Carrie and Uber lead in a beautiful win that was hard to watch
Imprisoned
“It’s impossible to question Kelly Uber’s talent. He is a talented player and a great promotion to the team roster. However, I do have questions about Oubre’s suitability for the Warriors – questions that could not be answered in one pre-season match.
But Oubre’s debut performance with the Warriors was definitely a positive sign.
Oubre played just over 50 attacking possessions on Saturday, and scored 10 points (despite a 1 of 6 shot from behind the 3-point arc) with relatively good looks.
In defense, he was looking for looters, as expected, but the usual follow-up of his efforts on the ball – letting his mark pass him on dribbling – didn’t happen. And it wasn’t because of a lack of trying by Denver either. Oubre didn’t steal, but did have two nice pieces and four rebounds. He was a positive force on the field and hinted that he could be the primary defender for opposing point guards, not Clay Thompson.
Now, Oubre isn’t an All-NBA player, but he does have top-level talent and unmistakable energy for his game. He could be a winner. The key for him is to play with focus this season – the Warriors system will allow all of these positive traits to shine through, but only if he can control himself enough to fit the system. He did that on Saturday. There is a long way to go, but that was a great first impression.
Positives
“It wasn’t unexpected, but it was still great to see – the Legion’s seat has something simple now.
Last year, Golden State wasn’t, by any means, deep. This year, there may be some value in their reserves.
Kent Bazimore was the first person off the bench for the Warriors on Saturday and played an exceptional match. It’s pre-season, yeah, and it should be warned that shows like this are not likely to happen every night.
But for the team that demands a lot from Bazemore, the performance was encouraging.
I also liked what I saw from Brad Wanamaker. Again, nothing he did on Saturday was surprising – he, like Bazemore, is a professional – but had rarely seen a professional-class reserve in costume Warriors throughout last season, watched Bazemore and Wanamaker do the right thing over and over again on Saturday was a breeze of Fresh air. Wanamaker defense is also mixed – I wouldn’t be shocked to see him make the final squads this year.
Warriors can’t count on these guys every night – no, sir – but it’s nice to have men who can contribute to victory when necessary and won’t lose you a game at night.
Again, this was likely mentioned before the match, but after seeing their play in blue and yellow, it is undoubtedly true: these two players alone are raising the ground enormously for this Warriors team.
So … about broadcast
“It’s been three quarters of the year since we last received the Warriors broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area, but after the first season debuted on Saturday, all I can say is a resounding success.
I like Bob Fitzgerald and Kelena Azubuicki as much as people. They are both cute and smart and I appreciate their opinions.
This broadcast, though, made me want to ruin my speakers.
I understand that Team Warriors appeared on the broadcast and that the team views Fitz and KA as the team’s representatives. And I don’t blame either of them for being such an obvious Homer, that’s the point.
But both of them – though mostly Fitzgerald, the dominant force in the cabin – have raised publicity to levels not previously taken into account.
In a year when fans won’t be in the stands, broadcasting is very important. Saturday’s performance was a terrible harbinger of what was to come.
When Fitzgerald called Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob “his boss” twice in a row to start their endless and distracting business (Lacob took a third of the screen and NBCSBA rejected the cut for 10 minutes), it was clear that this broadcast bypassed the Rubicon and never came back.
Again, I’m not expecting pure truth from the game’s broadcast, but some objectivity would be nice. You can even pull the punches – just don’t gasp me while I’m watching the match with my own eyes.
Seriously, on Saturday, Fitz and KA tried to sell me off on Alen Smailagić’s performance – which was rude at best – and then announced moments later that the Warriors’ scouts and development are the elite, the best ever. Of course, none of this point is taken up with any precision.
Of note, Warriors’ podcast does not have any of these issues. I’d also like to remind everyone that Fitzgerald is an exceptional playman whose work in the NBA bubble has been so much fun.
However, Fitz was long gone. He knows who is writing his checks, and Azubuike, in his sophomore year at the booth, will not prevent him from kissing the ring. It’s sad, but Warriors TV broadcasts are now clearly only intended for an audience of CEOs and entrepreneurs.
The vast majority – 99 percent of people who want to stay an arm’s length from reality – deserve better.
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