YES!
Now That was some good old fashioned exciting Warriors brand basketball! Aside from an extremely dismal start, tonight the Dubs looked like the run and gun, energetic club that so many people have fallen in love with in recent years.
Boxscore | Open Thread (1000+ Comments. WOW!!!)
"Hey Coach! COACH! I'm at the rim. What do I do again if they're in the way of the basket?!"
The most exciting part of it all? While the end result of this brand of Warriors basketball was the same, the components were totally different. Tonight we were treated to the Brandan Wright that we all knew lay dormant as he curled up in Nellie's doghouse. We saw the energy of the Biedrins we all knew was hiding in the shadows behind his youth and inexperience. We saw our Captain play the role that he was meant to play; calm and collect with excellent defense and well rounded scoring.
We saw the Quiet Storm knock down key jumpers. We saw Kabuki flex his ridiculously huge offensive and defensive muscles. We saw Belinelli score a jumper!!
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I've died and gone to Warriors heaven. Make the JUMP for a description of what it's like.
Before we begin the game analysis, first things first. Time to call 'Melo out. While we here at GSoM appreciate the significance of the United States having it's first African American Commander in Chief, calling your shots makes you look a little... arrogant.
Additionally, missing that goal makes you look a little... foolish.
It's unfortunate really. A 28 point performance combined with 8 boards and 5 dimes is no small matter. But Obama is the 44th president, my man. Not the 28th. Woodrow Wilson, on the other hand, really appreciates your efforts.
"Yo 'Melo! One luv playa. Woodrow out."
Okay, enough about that. Lord knows I can't get through one recap with out a Woodrow Wilson joke. What can I say, he's an easy target. Look at him! What a silly hat! There I go again...
So at the start of tonights game, all of us were likely thinking the same thing. And while I'd like to specify on what that thing is, GSoM is a family show. Dahntay Jones was skying us and we were responding with awkward midrange bricks. Seriously though, how high can Jones fly man? While I hate to throw too much praise at the guy, his dunk with 7 minutes left in the first was NASTY.
Fortunately for us, so was Brandan Wright's dunk minutes later. And with his dunk ended our garbage transition D and dismal play. I can't quite explain it, but from that dunk on, the Warriors awoke. And it made for some damn fine basketball.
At the end of the 1st, we had bounced back from an 18 point deficit and walked back to our bench down 7. But could we ride that momentum into the half? Yup.The second quarter gave way to a much more methodic style of play, with some exceptionally strong takes by Wright and an extremely questionable call on Beans, giving him his 3rd foul. Okay, it wasn't really that big of a deal; bad calls happen all the time. But I told myself I would bring it up. And now I did. So there.
Riding the steam from the end of the 1st quarter, the Warriors went to the locker room down one paltry point, and up one incredible forward. Brandan Wright has officially crawled his way out of Nellie's doghouse.
Welcome home Al.
Granted, coming out of the locker room it had initially appeared that the Warriors had lost some steam. Denver was very accommodating to us in this regard with their consecutive turnovers. They really had a chance to demoralize us for the first half of the third. Instead, we tied up the game and exchanged blow for blow, with none other than Captain Jack leading the charge.
Right behind Jack was a Beans I have rarely seen. His low post game was outstanding tonight. And the scary part? Tonight's performance looked like the beginning of a trend, not a mere fluke. Beans is growing up right before our eyes. We've seen it before with another. All we have to do is lock up the mopeds with this dude and we'll be all right.
In the fourth, we saw three things we've rarely seen in the recent past as Warriors fans.
- Warriors crashing boards.
- Warriors holding and growing the lead.
- Belinelli nailing a jumper.
Oh man. That's mean. I'm kidding!
...sometimes we crash boards...
Seriously though. In the fourth, our Warriors (collectively) ramped up the energy, made incredible plays, played ridiculous defense, and kept a solid opponent at bay. That's a new Warriors. This is a new time.
Do you feel the change?
I really want to tip my cap to Captain Jack. While some of his shots are questionable, he stepped up tonight to play the role of a leader and made key buckets when no one else could.
But this one has to go to the young one. Brandan Wright. Step out of the doghouse. You've got some work to do this season! Great game kid.
