San Antonio Spurs (51 - 28) @ Golden State Warriors (29 - 51)

Start time: 7:30 PM PST @ The Oracle Arena
Local TV: CSN Bay Area (Also available in HD)

Probable starters for the Golden State Warriors:

C - Andris Biedrins
PF - Anthony Randolph
SF - Kelenna Azubuike
SG - Anthony Morrow
PG - C.J. Watson

Probable starters for the San Antonio Spurs:

C - Matt Bonner
PF - Tim Duncan
SF - Michael Finley
SG - Roger Mason
PG - Tony Parker

Team leaders:
PPG - S. Jackson (20.7) | T. Parker (21.9)
RPG - A. Biedrins (11.3) | T. Duncan (10.5)
APG - S. Jackson (6.5) | T. Parker (6.9)
SPG - M. Ellis (1.6) | M. Ginobili (1.5)
BPG - R. Turiaf (2.1) | T. Duncan (1.7)

I'm actually looking forward to this game a lot... Funny because it's one of the least meaningful games we'll play all year; we're missing so many key guys and we've been out of the playoff race for months, but lately there's just been a spark of energy and excitement that I haven't seen since the "we believe" season.

Looking to CJ and Azu to see if they can keep it up. The way CJ has been playing makes me want to hold on to him and start him next year at PG... Or at least give him 20-25mpg at the point. His AST-TO ratio lately has been fantastic; he does a great job interrupting passing lanes (granted he has other defensive flaws); his FT% is great; he is a legit threat to score anywhere on the floor. Very good work by him lately.

At the very least, we have several young guys who could garner some serious trade attention. Though, I'd rather get rid of JC and Maggette and let aCJ and Azu replace them in the line-up. Free up tons of cap space, let the youth really take over...

Ok so looks like I will a Loner in here.
Typing from the phone so if this does not come out right that's the reason. Ok so no one cares.

Love watching the new warriors, heart, effort, team play, AR, no arguing one on one with the refs, not playing 4 on 5 or 1 on 5, instead 5 on 5, that's amazing.

AR this kid is special, we definitely got a steal. On talent AR would have been a top 5 easily.

CJ exciting me again. I was on him liked his game, called him clutch earlier in the season.Then he had his moments mainly fastbreak mess-ups and playmaking ability, defense, doubted him, but I always forget this is only his second year..CJ do forgive and stay. His play of late and confidence has been off the charts given the opportunity. Still got to work on the d though CJ hopefully coaching makes defense a priority next year. Team defense=individual defense.

Oh my AR with Jumper now. WoW AR with a consistent jumper game over. Am so excited at the glimpse of the future. Ohhh and why did Nellie want to get rid of the kid again ? On that alone he should have been fired.

warriorsstepup wrote:Ok so looks like I will a Loner in here.
Typing from the phone so if this does not come out right that's the reason. Ok so no one cares.

Love watching the new warriors, heart, effort, team play, AR, no arguing one on one with the refs, not playing 4 on 5 or 1 on 5, instead 5 on 5, that's amazing.

AR this kid is special, we definitely got a steal. On talent AR would have been a top 5 easily.

CJ exciting me again. I was on him liked his game, called him clutch earlier in the season.Then he had his moments mainly fastbreak mess-ups and playmaking ability, defense, doubted him, but I always forget this is only his second year..CJ do forgive and stay. His play of late and confidence has been off the charts given the opportunity. Still got to work on the d though CJ hopefully coaching makes defense a priority next year. Team defense=individual defense.

Oh my AR with Jumper now. WoW AR with a consistent jumper game over. Am so excited at the glimpse of the future. Ohhh and why did Nellie want to get rid of the kid again ? On that alone he should have been fired.

Agree on everything except your last point. He never wanted to get rid of him, he just wanted to deflate his head and make him work harder.

don't have the referenceit might have been mind games something but am sure it was confirmed nellie wanted to trade AR. What if things had gotten that far and AR was traded probably for some peanuts all because Nellie had to teach him a lesson.

Azu were are you.

