With the two squads tied for the eighth seed out west, Thursday’s Nuggets-Warriors tilt was an early playoff game. But while neither team showed any inclination of advancing past the first round, the Nuggets will get there because their two stars made plays and Golden State’s didn’t.
Carmelo Anthony’s scoring (12-20 FG, 1-1 3FG, 25 PTS) was a factor with most of his damage in the third quarter with impossible to defend step-back jumpers off of isolations. His other half, Allen Iverson, likewise had an impressive game (12-21 FG, 1-2 3FG, 8-12 FT, 9 AST, 2 TO, 33 PTS), darting here, dashing there, and hitting a handful of clutch jumpers down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Stephen Jackson (5-17 FG, 2-6 3FG, 3 TO,18 PTS) and Baron Davis (9-25 FG, 1-9 3 FG, 3 TO, 20 PTS) were duds. Forget Baron’s triple double; when Denver switched to a zone defense before the second quarter, Davis eschewed any ball movement, opting instead to force a slew of ill-conceived jumpers. Davis’ decision making was juvenile and the prime factor in Golden State’s defeat.
Indeed, after George Karl switched to a zone defense, Golden State effectively beat themselves by forcing (and missing) too many bad three-pointers and by playing impulsive immature basketball.
Sure, Al Harrington did whatever he wanted to against Kenyon Martin, sure Monta Ellis continued his coming-out party with a stellar performance (13-26 FG, 5 AST, 5 STL, 6 TO, 29 PTS), and yes Andris Biedrins was a non-stop rebounding, shot-altering machine (19 REB, 2 BLK), but Golden State’s isolation filled, defenseless game was done in a by a more prolific scoring unit.
But hey, when you only know how to play with fire, expect to ultimately get burned.
It wasn’t as if the Nuggets were much better.
Kenyon Martin missed two layups, fumbled passes, and was badly outplayed by Al Harrington. Funny how in a pressure-packed, must-win contest, Kenyon’s childish, screaming, yelling, and self-promoting (and his game) was nowhere to be found. K-Mart is a bully and nothing more.
Marcus Camby’s defense had no positive impact on the game, whatsoever. And he’s everybody’s defensive player of the year?
The Nuggets starting five played even worse defense than their Warriors counterparts.
However, Denver’s second unit turned the tide in their favor. Eduardo Najera hustled, bustled, rebounded, closed-out, and hit a brace of timely jumpers. Linas Kleize as strong in the back of the Denver zone, and J.R. Smith’s big-time athleticism and unlimited range was never answered by Golden State.
It’s no coincidence that the active defense supplied by the Nugget bench coincided with Golden State putting up a modest 68 points for the final three quarters, proving that defense wins big games.
But neither Denver nor Golden State have what it takes to get anywhere near a championship.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Spurs-Suns: San Antonio's Sun is Fading
Every Western Conference matchup is a virtual playoff game and Wednesday’s Suns-Spurs game was no different.
Aside from the usual storylines (playoff positioning and confidence heading into the second season), San Antonio needed to prove that they can hit the majority of their jumpers so their offense can run efficiently while Phoenix needed to show that their trade for Shaq truly does make them more prepared for the money season.
After watching Phoenix decimate the Spurs 96-79, it’s clear that the landscape in the West has radically shifted over the past few months: The Suns are more prepared for the playoffs than the Spurs are.
Why The Spurs Lost:
San Antonio’s jump shooting has abandoned them at the worst possible time. Against the Suns, the Spurs only shot 42% from the field. On their jumpers, San Antonio only shot 33% (12-36) with Michael Finley (3-4), Jacque Vaughn (2-2), and a meaningless jumper by Bobby Jones (1-1) skewing the percentage.
Phoenix sagged off in the second half and dared the Spurs to make jump shots, a challenge which was never met by San Antonio.
