Yes, he’s still having surgery.

Yes, he still could be out for the year.

No, we won’t know until he has surgery.

BELL: “That wasn’t done for any other reason than I wanted to try and help and see what my hand was going to do one last time before I made a decision. I came into the league with a lot of vets. You played through an injury if you could. (Wednesday night), I felt like I had a responsibility to try to help.”

Wednesday, Bell decided to hit the court one more time. Not only did he want to help out the team, which was finishing out a back-to-back with a depleted roster, he also wanted to test out his wrist one more time. The last time he played was Saturday vs. Portland, after he which he told the Bobcats trainers that it wasn’t working out (him playing through the injury) and that he thought he would have to have surgery.

Of course, since then, he was traded to the Warriors and he had three days of rest and thinking.

BELL: “First, it’s hard to sit there and watch when you know a team is as undermanned as we are. Secondly, I was hoping to get out there and [the injury] would be okay. Part of me in the back of my mind had a lot of high hopes for it.”

After the game, Bell sat with a huge bag of ice on his left wrist. It was obvious to him he still needed the surgery. Shooting wasn’t a problem. Bell was 4-for-6 from the field. He knocked down all three of this 3-pointers, all from the corner with ease.

But there were too many other things he couldn’t do. He couldn’t stick his hand in the mix to go for steals or strips. He couldn’t use his left forearm for leverage while playing defense or to steer his man the way he wanted to go. He couldn’t rebound like he wanted to (once he went up with his right hand, his left hand he kept down, strapped to his hip).

Still, his teammates were impressed.

MORROW: “That meant a lot for me. That shows a lot right now. He wanted to be with his teammates. It’s a reflection of the kind of person he is, a ride or die kind of guy. We definitely need that. Everybody kind of needs to rally around each other and play hard for each other, show a lot of heart, a lot of courage, lot of character. I appreciated that.”

RANDOLPH: “He’s a real team player. He’s been cheering us on, and just to be able to come out there and play knowing we need extra bodies out there and not sit there on the bench even though you have an excuse, that shows a lot of character. To have a guy who just got here to show that he wants to be that much of a teammate, that means a lot.”

Even Monta, who said he didn’t know about Raja when he heard the Warriors had acquired him.

ELLIS: “That surprised the mess out of me. I saw him sitting down. Then to see him take his uniform off and go in the game, it was like, ‘Heeeey.’ He went out and did a great job actually. He knocked down a couple shots. Rebounded. Defended well. For him to go out and do that, that says a lot. That’s a great vet. Once he gets going and gets healthy, ain’t no telling what we can do.”

*************************

Talked with Ray Allen before the game about Anthony Morrow, the league’s latest hot young shooter. Nelson said before the game that he compares Morrow to Ray Allen.

NELLIE: “He doesn’t have Ray’s other attributes yet, but he’s working hard at them. I’d like to see them shoot a game of HORSE or 21 or something.”

Safe to say Shuttlesworth wasn’t impress. He made some good points. I’m sure he’s heard it all about shooters who come into the league and being compared to him. He took a wait and see approach.

RAY ALLEN: “It’s hard to really put the stamp down on any body (as the real deal) in this league. Even myself. Comparisons are always done based on how well you’ve done it and how long you’ve done it. Because there is a lot of talent in the league. But when you see somebody doing it every day, night in and night out, that’s when the stamp of approval is given.”

“People used to always tell me when I was young, ‘Stay healthy. Take care of yourself.’ I think that’s the true understanding of whether somebody’s going to be really legitimate.”

I asked Ray if he thought it was impressive that a rookie finished the season with the best 3-point percentage. He said, after a long pause, not really.

What is impressive to Ray is a shooter who can keep it up. He said percentages are often dictated by outside things like how your team plays (or whether you’re a rookie no one knows who gets a lot of open shots because defenses leave you alone). In other words, Morrow can’t be in the conversation until he shows how he handles adversity.

Already, Morrow is finding it harder to get off his shot. Partly because opposing defenses know who he is and are closing out on him or not leaving him. As a result, Morrow is pump-faking a lot because he isn’t getting the looks he once did (and also because he’s eager to show that he’s improved that area of his game).

Allen said that is the mark of a true shooter. How he handles being on the NBA scouting report.

ALLEN: “That’s a moment everybody has. When the league figures you out and you have to find a counter move, they start talkinga bout your weaknesses. When you’re young, you don’t have a weakness because you don’t have a strength. Once they know know who you are, they take away things and you’ve got to find something else to be effective. Getting to the basket. Scoring in transition. Simple plays. Scoring sometimes without your play getting called.”

“Most of the best shooters I’ve seen became effective shooting the ball in a tight space, shooting the ball with a hand in your face. You’re more likely to have a hand in your face than not. So most of the best shooters in the league shoot great with somebody in their face and the open shots, the ones where you have too much time, those are the ones that seem to throw you off. That’s what end up having to learn to adjust to.”

