Archive for the ‘ Preview ’ Category

0
4
Mar

Preview: Warriors at Celtics

Golden State
Warriors

@

Boston
Celtics

TD Garden
4:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
February 22, 2011 • Recap
Celtics 115
Warriors 93
 
March 4, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 103
Celtics 107
 

The Warriors head to Boston tonight to play a Celtics team that absolutely destroyed them in the second half a few weeks back.

One bright spot is that “Big Baby” Davis won’t play, as he strained a tendon in his knee in their last contest. This makes the Celtics dangerously thin up front — Shaq and Jermaine O’Neill are still out, and they just traded Kendrick Perkins. Unfortunately, this is probably the worst possible weakness for the Warriors to try to exploit given their troubles in the paint. And I seriously worry about what a crafty vet like Garnett will do to Udoh if they get matched up at the 5.

So we’ll see: no one expects the Warriors to win this game, so maybe they’ll pull another of their rare surprise victories over tough teams. But I wouldn’t bank on it.

4
2
Mar

Preview: Warriors at Wizards

Golden State
Warriors

@

Washington
Wizards

Verizon Center
4:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
March 2, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 106
Wizards 102
 
March 27, 2011 • Recap
Wizards 104
Warriors 114
 

The Warriors’ season turns 60 games old tonight, as they play in Washington on the back half of a back-to-back. It’s hard to believe anyone could have any hope for the rest of the season at this point (anyone else see Steinmetz on that point on Chronicle Live last night?), but could anyone still have hope after another loss tonight?

I say it’s over, and you might as well start seeing what you’ve got. Let’s see Udoh start at the 5, Lin get some backup guard minutes ahead of Law (who has been better than expected, but can’t shoot and clearly isn’t the future), and push Reggie Williams to see what we’ve got. We’ll see if Smart reads the writing on the wall or if he continues his futile effort to try to save his job for next year.

4
1
Mar

Preview: Warriors at Pacers

Golden State
Warriors

@

Indiana
Pacers

Conseco Fieldhous
4:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
January 19, 2011 • Recap
Pacers 108
Warriors 110
 
March 1, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 100
Pacers 109
 

The game starts in just a few minutes, so I’ll be brief. With the season basically lost, the only thing that matters at this point is trying to get back on track with a few W’s. Tonight they face a Pacers team with an identical record but much better playoff prospects thanks to playing in the East — can they make a statement about the relative strengths of the conferences, or will they continue their recent slide?

0
27
Feb

Preview: Warriors at Timberwolves

Golden State
Warriors

@

Minnesota
Timberwolves

Target Center
2:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 27, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 104
Timberwolves 94
 
December 14, 2010 • Recap
Timberwolves 99
Warriors 108
 
February 27, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 123
Timberwolves 126
 
March 13, 2011 • Recap
Timberwolves 77
Warriors 100
 

It is already halftime by the time I got this up and Kevin Love has 20 and 11, but the Warriors have a 4 point lead. The Warriors are single digit points away from their full game scoring total against the Hawks.

So how about some keys to the second half:

  • REBOUND.  Already -10 on the rebound front.  They gotta grab a few more boards and stop giving up so many offensive rebounds.  19 total rebounds versus 14 Minnesota Offensive rebounds at the half.
  • Only 7 Warriors have gotten into the game so far versus 11 T-Wolves.  Will the W’s have any gas left in the 4th Quarter.
  • David Lee is having a decent game.  Can he actually have a good game in a win or only when the game is all but over?

 

4
25
Feb

Preview: Hawks at Warriors

Atlanta
Hawks

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
December 29, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 93
Hawks 103
 
February 25, 2011 • Recap
Hawks 95
Warriors 79
 

The Warriors finish their home-heavy stretch with a Friday night matchup against a reeling Hawks team, losers of 5 of 6. After the Boston massacre, A win would provide a huge boost before the Warriors head back out on the road for an extended stretch. What to watch for:

  • Be sharp. Atlanta just made a big trade, with Kirk Hinrich the big get. They should be a little off with a new point guard working his way onto the team, and smart, tight D could lead to a nice turnover advantage.
  • Get Monta Going. Given how well the Hawks played inside the last game, I think the Warriors need a big game from their best player in order to keep Atlanta’s woes from dissipating.
  • Make Your Money. If David Lee wants to show he was worth the big contract, this would be a great game for him to show up. Al Horford and Josh Smith ain’t slouches, so he’ll definitely have his work cut out for him.
4
22
Feb

Preview: Celtics at Warriors

Boston
Celtics

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
February 22, 2011 • Recap
Celtics 115
Warriors 93
 
March 4, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 103
Celtics 107
 

The Warriors return to action tonight against a Celtics team that they’ve beaten six straight times in Oakland. Can they make it seven for seven? What to watch for tonight:

  • Rust. With no reliable post-up game, the Warriors are a bit more susceptible to rust than most teams. If they can’t get it going from outside, can they at least drive to try to get easier buckets near the rim? Not easy with KG on patrol, but better to try and fail than to become, in the immortal Fitz’s words, “too perimeter oriented.”
  • Run. At the same time that the Warriors will be trying to work up a sweat for the first time since last week, four of the Celtics’ starters played in the All Star game on Sunday (just too bad it was in LA instead of, say, Miami). If the Warriors can turn it into a track meet, you’d have to imagine it would pay some dividends.
  • Make it Count. The Warriors face one of their more consequential home stretches in years, as a bad run in these final 27 games will likely lead to wholesale changes in the offseason. Can Smart make himself indispensable to the organization; can Reilly make something happen before the trade deadline, and, if not, can the roster he put together make a run; and can so-far-limited players like Udoh and Williams turn a corner and solidify their standing for next year? Starting tonight, we’ll begin to find out.
18
16
Feb