While Tim Duncan was effective against Amare Stoudamire early, Shaq’s length and massive bulk made it difficult for TD to finish under the basket in the second half. Duncan was certainly solid —9-21 FG, 3 TO, 23 PTS—but he wasn’t as spectacular as his team needed him to be considering the circumstances.
While Duncan’s help defense was as admirable as ever, Amare Stouemire exposed TD for being too slow and too upright to challenge him on the perimeter. While Duncan is the best help defender in the league, the truth is, his straight up individual defense is at best, slightly above average.
Manu Ginobli (3-12 FG, 0-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO, 1 BLK, 8 PTS) made a handful of nifty passes but was a dud in every other area.
Bruce Bowen is slipping. He was unable to so much as annoy Steve Nash and made several critical defensive mistakes.
After carving up Steve Nash in the first half, Mike D’Antoni switched Grant Hill onto Parker in the second half and Hill made Parker work a mite harder to clear him to the basket. That extra second gave Phoenix’ rotations ample time to sag in and contest Parker at the hoop.
Parker also overhandled on several occasions and made key mistakes with the ball.
The Spurs did an unsatisfactory job on the backboards, yielding 40 rebounds while only gathering 36.
San Antonio rotated fairly well, but the Spurs seemed caught of guard by Phoenix’ offensive versatility.
The Spurs didn’t pressure ball handlers on any entry pass to the post, even when Shaquille O’ Neal was fronted. The lack of pressure allowed lob passes to lead Shaq to prime scoring positions at the basket.
The older, slower Spurs were a step behind the Suns throughout the second half.
Why The Suns Won:
Despite a porous first half, Shaq’s play in the second half was the biggest difference between the run-and-gun, can’t get it done, Phoenix teams of the last several years and the intriguing Suns team of 2008.
With the score tied at the half, Shaq set up in the post against Fabricio Oberto and overwhelmed him for three straight baby hooks. A fouth fouls banished Shaq to the bench, but when he came back early in the fourth, he hit two more hooks, this time over Tim Duncan.
The Spurs tried to adjust and front Shaq with Oberto and have Duncan rotate from the backside to sandwich the big man, but Shaq (7-9 FG, 9 REB, 16 PTS) was still too powerful for any Spurs defender to contend with. If Shaq can be the low post presence he’s supposed to be, the Suns will have a very difficult toy to stop in the playoffs.
Amare Stoudemire (8-13 FG, 5-5 FT, 2 AST, 21 PTS) abused any Spurs defender off the dribble and with baby hooks. Whenever a Spurs defender sagged off to protect against his first step, Stoudemire was able to drop in a number of jumpers from the outside. He wasn’t as effective in the second half, but Amare’s scoring kept the Suns close at halftime. Amare’s ability to score has rocketed upwards since he’s been moved into a power forward.
While rarely looking to shoot except to keep the defense honest (4-10 FG, 12 PTS), Steve Nash quietly controlled the game with his passing (10 AST) and his decision making (0 TO).
Leandro Barbosa (6-9 FG, 2-4 3FG, 14 PTS) was lightning in a broken field. His ability to create points out of nothing allowed the Suns offense to burst into runs, whereas the Spurs had to work diligently to generate any open look.
The Suns had great offensive balance from all of their players as at least seven Suns scored eight points or more.
Mike D’Antoni out-coached Gregg Popovich. He collapsed his defense in the second half in order to contain Tony Parker and force San Antonio’s jump shooters to beat them. He also switched Grant Hill onto Parker in the second half, making it more difficult for Parker to break into the lane. D’Antoni also broke out a zone at various points in the ball game, holding the Spurs to three made baskets in eight possessions.
No matter what lineup the Suns were in—big, small, super-small—the Suns always had the right play call to generate open looks.
The Suns won because their offense was so diverse and potent, even in the half court. Power ball with Shaq, isolations for Amare, Barbosa on the break, Nash making snappy decisions, Phoenix put so much pressure on the Spurs with their varying methods of attack.
