Category: Golden State Warriors

by David Zizmor

San Antonio vs. Miami: At the beginning of this season we were all talking about that great finals last year between the Spurs and the Heat that went seven games and saw the Spurs lose it on a missed shot by Tim Duncan with only seconds left in game seven, giving the Heat their second title in three years for back to back titles.

It was a fantastic series the best in years and the same two teams are back again. The whole season long we thought that the Spurs and Heat were on a collision course and low and behold here they are facing each other again. This should be a great match, you have the Heat’s LeBron James the best player in the game.

You have the Spurs head coach Grep Popovich the best coach in the game and you have one of the best teams in NBA history in the Spurs a team that made the playoffs for 15 straight years. The Spurs have won four titles and they just keep putting together great runs. This is a team that everybody would have thought would have faded by now as Tim Duncan got older.

Just because Duncan is older doesn’t mean he’s not effective and that’s what we’ve seen so far. Popovich has done a great job managing Duncan’s time and allowed him to rest as much as possible for a 39 year old. That has kept Duncan fairly effective here in the late going this season.

You would figure after 82 regular season games, 12 playoff wins, that Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili are all guys who have been around the block a few times. They might be a little bit tired but no, these guys are still playing great basketball and more importantly their getting contributions from other players on this team.

Most notably Kawhi Leonard who has just been fantastic for the Spurs, your really seeing him come into his own this year which is exactly what the Spurs needed to continue being one of the top teams this year. On the flip side of the ball the Heat what can you say about LeBron that hasn’t already been said. The guy’s the best player in the league, even though he didn’t win the MVP this year.

The Heat’s Dwayne Wade has been very good, Chris Bosh has been coming on as of late, and they have a great supporting cast that really knows their role and Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra doesn’t get the high praise that Popovich does but you don’t make four finals in the row without being a good coach. It’s be a series of strategy and skill and Spoelstra and Popovich will be those wizards behind the Heat and Spurs curtains.

David Zizmor is covering the NBA Finals for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by David Zizmor

San Antonio (3) vs. Oklahoma City (2): It’s not a coinindence that the Spurs won on Thursday night 117-89 in game five and they were at home. Every home team have won in this series and this is the continuing trend, there also have been some adjustments that the Spurs made. Obviously they play much better at home that’s usually the key in the NBA home court advantage is a very big deal.

One of the problems that the Spurs have been having in the last few games since OKC’s Serge Ibaka came back is containing him. If you watched games three and four when Ibaka came back and OKC had home court advantage what you saw was not only does San Antonio have trouble containing him on offense but also because he’s a big guy with good moves down low.

The Spurs have trouble trying to stop him on offense and defensive glass they had trouble getting around his defensive presence and that really altered the way the Spurs played and it kind of just limited them especially on defense. Ibaka is really good before he was blocking shots left and right. The Spurs needed a way to get around him to move him around not just on offense but on defense.

This is what the Spurs did and OKC didn’t expect it, the Spurs put Matt Bonner at center and put Tiago Splitter in and Splitter played about 12 mintues. He’s not a key player for the Spurs he’s been typically their starter because he’s a big guy he’s a center and Bonner is not your typical center and plays power forward. The Spurs and Thunder go at it again on Saturday for game six.

Miami (3) vs. Indiana (2): The Heat let up a little bit in game five losing 93-90 and obviously the Pacers had home court advantage and that helped them right there. The Pacers fans have been just amazing, they’re very knowledgeable than any fans in the NBA and they really legitimately hate the Miami Heat. This has been building up in this series all along so there is just a lot of emotion involved.

When your playing on that floor in Indianapolis a lot of that washes down on the players and it definitely engergizes Indiana and it impacts the Heat too. Even with all that in their favor the Pacers are still only able to win by three points and that was after a mediocre game from the Heat. The Pacers had their shot and they kind of blew it.

Earlier in this series the Pacers had a little bit of momentum going in after that first win and they really had Miami on the ropes in game two but then they let Miami get back in and pull out the victory. If the Pacers were able to pull off that game two victory and go back to Miami with a two game lead that would have been huge.

A Pacers victory would have changed the face of this series but instead they split it and the Heat took two in Miami. The Heat have a 3-2 lead going into Saturday night’s game, it’s questionable now if the Pacers have the fire power, the consistency to win any more games in Miami and this is where game six is on Friday night.

David Zizmor is covering the NBA Playoffs for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by Jerry Feitelberg

The poll takers have asked around and when the question comes up about San Francisco Propositon B the intitiative that seek height limits on San Francisco’s Waterfront those taking the polls get a surprise in the previous weeks, but not so much a surprise now. The response has been some won’t be coming down to their local polling place and vote for the measure.