Here’s the part you may find most encouraging. I told Morrow what Ray Allen said. He pretty much agreed with Allen, who is Morrow’s basketball idol. In no way does Morrow think he’s arrived. He was almost happy to hear Ray Allen’s perspective.

**************************************************

You may have noticed rookie guard Stephen Curry with his right wrist bandaged. He said he hurt it in Tuesday’s game. It was still sore Wednesday, so he had it taped.

He said it wasn’t the reason for his game-high six turnovers. That he credited to Boston’s length and activeness on defense. He did say it was bothering his shot, which is why he took it off to start the third quarter.

Curry finished 4 of 10 for  13 points. He made 1 of 4 from 3-point range.

**********************************

Radmanovic had a whirlwind last two games. He fits right in with the Warriors. He likes to shoot, he doesn’t play much defense (see how easy KG scored on him) and he’s prone to turnovers.

Vlad played 63 minutes over two games. He was 9-for-20 from the field (and that is after knocking down his first three shots as a Warrior), including 2-for-9 from 3-poing range. He also had 10 rebounds and seven turnovers.

It figures he’ll be better when he gets some practice time under his belt, which won’t get until after Friday’s game vs. Portland. He fills one of Nellie’s two needs: he can shoot, which spreads the floor; and he’s big, which means he can at least get in the way inside.

Not sure I am convinced he should be starting over Anthony Randolph, but I’ll wait and see first. If he can knock down shots and not turn the ball over, that would be enough at this point.

*************************

Forgot about this gem of contradiction.

NELLIE: “I can forgive my young guys for making some turnovers. You know, they’re going to have to learn and they’re going to make some errors. I understand that. The veteran turnovers, the unforced turnovers – that, I have a hard time with – certainly not a rookie or second year guy making a turnover.”

***************************************

Also forgot to mention the third quarter sputter. The Warriors got outplayed in the third again. This time, they were outscored 31-19.

In the Warriors eight losses, they have been outscored 248-172 in the third quarter, an average of 31-21.5.

NELL: “We’ve been terrible all year. Very few games do we come out in the third quarter like we do at the beginning of the game. And I don’t have an answer for you why. But we’ve got to get better in the third quarter. We were right there the whole game if we just play in the third quarter.”

Oddly enough, or not, it was Maggette, the 11-year veteran, who made two of the crucial turnovers. The other was a dribbling oops by Steph Curry, which led to a jump ball with LeBron James.

In the Warriors locker room, though, most of the focus was on the fact that they were in the game at all, which seemed to come as a surprise to the Warriors. They gave a spirited effort against a Cavs team that was sleep-walking and without Shaq.

Tonight, they have to do the same thing at Boston. But the Celtics have lost two straight and should be hungry.

“Did you have to remind me of that,” Monta Ellis said jokingly.

*************************

There was quite a bit of scuttle before the game about Monta Ellis wanting to leave, about the Warriors shopping him, about a meeting this week between Ellis’ agent and Warriors’ brass.

Here is the Warriors’ response to all of the reports:

About the meeting …

* It has not been set, Riley said. There is no guarantee it will even happen. The way it was described to me, Jeff Fried (Monta’s agent) called Larry Riley and said he was in town and wanted to meet. Fried is a co-promoter for Andre Ward and the Warriors are helping out with the PR. So Fried is in town and Riley accepted the meeting because he said it is routine to meet with his players’ agents when they’re in town. He met with Steph Curry’s agent recently (which if I am correct is his father, Dell  Jeff Austin). He met with Bill Duffy, Anthony Randolph’s agent. It is protocol.

It goes without saying that these meetings aren’t just about catching up, as perhaps is implied. Certainly, Randolph and his people are unhappy with his role and his minutes. (To be sure, some members of the organization are a little befuddled that he’s been reduced to the fourth-string center)

I’m told the Warriors are expecting some concerns to be raised by Fried, and they wouldn’t be surprised if he asked them to trade Monta. This Ellis kid is most-certainly an issue.

ELLIS: “That was the first time I heard it, before the game. … I don’t know what the meetings about.”

“Like I said, I play for the Warriors. I just heard that tonight. That’s my first time hearing it. Whatever they meeting about, they meeting about. I don’t know what it is. It’s a possibility we could be trying to move somebody in. Y’all think it’s moving somebody out. I don’t know what it is.”

“I realize people gone talk. That’s freedom of speech. They can say what they want to say. Like I said, I don’t read the players so I won’t let it get to me. I’m not feeding into it. If they talk, they talk.”

About the shopping of Ellis …

* I am convinced, thanks to a few insiders, that the Warriors dangled Monta Ellis in trade talks. He is certainly not untouchable. But I’m told it’s not because they want to get rid of Ellis specifically. He just happens to be perhaps their best asset. So in their quest to land a difference maker, he’s on the table.

