Bad Weekend For Bay Area Pro Teams

Good thing the San Francisco Giants just won the World Series, otherwise the catastrophe that was this weekend in Bay Area professional sports would be enough to drive a Bay Area sports fan off a cliff.

The word of the weekend, children, is "Frustration."

Be it the Sharks, Warriors, 49ers, or even Raiders, every game that was played by those teams was as frustrating for a sports fan as it gets. These teams put up a record of 0-5 this weekend, quite possibly the worst culmination of 3 days in a long time for Bay Area sports.

We'll start with the Warriors who played two games this weekend against the NY Knicks and LA Lakers. I know they are missing David Lee, but the performance early against the Knicks was lackluster and the effort in the 2nd half was not enough to pull one out.

By the way, why was 6'3" Stephen Curry guarding 6'10" Danilo Gallinari with the game on the line? I was getting sick to my stomach watching Gallinari drill 3-pointer after 3-pointer in the eye of Curry.

As for the Laker game, tragic is more like it, and we'll leave it at that. Anytime a team loses by 30 points, the best analysis is no analysis.

The Sharks did not fair much better. Playing the red hot Colombus Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Sharks could not find the net and were shut-out 3-0 on their home ice for the first time in over a year.

Either Todd McClellan needs to split up that 1st line, or they just need to play better. They are not contributing at all, and the Sharks cannot thrive on the great play from Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture alone.

Need I dignify the 49ers with post-game analysis? A game that was needed to be won was not. That falls directly on the head coach, and there have been murmurs that the loss may have Singletary with one foot out the door. Finally.

The Raiders seemed to be the Bay Area's only hope on Sunday. Yet a big game against the Steelers that could have showed the NFL they were for real resulted in a disappointing blow out. Did they just have a bad game, or are these the true Raiders? The Raiders aren't a bad team, but they're not at all on the Steelers level.

Maybe this week will go a bit better for the Bay Area. The Sharks host the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, followed by the Canucks and Oilers on the road.

The Warriors are in a state of disarray right now after their hot start. A game at home tonight against the Denver Nuggets could get ugly, but the Rockets, Grizzlies, and T-Wolves on the road this week may be what this team needs to get back on track.

To the Bay Area sports fans, it can only get better from here.....right?

Warriors Are Nothing Without Lee

Let's face it. Since off-season pick-up David Lee has been injured, the Warriors remind people a whole lot of the team that was thrown out on the court the last few seasons.

You know how you can tell? For several trips down the floor last night, everyone and their mother knew what play was going to be run. It's called the "Monta Is Our Only Option" play. I bet you can guess what happens, huh? The Warriors throw the ball around for a bit, acting like there is actually a play being run, and then sooner or later Ellis is isolated and goes one-on-one with whoever is guarding him at that point.

The outcome is one of three: a bucket, defensive foul, or offensive foul. That's a 33% chance of something good happening. I don't like those odds. And last night, the odds seemed worse than that.

The Warriors made a great move signing Lee and trading Anthony Randolph who has had little or no effect on the Knicks' season so far. Lee brings rebounding and a post to mid-range game. He is a legit power forward, something that the Warriors have needed for years.

The best part about Lee is that he takes the attention off Ellis and Curry for a second.

He hasn't put up crazy numbers so far this season (14 ppg, 11 rpg), but Lee brings the team options other than "find Curry for 3" or "Let Monta Just Go." If the ball goes inside to Lee, he can use a post-up move, pass to a slasher, or dish it beyond the arc to someone (preferably Curry) for 3.

Those seem like better odds of scoring a bucket, right?

This is a better team than last year, and although their record so far may be a little wishful, it is not far off.

With Lee, they are a contender for the playoffs. Without, you're looking at the failure that was the last few seasons.

Feel better David Lee.

Warriors Hot Out the Gate

The Golden State Warriors are 4-0 on their home court for the first time since the 1990-91 season when Run TMC was running house. So let's forget about the World Champion Giants and focus our hopes and dreams on the new-look Warriors. Right? Eh.