But it should be noted, that with a tie game after the half, and only a four point lead heading into the final chapter, Phoenix made sure to get the ball to Shaq down low where the Big Diesel was never answered.
Why The Suns Could Have Lost:
Amare is still too much of a hothead to be completely reliable in the playoffs. A poor rotation led to one foul, a blatantly moving screen led to another, and a dumb charging foul led to a third. Stoudemire could have been much more of a threat if he wasn’t saddled most of the first three quarters with foul trouble.
Stoudemire refused to recover to Tim Duncan after helping in the paint, allowing Duncan to knock down two uncontested jumpers.
Shaq also committed way too many loose ball and offensive fouls limiting his minutes and effectiveness.
The Suns were poor rebounders in their zone, giving up the majority of San Antonio’s nine offensive boards.
While the Suns did allow the Spurs to shoot at will, there were innumerable open looks that San Antonio was fortunate to miss.
Boris Diaw still goes up too soft around the basket.
The Suns defense still looks average at best, a trait that has me hesitate when I look at possible Western Conference Champions. Still, the fact that their explosive offense is now centered around power basketball gives Phoenix a winning formula for the playoffs, especially considering how versatile that offense can be.
As for the Spurs, their legs are failing and their age is showing. It’s too late in the season for them to discover the fountain of youth. Unless their jump shooting miraculously returns to form, the Spurs will not be around to experience the Western Conference Finals.
Aside from the usual storylines (playoff positioning and confidence heading into the second season), San Antonio needed to prove that they can hit the majority of their jumpers so their offense can run efficiently while Phoenix needed to show that their trade for Shaq truly does make them more prepared for the money season.
After watching Phoenix decimate the Spurs 96-79, it’s clear that the landscape in the West has radically shifted over the past few months: The Suns are more prepared for the playoffs than the Spurs are.
Why The Spurs Lost:
San Antonio’s jump shooting has abandoned them at the worst possible time. Against the Suns, the Spurs only shot 42% from the field. On their jumpers, San Antonio only shot 33% (12-36) with Michael Finley (3-4), Jacque Vaughn (2-2), and a meaningless jumper by Bobby Jones (1-1) skewing the percentage.
Phoenix sagged off in the second half and dared the Spurs to make jump shots, a challenge which was never met by San Antonio.
While Tim Duncan was effective against Amare Stoudamire early, Shaq’s length and massive bulk made it difficult for TD to finish under the basket in the second half. Duncan was certainly solid —9-21 FG, 3 TO, 23 PTS—but he wasn’t as spectacular as his team needed him to be considering the circumstances.
While Duncan’s help defense was as admirable as ever, Amare Stouemire exposed TD for being too slow and too upright to challenge him on the perimeter. While Duncan is the best help defender in the league, the truth is, his straight up individual defense is at best, slightly above average.
Manu Ginobli (3-12 FG, 0-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO, 1 BLK, 8 PTS) made a handful of nifty passes but was a dud in every other area.
Bruce Bowen is slipping. He was unable to so much as annoy Steve Nash and made several critical defensive mistakes.
After carving up Steve Nash in the first half, Mike D’Antoni switched Grant Hill onto Parker in the second half and Hill made Parker work a mite harder to clear him to the basket. That extra second gave Phoenix’ rotations ample time to sag in and contest Parker at the hoop.
Parker also overhandled on several occasions and made key mistakes with the ball.
The Spurs did an unsatisfactory job on the backboards, yielding 40 rebounds while only gathering 36.
San Antonio rotated fairly well, but the Spurs seemed caught of guard by Phoenix’ offensive versatility.
The Spurs didn’t pressure ball handlers on any entry pass to the post, even when Shaquille O’ Neal was fronted. The lack of pressure allowed lob passes to lead Shaq to prime scoring positions at the basket.
The older, slower Spurs were a step behind the Suns throughout the second half.