Man I wish Belly was out there he needs the fire lite under him I think he will be a great player of the bench.

warriorsstepup wrote:don't have the referenceit might have been mind games something but am sure it was confirmed nellie wanted to trade AR. What if things had gotten that far and AR was traded probably for some peanuts all because Nellie had to teach him a lesson.

Azu were are you.

Man I wish Belly was out there he needs the fire lite under him I think he will be a great player of the bench.

Just because Nellie SAID he wanted to trade AR doesn't mean it ever would have happened. Saying things and doing things are two VERY different things.

Captain_Jack wrote:

warriorsstepup wrote:don't have the referenceit might have been mind games something but am sure it was confirmed nellie wanted to trade AR. What if things had gotten that far and AR was traded probably for some peanuts all because Nellie had to teach him a lesson.

Azu were are you.

Man I wish Belly was out there he needs the fire lite under him I think he will be a great player of the bench.

Just because Nellie SAID he wanted to trade AR doesn't mean it ever would have happened. Saying things and doing things are two VERY different things.

Are you okay with him saying one thing and doing another. Again he is the coach what gives him the right to say such a thing. And he said he does not want to be a GM. He said it therfore there is a possiblity of it happening, it is that realistic.

warriorsstepup wrote:

Captain_Jack wrote:

warriorsstepup wrote:don't have the referenceit might have been mind games something but am sure it was confirmed nellie wanted to trade AR. What if things had gotten that far and AR was traded probably for some peanuts all because Nellie had to teach him a lesson.

Azu were are you.

Man I wish Belly was out there he needs the fire lite under him I think he will be a great player of the bench.

Just because Nellie SAID he wanted to trade AR doesn't mean it ever would have happened. Saying things and doing things are two VERY different things.

Are you okay with him saying one thing and doing another. Again he is the coach what gives him the right to say such a thing. And he said he does not want to be a GM. He said it therfore there is a possiblity of it happening, it is that realistic.

It's not a technique I would use as a coach, but it's pretty common. I don't really have a problem with him trying to light a fire under an extremely talented, but lazy player with a giant ego.

And no it never would have happened, no matter how much Nelson disliked AR, Rowell would never have traded him. It was a bluff and it worked. Bottom line it's the kind of thing you do with kids, and since AR was acting like a kid and not an adult then it's fine with me for Nelson to treat him like one.

Captain_Jack wrote:

warriorsstepup wrote:

Captain_Jack wrote:

warriorsstepup wrote:don't have the referenceit might have been mind games something but am sure it was confirmed nellie wanted to trade AR. What if things had gotten that far and AR was traded probably for some peanuts all because Nellie had to teach him a lesson.

Azu were are you.

Man I wish Belly was out there he needs the fire lite under him I think he will be a great player of the bench.

Just because Nellie SAID he wanted to trade AR doesn't mean it ever would have happened. Saying things and doing things are two VERY different things.

Are you okay with him saying one thing and doing another. Again he is the coach what gives him the right to say such a thing. And he said he does not want to be a GM. He said it therfore there is a possiblity of it happening, it is that realistic.

It's not a technique I would use as a coach, but it's pretty common. I don't really have a problem with him trying to light a fire under an extremely talented, but lazy player with a giant ego.

And no it never would have happened, no matter how much Nelson disliked AR, Rowell would never have traded him. It was a bluff and it worked. Bottom line it's the kind of thing you do with kids, and since AR was acting like a kid and not an adult then it's fine with me for Nelson to treat him like one.

The NBA is not a daddy day care center. If a player can produce put him out there plain and simple, especailly with all the injuries AR should have been out there.

Fact is Nellie wanted to trade AR, a simple phone call and just like that he could have been gone, AR's camp become disgruntle do all in there power and puff gone. Then we can build the franchise around Nellie. There is a wrong and a right way of doing things. Ahhh Nellie did not created AR, he would have shined under majority of coachs because of his talent and a normal coach. Nellie should not get credit for AR talent and production that is all on AR. Typing from the phone don't mind my mis-types.

warriorsstepup wrote:

Captain_Jack wrote:

warriorsstepup wrote:

Captain_Jack wrote:

warriorsstepup wrote:don't have the referenceit might have been mind games something but am sure it was confirmed nellie wanted to trade AR. What if things had gotten that far and AR was traded probably for some peanuts all because Nellie had to teach him a lesson.