Now, a few in the organization are telling me that Monta needs to get his act together or he could be shipped. They certainly don’t want him to become the next Stephen Jackson.

RILEY: “We’re business as usual. Is Monta unhappy right now.? We’re 3-6. So he’s not a happy guy. There are a lot of guys in there that aren’t. We’ve got a chance to resurrect things here and to push things in the right direction and that’s got to be our focus. Would we trade somebody? Hell yes. We’re 3-6 and I’d be stupid not to look at improving this team. Are we going to have a fire sale on somebody? No. We’re not doing that. Are we always going to be looking at our roster? I sure am.”

Ellis did say he has “no problems” with Nellie.

************************

LeBron James gave Stephen Curry a longer-than-usual talk after the game. It was clear from James’ hand gestures that he was telling Curry to have tunnel vision. As one of the game’s premier passers, safe to assume he wasn’t talking about on the court.

CURRY: “He told me to just stay focused and keep getting better every day. Just block out whatever’s going on outside of what I can control.”

*************************

Of everyone who saw action, Anthony Randolph got the fewest minutes. Fewer than Vladimir Radmanovic. Fewer than Mikki Moore. Something is just simply wrong with that.

**************************

Morrow had a chance to tie the game at 109 with a 3-pointer with 2:20 left. He got a good look certainly. He had just made one less than a minute earlier, too.

With that, it still is somewhat befuddling the lack of shots he gets. He made 5 of 7 in the first half and was 6-for-10 in 35 minutes. Only Mikki Moore took fewer shots (5-for-6). Vlad had 12 shots in 34 minutes. Randolph had 11 in 25. Maggette had 16 in 32. Monta was 9-for-23 in 46 minutes.

It is no doubt partly Morrow’s fault. He fakes himself out of so many shots. Part of it is because defenses knows who he is and are closing out hard. Part of it is because he’s been working on creating off the dribble and that’s the mode he’s in often. But part of it, I think, is because he knows he’s only getting a few looks, so he’s got to make them, which means he needs to have an optimum look. I guess that’s good for a Warriors squad who doesn’t know what a bad shot looks like.

********************

Raja Bell is having surgery. They won’t know how long he’s out until they go in and see. If the tear of his ligament is slight, they will repair it and he will be out 4 or 5 weeks. If it is severely torn, they will repair it and he will have to be out 4 or 5 months.

The Warriors knew this. They would’ve done the trade even if they knew he was out.

RILEY: “I’m happy with the trade. I know what I went through. I know what the market was. And I like Raja Bell. If he can play, it’s a plus for us. We will determine in the next few days what is going to happen with him.”

Raja said he decided to have the surgery before he was traded. He said after playing Saturday against Portland, his fifth game playing with the torn ligament in his left wrist, he said he knew he couldn’t go full bore, especially on defense, so he had told the trainers he was going to have the surgery. He will meet with an hand specialist in Charlotte area on Monday to schedule his surgery.

Being an expiring contract, Bell needs to play. It will be much tougher for him to earn a deal if he misses the entire season. So, certainly, he didn’t take the decision lightly. I don’t think he decided to have the surgery because he’s on a bad team and doesn’t want to be with the Warriors. But, I hardly know the guy so I could be wrong.

BELL:  “My game requires me to be able to grab and push, the unsavory thing. “Those are the things that I think make teams want me. So it was weight heavy on my mind.”

**************************

Word out of Cleveland is that the Cavs were not happy Jackson went to Charlotte. They wanted him pretty bad. But they wanted too much.

The Cavs were offering Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, who is a free agent and would’ve had to be signed and traded. Neither would’ve played. The Warriors do not want Delonte West and would have told him to stay home. They don’t want to get rid of Jack and bring in another potential headache. And Szczerbiak isn’t even healthy right now. Plus, the Cavaliers wanted a first-round pick, though they probably would’ve backed off if the Warriors pressed.

Problem is, the Warriors didn’t need to press because of Charlotte’s offer.

What did you think when you found out?

“(laughs) It was amazing to me. I couldn’t believe it at first. It is what it is, man. I’m gonna miss him. We gonna miss him. I went to see him before he left. It seemed like he was happy. As long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”

How tough will it be to lose one of your best players?

“It was tough when we had him. (laughs) Losing him, it’s going to be tough.  But we’ve got to find a way to get through it, man. I wish him the best. Now, it’s on us. That’s what they wanted, so they got it.”

Will you have to do more to make up for the loss?

“I’m not (going to) put no more on my back. Somebody else gonna have to step up. I’m not gonna do more, somebody else gonna have to step up and take on the role that Jack had and be that player. But I’m not putting no more extra on my back.”

Do you feel a need to be more vocal?

“Nope. Uh, uh. Not at all”

What do you guys lose with Jack gone?
 