Why The Suns Won:
Despite a porous first half, Shaq’s play in the second half was the biggest difference between the run-and-gun, can’t get it done, Phoenix teams of the last several years and the intriguing Suns team of 2008.
With the score tied at the half, Shaq set up in the post against Fabricio Oberto and overwhelmed him for three straight baby hooks. A fouth fouls banished Shaq to the bench, but when he came back early in the fourth, he hit two more hooks, this time over Tim Duncan.
The Spurs tried to adjust and front Shaq with Oberto and have Duncan rotate from the backside to sandwich the big man, but Shaq (7-9 FG, 9 REB, 16 PTS) was still too powerful for any Spurs defender to contend with. If Shaq can be the low post presence he’s supposed to be, the Suns will have a very difficult toy to stop in the playoffs.
Amare Stoudemire (8-13 FG, 5-5 FT, 2 AST, 21 PTS) abused any Spurs defender off the dribble and with baby hooks. Whenever a Spurs defender sagged off to protect against his first step, Stoudemire was able to drop in a number of jumpers from the outside. He wasn’t as effective in the second half, but Amare’s scoring kept the Suns close at halftime. Amare’s ability to score has rocketed upwards since he’s been moved into a power forward.
While rarely looking to shoot except to keep the defense honest (4-10 FG, 12 PTS), Steve Nash quietly controlled the game with his passing (10 AST) and his decision making (0 TO).
Leandro Barbosa (6-9 FG, 2-4 3FG, 14 PTS) was lightning in a broken field. His ability to create points out of nothing allowed the Suns offense to burst into runs, whereas the Spurs had to work diligently to generate any open look.
The Suns had great offensive balance from all of their players as at least seven Suns scored eight points or more.
Mike D’Antoni out-coached Gregg Popovich. He collapsed his defense in the second half in order to contain Tony Parker and force San Antonio’s jump shooters to beat them. He also switched Grant Hill onto Parker in the second half, making it more difficult for Parker to break into the lane. D’Antoni also broke out a zone at various points in the ball game, holding the Spurs to three made baskets in eight possessions.
No matter what lineup the Suns were in—big, small, super-small—the Suns always had the right play call to generate open looks.
The Suns won because their offense was so diverse and potent, even in the half court. Power ball with Shaq, isolations for Amare, Barbosa on the break, Nash making snappy decisions, Phoenix put so much pressure on the Spurs with their varying methods of attack.
But it should be noted, that with a tie game after the half, and only a four point lead heading into the final chapter, Phoenix made sure to get the ball to Shaq down low where the Big Diesel was never answered.
Why The Suns Could Have Lost:
Amare is still too much of a hothead to be completely reliable in the playoffs. A poor rotation led to one foul, a blatantly moving screen led to another, and a dumb charging foul led to a third. Stoudemire could have been much more of a threat if he wasn’t saddled most of the first three quarters with foul trouble.
Stoudemire refused to recover to Tim Duncan after helping in the paint, allowing Duncan to knock down two uncontested jumpers.
Shaq also committed way too many loose ball and offensive fouls limiting his minutes and effectiveness.
The Suns were poor rebounders in their zone, giving up the majority of San Antonio’s nine offensive boards.
While the Suns did allow the Spurs to shoot at will, there were innumerable open looks that San Antonio was fortunate to miss.
Boris Diaw still goes up too soft around the basket.
The Suns defense still looks average at best, a trait that has me hesitate when I look at possible Western Conference Champions. Still, the fact that their explosive offense is now centered around power basketball gives Phoenix a winning formula for the playoffs, especially considering how versatile that offense can be.
As for the Spurs, their legs are failing and their age is showing. It’s too late in the season for them to discover the fountain of youth. Unless their jump shooting miraculously returns to form, the Spurs will not be around to experience the Western Conference Finals.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
On The 50-Yard Line: Your NFL Update
Weighing the Balance of a College Career
At what point will the science of scouting interfere with the proof embedded within a player's collegiate performance?