Pollsters have reported that ever since the Golden State Warriors opted out of building at Piers 30-32 at the Embarcadero that was satifactory to the pro B voters and they have figured why bother. Recent polls have shown that Prop B is losing by as much as 5-9 points ever since the W’s said they were going to build their new arena at Mission Bay the team’s second choice.

Before the Warriors Mission Bay arena announcement it looked like Prop B was going to win hands down after neighborhood groups rallied to City Hall to get the amendment on the ballot but now that all has changed and voters or enough of them have said they won’t attend the yes on Prop B voting campaign this coming Tuesday.

Also if the trend on elections is correct on off season elections one out of four of the electorate will not show up. Both sides of the Prop B fight have seen huge campaign donations pour into what might be one of San Francisco’s most important and conroversial elections in recent memory. A lot is riding on Prop B from both sides, for those in favor of the measure such as the Sierra Club, former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, former San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and the greater Waterfront neighborhood who don’t want to see high rise development unless voter approved that stretches from the Ferry Buiding to Pier 70 in the Dog Patch district of the city the measure if passed means protection for their views of the Bay, the Bridge and the East Bay.

Mission Bay development for the Warriors was not going to be an objection with the Yes on B campaign as it’s further away enough that it won’t block the Bay views that the neighborhood wanted to protect. Meanwhile the No on B campaign lead by Bruce Agid a community advocate who appears on a number of TV ads is a energy consultant who also had a stint with PG&E said in the ad that Prop B is a ” political free for all” he said that the measure would open up loop holes that developers can use to avoid environmental regulations.

Agid says that Prop B which restricts height limitations on the waterfront would reduce support for transportation, open space, and affordable housing. Former Mayor Agnos questioned the Warriors at the time of the planning at Piers 30-32 about affordable housing and would there be any at all when Golden State proposed building retail and condo towers across the street from the new arena at the piers.

The argument of developer restrictions on the No side goes mainly to the side of development that would be profitable for the city translating jobs, retail, condos, transportation and the like but no arena where the Warriors originally wanted it by Piers 30-32 because of their committment to Mission Bay. If Prop B loses and as of this writing it’s behind in the polls the Waterfront could be a development mecca and a backfire to what it’s writers originally intended it for to protect over development.

It would ironically leave the Warriors out of the picture because they’re committed at Mission Bay and businesses like the San Francisco Giants can develop on Parking lot A where they have plans for retail and a retail village near the AT&T site and a full retail development at Piers 70 as proposed by Forest City Development, without height restrictions there will be free reign and it’s all because voters thought that Prop B was delivered once the Warriors backed off from Piers 30-32.

The Yes on B folks say that if the measure loses it will be a developmental free for all at the Embarcadero. One things for certain free for all indeed.

Jerry Feitelberg is covering the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings arena developments for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by David Zizmor

San Antonio vs. Oklahoma City: This series is a big one and it should go all the way and at this stage this series is doubt and you have no idea whose going to win it. The Spurs went up 2-0 they did it in pretty dominate fashion and one of the big loses in this series was OKC’s Serge Ibaka who was pulled out of this series when it started and everybody thought he wasn’t going to play again, not only in the series but the entire post season because the calf injury was that serious.

He misses the first two games, OKC had no real answer down low to stop the Spurs Tim Duncan and it was just a mess for OKC they couldn’t do anything and Ibaka miraculously comes back and in game three OKC wins that one 106-97 and before that game Ibaka was truly in doubt needless to say if he could play.

After watching that game three Ibaka was clearly playing really well, he may not necessarily have been at 100 percent but he’s darn close he had a huge impact in that game three and then in game four he had only nine points but the proof is in the pudding. You look at what Duncan did he had only nine points he was 3-8 with six boards and he just couldn’t get it going and in large part it was because Ibaka was down there.

On the flip side, in game four this game was not about Ibaka his defense was certainly key. It was OKC’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s show, these guys were amazing in the game they both shot 50 percent from the field. Westbrook was 40 percent and Durant was 31 percent. When those two guys are on the only other duel that is quite as potent in the NBA is Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Clay Thompson.

Miami vs.Indiana: The Pacers are a Jekyll and Hyde team because we saw that first round against Atlanta and they stunk, the Pacers were lucky to get out of that series alive. In the Second series against Washington the Pacers looked terrible for the first couple of games and all of a sudden they found their magic again.

The Pacers then took that second round series in six games and then early on in this series went against the Heat they looked really good in game one but the Heat squeaked out a win in game two, in games three and four the Heat just took it to them with 99-87 and 102-90 wins.

The Heat now have a 3-1 lead in the series with the Pacers on the brink, it’s not likely that anyone out there is picking Indiana for this series. In game four it was all Miami and the Pacers who went back to their old selves again. The Heat got out to a pretty solid start and never let go.