“No. 1, besides his scoring and the ability to make the extra pass. What we’ve been emphasizing the whole time is defense. That’s one of our best defenders on the team. And we’re trying to get better as a defensive team. And now, who we got now that’s going to play defense? We got me. And who else?”

Raja Bell is a good defender

“I don’t know too much about dude. I mean (pause) it’s crazy, man.”

Jack was your best friend on the team. Will you bond with another teammate?

“I’m close to all my teammates. I’m still gonna do what we do. We’re going to hang out the way we’ve been hanging out. It ain’t going to be no different. We lost one of our close friends. That’s it. But, hey, life goes on. I’mma talk to him every day. He’s going to talk to me every day. Still going to be like he’s here. So I’m not tripping. Like I said, as long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”

So you’re happy. OK. Cool.

“I’m happy that he’s happy, yeah.”

But you’re not happy?

Yeah. I just said I’m happy that he’s happy. (Laughs)

What’s going to be the key going forward?

“Our young guys gotta pay more attention and learn the game more. They probably need to watch more film and sit back and really evaluate the game more, and better.”

Happy about the trade?

JACKSON: “I’m happy because it gives me a chance to compete, it gives me a chance to be where I want to be and that’s the playoffs where I belong. I don’t belong being at home at the end of April, watching the playoffs. I belong in the playoffs and I have a good chance here with a great team, a team that competes, and the type of coach I like — who has your back. If a coach has my back, I don’t mind giving 110 percent for him.”

How badly did you want to be out of Golden State?

“I wanted to be out pretty bad. Things were going bad and I was getting blamed for everything. I wasn’t seeing eye-to-eye with the team. I got fined in preseason for one-hundred-and-some thousand. It was a lot of things that I didn’t agree with going on from when I got there. We made history by beating Dallas in the first round. Then things started getting worse and winning stopped being a priority. Once winning stopped being a priority, I didn’t want to be a part of it.”

Describe the decline of the Warriors

“It started when we got rid of Jason Richardson and then the next thing you know, it was Baron (Davis) And then it was Al Harrington and Matt Barnes. The team that we had when we made that run, that beat Dallas in the first round, went South. Once it started doing that, I didn’t want to be a part of it.

“As great as we played — the Warriors hadn’t been in the playoffs in 13 years — if you want to break that team up, obviously winning is not your priority.”

The Bobcats have never been to the playoffs. Can you handle them not making the playoffs this season?

“Yeah, because I know the effort and attitude is there. Any time you have a guy running the team like Rod Higgins — who I know well, that’s the reason I went to Golden State — those guys are competitors and they want to win. Those are the type of people I want running a team that I play for.”

The Warriors get three things they wanted in this deal: move Jackson, save money, players who can help.

Jackson heads to the Eastern Conference and doesn’t help keep the Warriors out of the playoffs. Plus, guard Monta Ellis gets to take over the leadership role without Jackson’s influence (something the organization was worried about).

The Warriors save about $5 million next year, more than $21 million overall. Raja Bell has one year left on his deal (this year) for $5.25 million, so the Warriors gain $3 million in expiring contracts (as Law has one year left for $2.2 million). Vladimir Radmanovic has this year for $6.5 million and a player option for next year at $6.88 million. So next year, when Jax was slated to make $8.45 million, the Warriors will be paying $1.6 million less than originally planned. Not to mention, the Warriors are completely free of the $19.32 million Jackson was set to earn in 2011-12, 2012-13. All totaled, that’s a savings of roughly $21 million, plus the $3 million extra in expiring contracts they got.

Plus, considering their lack of healthy bodies, the Warriors get two guys who can help. Raja Bell even plays defense. The Warriors will need them to play in Cleveland. They’re down to seven players, six if C.J. Watson can’t play.

Guys have big games against the Warriors all the time. But this time, it was a huge number. This time it was a by a rookie point guard, one they could have drafted. The significance can not go understated.

* Most points by a rookie since Earl “The Pearl” dropped 56 in an OT game on Feb. 13, 1968.

* Most points by a player under 21 since LeBron scored 56 in March, 2005.

* Most points by a Bucks rookie, topping Kareem’s 51 on Feb. 21, 1970

* He was a 3-pointer shy – he made 7 of 8 – of tying Wilt’s record for most points by a rookie ever. (Rick Barry had 57 at New York as a rookie in Dec. of 1965

* That was the fifth-most points ever scored against the Warriors.  Elgin Baylor had 63 in triple OT (Dec. ‘61). Wilt had 62 (when he was with Philly, March ‘66). Downtown Freddie Brown had 58 (March ‘74). Tom Chambers (Feb. ‘90) and Karl Malone (April ‘98) each had 56.

Some class Jennings is in.

ACIE LAW: “We were at his mercy. There was nothing we could do.”

Actually, there was something the Warriors could have done.

