I've been noticing the same thing: the implosions of Dallas and
Denver, and the obvious deterioration of Phoenix, offers the Warriors
a nice op****tunity for next year. Everybody pray: "big man big man big
man..." -AL
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SFGate
In-tune Warriors could be toast of NBA next season
Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, May 3, 2008
(05-02) 18:11 PDT -- The Warriors can't join this sorry procession.
Maybe after next season, but not now. They have a reputation to
uphold, and if they torch that mission, the entire NBA suffers.
A glorious era passed this week when the Phoenix Suns lost so
discouragingly to San Antonio, perhaps losing coach Mike D'Antoni in
the process. They'll be a strong team next year - too much talent to
believe otherwise - but their run-and-gun image is long gone. Steve
Nash looks old for the first time in his life, and after a summer of
introspection, Shaquille O'Neal will be facing an 82-game test of his
health and motivation.
The NBA badly needed a team like the Suns. It needed a bunch of guys
flying down the floor, casting off shots just as soon as humanly
possible, running up 37-point quarters. Everyone savored that verve
and creativity, a welcome contrast to the more deliberate methods of
the Spurs and Pistons. It didn't win champion****ps, but it made people
care, and it drew envy and appreciation from opposing coaches.
Don Nelson wasn't one of those coaches, for he was way ahead of the
game. He'd been embracing that style for years. Things peaked during
the '07 playoffs, and despite the regret hovering over the team these
days, the Warriors just finished one of their finest seasons in
franchise history.
As the summer turns to fall, that lively mood will return. Chris
Mullin will have signed Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins to the
contracts they deserve. The draft, ideally, will have brought some
help. A few tweaks here and there. To make it all work, though, the
Warriors need a refreshed Nelson and a willing Baron Davis. The season
ended in bizarre fa****on, but neither of these men can let such a
trifle spoil a good relation****p. There's way too much fun to be had.
In case you haven't noticed, the all-powerful Western Conference is
crumbling. Dallas is in tatters in the wake of the New Orleans series
and the dismissal of coach Avery Johnson. Denver collapsed in a swirl
of scatterbrained thinking against the Lakers, and remarkably, coach
George Karl's job is safe. (He says he'll be "tougher" on the team
next year. Oh, please.)
The Houston Rockets have grit - at least when Tracy McGrady commits to
the cause - but they'll never have a healthy Yao Ming for an entire
season, not after his latest breakdown. As for the teams that finished
below the Warriors, only the ****tland Trail Blazers have the look of a
serious contender next year.
The window is wide-open: for a playoff spot (still plenty valuable in
Oakland), for sheer entertainment and for keeping alive the spirit of
rebellious, uninhibited, fast-pace basketball. And please, no haggling
on the paperwork. For Nelson and Davis, the right answer couldn't be
more clear.
In search of Zito
Having seen Barry Zito in two of his favorite comfort zones - jamming
on guitar and gazing at a pristine surf break - I can't help but
lament his choice of teams. There's a lot to like about the
revitalized Giants, but last year, in the cauldron of Barry Bonds-
related gloom, took the fun out of the game for Zito. He did his best
to wor****p at the Bonds shrine, but he knew he was kidding himself.
With the team sinking into oblivion, life at the ballpark became an
eternal bummer. Now the team has it together, but Zito - aside from
the obvious physical problems - still can't get his mind right ...
It's a mistake for the Giants to say Zito will miss "just one or two
starts" or put any timetable on his return. He has lost the fans'
trust, and to an extent, that of his teammates. If he comes back soon,
with the same act, it's a massive setback for the organization. Give
him at least a month to settle down ... More than ever, the National
League is making a mockery of the DH rule. Pitchers are getting key
hits, laying down bunts, going deep (Carlos Zambrano now has 13 career
homers) or, in the case of Arizona's Micah Owings, simply blowing
minds. Owings (.421 average) came up as a pinch-hitter the other
night, and the Astros actually changed pitchers - right before Owings
crushed a two-run, opposite-field homer.
For those who view the Raiders with eternal bemusement, Darren
McFadden is the perfect draft choice: risky, exciting, somewhat
inappropriate but full of intrigue. It's sort of like Adam "Pacman"
Jones joining the Cowboys: just hilarious, and not our problem ...
Call me crazy, and many have, but I never got the magic of Trent
Johnson's stay at Stanford. Johnny Dawkins is a distinct upgrade,
despite the annoying prospect of his returning to Duke as soon as he
establishes a head-coaching reputation ... Soccer fans should make a
point of catching the May 21 Champions League final between Chelsea
and Manchester United. Chelsea's semifinal win over Liverpool,
featuring the majestic strikes of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard's
emotion-filled penalty kick (in the wake of his mother's recent death)
marked s****ting theater at its finest.
E-mail Bruce Jenkins at bjenkins@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
article appeared on page D - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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