Monta Ellis scored a career-high 45 points and got some much-needed help from C.J. Watson.
From wherever Don Nelson was watching Monday's Warriors-Pacers game, he had to be smiling.
First, he didn't have to come up with a halftime speech after another poorly played first half. Second, he didn't have to worry about rushing to the airport after the game and getting to his hotel in Denver at 4 a.m. And third, C.J. Watson showed that maybe the 69-year-old coach with more than 40 years in the NBA and the second most coaching wins in the history of the league still knows a little something about basketball.
Not to mention, watching Monta Ellis these days is always fun as he sliced and diced the Pacers' defense for a career-high 45 points despite fouling out with six minutes left in a 126-107 win.
While most of the headlines and highlights will rightfully go to Ellis, who had half of his team's points early in the third quarter, the play of Watson -- and the Warriors in general when Watson was in -- may be the more intriguing development.
Watson, who Nelson said during the preseason he was considering starting alongside Ellis, was on the court in place of Stephen Curry during both of the Warriors' big pushes Monday.
With the Warriors down 14 early in the second quarter, Watson hit a jumper to end a stretch of 16 straight Warriors points scored by Ellis. Watson added a 3-pointer, an assist and some solid play overall as the Warriors cut the deficit to 42-41.
Three minutes into the second half, the Pacers' lead was back to 11 when Watson replaced Curry. The Warriors outscored the Pacers 30-17 the rest of the quarter. The Warriors then opened the fourth with a 12-2 run to open a double-digit lead and never looked back.
Watson, in his third game back from a case of the swine flu, was instrumental in the comeback, finishing with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with six assists, four rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes. Curry, meanwhile, played 20 minutes and scored all seven of his points in the game's final two minutes.
"Tonight was a C.J. Watson night," acting coach Keith Smart said after the game while deflecting questions about whether Watson will start getting more time than Curry. "We're trying to build a team, not cater to any guy, we're building a team ... whoever can help us win that night, that's who helps us win."
On Monday, that was Watson, who Smart said provided a steady hand and some scoring help for Ellis, who was doing it by himself early. Ellis scored 18 of his team's 25 first-quarter points.
With Watson seeing most of the playing time in the second half, the Warriors outscored the Pacers 75-50. The +/- column in the boxscore showed Watson as a +26 and Curry as a -7. Of course it wasn't all Watson in the second half as Corey Maggette and Anthony Morrow also came alive. Recently signed Chris Hunter also provided 12 good minutes.
Joining Curry on the bench during the big second half was Vladimir Radmanovic, who finished with two points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. Neither one has been making shots lately and it proved to be a "Smart" move to sit them and find Ellis some scoring companions.
When Watson entered the game, he immediately hit a couple shots and got the offense rolling. It's like he gave the entire team a boost of energy, a sense that there was finally another guy on the court capable of scoring. Everyone, I think, is rooting for Curry to do well, but when he's not scoring he's really not helping the team. He's still making a lot of careless mistakes and as teams realize the best way to defend him is to get up tight to take away passing lanes, his court vision and flair are negated.
Watson simply makes the basic plays and the open shots. That's what Ellis and the team need right now. If Watson can take care of the ball (the Warriors had 15 turnovers in the first half and only seven in the second half) and make defenders respect him as a scoring threat, it creates more chances for Ellis, Maggette and Morrow.
How the time between Watson and Curry is split in the future is up in the air, but with the expected return of rookie-sitter Nelson just a game away, look for possible changes. While most people will be upset, no more so than Curry, it may be a change worth making.
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Comments
Nope, Curry is better.
You always get solid minutes from Watson and thats what the Warriors needed last night. Curry is rare player in the NBA, he is a professional. He will learn and grow this year, not whine and grouch. I feel Watson is a pretty good role model for Curry as well. Curry to me looks a little too laid back at times.
Randolph needs more minutes. Im sorry Ronnie, Moore, but for all Randolphs "issues" he puts up numbers.
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