But, first, for those who didn’t see it …

So, as great as Jennings was, it was largely due to the Warriors’ ineptitude on defense. Surely, they got caught in the moment, like deer in headlights. But Nellie couldn’t push the right buttons to get this guy off his game.

He was 4-for-13 at the half with 10 points. But he noticed a flaw in the Warriors’ defense.

JENNINGS: “The Warriors kept going under the screens and in the first half, I wasn’t taking advantage of it. In the second half, I thought they were going to keep going under screens and I am just going to shoot it until it goes into the basket and luckily I hit the first two and it seemed like the rim kept getting bigger and bigger and I couldn’t miss.”

So, what could the Warriors have done? Chase him off the line! Go above the screen, force him to drive and make someone else, you know, someone for whom the rim doesn’t look like an ocean, beat you by making shots. Jennings made 21 of 34 shots (61.8 percent). Clearly anyone else shooting the ball is a better option. Run a trap at him if you have to.

Another thing the Warriors could’ve done? Knock him on his backside. Is that too old school? (where is Matt Barnes when you need him) Once Jax got matched up with Jennings on a switch. He smothered him and bodied him. Curry did the same on a couple of occasions and it worked. Or, just hit him with hard foul, try to break his rhythm.

JACKSON:  “We could have been more aggressive on him and get the ball out of his hands. You can’t let anybody in this league come off the pick-and-roll and hit pull up shots. You’ve got make him uncomfortable and make him do something he’s not used to doing.”

The Warriors, though, were playing defense with pride. Nellie was assigning one guy to try and stay and front. And they were switching screens. They played right into his hands. Jennings is to quick and crafty for an average-at-best defender to stay in front of. And he’s way too quick for the forward who’s supposed to hold him up for a second while the guard gets back to Jennings by going under the screen.

What makes this so crazy is that Jennings had 10 at half time – all in the second quarter. So had 55 in three quarters. He made 12 straight in the third quarter. His 29 points was the most ever scored against the Warriors in a quarter. Voshon, with Denver then, went for 26 in a quarter at Oracle in 2003. He finished with 38. I remember that game. He was hot, but he had nothing on Jennings.

Remember, this was Jenning’s seventh career game.

NELSON: “Well, what a performance. Holy smokes. I think that’s probably the best rookie performance I’ve ever witnessed in my 30-some years of coaching. We tried to handle him every way possible, really.”

Well, not really.

*************************

The other major occurrence on Saturday came with 17.7 seconds left on the clock.

Monta Ellis had nailed a 3-pointer to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 124-121 with 29.3 seconds left. The Warriors forced a back-court violation. Down 3, Nellie put Morrow in the game. Moments later, Maggette scored a lay-up to make the score 124-123 Bucks with 19.4 seconds left.

Luke Ridnour was fouled intentionally and missed the second free throw, setting the Warriors up for a chance to steal the game. After a timeout, the Warriors had a set-up of Morrow and Maggette, who had been effective out of the high post, on the right side.

Morrow, who faked a 3-pointer (he must’ve pump-faked himself out of 10 looks Saturday night, like he’s scared to shoot) and gave it to Maggette. Ridnour, who was guarding Morrow, collapsed onto Maggette, who then passed the ball back out to Morrow. Ridnour closed well, but Morrow, after a dribble, jacked up a 3-pointer that banked off the back rim. Jennings grabbed the rebound with 10.3 seconds left and was fouled.

Yup, all that — bringing t took 7.4 seconds. Sounds rushed, huh? It was.

Nellie said the play was designed to get a look at a 3-pointer. But if it wasn’t there, the ball was supposed to go to Monta and have him drive to the basket. But Morrow said he was thinking “go for the win” all the way. This is what happens when the best shooter on the team gets 3 shots in 20 minutes, and then is put in the game down the stretch when you need a basket – he feels like he has to make something happen.

MORROW: “Obviously it was a tough shot. It was a contested shot but I felt like on a fake and pass to Corey, when I came back off, I felt like I had a good look. It was a tough situation coming off the bench in that situation. I thank God coach has enough confidence in me to give me that last shot.”

“I was thinking ‘get the win.’ But at the time, that was the best shot … That’s a shot I would shoot if it was in the middle of the second or third quarter. That was a normal shot.”

“(Ridnour) recovered back, but at the same time, that was the best look I was going to get in the situation, maybe the best look we were going to get in the possession. Just try to take the best shot possible. I don’t like to take bad shots. Obviously, people know that. I try to play within the offense. I felt like it was a good shot. Just missed it.”

