Try to log on to , and you are virtually slapped in the face by a full-screen advertisement, which screams: Want PLAYOFF tickets?
A little cocky, sure.
The Warriors still have 17 games to play, and they are clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot.
But to paraphrase Calvin Coolidge — and who can resist paraphrasing Calvin Coolidge? — the business of basketball is business. And right now, the Warriors are playoff-bound with an open box office.
So what’s it going to take to knock these guys out?
Psychologically, now is the time for ninth-seeded Denver to make a push and scare the Warriors, who have been sitting comfortably in the eighth spot for about a fortnight.
This week, Denver (39-26) has a pivotal five-game road trip against Detroit and four beatable teams. The Warriors (40-24) have a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back against the Kings and Clippers, but after that, they play nine of their next 10 against Western Conference teams with winning records. This includes two games against the Lakers (back-to-back, no less) and games against the Rockets, Hornets, Spurs and — mark your calendar — a matchup in Denver on March 29.
The West is indeed wild, and though the Nuggets can control only what they do on the court, they will watch the Warriors with much consternation, and adulation.
“Out of all the teams in the league, I like to watch that team play,” Nuggets center Marcus Camby said. “I like the style Nellie plays, I like the small ball. Those guys play a lot of up-and-down basketball, and it’s fun to play that way.”
The Warriors are weird. You look at them through one lens, and you wonder how they’ve won this many games to begin with. But then you look at them through a different lens, and you’re like, maybe this mad scientist Don Nelson is on to something. They purposely play small (who purposely plays small?). They play defense on occasion. They play at an obscenely fast pace, yet they somehow turn it up a notch in the fourth quarter.
“I’m not sure anyone in the Western Conference is comfortable playing Golden State in the playoffs,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “To play them in a seven-game series, with the way they play, it will be really tough.”
Last season, the eighth-seeded Warriors knocked off No. 1 Dallas, the team with the NBA’s best record. This season, Golden State could provide a similar threat, assuming it makes the playoffs to begin with.
The Warriors have 17 games left, 11 against winning teams, six against losing teams. The Nuggets have 17 left, too — nine against winning teams, eight against losing teams. But this week and next is the time for Denver to make its presence felt. Because if the Warriors get through this ridiculous stretch and are still comfy in the eighth spot, they’ll have a good chance of surviving April.
No. 2 is No. 1.
Even if Portland’s Greg Oden had played this season, it’s hard to believe he would have had a better rookie season than Seattle’s Kevin Durant. Yes, Durant has had the green light since draft night. But it’s hard to score 19 1/2 points per game in the NBA, especially when your teammates are the SuperSonics.
“He seems to be understanding the game better, having a focus on his shots,” Karl said of the No. 2 pick in the 2007 NBA draft. “When you’re feeling good and you have a couple days rest, it comes pretty easy, but when you’ve got to go back-to-back, and you’re covered by Bruce Bowen, it’s hard to be involved.”
March has actually been Durant’s best month, averaging month-highs with 20.7 points and a 49.0 field-goal percentage. Sunday, at the Pepsi Center, he will perform on the same stage where he made his NBA debut (18 points on 7-for-22 shooting on Oct. 31).
Little big men.
Charles Barkley should be proud.
There is a young wave of undersized power forwards, who, like Sir Charles, are becoming forces in the paint. These guys aren’t necessarily the consistently dominant player Barkley was, but they ooze grit in the low post. One guy that comes to mind is Minnesota’s Craig Smith, a second-year player who stands 6-feet-8, but plays power forward and even some center. He entered the weekend with averages of 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.7 minutes. Smith is also seventh in the NBA with a 57.5 field-goal percentage. Another is Detroit’s Jason Maxiell. He’s just 6-7 and the low-post banger averages 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 21.9 minutes.
“He plays with an anger and an intensity that’s dominating,” Karl said. “He’s a little bit like (Denver’s) Eddie Najera. There are very few players who can take an undersized body and outhustle the rest of the NBA and have a factor in basketball games. And he’s doing it with his offensive rebounding and paint presence. I love him. I see his moments where he has an impact on games, and he does it with such a big heart, you’ve got to respect him and you’ve got to admire him.”
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
Golden State guard Monta Ellis
It looks like a typo.
On the list of the NBA’s leaders in field-goal percentage, there is post player after post player, until you get to No. 13. Monta Ellis? The knee-high guard?
Sure enough, the efficient Ellis shoots 53.3 percent from the field, an amazing stat for someone who strokes from the outside in a fast-paced offense.
Ellis is a key reason why the Warriors are currently in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. He averages 19.6 points, as well as a surprising 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
“He has the speed and quickness of an Allen Iverson a little bit,” Denver coach George Karl said. “He’s more of a rim guy. He’s so quick. I think it’s kind of like with a guy like Leandro Barbosa. He’s good with the ball. But Ellis is a better scorer than most guys.
“When he scores points, he does it with very minimal shots. He’s not a volume shooter. He scores 30 points on 18 shots, or sometimes 16 shots.”
Karl did point out that point guard Baron Davis does an excellent job at creating for teammates such as Ellis, “and then he takes over when necessary.”
Ellis is clearly a rising star. The high school product is only 22, but plays with veteran confidence.
