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Warriors doing well going into middle of season
By David Zizmor
January 27, 2008
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The Golden State Warriors have been doing pretty well and they have had that tough stretch in the middle of the season where players were getting a little bit tired, and some of the shots were not falling down like they were earlier. Maybe some teams have got some better scouting on the Warriors so they know how to play defense against Golden State a little bit.
Scouting does play a part in it. Don Nelson is trying to change things up at this point in the season and some guys are tired and need a little bit of a break. The Warriors are going to get that pretty soon and they should have a little more of a spring in their step.
Part of it is just the schedule the Warriors get a nice six day break at the beginning of the month, the All-Star break is not too long after that and just the entire month of February almost every single game the Warriors play except for one game in Utah is at home in Oakland.
So in February just one road game and the rest at home and that's a recipe for success because in the NBA home court advantage is huge especially when your playing in a place like the Oakland Arena where the fans are absolutely nuts and are among the toughest to silence in the NBA.
The Arena is a great home court advantage for the Warriors and getting them for the entire month of February or for the most part will really be a big advantage for the Warriors. The Warriors get to rest, they get to sleep in their own bed almost the entire month, they get to heal.
Remember the Warriors have not only been playing a rough stretch with some tough road trips but they have been playing short handed with Mickael Pietrus who has been hurt he's also been suffering with a bout with the flu.
A couple other guys on the team have had that flu bug which has been kind of going around the team that's made it really difficult and the team has been trying to integrate C.J. Watson as the back up point guard but he's not really ready just yet he's getting minutes every night but he's not getting enough minutes to really give Baron Davis enough time to rest as a result you see Davis playing 40 minutes and above almost every night out there and that's just something that just can't continue for the rest of the season Watson has to get better.
The Warriors have to find someone to fill his shoes because if Watson can't cut it and the team has already given him a couple of ten day contracts and the Warriors seem to like him but he hasn't been doing quite enough to give Davis the rest that he needs.
As we all know Davis and his health are a huge key to success for the Warriors for the rest of this season but as I said Golden State have been playing very well lately even despite all these minor distractions and road trips and injuries here and there they've managed to hang in there and stay in the seventh spot in their bid for a Western Conference playoff race.
Chris Webber is not coming back: Webber is not coming back to Golden State. The rumor started because Don Nelson was scouting the Memphis Grizzlies when they were up in Sacramento. The Grizzlies were going to play the Warriors a couple days later.
Nelson and some guys on the Warriors staff went up to Sacramento to scout the Grizzlies and hey Nelson and his group had to eat like everyone else, and they happened to go into Chris Webber's rib house restaurant. Webber owns a rib joint up in the Sacramento area where he has played for many, many years.
Supposedly it's a great rib joint but it's suppose to rival Nate Thurmond's rib place in San Francisco and Nellie stopped in there and the rumor was, "hey Nellie stopped by Chris Webber's rib joint" and there was talk about Nelson and Webber getting back together again but Webber wasn't even there.
I mean he's not behind the grill making ribs he just owns the place. He takes the money he doesn't take the grease. So it all started because of that and the fact of the matter is even if they were talking about it there is no reason why the Warriors would want Chris Webber back.
The guy can't move any more, his knees are an absolute wreck, even at 34 years old which is relatively young Webber wasn't super effective last year for the Detroit Pistons.
Webber did have a couple of nice moments but he wasn't an impact player and while he's always been a great passer he can't run the floor and if your coming into the Don Nelson system especially with the players the Warriors have right now you have to be able to run.
Webber can not do that for 20-30 minutes a night and he may not be able to do it for 10-15 minutes a night and frankly Webber couldn't be a force down low when they need him to be. He's not going to be a heavy rebounder and he's not going to be a great defender and he was never a great defender when he was an All-Star.
So your talking about a guy whose subject to rumors even though there is no reason for it because he's not a good fit for this Warriors team right now and while it's true the Warriors need a big guy down low to have a defensive presence to give them some extra scoring and give them some rebounds, Chris Webber is not that guy.
David Zizmor does Warriors commentary each week and Jeremy Kahn does game night coverage both can be heard on 1690 KFSG Sacramento.
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