The Morrow distraction and his superhuman abilities gave Warrior fans a pleasant distraction from Al Harrington for a few days. However tonight as ESPN have revealed it looks like Harrington will become a Knick in exhange for Jamal Crawford. Neither the Warriors or Knicks press office have confirmed any such move just yet so this Friday evening it looks as if Golden State fans will have to wait if Jamal is Warriors.
A few thoughts spring to mind
: Essentially the Warriors traded a disgruntled forward who was filled with poor play and contract issues for a Guard who though is incredibly streaky with shooting would be an instant upgrade at the Point Guard spot. Nelson once Monta comes back would immediately pair him with Ellis in a two combo guard backcourt. Crawford is a perfect Don Nelson type player in which take games over at times, and can shoot you out of a game at others
: Crawford is a terrible man to man Defender. With the Warriors leading the league in blocked shots and having a pretty decent opposing FG% allowed for those stretch of games where Randolph, Wright, Turiaf, and Biedrins were playing heavy minutes I seriously doubt they want to go back to playing matador defense.
: Talent accumulation without any long term plan for contention....won't amount to anything. Case in point....the Chicago Bulls who accumulated loads of young talent and never did anything with it. In any case, I seriously dislike the make-up of this team. I don't like how the pieces fit together. I don't like how the young guys with potential will never see enough minutes to develop. I hate our style of play and offensive philosophy. I just don't like any of it.
At the moment I dislike the fact we're playing for a Western Conference 8th seed spot and hope to have a repeat of the Dallas series. With the Lakers and the Bynum and Gasol partnership that won't happen. A step in the right direction is letting Biedrins, Wright, Randolph, etc. all get tick so when (if) Ellis comes back, we can really see what we have. The team they're potentially putting together is one being setup for a huge retooling/ dismantling once Nelson finally steps away.
As it is Training Camp has arrived and with it brings the inevitable questions that won't be fully answered until the season ends. With Training Camp well under way here are some of the significant questions that await the 2008-2009 Warriors and won't be fully answered until the season ends
Williams, Watson or Dickau The very recent Dan Dickau acquisition combined with what Nelson said about Watson means the PG race is much more open then what it was before the start of Training Camp. Marcus Williams if reports are to be believed has lost 10 pounds and it's a relief to see him keeping in shape but while once having the room to make mistakes with the lack of depth at this position he now has to face Nellie's positive comments about Watson and the Dickau arrival for a starting PG spot. Whether he can do it or not is entirely up to him.
As for Dickau one has to question the validility of the signing. Will he be kept as Training Camp fodder or does he have enough in the tank to beat out Watson for the final PG spot. I'm personally thinking the latter. Without a guy like DIckau in camp I dont think someone like Morrow has a shot at making an impact. Even though Dickau hasnt played much, he fills a little section of the hole that Baron took with him in the leadership department
Catching Nelsons eye Morrow has every chance of being a Nelson success story especially since Nellie traditionally is well known for finding disamonds in the rough and turning them into 6th man material see Matt Barnes. Randolph is another guy who can play the game at a high pace and despite his lack of bulk he appears to be a Nellie favourite.
Randolph Staying with Randolph hopefully he avoids the lack of confidence that POB understandbly had. To be fair Randolph seems to be a more productive pick then POB but at the same time the step up from excellent summer League displays to the NBA will be hard. His body language and how he shows it to the fanbase after his probable lack of minutes will be telling.
Big Men There is considerably more depth at this position then last year. Biedrins is a lock at center, but I’m excited to see who emerges from the pack of Harrington / Wright / Turiaf (and possibly Randolph) as the man to receive the most minutes beside the Latvian
The Warriors 2008-2009 Training Camp roster officially got under way 4 days ago finally ending the speculation as to who will make the roster. With no real news to discuss I thought I'd compile a list of links that have covered everything from Monta's return to who's on the roster to life after Baron. Chech out their Traning camp blog if you want the latest inside information like Turiafs new nickname "Maccroni".
"What was I thinking? 'What are we doing?' " Jackson said. "But at the same time, I knew that we had to get better, and we're definitely better.
"I think we made the best we could do with losing B.D. We're a deeper team, a bigger team. Our size was a big problem last year, so we made some good adjustments. I'm happy about it. I think we're fine."
Incumbent C.J. Watson is entering his first full season in the NBA. Newcomer Marcus Williams has little experience in the Warriors' fast-paced offense. Rookie DeMarcus Nelson would be happy simply to make the roster.
The coach is giving the early advantage to Watson, but it's clear that Golden State considers the race wide open. The team is simply hoping for someone to emerge, and if that doesn't happen, there are always the trade and free-agent routes.
For the record, both vice president Chris Mullin and head coach Don Nelson are working on the final year of their contracts. Neither has begun talks with owner Chris Cohan or his right-hand man Bobby Rowell on a new one, and neither seems terribly bothered about that, at least not outwardly.
But the problem of Ellis' punishment for mopedding his six-year, $66 million contract into jeopardy impacts Mullin and Nelson, because it seems clear that Cohan and Rowell want to make Ellis a bigger issue than Mullin and Nelson do, and if they aren't incredibly deft at getting their point across without alienating Ellis, they will have lost the face of their franchise over a principle that can be solved in any number of other and more creative ways.
Then there was Monday's San Jose Mercury News report saying that Davis and Warriors executive Chris Mullin had reached an agreement for a three-year, $39-million contract extension in June. Apparently the deal unraveled when Warriors President Robert Rowell refused to approve it, and the rest is history.
"Chris Mullin was always, like I say, as general manager, he was always in my corner," Davis said. "From the time I got there to our playoff run, he told me that he wanted me there as the future of the franchise and he wanted to keep me.
It's something different from the past two years I went through," Williams said. "That whole situation was a gift and a curse. When you're playing behind J-Kidd, you learn all you can, but you don't get to play. So I think now, this may be an opportunity to showcase my talents, showcase what I can do and what I learned. I'm looking at it like it's my one chance."
The Warriors' biggest free-agent addition poked fun at both his reputation as a less-than-active defender and the criticism he took from ex-coach Mike Dunleavy on Tuesday as he swatted aside concerns over his one-dimensional game.
"I'm a good defender, I don't know what Dunleavy was talking about," Maggette said, joking about his own reputation. "I'm just playing. ... Sometimes you slack on defense and you get that (reputation). But my job is to come out here and play extremely hard on both ends of the court."