Later this month, on April 26 and 27, the NFL Entry Draft will take place at the Radio City Music Hall, in New York City's Rockefeller Center. To the average onlooker, this is the event that will keep the NFL ticking, simply providing the next crop of football players to duke it out each and every Sunday (from September to February). But to the NFL die-hards, this event represents their team's ultimate investment-- the future. This is the event where all 32 squads are eager to assemble the pieces of a championship team, by seeking out key players from the collegiate ranks, to fill the various needs on their respective rosters.
With the draft nearly 2 weeks away, there's a pretty onerous question among the NFL-elite right now, particularly, who do I pick? And how high how high do I draft them? And can they come on my roster day-one and be a starter for my franchise? These are the questions that saturate the minds of Coaches, General Managers, and team personnel professionals within the coming days. So how do scouts go about picking the right guy? How do they scientifically assess players and find the next Ladainian, or the next Peyton?
Like this.
They can measure the player's height, weight, the size of a players hand from pinky to thumb; how high the guy can jump at a dead stand-still, or even better, how fast the guy runs 40 yards... without pads on, without football in hand, and without cleats; they can measure how well he runs around pylons; or how many balls he catches in a rapid-fire gauntlet-- and draw their conclusions from these findings.
But does this translate to field?
My answer: no. My suggestion: turn on the game tape.
There is something unauthentic about defining a player by his post-season measurements, as opposed to the statistics and game tape that he spent 3 to 4 years compiling. Scouts are incredibly quick to criticize a sub-par 40 time, a player who is 2 inches too short or 20 pounds under weight. They seemingly forget the kid that rushed for 2000 yards in a single season, had 150 tackles, or returned 7 kicks/punts for touchdowns-- all regardless of hand size, height, weight, etc. Accolades on the field are the proverbial pudding, and recording monster stats are the proof. Don't count out the 169-pound DeSean Jackson (Cal.), the reportedly high-running, low-strength Darren McFadden (Ark.) , or the overweight Glen Dorsey(LSU). These guys will be stars at the next level. If you don't believe me, just go watch some game-tape.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Warriors-Mavericks: Only Dallas Looks Like A Playoff Team
With Dallas 0-10 with Jason Kidd against winning teams and Golden State getting lambasted the night before in San Antonio, Wednesday’s Mavs-Warriors game was a must win for both teams.
Despite the context only one team bothered showing up, and the Mavericks disintegrated the Warriors 111-86.
Dallas:
Dirk Nowitzki put on his best Willis Reed impersonation and gimped onto the court well ahead of his expected recovery time for his high ankle sprain. While his jumpers were flat and his mobility was compromised, Nowitzki efforted his way to 18 tough points on 6-15 shooting.
And though slow and ginger, Nowitzki nonetheless plead steadfast defense in the paint and hustled determinedly when making several defensive rotations. Even though Dirk wasn’t a huge factor on the court, his heroic presence inspired his teammates to play with confidence abounding.
Could it have been Dirk’s most courageous performance of his career?
Jason Kidd (1-6 FG, 11 REB, 17 AST, 4 STL, 5 TO, 5 PTS) was breathtaking. The majority of his assists came on the break where marvelous lead passes allowed Josh Howard and Jason Terry to gallop to the hoop in the open floor. When Dallas slowed things down, Kidd was able to penetrate at will and perfect passes routinely led to open looks. And while Kidd couldn’t contain Monta Ellis, he did have four steals and he did draw two important charges that kept the Warriors spirits sagged.
So what if Kidd can’t shoot straight? His passing and court-vision alone are good enough to be the sole factor in determining outcomes, the victory over Golden State no exception.
Energized from the get-go and allowed to go full-speed ahead on the break, Josh Howard (14-25 FG, 0-1 3FG, 7 REB, 5 AST, 28 PTS) and Jason Terry (11-21 FG, 3-9 3FG, 5 REB, 6 AST, 31 PTS) dominated the game with prolific scoring, plus Howard effectively shut down Stephen Jackson.