The Warriors look good out the gate, let's give them that. A constantly evolving new style of play to override Don Nelson's run 'n gun basketball, new coach Keith Smart is pushing all the right buttons. He is seemingly teaching a team that is young and full of potential how the NBA is played, and doing it well as a matter of fact.

The addition of David Lee looks extremely smart right now. He has benefitted both himself and Andris Biedrins who is looking awfully good when he isn't the only rebounder on the floor like he was in previous seasons.

On thing that has stood out, rebounding is not a problem anymore.

Remember when second-chance points for the opposing team frustrated the hell out of you in previous seasons? I'm not going to say it's gone, but opposing team's second-chance points are limited these days.

The Warriors are talented and can do great things season with the additions of Lee and Dorell Wright to go with the backcourt of Ellis and Curry (pending they both stay healthy).

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Is this just a good start for a below average team? Or is this a playoff-bound team willing to work hard both at home and on the road? We will soon find out.

Just a little perspective. The way the Western Conference sets up this season, there are 7 teams pretty much a lock for the playoffs (Lakers, Suns, Mavs, Hornets, Spurs, Nuggets, Thunder...in no particular order).

But let's get real. The Warriors are legitimite contenders for that 8th spot. Why not?

Sure, it is too early to predict how this team will play out, but I like what I see. I like Keith Smart. I like David Lee and the addition of Dorell Wright. I like the backcourt of Ellis and Curry.

Can they put it all together?

Talk to me in a month or so.

Warriors Trade Randolph's Potential For Proven Lee

Go figure the Golden State Warriors would find their way into the joke that was the Lebron James Decision 2010.

You just knew it. 10 seconds after the "much anticipated" suckfest that Lebron threw for himself was over (22 minutes in), the Warriors inked a controversial-for-some deal that sent a whole bunch of Warriors over to New York in exchange for big-man David Lee.

David Lee, the only true big-man in the pandemonium that was NBA Free Agency 2010, was persued by several teams, but the Knicks could not pass on the suckers from Golden State's juicy offer.

The Warriors agreed to send Azubuike, Turiaf, and Randolph to the Knicks.

I thought it would have been a little over the top to send Randolph for Lee, but that's just me.

First of all, someone stop the Warrior's front office from making any moves until the real front office steps in. They're just there for the time being. And when I mean the real front office I mean the one that will be replacing the old one when a new owner is put in place. Meanwhile, Larry Riley and Co. need not hurt this team and fan base any more than the past 2 decades have shown.

But every blind squirrel finds a nut, right? In the midst of the Warriors front office flinging around money and players, they may have struck something nice in this deal.

David Lee is a great player, an easy 20 points and 10 rebounds type of guy every night. This is the guy that the Warriors have needed and wanted over the past years. He is not a problem. The problem is did they give up too much for him?

Not sure if I care about Turiaf and Azubuike too much, but Randolph is the key player in this trade. The Knicks suckered the Warriors because I'm not sure if I was the GM of Golden State I would be able to send someone with potential star power and freakish athletic ability in exchange for a white guy.

But I like it. Maybe just my opinion but I was never sold on Anthony Randolph. He seemed immature and way over his head going up against the more premiere players on the opposing teams. It also takes a level head to play in this league and I did not think Randolph had one. Do I think he could be something someday in the NBA? Sure, if he is coached properly. In Golden State, that wasn't going to happen. So as a Warriors fan, if I know it wasn't going to happen here and was going to wait and wait for something magical to happen to him, maybe it's time to let the kid sprout elsewhere.

Think of it this way. Randolph is almost 22. Lee is 27. In 5 years will Anthony Randolph be putting up 20 and 10 like Lee? My answer, it's a little iffy, but probably not. Lee is an All-Star, that's proven. Randolph has a way to go. I'm not willing to wait around and find out if he is or not.

