San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Club’s near future a lot like past — exciting
It’s a special NBA team that captivates its fan base on the strength of raucous entertainment. That’s why the memory drifts back to the spring of 1990, at a shrine called the Oakland Coliseum Arena, and a Warriors team that had the place buzzing every time it took the floor.
Here comes Tim Hardaway, one of the early masters of the crossover dribble. He blows by a defender with that signature move, at that time fresh and astounding, and it’s only the appetizer in a feast of options.
He could kick the ball out to Chris Mullin, the greatest lefthanded shooter in the history of basketball. It could be time for Sarunas Marciulionis, one of the first Europeans to show no fear of NBA style intimidation. Perhaps 7foot7 Manute Bol was looming on the perimeter, ready to sling a preposterous 3pointer that just might fall. Not to mention the classy Mitch Richmond or, if he happened to be in the game, Tom “Bobcat” Tolbert mixing precise court knowledge with a bit of muscle.
Those Warriors didn’t have a chance to make national news. At 3745, they didn’t even make the Western Conference playoffs. But they were the Bay Area’s precious secret, with a pulsating arena atmosphere that put other NBA franchises — even some successful ones — to shame.
Average attendance for the season: 15,025. That would be full capacity, the first of seven straight seasons the Warriors
averaged a sellout.
Let’s not confuse the current Golden State roster with that group, but there’s a comparison to be made, all about the feel of an NBA game. You’ll never find this in Miami, Atlanta or Memphis, where lively attendance is based strictly on the standings; Warriors fans have always appreciated the game’s spectacular elements, even if it meant coming out to watch the other team.
Whenever fans again have the privilege of watching at Chase Center, they’re going to enjoy the show. Early indications suggest complete devotion to an uptempo offense based on fastbreaks, riproaring finishes and 3point shots. It’s impossible to match the halfcourt artistry perfected by the likes of Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, and they’re not going to try. Through the pitfalls of youth and unfamiliarity, they intend to excite.
Stephen Curry’s impact goes without saying. He’s one of the few players in NBA history who draws parents and their kids to the arena well before tipoff, just to watch him warm up. When motivated — which is to say every year of his life beyond last season’s hopeless mission — Draymond Green takes the floor with the intention of dismantling an opponent’s will.
Rookie center James Wiseman, unlike Marquese Chriss or Kevon Looney, has a natural flair and the ability to bring down the house with his flying off the lob dunks and blocked shots. Perhaps you’ve read that he has a “questionable motor,” but who can say that for sure? He’s played, like, 10 minutes of bigtime basketball. If he doesn’t unleash his energy fulltime in this company, something’s quite wrong.
Kelly Oubre Jr., pleased to be part of the starting unit, is a fullfledged entertainer who
lives to excite. You could say the same about Kent Bazemore, who made a distinct impression in his early days with the Warriors ( 201214), frantically waving a towel as he cheered on his teammates, and now brings that passion into the rotation. Keep an eye on Nico Mannion, as well. He’s on a twoway contract, meaning he’ll spend a lot of time in the G League, but he’ll get his chances. Like so many players on the Warriors’ championship teams, including the biggest stars, Mannion has been doubted and discounted. He has something to prove. And he plays as if ... well, maybe his hair is on fire.
The real key, early on, will be the Warriors sustaining their energy in virtually empty arenas — especially at home. We’ll see if the NBA can follow through with its reported plan to provide leaguewide coronavirus vaccines at the soonest opportunity, without crossing the barriers of ethical behavior. It leaves at least some hope for the second half of the season and beyond.
What we know for certain is that Bay Area basketball fans get it, much like the devotees gathered around an elite playground game. In the distinctive, soulful sports town that is Oakland, folks found themselves captivated by the likes of Gilbert Arenas, Sleepy Floyd, Chris Gatling, Latrell Sprewell and Antawn Jamison, even if the team wasn’t headed anywhere in particular. One crazy season ( 198081), the Warriors had the great Bernard King on the same floor with Sonny Parker, Purvis Short and Lloyd ( World B.) Free — and if you put Bill King on the microphone to describe that madness, you were deep in the wilds of esoterica.
For the moment, Bazemore said recently, “It’s eerie in a sense where there’s that sense of anticipation. I think everyone feels there’s something on the brink. When I got here in 2012 — we went to the playoffs — it was kind of that same feeling that something big was about to happen.”
If the brand of basketball gets people talking, making sure they don’t miss a single telecast, that’s a nice place to start.