Warriors don't look ready for prime time

Recommended Video:

A couple of conclusions could be drawn from the Warriors' game at Memphis Friday night, neither of them particularly encouraging. Either the Warriors have a serious issue with composure or the All-Star break will be arriving just in time - for both teams.

With 55 seconds left, the Warriors down by six points and 13 seconds left on the shot clock, Stephen Curry heaved a desperation three-pointer in heavy traffic, and it missed badly. Curry had been excellent overall, and with his range, he's entitled to just about any shot he wants. But this one bordered on the ridiculous.

The Grizzlies, still reeling from the loss of Rudy Gay and relying far too much on Tayshaun Prince (3-for-12 shooting) on the offensive end, should have sealed the game with 26 seconds left when Tony Allen, benefiting from an offensive rebound of his own missed free throw, fired up an errant shot instead of running down the clock.

If anyone was watching within the fan bases of the Thunder, Clippers or Spurs, they had to be writing off these two teams as a serious playoff threat.

It was just one game, and the Warriors had their moments, but one story line played out as planned: Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol outrebounded Andrew Bogut and David Lee 23-12 and would have done more offensive damage if Randolph, admittedly in a post-trade funk, had his normal game. It was telling, as well, to hear much of the postgame conversation (at least on the Comcast telecast) center around the absence of Jarrett Jack.

With Jack in the game, it was argued, the Warriors would have played smarter down the stretch. That's probably true, but Jack is the backup point guard. It's a bit awkward to craft an effective starting lineup - which the Warriors certainly have - with the expectation that a bench guy will run the show when it really matters. Maybe Charles Barkley is right when he says Curry's true value lies at the shooting-guard spot, but that's not how the Warriors are built, and it's a little late to make such a radical philosophical shift - if the idea even makes sense in the first place.

Spring camp looms

Stephen Curry looked lost against Mike Conley and the Memphis Grizzlies at crunch time. Stephen Curry looked lost against Mike Conley and the Memphis Grizzlies at crunch time. Photo: Danny Johnston, Associated Press Photo: Danny Johnston, Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Warriors don't look ready for prime time 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Not sure how they pull it off, but the Giants won't be complete until they get a right-handed hitter to either platoon in left field or take over in the late innings against left-handed pitching. The best available options, Brett Pill and switch-hitting Andres Torres, sound attractive only in the context of the Giants' two championships; they can do better ... Potential longshot there: prospect Gary Brown, who will get a long look in spring training ... Brown is ranked fourth among Giants prospects by respected ESPN analyst Keith Law, trailing right-handed pitchers Kyle Crick, Clayton Blackburn and Chris Stratton - all of whom figure to be at least a year away from the majors ... The fifth-ranked prospect, reliever Heath Hembree, appears healthy and could be on the roster at some point this year ... Law ranked the top 100 prospects in the game, and only three Bay Area players made the list. Crick and Blackburn were ranked No. 76 and 80, respectively, but A's shortstop Addison Russell shot up to No. 10. Law reports that Russell, just 19, "raked in two short-season leagues and finished his first pro summer in full-season ball (Class A Midwest League), something almost unheard of for a player taken out of high school. At short, his hands are off the charts and his arm is more than fine from the left side."

First order of business for a U.S. team intending to win the World Baseball Classic: Mike Trout in center field, Bryce Harper in right. Perhaps even batting 1-2 in the order; greatest show on earth. That won't happen, of course, and put partial blame on agent Scott Boras, who represents both and won't stand for a WBC-related injury (yes, Boras wields that much power) ... Tarping part of the Coliseum is a laughable move by the Raiders in so many ways, but for thousands of fans who wouldn't attend any NFL game to save their life (violence, traffic jams, you name it), this is all about making sure all of the home games are televised. That's a virtual certainty now ... Nutty concept for next Saturday night at the SAP tennis in San Jose: a mixed-doubles exhibition featuring Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport, Andy Roddick and Justin Gimselstob, the former tour player who now doubles as an ATP board member and Tennis Channel commentator. Roddick will undoubtedly get his props for staying loyal to that event (winning it three times) during the years it was fading from relevance ... Noting Tim Lincecum's dramatically new haircut at Friday's FanFest, Ryan Vogelsong joked that he now looks 12 years old, instead of 15. Down at the end of the bar, 3-Dot regular The Q said, in admiration, "He looks like (MSNBC political analyst) Rachel Maddow - who also has a heck of a fastball."