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Reed '74 · Guest

Uncle!

showtime · Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 222

Regarding the trade rumors/Lacob interview, and his back-to-back 30+ pt games:

Waitress · Joined: 01 Mar 2007 Posts: 7328 Location: Chambana

captneff26 · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:16 pm Post subject:

showtime · Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 222

Waitress · Joined: 01 Mar 2007 Posts: 7328 Location: Chambana

b-leaguechamps · Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 465 Location: Charlotte

It's about time the Cats in the Pros forum saw some life! Great thread. I think it's difficult to say if Steph is better than Monta or vice-versa. They are different types of players. I know that when I watch, the Warriors offense runs much much better when Steph is in charge. But just because an offense runs more smoothly means that it produces better results. Like someone pointed out, I'd rather Monta take a contested shot around the basket than Vlad take a wide-open jumper.

Then again, I am for anything that makes NBA ball look prettier.

Also, this thread reminded me of this great article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html?pagewanted=1

DC69Wildcat · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3268 Location: Concord, NC

Curry and Ellis vs. Parker and Ginobili on ChannelSurfing right now. Parker just blew by Steph for a layup, then Ginobili hit a three over Ellis. Tough matchup.
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captneff26 · Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:01 am Post subject:

I watched on channelsurfing also. Steph had some trouble with the same bugaboos he's had all year (and which has led to the criticisms). Turnovers, defense, and fouls. He took a step back from his 2 previous games. Ellis fared no better, however. Steph didn't seem as aggressive as he had been last Fri and Sat in looking to create. David Lee played really well.

I totally "get" Dr. Reed's and others' criticisms, and I don't entirely disagree with him. I just think the conclusion that Monta is better than Steph is a stretch of the evidence, so to speak. I guess it depends on criteria. If I were given a new NBA franchise, and I had my pick of players to start with, the roll of players I would pick before Steph wouldn't take long to call. And Monta Ellis wouldn't be one of them.

I would add that Steph's "lousy" game last night included 14 points (6-15 FG; 2-5 3 Pt), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 4 TOs, and 4 fouls with a +/- of -4 in 36 minutes. Ellis's line included 25 pts (10-26 FG; 1-4 3 pt; 4-4 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 TOs with a +/- of -13 in 43 minutes. A better game from either Steph or Monta last night might have put them over the top. The game was fairly competitive, although every time the Warriors made a bucket to cut it to <10 pts in the 4th qtr, the Spurs would answer right back.

I think Smart's substitution pattern is backwards. Ellis doesn't really trust anyone else to make shots -- especially guys coming off the bench. Thus, if I were Smart, I would sub out Ellis 1st -- before Steph -- and leave Steph in through the 1st 4 minutes or so of the 2nd qtr with the 2nd unit. Then I would sub Ellis back in for Steph with the other starters about midway through the 2nd and bring Steph back in for the last 4 minutes of the half. Any time a majority of the 2nd unit is in, Steph Curry should be in there with them instead of Ellis.
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Reed '74 · Guest

Uncle.

captneff26 · Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:46 am Post subject:

showtime · Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 222

Yeah, Smart's rotations don't make a lot of sense. I'm sure foul trouble doesn't help, but it doesn't make much sense to me why Steph and Monta are on the bench at the same time in any given situation, or why we never seem to be able to do anything with Steph on the bench. A good deal of the problem is that we have basically no backup guards. Jeremy Lin is about as NBA-ready as I am, and Acie Law is a Grizzlies reject about whom the Warriors announcers enthusiastically said the following last night: "He's got his FG% up to 25%!" Reggie Williams is really best at the 3.

Personally, I have absolutely no clue why they let CJ Watson and or Anthony Morrow walk last year. Very dumb. I'd much rather have either of them than Lou Amundson and Jeremy Lin.

At least the Spurs loss last night was quick and painless, unlike the Clippers loss. It's interesting how watching the game one would say Parker/Ginobili are better than Steph/Monta, and they probably are as a group, but neither of them play great defense compared to Steph/Monta, they just have lots of help if they get beat, and lots more offensive playmaking involved in their scoring.
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Waitress · Joined: 01 Mar 2007 Posts: 7328 Location: Chambana

showtime · Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 222

D-Wright > Morrow, I agree.

Charlie Bell came with Maggette and is an expiring, so he wasn't expected to do anything except maybe be a serviceable backup to Steph, which he is not. Vlad came with the S-Jax deal.

The moves I am speaking of, that the Warriors made this summer to pick up/let go players besides the Lee/Maggette trades were:

Signed Dorell Wright to midlevel exception
Signed Lou Amundson (2 yrs, $5 mil)
Signed Jeremy Lin (1 yrs, $500k)

Did not match CJ Watson (2 yrs, $6.5 mil)
Did not match Anthony Morrow (3 yrs, $12 mil)
Did not resign Tolliver (assumingly because they drafted Udoh)

After doing all this, they suddenly realized that neither Charlie Bell nor Jeremy Lin could provide them any minutes, so they decided to sign Acie Law.

I have no clue how CJ was too rich for their blood when they went and picked up Lou Amundson late in the summer, someone whom Dan Gadzuric seems to be playing the exact same role as (although they might not have known this going in to the season). Either way, the warriors bench is pretty terrible. Hollinger rates their bench as the 25th in the league in PER, and there are often nights like last night where they are outscored by the opposing team's bench 46-14.

I also am still pondering why they chose to draft a lanky PF, considering they already had Lee, Vlad, Brandan Wright, etc. and not a guard, but that's another argument.
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Johnson · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 719

i don't know anything about mullin or riley other than they had the brains to draft steph curry. i've seen ekpe udoh play a little bit here and there (when i tune in to Warriors games); he seems like a raw talent that needs to be coached by a proven big man.

in an ideal world, i would want the warriors to trade steph to the wizards, but we've got john wall, and as much fun as it would be to see steph play at verizon center 41 games a year, a wall-curry backcourt would have many of the disadvantages as a curry-ellis backcourt.
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