GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
by Fantasy Junkie of Golden State of Mind
Recap Rewind: This week couldn’t have started out any better. A matchup of the Warriors vs the Pacers, it’s the old Warriors vs the new, Murphleavy vs Al and Jax. It was a beautiful game as the Warriors rolled by 15. Al and Jax demolished their counterparts in the point column. As bad a team as the Warriors are on the road (just 6 wins), they really put forth a great effort in Indiana. Finally, maybe we could pick up some momentum heading into the break especially with a matchup against the T-Wolves, a team competing for the last playoff spots in the West. But it just wasn’t meant to be, as the T-Wolves won by 28. After the road trip, the Warriors came back home to face the Chicago Bulls and bask in the sounds of HAMMERTIME as the they escaped with a two-point overtime win. Up next were the Hawks on Sunday night, a very winnable game. Of course, this is the Warriors, and they let the Hawks come in and beat them by a point, I know, it’s depressing.. Lastly, this past Monday, the Warriors had to head out to Denver for the second game of a back-to-back. It just wasn’t pretty as the Monstars dominated the paint with 22 offensive boards. All in all, the Warriors finished the week 2-3 and sank further below .500 and further away from reaching the playoffs.
Notable News: The Warriors found out what it's like to be a champion... Monta nearly got seriously injured against the Pacers on a pass and crash play. The NBA needs to get rid of this rule or someone will get seriously hurt... You know over at GSoM, we got you covered on everything Warriors, but we also have your back if you’re looking for the Perfect Valentine’s Day gift... Perhaps the biggest news of the week, fan favorite Adonal Foyle is now a citizen.
Fast Forward: We have one more game before the break, a matchup against the Knicks. This one should be a win as it's at home and it's the second game of a back to back for the Knicks. But of course, nothing with the Warriors is ever guaranteed. After that, the Warriors will be under-represented in the All-Star game (again) except for Monta Ellis showing up in the Rookie-Sophomore game. Look for him to go crazy, he's my pick for the MVP.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
by Fantasy Junkie of Golden State of Mind
Recap Rewind: What a rough week that was. The unending road trip is finally over, but at a very high cost. The Knicks beat up on the Clippers by 12 as Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford poured in 23 apiece. The ugliest line of that game had to belong to Cuttino Mobley who scored 0 points in 29 minutes. Yikes. The next night, the Clips faced Cleveland and were just manhandled in this second game of a back-to-back. LeBron only scored 11, but the Clips could only shoot 35% and basically couldn't score enough to keep themselves in the game. Philly, who everyone seems to beat, was up next and the Clippers squeaked out a one-point win as Sam Cassell dropped 22 off the bench. The Pacers were waiting in Indianapolis for a matchup against the Clips, and boy were they ready. They basically won the game in the 2nd quarter with a 35-20 advantage, which carried out until the end as the Pacers won 94-80. Finally, finally, the road trip came to an end in Detroit the day after the Pacer loss. But this game was just as ugly as the Clippers lost again, this time 92-74 as Detroit won every single quarter. The week ended 1-4 and the Clippers dropped to 25-27 overall.
Notable News: Back spasms forced Elton Brand to miss the game against the Pistons. Would he have helped them win? Maybe, but doubtful. It’s probably good that he rested his back as he heals up for a winnable game against the Hawks... Doug Christie is back again. The Clippers signed him to his second 10-day contract. He’s been averaging 2.8 points and 2.3 boards per game since joining the team.
Fast Forward: Since the Clippers had a bunch of games since last Sunday, they have just one upcoming game until next week. The suddenly road warrior Atlanta Hawks come to town on Wednesday. With the All-Star break approaching, it should give the Clips a chance to recuperate and try to grab a secure hold on the eighth playoff spot.