Thursday, April 24, 2008

"Bahala Na"

Hi everyone! I know I haven't been on here for about 14 days, but I've busy. SO I lie; I was just really hurt by the Dubz going fishing early. But as my Lola (grandmother in tagalog) says, "Bahala Na," which means "whatever happens, happens." The 07-08 season was one the best seasons in Warrior franchise history, in terms of record AND excitement.

Even thought we SHOULD NOT have dropped our last two games against PHOENIX and SEATTLE, we just have to believe. . . in the front office. Yeah, I said we should trust the front office. With the NBA draft and the free agent market about to be bananas, what are some moves I wouldn't mind seeing?
1. Monta kept
2. Baron kept
3. Dubz MIRACULOUSLY WIN the lottery
4. Beans kept
5.Dubz choose Darrell Arthur

6. Patrick O'Bryant leaving

I know these demands are sort of obvious, but the playoffs are more obvious than they were last year too. Boston wins it all. So see you in Summer camp dubz!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

"It will all get better in time"

*For the men (maybe women) out there, that little lyric is from Leona Lewis and her track "Better in Time." So get in touch with your sensitive side and listen to Leona: she's the truth.

Denver's Bench 114
Golden State Warriors 105
Bob Delaney 1,000,000 haters and counting

Warrior Nation stand strong.
I know of many fans who let go of all of their responsibilities to come home and cheer on the Golden State Warriors during the biggest game of the year. I am one of them and so did my family. The crowd in the Oracle had it's moments, but they were the reason why the Warriors kept trying till the end. On the other hand, the Denver Nuggets just had it and didn't have to try too hard.

After a spectacular 1st, a tough 2nd, and just an all around let down in the second half, the Warriors are TIRED. I mean , the Denver Nuggets bench racked up 37 points to the Dubz meager 7. I know what I'm saying is nothing new, but damn.

I think the biggest problem we saw is role-playing. For example, when the Dubz made one last run in 4th quarter , Kelenna Azubuike had made a much-needed 3 pointer but soon after he began to take some weird and unnecessary shots. The point of emphasis is ball movement, but with Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis not making any magic out on the perimeter, who's hands should the ball be in? Many would say Monta Ellis, which is a good guess, but Monta Ellis had a so-so night as well. He did an okay job at the point , but he is not a playmaker like BD. I mean, he can establish a solid pick and roll or make a nice drive then dish, but to direct traffic? Not yet.

I hate to bash the coaching staff because they have given the Warriors a season that in any other year would secure a solid playoff spot, but Don Nelson needs to change his approach just alittle bit. Nellieball can only take the Dubz so far without a solid defensive plan. Yeah, I'm sounding like a broken record , but should the Warriors get SMART? Keith Smart , previous to his stint with Warriors, had spent 3 seasons with the Cavaliers. In 40 games, under Smart, the Cavaliers were 9-31 in 2002-2003. More to come...

Groupie Love
(no golddiggers):
Craig Sager


New Category:
Former Warrior now Current Asshole
Eduardo Najera
Even back in 2004 during his stint as a dub, Najera always rubbed me the wrong way. He just has the look that my momma described as, "those kind of people can explode at any minute and who knows what ugly will come out." Well Momma said knock you out, Najera. Even though the Dubz didn't, maybe someone from the Knicks will.


Oh yes and before I forget, Saturday is an important day in our Bay Area. Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, has declared April 12 as Stephen Jackson Day in San Francisco. Free tattoos and headbands for everyone!





Mickael Pietrus invites you



to the game vs the Denver Nuggets!

When: Today

Where: Oracle Arena

Time: 5:00 but please arrive early so TNT can capture every fan




Just click that and listen to Mickael towards the end. He demands a rocking Oracle today. And so do I. GO WARRIORS!!!!!



Wednesday, April 9, 2008

No (Mikki) Moore Drama




First of all, I think all we need to acknowledge the return of Air France. Who would have thought that Mickael Pietrus would only need to miss 9 games with a double injury (sarcasm) to get the Dubz back on track for their last minute playoff run. In all seriousness, I think Pietrus, being the "fan favorite" and all should be rewarded for bringin back life into the Oracle. After these last couple of games, there has been some drama with fan participation, but it's just NERVOUSNESS people. So chill out.

With the Kings without Brad Miller and having Ron Artest being the cheerleader, the Warriors, surprisingly, did not play to the same level as their opponent. In the first quarter alone the Dubz began the game with 2 scrappy plays that gave them the early lead. You can say that Stephen Jackson still isn't back in rhythm , but I think he has made adjustments to his game. We saw less quick threes and more driving the rim. It did help that the Kings had no major challenges inside, that is, if you count Spencer Hawes, who had himself a reasonable game.