The first name out of Warriors coach Don Nelson's mouth — after the first session of the first day of training camp Saturday — may be surprising.
It wasn't newly acquired swingman Corey Maggette or new point guard Marcus Williams. It wasn't one of his old faithfuls, swingman Stephen Jackson or center Andris Biedrins.
The first player Nelson offered praise to was guard Anthony Morrow. Heard of him? He's the rookie out of Georgia Tech whom the Warriors signed after he lit up the summer leagues in Las Vegas and Utah.
Back on topic after my 0-1 start in my weekly NFL picks apparently the latest news has the Warriors looking to trade for Jamaal Tinsley. According to Matt Steimz of the San Francisco Examiner the Warriors are looking to deal Al Harrington for Tinsley and Marquis Daniels straight up.
Warriors and Pacers are talking about a trade involving both Jamaal Tinsley and Al Harrington, according to Matt Steinmetz of the San Francisco Examiner.
Other players would have to be included in any deal as well, and Golden State could be interested in Marquis Daniels, who hasn't impressed in Indiana
I don't see the benefit of this to the Warriors. Tinsley is a nutcase who has a bad contract and the Warriors simply don't need that kind of deal. Not to mention this is the sort of deal Mullin would make just to make the team in the 30-35 win range to convince Warriors fans to renew their season tickets for 2009, by keeping the team "competitive". Tinsley has the exact same of attitude as Jackson and it's a wonder how Jim O Brien the Pacers coach even persists with keeping him on the roster. Marquis Daniels is the exact same player as well.
And then we get hit of the admittely out of date news by now of Jackson demanding more money (Scroll down)and you have a team thats slowly drifitng once again like it did from the years 1995-2006 to a basement team with little ambition and becoming like the Royals or Lions (both teams destined never to win). I love Jackson but i seriously think he is deluded with his contract. The simple fact would be no team would want to chance on a hothead who isn't the game changer, Secondly as a member of the Warriors he isn't the best player on the team. Monta, Biedrins, Maggette or Jackson depending on who you perfer. He shouldn't get a large extension just for being the 3rd/4th best on a potential lottery team
Jackson is earning more than $7 million in each of the next two years. In his time in Golden State he has probably outperformed the terms of his deal. This however is not an excuse to make him overpaid in the next few seasons. Fortunately Mullin has been smart enough not to throw a Maggette like contract or take on Tinsley's contract. This season however already looks tumultuous and, as of now, the mess once known as the Golden State Warriors may be making a comeback.
The Warriors didn't plan on the upcoming season without Baron Davis but unlike other Front Offices they were prepeared to make a risk by signing Monta, Biedrins and stay well under the Luxury Tax. Baron was set to make 17 milliion in 2008 one of the reasons the Trade exception was let go even though a Power Forward or backup Point Guard would increase Barons producivity such would be the less minutes he would play.
The misfortune of this move lies in the fact the Warriors were never seemingly ointerested in becoming contenders. With the expiration of the Trade Exception and the decision not to trade their current draft picks for immediate help (could turn out to be a very good thing), the Warriors basically said to Baron that they will try to win with the same group of guys and not pay the Luxury Tax. For Baron the lack of any signifant addition at that time combined with just resgning a few players wasn't going to it for him. His deal signed with the Clippers virtually confirmed his belief not only he was he more interested in playing back in his hometown but they were more contending material (they had Brand at the time).
With Baron out the Warriors realistically were never going to reach the same heights of last year and this year. So lets chronicle each of their moves Mullin has made to attempt to rebuild his way through this patch.
Drafting Anthony Randolph Randolph was an easy pick because he was the best player available at the time the Warriors picked even though most had him in the 8-13 range. I was surprised as many the Kings opted to take Jason Thompson instead but time will tell whether they made the right decision. He was touted as a #5 pick but he had a horrible combine reportedly poor workouts and psychological testing, coupled with his slight frame and lackluster statistics. Then again as judged by the number of teams that went for the allgedly safer pick the fact that for once the Warriors ignored a definite bust DeAndre Jordan means top marks to Mullin here.
Randolph is in my eyes a younger version of Lamar Odom. He played Point for a few plays in Summer League and he was unblieivably quick at bringing the ball up the court he's wiry strong and very aggressive going to the rack. He's able to take contact and finish, as well as make his free throws. He could be a mismatch nightmare for teams. Pack that talent into an agile 6'-10" frame (still growing?) and you have the ultimate Nellie-ball weapon
Grade A-
Drafting Richard Hendrix
With the second round pick this was actually an easy choice because another big man that seemingly filled their needs was right there Richard Hendrix. One of the attributes Hendrix carried in College was toughness and consistency in one of College Basketball's best Conferences. We didn't see too much of him in Summer League because of injury but in the few games he did play ion depsite playing at less then 100% he managed to pull down 21.2 reb/48 min, 2.23 blk/48 min, and 1.67 stl/48 min. His bulk, instincts, and tenacity to collect rebounds at a high rate as well as block some shots and bang with the bigs is a valuable asset to this team.
Trade exception not being used Unfortunately this is the most underated mistake of the offseason. When Richardson was traded the Warriors gained a 10 million trade exception that could have been used in so many ways at the backup Point Guard Spot or a Power Forward but unfortunately the conservative nature of the Front Office struck when they decided not to risk spending further so they would have enough money to resign Monta and Biedrins without getting luxury tax. the Warriors had an owner more concerned about building a winner rather than maximizing short term profits, the Trade Exception would have been used
Grade D-
Baron Davis opts out The Front office can be held for 50/50 blame here but at the same time they didn't want to committ to a long term deal with Baron and rightly so considering his injury history. Baron wasn't feeling the love and because the organization wasn't making an all-out effort field the best team possible for a title run, Baron Davis decided to forgo his final season of his contract, leave $17 million on the table, and agree to join the Clippers and Elton Brand (or so he thought).
The Warriors tried to offer the max for Gilbert Arenas and did the same for Elton Brand but both were soundly rejected. Baron went and the Warriors got nothing except Maggette from the Clippers. No ones fault but you just had to feel Golden State could have got something more productive in return.
