The Warriors will continue their home stand Tuesday night against the struggling Sacramento Kings. The Kings sit at a dreadful (6-14) record which lands them second to last place in the highly competitive Western Conference, while the Warriors sit at a not much better (6-12) record which has them standing one spot above their Tuesday night opponent.
There is a sense of frustration for the Warriors, as they could easily hold a closer to .500 record, but with a few fourth quarter mistakes, and a kicked ball that should never have happened, they stand where they stand. In the Warriors past couple of games, Monta Ellis has looked a little sluggish to say the least. He is still moving the ball very well, playing the same number of minutes, but his average of barely nine points over his last two is rather shocking for a player that is usually a lock for at least 20 each night. As we continue to approach the trade deadline, keep an eye on Ellis. If he continues to look "off", don't be surprised when the trade rumors come at the Warriors full steam ahead.
The Kings have a surplus of young talent on their roster, but they can't seem to put the pieces together. Demarcus Cousins has been a trending story line throughout the year, with his unwanted attitude and ongoing trade demands. While those talks cooled off slightly, their go to scorer in Marcus Thornton suffered a calf injury that has kept him out for the good part of the last two weeks. His status going into tonight's game is doubtful, which is good for the Warriors, considering that Thornton usually plays well against them.
Chuck Hayes, a key addition to the Kings front line, re-aggravated a shoulder injury Sunday, which held him out for nearly three weeks. Reporters for the Kings say he will be fine, but he is also doubtful for tonight's game.
Tyreke Evans has been carrying the load for the Kings in the back court offensively, after beginning the season slowly. We all remember the battles between Tyreke and a combination of Curry and Monta over the past couple of years with the rocking crowds at the Oracle. Don't be surprised of these guys get it going again, as Evans holds an average of nearly 23 points in Oakland through his first two seasons as a pro, while Curry averages about 22 points against their inner state rivals.
A quick side fact for the Warriors is that their starting center, Andris Biedrins has only attempted one shot in in their last four games. He has more fouls than points over that time span as well. Even though Biedrins barely play 15 minutes per game, don't be surprised if Jermey Tyler develops into their starting center over time. Sometimes I feel like they are playing four on five with Andris on the court, which isn't going to win them anything.
Nevertheless, these games are usually very high scoring and provide late drama with the stars going after it; Tuesday shouldn't be any different. Even though the Warriors want to develop into a defensive minded team, these are the games that they strive in for the time being. This is just the first of several winnable games coming up for the Warriors, look for them to start out on the right foot.
No comments:
Post a Comment