Groupie Love (no golddiggers):
Albert Harrington



Tuesday, April 8, 2008

From Oakland to Sactown

In about 4 hours , the whole Northern California will be tuned in into one of the biggest showdowns this year. The Golden State Warriors are tied for the 8th spot in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets having the advantage. The Sacramento Kings , without their top men Brad Miller and Ron "tru warrior" Artest , still were able to put a royal smackdown on the Denver Nuggets. Ever since the Golden State Warriors made it back into the playoffs, the rivalry between the Bay Area and Sacramento has surpassed anyone can imagine. With the Golden State Warriors becoming America's favorite underdogs, Kings' fans were only left the Maloof family making appearances on Oprah's Big Give program. Tonight the fans will come out and support their squad but only one team can take the title as, "California Love."


Match-Up:
Monta Ellis vs Kevin Martin


Fun Match-Up:
Andris Biedrins vs Mikki Moore






Sunday, April 6, 2008

Not so easy in the Big Easy, yet Seattle makes it rain.

What a Sunday is all I have to say. Let's begin with the "bad." If I had to choose what Dubz I would truly want to have during this stretch, it would be the December Dubz. Not only is December your girl's birthday, but it held 2 of the first of many exciting games for the Dubz: Miami & LA. In both of these games, the Dubz started bad, and ended good. This knack for getting behind yet making that exciting run when it counts would continue until , I would say mid-March. So what kind of Warriors do we have now? Golden State are starting games on point, but as a result of them tiring themselves out so quickly, they usually don't end well.

Will some company send our boys some Vitamin Water? This starting good and ending bad motif occurred last night versus the No-One Hornets. As in no-one, I mean, no one believes in them! However, everyone and their mom (like mine) believe in the Dubz. Chris Paul and David West deserve the most credit for carrying this team to the top. With pieces who have playoff experience such as Bonzi "Hova" Wells and Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans has great potential to surprise many critics. Now to our Golden State Warriors... oh, where to begin. Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins are playing for big payday during the off-season and that sure showed last night. Baron Davis is playing for an extension and there was some bounce in his step for some $$$. I could go on and talk about this lost and how much it meant for the Dubz, but I won't. I will just say, Mickael Pietrus, please come home.

A win that I will talk about is the Seattle Double OT victory over the Denver Nuggets. Well PJ Carlesimo must have some love the Golden State Warriors organization to miraculously lead his Supersonics to a win over the Denver Nuggets. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony did all they could , but in the end Kevin Durant, a prime candidate for Rookie of the Year had some magic dust on his hands. The game was truly AMAZING with both teams playing their hearts out.
Here is a small video:



Groupie Love (no golddiggers):
The fans of the Seattle Supersonics


With San Francisco going through the same thing with the 49ers possibly moving to Santa Clara (or are they?) , the fans of the Sonics are going through some rough times. Stay up , Seattle!
Save the Sonics

No check-in at the Heartbreak Hotel...

How crazy is Don Nelson? What goes on in his head? Last night, Nelli put Marco Belinellli not for hacking purposes or early garbage time, but to actually PLAY. Marco told Matt Steinmetz after the game that Nelson wanted him to guard Juan Carlos Navarro. Not only did Belinelli do that but he was the 5th leading scorer for the Dubz. Yes, it is still the Memphis Grizzlies , but Belinelli or Bust?

Moving balls=Moving up With Stephen Jackson and many of the other Warriors coming off their worst performances of the season, the rock needed to be more "consistent" hands. Well not so much as "consistent" because these are the Golden State Warriors we're talking about, but players, such as Kelenna Azubuike and Monta Ellis, whom have been producing more lately.

How exactly did the Warriors' win? I have no idea. I don't want to say "defense", but I think that might be right. The turnover numbers between the two squads is equal, but the rebound ratio is alarming. The Dubz had 55 rebounds against the Grizzlies' 39 ; thanks to Andris Biedrins and Kelenna Azubuike. Another thing was that the Warriors' did not have any hurdles inside. Jason Collins played like a litte girl trying to obtain charges from players like Monta Ellis and Darko Milicic is no Pau Gasol. Finally, Mike Miller wasn't his old self, thank God.
Infatuation Frustration:
Matt Barnes and Al Harrington
Another reason why Matt Steinmetz believes Nelli put Marco Belinelli in the game pre-maturely is that he wanted to send a message to Matt Barnes and Al Harrington. The last game that Al Harrington had a solid performance, according to Jim Barnett, was the blow-out lost against the Utah Jazz. As much as I want to blame Webber for taking his time, I won't ; but, what happened to the Al that dunked on that Lebron-guy in the beginning of the season? What happened to that passion? Now Matt Barnes almost received a suspension for his flagrant-1 on Kyle Lowry, but luckily, it was downgraded to a regular personal foul. Either way, the two arguably best-looking players better step their game up or they're going to lead the Dubz to an ugly ending of a wonderful season.


Groupie Love (no golddiggers):
Baron Davis

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Home sweet home: Oracle Arena

As I was searching for the status of Mickael Pietrus, I stumbled on this inspirational article on the Contra Costa Times website. The article is written by Marcus Thompson II and his piece is entitled , "Divine Oracle: Warriors' arena place to be."