Azu were are you.

Man I wish Belly was out there he needs the fire lite under him I think he will be a great player of the bench.

Just because Nellie SAID he wanted to trade AR doesn't mean it ever would have happened. Saying things and doing things are two VERY different things.

Are you okay with him saying one thing and doing another. Again he is the coach what gives him the right to say such a thing. And he said he does not want to be a GM. He said it therfore there is a possiblity of it happening, it is that realistic.

It's not a technique I would use as a coach, but it's pretty common. I don't really have a problem with him trying to light a fire under an extremely talented, but lazy player with a giant ego.

And no it never would have happened, no matter how much Nelson disliked AR, Rowell would never have traded him. It was a bluff and it worked. Bottom line it's the kind of thing you do with kids, and since AR was acting like a kid and not an adult then it's fine with me for Nelson to treat him like one.

The NBA is not a daddy day care center. If a player can produce put him out there plain and simple, especailly with all the injuries AR should have been out there.

Fact is Nellie wanted to trade AR, a simple phone call and just like that he could have been gone, AR's camp become disgruntle do all in there power and puff gone. Then we can build the franchise around Nellie. There is a wrong and a right way of doing things. Ahhh Nellie did not created AR, he would have shined under majority of coachs because of his talent and a normal coach. Nellie should not get credit for AR talent and production that is all on AR. Typing from the phone don't mind my mis-types.

Why would you ever put a player who was getting consistently outplayed by Rob Kurz in practice on the court, EVER? Sorry no matter how much talent he is showing us now, he was NOT demonstrating that in practice and gave Nelson no reason to put him on the floor. You don't get playing time by just showing up whenever you feel like it and not showing up when it doesn't benefit you. Doesn't mean AR wouldn't have been great on the actual court, I'm sure he would have because he would have put the same effort into the game that he does now, however you can't reward a player for being lazy.

Like I said before you have to understand Nellie has power, but only so much. Rowell never would have traded AR and Cohan never would have allowed it, so it really didn't matter what Nellie said, it wouldn't have happened. The important part was that AR thought it would happen and so he changed the way he was working.

I'm not trying to give Nellie credit for what AR has done, AR would have put that much effort out on the court every time he went out there. I'm giving Nellie credit for forcing an egomaniac player to realize that he has to practice hard in order to play and that he can't get away with coasting just because he's naturally talented.

AR is athletically gifted, but the most talented athletes are not the most athletic ones, but the ones who have the best work ethics. Think of people like Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Steve Nash (sorry my football knowledge is better than basketball so I'm sure there are more basketball examples); these guys are not the most athletic players in the game but they are the ones that work the hardest and achieve greatness. So if you want to be pissed at Nelson for teaching AR to practice then go right ahead, but what he did made AR a better person and a better player and will most likely affect the rest of his career.

If you'd like an example of someone who is athletically gifted, but has never and will never reach his potential because he doesn't practice hard and doesn't put 100% into everything he does, look no further than Baron Davis. He is what AR was heading towards. Supremely talented and when on form unstoppable and one of the best at his position, but lazy and inconsistent depending on his mood.

Good points and all well taken. For me though it i difficult imaging a player like AR who hustle during every play and puts forward outstanding effort to be deemed lazy. The 2 just don't fit for me.

Nellies dislike of AR comes from laziness, i think its more of the bumping head. Look at the Chris Webber situation, there is a possibility, a high possiblity that a situation like that would re-occur this time with AR. Chris Webber did not turn out bad at all, while the warriors got Tom Gugliotta, and went down the toilet.

I've learned over the years," Nelson said Sunday night. "I've softened a bit through some of the experiences I've had. I look back at the time when Chris and I were here early in our careers. We were both pretty stubborn and I was maybe too tough and he was too young to see the positives I was trying to bring to the table."

Warriors lose Webber and Nelson stays shortly thereafter. That scenario sounds way to familiar.

I see you are quite the football fan as well. Of course practice matters no doubting, i agree 100%, I just don't see equate AR effort and hustle to being lazy and unwilling to practice, i just find that hard to believe.