Preview: Warriors at Jazz

Golden State
Warriors

@

Utah
Jazz

Energy Solutions Arena
6:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 5, 2010 • Recap
Jazz 78
Warriors 85
 
December 13, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 95
Jazz 108
 
January 30, 2011 • Recap
Jazz 81
Warriors 96
 
February 16, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 107
Jazz 100
 

The Warriors finish up their pre-All Star game schedule tonight in Utah, where they’ll face a reeling Jazz team that is also on the second-half of a back-to-back. A win puts them just 3 games under .500 at the break; a loss and they face a 5-game deficit. What to watch for tonight:

  • Smell Blood. Utah has been struggling, losers of 4 straight at home and still winless under their legend-replacing new coach. Kirilenko is expected to miss the game with an ankle injury, and Rajah Bell is also ailing. If they Warriors have a killer instinct, it needs to be on display tonight.
  • Do it on the Road. It’s no secret that the Warriors have been a much better home than road team this year. They haven’t won on the road since the January 5th game in New Orleans (granted, they’ve only played 3 road games since then), so this is the sort of road game the Warriors need to win to get back on track away from Oracle and take the next step toward being competitive.
  • Feel the Joementum. The Warriors won’t get to Joe Lacob’s hopeful prediction of .500 by the All Star break, but they can certainly make him happy by getting to the break on an upswing. A loss and it’s the same ol’ Warriors; but a win would give us some hope that they can continue to compete when they head back out on the road after the break — and would make watching Curry and Wright at the All Star break seem like more than just a happy diversion from another hopeless season.
0
15
Feb

Preview: Hornets at Warriors

New Orleans
Hornets

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
January 5, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 110
Hornets 103
 
January 26, 2011 • Recap
Hornets 112
Warriors 103
 
February 15, 2011 • Recap
Hornets 89
Warriors 109
 

The Warriors welcome a reeling Hornets team to Oracle tonight, losers of 7 of 9. The Hornets blitzed the Warriors from the get-go the last time they were in Oakland, so avoiding a slow start will be key tonight. What to watch for:

  • Build on a Good Win. Lee and Curry both had arguably their best games of the season on Sunday, with Lee dominating the glass and Curry dishing like one of the best points in the league. Can they keep it up for a second game in a row?
  • Own the Boards. Rebounding was a major key in the victory over the Thunder, and with Okafor out tonight there are no excuses not to do it again.
  • Numbers for Ekpe. Udoh had a great game on Sunday, playing meaningful minutes and giving a great defensive performance throughout. But his stat line was shockingly empty. Can he do the same in terms of defense and energy, but contribute a few points and rebounds as well?
6
13
Feb

Preview: Thunder at Warriors

Oklahoma City
Thunder

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
5:00pm | CSNBA/ESPN

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
December 5, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 109
Thunder 114
 
February 13, 2011 • Recap
Thunder 94
Warriors 100
 
March 29, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 114
Thunder 115
 

The Warriors welcome Oklahoma City to Oracle tonight, who are coming off a tight win at Sacramento. We can only hope that they’ll be tired/satisfied after winning the first half of the back-to-back and won’t be bringing it at 100% for tonight’s game. What to watch for tonight:

  • Competition. Monta will match his 6th ranked scoring average up against Kevin Durant’s top-ranked average, and Monta has played well against marque competition in the past. Ellis’ down streak is getting worryingly long at this point, so hopefully playing on national television can snap him out of it.
  • Getting called out. Lots of complaints about David Lee in recent weeks, and they’re well justified. He’s getting regularly pulled in crunch time, which is not exactly what you pay $13M/per for. At the very least, it would be nice to see him start rebounding again; his 3-boards performance down in Phoenix on Friday was, quite frankly, pathetic.
  • The Long Boys. Both Udoh and B. Wright got a sweat going on Friday, and Ekpe in particular is making a strong case for more minutes. Combined with the need to showcase Brandan before the trade deadline, I wonder if we’ll see more from these guys tonight — especially if Andris struggles (again).
7
10
Feb

Preview: Warriors at Suns

Golden State
Warriors

@

Phoenix
Suns

US Airways Center
6:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
December 2, 2010 • Recap
Suns 107
Warriors 101
 
February 7, 2011 • Recap
Suns 104
Warriors 92
 
February 10, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 88
Suns 112
 
March 18, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 97
Suns 108
 

The Warriors head down to Phoenix to play the Suns for the second time in four nights, and I can’t say I’m optimistic: the Suns took the Warriors apart on Monday night, and have been resting since then. Meanwhile, the Warriors will be on the back half of a home-road back-to-back. The Warriors will need to figure out how to cover Channing Frye tonight, and it sure would be nice if they could make some outside shots. Hopefully they’ll get a nice boost from last night’s win, though we all remember how well they capitalized on momentum when they played the Suns earlier this week…