But hang on a sec. This still doesn't make the Warriors a contender. As of now, Monte, Curry, and Lee is a good core, but not a contending one. The only thing that has changed is that David Lee will now be the leading scorer and rebounder for a team that will be drafting in the Lottery once again in 2011. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll do that when a real front office is in place.

Bay Area Departures- Nabby and Maggette

Evgeni Nabokov

Hopefully, many saw this coming, or at least wanted to see this coming. Sure, Nabokov is the greatest thing to ever happen to the San Jose Sharks franchise, but season after season of coming so close can only get you so far. And for Nabby, his time is up in San Jose.

There was the possibility that the Sharks would make an offer to Nabby, but GM Doug Wilson sat down this Nabby yesterday and notified him that would not be happening.

Was this the right move to make? Yes. There are a handful of free agent goalies that the Sharks can have their pick of. You know what you are getting with Nabby, a good regular season, but ultimately falling just short in the playoffs.

The Sharks now have the ability to move on in building a better team that is more built for the playoffs. It is nice to see a team that continues to improve upon what they lack. And because of that, the Sharks will improve next year yet again.

Corey Maggette

This move shocked most, but in a good way. It think that we can definitively say that the trade of Corey Maggette to the Bucks in exchange for basically nobody Tuesday was a good thing for the 'new look' Warriors. It freed up a lot of money for the team, but bottom line is the Warriors finally got a sucker team to take-on Maggette, his contract, and his 'me first' style of play.

The Warriors now have the option of going out and getting someone if they wish, and don't count on that. A good move for the Warriors at a time when the team morale is at a low going into next season is a good sign? Yes, that's what we're going with.

FOR SALE: Golden State Warriors

Anyone want to buy an NBA team? It's a little bit of a fixer-upper, but it should pay out in the end.

The Golden State Warriors announced Monday that their disappointing franchise is up for sale. Larry Ellison, who has shown extreme interest in buying the suffering franchise, is in the clubhouse as the favorite to succeed Chris Cohan as owner. And why shouldn't it be Ellison? He would be the owner of the team whose arena bears his company's name. Oracle Arena. It sounds just about right.

For the Warriors fans who have waited forever for a contending team, you can start paying attention now. Many thought that the "WE BELIEVE" year was the turnaround for this franchise and that they would never go back to being a bad franchise ever again. Hang on. This was because they had a core group of players with Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Al Harrington. But they forgot one thing, Chris Cohan was still the owner, and his track record would suggest that the success they were having would not last long.

Of course, a few years later they let Davis go, then traded a disgruntled Harrington, and then recently an even more disgruntled Jackson, and there they were again, back at square one.

A couple years ago, they tried the rebuilding process after all hopes of winning with the team they had was out the window. But it was never going to work. This franchise was never going to work. That is until there was new ownership. The Warriors were never committed to rebuilding because the main issue that needed to be rebuilded was the ownership.

It needed to start at the top, and finally Cohan has succumbed to the jeers wanting him out of Oakland and has let this franchise at least have a chance at succeeding, which was never going to happen with him at the helm.

So here we stand, the Warriors finally agreeing to sell the team, and Warriors fans could not be happier. Will this be enough to turn this historically disappointing franchise around? Not sure quite yet, there is a long way to go. But naming Larry Ellison as the owner should be the first move. And maybe we look back and say that this was the start of something great, or maybe we don't. But this franchise, and most of all its fans, need a different path entirely, because the path Chris Cohan was leading the Warriors down has been one that has gone in circles for the last 15 years with no results. Change will come. Here's to the next 15 years.

Stephen Curry... Rookie of the Year?

