Archive for the ‘ Preview ’ Category

8
15
Nov

Preview: Pistons at Warriors

Detroit
Pistons

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 7, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 97
Pistons 102
 
November 15, 2010 • Recap
Pistons 97
Warriors 101
 

The Warriors debut their new ownership team tonight, as the team returns to the Oracle for some much needed home cooking. I’ll be headed out to the game tonight to enjoy some half-priced fun, and it will be great to get a good look at this team from up close. Unless his status has changed since Saturday, Lee is not expected to play tonight. What to watch for:

  • Return of the shot. In their last two games, the Warriors have shot 34% and 41%. Can they get back on track now that they’ll be playing at home and with good rest for the next two games?
  • Get to the stripe. As Owen at the Golden State Worriers notes in his stats-based recap of the first ten games, one place that the Warriors have really fallen off this year is in getting to the line. I think this starts with hitting enough outside shots to make the other team pay attention to the shooters, which creates the space for Monta to drive and draw obvious fouls against recovering defenders. But if the other team doesn’t need to honor the shooters, they can pack the lane and watch as the refs swallow their whistles while Monta drives right into a brick wall of interior defenders.
  • A new backup 4? In Saturday’s game, Jeff Adrien did what Brandon Wright seems congenitally incapable of: taking full advantage of an opportunity. Adrien grabbed 8 boards in 19 minutes with a +10 and was by far their most productive backup at the power forward spot. With Lee out another game, will Adrien get the start? And if he does, can he make it count?

UPDATE: View from here

4
13
Nov

Preview: Warriors at Bucks

Golden State
Warriors

@

Milwaukee
Bucks

Bradley Center
5:30pm | CSNBA/NBA TV

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 13, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 72
Bucks 79
 
February 3, 2011 • Recap
Bucks 94
Warriors 100
 

The Warriors (finally!) wrap up their road trip with a last stand in Milwaukee. A win gets them an impressive winning record on their first long roadie of the year, and a loss makes them wonder what might have been had they beat the Pistons six nights ago. What to watch for tonight:

  • The Wonder Duo. Can Monta and/or Curry go nuts and will the team to the victory? I have a hard time imagining the Warriors winning this game without an all-world performance from one of their two available stars; Curry seems the better bet with his matchup tonight against Jennings.
  • Second Chances. Brandon Wright totally blew his chance to turn some heads in his start against the Bulls, and did nothing to prove he can get the job done. He gets relegated to the bench tonight, but with Lee out he’ll have ample opportunity to make up for his missed chance in the last game. But will he?
0
11
Nov

Preview: Warriors at Bulls

Golden State
Warriors

@

Chicago
Bulls

United Center
5:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 11, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 90
Bulls 120
 
February 5, 2011 • Recap
Bulls 90
Warriors 101
 

The Warriors gain an hour as they move to the central time zone, but still have to play their fourth game in five nights. With Saturday night opponent Milwaukee having blown out their last two opponents, this might be the best chance for the Warriors to secure a winning record on this road trip. What to watch for tonight:

  • Da Bench. Four of the five starters played 40+ minutes last night, so to have any chance the Warriors are going to need some quality minutes from the bench. Wright and Lin have been making progress, so I’d hope to see them get some run tonight. Reggie Williams was decent last night, but I think the team will need a lot more scoring from him to have a chance. And can Radmonovic turn around his recent woeful play?
  • Da Boards. Boozer is still out with an injury, but Joakim Noah has been an animal on the glass and is averaging 15 boards a game. I’d expect Lee to be a bit stiff tonight after the elbow injury (not to mention the emotions from last night’s return to the Garden), so Biedrins better bring it against Noah in the middle. If Biedrins can equal Noah’s rebounding total tonight, then the Warriors should be in good shape to steal one.
  • Controlling Rose and Deng. Derrick Rose had the hot hand early for the Bulls, but in recent games it was been Luol Deng who’s done the most damage. This will be a hell of a test for Dorrell Wright — let’s see if he can be the perimeter stopper he was advertised as when the Warriors signed him (though, in fairness, he’s been doing a hell of a lot more than just defending so far this season).

Regret watch: after seeing Anthony Randolph last night, tonight the Warriors get to see how C.J. Watson is adjusting to the Bulls. Despite the Warriors’ obvious hole at the backup PG spot this year, I still don’t miss Watson much: he just isn’t a PG, can’t play defense, and does little more but give you a backup Monta with a better outside shot but little to no inside game.