The Pacers Roy Hibbert did an disappearing act and Hibbert was pretty good that last few games but all of sudden he went back to zero points, five boards, he was a complete non factor in this one. On the other side of the ball the Heat’s LeBron James dropped 32, ten boards, five assists and it was a typical phenomenal LeBron game.

David Zizmor is covering the NBA Playoffs for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by David Zizmor

San Antonio vs. Oklahoma City: The Spurs who lead the Thunder 2-1 in the series and who had handled the Thunder in the last two games. The Spurs right now are at their most dominate phase in this series. They’re really just destroying OKC so far. One of the big reasons why OKC is struggling their power forward Serge Ibaka is out with a calf injury late in the series against the Clippers and when this Western Conference series started he was moved out for remainder of the playoffs as of Sunday he is listed as day to day.

It was a huge deal because Ibaka is a very unusual power forward, meaning he’s unusual in today’s game because he’s a true power forward, he’s big bodied who can push guys around he can hang with the elite scorers like the Spurs Manu Ginobili around the perimiter. Ibaka is also good at cleaning up on the glass and he’s an excellent shot blocker.

Ibaka is a defender who you have to take care of and be mindful of and he can also score on the offensive end. There aren’t that many two way power forwards in the NBA these days. When you have one guy like him and you lose him it’s a really big deal and Ibaka was kind of a third wheel on that Thunder team.

OKC’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were great on the scoring but they weren’t so fantastic on defense is concerned. Ibaka was the reverse he was a great defender and a good offensive player but he’s great on defense. Ibaka was a great part of OKC’s weaponary and when you lose one part of that trifecta its a huge deal.

Miami vs. Indiana: It’s not going to be too crazy for Indiana trying to get back into this one, Miami hasn’t been able to play lights out basketball. If you look at game three the Pacers were up 15 points and Miami had to stage kind of a serious rally to get back and then right in the middle of the fourth quarter it was getting out of hand and the Heat were able to cruise right at the end of the game.

The Pacers were in the that game until late so if the Pacers can hold on and collect some of those problems in terms of defending LeBron and getting more production out of their team players like Paul George. They’ll make a game of it, keep in mind that George got kneed in the head by the Heat’s Dwayne Wade in game two and a lot of people didn’t think he would be able to play in game three because of a concussion.

It’s entirely possible George who is far and away the Pacers best player was in a little bit of a fog, if George can recover a little bit and get his head about him and play with a little more clarity in game four the Pacers are going to be in better shape. All the other players were doing pretty well, shooting guard Lance Stephenson had a great game for the Pacers in game three.

It just kind of went all for not when LeBron took over later in the game, Indiana has proven that they can hang with this Miami team and game two was very close until the end. In game one the Pacers kind of threw the gaunlet down, Miami has another game at home and if they win it and go up 3-1 they’ll be clearly in the drivers seat.

David Zizmor is covering the NBA Playoffs for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by Jerry Feitelberg

Proposition B the initiative to limit height restrictions at San Francisco’s Waterfront for any construction over 40 feet unless voter approved was winning with authority prior to the Golden State Warriors land purchase at Mission Bay for their new arena after forfeiting relocating to Piers 30-23 after political pressure from the Waterfront neighborhood.

Prop B was being touted by former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and Prop B campaign co-chairman Jon Golinger as a shoo in winner in the June election.The tables have since turned and in an odd turn of events as recent polls suggest since the Warriors announced their move to Mission Bay that 1,000 San Franciscians surveyed and 845 who were registered to vote in the city 31 percent were in favor of the measure and 33 were against.

At the time previous to the Warriors purchase of Mission Bay, Prop B was winning at a significant margin some reportedly at almost double of the current polls at close to 60 percent. That number has tapered off now at 31 percent. The Warriors had they not have purchased Mission Bay Prop B might have passed easily.

The Warriors could have made the announcement that they would not build at Piers 30-32 and waited for the election results, if Prop B was to fail they could have had a shot at Piers 30-32. Since the Warriors did purchase Mission Bay land for their new arena voters took it as a victory and abandoned the Proposition as if it won already. Therefore a great number of voters polled previously will not be showing up to the polls in June to vote for Prop B leaving those opposed in the bigger margin.

Since purchasing Mission Bay things have definitely quieted down for Golden State as Agnos and the Waterfront neighborhood are satisfied with the Warriors Mission Bay choice. However the Warriors could have said they wouldn’t build at the Waterfront and waited for the election results to see if B would pass and then make a decision then. A SurveyUSA poll showed that Prop B was losing 29-25 percent another SurveyUSA poll showed those who said they were committed to vote would defeat Prop B 32-27 percent. The San Francisco election is on June 3rd.

Golinger said, “A lot of people think we already won, I have litterally gotten that on the phone” and so with that thought in mind voters who were going to vote in favor of B will not show up at the polls to vote in favor of the measure leaving the opposition a chance to defeat the measure.

