A Press Democrat Blog

Warriors Wire

The latest Golden State Warriors and NBA news

Lee the kind of player you want to root for

Tuesday, at 9:31 by

If you haven’t seen this New York Times article about David Lee, you should take the time to read it. In all the talk about whether Lee is a good fit on the court for the Warriors, we’ve not touched a lot on how great a fit he is off the court. This article, which leads with an anecdote about Lee attending the funeral of Scott Jaffer, a longtime security guard at Madison Square Garden, illuminates Lee’s considerable character. Here’s an excerpt:… Read More »

Looking ahead: The PG position

Monday, at 12:23 by

The brilliance of the Warriors’ draft in 2009 was that it answered an open question at a position of need for the team. Any time you do that with your draft pick, you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Going in, most mock drafts had the Warriors selecting Arizona big man Jordan Hill with the seventh overall pick. Most of the mocks had Curry off the board before the Warriors’ pick, so it seems like good… Read More »

36 minutes tells the (incomplete) story

Friday, at 10:35 by

I always like to look at players’ stats adjusted to reflect starters’ minutes (36 per game). I’m fully aware it’s not an exact science; especially for players who get very few actual minutes on the court, it can present some false perceptions of a player’s ability. In addition, just because a player who normally plays 18 minutes a game would average 18 points and 11 rebounds in starters’ minutes doesn’t mean that player should necessarily get 36 minutes per game.… Read More »

Curry and Watson: Must-see basketball

Thursday, at 10:31 by

All is quiet on the trade front this morning. If any news breaks, we’ll break it down, but as of right now, I would be surprised if the Warriors make any trades before the deadline. I still would like to see the Warriors trade Monta Ellis. It’s getting more difficult to ignore the evidence that this is a better team without him. That’s not a knock on Ellis’ talent. Ellis is a very good player and he really has acted like… Read More »

Loss to Suns proves Ellis’ value

Sunday, at 12:57 by

At least for one game, some people can stop wondering if the Warriors are better off without Monta Ellis in the lineup. The Warriors played hard and showed well on the road Saturday against the Suns before ultimately coming up short in a 112-103 loss (recap, box score). It was a tough loss to watch, because the Warriors played well much of the game and had a chance to earn an impressive road win. They led most of the first half. They led… Read More »

Is it too early to start thinking about John Wall?

Saturday, at 9:31 by

I know it’s early. The Warriors still have 56 games to play. Andris Biedrins could return and lead a dramatic turnaround of a season that has gone even worse than the most pessimistic predicted. But I think it’s about time to come to grips with the reality of this season. Even if the Warriors start playing better when Biedrins returns, even if they manage to play .500 basketball the rest of the way, they’d still finish with 32 or 33 wins. So, maybe it’s time to start looking forward to the… Read More »

C.J. Watson has swine flu

Monday, at 10:09 by

Received the following e-mail from the Warriors: Warriors guard C.J. Watson has tested positive for the H1N1 virus. He is currently being treated accordingly for the illness and the Warriors are following all precautionary measures as mandated by the NBA. Watson will not be with the team for either of the two remaining games on this road trip – Tuesday at Cleveland and Wednesday at Boston.

Should Stephen Curry start at point guard?

Friday, at 2:42 by

Until tonight’s exhibition game, a 126-92 win against the New Orleans Hornets, I was of the persuasion that starting rookie Stephen Curry with Monta Ellis in the backcourt would be a disaster. Ellis is not a good defensive player, so there’s no chance you could ask him to guard shooting guards in that pairing. And Curry has a slight frame at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. Thinking he can guard guys like Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy, and the rest of the big shooting… Read More »