By Scary Barry Rodriguez February 24, 2011
( OAKLAND )- The Golden State Warrior's general manager Larry Riley held a press conference at their practice today.It was obvious what Riley was going to say because the trading deadline is up. He stated that the Warrior's tried to make some moves but were not successful and that they would stay pat for the rest of the season. So the W's aren't part of the chaos that is going down in the rest of the NBA.
Coach Keith Smart seemed unfazed about the whole trade deadline story saying " whatever I got in the house I got to use ". His main concern was maintaining the level of play and avoiding player injuries just before going on the upcoming road trip. For the Warriors the increased team cohesion could be an advantage when playing teams that still have to work fitting free agents into their schemes. It is going to be a question of how well their bench players can contribute.
With this in mind I once again asked coach Smart about the progress of Ekpe Udoh , who I feel is a key piece in the future of Golden State. Smart told me that most of the big men coming out of college are not accustomed to the physical level of play,that they have to push and shove then go to the glass. This is what is being conveyed to Ekpe. Smart said that Udoh is the best Warrior at playing with his back to the basket. From watching the practice I could see just how hard Ekpe is trying especially on defense. Overall the practice reflected the improvement that is the team is experiencing on the court.
A big part of the improvement is the play of Stephan Curry .Coach Smart stated that when the Warriors had less than 10 turnovers they were successful. Curry is being coached on avoiding turnovers by doing whats right for the situation and not committing reach in fouls early in the game. Smart said that there has been no drop off in Curry's game. I'm sure the fans already know this ! Curry echoed what coach Smart talked about in being able to stay close in games and close them out. He also stated that the team would have to have defensive help on the backside due to the size advantage that their next opponent the Atlanta Hawks have over Golden State. Marvin Williams,Josh Smith and Joe Johnson of the Hawks will pose match up problems. Curry emphasized that it would get down to team defense.
Starting the second half of the season on the road is going to be a telling test of just how much impact coach Smart's work has on the young Warrior team. All the players have conveyed the same message which is a good sign of his influence. That message is to stay healthy,avoid turnovers and finish games that are within reach. Now only time will tell if Keith Smart represents a new way of coaching, that doesn't rely on superstars but team play to succeed. It worked for the San Francisco Giant's and it can work for Golden State !
Courtesy of Scary Merlin Productions. barryrodriguez (c) 2011. all rights reserved.
( OAKLAND )- The Golden State Warrior's general manager Larry Riley held a press conference at their practice today.It was obvious what Riley was going to say because the trading deadline is up. He stated that the Warrior's tried to make some moves but were not successful and that they would stay pat for the rest of the season. So the W's aren't part of the chaos that is going down in the rest of the NBA.
Coach Keith Smart seemed unfazed about the whole trade deadline story saying " whatever I got in the house I got to use ". His main concern was maintaining the level of play and avoiding player injuries just before going on the upcoming road trip. For the Warriors the increased team cohesion could be an advantage when playing teams that still have to work fitting free agents into their schemes. It is going to be a question of how well their bench players can contribute.
With this in mind I once again asked coach Smart about the progress of Ekpe Udoh , who I feel is a key piece in the future of Golden State. Smart told me that most of the big men coming out of college are not accustomed to the physical level of play,that they have to push and shove then go to the glass. This is what is being conveyed to Ekpe. Smart said that Udoh is the best Warrior at playing with his back to the basket. From watching the practice I could see just how hard Ekpe is trying especially on defense. Overall the practice reflected the improvement that is the team is experiencing on the court.
A big part of the improvement is the play of Stephan Curry .Coach Smart stated that when the Warriors had less than 10 turnovers they were successful. Curry is being coached on avoiding turnovers by doing whats right for the situation and not committing reach in fouls early in the game. Smart said that there has been no drop off in Curry's game. I'm sure the fans already know this ! Curry echoed what coach Smart talked about in being able to stay close in games and close them out. He also stated that the team would have to have defensive help on the backside due to the size advantage that their next opponent the Atlanta Hawks have over Golden State. Marvin Williams,Josh Smith and Joe Johnson of the Hawks will pose match up problems. Curry emphasized that it would get down to team defense.
Starting the second half of the season on the road is going to be a telling test of just how much impact coach Smart's work has on the young Warrior team. All the players have conveyed the same message which is a good sign of his influence. That message is to stay healthy,avoid turnovers and finish games that are within reach. Now only time will tell if Keith Smart represents a new way of coaching, that doesn't rely on superstars but team play to succeed. It worked for the San Francisco Giant's and it can work for Golden State !
Courtesy of Scary Merlin Productions. barryrodriguez (c) 2011. all rights reserved.
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