Grade C+
Signing Corey Maggette Maggette is a one dimensional injury prone who won't make the Warriors better. It's that simple and shows the panic nature of the Front office whenever the top two sought after Free Agents leave. Fortunately he won't be the go to guy this year because of his limited game, lack of defense, and the fact that he doesn't make his teammates better. Rather then Mullin go after Josh Smith, Andre Iogudala or a younger player with more upside he chose to overpay for an efficent but injury prone player who's approaching the waning years of his career. Even JR Smith would have been an improvement. Hey if Nelson can turn around the careers of Davis and Jackson he coud do the same thing here. No vision here for the future here means the Warriors will be stuck with a pricey player and in the worst place possible mid to late Lottery pick rather the potentially rebuild with a core of youngsters and see what happens.
Grade D-
Signing Ronny Turiaf Whether you like it or not once Turiaf was offered the offer sheet by Mullin because of the size of it it was inevitable the fun loving Martiniquian would be heading to the Bay Area. Though I dsilike the Lakers Turiaf's energy, hustling for loose balls, Rebounding and cheering on his teammates even when they were going through a dry spell was ineffectious to me . Going away from his playing quality throughout this long and upcoming year Turiaf will look to contribute through his well known sense of humour that can keep everybody's spirits high and encourage teammates when the going gets tough. He's slated to be Biedrins' primary backup, but can also play the PF as well. He gives the Dubs the well known big body that has been misisng for several years plus his mid-range game is solid allowing him to play with either Wright or Biedrins as a complimentary frontcourt mate.
Trading for Marcus Williams I liked this move probably because it's the most underated aspect. Williams was labelled the best Point guard from the 2006 draft (not saying an awful lot) but despite being labelled as the backup to Monta expect him to start at the 1 for a few games while Monta moves to the 2. Here's hoping he has success for Nellieball. He could be an important part of the youngsters base . The Warriors have two seasons to see how he will fit into the system and I'm sure his ability to run the fast break, find the open guys, and knock down threes will help him become a part of the Warriors' future. Although Javaris Crittenton or Kyle Lowry would have been a better addition this was a low risk move.
Grade: B+
Matching Kelenna Azubuike Could you imagine two former Dubs on a division rival. But in all seriousness Mullin had to match. Compared with Maurice Evans even though both stat eise are virtually the same it was the right move to match. In a few years he has all the potential to fill the shoes Richardson left because of his productivity. Ccoring, rebounding, perimeter shooting, and clutch play combined with timely Rebounding Azubuike is a rare smart player in Nellieball. Combined with plenty of upside, a lack of injuries his contract is very reasonable
Grade B+
Monta Ellis resigned Obviously this had to happen otherwhise the number of empty seats in the Oracle for next season would be evident and even with the hefty size of the deal Monta's playmaking ability as well as singlehandedly winning 4 or 5 games last year meant it was a case that Mullin had to show the money. I would be lying if I said it wasn't worried. He has to make the transition to Point Guard and earn Iverson handles as well as playing tight rather then lazy Defense, For a 23 year old he's now forced to be the number 1 option after Baron Davis's departure, The Former Most Improved player now has the task of becoming the leader assuming a Stephen Jackson role . He has to fight through screens, move his feet, and use his world-class quickness to stay in front of him but most importantly he has to try and become an All Star even as a reserve. This team hasn't had one since Sprewell and if he increases his PPG average to 24 and 25 he would earn consideration. Ellis is the fastest player in the NBA, is unstoppable 1-on-1 in transition, and is among the best finishers in the league
With his contract paying him 11 million per year somewhat hefty for a guy who hasn't proven he's clutch develop into a franchise player that makes his teammates better, he will be well worth his contract of 6 years / $66 million.
Grade A-
Signing Anthony Morrow The revelation of the Summer League and good enough to earn a mimimum deal with the team Morrow because of his size plays SG and Forward in Nelsons system but what put the pen to paper was his 3 point shooting percentage from downtown but was also apt at rebounding, blocking shots, and doing a decent job on the defensive end. The positive really is Bellinelli gets increased competition to avoid being passed up in the depth chart by this specialist that hits outside shots at a higher rate, is bigger, and has better rebounding and defensive abilities. We shall see.
Grade B-
Re-signing Biedrins 6yrs/63 million
Another young player locked up for market value. After years of suffering with Dampier and Foyle dropping passes... watching Andris play has been a joy to watch. He has soft hands, great feet, and a knack for scoring underneath. On the defensive side he is a very good rebounder and changes shots... if only the refs gave him some respect instead of tagging him with BS fouls. He's still very young at 22 and we haven't even see him come close to realizing his potential until Nelson leaves or commits to playing him for 30 minutes and running a few plays for him. Before we got Harrington and Jackson.. Biedrins was developing a solid low post game. He's one of best young bigs and he already has 4 years of NBA experience and is a proven double double guy in limited minutes.
For some this off-season could be seen as a disaster, but outside of overpaying Maggette (which is the main knock on the deal $$$$, not Maggette himself) Mullin did a great job this off-season, IMO. Sure we lost BD... but we were losing WITH him. You play to win Championships and Mullin has set the team up this season to be balanced, flexible, and and competitive even with so many young players. He has certainly learned from his mistakes in the past and us Warrior fans will be looking back at this off-season as the beginning of a new era.
Yes we all know by now that three of the Warriors from the 2006-2007 team (probably my favourite Warriors team of all time) have moved on to newer fields but in the interests of courtesy what is the harm in a goodbye post?. Never mind that Andris Biedrins will hopefully become the longest tenured Warrior these three players deserve recognition for their contributions for that magical last season and last year. Newver mind Croshere, Troy Hudson or C-Webb these three deserve major props
Baron Davis
I've been critical of Baron in the past claiming he was a guy who had more interest in promoting his film at the Sundance Fesitval rather then enhancing his Basketball skills but say what you want ever since Mullin made that trade the Warriors have been back on the Basketball map. His reputation for hitting big shots and getting players like Dunleavy or Biedrins involved with his no look passes and those awesome behind-the-back fake passes to himself, especially the one that led to a dunk over odom in the summer league… he remade the team, transforming them from losers a team with a reputation. It truly is shame that the Boom Dizzle-J-Rich never lasted as long as it should have but just thinking about the 16-5 run that team accompolished to make the Playoffs compared to the lethargy last years team showed during crunch time and there is a huge difference.
