Seeing the Warriors for all they are
It was nice to enjoy a Warriors telecast Saturday night without the annoyance of agendas. In the absence of TNT, we didn’t have to hear Charles Barkley’s latest ill-conceived criticisms. It was an ESPN production but without Mark Jackson, who is feuding with Andrew Bogut and wouldn’t give him credit if he blocked three consecutive shots to clinch a game in the final seconds.
Instead we got Jon Barry, who truly appreciates what’s going on. No team adds a dozen quick points like the Warriors, and with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both connecting spectacularly in the first half, Barry said, “These two are just lethal. I don’t know how you stop both of ’em, and do it four times in a series.”
The Pelicans’ first-half performance was impressive, but only on paper. “If you’re New Orleans, you shot 50 percent, you scored 54 points, and you’re down 13,” Barry said. “I don’t have an answer for you. This (Warriors) team is too good.”
Barkley’s problem is that he’s obsessed with the vulnerability of a “jump-shooting team,” failing to realize the Warriors are much more than that. “I don’t know how you exploit them,” Barry said at game’s end. Where is the weakness for this ballclub? They’re deep, they’ve got size, they can play quick, they can play halfcourt. I guess they won 67 games for a reason.”
Returning from a third-quarter break, ESPN focused on Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints coach, looking rather uncomfortable in his courtside seat. The most revealing image in that shot was of Warriors owner Joe Lacob, sitting a few seats down, gazing dreamily at the video board with a smile of utter contentment. That’s the story of the NBA playoffs so far: a team without weakness, targeting a very realistic goal.
Warriors fans are undoubtedly upset that San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard stole the Defensive Player of the Year award from their beloved Draymond Green, but nobody can doubt Leonard’s status as one of the best two-way players in the league. Is anyone better? Like Green, Leonard achieved his lofty status through relentless hard work.
Steve Fisher, his coach at San Diego State, remembered the days when Leonard was a defense-first forward with an unreliable shot. “I’ve never had a guy work the way he does when nobody is watch- ing,” Fisher told USA Today this week. “He just wants to get in the gym, doesn’t want anybody to know. And he doesn’t just put in time. He’s working on his game.”
Grantland’s Zach Lowe, after watching the first three games of Los Angeles-San Antonio: “A fun game is to track possessions on which (the Clippers’) Austin Rivers never passes. His per-minute numbers in that regard are off the charts.”
They just couldn’t wait for the proper time. One game into the Portland-Memphis series, media types rushed to judgment on LaMarcus Aldridge, predicting he’ll leave the Blazers this summer and strike it rich on the free-agent market. Nice mood to lay on the club. This happens constantly, especially in the “who had it first?” media frenzy, but it’s cruel business, every time.
So now that it’s out there, stinking up the Blazers’ climate, what
will Aldridge do? Once the Spurs lock up Leonard, a restricted free agent, they’re likely to make a push — scaring the hell out of the entire conference if they’re successful. Aldridge, who played at the University of Texas, hails from Dallas and has family there, leaving the Mavericks in play (and possibly Houston), as well as the Knicks and Lakers. Aldridge has often spoken of his loyalty to the Blazers, and they can offer him the most money.
The most intriguing (if not attractive) free agent will be Rajon Rondo, who blatantly quit on the Mavericks and was banished for the remainder of the playoffs by coach Rick Carlisle (the legitimacy of Rondo’s “back injury” seems highly suspect). So what now? The headstrong Rondo clashed bitterly with Rivers in Boston but also took charge of a championship team including Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
Can he still be that player? Or is he just a point guard who can’t shoot, yet dominates the ball? Kobe Bryant is said to be recruiting Rondo for the Lakers, but this might not be the player Kobe remembers. It says here Goran Dragic would be a far better choice, if he’s willing to leave Miami, and the Lakers are also high on Jordan Clarkson, who had an excellent rookie season.
Oklahoma City has some interesting candidates for its head-coaching job, including Florida coach Billy Donovan. Not mentioned prominently but surely one to be considered: Alvin Gentry, the Warriors’ gem of an offensive coach who would return to head coaching if the right job came along.
Sad to see: After scoring 34 points, and with Dallas’ playoff chances hanging by a thread against Houston, Monta Ellis shook free from Josh Smith’s tough defense but couldn’t even draw iron on his fadeaway 16-footer with Friday night’s game on the line.
With outrage growing around the league over “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy, Commissioner Adam Silver says possible solutions will be discussed over the summer. Interesting take, though, from Jerry West on Fox Sports Radio: “I hope they don’t change it. Forget what the game might look like. It’s a strategy. Everything in life is a strategy. It’s part of the strategy of any game to exploit weaknesses.”