True Warriors

I will go ahead and eat some crow for what I said about the Golden State Warriors.  I, like 95% of basketball fans, totally wrote them off of even winning a game in this series.  When they win game 6 and win this series, it will be even more of a reason to totally disregard the NBA regular season.  I can’t remember the last time I had more fun watching a series.  To be perfectly honest, I have only kept track of one other series so far this year, the Suns and Lakers.  But the past week and half, especially after the game 1 shocker, I have completely built my life around when the next game of this series is.Up until 5 years ago, I swear I did not know exactly where the Golden State Warriors played.  You know how some teams take a whole state as their name, i.e. Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Utah Jazz, etc, instead of a city?  You get the idea.  Well the Rangers play in Arlington, pretty much Dallas.  The Marlins are in Miami, and the Jazz are in the only salvageable part of Utah, Salt Lake City.  I knew this because I have been to Dallas, and just know the Rangers are there, the Marlins have won the series twice, and the Jazz have been to the finals.  But when you have been in relative obscurity for 13 straight years, you can fall off of the radar.  Face it, Golden State never played on TNT, or got on ESPN for games during the week.  The two things I remember about Golden State Warrior basketball can be summed up in two sentences.  Latrel Spreewell choking out PJ Carlesimo.  Chris Webber doing a behind the back dunk on Charles Barkley. For 13 years the Warriors went 332-620.  For five years in a row between 1997-2002 the most wins they had in one season was 21! The Warriors were like the Arizona Cardinals of the NBA.  

I’m not going to pretend like I know what the turning point was.  But what I do know is that this team made some good deals over the past couple of years to bring Jason Richardson some help.  The Baron Davis deal, bringing in Stephen Jackson, and drafting decently have put this team on the brink of a great upset.  In my playoff preview I buried this team for dead, and I admit that I inserted my foot in my mouth.  I have come to the realization that not only is Golden State better than 42-40, but Dallas is not as good as 67-15.  These are two teams that had polar opposite seasons.  Dallas was consistent, avoided injuries, clicked on all cylinders.  The Warriors were injury plagued, had a midseason trade that didn’t come to fruition until the last possible moment, and they seemed fragmented.  Stephen Jackson seemed like a reach, and Baron Davis hasn’t been healthy since he was a Bruin.  I wrote that this series was a sweep/slam dunk/piece of cake…pick your cliché for Dallas.  But I’m sure Don Nelson touched on it, this is the playoffs, throw out everything you know, go out and play with heart, and you can win.

That last sentence felt a little too Hollywood, but its true.  I said Don Nelson thinks he knows this Dallas team, but they were different.  Inexplicably, I failed to realize that Don Nelson has been around the block, probably built the block.  He makes great adjustments, like pulling guys who are struggling, guarding Dirk, and giving the ball to Baron.  Baron Davis has made me smile in this series.  I can’t think of a guy who deserves it more, well, maybe Grant Hill.  I have a soft spot for guys who play hard, and get hurt, then come back.  Baron’s got “best point guard” talent, but can’t stay healthy.  You don’t have a heart if you dislike Baron Davis.  

On a somber note, the Warriors are not out of the woods yet.  I think the pressure is on them to win Game 6.  This is mirroring the Suns-Lakers series from last year so much, but I think this team is way more capable to end it in Game 6.  I really think the people most responsible for this success have been Nellie, Baron, Jackson, Chris Mullin of course, but most of all the Warrior fans.  Simply put, the energy and atmosphere that is The Oracle Arena is what playoff basketball should be like.  Chills, I had chills.

I’m from San Diego, so I’m a pretty unbiased observer.  I hate the Lakers, and find the Clippers insignificant.  I have never had a team to call my own, and tried to claim the Clippers last year.  I just couldn’t do it, it’s the whole L.A. thing.  People from L.A. don’t realize how much people from San Diego don’t like them.  Its kind of like New York/Boston, but the difference is we are so insignificant no one cares.  It starts with Charger/Raider stuff, Padre/Dodger stuff, but really is because L.A. wants the Chargers.  Anyway, I’m not jumping on the Warrior bandwagon; I will go the rest of my life not truly rooting for a NBA team religiously.  But the Warriors have really brought something special to these playoffs, and I really hope they beat the Mavericks.  

Now I know for sure…the Warriors play in Oakland.