But now that Baron has gone to the Clippers the Monta Ellis era has began especially with his new contract extension. We don't know just how capable Monta is of carrying this Warriors Franchise but I know one thing expect more complaining of having missed the Playoffs from yours truly.
Matt Barnes
Barnes played Quarterback in High School snd much like Allen Iverson who also played the same position installed Football toughness. There were times when his flagrant fouls were stupidly unnceccesary but there were times when you just had to expressd admiration for how quickly he rose himself in the rotation. He'll probably be a one season wonder but he'll always be remembered by Warrior fans as a major role player in that magical run. And those half court baseball outlet passes. And the tackles, I mean hard fouls. And the 1 on 5 3 pointers
Though there still are some Rocky mountain League games left the last few weeks of the Summer League and the opening two games of the Rocky Mountain League have left us with some idea as to where our Youth movement is going as well combined with a little take on our signings.
Anthony Randolph Out of all the lottery picks so far he has the most NBA ready body. Thats a massive boost but obviously it's too early to see if it holds up. Defensively his shortcomings are well too known but like I said he's playing for a coach who can look past that or who doesn't care. Most impressively in one or two games he played the role of Ball Handler which could give even better minutes should the season start.
Marco Bellinelli Mr July seems to have excelled in Summer League competion but the real test fro him is with the Williams singing does he have any chance of forcing his way back in the rotation. His ball handling has improved but he constantly struggles on Defense and is probably the worst man to man Defender (saying a lot. For a streaky shooter he allows his man to get to the basket far too easy. In Training Camp we will get a better sense of his direction.
CJ Watson He's not had a good Summer League at all although his notable increase in Steals means unlike Marco he's trying at the Defensive end. His first step combined with a decent outside shot means even with the Marcus Williams signing he's still trying to push for minutes yet didn't really show any PG instincts yet. Howver the one thing that has always been a problem for him his court vision is still just that a problem it reamins to seen whther the Warriors put pen to paper come the 08-09 season.
Brandon Wright He's been the complete opposite to what I'd expect from Randolph. At times looking overwhelmed and inconsistent he doesn't look ready to deliver like last year. At times he would deliver a big dunk or a nice jump shot but he still doesn't look like delivering night in night out on the Offensive-Defensive end. Fortunately there is a lot of time for the Warriors but on a team that already has plenty of depth it would be nice to see even more of an improvment
Kelenna Azubuike: I've already explained that the Warriors should match and even with the question marks surronding him like a big decrease in explosivness he's still our best on the ball Defender and rebounded almost as well from the Guard spot as a certain Jason Richardson. Of course it all depends on how willing Mullin and co are willing to pay for Evans services and whether they believe Kelenna will be valuable. Even though Maurice Evans is a nice player with identical stats Kelenna at his age is much more valauble with a lot more upside.
Ronny Turiaf With the Turiaf addition we finally have a player with at least the strength to return some of the punishment. The only question remaining is can his toughness be like his Basketball skills. From watching him with his days from the Lakers to go wih his enthuiasm he instantly becomes our Shot Blocker and if he ever learned to box out properly his rebounding would be top notch. Much like kelenna he's the sort of player who gives you good minutes and at times even better.
Richard Hendrix His last two games in the Rocky Mountain League have shown he doesn't need to score at all to be considered contempt it's the little stuff like rebounding and shot blocking. My only worry is will he go down the path of Stephene Lasme who never had the chance to prove himself before being releases. However unlike Lasme who was one dimensional with his shot blocking I could easily see Hendrix make the roster alone with his rebounding.
Marcus Williams: Didn't have time to properly analysise this move but even though you look at his stats it's a low risk move especially since Marcus is young, cheap and with upside. Since the backup Point Guard was really non existant last year because of the Hudson debacle the Warriors got someone who is able to handle the ball, push the offense, and provide a stronger alternative to Monta on defense. With the overpaying for Maggette the Williams deal is a step in the right direction.
So with all these additions one thigs for sure. The Warriors without Baron aren't better nor will they come close to winning 48 games. But they are deeper and regardless of what people might say a Turiaf, Randolpph, Williams and Henrix unit hasd a better chance of working then Croshere, Webber and Hudson
Well you can't say this hasn't been a boring offseason. It seems everyday transactions some surprising while some not happen. Yesterday we saw the departure of Matt Barnes who signed a one year veteran deal with the Phoenix Suns. I'm been mostly sympathetic with Barnes but after a career season in 06-07 it seemed that after his moms death it just had a horrible impact on his playing ability. Unfortunately something Turiaf needs to avoid is Nellie's doghouse a place where Barnes couldn't get out of last season. Every time Barnes took a bad shot you could tell his place in the rotation was slipping further. Every Warrior last year took bad shots but for some reason Barnes got the most rep. On the other hand I think his minutes would have taken away from Wrights and Randolphs development something which would have been a no no. As we saw last year with little playing time for the Rookies the veterans just got burned out and the Warriors imploded. The Front office is being smart and avoiding this scenario by giving them more PT. Senible move
The Warriors also announced the signing of Ronny Turiaf the Lakers refused to match the 4 year now 19 milliion deal. No doubt to me thats overpaying for a big man whom might even not see any playing time especially if Nelson continues his tradition of not playing his backup big man like last year. Then again I can see adding Turiaf means that for the first time in a while there will be a lot more depth that Nelson will be forced to use. It won't be a better team then the ones we saw the last two seasons but Baron was not worth $65M and eventually when Foyle's contract comes off the cap Mullins 10-man rotation, that has youth and versatility, will have some money next season
In the midst of the hours until whether we know Turiaf will remain in LA or come accross state to the Bay Area some bad signs comes in the form of Azubuike signing an offer sheet with the Los Angeles Clippers .Financial terms of the offer were not yet known. Let's hope it's not too much for Mully and Co. to match. Per ESPN
The Warriors will have seven days to match the offer when the deal is completed, but the Clippers would appear to have a good chance of emerging from that wait with Azubuike. Azubuike is still developing after just two seasons in the league but has shown flashes of the ability to score from the wing that the Clippers need after Maggette signed a five-year deal worth an estimated $50 million with Golden State last week
Dissapointing news really especially when the article goes on to state Marco, Maggette Monta, and Jackson are ahead of Azubuike in the rotation but thats plain deciving. Monta no less will be at the Point, Jackson and Maggette will be a Shooting Guard and Small Forward combo. Kelenna still figures to be that first wing off the bench especially now that Marco is still in Nelsons doghouse
If the figure is actually $3mil per I’d say match and keep him here. He is the only guy in that group who has consistently shot the 3 well in the NBA. Because Azubuike is restricted, the Warriors will have seven days to match. According to a team source, the team had yet to receive the signed offer sheet. Plus I'd rather have him at $3million then Magette at $10 million!
