As Warriors try to stay unbeaten, three questions emerge

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Steinmetz

The Warriors are 7-0 and take on the Detroit Pistons Monday night at Oracle. Things are going terrifically well for Golden State, and even a couple blips with coach Steve Kerr and center Andrew Bogut’s health seem to be short term.

It’s unfair to say the Warriors have issues, if you know what I mean. But there certainly are questions about this team. Here are three that have jumped to the surface as we enter Week 3 of the NBA:

  1. Are the Warriors really better than last year?

While many of the numbers indicate they are, the reality is: Not so fast. If you cast the numbers aside, how much new information has really come available in the first seven games? The Warriors hammered the New Orleans Pelicans twice, handled the Houston Rockets and blew out the Memphis Grizzlies by 50. But we already knew the Warriors were better than those teams, didn’t we?

Golden State swept the Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs last year. They beat the Houston Rockets 8 of 9 games last year, including sweeping them in the regular season. And Memphis? Well, the Warriors beat them three straight in the second round last year to advance to the WCF.

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Posted in LA Clippers, NBA, NBA This Week, Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Quick pick: Warriors will win 12 straight before losing to Clippers

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Steinmetz

Just want to say thanks to everyone who’s been checking out this blog. We love the NBA here, the Warriors are hot and so the plan is to try to keep this thing moving forward.

Every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. until noon, I co-host the “NBA This Week” show with John Dickinson, on 95.7-FM The Game in San Francisco.  This is the second year in a row that John and I have been doing a weekly NBA show, and we’re proud that it’s one of the only radio shows we know of wholly dedicated to hoops. We’d love for you to check it out:

“NBA THIS WEEK” on 95.7 FM THE GAME.

I also co-host the Sal and Steiny Podcast, with Bay Area icon Sal Castaneda, where we talk sports and it’s often with a guest. You can access those podcasts on ITUNES:

“THE SAL AND STEINY SHOW”

By the way, Warriors head into Monday night’s game against the Pistons with a 7-0 record. Have you taken a look at their upcoming schedule: vs. Detroit, at Memphis, at Minnesota, vs. Brooklyn, vs. Toronto, at LA Clippers, vs. Chicago, at Denver, vs. LA Lakers, at Phoenix, vs. Sacramento, at Utah. …

Just for kicks, I’m calling Warriors’ first loss coming against the Clippers in LA on Nov. 19. That would mean the Dubs start the season with 12 straight wins. Thoughts? Predictions?

Posted in NBA, NBA This Week | 1 Comment

One-man’s list: The 10 greatest NBA offenses in my lifetime

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Steinmetz

On our most recent Sal and Steiny Podcast, we found ourselves once again talking about how great the Warriors have looked early in the season and how magnificent Stephen Curry is playing. Never mind Saturday’s ordinary win over the Kings, you know and it and I know it that the Warriors have been unreal … so far.

Who knows if this will continue, and whether or not the Warriors will waltz to back-to-back titles? All I know is that for all of last year and the little of this year, the Golden State Warriors have been one of the most incredible offensive teams I’ve seen in my lifetime.

At times, their ball movement rivals that of any NBA team over the past four or five decades and their ability to shoot the ball is already historic. With Curry, the Warriors have a superstar ringleader and when everyone’s playing well it’s as fun as anything under the big tent.

So I’ve been thinking of some of the best — most beautiful, cohesive and watchable — teams I’ve seen in “my day.” How far back is “my day?” Well, let’s call it the mid-1970s and leave it at that.

Also, allow me to clarify some. I’m not necessarily talking about great teams, but I’m talking about teams that were notable for their offense. And I’m stressing teams and not individuals. This list is about ball movement, passing and cutting, unselfishness, the blending of a superstar with his teammates, chemistry, playing the right way and fundamentals.

It’s also about fun. These teams were a barrel of monkeys to watch, and in the case of the Warriors, we’re still able to watch them. Feel free to tell me which teams I left off and which teams shouldn’t be on the list in the first place. Here you go:

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Posted in 76ers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Warriors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments