Counting W's for Week 24

By: Atma Brother #1 of Golden State of Mind

Warriors Weekly Rewind

• Game 74: Warriors 92, Spurs 116- The Warriors have had better days... much better days.
  
• Game 75: Warriors 86, Mavericks 111- Unfortunately the Warriors pretty much kissed away a shot at the 7th seed with this rough loss in Dallas.
  
• Game 76: Warriors 117, Grizzlies 86- The Grizzlies are not exactly a major league ballclub right now, but it was great to see the bench step in and play some big minutes to give some much needed rest to the starters.
• Game 77: Warriors 96, Hornets 108- Everyone is running out of reasons not to anoint young Hornets point guard Chris Paul as the MVP.
  

We're down to the final 5 games of this crazy Warriors season. It's been fun, but it's only going to get more entertaining. Just like last year EVERY GAME COUNTS. And just like last season it'll all be said and done on the very last day of the season.


Tuesday April 8: Warriors vs Kings
The Kings won't be going to the playoffs this year, but that doesn't mean they aren't going to be a tough matchup for the Warriors. Sacramento arguably has the best team not in the playoff hunt right now. It's similar to the Warriors back in the spring of 2005. Despite being banged up the Kings have gone 5-2 over their last 7 with impressive wins against the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.

When the Warriors traveled north to Sacramento in mid-March the Kings basically blew them out of the building. The Warriors defense made Kevin Martin (34 points), Ron Artest (26 points), Mikki Moore (19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks), and Brad Miller (14 points and 13 rebounds) look like they were they were a cast of Dream Teamers. That's just not going to cut it against a Kings team that's having fun playing with nothing to lose right now. It's going to start and end for the Warriors on D. A hot shooting night from the Kings or lazy defense could spell their doom.

The good news for the Warriors is versatile swingman Mickael Pietrus should be ready to go. MP2's defense, rebounding, scoring, and hustle have been sorely missed on a team that lacks depth. Pietrus has usually taken a few games to return to form after injuries, but there just isn't the time or margin for error right now. If Pietrus can give the Warriors 10-15 solid minutes against the Kings the Warriors should be able to take the season series from their Pacific Division rival 3-1.

Prediction: 1 more for the W column


Thursday April 10: Warriors vs Nuggets
The Warriors are down 1 in the season series with the Nuggets:

• Dec 28 vs DEN L 120 - 124
• Dec 30 @ DEN W 105 - 95
• March 29 @ DEN L 112 - 119
  

In the preview for the March 29th game I wrote this:

To tell you the truth I'm pretty astonished and amazed that the Warriors were able to get that W in Denver. On paper the Nuggets look like a roster of Warrior Killers. Although he shot poorly in the game in Denver Allen Iverson is virtually unguardable and wreaks havoc on the Warriors in a variety of ways. Carmelo Anthony is just too big, fast, and strong for the Warriors to defend. Marcus Camby is an intimidating shot blocking presence and wipes the glass with no streaks like Windex. JR Smith, Eduardo Najera, and Lina Kleiza all have the potential to be serious Warrior Killers on any given night.

Unfortunately as we saw the last time these two teams squared off not much has changed. On paper the Nuggets still have the edge. But there's two things the Warriors have going for them here which will hopefully help them defy common logic:

1. Roaracle Arena. If there's any place the Warriors can play above their heads it's home sweet home. The crowd is going to bring nonstop energy that will hopefully make the Warriors more tenacious on D and even faster on offense. Adrenaline won't be a problem.
   
2. Nugget collapses. As bad as the Warrior losses this past week to the Spurs, Mavs, and Hornets were, the Nuggets have struggled even more. There's just no reason why a team with that much talent and veteran and coaching leadership should lose back to back games to the Kings (minus Ron Artest and Brad Miller) and the SuperSonics, especially at this point in the season.
   

It' s a good thing TNT Knows Drama because this game has all that plus inflatable Thunder!

Prediction: 1 more for the L column


Tuesday April 8: Warriors vs Clippers
Before you gloss over this game and dismiss it as an easy W for the Warriors, I've got two words for you to marinate on: He's Back.

No, I'm talking about #45, I'm talking about #42. Elton's Brand's late season return to the Clippers starting lineup after being out the entire season with a knee injury has pretty much flown under the radar. But that shouldn't be the case. In his 3 games this season Brand has put up a very impressive 17.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, and 2.3 blks in under 30 minutes of play. That's just a testament to how immensely talented and focused he is. Throw in Cory Maggette (good for at least 10 free throw attempts against the Warriors every time), Al Thornton (a difficult cover for the Dubs), and possibly even Chris Kaman (looking doubtful for the game with an injured ankle, but Warrior Killer when called upon) and this should be a very interesting and hard fought game.

Even with #42 and a healthier Clippers squad in the lineup the Warriors should sneak out with a nice victory here. There's just too much at stake for them to drop a silly one to team that's still trying to work in their All-Star big men and is experimenting with lineups to see what might pay off next season and beyond.

Prediction: 1 more for the W column


Overall Week 24 Prediction: 2-1

What are your predictions for week 23 for the Warriors?



GO STANFORD!
Last but not least, a special The W Column shout out to the Stanford Women's hoops team who not only made it to the 2008 Final Four, but will be playing for a shot at the National Title tonight against Tennessee. For the most part it's been a rough year in Bay Area sports, but these young women have been a huge bright spot. They've made us all very proud. Don't miss what should be an unforgettable game tonight!