Some other bad news is apparently the Lakers have an extra day to decide whether it's worth matching for Turiaf or let him go. The Front Office and fans seemed to think it was suppossed to end today especially considering Warriors put the paperwork in for the Turiaf offer sheet last Thursday, and most of us, I believe including the Warriors’ front-office, believed that the Lakers’ one-week decision window would end today.
If the Lakers are going after Artest heavily or Kurt Thomas I say they don't match. Judging by the fact that they already pay 5 million+ in luxury tax. It doesn’t make sense for them to pay roughly 17 mill in tax over the next 4 year for a player who plays a position that they are stocked in see Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm. Should Bynum and Mihm stay healthy and Odom isn't traded there probably isn't any need to hang on to Turiaf.
But say Artest is added. That would mean Luke Walton and his horrible contract would be abolished, Odom would be out of there and then the Lakers would then find a way to keep Sasha and Ronny Turiaf and pick up some expandable contracts. Although that scenario is unlilkely considering the bad news we've had recently combined with a potential high rather then low lottery pick things aren't looking up much for your 08-09 Warriors
Mullin doesn't know what he's doing. Hate to begin this post extremely harsh but the amount of contracts offered to supbar bench players after we learned the 76ers got Brand to a 5 year 82 million deal. So then what on earth propelled the front Office to offer Maggette a ludricious 5 year 50 million deal which it now looks as if he's accepted. A few points to take out of this day
Say hello to our newest Warrior
:The Warriors obviously offered Correy a 50 million dollar contract which is almost double the midlevel deals reportedly offered by the Spurs, Celtics and Pistons. All I can say if the deal foes through is this is another vast overpaying of a player by our Front Office that in the past almost killed the team see the contracts to Dunleavy and Foyle. It's mind bogging how anyone could trade away Richardsons 50 million contract and then give it to an inferior player such as Maggette. Contrary to what people think he won't be a good fit in Nelsons system he's a ball dominant three who relies on a half court game to get to the foul line off dribble penetration. He's well known for his lack of Defense and I don't see how this helps the young guns on this team Belinelli, Azubuike, Randolph, and possibly Wright. . He's efficent at scoring and unlike most of the roster he has the ability to get to the line but in the post Davis era he doesn't have the lockdown mentality they need if they want to make the transition to a successful Defensive team.
Oh and did I mention he's injury prone? He's never played a full season. The most games he's played was 77 and that was his rookie year in Orlando. So let me get this straight, Mullin doesn't want to extend Baron for 5 years because he's injury prone, but will sign Maggette for 5 years at $3 million less per year than Baron?
:Fire Mullin?
In terms of basketball and putting a winning team out there, it's debatable whether or not I'd keep him. I'd probably get rid of him. But he's really taking this entertainment business to the extreme. Even in the offseason he keeps Warrior fans on edge. Last year was the KG sweepstakes and this year we've got all sorts of drama. Taking out all basketball decisions, Mullin gets an A+ for keeping Warrior fans on the edge of their seats in what was thought to be a boring offseason. Entertainment at its best! Okay back to reality...
:Rumours also arising that the Warriors put an offer to Ronny Turiaf for 4 years 17 million the Lakers have a week to match the contract. Ronny is restricted, so if the Warriors sign him to an offer sheet, the Lakers can match. There are certain intangibles I like about Turiaf he's a hustler with a body not afraid to bang against anyone but at a distant glance further afield he doesn't look impressive. I can easily see him as a backup Center able to provide the minutes that Webber lacked last season If this does pan out true though how does this lead to the development of Hendrix. He will be wasting away on the bench should this result. . I really want a backup center who can't play at the same time as Biedrins or Wright. None of those guys has the offensive game to complement the other.
If the Warriors were going to lock up money in a restricted free agent, there's some high energy guy in Houston I would have liked, Carl Landry.
Pietrus has more then likely left for Orlando. I'm starting to think the Magic is our perrenial home for Players that never panned out see the Adonal Foyle move. Apparently the GM there (Otis Smith) likes Pietrus and considering Maurice Evans left they needed a Shooting Guard. Hey for a guy who has one of the lowest Basketball IQ's on the court, committs stupid fouls relentlessy, takes a lot of stupid shots most of them bricks I can't say I'll ever miss him. Unlike other ex warriors he won't become the list of players who have come back to haunt us He does play a spot of good Defense now and then but overall he was just a liability and fortuntely Mullin wasn't as stupid as to give him a new contract aka the Fisher one
: Just going back to the Brand move. He turned down a deal 10 million more then Philly and wanted to be the face of the 76ers. That was a straight slap in the face to the Warriors. Did the Warriors really think they were going to get a player better than Baron. Then again with the Clippers he turned down virtually the same amount Los Angeles got up to $80 million and was willing to renounce more players if necessary to give Brand more. Still, he chose Philly.
: We have a big roster right now should both signings be confirmed. Azubuike, Belinelli, and Watson are bench players Our starting line-up also now features Monta and 4 guys over 6-6. Jackson will probably start at SG because he can't rebound very well while Maggette doesn't take advantage of his size on Rebounding or Defensively but he should be able to run pretty well with the team. Our bench is pretty deep guys who are ready to contribute now (Harrington, Azubuike, Turiaf all ready to contribute and unlike last year Mullin and Cohan have given Nelson more pieces to work with
: Eventually Monta and Andris will want more then Maggette. I would give Ellis more money Say the Warriors start Monta at $9 a year (which would be $67.5M contract over six years). And say they start Biedrins at $8. Jackson would be the 5th highest paid player on the team . This is all based on assummptions but I doubt a player who's watched the Warriors reluctantly show the money to Barnes and Pietrus in the last offseason as well as allow Baron to opt out would be much interested in signing a new deal. Either way expect Jackson to possibly opt out when his deal expires as well.