Here is a small excerpt:

One can only imagine what would happen should the Warriors win a title.

"The fans here are so loyal," Rowell said. "We've been ready for this for quite some time. The funny thing is we haven't done anything yet. I'm excited about the next few years. We've got some exciting young players to build on. A big part of it is the style of basketball we play. It's the personality and character of our team and the relationship they have with the fans."

This cast of Warriors is the dynamite that causes the Oracle to explode. Davis is the main attraction, the tone-setter. His game has a certain playground flair and his personality exudes through his visible emotions.

But Davis has plenty help in inciting the crowd. Monta Ellis is a fan favorite because of the way he zips and floats around the court, creating a collection of highlights. Fans go ballistic whenever Jackson pulls up in transition and splashes one of those methodical 3-pointers late in the game. And don't let swingman Mickael Pietrus be on his game.

In addition to the frenetic style of play, the Oracle experience is enhanced by the chic ambiance. Warriors games have become a popular Bay Area nightlife option, drawing socialites as well as hoop fans. Ticket demand and amenities -- an upscale pregame restaurant; spacious club lounges on the upper, lower and suite level; and a postgame bar where fans can mingle with the players -- lend an aura of exclusivity.

And that's before you throw in the celebrities.

Dating back to last year's playoffs, a steady of flow of famous entertainers has added to the Oracle setting. Actors -- such as Jessica Alba, Sean Penn and John Cho -- and musical entertainers -- such as Snoop Dogg and Carlos Santana -- highlight the list of paparazzi targets.

Sports stars long have been spotted at Warriors games. Ronnie Lott is a season ticket holder. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice have been known to show up. Cleveland Indians Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, a Vallejo native, has his favorite spot under the basket near the Warriors bench. A contingent of Raiders -- led by Nnamdi Asomugha, Sebastian Janikowski and JaMarcus Russell -- usually attends games.

But even with the TMZ vibe, the Oracle's reputation is that of a raucous arena.

"I was truly impressed by the amount of energy in the building," said R&B star John Legend, who performed at halftime late last month. "They remind me of a student crowd in a way -- so not jaded, so supportive of the team. I can only imagine what a playoff game there would be like."

Feb. 13, 2008. ESPN announcers Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy, calling the Warriors-Phoenix Suns game, raved about the Oracle.

"It's not just (that there are) a lot of people," Breen said on the air. "It has turned into one of the best atmospheres in all of sports."

Moments later, the Warriors ran off a 12-4 run in a span of three minutes, 15 seconds. First a 3-pointer by Jackson, followed by one from Kelenna Azubuike. Then Davis took over -- nailing a pull-up in the lane, hitting a fade-away jumper from the corner and turning a Phoenix turnover into a fast-break finger roll. Suddenly, the Oracle erupted into unchartered decibels. Hearing yourself think was not an option, and that's become typical.

"When it gets to those levels where it gets crazy in there," Warriors forward Al Harrington said, "it just gets your blood flowing. I get chills sometimes."

And you don't have to see it to feel it.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Does anybody BELIEVE anymore?

After two horrible 20 point defeats, it seems that the Golden State Warriors aren't believing anymore and so are the "fans." What happened to all those believers? Pessimism has always been a Warrior Fan delicacy , but never pushing the Dubz when they're already down is.

In tonight's game , Al Harrington only had 6 point as Stephen Jackson only had a meager 2. What is happening to this team? Sure, Dallas had reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki return with 18 points and 5 rebounds, but they were still 0-10 before teams over .500 before the game.

This game was really no different than the Sunday match-up, with Josh Howard and Jason Kidd dominating. The only other exception was the Jason Terry had 31 points who had been in a small shooting slump versus the Warriors' last Sunday. If only Jax and Al were alive, then this Dallas team would not have been such a problem. Whenever Stephen Jackson would not get a call, he would try to create something out of nothing in the next possession which would almost always result in a Warriors turnover. If Al Harrington begins a game with 2 fouls in less time than it takes to say Tom Gugliotta then you know it's not good.

On the bench play, Kelenna Azubuike is our bench with 10 points and 3 blocks. Austin Croshere needs to stop taking Al Harrington's minutes. Croshere did nothing in the beginning of the second half when the MAVS started expanding their lead.

If only the Golden State Warriors were playing with a 'sense of urgency' as they had when they made the 16 - 5 run towards the end of last season. Each person on the squad say they are in the mode to make a run for these playoffs , but so far it's not looking too good. On the bright side, the Golden State Warriors are back in the role where they are most comfortable: the Underdogs. This season, teams know to give the Dubz their best when they play against us, but the Dubz know that they're still considered unworthy of being a true NBA contender. Hopefully, the Dubz will relish the UNDERDOG role and take everyone by surprise and once again, sneak into the playoffs.

Groupie Love:
Monta EllisWireimage
Even the ESPN announcers were falling in love with Monta Ellis. I see that 3point shot developing and I'm loving it.