The starting lineup included Allen Iverson,  Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Samuel Dalembert instead.

As a result, the Sixers walloped the Warriors 117-101 in an impressive win.

Could Brand have been the reason for the Sixers 12-game slump? I don’t know, but the chemistry was obviously a lot better between Iverson, Holiday, Iguodala, Young and Dalembert. Young totaled 26 points and grabbed 14 boards, while Iverson tossed in 20 points.  In fact, all five starters were in double digits.

Elton Brand has been benched by Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan.

Maybe Eddie Jordan is on to something here?

As for Brand, he isn’t thrilled about being a bench player after only the second year of his $80-million, five-year contract.

“When you look around at other teams, yeah,” Brand said, according to ESPN. “It’s like, no disrespect, but Mikki Moore (for Golden State) gets the start and I don’t. Not that he’s not a good player, but, definitely.”

If the Sixers keep winning, Brand is going to have to get used to his humble new role whether he likes it or not.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Elton Brand Rides The Pine

Monta Ellis led the way with 37 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals. He did rack up 11 turnovers but his aggressiveness helped the Warriors — especially down the stretch. Anthony Morrow chipped in with 27, while rookie Stephen Curry had 18.

For the Mavs, Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points, ten rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jason Terry had 21 points off the bench but the only other player on the team to score at least nine points was Drew Gooden (14).

For those that don’t remember the 2007 postseason, that was the one that featured the eighth seeded Warriors defeating the top seeded Mavs. That series was perhaps the most exciting series I’ve ever watched, although neither team has really been the same since.

Monta Ellis is rounding back into form (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Mavericks Upset by Warriors … Again

On Monday night, Moped Monta scored a career-high 45 points against the Indiana Pacers. He hit 15-of-27 shots from the field and 14-of-16 shots from the line. Over the last five games, he’s averaging 35.2 points, 5.4 assists, 4 rebounds and 3.8 steals while shooting 52.3% from the floor and 82.6% from the charity stripe.

Ellis’ latest performance helped the Golden State Warriors crush the Indiana Pacers by a final score of 126-107. Anthony Morrow and CJ Watson both scored 18 points for Golden State. The Pacers were led by Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy, who both had 22 points.

Earlier in the month, rumors surfaced that Ellis wanted out of Golden State. He has been at odds with the franchise ever since the moped incident and those wounds haven’t healed. It’ll be interesting to see if this hot streak makes Ellis happier in Golden State or if it intensifies trade talk.

Monta Ellis has obviously recovered from his moped injuries (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Moped Monta Ellis is Rollin’

It was the upset of the decade, as the Mavericks had the best winning record in the league that year.

Since then however, the Warriors have failed to make the playoffs for the past two seasons. Certain questionable trades were made, with the most recent sending Stephen Jackson and Acie Law to Charlotte.

Now there’s a rumor circulating that Monta Ellis is next in line of disgruntled players

Could a trade be coming for Golden State's Monta Ellis?

Ellis has not verbally expressed his desire to be traded, but his agent Jeff Fried has left the door wide open. Fried recently told the San Francisco Chronicle, “I don’t have any trades working right now, but who is to say what might happen down the road?”

Golden State managed to pickup sharpshooter Stephen Curry in the 2009 NBA Draft. But you have to wonder how a young player will be able to grow and develop on a team that lacks continuity.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Is Golden State Looking To Trade Ellis?

Behind Jennings’ masterful performance, the Bucks beat the Golden State Warriors by a final score of 129-125. The rookie point guard got help from Andrew Bogut’s 19 points and 11 rebounds in addition to the 14 points, six assists and four rebounds from Charlie Bell.

The scoring outburst by Jennings topped Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record for points by a rookie. In fact, only Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Earl Monroe had games with more points in their rookie campaign.

After high school, Jennings spent a year in Europe. Drafted tenth overall by the Bucks, he now has to be considered the Rookie of the Year favorite. He’s averaging 25.6 points and 5.1 assists through his first seven NBA games.

Brandon Jennings is early favorite Rookie of the Year (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Rookie Brandon Jennings Scores 55 Points

According to reports, Nelson’s wife recently learned that her brother was in a serious motorcycle accident. He has since had to have a leg amputated.

Tuesday the Warriors will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers. This will be the third game between the Warriors and Lakers in the preseason. The two teams have split the other contests.

Nelson is expected to return to the sidelines by the end of the week. When he does, he faces perhaps his most daunting coaching task of his career. While his roster is talented, there are a lot of explosive personality — not to mention that Stephen Jackson, arguably his best player, wants to be traded.

Don Nelson - Golden State Warriors (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Don Nelson to Miss Game for Emergency

Playing about 10 minutes, Jackson got called for five fouls and also picked up a technical foul. He then left the bench area and retreated to the locker room.

The Warriors responded by suspending Jackson for two exhibition games. Golden State officially claims that the suspension is due to “conduct detrimental to the team”.

As it stands, the Warriors are unlikely to trade Jackson. First of all, they wouldn’t be able to get much of a return. Second of all, head coach Don Nelson really likes his game. For better or worse, expect Jackson to remain a Warrior for the time being.

Stephen Jackson Suspended (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Stephen Jackson Suspended by Warriors

Monta Ellis led the way for the Warriors by scoring 24 points and handing out eight assists. Anthony Randolph, who is starting at power forward for Golden State this season, had 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 41 minutes.

For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant (15), Andrew Bynum (19) and Pau Gasl (12) were all in double figures. The game, which was played in Los Angeles, saw the Warriors outscore the Lakers 58-43 in the second half.

While the Lakers are virtually everyone’s favorite in the Western Conference this season, the Warriors are trying to simply make it back to the playoffs. While the Warriors have talent, they have struggled with chemistry and health in recent years. If their young talent can blossom and learn to play together, they may see the postseason in 2010.

Monta Ellis - Golden State Warriors (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Lakers Dominated by Warriors

Wright has had trouble with his shoulder multiple times in his NBA career. The 22-year-old got injured again in a practice after getting hit hard on a foul. He dislocated his left shoulder and will need surgery to fix his shoulder capsule.

Last season, the 6-foot-10 forward out of North Carolina averaged 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 17.6 minutes per game. However, due to shoulder issues, he was only able to play in 39 contests.

During training camp, Warriors head coach Don Nelson said that Wright was one of the team’s best players, if not the best. It would be a big blow if Wright is indeed out for the season for a team that needs everything to go perfectly to get into the playoff hunt.

Brandan Wright needs shoulder surgery (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Brandan Wright Injury – Shoulder Surgery

In the 2008-09 season, Watson played his second season with the Warriors. He averaged 9.5 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 24.5 minutes per game. In his rookie season, Watson averaged 3.7 points per contest in 11.5 minutes.

At 6-foot-2, Watson is blessed with long arms and above average athleticism. He has good range on his jumper and he’s able to make it to the basket. While his passing and court vision are below par for the NBA level, he’s a good fit on Don Nelson’s offensive scheme.

Next year, the Warriors look to be loaded at point guard. To get playing time, Watson will have to compete with Monta Ellis and rookie Stephen Curry. It’ll be difficult for Watson to play as much as he did season due to the increased competition but he’s shown enough potential to put up a good fight.

CJ Watson - Golden State Warriors (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

C.J. Watson Re-Signed by Warriors