UPDATE: Per the twitter, Lee is out tonight as he rests his lacerated elbow. An already tough back-to-back just got a whole lot harder…

5
10
Nov

Preview: Warriors at Knicks

Golden State
Warriors

@

New York
Knicks

Madison Square Garden
4:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 10, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 122
Knicks 117
 
November 19, 2010 • Recap
Knicks 125
Warriors 119
 

Monta Ellis says he wants to play — hard to keep a guy on the bench when his team is playing in the Garden — but I can’t imagine that he could possible be very effective. We should know early on at least in a game the Warriors should win — the Knicks played last night in Milwaukee and got run out of the building (though one downside is that their starters got a lot of rest). What to watch for tonight:

  • Homecoming. David Lee returns to the arena where he became an all-star, an honor which at this point seems a far-off dream given his low scoring averages this year. He’ll match up against his replacement, Amare Stoudamire, who so far is not exactly setting the world on fire in terms of production. Can Lee remind the Garden crowd — and his new team’s fan base — of the 20 and 10 machine from 2009-10 and maybe even instill some New York regrets?
  • Reggie, Reggie, Reggie. It’s been a tough year so far for Reggie Williams, as the pleasant surprise from late last season has looked tentative while failing to find his groove. He’s the player who is best situated to step into the potential scoring vacuum if Monta sits this one out (or is ineffective), and if the Knicks defense is similar to recent years then this could be the perfect opponent to try to jump-start things.
  • (Return to) The Prodigal Son. Anthony Randolph, the apple of many a Warriors fan’s eye over the past few years, has so far disappointed in New York since being traded for Lee during the off-season (along with Turiaf and a still-rehabbing Azabuke). Last night, Randolph got 28 minutes during the blowout (by far the most minutes in his five appearances this year), posting 8 points (on 2-7 shooting with four free throws), 9 rebounds, 5 fouls, and a -15. I’d have to assume he’ll be motivated to bring it against his former team, though knowing Randolph the extra energy will likely cause him to increase his unforced errors. Like Lee, can Randolph induce regret from the fans of the team that traded him?
0
8
Nov

Preview: Warriors at Raptors

Golden State
Warriors

@

Toronto
Raptors

Air Canada Centre
4:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 8, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 109
Raptors 102
 
March 25, 2011 • Recap
Raptors 100
Warriors 138
 

On the back end of a back-to-back, after a dreadful night in Detroit, the Warriors need a bounce-back game in the worst way. What to look for:

  • Lee Bounce-back. Lee has been terrible in the Warriors’ two losses. I think a double-digit rebounding game from Lee is necessary for a Warriors win on the road.
  • Curry Bounce-back. Curry has been a bit slow coming back from his ankle injury, culminating in 10 points on 3-12 shooting last night (0-3 from deep). The Warriors need him to take care of the ball and become an integral part of the offense once again.
  • Bench Bounce-back. After a collective -28 last night, here’s to hoping that the bench can give the team something positive tonight when they’re likely to really need it (especially since Monta played 45 minutes last night).
0
7
Nov

Preview: Warriors at Pistons

Golden State
Warriors

@

Detroit
Pistons

The Palace at Auburn Hills
3:00pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 7, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 97
Pistons 102
 
November 15, 2010 • Recap
Pistons 97
Warriors 101
 

The Warriors kick off their 5-game road trip with a (west coast) matinee in Detroit. The Pistons are struggling, so this is a game the Warriors need to pick up to get their road trip off to a good start. Speaking of the road trip, after looking over the opponents the opportunity is definitely there to put together a winning trip:

  • Tonight: Detroit (1-5)
  • Tomorrow: Toronto (1-5)
  • Wednesday: New York (3-2)
  • Thursday: Chicago (2-3)
  • Saturday: Milwaukee (2-5)

Chicago is probably the scariest team on the list, and even they have been beatable so far. It would be great to see the Warriors pick up the first two games, which would take the pressure off for the New York and Chicago games as they know they’ll have Milwaukee at the end to get to 3-2 on the trip. But seeing as tomorrow they’ll be on a back to back, tonight is the game the really need to have.