: Lastly the Warriors aren't done yet or shouldn't be. Use the cap space used for Barons contract and go after Rasheed Wallace, Shawn Marion Lamar Odom or even trade Stephen Jackson - to get a proven All-Star. They all are one-and-done, which could give the Warriors cap space next year if they don’t work out. Even more likely ship Harrington out for a Point Guard. Why? Because Maggette will pick up his mid range scoring, Marco has the 3 point shooting down even though it's very streaky and Turiaf will take his spot at backup Center. With Hinrich, Felton, Lowry, maybe Billups on the market I'm not 100% sure either of those teams would need Harrington but PG is still their biggest need. Hard to imagine a backcourt of Ellis and Jackson.
With all this excitment lets not forget the summer League kicks off in a few days. Three months ago the Warriors 07-08 season finished against the now defunct Seattle Supersonics. Todat the 08-09 season is offically well underway
With Baron gone there are obvious needs the Warriors Front Office needs to consider as they approach a critical Free agency period. What they do with it is indicative of how this team goes forward in the future. Sign a Elton Brand type of player (unlikely at the minute) and it shows that they wish to attempt and become a Playoff team if not contenders. Sign a cheap backup PG and it shows they wish to just be a Lottery team and in 2010 go after the best Free Agents available. Of course in theory one hopes that Mullin doesn't overpay anyone on the market so he can get Ellis and Biedrins the deals they crave. Aside from a contract glitch with Monta (nothing major) both deals should get done. Anyway moving on
James Posey
Obviously he's likely to stay in Boston and add to his already impressive ring collection but I can see him being useful to Golden State for defensive purposes. He's oversized at 6'8 for a Shooting Guard but he's not afraid to defend the oppositions main offensive threat. I love his constant effort on both ends of the floor while consistently hitting three-pointers of his own, thus spreading the floor for his teammates. Considering our lack of Defense this season it might be worth making an offer especially with the rumours the Celtics are going after Maggette.
Elton Brand
Obviously tommorow when he is 90% sure to announce his decision to stay in LA (will Plaschke get credit)but if he does wish to abandon the Clippers just getting a 20 and 10 guy would be big for the Warriors. Knowing Nelson the liklihood of seeing Brand at center increases everyday but his low post Defense is the best on the Warriors (not saying an awful lot). On the other hand if the Brand deal goes through the question remains does the injury he had for most of last season affect his mobility?. Signing a guy of Brands stature would be huge but at the same time raises new questions. Havig said that everything else screams max player, especially for the Warriors
Josh smith
Knowing Nelson he could find a million ways to use Smith. And just reading about Smith his athletiscm thats slightly underused in a Halfcourt system with Atlanta with flourish playing with youngsters and a much quicker tempo. Having said like Brand he wouldn't put the Warriors in playoff contention but unlike Brand I'd love to see his Defense and so called toughness added to the Roster.
Shaun Livingston
Okay this is a guy the Warriors wouldn't go after unless they were really desperate to get a starting Guard considering his knee was broken into about twelve different pieces two years ago. Then again how many Guards are 6'7 and 22 years of age?. For a team with a short backcourt he could be an interesting piece to add to the puzzle.
Andre Igoudala
I would love Andre but it depends on how closely the Sixers go after this guy, Andris and Josh Smith. He has experience, size and Defense as well as a khow to win attitude. As well as playing in Philadelphia where he is mentally tough (an attribute neccessary if you're playing there). I don't see him improving the Warriors drastically much like Josh Smith but I would go after him just for his defense. Loves to guard the Superstar tight sort of guy. The 76ers wouldn't let him go here simply because the Warriors don't have anyone to offer but his talent cobined with the youngsters peaking means this possible acqusition could be the most interesting on the list.. His ball movement, rebounding, and running would work well with the youngsters as well as his talent which would peak with the rest of our youngsters in a few years
James Jones Okay it's difficult to see the Warriors making any offer for him but considering the guy is a 44% 3 point shooter from last season he might be someone the Warriors could consider. He's been the odd man out in Portland and Phoenix and defensively he's lacking unlike some of the other people mentioned here but at 6'8" and 27 years old, he's someone Golden State should consider.
Josh Childress
I've been a fan of Childress since his Stanford days and I honestly believe should Atlanta choose to retain Josh Smiths services Childress will probably be on the market. He's underrated as both a shooter and a defensive player, I think he's a slight upgrade over Pietrus and a perfect fit at the 3 if signed at the MLE. Under Nelsons style there is a slight chance he could break out much in the way the Matt Barnes of 06-07 did or the Stephen Jackson of 07-08
The Warriors have announced the 2008 Summer League roster. The Summer League basically is a chance to give all fringe squad players and Players that don't get much playing time a chance to strut their stuff or at least thats my defintion of it. Even big performances like Marco's 37 point game don't gurantee you any Playing time. Without further ado here is the 2008 Warriors Summer League roster
Louis Amundson G 6-9 225 12/7/82 UNLV 2 18 Marco Belinelli G 6-5 192 3/25/86 Italy 1 11 Dion Dowell G/F 6-7 205 6/11/85 Houston R 35 Richard Hendrix F 6-9 255 11/15/86 Alabama R 31 Robert Kurz F 6-9 232 3/5/85 Notre Dame R 12 Reggie Larry F 6-6 225 10/20/86 Boise State R 28 Jamaal Moore G/F 6-6 195 7/6/83 Rice R 25 Anthony Morrow G 6-5 210 9/27/85 Georgia Tech R 21 DeMarcus Nelson G 6-4 200 11/2/85 Duke R 4 Anthony Randolph F 6-10 205 7/15/89 LSU R 10 Mykal Riley F 6-6 185 7/14/85 Alabama R 33 Tamar Slay G/F 6-8 215 4/2/80 Marshall 3 23 C.J. Watson G 6-2 175 4/17/84 Tennessee 1 32 Brandan Wright F 6-9 205 10/5/87 North Carolina 1 6 Ian Young G 6-3 200 9/27/81 Auburn R Coach Keith Smart
*Roster subject to change
I think out of all of them Wright is the one I'm looking forward the most. Lets face it for a guy who did contribute but had an obvious case of the nerves I want to see whether he's worked on a go to Post move something which could seperate him from Andris Biedrins. If the nerves are gone and that kind of smoothness and composure that comes with knowing you belong on the court, he should be pretty good. After that it's a toss up between CJ Watson and De Marcus Nelson. He reminds me of a young version of either Matt Barnes or Brian Cardinal players who hustled and were pretty good Defenders. For a guy his size he's a pretty good rebounder and Defender.
