Russ,
The East Bay is the West Coast version of New York with regards to basketball. Despite missing the playoffs often over the past 40 years, the fans support them with a fever pitch. Oracle has been sold out or near sold out for years, even the lean years. Also widely regarded as some of the most knowledgeable in the league, the Bay Area has had many great athletes make their mark in all sports.
Barkley loves to say live by the jumper, die by the jumper. That really doesn't do this team justice. They play great team basketball. They pass it, they pick and roll, pick and pop, drive it, and of course drill 3 pointers. Their offensive game is much more than long range bombing. Not every team has Gasol and Z-Bo down low, nor do you have to.
They also play a great brand of team defense, switching constantly with long and athletic defenders. Few teams can create mismatches by making them switch, which many teams can't do. Teams love to force switching to create mismatches, targeting the smaller players on the court for low post advantages. Hard to do against GS.
The chemistry is second to none, which can be seen by how they play together. Sharing the ball, helping on defense, this team truly loves playing together.
The playoffs are always a product of match ups, but I see no reason why they can't make a long and sustained run thru the playoffs.
The East Bay is the West Coast version of New York with regards to basketball. Despite missing the playoffs often over the past 40 years, the fans support them with a fever pitch. Oracle has been sold out or near sold out for years, even the lean years. Also widely regarded as some of the most knowledgeable in the league, the Bay Area has had many great athletes make their mark in all sports.
Barkley loves to say live by the jumper, die by the jumper. That really doesn't do this team justice. They play great team basketball. They pass it, they pick and roll, pick and pop, drive it, and of course drill 3 pointers. Their offensive game is much more than long range bombing. Not every team has Gasol and Z-Bo down low, nor do you have to.
They also play a great brand of team defense, switching constantly with long and athletic defenders. Few teams can create mismatches by making them switch, which many teams can't do. Teams love to force switching to create mismatches, targeting the smaller players on the court for low post advantages. Hard to do against GS.
The chemistry is second to none, which can be seen by how they play together. Sharing the ball, helping on defense, this team truly loves playing together.
The playoffs are always a product of match ups, but I see no reason why they can't make a long and sustained run thru the playoffs.
