Halfway through the Mavs/Warriors series, I noted that Monta Ellis wasn't playing well, but that it didn't matter. Anyone who watched Golden State prior to last week knows how important Monta was to that team, so success without him is pretty impressive. Al Harrington is also kind of a big deal in their formula, and he also failed to show up. From the San Francisco Chronicle:
The league's Most Improved Player averaged 8.2 points on 40 percent shooting and had more turnovers (11) than assists (7) against Dallas. Harrington, meanwhile, averaged 4.5 points on 26 percent shooting and added 5.2 rebounds a game.The two are taking it in stride. Ellis is saying he hit a "first playoff wall," while Harrington's getting way ahead of himself:
"We all get all eight guys clicking, you never know. We can start talking about championships, maybe. The guys that have been playing well just gotta keep going until me and Monta join the party."Conventional wisdom holds that Utah's space-age frontcourt will test the Warriors' shock tactics, and that Deron Williams could very possibly outplay Baron Davis. That's all fine and good, but before last week, a win over Dallas without any contribution from Ellis or Harrington would have sounded ridiculous. At this point, it might be best sit back, enjoy the ride, and wait to see how the Warriors will surprise us next.