Note to self Never get hyped about a Summer League performance again
Even in the current Point Guard crisis CJ Watson has the tools to be the backup. He's obviously not starter material but with an ability to score from anywhere with the fact he's cheap and hungry a Summer League success means he could be in the eyes of Nelson when the NBA Season resumes. Like Wright, he needs to have shaken that rookie uncertainty. If he’s playing like he knows he belongs, if he’s dominating in summer league, then I say ride with him and use those resources elsewhere.
Sometimes even the future with youngsters can be bright. On Monday Baron offially set himself loose from the deal offered by Golden State which was $18 million yearly. Then he had the nerve to tell Adande an ESPN.com writer he received a good offer from the Clippers but would perfer to remain a Warrior. The very next day he was officially a Los Angeles Clipper. You can't dispute Barons impact on the team. He took them from the very bad times to the very good times and then said farewell by leaving us in between with a uncertain future.
It became clear as last year that Davis wanted to leave or going by the volatile nature of the charecter, injury prone and clever negotiating tactics that didn't seem to suit Mullin at all that it was always going to be hard for the Warriors to give him a long term deal. The signs were immediately there from the start. Obviously the Warriors depending on whether they pursue Arenas will be worse off for the 08-09 season 32 wins is the max I give them.
But even so this benefits the Warriors youngsters in the long term. As i said before in the last post seeing another high lottery team will be difficult to muster but unlike with Barons pressence a lot of youngsters ala Brandon Wright, Randolph and even Hendrix can even take leadership roles. Should they wish to be a Playoff contender it is essential they take the role of leaders. From a record standpoint, another trip to the lottery next year certainly won’t hurt the Warriors talent pool. I’m sure that mindset will quickly be dismissed once again as brain-dead Warriors losering by many, but if you’re not going to make the playoffs (which I highly doubt the Warriors will next year), you might as well work on the future and let the picks fall where they may. Nelson is well known for his tanking ability so I have faith in his hopes of getting Ricky Rubio
Financially there's no doubt we're better off more flexibility under the cap. It also makes for a distraction free offseason. Assuming Biedrins and Monta are locked up Wright, Belinelli, Randolph, and Hendrix will be sitting snuggly in the middle of their rookie deals the Warriors can now hopefully turn their attention to landing the difference maker player they’ll need with the huge chunk of cap space they’ll have at their disposal. They won't set the world on fire next year but without Baron there isn't any choice.
So without Boom Dizzle the question where is Golden State now. In short, the future, a year early. Baron’s departure shouldn’t taint what he did for this team in 06-07. But that past performance also shouldn’t lead us to believe we have no future without him. It’s not just the off-season that is now wide-open, but the character and performance of this entire team next year. For those who watched the team lose steam last spring with a sense of creeping dread, Davis’ departure provides a clean break from the past. Now, just remember to remind me of all this optimism next year when we lose to not one, but both Los Angeles teams.
Ok so everyone by now knows Baron opted out. It's that simple. Yet contrary to popular opinion there are lots of different contract scenarios that Boom Dizzle can opt to choose. Only time will tell if he's made the right one or more importantly what one will he decide.
Long Term Deal I don't see the Warriors doing this funnily enough but the Warriors and Baron work out a 3-5 year deal and decide where's he an important piece of the Roster. Davis does this because he gets bigger paydays and can leave all the annoying contract year charades, like passing to your teammates rather than pulling up for the three. Or pretending to listen to your coach.
Sign and Trade: Could happen. The Warriors would find a taker for Baron under this approach and then execute a contract for more than that team could pay Baron. For their trouble, the Warriors would receive players / picks in return. It seems Davis would perfer this option and Given that there are likely going to be only 2 or 3 teams with more than $8 mil to spend on a big-ticket free agent, the sign-and-trade route looks likely if Baron’s days with the Warriors are done.
Wait Mullin knows patience is the virtue and he succeeded last season using this tactic with Pietrus and Barnes . As I said before the Clippers, Sixers and Grizzlies the only three teams that have a shot at signing Baron won't because of roster factors, Cap space etc. The Warriors would wait the entire offseason but unfortunately this does not always benefit the team and leaves Baron disgruntled where as we've seen before it destroys a team. Baron deciding either between a mid-level exception for another team or a slightly higher deal with the Warriors
He walks Mullin would have a lot of explaining to do should this happen. Ok the fans would know that with years of rebuilding you turn into a possible Portland Trailblazer unit but after 12 years of futility do you think the fans would accept that?. On the other hand Davis leaving with nothing in return creates a bumper load of cap space for a shot at a big free agent come the 2009-2010 season. As for next season the youngsters get all the playing time, the team wins 20-30 games and they get a high lottery pick something Mullin anticipates probably every year. In essence if you have the patience of a saint it's a good idea but if you have a fanbase that aside from one Playoff series has suffered through so much bad then it's a ridiculous idea. But it could happen
I think the sign and trade is the most likely route. In any trade you go for prospects, draft picks, and expiring contracts. By doing this the Warriors add another player to the rotation a pick in next year’s draft and enough cap fodder to preserve some of the space created by Baron’s departure for 09-10.
Just a few examples
Baron signed for $13 mil to Cleveland for Varejao, Snow (expiring deal) and a 2009 #1
or
Baron signed for $15 mil to Los Angeles for Odom (expiring deal), Farmar and a 2009 #1
or
Baron signed for $13 mil to New York for David Lee, Malik Rose (expiring deal), Nate Robinson and Renaldo Balkman
None of those trades get us anything aside from the LA one but they do clear the final chapter of the Davis era in the Bay Area. Davis’ second-half of the season swoon, the Phoenix game, and now the opt-out have left him in a position no team leader can afford to hold — that of the scapegoat. It's only a matter of time before Welcome back Davis night happens
After the draft where Randolph an anticapted project was picked up and the trade expception was let expire when the Warriors could have picked up some depthj the offseason looked pretty boring the mian priority was resigning Monta and Biedrins. Yet it just got a little interesting with the news Baron Davis opted out of his deal. . Does it mean he's leaving. No but his means his neogiating power with Mullin just got stronger. And most likely, even if Baron leaves, we'll get some sort of compensation though I'm not sure how well Mullin will negotiate that.