Monta Ellis is making $11 million a year and has been pretty good at getting to the cup and getting a good look. He certainly did Saturday, scoring 26 on 11-for-19 shooting. Corey Maggette is making $10 a year and was in a nice rhythm. He even knocked down a couple threes, totaling 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting with 4 assists. Jackson wasn’t on Saturday (21 points on 8-for-17 shooting), but he’s experienced in the situation of making plays down the stretch. Stephen Curry is a rookie, but he’s the best thing the Warriors have as far as a true point guard. C.J. Watson made plenty big shots for the Warriors last year, most of which he got for himself (he was sick Saturday night, however).

So why in the world is Morrow being asked to make a decision and a play? Why put the ball in his hands and ask him to weigh the options and make the right play? I don’t fault Morrow so much for not knowing the right thing to do in that situation. He did what he knows how to do. Shoot. But what happened to putting players in the best situation to succeed? I can see the designed play having him on the finishing end. But having him create the shot?

Maybe Morrow went rogue. Maybe he was supposed to give it up and didn’t. But why is he in that position. Seems like he should be spotting up while someone else creates his shot for him.

I think Jackson agrees.

JACKSON: “All I know is that I’m one of the best scorers on the team, and I was taking the ball out. That’s all I know. My job was to pass the ball inbounds. When you’re in the huddle at the end of the game, you pay attention to what you’re supposed to do. You don’t want to be the one who messes up. My job was to get the ball inbounds, and I did a great job.”

*********************

Say what you want about Curry, but he showed some life Saturday. He clearly wasn’t in Jennings’ stratosphere. But he went at Jennings, even ripped him once. Curry was 6-for-9 with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, a turnover and a block in 26 minutes. Not a bad stat line. The 5  fouls is becoming typical, however. But if he is going to be on the court, and thrive, he’s going to have to return to be more than just a distributor on offense.

*********************

Monta Ellis went 3-for-4 from the line. The last time he made 3-pointers in a game was Nov. 6, 2007. He was 3-for-4 from 3 in a home loss to Cleveland. He’s made a 3-pointers in a game six times in his career.

Azubuike drove the lane with just over nine minutes left and wound up falling on his back hard. He tried to jump towards the basket but his knee gave out. He immediately reached for his knee and stared at it in shock. From the courtside media view, it looked like his knee cap was off to the side (which suggests a dislocated knee cap).

Azubuike had to be wheel-barreled off the court, his hand shielding his face. The somber of his teammates confirmed the severity of the injury. Azubuike did not go to the hospital. He had his knee imaged at the Bradley Center. It has not been determined how long how long he will be out.

Quick research online shows that a dislocated patella takes about 3 to 5 months to heal. If Azubuike ruptured his patellar tendon, which is the ligament that connects the quadriceps to the shin, he’ll need surgery to repair it. According to some related Web sites, his knee would be casted for six weeks followed by weeks of rehab.

Curry is beloved in New York, and he is needed, and judging by the way Chris Duhon is looking these days, he wouldn’t have to worry about being humiliated by a coach who blindsided him with a bench-warming session.

Everybody knows Curry really wanted to play in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd. Everybody knows he was looking forward to it. And if you didn’t know it, you could tell by the increasing frustration he tried to swallow with each passing minutes.

The hard part for Curry was that he had no idea. He was expecting to play, perhaps even to put up a big game. Next thing you know, his warm-up was still on and the first half was almost done.

I know rookies are just rookies, but it seems Nellie didn’t do team chemistry any favors by how he handled the situation. It would’ve almost been better to just not play him at all. But to reduce him to the scrub at the end of the bench who the crowd solicits in blowout games, that was kind of cold. I’ve been that guy before, so I know the feeling.

Curry hasn’t been playing well, to be sure. But he’s never been that guy. Ever. In the family section after the game, he walked up to some people he knew. And you could hear some sweet older woman say, “Well it’s okay. There’ll be other games for you to play.”

Ouch.

To be sure, Nellie made the right call. Not by benching Curry the entire game, per se. But he pushed the right button by getting C.J. some action. I don’t think there is a problem with Curry not playing much if he’s not playing well or someone’s playing better. I don’t think he has a problem with it either. I do think it would’ve been a good move if he pulled Curry aside and communicate with him a little. Dare I say coddle.

I get it, he’s a rookie millionaire. He’s supposed to take what the coach gives him and smile. Well, he did that. Curry issued a few relatively zinging comments, but all in all he sounded like the upstanding rookie who knows his role.

But from an organizational standpoint, especially with the Warriors’ history, it seems like this is the time, while he’s a rookie to … wait for it … curry favor with him (been waiting to use that). Because one day, Curry won’t be a humble rookie. If the Warriors are right in their assessment, he’ll be a star point guard with all the power. And if he doesn’t feel good about where he is, he’ll bolt.

No question about it, the Knicks would be coddling him. You could tell he loved the treatment he received in New York. I bet D’Antoni would’ve put his arm around Curry at shootaround and all but apologized for the fact that he wasn’t going to play him much. Even offered to pick an injury as a reason for him not playing. And if he didn’t do it, Donny Walsh might’ve.

