Not much time for a preview tonight, so let's just cut right to the chase with our Warrior To Watch.
Anthony Randolph is out. Ronny Turiaf, mercifully, is out. Chris Hunter has turned back into a pumpkin. Vladimir Radmanovic is Vladimir Radmanovic. Andris Biedrins, we need you tonight: the old you, the limber good-hands reliable one. If that man is still in there, and you are healthy enough to summon him, now's the time. And for God's sake, stay out of foul trouble, so Nellie doesn't have an excuse to sit you.
Heat(er?) To Watch: there can only be one answer, as Dwayne Wade is one of the league's best and most exciting players, the terrifying rich man's version of Monta Ellis, and nursing a sore wrist. It'll be an interesting showdown at the two tonight.
The Warriors should win this game. Should. Let's watch.
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PostThoughts
When I said "should"...
As much as I hate sounding like Bob Fitzgerald, this just wasn't our night. If we shoot poorly and our weak-shooting opponents shoot well, we will go quietly.
Biedrins didn't have the night we hoped for, but he looked okay. Don't read too much into his -27 plus-minus, as that just reflects the fact that his stretches on the floor synced up with D-Wade's. When Wade plays, the Heat play like a 50-32 team; when he sits, they play like a 4-78 team. There is no more extreme one-man show in basketball right now.
Most of our other performances tonight don't merit close scrutiny one way or the other... Maggette was pretty good, Monta was quiet, Curry stank when he wasn't shooting threes. But two Warriors deserve special mention.
Cartier Martin had a genuinely good game. His defense was not just solid but impressive, and while he missed some shots, most of them were perfectly defensible shots to take. He played well here. And we'd all better pray that he continues to, because Nellie is clearly enamored with his newest and shiniest toy; Martin will see heavy minutes for the next couple weeks no matter how he plays.
Here's hoping that that doesn't interfere with Anthony Morrow getting consistent playing time, because tonight, the guy looked like he was back: feathery touch from everywhere, surprisingly savvy offensive decision-making, and active and disruptive hands on defense. He played 30 minutes in this game, and he should be given at least that many every night for the foreseeable future. Nice to see that one of our weapons still works.
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1 comment:
I don't think you have to worry about Cartier Marting taking minutes away from Morrow; Martin is clearly a power forward, right? Also, Devean George played the 5 last night against that Heat. Unbelievable.
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