What to watch for tonight:

  • Rebounding. The Warriors are currently 5th in rebounding differential (+2.8), while the Pistons are 27th (-3.3). Second chance points were the difference in Friday’s game against Utah, and the opportunity is certainly there tonight if the Warriors can take advantage.
  • “Defense Travels Well.” Can DTW become the GTL of the Warriors season? After holding an opponent to 78 points (and winning with only 85!), the team certainly seems to be buying into a more defense-oriented mindset. The players are saying all the right things, too. On their first game after a cross country flight, when the shots might be a little flat, can they rely on their defense to produce another win?
  • Finishing Inside. While Lee and Biedrins were monsters on the glass on Friday, neither was able to consistently finish at the rim. Ethan Sherwood Strauss has an interesting theory that the fact that they are both lefties is causing an adjustment period as they both crash the same side of the rim, though Biedrins is fairly insistent that it’s just a matter of luck (the BAPIP argument, as it were). Either way, if they could start making their inside chances the second chance points could go through the roof.
1
5
Nov

Preview: Jazz at Warriors

Utah
Jazz

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | 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
 

Just heard that Curry will be playing, so let’s hope he doesn’t aggravate the ankle right before the long roadie. What to look for tonight:

  • Curry’s Defense. I’m fairly worried about Curry guarding Deron Williams with a bum ankle, so we’ll see what sort of help the Warriors give him throughout the night. If they can do a decent job of containing Williams, they’ll be in great shape to win the game.
  • Matchup at the 4. Paul Millsap is having a great season so far. Can David Lee match him tonight, and maybe even play a little bit of defense? Lee missed a ton of putbacks in the last game, so if he can start converting those things could really open up for him.
  • All-Star Monta. This is the sort of game where the Warriors will probably need a little bit extra. Assuming Curry is unlikely to be the difference-maker tonight, can Monta make sure the Warriors take a solid start into their first long road trip of the year?

Read the rest of this entry »

0
3
Nov

Preview Game 4 vs. Memphis

Memphis
Grizzlies

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 3, 2010 • Recap
Grizzlies 109
Warriors 115
 
November 26, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 111
Grizzlies 116
 
March 30, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 91
Grizzlies 110
 

A few non-in-depth things to look for in this game for me:

  • Who runs the point and how does Lin deal with a home crowd cheering for his every touch? He has played much better on the road thus far when the pressure has been off him.
  • How does Wright respond after his option was declined (we still need to discuss this)?
  • How does Lee bounce back from his awful performance in LA?
  • Can Biedrins contain the other Gasol and can the W’s win the battle on the glass with Zach Randolph out?

Halftime Update: Monta has been running the point well with some help from Williams. Doing a decent job with 2 TOs between them. Brandan Wright has not gotten into the game, nor has Lin. Lee is playing okay and at least crashing the boards (9 at halftime) but it only 2-10 on the floor. Dorell Wright on the other hand is playing great and Monta is having a typical night. Warriors were -1 on the glass but built a 12 point lead by going to the line 21 times. Biedrins has been pretty non-existent outside of a couple of nice passes and as I write this picks up his 4th foul a few minutes into the second half.

12
3
Nov

Preview: Grizzlies at Warriors

Memphis
Grizzlies

@

Golden State
Warriors

Oracle Arena
7:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
November 3, 2010 • Recap
Grizzlies 109
Warriors 115
 
November 26, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 111
Grizzlies 116
 
March 30, 2011 • Recap
Warriors 91
Grizzlies 110
 

The Warriors get a 1-2 Memphis team on the tail end of a back to back (they played the Lakers last night), and with a long road trip coming up they need to get this one any way they can. Curry, as expected, is out. What to look for:

  • Return of Lee. Anything would be better than what he put in against the Lakers, but Memphis’ front line has pretty good size (though Zach Randolph is out). I’d like to see him silence any doubters and go right back to putting up double-doubles every night.
  • Replacing Curry. Lin had 15 solid minutes at the Lakers, but can he really be relied on? I much prefer Monta off the ball, and thought Williams did well in that final preseason game. Will be interesting to see what happens here.
  • Rebounding. The Lakers game was the first where the Warriors were out-rebounded, and also the first they lost. Will this relationship continue?
0
31
Oct

Preview: Warriors at Lakers

Golden State
Warriors

@

Los Angeles
Lakers

Staples Center
6:30pm | CSNBA

Official Game Preview

2010-11 Meetings
October 31, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 83
Lakers 107
 
November 21, 2010 • Recap
Warriors 89
Lakers 117
 
January 12, 2011 • Recap
Lakers 115
Warriors 110
 
April 6, 2011 • Recap
Lakers 87
Warriors 95
 

After a solid win against the Clippers on Friday, and with Curry back home in Oakland nursing his sore ankle, I look at this as a game that the Warriors are playing with House money. They’ve won the two games so far that they “should” win, and tonight’s game is definitely outside of that category.

So have some fun, and let’s see how the Warriors new front line does against one of the better sets of big men in the league. Can the Warriors win the rebounding battle for the 3rd straight game?