Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors Power Rankings - 2011-12

Power Ranking
WEEKRECORDRANKCOMMENT
Week 1723-4129Something tells me it doesn't surprise Dubs diehards one bit that their team, out of the playoffs in 17 of the last 18 seasons, won at Sota to potentially spoil all the tanking they've done lately to hang onto their No. 1 pick, which is Utah-bound unless it's in the top seven. Said one rival exec: "Worst win of the season."
Week 1622-3726It's all going to plan now. Falling behind Detroit, New Jersey and Toronto is all within range, greatly enhancing the Dubs' chances of landing a top-seven pick in the lottery and thus keeping that pick instead of having to send it to Utah. A league-leading 10 losses by three points or fewer has been crucial.
Week 1522-3326Beating Minnesota wasn't ideal, but the Dubs are generally tanking in the proper spirit. They're 3-12 since trading Monta and just started three rookies (Klay Thompson, Charles Jenkins and Jeremy Tyler) in five straight games for the first time since March of 1981 (Larry Smith, Joe Barry Carroll and Lorenzo Romar).
Week 1420-3126Eight teams have a worse record than the Warriors as April begins ... none with any discernible motivation to play for anything but lottery position. The Dubs thus have some serious tanking to do in their last 15 games, since Utah inherits their No. 1 pick unless it falls in the top seven.
Week 1320-2722Still can't convince me that the same fans known for that memorable We Believe campaign in 2007 can justify their behavior at the jersey retirement ceremony of true Dubs legend Chris Mullin. But I'll concede that The Sports Guy dished a thorough/provocative defense that makes you think and must be read.
Week 1218-2423The committee's admiration for Andrew Bogut is well-chronicled, but leave it to Dubs owner Joe Lacob to set a new standard. Speaking on "Chronicle Live" in the Bay Area, Lacob likened Bogut's arrival to Kevin Garnett's in Boston and proclaimed that "this is the transcendent deal that's going to change everything."
Week 1117-2119What could spoil a 24-point home rout of the reeling Mavs and a road win over the Clips to complete a tasty back-to-back sweep amid continuing progress from Ekpe Udoh as a center who actually impacts the game positively for the Dubs? The sight of Steph Curry pounding a bench in disgust after yet another ankle twist.
Week 1014-2021I understand that Steph Curry is out (again) with more foot trouble, but 78 points in Indy? A mere 75 points in Toronto ... including a 28-point second half? The All-Star break apparently came at the wrong time for the Warriors, snuffing out their first semblance of momentum in the Mark Jackson era.
Week 913-1719Monta Ellis has boasted the highest scoring average among players snubbed for the All-Star Game for three seasons running, which is believed to be the first time that's happened. The Warriors, though, have bigger issues to focus on, starting with their ongoing pursuit of a big man so they can stop playing 4-on-5.
Week 811-1722Does the fact that this team has no 30-year-olds on the roster (unless you count the injured Kwame Brown) make it harder or easier for Warriors fans to accept the fact that Saturday's loss at Memphis was the Dubs' ninth already this season when they were within a point, leading or tied with 90 seconds to play?
Week 710-1420How much more eager will Dubs owner Joe Lacob be to make a splashy trade when someone breaks it to him that Golden State hasn't had an All-Star since, uh, Latrell Sprewell in 1997? It's a drought six seasons longer than the next teams in line: Milwaukee (Redd in 2004) and Sacramento (Peja in 2004).
Week 68-1321Kinda like the new nickname for the bench: The Dub-stitutes. The Dubs' famously loyal fans, though, are tired of settling for cute and won't care that Monta, Curry and Lee were the season's first trio to each score at least 23 points in the same game (in a rout of Utah) because they followed up with an OT loss in Sacramento.
Week 56-1223The Warriors don't want to believe that their 1-7 record against fellow Western Conference residents -- which was 0-6 until Wednesday's strong close to finish off Portland -- is an accurate reflection of their playoff hopes under my man Mark Jackson. The reality, though, is that's how the outside world sees it.
Week 45-1021For a guy with 15 games on his resume, Mark Jackson is rather well-acquainted with excruciating losses. Four of the Dubs' 10 defeats have been sealed in the final minute, including Friday's home L to Indy aided by what the league admitted was a kicked ball that the refs missed.
Week 34-821Steph Curry's ankle woes didn't allow the Dubs to enjoy much of a honeymoon after beating Chicago on the day after Christmas. And it happened again last week after the OT win over Miami, when they lost Kwame to a shoulder injury ... then lost in Charlotte.
Week 22-624The joy of winning two straight Week 1 games despite scoring less than 100 points in both -- not seen from the Dubs since 2006 -- has been snuffed out by a home heartbreaker against Utah and growing fears that Curry's ankle issues aren't going away.
Week 12-218Mark Jackson has seen more good than bad in his first nine days as an NBA coach with those wins over the Bulls and Knicks. Yet there's been no shortage of upheaval thanks to various issues for Curry and Ellis and a bad home loss to Sixers.
Preseason36-4621Tyson Chandler heartbreak in free agency, ugly off-court press for Monta Ellis and Steph Curry's early ankle injury ... didn't take Mark Jackson long to find out why Jeff Van Gundy is in no rush to leave his TV gig and get back into coaching.
Training Camp11-170Does the fact that this team has no 30-year-olds on the roster (unless you count the injured Kwame Brown) make it harder or easier for Warriors fans to accept the fact that Saturday's loss at Memphis was the Dubs' ninth already this season when they were within a point, leading or tied with 90 seconds to play?

Golden State Warriors