Erick Dampier boxed out, set screens, intimidated penetrators, and played like the physical presence Dallas needs him to be.
Even the ghost of Eddie Jones ( 5-10 FG, 3-5 3FG, 5 REB, 1 STL, 12 PTS) showed up, draining threes, chasing down rebounds, finishing alley-oops, and picking Stephen Jackson’s pocket on the way to a slammer.
The Mavericks executed brilliantly, ran the floor flawlessly, rotated timely, and challenged each and every Warriors shot. The Mavericks played exceptionally unselfish (35 assists to 45 field goals) and always looked to make the extra pass. Each player performed exactly how he needs to perform for the Mavericks to excel and Kidd’s brilliant passing set everything up.
In short, the Mavericks won because they played as if their playoff lives were at stake.
Golden State:
The helter-skelter Warriors came out in low gear and paid for it. Their offense to defense transitions were horrendously absent, their individual defense was non-existent, their offense was completely reliant on individual play. Most damning of all, they played like they didn’t think they belonged.
The only offense for Golden State came when Monta Ellis darted around screen/rolls or Baron Davis blindly put his head down in attempt to bully his way for a hoop.
Stephen Jackson (1-11 FG, 0-4 3FG, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 TO, 2 PTS) played as if he were floating at sea and contemplating drowning. Golden State can live with Jackson being a black hole on offense with abhorrent shot selection, but Jackson’s defense on Howard was pathetic.
In fact, the only hints of toughness Jackson played with the entire game, were when he scowled at a referee who made a no-call on a drive, and when Jackson threw Jason Terry to the floor on a one-on-one break. When a team (or ref) doesn’t give in to Jackson’s bullying tactics, he becomes just another loser.
Al Harrington played a mistake filled game littered with silly fouls and missed layups. Harrington was pinballed around by Dirk and Dampier and was completely neutralized by Dallas’ energy. Harrington is another guy only plays well when things are going his way.
Matt Barnes’ (1-5 FG 2 PTS) confidence and playing time have evaporated.
The Warriors routinely ran nothing but isolations or rudimentary screen/rolls. While Davis and Ellis were able to have some successes, Golden State never ran any plays to get anybody else involved, except a single screen-the screener cut for Andres Biedrins which resulted in a foul. In fact, aside from Davis and Ellis, Golden State shot 13-50 from the floor.
The Warriors selfishness and lack of creativity resulted in their tallying only 10 assists. Their softness resulted in their losing the rebounding battle 56-38. Their utter disregard for defense resulted in 44 fast break points for Dallas combined to 16 for Golden State.
In short, the Warriors lost to Dallas for the same reasons that they beat Dallas in the playoffs last season and for the same reasons why they got shellacked in San Antonio by 24 the night before. When another team buckles down and plays championship-caliber basketball, Golden State can’t find it in their hearts to pull through.
With Dallas, Denver, and Golden State all with the same record fighting for the seventh and eight spots in the playoffs, Dallas won their first playoff game and Golden State lost theirs.
Despite the context only one team bothered showing up, and the Mavericks disintegrated the Warriors 111-86.
Dallas:
Dirk Nowitzki put on his best Willis Reed impersonation and gimped onto the court well ahead of his expected recovery time for his high ankle sprain. While his jumpers were flat and his mobility was compromised, Nowitzki efforted his way to 18 tough points on 6-15 shooting.
And though slow and ginger, Nowitzki nonetheless plead steadfast defense in the paint and hustled determinedly when making several defensive rotations. Even though Dirk wasn’t a huge factor on the court, his heroic presence inspired his teammates to play with confidence abounding.
Could it have been Dirk’s most courageous performance of his career?
