And The Oracle Says...

Did last night’s game in Oakland really tell us anything?

Warriors 111 Heat 106. Looking at that score I still shake my head wondering if what I saw from last nights game really and truly happened. Did the 2-6 Warriors, losers of five in a row and injured riddled, really come back from a 17 point deficit, to not only send the game to OT, but also to win the game before a rowdy Oakland crowd? Yes, it happened and it has taken me all day to digest that very fact, even as I continually watched highlight after highlight after wonderful Nate Robinson highlight of what will go down as the biggest game at Oracle in this shortened season. But in this early, but truncated season, does this one game tell us anything at all about the two teams. Lets break it down and find out. 

LeBron James fourth quarter woes continue.

After an offseason that saw King James put under Bartman-esque fire by critics, fans, and the media for his shortcomings in the last years NBA Finals, it was his Majesty’s fourth quarter and overtime disappearing act that surely must be brought to attention. After an offseason of telling his critics and anyone that listened that he had learned from his previous failure and vowed to be more aggressive and in attack mode, James certainly looked like he reverted back to his old ways while looking very passive and disinterested in the late stages of the game. When the game was on the line it was teammate Dwayne Wade that took to attacking the rim to tie the game, while James settled for a awful step back three that clanked off the iron. For a beat up and smallish Warriors team to keep LeBron away from the hoop is a telling sign that for all his talents and talk of change, James is more Freddy Frontrunner than a Comeback King.

The Heat’s On Switch

Yes, the Heat do have an On and Off switch that they enjoy playing with. After a slow first quarter that saw Monta Ellis get off to a quick start with 8 points, the Heat turned the switch On and for two quarters it was clear that the Heat were the better team as they attacked the hoop, got in passing lanes, and ran like the Miami Heat are designed to do with speed and pressure that dominated the Warriors to provide a 12 point lead going into the 4th. Then that On switch clearly was flipped off as they let Nate Robinson and Dorell Wright dominate the 4th quarter, awaking the beast that is the Warriors fans, and giving life to a team that clearly was not on the ropes, but rather they were staggering to get up off the mat after Miami’s third quarter outburst. Instead of moving the ball the Heat reverted to standing around and playing one on one in an uninspired bit of play. Rather than flying around in help on the defensive end the Heat looked slow and out of place in rotating as the Warriors began their improbable comeback by hitting open three's. Figuring they had the game wrapped up and VIP bottle service awaiting them when they touched down in LA in a few hours. Again, shades of last years Miami team coming back to haunt them as they failed to put away an opponent when the Heat clearly were the more superior team. Could this have been just an aberration for a east coast team playing out west in what is the first of a back to back that sees them looking ahead to a much more ballyhooed and more glamorous game against the Clippers; or was this a red herring for a team trying to shake off the failure of a year ago as its star player continues to hide at the wrong time. The message for most teams would seem to be to keep the game close and make James win the game. Or watch him crap his pants under the pressure. 

The Warriors Fans are Awesome

I am a Warriors fan and more than just watching the game I listen and watch the crowd. They are amazing in their loyalty and their love for this team; many would say to a fault, but these are hoops crazed fans that love the game and the crowd truly feels they can cheer the Warriors to victory if just given the chance. In the season of “We Believe” the Warriors fans showed just how loud and how crazy they can be when thrust into the NBA spotlight as they inspired and motivated guys like Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson to actually play hard. That is no small feat at all, but the point is that the Warriors crowds are electric. They inspire me when I sit at home and I get up on my feet during big plays as if I was at the game. It baffles me to no end that more players on opposing teams do not feel that same college type atmosphere of the crowd and want to play for this franchise. Oh yeah, its about money, not the fans. I almost forgot. The crowd had a huge hand in winning that game and you can’t tell me any differently. 

Nate Robinson is already a Fan Favorite

Nate Robinson by stature alone is already a fan favorite. Robinson follows a fine line of diminutive guards like Earl Boykins, Keith “Mr.” Jennings, “The Little General” Avery Johnson, and Mookie Blaylock to don the Warriors uniforms. Having only been with the team for a week it didn’t take long for Nate to adore himself to the Warriors faithful, which is easy when you personally begin a ballroom blitz of the Heat by netting 17 points in a quarter as the catalyst of a David versus Goliath moment. Robinson had been cast aside in his previous stints with the Knicks, the Celtics, and the the OK City Thunder before signing with the Warriors last week with the ankle injury sidelining Stephen Curry. With Robinson, the Warriors get an exciting and tough nosed guard, albeit as a streaky shooter who can murder a team with shot selection. However, last night the Warriors fan got the best of Robinson as he fed off the crowd to have a huge fourth quarter and propel them to the victory. If Robinson can continue to provide a spark off the bench for this Warriors team then not only will he be in line for a better pay day, but he will play himself into the small guard lore of the Warriors. 

The Warriors Offensive Struggles

I never thought I would type that and I am sure many of you never expected to read it. But last nights game marked the first time the Warriors topped the century mark this season. And that came in an overtime game. Yes, they have had injuries and no training camp, as they try to adjust to a new coach in Mark Jackson and his new defensive, accountability approach. Still this is the same team that routinely dropped over a hundred points a game last year with a coach, Keith Smart, that preached a more defensive approach. So, what is the deal this year? Terrible, terrible shooting. Before last night Dorell Wright had hit only five three pointers all season, a far cry from last seasons top marksman. Last night, Wright was able to nail six three pointers. With Curry out and rookie Klay Thompson a ways away from being a consistent long range threat, the Warriors will need Wright, Brandon Rush, and David Lee to consistently hit open jump shots to take some of the pressure off Monta Ellis. Ellis for his part has been attacking the rim, but success has been so-so. He needs to have confidence to kick out to Warriors shooters and last night may be a step in the right direction for this team to get back on track offensively. 

Maybe the Warriors just need to play the best of the East having bested the Knicks, the Bulls, and now the Heat at home. The Warriors seem to play a more aggressive game and have a different attitude when they play against the big boys of the league. They now have to urn that attitude to a nightly occurrence against all opponents and not just the occasional big games on the schedule. For the Heat they need to fix the LeBron problem and quickly. This did not seem to be a problem in Cleveland, as I can recall a handful of game winners, most notably a jumper against the Warriors in Oakland a few years back. Has LeBron hit a A-Rod type mental block that will forever shadow him in the big moments and provide Cheshire Cat shit grins for all of his naysayers and media pundits? Miami better hope not or make sure that they have a secure grasp on all leads so as not to put James in a position to fail and see his ever evaporating confidence fade faster than Lindsey Lohan behind the wheel.

Last night raised a lot more questions than answers for two teams that are going in opposite directions. And one game this early in the season may not be a great indicator of anything due to various factors attributed to the shortened season (Compacted schedule, no training camp, new players); especially given the plight of both organizations with one team fighting for a championship, while its counterpart is fighting for an identity and a modicum of respect. But for one night in Oakland one answer was clear- Warriors 111 Heat 106.