08/09 Series:
Dec 10: @Warriors 119, Bucks 96
Injuries
Bucks: Michael Redd (torn ACL and MCL) and Andrew Bogut (stress fracture in lower back) are out.
Warriors: Monta Ellis (is not with the team on its current road trip. Brandan Wright (shoulder) is out. Andris Biedrins (personal reasons), Corey Maggette (ankle), and Stephen Jackson (hamstring) are all questionable.
Three Points
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The real Warriors. I'm not sure I've ever had to spend as much time reading up on the opponents' roster situation. Monta Ellis has not been traveling with the team and sounds like he's done with being a Warrior. Andris Biedrins likely won't be with the team because of a personal matter, which is fine by me given he always seems to torch the Bucks.
Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson supposedly were hurt in Wednesday's game, but Don Nelson has also been randomly benching people lately, so who knows. What we do know is that the W's used a motley crue of youngsters and vets in their 108-91 loss last night in Detroit, and given this team is 6-26 on the road for the season I'm not sure the Bucks have any excuses tonight. This is more or less a must win.
Youngsters. Anthony Randolph could have been a Buck on draft night, but instead he's gotten the rollercoaster experience of being a rookie on a Don Nelson team. He started the year looking as though he'd jumped ahead of '07 lottery pick Brandan Wright in the PF pecking order, but later was banished to the end of the bench and got some harsh words from Don Nelson. Things have improved since then and last night he played a whopping 47 minutes, putting up a respectable 17 points, eight boards, and three blocks.
From an efficiency standpoint, Randolph's been very solid when given the chance. His rebound rate (17.3) has been downright obscene for a guy so skinny and his 1.1 blocks in 14.4 mpg is also pretty damn impressive. Of course, from what I've seen he's still fairly clueless on offense, but athleticism like this makes up for a lot. If he ever develops a reliable jumper he could be a hell of a player--think Lamar Odom.
Think fast. The Warriors play at the fastest pace in the NBA, which for a healthy Bucks team might not be the best thing in the world. But given that the post-Bogut/Redd Bucks have often looked their best in up-tempo contests, maybe it's not such a bad thing. I'm still not exactly sure what the current team's identity should be, so in the meantime they might as well be entertaining, right?
Coverage: