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    Thoughts on Game No. 8: Warriors 113, Timberwolves 110 (OT)

    By Geoff Lepper
    48minutes.net

    The Warriors zoned. The Timberwolves just zoned out.

    Thanks to a 9-0 run at the end of regulation — fueled by a 2-3 zone that took Minnesota star Al Jefferson completely out of the game — Golden State managed to come back Tuesday for a 113-110 victory.

    After surging ahead by double-digits in the second half behind a frontline featuring three of the players expected to carry them into the next decade — 22-year-old Andris Biedrins, 21-year-old Brandan Wright and 19-year-old Anthony Randolph — the Warriors squandered that lead and then some in allowing the one-win Timberwolves to take command in the fourth quarter.

    But with Minnesota holding a nine-point lead and less than four minutes remaining, Golden State clamped down with a zone that was designed to keep Jefferson in check.

    Jefferson never even touched the ball. The Timberwolves missed their last eight shots. And perhaps most importantly, Minnesota — which had 20 offensive rebounds on the evening — only got one during the final 4:30, and that was on an ineffectual tip from Craig Smith with 30 seconds left.

    Wright finally secured that rebound, fed the ball to C.J. Watson, who zipped a cross court lead pass to Stephen Jackson, who tallied the game-tying layup with 22.2 seconds left, part of his season-high 30 points.

    “It was kind of hard for Jefferson to get the ball and make plays when we collapsed on him in the zone,” Jackson said. “We got rebounds, got out and ran, so I think the zone was very successful tonight.”

    ** This was the first time all season that the Biedrins-Wright-Randolph trio was on the floor together. The unit had stints in each of the first three quarters. The first was a move made out of desperation; Randolph came on in place of an ineffective Watson and Jackson took over at the point.

    But the last one was a deliberate choice on the part of coach Don Nelson, who sent them out to start the third quarter together. That group helped Golden State reel off a 9-4 run to build an 11-point lead 3 minutes into the half.

    “There are so many young guys on the floor, but it’s kind of fun because everybody is playing with such energy,” Biedrins said. “Everybody is running, defending, blocking shots.”

    The Warriors were able to make the big and young lineup work because the Timberwolves weren’t equipped with the kind of point guard who could make them pay. Sebastian Telfair was fast enough to get by Jackson, but not when Jackson — knowing that Telfair can’t shoot accurately from outside of maybe 12 feet — could hang way back, giving himself a cushion of three or four steps with which to work.

    ** The Warriors were certainly helped down the stretch by some idiotic shot selection on the part of Minnesota. (Memo to Rashad McCants: when you’re up by eight points with 3 1/2 minutes to go and you get the initial pass of your team’s possession, hoisting up a 3-pointer is not, actually, the generally preferred option.)

    ** Nelson’s mixing and matching got the most out of the combination of Anthony Morrow and Marco Belinelli in this instance (a combined 4-for-6 from 3-point range).

    ** Kelenna Azubuike should not, at this point in time, be a team’s primary ballhandler.

    ** One problem with the Warriors’ outstanding shot blocking across the frontline is that when an interior player leaves their post to provide ball help, it opens up all kinds of second-chance opportunities for opponents left open on the other side of the rim.

    ** That the Warriors won despite a rare off night for Biedrins made it all the more memorable. Biedrins continued his string of double-doubles but fouled out again, with three of them coming on offensive screens.

    ** Hey, Randy Wittman: For the love of God, stop playing Rashad McCants.

    ** Mark Madsen lives!

    ** I didn’t talk to Wright on Tuesday, but Sunday in Sacramento, he was going without the familiar braces on his upper teeth, which had to be removed so a dentist could fix a chip in his right front tooth.

    The injury occurred when Memphis rookie Darrell Arthur caught Wright across the face with an inadvertent forearm in Friday’s game. The damage was exacerbated because Wright doesn’t usually wear a mouthpiece. Or at least, he didn’t used to.

    “I’m going to start wearing one now,” Wright said. “Got to.”

    ** Larry Harris, hired Wednesday to fill out the Warriors’ coaching staff in the wake of Larry Riley’s promotion to assistant general manager, has spent 19 years in the NBA — but this is his first time sitting on a team’s bench (or behind it; Harris has a spot in the second row, alongside assistant Russell Turner).