I do not agree with Charles Barkley often, but he made a pretty good point the other night during the TNT post game show of the Nuggets/Warriors game. Barkley said that Stephen Curry may seem like a good player with the way his stat lines are soaring in his rookie season, especially in the last month or so, but the fact that he is playing on a bad team who scores a lot of points and has a run-n-gun style of play is the reason why his stats perceive him as a Rookie of the Year candidate. Barkley described Curry's game as "someone on that team has to score the points."
The way Barkley described it was not the best for a Warriors fan like myself to hear, but it made a lot of sense. Night in and night out, we see different Warriors' players scoring in high figures, whether it is CJ Watson goin for 40 points or Anthony Tolliver scoring 29. It is just the way the Warriors' offense is run: score a lot of points, and play no defense; the quicker the other team scores, the faster the Warriors can get the ball back and score again. The Warriors lead the league in possessions per game, those possesions usually end with Mnta Ellis or Curry shootng the ball.
So what i am trying to say is don't over think Stephen Curry. Sure, he is a good player and will be one for years to come, but it seems like he found the right team with the right style to show off his skill sets. His stat lines are huge, but that doesn't mean his game is...yet.
I see him as a good #2 option in the future. Of course, since the Warriors do not have a true #1 option, it becomes #1-option-by-committee for that team, and Curry happens to be able to make plays that can put the ball in the hoop.
In the long-run, Curry is the basis for the future Warriors team (if that exists). Just don't over think him. He is a good player with great skills, but he would just be some other rookie putting up average rookie numbers on any other team.

My Top 6 Bay Area Sports Teams

So since my blog is new to the internet, i though i would let you get to know a little about where is tand on the sports teams we have here in the Bay Area. So without further adieu, here it is:

6) Oakland Raiders

As long as Al Davis owns that team, i am gonna have a hard time putting this team any higher. He simply just does not get it, and no one will ever figure out why. He is in his own little world. I was listening to KNBR 680 AM the other day, and Tom Tolbert or one of those guys said that Al Davis is like a friend of yours who has that one long nose hair, but you feel bad if you tell him about it. Except everyone is telling Al Davis that he has that one long nose hair, yet he doesnt listen! They have 2 talents on that team: Nnamdi Asomugha and that punter (whatever his name is). Jamarcus Russell is a scrub as long as he is a Raider, and the moment he is let go or traded, he will suddenly flourish into an actual quarterback. As long as Al Davis directs that team into no direction possible, the Raiders will go nowhere, as will their ranking.

5) Golden State Warriors

It might seem obvious, but there is no coincidence why the 2 teams at the bottom of my list are there because of their ownership. In the Dubs case, Chris Cohan is Al Davis. 1 playoff appearance in 16 years is a helluva track record. You would think after that many bad seasons Cohan would give up already. But there really has been no chance to get out. Now there is, and the savior's name is Larry Ellison, or so he is perceived to be the savior (W's fans will take anything over Cohan). Bottom line is the W's are one of the worst teams in the NBA because they have no direction, but it also doesnt help that they have all those injuries. It's not an excuse. If Don Nelson really was the greatest winning coach in NBA history, he would figure out how to win with this team. They have talent, or had talent, but pissed it away (Carter & Jamison to mention 2). They have two actual NBA players (Monta and Curry) but everyone else needs to go. Start over. New ownership, new coach, new direction. No more Nellie ball!!!!!! It dont work! the only reason this team isnt ranked 6th on this list is because Al Davis is still stuck in the 1970's.

4) Oakland Athletics

I dont really have much to say on the A's, because it just seems to be the same thing over and over again: get a good player, see that player do well, trade that player for young talent, see that young talent do well, trade that young talent for another talent, see that talent do well, etc. Its like a big ol' never ending circle to GM Billy Beane. Although he'd be widely sought after if he ever left the A's, Beane has now found himself in a hole with no talent and nothing to bargain with to get more talent. Im also not sold on the Ben Sheets pick-up, they definitely overpaid for a picther who hasnt pitched in a year. The A's are at #4 because thye always seem to get good effort from their young farm system turned pro roster players. They'll find a way to stay afloat.

