The End (Warriors 116, Suns 122)
By Adam Lauridsen
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
To my eyes, there are four different end points to seasons. The first and
obvious one is the expiration of the 82nd game. We'll get that finale on
Wednesday. The second ending is the moment when the team is technically
eliminated from anything past the 82nd game. We finally coasted to a stop
on
that track Monday night. The third and fourth endings, however, are harder
to pin down. Under one measure - the team's ambition - Warriors' seasons
of
years past were over before they began. Think Mookie Blaylock scheduling a
tee-time. This year, however, it wasn't until Iverson blew past Baron,
Stephen, and Monta that you got the sense that this team doubted that they
could get it done. The final measure of the season - a fan's interest - is
the hardest of all to mark on a schedule. Some years it disappears
suddenly
with a long losing streak in December. Other years it drips away over a
series of gradual failures through the winter into spring. This year,
however, all the ups and downs only seemed to pull fans closer to the
action. The reward for our extended devotion? The familiar failure of no
playoffs, only deferred down the line, ready to deliver its disappointment
with compound interest. But despite it all, we're here, putting more words
to the page. The reason is simple: the Warriors are still putting on a
show.
The world of s****ts blogging is filled with people leaping at the chance
to
take credit for their predictions. So, just to make sure I don't deny
anyone
his or her due, please step forward if you predicted that, facing playoff
elimination on the road against the Phoenix Suns, Don Nelson would bench
Baron Davis the entire second half, give extended minutes to Kosta Perovic
on Shaquille O'Neal, and lean heavily on Kelenna Azubuike and Austin
Croshere for offensive sparks to drive a valiant comeback. (Also, if you
predicted this, I'd love some insight on the 08 election and the Iraq war,
with a few choice stock picks thrown in for good measure). Don Nelson
shocked many of us this year by becoming predictable. In the final hours
of
what may be his final year, however, he shook off any cobwebs of
conventionality.
Let's take them in turn, from most to least shocking:
Baron's Benching - We have little to no idea of how Nelson and Davis
relate
behind closed doors. What we do know is that Nellie has given his
superstar
the green light all season. The benching comes as such a shock not because
of Baron's play (going 2-13 in the first half certainly seems
bench-worthy),
but because of the timing. Why now? The obvious guess is that Baron wasn't
physically in the game. I'll leave theories on what was wrong with him to
those more inclined to speculation. The less obvious - though equally
plausible - explanation is that Nelson had little to lose by keeping Baron
on the bench. Once the reserves started the comeback, the only reason
Nellie
had to pull them was fatigue. Davis, however, wasn't going to be any more
rested than he was in the first half, when he clanked his way to the 2-13
performance. I've been critical of Nelson before this season for not
running
with the hot combinations. I'll given him praise for sticking with the
reserves against Phoenix. They didn't have enough, but they earned a shot
at
stealing the glory.
What does this all mean for Davis in the long run? Very little. Davis'
off-season decision regarding his contract will first and foremost be
based
on how much money is available from other teams and whether those options
are worth the likely pay cut. The Warriors fair well under this equation.
The second consideration will be whether the Warriors look like they're
continuing steady progress or sacrificing short-term success to build
around
their youth. If it's the latter, Davis might be inclined to spend the
golden
years of his NBA career somewhere other than Golden State. Finally, I
think
Nelson's decision will influence Baron. No matter how much drama you might
try to tease out of Monday's benching, Davis has never played harder for a
coach than he's done for Nelson. He didn't change his game entirely to fit
Nellie's plans, but the two famously stubborn stars reached a comfortable
compromise late last season that has held through this entire year. If
Nellie floats out to Maui, Davis might be more comfortable negotiating a
new
contract than a new role on this team. Ultimately, however, I think Baron
is
back in 08-09. Like many of the Warriors' performances this year, the
benching made for a good show but won't amount to much in the long run.
Kosta to the Rescue - Don Nelson's supposed aversion to big men has been
well documented. His solution to stopping anyone over 6-5 appears to be
putting someone smaller and quicker on them. Given these tendencies, I
nearly fell off the couch when Nellie attempted to slow down Shaq by going
bigger. Kosta has an inch on Shaq, even if he gives up 50-75 pounds. The
length made a difference, not so much on keeping Shaq from his favorite
spots, but upping the difficulty level once he got there to shoot and
cutting down on second chance points. Kosta looked tight offensively
during
his run but did the little things, from box outs to weakside rotations,
that
reveal why Nelson left him active while POB went back to the inactive
list.
I doubt anyone will start building the franchise in their mind around
Kosta
following the performance, but it was a nice glimpse of a player that
could
be part of the rotation sooner than we anticipated.
Andris First - When the Warriors really needed points Monday night, they
put
the ball in Andris' hands. Jackson has been moving this direction all
season, recognizing that the pick and roll is one of their highest
percentage options for getting points. Nellie made it official Monday,
however, when he started calling plays for Andris in clutch situations.
Biedrins responded, going a fantastic 8-10 for 16 points. The only thing
easier than over-estimating young player's potential for growth is
under-estimating what they might become. Last year we wrote of Monta's
dependability, only to see him become our most consistent scorer. This
year
many have written off Andris as a one dimensional player. His offensive
production has improved the last few games, but Monday in particular
suggests that it's far too early to set a ceiling on his abilities.
Croshere and Azubuike Step Up - If you were to pick the likely offensive
contributors from our bench this season, these two would have been the
safe
bets. MP is famously inconsistent and Barnes' offensive game was always a
white-knuckle affair. Austin and Kelenna, however, both combine decent
shooting with outstanding scrappiness. We saw both traits Monday and they
nearly provided enough of a boost to keep our season going one more game.
You can't control injuries, but I can't help but think about what the
Warriors could have done if one (or both) of these guys was healthy all
year. From their rebounding to their defense, they play smart basketball
and
know how to compliment the others on the court. Even before their play
against the Suns, they were the most likely potential free agents to
return
to the Warriors by my calculations. With more games like Monday, I'd be
thrilled to have them back next year for the right price.
Jackson Shoots His Way Out - Jax would be the first to admit he's been
struggling, although he has been admirably consistent in refusing to make
excuses for his poor play. Finally, however, he put together a big night
in
a crucial game. It was too little too late, but for the player that helped
instill the "We Believe" attitude that carried this team to the playoffs
last year and to the brink of 50 wins this year, it's good to see him go
out
fighting. Jackson will always have his teammates' backs, but as he's
learned
the hard way before, sometimes there's more trouble than one man can
handle.
My final analysis of the game? Some things don't need to be analyzed to be
understood. Tuesday will be a sad day for me and other Warriors fans. It
will also be made better by the community we've shared here for the past
two
years. The seasons change, but a few things stay the same. Thanks as
always
for reading. And go Warriors.
|