Jason Kidd (1-6 FG, 11 REB, 17 AST, 4 STL, 5 TO, 5 PTS) was breathtaking. The majority of his assists came on the break where marvelous lead passes allowed Josh Howard and Jason Terry to gallop to the hoop in the open floor. When Dallas slowed things down, Kidd was able to penetrate at will and perfect passes routinely led to open looks. And while Kidd couldn’t contain Monta Ellis, he did have four steals and he did draw two important charges that kept the Warriors spirits sagged.
So what if Kidd can’t shoot straight? His passing and court-vision alone are good enough to be the sole factor in determining outcomes, the victory over Golden State no exception.
Energized from the get-go and allowed to go full-speed ahead on the break, Josh Howard (14-25 FG, 0-1 3FG, 7 REB, 5 AST, 28 PTS) and Jason Terry (11-21 FG, 3-9 3FG, 5 REB, 6 AST, 31 PTS) dominated the game with prolific scoring, plus Howard effectively shut down Stephen Jackson.
Erick Dampier boxed out, set screens, intimidated penetrators, and played like the physical presence Dallas needs him to be.
Even the ghost of Eddie Jones ( 5-10 FG, 3-5 3FG, 5 REB, 1 STL, 12 PTS) showed up, draining threes, chasing down rebounds, finishing alley-oops, and picking Stephen Jackson’s pocket on the way to a slammer.
The Mavericks executed brilliantly, ran the floor flawlessly, rotated timely, and challenged each and every Warriors shot. The Mavericks played exceptionally unselfish (35 assists to 45 field goals) and always looked to make the extra pass. Each player performed exactly how he needs to perform for the Mavericks to excel and Kidd’s brilliant passing set everything up.
In short, the Mavericks won because they played as if their playoff lives were at stake.
Golden State:
The helter-skelter Warriors came out in low gear and paid for it. Their offense to defense transitions were horrendously absent, their individual defense was non-existent, their offense was completely reliant on individual play. Most damning of all, they played like they didn’t think they belonged.
The only offense for Golden State came when Monta Ellis darted around screen/rolls or Baron Davis blindly put his head down in attempt to bully his way for a hoop.
Stephen Jackson (1-11 FG, 0-4 3FG, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 TO, 2 PTS) played as if he were floating at sea and contemplating drowning. Golden State can live with Jackson being a black hole on offense with abhorrent shot selection, but Jackson’s defense on Howard was pathetic.
In fact, the only hints of toughness Jackson played with the entire game, were when he scowled at a referee who made a no-call on a drive, and when Jackson threw Jason Terry to the floor on a one-on-one break. When a team (or ref) doesn’t give in to Jackson’s bullying tactics, he becomes just another loser.
Al Harrington played a mistake filled game littered with silly fouls and missed layups. Harrington was pinballed around by Dirk and Dampier and was completely neutralized by Dallas’ energy. Harrington is another guy only plays well when things are going his way.
Matt Barnes’ (1-5 FG 2 PTS) confidence and playing time have evaporated.
The Warriors routinely ran nothing but isolations or rudimentary screen/rolls. While Davis and Ellis were able to have some successes, Golden State never ran any plays to get anybody else involved, except a single screen-the screener cut for Andres Biedrins which resulted in a foul. In fact, aside from Davis and Ellis, Golden State shot 13-50 from the floor.
The Warriors selfishness and lack of creativity resulted in their tallying only 10 assists. Their softness resulted in their losing the rebounding battle 56-38. Their utter disregard for defense resulted in 44 fast break points for Dallas combined to 16 for Golden State.
In short, the Warriors lost to Dallas for the same reasons that they beat Dallas in the playoffs last season and for the same reasons why they got shellacked in San Antonio by 24 the night before. When another team buckles down and plays championship-caliber basketball, Golden State can’t find it in their hearts to pull through.
With Dallas, Denver, and Golden State all with the same record fighting for the seventh and eight spots in the playoffs, Dallas won their first playoff game and Golden State lost theirs.
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