I’ll try to make this short (Hehe, that’s my Tim Kawakami impression!), but this crappy, nationally ignored Nuggs-Dubs game really had it all: It emblematic’d the metaphorical of epitomizing it up. Or, as sportswriters lazily say, it summed up the Warriors season.
- The snatching of defeat from the splash whiskers of victory (I’m trying to poke fun at Nellie in vague, non libelous ways).
I watched the game with my friend and we came to the collective halftime conclusion that Nellie would get scared in the fourth quarter, then turn to empirically discredited small ball. Our crystal ball also said this panic attack would lose the Warriors another close game. Guess we’re psychic. Or sentient.
- Embarrassment for Warriors management
On the heels of the Blazers, the Nuggets represent another injury-rocked team that can overcome adversity.
- An easy way to shift the blame
In real time, it looked like Monta landed on Earl’s butt. In slow-mo, he merely grazed it. In retrospect, it was a stupid thing for Ellis to do. Currently, it’s funny to say ‘Monta grazed Earl’s ass.’ I loved how Bob Fitzgerald turned into Howard Beale when it happened, considering how sub-marine the stakes were. If anything, this puts GSW one step closer towards getting a soon-to-disgruntled high lottery pick.
- Dark Nellie comedy
This was sad, inexcusable, and incomprehensible. In the third quarter Ronny Turiaf injured his ankle, went to the training room, and bravely reentered the game. He’s a professional, someone who would give full effort no matter the circumstances. But Nellie should have stopped him. Holy shit, this game was not the time for Turiaf torture porn. I felt like this was the most under talked about subplot in Twitterland–possibly because we’ve become immune to Nellie’s insanity. Ronny Turiaf limped up and down the court while visibly grimacing. His rotations weren’t slow so much as they weren’t there. As Turiaf trudged on possession switches, he looked like an old, dying, dog dragging his body towards a final resting spot. The absence of a fifth man was a big factor in the quarter, most noticeably felt when JR Smith waltzed towards an easy dunk.
Even when healthy Turiaf’s a ‘meh’ rebounder. On a bad wheel, he could only receive rebounds–not get them. Of course he nearly played the whole fourth quarter alongside an awful rebounding lineup. Of course we lost.
- Bizarre Treatment of Anthony Randolph
No game would be complete without it. Randolph played badly in the first half, but was pretty much left to his own devices. I don’t have an issue with keeping the kid on the court, even through mistakes. What didn’t make sense was Nellie’s benching of Randolph after some inspired second half play. Or, maybe it would have made sense if Randolph weren’t the only healthy big at that point (I’m not counting Chris Hunter, he’s D-Leaguer till proven otherwise). It’s as though Don Nelson’s trying to get Anthony Randolph to suck through Pavlovian conditioning. Who knew the old man could find such creative outlets for his whimsy?
- Monta Ellis laughing at the end
Can’t blame the guy. Can’t do it. Just can’t.
