Stephen Curry wasn’t playing. The New York Knicks – that famous franchise featuring a starting line-up of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler – was in town. Oh, and did I mention Stephen Curry wasn’t playing? How were my hometown Golden State Warriors going to win this one?

Apparently, they were going to do it with defense.

That’s right, for the second time in three days, the Golden State Warriors won a game because of tight, solid D, this one against the Knicks by a score of 92-78. I know. I’m in shock about it too.

When Mark Jackson was appointed coach not too long ago, the point guard legend – who wasn’t a particularly strong defender mind you – stressed that we were going to be seeing a different style of Warriors basketball than we were used to. Gone would be the days of the run-and-gun offense and 140-139 score-lines. It was time to slow the ball down, run a half-court set, and, much to everyone’s surprise, players would actually be required to get back and show some defensive intensity. Goodbye Phoenix Suns, hello San Antonio Spurs.

Look, I realize the season is only three games old, and there’s no guarantee that the W’s will keep this up, but Warriors fans are excited about what they’ve seen the last few days, and they should be.

I was at the Oracle Arena last night, and while it’s always a fantastic place to watch a game (a “great time out” as the old ads used to say), there was a different kind of energy in the building. It was sort of like the fans were realizing that the Warriors were going to grind out a win against a team with two elite scorers, and that it wasn’t because they scored a zillion points while luckily giving up one less. The W’s deserved this win, and it was a win to be proud of.

A few quick observations from last night’s contest:

• Brandon Rush, (and also Dominic McGuire, but more so Rush), is the perfect fit for this team. The Warriors got this guy for Lou Amundson? Really? The former Kansas star scored big buckets and played tight D, and he really looks like he’s going to make a home for himself in Golden State.

• Monta Ellis shook off a terrible first half and really shined in the second, even without Curry in the back-court. He facilitated beautifully down the stretch, and hit some big 3′s when it mattered. That’s what a team leader is supposed to do.

• Some people behind me were chanting “MVP” for Monta while he was at the free throw line late in the game. A little premature for that I think. Let’s try and get the guy on an All-Star team first.

• A great ovation for former W’s point guard Jeremy Lin when he subbed in right before the end of the game. The Bay Area native certainly remains a fan favorite.

Next, the Warriors take on the Philadelphia 76ers at home on New Year’s Eve. Can they make it three in a row?

REFERENCES:

“Ellis rallies Warriors Past Knicks, 92-78,” Associated Press

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The Chicago Bulls were seeking their second road win as many nights when they faced the Golden State Warriors on December 26 ^th. Last year, when these teams met on the Warriors’ home floor, the Bulls did not have a good showing, falling 100-91. Well history would repeat itself, as Golden State jumped on Chicago early, leading by as many as 19 points, before holding on for a 99-91 victory. Here are my reasons as to why the Bulls came up short against the Warriors for the second straight year.

Poor offensive execution:

The Bulls were not very sharp with their offensive sets. They only had 16 assists against the Warriors after totaling 18 against the Lakers in the first half alone. Regardless of the opponent, when you settle for outside shots, it is easier for the opposing team to defend you. Also, the Bulls were very sloppy with the basketball, committing 20 turnovers. Needless to say, even an average team can win when given so many extra possessions to work with.

Solid defense on Derrick Rose:

When these teams met last year, the Warriors did a good job of hounding rose into a sub-par game as he scored just 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field. This time around, the Warriors’ defense was just as effective, limiting Rose to just 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting. While Rose is the best player on the team, the Bulls tend to rely too much on his ability to score. I know this is only game, but Chicago needs to be more balanced on offense if they expect to take the next step this season.

Lack of defensive intensity:

The Bulls’ defense was lazy in stretches as they gave up a lot of uncontested baskets, which allowed the Warriors to connect on 47% of their field goal attempts. As one of the top defensive teams in the league last season, it was disappointing to see the lack of effort by the Bulls on the defensive end of the court.

Hopefully the Bulls will improve on those lapses because a lot of their success will have to come from being sound both defensively and offensively. As Stacey King mentioned during the telecast, Chicago will not be able to sneak up on teams like they were last year. If they don’t bring the necessary intensity each night, they could be on the losing end of a lot of games against teams they should be able to beat.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been a Bulls’ fan since the 1987-1988 season. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting discussions about the NBA, NFL and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

Curry leads Warriors to 99-91 win over Bulls

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In the second and final preseason game, the Golden State Warriors lost a closely-contested 95-91 game to the Sacramento Kings. While the likes of Marcus Thornton, J.J. Hickson, and Jimmer Fredette played well for the Kings, the Warriors were lead by David Lee’s 30 points and Monta Ellis’ 19 points.

While this game was the final opportunity for both teams to practice against an opposing NBA team before the start of the season, the Warriors’ loss is overshadowed by the sprained right ankle he suffered just before halftime. With less than a minute in the second quarter, Curry’s left ankle gave way when defending a Fredette crossover. Once the Warriors regained possession of the ball, the team called a timeout as Curry crawled towards the sideline at midcourt in pain.

Curry was carried into the locker room by teammates Charles Jenkins and Tommy Mitchell and did not play for the rest of the game. An initial X-ray at Power Balance Pavilion revealed an injury to the same ankle that was surgically repaired after last season. The news to Curry’s ankle is devastating, but it’s best to not come to any awful conclusions until after he is re-examined for it tomorrow.

If Curry does miss the start of the season and any significant time, the team could either start newcomer Ishmael Smith or rookie Jenkins at point guard or slide Ellis over from the other guard position to run the team’s offense. If Ellis were to move to point guard, Klay Thompson or Dominic McGuire could find themselves in the starting lineup. This may also mean that the Warriors keep Mitchell as more insurance for Curry.