It just seems the Warriors keep dropping the ball on these opportunities, in denial that this is a players’ league and you have to take care of your players. I know some of you out there are inherently anti-players, but if you look at the state of the Warriors now, part of the reason for all this is, for whatever reason, players feel like this organization does not have their best interest at heart.

Not that they don’t need tough love. Some, especially who are acting wayward, need to have the law laid down. But Curry isn’t that guy. So why risk creating a bitterness in the guy who could be the face of the franchise.

Anyway, here is the transcript of the postgame with Curry (talked to him after the NY media devoured him). You could tell he wasn’t happy, especially not with David Lee:

Did you know you weren’t going to play much?

“I didn’t hear I wasn’t going to play or whatever. I just came in with the same attitude I’ve come in with every game to this point. Just ready for my name to be called to get off the bench and play some minutes. We were playing so well the whole game, I think he didn’t want to change things up.”

I know the team won, but how does it feel to watch the game from the bench?

“It sucks. It sucks. You don’t want to be sitting and watching. Especially how the season started, it’s kind of a different situation. Hopefully I won’t get used to it. We’ll see what happens.”

Would you rather have gotten a DNP than come ine for short stretches with too little time to get into rhythm?

“I have no say over that part, so it doesn’t really matter. Fans here are pretty supportive, chanting the name and all that. That was cool to hear.”

Ever been the scrub at the end of the bench who gets the sympathy cheer?

“First for me. (laughs) That’s a first.”

Does this taint your New York experience?

“We got a win. That’s why we’re here. So you just gotta take it in stride and keep moving. I still had fun when I came here and the atmosphere was great.”

What did it mean to have NY fans cheer for you?

“It meant a lot. You like to have fans that support you, even if you’re not playing. Just to see you get in and dribble the ball a couple of times. I had fun doing it and I hope they continue to support.”

Did you take your frustration out on David Lee? (NOTE: At the end of the game, Curry blocked a Lee layup. You could see him look back and say something to Curry, then the two had words on the other end of the court)

“It was good that it was at my belly button so I could just [makes swatting gesture]. (Laughs)

Did he tell you good block?

“He was mad because when I blocked it, I was like ‘Gimmie that.’ And he thought it was disrespect some how. But he woulda done the same thing. Then he came up in my face. I didn’t think that was necessary at that point in the game.”

Do you have any sense of what you need to do to get back to playing a lot?

“Just keep doing what I’m doing. They haven’t told me I’m doing anything wrong to this point. I’ll ask questions because I hate this feeling. But I come in and work every day. I work hard. I try to learn. I take practice seriously. So I’ve got to keep doing that and be patient.”

You expect to play in Milwaukee?

“I don’t know. Depends on how coach is feeling. I don’t know what his exact reason was for the change of minutes for me. … Right now, I’m just happy we got the win and I’ll ask questions tomorrow.”

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Nelson tried to deflate the questions about Curry with jokes. He is usually pretty funny, but they bombed with the New York audience. Pregame:

Why is Curry not starting anymore?

“I took him out of the starting lineup because he doesn’t have any tattoos.”

Crickets.

“In fact he doesn’t have any tattoos. How can a guy start in the NBA with no tattoos.”

Not even the sympathy laugh. It was awkward. So awkward, Nellie tried the line again during post-game. Like I said, Nellie is usually pretty funny. Friday wasn’t his night.

How do you keep Stephen Curry from being demoralized by playing just two minutes?

“He’s got to get some tattoos, I told you. He can’t play until he gets some tattoos. I’m just kidding. This is the first time we haven’t used him. He’s got to understand that other guys were playing great tonight. There’ll be other times for him to play.”

Listening to it over, there might’ve been a sympathy laugh in there. Maybe it was a hiccup. Curry does have a tattoo on his left wrist below his palm. The letters TCC and the number 30.

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Because it is old news now, I won’t get too much into the details of the game. The Knicks are terrible. Instead, will let you know I talked to team president Robert Rowell, who categorically refuted the CBSSportsline.com piece that says Nelson could be off the bench and become a consultant soon.

ROWELL: “It’s hard to comment on an article when I have never had a discussion with the person who wrote it. It is complete nonsense.”

“We do plan on meeting when the road trip ends, but it has nothing do with that.”

Rowell would not comment on the purpose of the meeting. But his account confirms what I’ve heard from other team sources I trust: there are no plans to remove Nelson.

That doesn’t however, rule out the possibility of Nelson asking to be a consultant at this coming meeting. I think, and this is just my opinion, the Warriors would oblige – if Nelson walked away from the money he’s due.

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Oh yeah, a clarification on the Randolph situation.

Friday at New York, he totaled just shy of seven minutes of action.  He played 4:24 in the first half. He checked in with 5:40 left in the third. On one offensive possession, he was out of place and had to be pointed in the right direction. The next time down, he drew a foul and made both free throws. Then Maggette checked in for him at the 4:18 mark.