While it’s already too late for the Warriors as they are now committed to Mission Bay, the Giants would be free to build their towering retail and condo mega village near AT&T in Parking Lot A and Forest City which owns the real estate at Pier 70 would be freed up too to build towering retail and condos and with no height limits in the way if B loses and they would be free to build the towers they wanted for that local in the Dog Patch neighborhood off third street.

The real losers in this would be the Warriors who could have had an brand new arena at Piers 30-32 just like they wanted if they waited out the election and not have had purchased the land at Mission Bay, but too late they already are committed to Mission Bay.

Jerry Feitelberg is covering the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings new arena developments for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by David Zizmor

Miami vs. Indiana: The second game of this series was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, when you look at the final score 87-83 your defintely not going to get very pretty basketball but the bottom line for Miami is that they won a game on the road in Indiana and the series is tied 1-1.

The old adage is the playoffs series doen’t start until the team wins a game on the road and Miami just did that. So were into the thick of it now, it’s 1-1 going back to Miami and the Heat are the defending champs despite Indiana having the number one seed.

This will be a tough series and what we’ve seen so far is the Pacers has kind of regained it’s mojo whatever they had at the end of last season when the started off at 40-12. The Pacers seemed to have found it again and it almost got them booted out of the playoffs while they were finding it.

Somehow in the middle of that series against Washington the Pacers rediscovered themselves and their playing really good sound basketball and they won that first game 107-96 rather handily. They had the problem that the Heat had in game one that the Pacers didn’t perform and they didn’t get any production out of their back up guys. So this could very well be a see-saw series.

Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio: The Spurs who lead the series and the Spurs did a good job in game one of asserting themselves and establishing their game. You have to figure after game one that OKC is going to go out and make a few adjustments to try and counter that.

I’m not getting a great feel from this OKC team they’ve had issues back and forth all season long in terms of their consistency and their defense and I’m not sure if they’re going to be able to hang with San Antonio over seven games without Serge Ibaka. That was the big blow to OKC and it didn’t happen in this series as Ibaka went out in the tail end of that Clippers series.

Ibaka was such a key player for them and everybody talked about Durant and Westbrook for OKC and rightfully so because their fantastic players they’re All-Stars and Durant is an MVP, Westbrook is one of the best point guards in the league.

Ibaka is a very good scorer and a fantastic defender and when you going against a team that has Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli and Duncan who put up 20 points and ten boards you need Ibaka out there and make him work. Remember Duncan is getting the numbers but you he’s 39 years old, to have Ibaka out there it’s like in the Miami series the Pacers Paul George makes LeBron work for those points in rebounds.

David Zizmor covers the NBA Playoffs for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by David Zizmor

San Antonio vs. Oklahoma: The Spurs have the home court advantage opeing up their first two games against the Thunder and they already took game one by a wide margin 122-105. It really wasn’t much of a battle on Monday night in San Antonio.

They outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder by 17 and the Spurs outscored the Thunder in the fourth quarter by 14 points. OKC came within striking range in the first three quarters but the Spurs pulled away and got the victory. The Spurs Tim Duncan had a very Tim Duncan like game he came out there and dropped 27 points, seven boards, 11-19.

Because San Antonio had such a nice lead late in the game Duncan only had to play 29 mintues in this one and that was even a bigger plus for them. The older guy has the impact and doesn’t even have to stick around for all 48 minutes of this because OKC didn’t even keep it close enough.

Duncan is going to be very fresh for game number two on Wednesday and it’s kind of what you expect from the Spurs, they just go about their business and get it done. They’ve been there so many times at this point it’s almost like clock work. It’s not going to be this easy in game number two on Wednesday night or the rest of the series because the Thunder are too good of a team.

Indiana vs. Miami: The Indiana Pacers victory over the Miami Heat is surprising in game number one 107-96, and we’ve been saying all along the Pacers have not been playing well for maybe half of this season. It’s one thing when you have a lousy game for a stretch of a couple of weeks, the Pacers have not been good since January 1.

The Pacers were struggling for five and half months and were almost in June at this point, The Pacers were not playing well in some five months.Then all of sudden against Washington in the last couple of games in round two they kind of seem to find their mojo again.

The Pacers Roy Hibbert came around finally and got his offensive game back and got his defensive game back and sort of made an impact and took Indiana past Washington in six games. Then they go into game number one against Miami the defending World Champs and they beat them by 11.

The Pacers were in control most of the game they took the lead in the first quarter and just carried it all the way through the Pacers made a game of it. It wasn’t a blow out by any means as the Pacers won by 11. At the same time the Pacers were never really close enough for the game to be in doubt. It’s definitely surprising lets keep in mind the Pacers are the number one seed and they have home court advantage.

The Heat are back for game two in Indiana on Tuesday night.

David Zizmor is covering the NBA for http://www.sportsradioservice.com