While Curry’s physical wellbeing is the most pressing aspect for the team on the court, recent news of a sexual harassment suit against Ellis has transpired off the court. According to Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group, the Law Offices of Burton F. Boltuch will file the suit for the plaintiff, a former employee of the Warriors, on Wednesday, Dec. 21, regarding sexually graphic photos sent by Ellis.

Even with Ellis’ past problems, it’s hard to trust a potential sexual harassment lawsuit from an ex-employee of the team. According to the law firm, Ellis sexually harassed their client from Nov. 2010 to Jan. 2011, with these pictures conveniently coming up nearly a year after the fact. Until the truth is revealed and matters are cleared up quickly, Ellis’ potential legal troubles cast another doubt to the start of the Warriors season.

Even if this lawsuit is revealed to be a hoax, this is something that could distract the team’s focus and set the team off on the wrong foot. Adding this with Curry’s ankle concerns and the Warriors suddenly have major worries about their extremely-talented backcourt.

Sources:

Golden State at Sacramento Box Score, Yahoo! Sports

Stephen Curry turns surgically repaired right ankle, SF Gate

Monta Ellis, Warriors to be in Sexual Harassment Suit, Inside the Warriors, Bay Area News Group

More from this contributor:

What to Watch in Warriors’ Final Preseason Game Against Kings: Fan’s Preview

Warriors balance roster by trading Amundson to Pacers for Rush: Fan’s Take

A Look at the Warriors’ Lesser-Known Free Agent Signings: Fan’s Review

Golden State Warriors Sign SF Dominic McGuire to One-Year Deal: Fan’s Take

Warriors Sign Kwame Brown to One-year, $7 Million Contract: Fan’s Take

Austin is a lifelong resident of the Bay Area, a lifelong basketball fan and Golden State Warriors supporter, and a contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow this contributor on Twitter @_austinchang.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Every time a player either lands on Golden State to play, or an opposing player takes on Golden State, my fantasy ears perk up. The Warriors have seldom put much emphasis on defense and manage to sell out most of their games at Oracle arena, because they have a rabid fan base.

It’s exciting. And it leads to a lot of good fantasy prospects.

I’ve already mentioned rookie Klay Thompson’s potential on the Warriors , and now it seems fitting to mention the newly acquired Brandon Rush’s possibilities.

Like Thompson, Rush is a gunner. In his senior season at Kansas, he hit 80 threes in the Jayhawks’s 38 games, and looked like a legit lottery pick. It turned out he was—barely—going 13th overall in 2008. His older brother Kareem Rush was quick to credit Brandon as a better player, and for a coming out of a vaunted college program with true scoring prowess, it seemed Rush was destined to have a solid NBA career.

It hasn’t quite turned out that way for Rush yet.

While he has received decent playing time (26 minutes per game last season, and 30 in 09-10), he has shot only 42% from the field and averaged less than 10 points per game. Encouragingly, though, is the fact that Rush as been 40+% from downtown over his three year NBA career. That kind of shooting prowess could turn into big numbers in offense like the Warriors.

While I am hardly saying Rush has the tools to be a perennial All-Star, acquiring him for the offensively challenged shot blocking Louis Amundson seems to be quite a heist for Golden State. Sure, it helps Indiana too, with Josh McRoberts having departed from the Pacers they were in need for some rugged toughness on the interior. And Amundson will fill that need for them—but still will in no way, shape, or form, actually be fantasy relevant.

For Rush, especially in deep leagues, that likely isn’t true. With Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson in the backcourt, the Warriors have some pretty solid talent, but there should still be the typical mid 20s minutes per game for Rush.

And in a higher paced offense (the Pacers ranked 13th in points per game last season), that could translate to 2.5 threes per game potentially, since nearly half of Rush’s field goal attempts thus far in his career have been threes. While it doesn’t exactly lend much credit to the argument that he has versatility as a scorer, he’s hardly alone, and his role as a spot up marksman may be more or less solidified at this point.

But there is a place in fantasy for spot up shooters; because three pointers made is a standard category. If you find yourself a few threes short every week, getting 5 or 6 threes a week from Rush could easily put you over the top, not to mention the fact I expect his scoring average to approach 12 points per game in Golden State.

Again, like many of the guys I have covered in the past few weeks, Rush will not win you your league outright, but later round / free agent pickup guys rarely do, unless you do them en masse.

Make a few solid pick ups during the year, and a guy like Rush might be the reason you win your league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Read More: nba free agency 2011, Chauncey Billups (G – NYK), DeAndre Jordan (C – LAC), Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are making plenty of deals this Monday afternoon. First they nix the Chris Paul deal. Then they land Chauncey Billups, apparently to offset the loss of CP3. Now they’re bringing DeAndre Jordan back. Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports tweets the following.

Jordan returning to LA makes the Clippers a very deep, young and talented team. If Billups does come into camp, he becomes part of a valuable team.

Unlike Billups, this doesn’t mean Jordan plays for Los Angeles. This could be part of a sign-and-trade to land a bigger star (like Paul), and give the Clippers the pieces they need to revive trade talks and deal the players they don’t mind losing while keeping a valuable star like Eric Gordon around.

However, Jordan’s offer includes a trade kicker. This means that if Jordan ends up being dealt to (let’s pick a random team on the board) the Hornets, then Jordan must be paid a bonus, and that bonus will count against the team that gets him–again, the Hornets. So it makes it a little unlikely that the Clips and Hornets would be willing to deal with Jordan since he’d force one side to give things up.

To discuss Jordan returning to the Clippers, head on over to Clips Nation to talk with Clipper fans or Golden State of Mind to consort with Warriors fans.