    “I think I can bring something to the table on the coaching side of it,” said Harris, who worked his way up the front office ladder in Milwaukee and served as the Bucks’ general manager for almost five years until his dismissal in March. “It’s still about communicating with players and getting them to play to their maximum. And I think you do strengths and weaknesses when you’re evaluating the draft, and I certainly think I can bring some of that to the table, and hopefully some of what I’ve learned from my father (longtime NBA coach Del Harris) can rub off in that area as well.”

    Also, there’s a funny aside regarding Larry Harris and Riley: “Ironically, when I came into Milwaukee, he was the video guy for my father. And then when (then-Bucks assistant) Mike Dunleavy went to the Lakers, my father elevated him to the bench, and that’s how I got the video job in Milwaukee. So I guess Larry’s kind of set the path for me.”

    ** From here, it certainly looks like Al Harrington — now on a week of bed rest and another week of rehab for his sore lower back — has played his last game with the Warriors.

    Asked if he thought Harrington would suit up for Golden State again, Nelson said yes, then took a shot at Dan Fegan, Harrington’s agent.

    “I’m assuming (so), yeah, if we don’t make a move, if we don’t trade him,” Nelson said. “I heard in the paper today (Harrington is going to miss) two weeks. From Doctor Fegan.”

    Contact: geofflepper@48minutes.net

18 Responses to “Thoughts on Game No. 8: Warriors 113, Timberwolves 110 (OT)”

  1. dan November 12th, 2008 at 2:27 am

    Kevin Love did not impress me. He probably will be ok because he can pass and board but he won’t be special player.

  2. commish November 12th, 2008 at 8:26 am

    Nice post Geoff. I was at the game and one thing that kind of cracked me up was what a ball hog Randolph is. He looked like Terrell Ownens having his hands up wanting every pass to head his way. And as for his shot selection, well he must be learning from the best (must have watched tapes of Barnes et. al) from other last year. Run and gun. But you gotta love his hustle, confidence and spirit.

    We needed this win, but as you said, it was the coaching and decisioin making of the Wolves as much the desire of the young Dubs. A win is a win.

  3. ajbry November 12th, 2008 at 9:27 am

    Jack FTMFW. Again.

    Pay me.

  4. Gene November 12th, 2008 at 11:28 am

    Geoff,

    One of the major highlights for me occured when the warriors went to that zone in the 4th. Wright was just so long and active on his side that the wolves had a hard time even making an entry pass, and to compound that was the wolves insistence of posting Jefferson on the left block (Wright’s side), took him right out of the game. Didn’t see them once try to post him up on the other block where Buike was playing. Smart job on Nelson’s part and the assistant to scout and see that Jefferson likes to post 90% of the time on the left block, and making the adjustment.

    Also, Buike is essentially Maggette Lite. The major thing lacking though is passing. The guy has to move the ball in order to be more effective going to the hole. He’ll see way more lanes if people respect him for the pass.

    Randolph is aggressive, but young. He will develop that passing ability. I believe!

    Gene

  5. M.Squared November 12th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    I was not a big fan of drafting Randolph this spring. I had Arthur, Love and others ahead of him and viewed AR as a enigma becuase of his freshman status. I think from what we have seen so far- he is going to be a productive guy that can get you 15 pts. 8 boards and a few blocks… as his minutes get steady and his shot starts to fall consistantly. Beyond this- he has the potential to be much more. Time will only tell. I thought Love did some nice things but I dont see him as a guy with ton of upside and I still think that they are going to regret giving up Mayo for him- much as they regret trading Roy for Foye. Jefferson showed a ton of game last night. I didn’t realize he is only 6′9/6′10. I had always thought he was 7ft. Regardless- his foot work was pretty damn good. The dude has an old school post game that you just don’t see too often anymore.

  6. M.Squared November 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

    GL- a few more trade options for you to chew on.

