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So I know none of you care, but: last nights' Warriors-Mavs game? Was a thing of beauty.
Andris Biedrins made a shot look so easy that you couldn't believe anyone could stop him. Richardson hit threes like nobody's business. Baron Davis made this incredible switch-handed layup that pulled a foul and turned into a three point play. J-Rich got caught with his back to the hoop and made this awesome around-the-back shot.
(If you want to see any of those omg fabulous shots, here're the game highlights. It's all of two minutes, and you can go "oh my god REALLY?" with me.)
The fan energy was incredible -- jumping! Standing ovations! Cheering! Signs! The We believe guy!
Here is the thing about Warriors fans: Thirteen years since the last playoff. High hopes time and time again, and hopes crushed. Warriors fans are Warriors fans regardless of the team's performance; they critique and moan, they root for the Suns in the playoffs 'cause the Warriors aren't in it (or at least I used to!), but they are some of the most dedicated fans in the league. They stuck it out through bad draft choices -- Todd Fuller, fergodsakes, drafted ahead of Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant that year, and Vonteego Cummings, the name no-one knows, and Steve Logan who never actually played in an NBA game. And they're still fans. As Nelson said: "If we give the crowds something to cheer for and we play well, they'll be with us. And if we don't play well, I know they'll still be with us. But we've got to give them a reason to be there."
I mention this, because I was scoping the Mavs blog last night -- it's updated faster than most of the Warriors blogs -- and half the comments said "I can't believe Avery Johnson's lost another game! He's the worst coach ever!" and "I'll never be a fan again!" and, dude. Two losses? Admittedly, first-seed team losing to eighth-seed, but: dude. Two losses. Two losses and you're bailing, talking about firing coaches and half the players, encouraging Mark Cuban to sell the team, saying you'll never ever watch a game again? Christ, what is that?
Warriors fans, like I said, critique a lot -- there's a lot of sofa-GMing -- but abandon a team after two losses? We didn't abandon a team after Latrell Sprewell strangled the coach and had to be traded away (to the Knicks, who actually liked him even after that. ugh.). We didn't abandon the team after Todd Fuller, the high hopes of the league, our way to get back in, managed to score an average of, like, five points a game. Warriors fans still call for Adonal Foyle -- a defensive player who scores maybe four points a game -- to come on at the end, because he's been our man for ten years, even though he's known more for his politics than his playing these days. We think he should get to play a minute or two in a playoff game; it's only fair.
So, yeah. I get the Mavs' fans disgust. But it's hard to take the "omg we can't be fans of a losing team I'm never watching them again!" Not when the team they're playing is playing their first playoff game at home in thirteen years, to the biggest crowd of fans to ever pack into a basketball arena in California.
Andris Biedrins made a shot look so easy that you couldn't believe anyone could stop him. Richardson hit threes like nobody's business. Baron Davis made this incredible switch-handed layup that pulled a foul and turned into a three point play. J-Rich got caught with his back to the hoop and made this awesome around-the-back shot.
(If you want to see any of those omg fabulous shots, here're the game highlights. It's all of two minutes, and you can go "oh my god REALLY?" with me.)
The fan energy was incredible -- jumping! Standing ovations! Cheering! Signs! The We believe guy!
Here is the thing about Warriors fans: Thirteen years since the last playoff. High hopes time and time again, and hopes crushed. Warriors fans are Warriors fans regardless of the team's performance; they critique and moan, they root for the Suns in the playoffs 'cause the Warriors aren't in it (or at least I used to!), but they are some of the most dedicated fans in the league. They stuck it out through bad draft choices -- Todd Fuller, fergodsakes, drafted ahead of Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant that year, and Vonteego Cummings, the name no-one knows, and Steve Logan who never actually played in an NBA game. And they're still fans. As Nelson said: "If we give the crowds something to cheer for and we play well, they'll be with us. And if we don't play well, I know they'll still be with us. But we've got to give them a reason to be there."
I mention this, because I was scoping the Mavs blog last night -- it's updated faster than most of the Warriors blogs -- and half the comments said "I can't believe Avery Johnson's lost another game! He's the worst coach ever!" and "I'll never be a fan again!" and, dude. Two losses? Admittedly, first-seed team losing to eighth-seed, but: dude. Two losses. Two losses and you're bailing, talking about firing coaches and half the players, encouraging Mark Cuban to sell the team, saying you'll never ever watch a game again? Christ, what is that?
Warriors fans, like I said, critique a lot -- there's a lot of sofa-GMing -- but abandon a team after two losses? We didn't abandon a team after Latrell Sprewell strangled the coach and had to be traded away (to the Knicks, who actually liked him even after that. ugh.). We didn't abandon the team after Todd Fuller, the high hopes of the league, our way to get back in, managed to score an average of, like, five points a game. Warriors fans still call for Adonal Foyle -- a defensive player who scores maybe four points a game -- to come on at the end, because he's been our man for ten years, even though he's known more for his politics than his playing these days. We think he should get to play a minute or two in a playoff game; it's only fair.
So, yeah. I get the Mavs' fans disgust. But it's hard to take the "omg we can't be fans of a losing team I'm never watching them again!" Not when the team they're playing is playing their first playoff game at home in thirteen years, to the biggest crowd of fans to ever pack into a basketball arena in California.
