You know how you can tell when something has the attention of the American public? People start to knock it. Pushback finds its way into the conversation.
This has started to happen with the Golden State Warriors, who have committed the cardinal sin of… well… I have no idea, but they’ve offended somebody.
I have been listening to sports talk radio for as long as there’s been such a thing, and I took my turn behind the microphone as well. There’s very little in that sphere to which I would react in a blog like this, but I heard something Wednesday that I found more than a little disturbing.
Colin Cowherd, a host whom I respect and listen to almost daily, likened the Warriors to the Rubik’s Cube. He said that the Warriors and their 3-point shooting have “cracked the code” in today’s NBA, and it’s no longer interesting to him, like what happened with that famous puzzle once a 10-year-old somewhere figured it out.
Really, Colin? You have a team that’s won 23 consecutive games, more than a quarter of the NBA season, and that’s your takeaway? A team that shares the ball like few others ever have, a team that plays tenacious defense, a team that has one of the most generous and genial stars we’ll ever see in our lifetimes?
Cowherd said, “I like conflict. Movies and TV shows work when there’s conflict.” He’s saying that a bunch of guys running around shooting 3-pointers aren’t that interesting to him, completely ignoring the offensive sets and philosophies that create those open looks, not to mention how many of them come off turnovers and defensive rebounds.
This may appear at first to be a backhanded compliment: “They are so good that it’s no fun watching their games.” This is akin to, “They don’t dump the ball into the low post and clear the side, so I’m not interested.”
The ironic part is that Andrew Bogut had alley-oop dunks on three straight possessions in the third quarter against Indiana Tuesday night! I guess those aren’t fun to watch, either.
Here’s the reality: Nobody really knows what to make of this team. LeBron James made a snide comment last week about how healthy they’ve been. Well, they’ve been without a starter (Harrison Barnes) for the last seven games, and Bogut has been hobbled with a back problem. The streak has continued apace.
They have beaten good teams by embarrassing margins, such as when they beat Memphis by 50, and led Indiana by over 20 points almost the whole game. Charlotte was on a hot streak when the Warriors got there, and that game was over in the third quarter. The Warriors have beaten bad teams, sometimes by closer margins, including a game against Brooklyn that would have ended the streak if the Nets had been able execute a foul or make a four-footer in the final seconds.
Cowherd is calling for the streak to end Friday in Boston, and he gave several good reasons why it could. Boston is good, Brad Stevens is good, it will be the sixth of seven games on a two-week roadie, and Klay Thompson’s sprained ankle could test Golden State’s depth even more.
Here’s the thing, though. The Celtics could win that game, and Saturday night the Warriors could start a new streak in Milwaukee. They won 16 in a row two different times last season. The NBA doesn’t yet have an answer for what they do, and until someone comes up with one. the Warriors will continue to be a shining example of team play, defensive commitment, and yes, 3-point shooting.
I guess you can’t please everyone.