    1) Harrington for Antwan Jamison. Realistically would they do this? Probably not- but they should…
    Washington sucks and right about now are wondering why they resigned ‘Twan to this deal. This would free up cash faster and allow the wiz to add more players adn resign Caron Butler- which is something they need to do. Jamison is wondering why he stayed in Washington when they will never be better than a 7 seed /1st round and out playoff team.
    For GS- this is no brainer- they get a goto scorer and a #1 option right off the bat. He can play the 3 or 4 and is a leader. They never shoulda traded him in the first place.
    2) Harrington for Barbosa and Grant Hill.
    Before you laugh at this, consider some key facts. #1- Phoenix gave serious thought to moving Barbosa all summer for a cap freindly deal but the right one did not come along. They very much want to move Barbosa and Diaw because both have 3 years left AND are paid big money as reserves. Additionally- Barbosa is not playing as much this year since the Suns are big on their Euro point ( Dragic?) which makes his value go down even more. Getting Harrington allows them solid 3 to move Barnes back to the bench and it gives them a guy who won’t be in the paint where Shaq and Amare operate. Bottom line is that the Suns are cheap and this gives them a hold over player on a short lease until the 2010 free agency bonanza when they have to worry about re-upping Stoudamire and landing a big fish to play along side of him. To sweeten the deal- GS waives Hill and he is back in Phoenix in 30 days.
    For GS- they get a combo guard that can very easily handle the point or play off of a point. Barbosa is an excellent defender, he can pass, could start- but would be the ultimate 6th man and having him and Ellis in the backcourt together for some stretches would be more exciting Warrior girl lap dances at halftime. His contract is long- but is also reasonable AND he is a great building block for the team that would be tradeable in the next year or so if they wanted to move him. Bottom line- Barbosa is a Nelson’s wet dream. I hoped and thought the Warriors were going to use that cap exemption and a player to grab him after Baron opted out. The best part about this deal is that IF Ellis doesnt pan as a PG, it is very concievalbe to move him back to the 2 , play Barbosa at the 1, Jack at the 3 and Maggette off the bench as a 6th man. Although this isnt what GS wants to happen- they have to be realistic in that it is possible Ellis goes back to the 2 at some point in the next year or so. We just dont know yet.

  7. Jon November 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    My goodness man. Seriously, I vote no trade ideas in the comment section.

    Check Jamison’s age and the Wizards “success” with him and well, i don’t really need you to get back to me. We have these dudes named Wright and Randolph at the forward position; Jamison has about $48M coming to him the next few years. Pass.

    The Suns aren’t stupid enough to lose that much talent in a trade, even to get a shorter contract.

  8. M.Squared November 12th, 2008 at 1:04 pm

    Hence the term “open” Forum.
    The Suns are plenty stupid- and have made worse moves. If Wright and Randolph are the choice- then they need to go with it- but- if they are looking to get better and win now - which is how their decision making process is looking (signings, re-signings- etc…)- then adding a guy like Jamison isnt a bad move.

  9. ajbry November 12th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    Jackson’s always open. He’s all we need.
    He was solid gold last night.

    Game ball.

    Every game.

  10. Jon November 12th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    So the rationale for justifying a trade idea is that “the other team might be stupid”?

    If that’s the case, I got all sorts of trades the Warriors could make…but Geoff’s server might not handle the load.

    The Warriors aren’t looking to get better and “win now”- hence the whole rebuilding theme. We aren’t winning now, there are likely no moves that will let us “win now” (desparately adding salary and age to get 42 wins is not “winning”, it’s “shooting self in face”)… get over it.

    Enjoy the development and growth of the kids and cross your fingers Ellis is ok.

    Jamison, I’d argue, doesn’t even make us better. He’s an older, more expensive Harrington - a low effiency scoring tweener with no defense. Where you got the idea he’s a “great addition” is beyond me.

    32 year old undersized PF shooting 42% with a nonexistent rebound rate; doesn’t even block 1 shot a game despite 37 minutes.

    $12M a year.

    The Wizards were ridiculously stupid dumping all that money into contracts to lock up a core that wasn’t all that great to begin with and is now hurt (Arenas) or over the hill (Jamison). Desparately clinging onto the notion that you’re good enough is the fastest way to get worse.

  11. M.Squared November 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    I am sure GL’s server is just fine.
    The Warriors moves of re-signing jackson and the offseason move for Maggette don’t scream rebuild. They probably aren’t really sure what route they are going to go until June- but sitting in between is the worst thing they can do. “All in” one way or the other.
    The rationale is that the Suns openly discussed moving Barbosa this past summer for deals that were as simple as instant cap room and a pick. Their owner has a history of making financial moves that aren’t always the best for talent. Career stats show otherwise and there is only a 2 year difference between their deals.
    Would Al get it done? Never know. Maybe the negotiations would lead elsewhere.
    If you dont think that Jamison is an upgrade over Al, then that is something I can’t explain to you. Does his deal suck? yeah. Is the worst deal? not by far.
    I dont neccisarily think they should try “win” now but if they are going to try- then they should make a go of it. Jamison may not be the best option - but he is certainly not the worst.

  12. ajbry November 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

    Jamison would take touches away from Jack. No deal.

  13. Geoff Lepper November 12th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    Folks are welcome to post trade proposals; the servers are (generally) robust. However, everyone else is welcome to riddle your trade proposals with holes, so be forewarned and put some thought into them.

    The Warriors should be considering pretty much anything, because they really can’t bring Al back at this point, IMHO. So far he and Nellie have sniped at each other in the media but stayed professional on the court. If they bring him back, it could get far, far uglier.

    As for the W’s direction — I would hope, given that they’ve locked down Biedrins and Ellis to those long-term deals, that they are building for 2010-11 and beyond with those two as their centerpieces, rather than 2008-09 and 2009-10. Obviously, Monta’s injury may cause havoc with that plan, if he’s not able to come all the way back, but unless that happens, I think they should be building for the future.

    Given that … Is Jamison an upgrade over Al? Absolutely. Is Jamison a guy you want on the books for the length and breadth of that deal? Absolutely not.

    I’m a big Barbosa fan, but he’s an awful lot like Monta, and I’m not sure they would co-exist well on the floor together, because their strengths don’t cover the other’s weaknesses (that’s what made Baron/Monta such a great pair last year). More importantly, I don’t think Phoenix does it because it means paying out almost $2M extra this year in increased salary and luxury-tax costs. They can get rid of Barbosa after this season cheaper than that (and receive better value back, IMHO).

    Gene: You’re right about Jefferson; that was a combination of good scouting and a terrible lack of adjustment making on the part of Randy Wittman (maybe he was mesmerized watching Rashad McCants?). I remember Jefferson did wind up on the right side once in the final minutes, after he set a screen on an ineffective pick-and-roll play, but other than that, they just played right into the Warriors’ hands.

  14. Bob November 12th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    I’ve been complaining about Nellie playing the D-league crew more mins than our real young core. Nellie finally made me happy, I loved seeing Randolph, Belinelli, and BWright out there while Kurz/DeMarcus got DNPs. Nellie still played Azubuike and Jack way too many minutes though. He should play Buike less, and Belinelli more. And I still think MWill can provide some solid mins at PG, watching CJ miss plays and Buike getting his pocket picked, these are self-inflicted problems, just play MWill.

  15. M.Squared November 12th, 2008 at 9:39 pm

    Great Article on Baron Davis first few weeks with LA

    http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke12-2008nov12,0,1018599.column?page=1

  16. M.Squared November 12th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

    I can see your point about the lux tax. Very problematic for a cheap owner. On the W’s side - i would roll the dice on co-existance..

  17. ajbry November 12th, 2008 at 10:24 pm

    Matt Barnes is still a little bitch. Clocking Skip to My Lou for his boy Baron, who’s lighting it up in LA right now haha. Getting Nash in on it, too. Nash and Baron are total homeboyz. Barnes and Baron and their whole crew getting out of Jack’s way is all we needed. Championship up next.

  18. JoeSez November 12th, 2008 at 10:45 pm

    Al Harrington and Marcus Williams for Larry Hughes. (meets CBA cap rules).

    GSW get a 10 year vet. who can help with SG and some PG skills (he’s 6′5″ tall). They lose a PG they didn’t resign and Al Harrington. Larry loves his shot but GSW needs scoring.

    Harrington at SF/PF helps balance out guard heavy Chicago with some 3/4 play. With Hinrick hurt, Williams can help some PG with Rose and isn’t a long term commitment.

    Both vets guys have equally long contracts.

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