Golden State Warriors San Jose Exhibition: Lowdown on the Showdown

The Warriors of past and present stormed the South Bay on Saturday night for the Bay Area's first NBA exhibition game since the lockout. In front of a packed house at the San Jose Events Center, a mash-up of ex-Warriors on the "We Believe" team went up against a group of "The Dubs" from today's roster.

In the end, new school trumped old school in a game where both teams combined to score over 300 points in true Warrior fashion. 

Though the exhibition dished out thrills from start to finish, most would argue that it's impossible to take away anything concrete from a game best suited for the blacktop. While this may be true, there were several developments worth noting for die-hard Dubs fans. 

The Rules Don’t Apply to B-Diddy

Though limited effort on the part of the players probably didn't warrant it, there were actual referees on hand to call the action. OK, maybe they were rent-a-refs, but whistles were blown and basic rules were enforced.

Did Baron Davis care? No. Why? Because he’s Baron Davis. He can stroll into lockout meetings as a lumberjack, he can show up in street clothes to a game he should have played in, and finally, he can account for the play of the game without even playing in it.  

In the waning moments of the exhibition, Baron was given the ball in a seated position on the sidelines so he, hipster attire and all, could throw an alley-oop to Jason Richardson. Did the bucket count? You better believe it. 

Ekpe Udoh Isn’t Afraid to Mix It Up

Udoh was mixing it up all right. And, to the excitement of the fans in attendance, he was doing it on the court. Well, technically speaking.

Ekpe arrived to the game in street clothes, but took to the hardcourt during an extended timeout to put his new-and-improved “dougie” on display. Jeremy Lin easily had the best dougie during last year’s rookie hazing, but Ekpe redeemed himself on Saturday, holding his own in a dance battle against an unidentified opponent. 

It was a swagtastic couple of minutes for the 2010 lottery pick, but not nearly enough to make fans forget about Golden State's absurd pass on Greg Monroe in the draft. Putting up double-doubles like Monroe did in Detroit last season might do the trick.   

Certain Players Aren’t Meant for Exhibitions

While most of the players were in their element bombing threes and attempting little-to-no defense, a few guys stuck out like a sore thumb on Saturday.

Lou Amundson is a great energy guy off the bench, but in a game where hustle was at a minimum, Sweet Lou looked awkward trying to make things happen on offense.

Corey Maggette was no better without his bread and butter. Take away the motivation to draw fouls and get to the line, and you’re left with a man that looks more fit for bodybuilding than basketball. 

Charlie Bell and Ike Diogu also get honorable mentions — Bell for being a player most Dubs fans can’t recognize, and Diogu for being a player most Dubs fans would care to forget about.

Flashy Dunks Are Only for the Young Fellas

Second-round pick Jeremy Tyler wowed the Warriors faithful with several highlight-reel jams, including a pair of windmill finishes.

All game, I was praying Jason Richardson would respond with a signature slam from his dunk contest days, but the moment never came. I’m not going to sit here and complain about the power dunks that he did pull off, but it’s evident that the 30-year-old's knees have caught up to him.

Matt Barnes had no complaints letting Tyler carry the load, as the event organizer had the worst layup-to-tomahawk ratio in the game. The same could be said of Anthony Morrow, whose botched dunk attempts support the claim that he should never be allowed inside the arc. 

The Amnesty Clause Isn't a Motivator

Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Baron Davis have all been brought up as targets of the amnesty clause, a measure in the updated collective bargaining agreement where teams are allowed to cut one contract from their payroll.  

You would think that the danger of being released would motivate these ex-Dubs to push themselves harder than ever before. That is not the case from what we saw on Saturday.

Arenas bricked a frightening amount of open shots, Jamison looked arthritic in limited minutes and Baron could not mask the extra pounds he's put on in his form-fitting threads. 

Steph Is the Future, Monta Is M.I.A.

Baron Davis didn’t have much to say when he graced the microphone. But after a quick shout out to the Bay Area, he did offer up a new nickname for Stephen Curry: The Future.

What did Monta Ellis think of all this? We might never know. Monta was scheduled to play, but missed the game with what was reported as a family matter.

Though he emerged as a team leader last year under head coach Keith Smart, it’s not hard to believe all the trade speculation under Golden State's new ownership has Monta frustrated enough to skip out on his Dubs family. Is his no-show a sign of things to come? 

Fans' Love for the Dubs Borders on Insane

Warriors fans are some of the best in the NBA, and they proved it again on Saturday. Though the ending to the exhibition was largely anti-climactic, it didn’t stop Dubs fans from storming the court as if the team had just secured a playoff berth.

The rowdy crowd quickly became a mob when Stephen Curry made the split decision to give away his sneakers. In an instant, fans flocked to the kicks as if they were a ritualistic sacrifice, putting a mild-mannered Curry on the defensive.

Despite not being on the team anymore, the "We Believe" boys didn’t have it any easier. Fan-favorite Jason Richardson had to inch his way through the mass autograph-by-autograph, while Matt Barnes fled the scene by using his infant children as a security blanket.