Another game, another loss – this time to the fast paced Golden State Warriors. The big news this game was the first real significant playing time of lottery pick Jordan Hill, who showed some flashes of why he was the number eight pick in the draft. Also, Toney Douglas was curiously relegated to the bench after three 20+ point scoring games. And, last but not least, Danilo Gallinari had an excellent first half before cooling down in the second.

Future Player of The Game
Danilo Gallinari: 19 PTS, 10 REB, 7-10 FG

The Rooster showed off a variety of skills last night, with his best rebounding night of the year including two big offensive boards that he was able to put back into scores. There were instances of great defense as well as a nice blocked shot. He also at least tried to score in ways other than the three point jump shot, looking for a drive to the basket, actually making a nice dish to Jordan Hill off one, and trying to put his back to the basket in the post a little. Maybe it’s the haircut. Rico Suavinari. But, the one thing that needs to be repeated about Suavinari is his fatigue. He always comes in active and then slowly begins to loose effectiveness. This game he pretty much disappeared in the second half. When he is fresh and active and running he looks like a great player, but then sometimes he just disappears and you forget he’s on the court. You can blame the odd substitution patterns but Gallo needs to stay active whenever he is asked to play.

Toney Douglas: 15 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST

It seems like Toney got the hint and looked to pass a little more today, as his three assists match the total of his last three games combined. His three-pointer wasn’t falling as he went 0-2, but he looked to get into the lane a little more to make up for it. He still ended up shooting a respectable 7-16. Overall, a good game from TD, despite the drop from the starting lineup he had a very effective game off the bench showing some glimpses of some point guard skills emerging.

Jordan Hill: 10 PTS, 3 REB, 5-5 FG

Jordan would be higher on this list if it weren’t for one statistic I didn’t mention: five personal fouls. After getting subbed out despite missing a shot, Clyde on the broadcast criticized D’Antoni’s decision to take out the hot hand – until he was reminded that Hill had just committed four fouls in one quarter. I don’t want to diminish the positives of his game because he was perfect from the field, nailing jumpers, scoring off rebounds, and finishing with a dunk with a fast break (finally, someone), but there is still much to be desired from his game. Obviously, there is the fouls, but you have to give him credit for being active out there, he just needs to control it. The main thing to me is he needs to have more of an inside presence on defense. I don’t know what the coach is telling this kid, but he plays defense like Jared Jeffries. He is shuffling through the perimeter trying to guard guys around the three-point line while the Warriors are completely dominating us in the paint. One Jared Jeffries is enough for me, Jordan Hill needs to get in the post and put his hands up and at least alter some shots. He has shown he can block shots, but he’s not going to do it at the three-point line. Jordan does the perimeter shuffle on offence too, but that’s all right for now if he’s going to nail the jumper and still grab offensive boards and slam it home. Lastly, all three of his rebounds were offensive boards, which is actually a fantastic number for 14 minutes of playing time, but he needs to get more active on the defensive boards. The lack of defensive boards is directly related to the perimeter defense. But, he definitely showed some flashes of brilliance tonight. Clyde said he had “an intoxicating repertoire”, which is what I have been referring to him as: The Intoxicating Repertoire. I think he’s definitely earned some minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble.

Wilson Chandler: 8 PTS, 2 REB, 1 BLK

Odd game for Chandler, he lost a few minutes due to Nate’s return to the team and a then had a rough start to the night. He went 3-7, staying pretty quiet except for a nice drive that turned into a three-point play. There’s not really much to say about Wilson. Like most of the team, his shot just isn’t falling, and his stats have dropped in nearly all categories from last year. Last year we were playing him a lot at the shooting guard but he needs to start thinking like a small forward. Get rebounds, play inside, try to get good mid range looks, and a drive to the basket.