Warrior Mentality, Part 2

The Mavs and the Warriors played the best game of the playoffs last night, a nail-biter rife with big shots, big attitudes, and Mark Cuban looking like he was going to go home and cry. That was until Dirk played like an MVP, blocking a shot and hitting two deep threes, followed by an icy performance at the free throw line.

The Warriors went up by nine late, thanks to flawless penetration by Baron Davis and red hot three point shooting by his wings. Then the unthinkable happened: Davis stopped getting to the hole and what had been Golden State's lifeblood became their bane. The Warriors kept jacking treys, missed them, and blew what would have been arguably their biggest win as NBA players. What was Nellie thinking, allowing his team to fire away at will, watching the game pass from his hands to Dirk's. What was Stephen Jackson thinking when he got ejected? As usual, nothing.

You cannot take anything away from Dirk and co., but this game was the Warriors' to lose. One drive, one easy bucket, one drip to the line--finito. Now the upstarts face a must-win game six, lest they had back to Dallas for game seven.

Mark Cuban must be thanking the basketball Gods. A loss last night would've sent shockwaves through that organization. Instead, Baron Davis's head got a little bigger, his jaw a little more swollen from all the trash talking he did. Davis must dip during games and the badass beard does little to cover it up. Cuban's team was saved for at least one more game.

This series has shades of Kobe vs. Phoenix last year, when the Lakers went up 3-1, only to bow out in seven. Golden State won last night's game, and then they lost it. It wasn't either or, it was both. Expect Dallas to come out even more aggressively in a game six dandy. The Mavs may have taken Golden State's best shots, does Oakland have anything left?

Warrior Mentality

Up 3-1 over the mighty Dallas Mavericks, Baron Davis(left) and his fearless Golden State Warriors are shocking the basketball world. Better yet, they are doing it with almost incomprehensible passion. Anyone who saw game 4 last night had to have been overwhelmed by the electricity of the Golden State players and the long-suffering Oakland fans. The arena was on fire all night, more so than any other NBA game in recent memory. It was truly a joy to watch and should go down as one of the all-time classic playoff games in NBA history.

First round series aren't supposed to play out like this, not against a giant like the 67 win Mavs. Then again, Baron Davis wasn't supposed to remind everyone why his best game may be better than any other guards best game in the league (yes, that includes you Steve Nash, and you too Dwyane Wade). Then again, Stephen Jackson wasn't supposed to remind everyone how his unrivaled competetiveness and confidence can drive a team in the biggest of games. Then again, Mickeal Pietrus wasn't supposed to remind everyone why a brash and giddy Chad Ford called him "the Euro Michael Jordan". And most of all, Don Nelson wasn't supposed to remind everyone that he may just know a little more than his fawned-over protege Avery Johnson.

If you really love NBA basketball, there is no way you cannot be mesmerized by these scrappy underdogs aptly called the Warriors and their spit-fire, diehard fans. And if you really love NBA basketball, there is no way you would miss game 5 Tuesday in Dallas to see if they can shockingly finish off perhaps the most memorable first round series in league history.

Wizards Fighting Good Fight, But in Vain

The injury-decimated Washington Wizards seem to be fighting a hopeless battle against the Cleveland Cavaliers and it is easy to see why. Coach Eddie Jordan (left) has had to turn to guys like Antonio Daniels, DeShawn Stevenson, Jarvis Hayes, Brendan Haywood, Darius Songalia and even vagabond Roger Mason as primary offensive options behind Antawn Jamison, who is the Wizards only legitimate scoring threat left standing.

The best player of the bunch is Daniels and though a proven playoff performer, he fits best as a 6th man who provides hustle and solid defense of the bench. The rest are utility or spot players. Seeing DeShawn Stevenson consistently brick 20 foot jump shots of the dribble is one of the most frustrating sights in the NBA; its easy to see why the once-ballyhooed prospect is playing for the league's minumem salary this season (after rejecting what now seems like a decent offer from the Magic over the summer). Hayes has not seen his fluid shooting stroke translate into success as an NBA marksman; he is injury prone and seems stiff in the legs. Haywood lacks the basketball I.Q to develop into anything more than what he is now: an average backup center, with a hair-trigger temper too boot (see the repeated fights with the Wizards other mediocre center, Etan Thomas). Without their temperamental superstar Gilbert Arenas and all-around standout Caron Butler, the Wizards are a couple of games away from calling it an early summer.

Welcome to The NBA Guru

The 2007 NBA Playoffs have just begun, and with them the blog that will seek to re-define all things NBA.

My roommate Evan Argall and I (Nick Churchill) are going to attempt to write about the NBA comprehensively. The analysis and writing out there right now on the world's greatest sport falls far short of our expectations. We want more. So should you.

We will look at the NBA from different angles. What is that GM thinking? Who told this college kid he's ready for the draft? Does your favorite player really believe he's going to get a max contract?

We will try to cover the LEAGUE's different parts: Stern's hypocrisy, locker room cancers, luxury-tax land, and everything in between.

While we are not professionals, our knowledge extends to all corners of the game. While we cannot have our blog be devoid of opinion, our goal is to be 100% more objective than Mark Stein, ESPN's senior NBA writer. We believe this is totally within the realm of possibility.

So, without further ado, we welcome you, Mr (or Mrs.) NBA fan. We hope you enjoy your stay.