AR proved himself on the court and Nellie could no longer keep him in his dog house and shelf him. Had it not been for the injures the possibilities for AR to blossom like he has would have been limited. No matter the power Rowell and Cohan have on saying know of getting rid of AR knowing the history nad AR limited time on the court it could have been a possibility.

Baron is a movie producer first, and basketball player second. But thats a great example. But I would compare AR more to Webber though, like you said AR playing ability is credited to his talent, Nellie has nothing to do with it. Webber was able to be successful minus Nellie, like wise i believe same can be said for AR.

I agree, and your example of Webber is true. While Nellie gets blamed for that now (because public opinion of him is negative), Webber was blamed at the time (because Nellie was still looked at favorably). There were many many people who hated Chris Webber for leaving. As Nellie said I'm sure it was both of their faults, I don't really know what happened or the whole story behind it. The media didn't relentlessly cover their ever move at that time the way they do now.

As for AR's laziness, I don't think it was really lazy as much as it was him thinking that he didn't have to put a lot of effort in because he was already "so good". It was an ego thing and he needed to be knocked down a peg and told that it doesn't matter how good you are you still have to work to get better.

I think sometimes players need to realize (and if you want to get political here, all Americans need to realize) that they're not entitled to anything but their life, liberty, and property. My BIGGEST pet peeve is people who expect to be handed something, for whatever reason. So maybe War Years is right and I am fighting "reality", but I will never ever ever give in to someone who acts like they are entitled to something and I don't blame Nellie for never giving in. EVEN if it meant getting rid of a player. Not saying I would have liked it or been happy about it, but I would have recognized the necessity.

This is something I adhere to strictly in my every day life too. I'm a nanny, I spend my time raising other people's kids and the most important thing I teach them is that they're not entitled to anything just because they want it. They have to work for it and they have to put some effort in to get it, no matter how simple it is and no matter how easy it would be for me to do it for them. If they want something, they have to learn how to get it for themselves.

Life has been busy so could not reply, but no one cares ok.

The whole Webber situation put the franchise under the ditch for many years. With Webber on the team am sure the warriors playoff drought would have been an after thought. Instead because of Nellie they got rid of there franchise player because of disagreement or Nellie having an issue with him.

AR was not trying out for the warriors he was drafted/selected to be part of the team. Proving himself in practice is important, but to us fans since us since we are unable to see the practices then we can only judge his play on the court. On the court despite his mistakes he has played at a high level.

So AR is not lazy, instead he thought he was too good to put in work, basically labeled as "cocky".

If we talking about ego's, lets not label one person lets look at both parties. Nelliesego by far drowns the entire squad, he feels as though he is entitled to say and do what he pleases, (ok you are coach but come on now). Am sure AR knows he has to work hard to get better, any person that plays a sport knows that, especially the ones that play it at a high level.

I agree with you that people are not entitled to anything instead have to earn it, I live by that, and no matter the struggle I know i will reach my goal (finish college/get a good job). I wish more Americans could think like that.

The NBA is different, the drive for each player in the NBA is to perform well, it’s a competitive league, there is no slacking off or you might see your-self out of the league. At the end of the day talent will prevail, players are ranked on their ability which is the most important thing in the NBA. Players in the NBA that think they are “entitled” wont be seen in the league. In the NBA you have to prove yourself.

The claim that AR felt he was entitled. I just dont see where that is coming from. Entitled to what? For playing time? I don’t find how wanting playing time is bad. I see that as hunger.

Looking at the roster with all of the injuries, there was room for AR, to help the team with needs, "rebounding" interior defense..etc..etc..If Beans and B-Wright had not gone down, am certain AR would have been on the bench with inconsistent minutes. What’s the excuse when B-Wright was getting inconsistent minutes? What was the deal there?

Just to teach AR a lesson EVEN if it meant getting rid of him, i don't agree with that at all. Webber part 2. That I think is selfish.

NBA is a league in which success is key, AR's talent is based on his effort and skill minus Nellie. At the end of the day, why most the franchise suffer, and lose a key young piece just to be taught a lesson, i don’t think so. This is Webber part 2