This is a little belated, but I went to the Thunder vs. Warriors game this weekend and wanted to throw out some of my observations from the game.  Here they are in no particular order:

1- Monta Ellis cannot be a 1.  Rumor has it that Monta Ellis was peeved when the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry [...]]]>

This is a little belated, but I went to the Thunder vs. Warriors game this weekend and wanted to throw out some of my observations from the game.  Here they are in no particular order:

1- Monta Ellis cannot be a 1.  Rumor has it that Monta Ellis was peeved when the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry out of Davidson to play the point.  The reason is that Ellis believes that he can, and should, be a point guard in the NBA.  Ellis clearly doesn’t have the skill set to be a point guard.  Ellis’s strength is not distributing the ball: his passes are often risky and poor, his first inclination is to shoot, and he turns the ball over a lot (7 times against the Thunder).  Ellis is an ideal shooting guard, he is a pure scorer who really doesn’t do a lot else.  In fact, as John Hollinger points out, Ellis is one of the least efficient players in the NBA whose scoring numbers are so good in part because he plays so many minutes.  Stephen Curry was far superior playing the point against the Thunder, (27 minutes, 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers as compared to Ellis’s overall numbers 40 minutes, 15 points on 6 of 22, 6 assists, 2 steals, 7 turnovers), and had a much better ability to distribute the ball without turning it over.  Curry looks like a solid 1, and Ellis should stay as a 2.

2- Speaking of Curry, Don Nelson needs to go.  In the game against the Thunder Don Nelson made a very odd decision: he played D-leaguer Coby Karl (son of Nuggets coach George Karl)  30 minutes, while he played Stephen Curry, who was clearly the best player for the Warriors that night, a mere 27 minutes.  Late in the game, while the Warriors were down and needed to score quickly, Curry was conspicuously out of the game.  This one coaching decision is symptomatic of the way Nellie operates: his gives players inconsistent minutes, strangely benching some of the more talented players on the team like Anthony Randolph, while playing less talented players.  Nelson holds grudges, often refuses to play young guys and develop them, and is always stubborn.  Clearly his play no defense, shoot it up system isn’t working any more and he isn’t reaching this team, given that they have only won 14 games.  Nelson’s way isn’t working for the Warriors anymore, and a new coach who can objectively evaluate the team’s talent is needed.  The Warriors have consistent drafted lanky tweeners or scorers under Nelson, not anyone who can really play defense or rebound the ball.  The result has been one playoff series, which while electrifying, has not translated into consistent victories.  Nelson’s questionable decision making and style isn’t working for this franchise and something new is needed.

3- Kevin Durant is sneaky good.  Honestly, watching Durant, I didn’t see anything particularly flashy or highlight worthy.  What I did see was a consistent scorer and a great jump shooter.  Durant had what seemed to me like a pedestrian night and still ended up with 29 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, and 4 steals.  That’s a pretty darn good night.   Durant can do a little bit of it all and was a machine getting it done in the process.  Durant looks to be a scoring title threat for years to come, and with the Thunder’s solid young core of Durant, Green, and Westbrook this franchise will be quite good once it gets a real inside presence.  In fact, Russell Westbrook isn’t so bad himself now and almost had a quadruple double (21 pts, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 8 steals).  Seriously, watch out for, of all teams, the OKC Thunder.

Second, there was Monta Ellis’s amazing trick shot at practice:

…followed by the bizarre situation in the Warriors-Bucks game where the Warriors had to take a technical at the end of the game because they only had [...]]]> Last night was interesting in the NBA in case you missed it. First, there was Jamal Crawford’s sweet buzzer beater:

Second, there was Monta Ellis’s amazing trick shot at practice:

…followed by the bizarre situation in the Warriors-Bucks game where the Warriors had to take a technical at the end of the game because they only had 4 players available to play because everyone else fouled out.  Stephen Curry came in so the Warriors could finish, even though he had fouled out.  That’s just more evidence of the total dysfunction surrounding Golden State these days (fire Nellie please).

Third there was the down to the wire game between the Mavs and Thunder, where Kevin Durant battled Dirk Nowitzki. All and all a sweet night in the NBA.  The Thunder are going to be dangerous real soon with all their young guys…