3) San Francisco 49ers

Here is where it gets good for the Bay Area. The Future. The 49ers may have the total package of any pro sports team in the Bay Area not named after something big in the water. The Niners have coaching, Defense, a mediocre offense, and a young, talented core. Mike Singletary has that team running on his terms and the way the game should be played: in your face football. We quickly saw that with the ay he handled the Vernon Davis situation. As long as that Freak of Nature they call P. Willy is on that team, they will always have good Defense. On the offensive side of the ball is where the work is needed. If they pick a quarterback or anything other than an offensive lineman in this draft, im gonna slit my wrists. There are no franchise-worthy quarterbacks in this draft, so wai til next year. Alex Smith is alright but not ur future. He will just be satisfactory for this next season.
But the main reason why the 49ers are an up-and-coming team, is because of something that didnt change any part of their roster. The fact that Kurt Warner retired never to be seen again in the NFL West is a great reason why it will be good to be a Niner fan this next season.

2) San Francisco Giants

The Giants are the 49ers of baseball. An accomplished coach, ridiculous pitching, and young, talented players. Teh biggest advice i could give to that team would be keep Buster Posey in Triple-A the whole season. Let him season like a slow-n-low steak. Benjie isnt that bad (80 RBI's a year?), and Whiteside can play some ball. The pitching staff is money, but i do feel like they need to go pick up one other starter just in cast Bumgarner isnt ready quite yet (the absense of Penny will hurt). All in all, the team looks good. They'll probably finish about the same as last year, with a shot at the wildcard. But the bottom line is they needed to upgrade their offense--and they did. They needed to sign Timmy--and they did. It just needs to mesh.

1) San Jose Sharks

There should be no doubt in your mind who the best team in the Bay Area is. For those who dont know, if the Sharks were a team in baseball, theyd be the Yankees. They are absolutely stacked head-to-toe with big-name talent. You can tell they have talent when their first line is Canada's first line. And Canada is the only country that cares about hockey. But go figure that the #1 team in the Bay Area these days is a team that has choked for the last half-decade in the playoffs. The Sharks and hockey in general will never be recognized in the Bay Area or the West Coast for that matter until the Sharks hoist the Cup. Good thing for us Bay Area fans, they are so good, young, and talented that every year is another chance to win the Cup...and soon be disappointed when they choke...again.

---Let me know what you think. Id love to hear your top 6 Bay Area sports teams.

Warriors Woes

Where do the Warriors go from here? They are one of the worst teams in the NBA and have a coach that seems to lack the dedication and actual care of his team (It seems like Keith Smart runs that tema these days). On top of that, you have a disgruntled star player who is overplayed on a nightly basis resulting in him now being injured and out of the line-up.
But the coach is not where the blame should be placed. It is not his fault that there have been too many injuries to count. It's not his fault that the team has 5 D-leaguers on their roster (most in the league, by far). For that, we go straight to the top, and two words that will make anyone who has been a Dubs fan for the last 15 years cringe---Chris Cohan. It is he who i blame, not Don Nelson, who has received most of the blame up to this point. He is a money grubbing machine. You always hear myths about the ridiculous sports team owners who dont care about the teams they own, just the amount of money they get as owner. Well this is the actual thing! Im sure he is a nice guy, but from a sports fan's point of view, enough is enough. 16 years of turmoil is enough! The only other figure in the Bay Area holding on to his job by a thin thread is Barry Bonds holding on to his active baseball career.
Now is the time, Chris Cohan. Larry Ellison is your way out. He wants the team, and he has the money to make it better, and will use it. He is the answer and the way to turn around 1 playoff appearance in the last 16 years. Or maybe he isnt, but a fresh face to a drowning franchise would be nice. Something to give fans hope that things will get better.
They need to empty house (with the exception of Ellis and Curry) and start over. And what better way to begin change than at the top. Oh, and the firing of Don Nelson if he doesnt get the record this season.