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Golden State's Dynamic Duo By Michael S. Lewis
Oakland, California—It’s hard to say whether the Golden State Warriors are California’s third or fourth best team. With the Lakers holding court to the south, however, it is a certainty that Golden State is more silver and bronze than anything gold. Yet silver can shine, too. And this year, it seems it will shine most often when California’s second strongest dynamic duo, Larry Hugues, and Antawn Jamison, team-up against the rest of the league. Jamison is everything this team could ask for in a semi-big man. Cast in the mold of players like Chris Webber, Jamison averaged 19.6 ppg, and grabbed 8.3 rpg in his sophomore season, signaling to the rest of the league that his star is on the rise. He also brings the discipline and general basketball wherewithal that comes from operating under the tutelage of Dean Smith to a team that is famous for its lack of discipline. Hughes, who hails from a less known college program, St. Louis, has proven to be an exceptional talent, and a pleasant surprise, throughout the preseason. 20+ scoring performances against teams like the Vancouver Grizzlies, performances in which his athleticism dazzled the less than packed Golden State crowd, seem to suggest that he will improve upon last year’s 15 ppg scoring average. But, as each readily admits, scoring stats mean nothing if they fail to put up numbers in the wins column this year. Jamison remarks, “If we’re both up there in scoring, that’s going to make a lot of things easier [for the team]. I think for us to be successful, we both have to play great basketball; not just good basketball, great basketball.” Despite the predictions from Warrior aficionados, coach Cowens claims the Jamison and Hughes connection won’t perform anything like the Utah Jazz’s Stockton and Malone. “I don’t look at those guys meshing and complimenting one another as a big deal,” Cowens remarked. Rather, he expects each to work with veteran guard Mookie Blaylock to get the appropriate touches necessary to score night-in and night-out. Hughes remarked, “We’ve both been blessed with the opportunity to have the organization put everything behind us.” Time will tell whether this partnership will live up to its potential. In the meantime, Golden State tickets are cheap, and seats are open, so if you live in the Bay Area, you might as well see the next best thing before their star (and ticket prices) rises. ____________ [ InsideHoops Home | Discuss this on the NBA Message Board ] Sign up for a free web-based email account @InsideHoops by clicking here. Basketball fans who don't use InsideHoops
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