into Deron Williams and gets an easy foul called on him but then complains about it and gets a T. Ridiculous and childish. Then Lee sets a clear moving screen and Bob complains that all Deron Williams is doing is falling down. These are just clear easy calls to make. Yes, I understand that Monta is frustrated that he isn’t getting the benefit of the same calls but that doesn’t invalidate the fouls on Deron.

Monta got upset that Williams gave him a hard foul after the previous series and I can’t blame him. Monta gets jobbed on all kinds of no calls and I definitely agree with him taking exception to the Williams foul. I wish the warriors would show that type of fire all the time. I don’t think Deron is the guy he wants to step into a ring with. Williams would mop the floor with him. It would be nice if Monta could hit his free throws though because he missed both. I like seeing Dave Lee talk to Deron also. If you’re going to lose at least lose as a team and with some fight. It seemed like the Warriors were about to show some toughness at the end of the game but they didn’t. They were all bluster and just let the Jazz treat them like punks.

Bob called it a terrific game through three quarters but theres no reason to say that, aside from the game being close. This was a very poorly executed game. It was sloppy from the first quarter on, with bad free throw shooting, bad defense, poor sportsmanship, no fire and very mediocre shooting.

The only guy who deserves his money tonight is Dorrell Wright. Everyone else associated with the warriors should apologize to the fans because this was a sorry example of a professional basketball contest, Keith Smart should be the first man up too. There’s no reason Jeremy Evans should be able to smash TWO ALLEY OOPS IN A ROW on Vlad Rads head. Yes, Vlad sucks but that is just inexcusable play. Then at the end of the game CJ Miles is driving right down the middle and dunking on the head of the entire Warrior’s teams head. That’s on Keith Smart allowing his team to play very poor fundamental basketball.

Pathetic. Top to bottom. Broadcasting crew and coaches included. Its shameful that Bob Fitzgerald thinks so little of those forced to listen to him that he dares call this a “good game through three quarters”. Who pays this guy to spin these contests the way he does? Maybe I’m naïve but I thought his job was to describe what was happening on the court, not lie to the people listening and say its something its not. I am so sick and tired of his homer apologist act. It’s not entertaining and as someone who considers himself somewhat knowledgeable, it’s insulting to hear him call a game. He must live in imagination land.. that or I really have no idea what I’m talking about.

In typical Fitz fashion he blames the bench for the loss, completely dismissing the poor performance of the starters. Vlad and Acie Law were the only two Warriors bench players who managed double digit minutes. Who’s fault is that? He also went on to say that the warriors don’t have a perimeter shooter on the court while Curry is out. What about that guy Dorrell Wright? Wright went 4-9 from 3 on the night and is 55 – 135 for 40% on the season. Curry is 34 – 78 for 44% so I really don’t know what he’s talking about. Curry is shooting a marginally better percentage but Wright has made far more and is the day in and out perimeter threat. I really don’t think Bob knows what he is talking about at all. That or he is so disingenuous that everything he says should be dismissed outright.

I very rarely agree with anything Gary Radnich has to say but he is dead on about Fitzgerald. Hes got him nailed as an apologist and I wish more guys in the local media had the stones to call Fitz out. Sure, he’s not a part of the team and has nothing directly to do with the outcome of the games but indirectly he has a large impact on the team. Fitz helps mold the perception of the team to the fans. By lying and saying that one thing is occurring on the court while in fact its another, he is laying the groundwork for what the fans and to a lesser extent, the national media, believe. We all know that without an outcry from the fans, change is slow to come. If the average fan was better educated on what was REALLY happening on the court by the voice of the team there is a good chance there would be some changes made to help us win games. By not articulating how bad the team actually is playing the fans, don’t know that they should be upset. In-fact he is HURTING the product by defending the team and inaccurately describing what’s going on.

Why did it take until one minute left in the game to get Ekpe Udoh into the game? The Jazz had dunk after dunk up the gut and alley oops galore but Coach Smart couldn’t bother to play Amundson more than 8 minutes, Gadz more than 9 or barely get Udoh off the bench.

I don’t know if you can tell but I am becoming increasingly disgusted with this team. There are some good components but there is nothing but lousy efforts and lousy coaching. I am eager to see how the Warriors will play tonight against Minny but more because I have a feeling they are going to get blown out at home and really crap the bed. Lets see how wonderful Bob will tell us it smells.