The Warriors begin one of the more hectic roadtrips of the season as they play 5 games between today and next Wednesday. Unfortunately for them, every team they play, aside for the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday, are currently playoff bound teams. How many playoff bound teams have the Warriors beaten lately?
None.
Should Warriors and Warriors fans despair? CSN Matt Steinmetz seems to think so. Tonight the Warriors face the Atlanta Hawks, a rangy and athletic team that has had an up and down season after starting a scintillating 6-0. Since then, they have gone an pedestrian (but impressive for any Warriors squad!) 14-13. After that 6-0 start, Kim Zolciak of the Real Housewives of Atlanta might be the talk of the town more so than anyone on the Hawks' squad.
[Kim Zolciak at White Party (via GAYSTAR001)]
Has she ever been invited to sing at halftime? She should with Kandice Burruss and the rest of Xscape singing back-up vocals.
Oddly, the Hawks are one of the worst scoring and rebounding teams in the NBA. After elbow surgery, Joe Johnson looks to be playing more like himself. Except he is shooting 40% from the field. Luckily for the Warriors, Al Horford is hurting with a hand injury. But hand injuries nor skill level has ever stopped anyone from being a Warrior killer. And I see Al Horford's interior presence making life difficult for David Lee and the rest of them.
Stephen Curry finally shook off some rust and scored 17 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. David Lee broke the twenty point barrier for the second game in a row, going for 21 points again and doing it off 50% shooting. Monta Ellis, playing through an ankle injury and awarded the Western Conference Player of the Week, has been playing at a all-star ... if not MVP level.
Calling a player that many fans and sports critics have called "selfish" an MVP may sound ridiculous, I know. But for a team that has continuously been below .500, the fact that this Warriors squad can even put a 2 game winning streak together is remarkable. It's all relative, right? But honestly, if the Warriors were a .500 a team, at the very least, are MVP considerations for Ellis a ridiculous idea?