Before we turn our attention to the playoffs, let's talk about the way the season finished for the Golden State Warriors, a team that didn't make the postseason.In case you haven't noticed, the Warriors are a long way removed from the "We Believe" team of two years ago. And they had a very fitting ending this week to a truly lousy season.
For Monday's home finale against the San Antonio Spurs, the Warriors dressed the league minimum eight players because of injuries. That was the case for every one of the Warriors' last half-dozen games or so.
In fact, they really had seven players available because banged-up Marco Belinelli, who dressed, wasn't going to play unless they had gotten down to four guys.
So, it was left to a group of first- and second-year players along with some gamer veterans like Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf to bring home the Warriors' train wreck of a 29-53 season.
They didn't do badly, either. Rookies Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow and former D-League call-ups C.J. Watson and Kelenna Azubuike played out the string with energy and a series of nice efforts.
They went into Utah last Saturday and won a game that had implications for the playoff-bound Jazz. Against the Spurs, however, at Oracle Arena, that group didn't fare so well. San Antonio got up 34 points in the third quarter, prompting moans and groans and even a smattering of boos from "the greatest fans in the NBA," according to the franchise.
Meanwhile, the team's high-paid core of Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette were nowhere to be found. They obviously weren't on the court since each one had been shut down because of injury.
But they weren't on the bench or even in the arena. Simply put, they weren't there. Goodness grief, it was Fan Appreciation Night.
According to a team spokesman, each of the three players were given permission to skip the game, either because of a personal reason or something injury-related. Well, that was a questionable decision, at best, and it sent a bad message to the fans.
Not to mention to the players' teammates and Warriors' employees who were left to try to explain the absences to season-ticket holders and other inquirers. The most-asked question in the aftermath of the Spurs' 101-72 dismantling that night was this: "Where the hell were those guys?"
Bottom line is it came across as disrespectful to the fans.
It's tough to imagine Turiaf, playing with a bothersome knee, and Biedrins, who made a point of returning from injury for the final two weeks of the season, being pleased with the missing trio.
Interestingly, Jackson, Ellis and Maggette made it to Oracle Arena for last Friday's home game against the Houston Rockets. But the threesome didn't join their team on the bench until the second half and they were gone by the final buzzer.
It's worth pointing out that the Warriors paid those three players lots of money recently. Maggette received a five-year, $50 million contract in early July and Ellis a six-year, $66 million contract weeks later.
Jackson, a team captain, personally negotiated a three-year, $28 million extension with team president Robert Rowell early in the season. Though the move was widely criticized as unnecessary, Rowell maintained that it was a sound one because Jackson had proven himself to be a leader and franchise cornerstone.
It's also worth noting that accounts on the internet have Maggette in attendance at last Saturday's Paul Williams-Winky Wright fight in Las Vegas. That would have been the night the remaining Warriors were gutting out an impressive win in Utah.
For what it's worth, one guy who was on the bench was the injured Jamal Crawford, the class-act of a player whom the Warriors apparently don't want back. Coach Don Nelson has acknowledged that he met with Crawford weeks ago and told Crawford that if he didn't exercise his early termination option at season's end, the team would try to trade him.
The Warriors make a point to praise their fans at every opportunity, and rightfully so. The Warriors had another monster year at the gate -- averaging 19,000 per -- despite a win total that went from 48 to 29 and another non-playoff season, its 14th one in the past 15 season.
Say what you want, Warriors fans are loyal and they show up for their team. You wonder why for one night some Warriors players couldn't show up for the fans.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
It's been a rough year being a warrior fan this year Matt. I'm so disillusioned about the situation in the FO that I am preparing myself for another couple years of medicority. Good re-cap on the moves and the fact that these players weren't there at the season finale. I was really surprised about jack since I had read that he would be there at the final home game.
I came over and followed you from the GSOM blog and your comcast blog. Keep up the good work Matt and please don't forget about writing for the warriors. Will you still be working for comcast as an analyst next year?
Thanks for calling out the no shows. As part of the season ticket base, its horrible the effort that has been on display this year. Sadly, one of the most disappointing players on the court, Jamal Crawford (he of the pound dribble, between the legs, shoot jumper with 2 open teammates), is one of the classiest player the Warriors have.
Matt, I know you're closely affiliated with the Warriors so I find it a bit disrespectful that you call out Azubuike and Watson as "former d-league call ups". I think they have more than proven themselves to be NBA players (especially Kelenna). I dunno,I mean I don't think you meant anything by writing that, but I don't think it is necessary to include that tid bit.
I'm done as a dubs fan after reading this post, Matt. 40 years. I started watching the dubs in the Cow Palace after I returned from Vietnam.
Let the high-priced tattooed morons not show up for fan appreciation night and treat us like suckers?... no more.
One playoff season in the last 15 years??!! Truly unbelievable.
Rockcobra- preparing myself for another couple years of medicority....should we be so fortunate to get mediocre basketball. What we been receiving is atrocious at best.
Half the team couldn't even show up for Fan Appreciation Night?? That is truly unacceptable and a travesty if you ask me. This team has been the botton dwellers in the NBA for the last decade and yet we averaged one of the highest attendance rates in the whole league and the starters can't even show up?? Instead we have Kelenna givea half-ass speach to the fans before the start of the game. Effing BS!!
Ah, the Warriors. This season was truly pathetic all around for this organization. The only real bright spot is Anthony Randolph and who knows if Nelson will keep him. I might be the only one, but I wouldn't have minded if they voided Ellis's contract. I know it's impossible to do so, since it would alienate themselves even more from any future players, but his attitude is just ridiculous. He is not a PG in the nba, and he can't guard 1's or 2's so a team built around him will never accomplish anything. Ugh, another 4 horrible seasons with Jackson and Maggette woo hoo.
Well, I was a no show also, so can you tell me if Brandan Wright was on the beach, and why wasnt his name mention for either being there are not (dont care how much money he makes, hes still apart of the team) I know it was fans night, but honestly how many really care at this point?
Matt, yours seems to be the only rational voice out there when it comes to Warrior coverage. MTIII (an order of pretentiousness anyone?), Monte Poole and Kawakami were grinding an axe against Nelson all year long. Granted, Nelson has made mistakes but he recognized the moment Monta went down BEFORE the most important training camp of Ellis' career the season was going to be lost. DeMarcus Nelson?!? Marcus Williams signing?!? Nelson's offenses are predicated by mismatches off the PG position. They simply did not have an NBA level point guard.
Also, the handling of Jamal Crawford was poor. Although the League didn't step in, my observation is why would they? If the player has a problem with it, he'd file a grievance with their union, wouldn't they? Interesting that Crawford and his agent didn't go that route.
Thanks for giving me something other than Poole and his lordship of self importance, MT (empty?) III to read.