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s3231
Posts: 23162
Alba Posts: 1
Joined: 1/16/2004
Member: #544 USA
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One of the problems this season has been a lack of passion early on in the games. When we are home, we can still find a way to come back from behind but that just won't happen on the road. This got me thinking, why isn't this team playing with more aggression instead of being so passive at the start of games?
Isiah has assembled a group of misfits and flawed players. I'm not saying that in a bad way because I kind of like it (I think we should use it as an advantage, see Detroit Pistons of the past 2 years). When we traded for Curry, I kept thinking about how good this team was going to be after Larry's teachings became 2nd nature to the players. However, a major reason I really believed (and still believe to a certain degree) this team would do well is because I thought the players would be playing with some fire in them. Last season, our team didn't work hard at all. We underachieved and our effort was pathetic until Herb took over and we at least started to put some effort out there.
This season, I keep waiting for this team to just play "angry" for a lack of a better word. I mean, this team has so many reasons to be motivated. Coming into this season I just kept thinking about how almost every player on this team has reason to be play with a chip on his shoulder. Steph has been called a loser on a constant basis by reporters, analysts, and hell, even some fans. Crawford was (and still is by some people) being called a chucker who only belonged on a street ball court, not a professional one. Curry was basically dumped by his team because of a lack of faith and he is still hated on by people who think he will not live up to his potential. Jerome James has been called a fat lazy bum....and he is still a fat lazy bum (ok, don't know where I'm going on this one). Frye (him and Nate seem to be the only players playing with a chip on their shoulder) was called "soft" and people couldn't fathom how he was picked in the top 10 calling him a bust. The list goes on and on.
You can see where I'm getting at here. Our whole team is almost, I repeat ALMOST, full of players that were either not wanted at one point, bashed because of how they play, or they were simply called losers. So I keep waiting for this team to play like they are on a mission. I've seen them do it at times this season, but they should have enough motivation from the past and present to keep it up throughout the game.
I want to see this team start off games aggressive on defense and I want to see hungry players that are out to prove everyone wrong. No one in the media or even in the league for that matter, believed (or still believes) that this team can be a good team this season. People are starting to change their tune right now, but no one believed in us at the start of the season.
Therefore, I've been waiting and will continue to wait for this team to play with some passion throughout the game. No one questions the talent on this team, we have a lot of it. But, it won't matter if we can't play with some heart for the full 48 minutes. Here's to hoping that team I've been waiting for, shows up soon (preferably tonight).
[Edited by - s3231 on 12-02-2005 3:49 PM]
"This is a very cautious situation that we're in. You have to be conservative in terms of using your assets and using them wisely. We're building for the future." - Zeke (I guess not protecting a first round pick is being conservative)
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