1/2: Vs. Kings W
1/7: Vs. Cavaliers L
1/9: Vs. Rockets W
1/11: @ Kings W
1/13: Vs. Wizards W
1/15: @ Jazz L
1/16: Vs. Blazers W
1/18: @ Nets W
1/19: @ Celtics L
1/21: @ Knicks W
1/23: @ Magic L
1/25: @ Wizards W
1/26: @ Bobcats W
1/29: Vs. Grizzlies W
1/31: Vs. Bulls L
Predicted Record (15 games): 10-5
East Player of the Month (JAN): Dwayne Wade
East Rookie of the Month (JAN): James Harden
West Player of the Month (JAN): Kobe Bryant
West Rookie of the Month (JAN): Ricky Rubio
Nelliepoints Leaders (January):
1. Stephen Jackon
2. Anthony Randolph
3. Rudy Fernandez
Nellieball Chronicles
Chapter 3: From Despair To Where?
To say the untimely death of Monta Ellis put the Warriors in a sombre mood would be a gross understatement. There was no practice anyway on New Years day, but they had a game on the second. It was a foregone conclusion that Rudy Fernandez would be the new starting shooting guard and that Anthony Morrow would once again be the backup 2 guard. However, GM Liam Washburn also went out and signed free agent combo guard Salim Stoudamire to a one year, minimum contract to compensate for the loss.
Washburn sat at his desk, with butterflies still in his stomach. 'This changes everything', he thought. Liam could not help but look at the bright sides of the death: Over $40 million saved, enough cap to sign anyone in the 2010 sweepstakes, the ability to give his Spaniards more time. But every time he would look at the unopened Monta Ellis mixtape: "Tha Dopeboy IV" and shed a tear.
The team wasn't holding up much better. None of them had slept the previous night, and rather than their usual pre-game routine, Don Nelson was taking shots of bourbon while the players mingled. They would face the Kings in two hours, and were by no means prepared. Then, new arrival Salim Stoudamire burst through the practice facility doors.
"Hey everybody! I'm your new teammate. Sheesh, whats with you guys? Who di-...", before Salim flushed with embarrassment. [i]"I'll go get my physical...," Stoudamire trailed off.
The Oracle Arena was sold out, with dozens of "RIP Monta #8" posters being held up in the crowd. "Okay guys so apparently, I'm not coach to fit this team, so assis-assisting coach Bill Barney, sorry Ben Barney will coach tonight. G-good luck", slurred a drunk Nelson, who went to lay down in the team's locker room.
"Its Ben Bailey, and I will be your coach tonight. There will be two changes in the starting lineup. Rudy at the 2, and Darko at the 5," the assistant coach announced. "What?!", exclaimed Biedrins and Milicic in unison.
Bailey then pulled out a large stack of efficiency graphs, and went on to give the team a 45 minute lecture about John Hollinger and totalitarianism.
The team finally came out to play, and captain Jack hyped the team up. "Lets win this one for Monta!", he said in the warmup before the game. "Yeah! We will **** the other team's mothers and sisters in their *****s, *****s and *****'s!", Darko said before ripping his jersey in half.
Darko was handed another one (They always keep several backup jerseys handy for him), and they went out to play. Darko won the tip, but the score at the end of the first quarter was Sacramento 30, Golden State 17. The crowd was as loud as ever, but the team chemistry was completely off. Darko was 0-7. The dismal play continued into the second quarter, with the Kings taking a 56-40 halftime lead.
Finally, Bailey decided to put in Beans, and the team started to gel. Anthony Randolph went on a scoring tear, scoring 13 of his 25 in the third period, and surprising sub Anthony Morrow came off the bench to score 17. Stephen Jackson sunk a three at the end of regulation to tie it at 107, sending it to overtime. Anthony Randolph completely outclassed Carlos Boozer, and Stephen Jackson shut down Kevin Martin as the Warriors pulled off the comeback victory, 121-115. The team received a standing ovation. Jackson took off his jersey and started showing off his gun tattoo.
'We might just be okay', Liam thought to himself. He then noticed a new email in his inbox from an anonymous sender. "I know what you do in your spare time. It would be such awful timing for it to get out hot on the heals of your team's star player dying. Meet me tomorrow at the Embarcadero tomorrow at 3PM and we'll discuss how much my silence is worth. I shall be wearing a top hat." 'Shit,' Liam thought, jotting down the details.
In the locker room, the buzz was almost as great as Game 6 of the 2007 Western Conference Quarterfinals. Stephen Jackson acted out the events of the game, but sustituting the ball for a loaded gun. "Safety's on", the captain assured the team, before it went off, missing Anthony Morrow's head by an inch. Meanwhile, Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez were talking to each other in Spanish, talking about "baloncesto" and "el senor Monta".
As the night went on however, reality started to set in again for the players. They started to realize that things would never be quite the game again. Ellis's funeral was held several days later, on the fifth, in North Carolina. It was arranged for the Warriors to be there. Additionally, Monta's friends and family, former NLSC poster and friend of Monta, Axel, along with Baron Davis and David Stern were present. Oddly, Liam Washburn was not there, and Nelson claimed he hadn't seen the general manager for days. They shrugged it off and went to the funeral afterparty.
Lamrock wrote:"Yeah! We will **** the other team's mothers and sisters in their *****s, *****s and *****'s!", Darko said before ripping his jersey in half. Darko was handed another one (They always keep several backup jerseys handy for him)
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