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A Lakers Blog. Thoughts, reflections, and the odd rant on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA (even the Clippers).

On Tap: The Golden State Warriors

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Record: 19-22 (Pythagorean 18-23), 11th seed in the West
Record last 10 games: 2-8
Laker record against Warriors: 1-0
Offensive Rating: 106.9 (14th in league)
Defensive Rating: 108.3 (20th in league)

This is going to be short, I think I’ve spent plenty of time breaking down the Lakers this week.

Last time these two hooked up the Lakers got a “decent” night out of Kobe (38 points, just 13 of 28 from the field but 11 of 11 from the line, a true shooting percentage of 57.9%) but, more importantly, this was one of the balanced games for the Lakers offense — Smush had 24, Kwame 18 and Mihm 12.

They’ll need the balance again, I’m sure the Warriors have talked about not letting Kobe beat them, since the world will be watching. Other guys should get their chances and need to hit their shots. The Warriors are not that strong up front, this should be a good night for the Laker big men.

Also, that last game the Warriors shot a lot of threes, something else that plays to the Lakers strength — they are the second best team in the NBA at defending the three. The other thing the Lakers need to do: Not get into a track meet. The Warriors want the pace up, the Lakers don’t.

Finally, let’s see if Monty, the Warriors coach, can figure out that his regular starting five is struggling, but start Fisher instead of Dunleavy and they get a lot better. If you want more Warrior info, check out The City (I thought SF was “The City” and Golden State played across the bay?).

This is a team the Lakers could be battling for one of those final playoff spots in the West, the kind of game they need to win.


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Comments

  1. Gatinho says

    The W’s used to be the San Francisco Warriors and the jerseys they wore had the Golden Gate on the front with the words “The City”. I think it was 1971 when they moved across the Bay to Oakland and became Golden State.

    Jason Richardson is out for tonight’s game. Mikael Pietrus will have the bulk of the minutes guarding Kobe. This will be his first start of the season.

  2. christian says

    With J. Rich out this game I hope that Kobe doesn’t try to duplicate what he did and go for 100. but then again if he shoots (efg% of 73.8) then I guess it wouldn’t be too bad but I just hope that the lakers play their game and not down to the competition.

  3. dave says

    deferring to gatinho on this one. the warriors aren’t doing retro jerseys this year, but “the city” was on the front of the jersey that rick barry wore when the warriors won their lone championship.

  4. Gatinho says

    Barry played for the San Francisco Warriors for the ’66 and ’67 seasons, which is where the pics of him in “The City” jersey come from. They did go to the Finals that year, but lost to the Sixers in one of the few non-Lakers-Celtics Finals of the ’60’s.

    In ’68 Barry signed with the Oakland Oaks of the ABA because he was upset with the Warriors over incentives that he felt he was owed. But the Warriors activate an option in his contract and he is forced to sit out the season.

    He returns to the NBA in 1972 and leads them to their lone Finals victory in 1975 by stunning the Wes Unseld led Bullets in what most consider the greates upset in the history of the Finals. That Warriors team finished the season with a 48-34 record and swept the heavily-favored Bullets in 4.

    The Oakland Coliseum was built in 1966 and the Warriors played more and more of their games there as the years went on. IN 1971 they played all of their games in Oakland and changed their names to the Golden State Warrios in 1972. So, yes Barry did wear “The City” jersey, but not in 1975 when he was winning the Finals MVP.

  5. Brian says

    Speaking of the Warriors, what’s up with Mike Dunleavy? Will he ever show some consistency? Who will they eventually keep – Pietrus or Dunleavy?

  6. Gatinho says

    The Warriors love Dunleavy, but they are still waiting on him. Part of the problem is the clash of styles he has with Baron Davis. Dunleavy is also suffering from the curse/blessing of being a coach’s son. He over-thinks the game.

    He has already complained in the paper about the Warriors “playground style” and has not endeared himself to the fan base.

    They also are enamored with Pietrus’ athleticism.

    If they could give Dunleavy some of Pietrus’ aggresiveness and Pietrus some of Dunleavy’s court sense, they would try to keep them both.

    I would imagine them moving Troy Murphy before either of those two.