Randolph, in obvious disgust, walked to the bench and tossed the ball over his head in the air (it landed on C.J. Watson’s head). Randolph walked to the end of the bench and shouted some words towards the coaches before sitting down. Moments later, assistant coach Keith Smart walked to the end of the bench to talk to Randolph, calming him down. Randolph didn’t return to action until the last 35.1 seconds of the game.

So what was all that about? It began in Indiana. Randolph her his shoulder blocking a shot. He played through it. Friday, when he drew that foul, he tweaked his shoulder again, and the bench saw him favoring it some. So they took him out of the game, especially since they didn’t need him as the Knicks went small, too.

Nellie gave Randolph a low five as he came off the court and told him that they noticed he hurt his shoulder. Randolph obviously disagreed with the decision. He thought his shoulder wasn’t nearly hurt enough to keep him off the court and he wanted to stay in.

After the game, Randolph said “my shoulder is perfect.” It was hard to tell which was which at first, because Nellie has been known to give a guy he didn’t play a phantom injury, and Randolph has been known to downplay an injury to get on the court.

But before Saturday’s game at the Bucks, Randolph admitted he did tweak his shoulder but said it was fine and he could’ve kept playing.

ELLIS: “Coach. Why do I get blamed for everything?”

NELSON: “What have I ever blamed you for?”

ELLIS: “For everything. For everything. For people not knowing the plays. I didn’t do this. I didn’t that.”

Nelson waved both hands at Ellis, as if to brush him off, and walked off shaking his head.

Ellis: “See. That’s why I won’t do it. I just won’t do it.”

Ellis declined to comment after practice, so I have no idea what he won’t do.

Jackson played 17:56 in the loss to Indiana, where he once played before putting them in the very same situation the Warriors are in now. Jax sat the entire second and fourth quarters. This is a weird situation all around. Here’s how it went down.

Nellie said before the game that Jackson’s hip was bothering him (he also said Corey Maggette’s hamstring was going to keep him out of the lineup. Maggette said after the game his hamstring almost did keep him out). So when Jackson plays just the first 5:56 of the game and sits the rest of the half, the reason was obvious. The hip.
So, I ran into Jackson in the tunnel during halftime.

You’re hip is bothering you?

JACKSON:
No? (confused look on his face) Why would you say my hip is bothering me?

Nellie said before the game that your hip is bothering you. That’s not why you were sitting?

JACKSON: (the confused look turns to a smirk) “Ain’t nothing wrong with my hip.”

Jackson plays all of the third quarter. When the quarter ends, he plops on the bench. He looks at Rusty Simmons and I and says (I’m reading his lips because I can’t hear) “Do I look hurt?”
After the game, the question comes to Nellie.

Was Jackson not playing well? Is that why you didn’t play him much?

NELLIE: “He’s got a sore back or something. I didn’t think he was moving very well. I didn’t think he moved very well in practice this morning. So I didn’t expect that he was going to give me very much. But he gave me what he had.”

So, the next obvious question is directed towards Jackson.

Did you feel limited at all out there?

JACKSON: “Limited minutes, yeah.”

Is your back bothering you?

JACKSON: “I’m fine. I’ve got a scratch. That’s all it is. My back is not sore at all.”

Is it disappointing not to get to play much in a place where you used to play?

JACKSON: “Regardless of where I’m at, I want to play. I have no control over that, but I want to play, regardless of if I’m in Africa or wherever. I know I could have done more than I did tonight. … Everybody know what the situation is. I know a lot of people expected to see me blow up when he took me out the game earlier. For what? It is what it is. Like I said, I’m going to always respect coach. I’m just going to do my job until things change.”

Not sure Nellie’s motives. Maybe he just didn’t want to say Jax was playing poorly, so as not to set him off. Certainly, news of a back injury won’t help his trade value.

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Curry has been demoted from the starting lineup.
Nellie said he wanted more size in the game. Curry said Nellie’s reason was that Morrow had been playing well and the team showed Monday it can move the ball without him in the lineup.

NELLIE: “If I’m small at center, then I’m small at (shooting) guard, there are too many holes. He’s been struggling for the last three or four games for whatever reason. So I thought maybe just let him relax, come off the bench and play. He was pretty good, especially in the fourth quarter.”

CURRY: “Anthony Morrow, coach told me, is playing very well and he wants him in the starting lineup, especially based on last game when they were moving the ball very well without me in there. So he thought that would be a better lineup to start. I’m guessing it’ll be for a couple of games, maybe, to see how it works. I don’t expect to start next game. Just put it that way.”


“It’s tough when you sit on the bench. Lot of thoughts run through your head. You’ve just got to stay focused. Stay in the game. Not really get down on yourself because you’re not in the game.”

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