To be honest I'm not entirely surprised Baron opted out although with no PG under contract in Golden State it will be chaos for a few weeks here. Basically after completing 82 games for the first time in his career making critics eat their words on his injury history this would be a good time to cash in now. He's proved he can stay healthy albeit in a contract year teams in need of a top flight PG will want his services.
I also think more or less the Front Office doing nothing to improve the team was another factor. Lets face it signing Monta and Biedrins to long term deals and drafting another big man project who will be on the bench most of his 1st season isn't doing anything to stop you being a Playoff fringe team. Baron wants to win now and you have to respect that. Baron knows he doesn't have much time especially with Nelson around for most likely, 1 more year. If I were him, I'd be upset that the Warriors did nothing at the draft to improve the team and did nothing creative with the trade exception as well so you can understand his anguish
So what does it mean. Obviously Baron could sign with the Warriors for a long term deal more then the 17.5 million he wanted but if I'm the Warriors I would take into consideration much of the explosiveness we saw during the Playoff run and last season would be well gone and his injury history. It also means there are 3 teams that could sign him Memphis, Philly and the LA Clippers. Memphis is unlikely they've just drafted OJ Mayo and have Mike Conley and a ton of other Point Guards on their roster, Philly need to lose Andre Ingodula to have a chance at signing Baron and the Clippers his most likely desitnation could sign him but only if they lose Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. LA is his most likely destination.
And lastly, by far the most interesting and controversial outcome, Baron forces a sign and trade from the Warriors to another team. Most likely, he would force a trade to a contending team. Hence all the ridiculous trade proposals by some Warrior fans the next few weeks should this happen
Elton Brand also opted out could he be a Warrior. I didn't think he'd opt out either but supposedly after seeing what the Celtics did with 3 stars, he wants to do the same. So he wants to see the Clips make the same type of dedication to winning. I'm sure Baron has that in mind as well. Brand would look good in a Warrior uni, next to Baron of course.
The Webber experiment was an unfortunate failure. I think it's obvious to say that with conviction. However unlike the Mbenga signing Mullin and Don Nelson honestly believed Webber had the skills to finally give the Warriors an legitmate big man. Unfortunately although things didn't work out Webber deserves a thanks for his efforts to help out.
I honeslty much like Mullin thought Webber would help this team. And there were glimpses where he did show us what he was capable off his passing was still solid, could set screens for teammates,nice rebounding, crafty defense on Kevin Garnett, some picks and swats but in the end it was all a tease. All the problems that he have such as a low hoops IQ,complete lack of interior passing, a player who looks to pass before shoot and the long awaited big body in the paint. However Nelson deserves credit for at least. They needed and still need a big man in every possible way and webber becuase of his salary and experience was the atttractive option.
Historically I hope people rememeber him for a variable career. His run with the Michigan 5 and the infamous timeout, him and Sprewell hoping to become the next big Golden State duel but it ended with a dispute with Nellie, His time with the Bullets and Juwan Howard was both a mixture of triumph and tragedies. Whe he went to the Kings not only were they soon on the Basketball map him and Divac were the best big man passing combo of all time and that Knee Injury he suffered in the 2003 Conference Finals was unfortunate. The Kings traded him to the 76ers a senseless move where he still averaged 20 PPG but for some reason he went to the Pistons where his career almost fizzled out were it not for the Golden State move.
Is Webber a hall of famer. It's close. If Sacramento had beaten the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference finals it would have been a definite resounding yes. Whilst the lasting memory much like a Malone or Barkely. However the one huge game he did appear in you can't honestly say he dissapeared in . There was no doubt though that with the level of experience and high hoops IQ that Webber has every bit the potential to become a future NBA assistant or even Head Coach.
Even though he ended up as a Warrior I still feel slightly cheated. Why didn't Nellie in all his expereince as a coach back then figure out a way to let webber develop more in his rookie year, Why did Chris Cohan avoid paying him Why weren't knee injuries and dodgy officating in the Laker series saved by the Hoops gods. Why did his career end like this.
He ended up a Warrior but it should have ended up much better.
Bad news concerning starting Center Andris Biedrins. According to Janny Hu of the SF Gate she reports that Beans could be out for a week because of appendicitis.
Some bad news from practice today:
As the trade deadline passed at noon, the biggest story for the Warriors wasn't that Mickael Pietrus was still at practice.
It's that Andris Biedrins was not.
The Warriors' starting center is out indefinitely with appendicitis that began flaring up last night. Biedrins is scheduled to have his appendix removed today and will likely out for at least a week as he recovers from surgery. Suns forward Grant Hill missed 11 days after undergoing his own appendectomy on Jan. 10.
Warriors coach Don Nelson said Biedrins wasn't feeling well during Wednesday's win over the Celtics, though Biedrins still toughed out one of his best games of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He got progressively worse overnight before the Warriors' sent him to the doctor Thursday morning.
I'm not sure which is more dissapointing the fact that we didn't shell out Pietrus for any sort of Ron Artest bargain on Trade deadline day or this. I have said it all season the Warriors need to do something with getting some effective big guys. Wright is going to be thrown into the mix without having much PT. This is lucky timing because if you look at our schedule Atanta, Philly, Seattle and Portland would be the games Biedrins would possibly miss. My main worrie is Nelson would actually be foolish enough to give playing time to the likes of Webber, Croshere or Barnes rather then realising this would be the perfect opportunity to see Brandon Wright or POB see if they've got game.
Well with Troy hudson finished the position most fans know we're vulnerable at still needs to be solved. There is a whole list of Point Guards out there that can give serivicable time when Baron Davis is out. My list is as follows.
Gary Payton
The only reason I can see him coming to Oakland is he's from there but either way this would be a disasterous singing. I can't imagine a 39 year old trying to play at Nelsons high pace day in day out. Yes his nickname the Glove often fitted him perfectly with his tight Defense and constant trash talk but his performances over the last few years have declined steadily and right now I can't imagine him being a effective upgrade over Hudson. To use an anology it would be the equivalent of picking up Magic old and out of shape. GP now that he's got his ring just retire gracefully.
Earl Boykins
Yes the picture don't lie Boykins was a former Warrior playing in the Musselman era but the money he wants is nothing near to what the Warriors should be paying him $4 million. Because of his limited height he can't play Defense to save his life and he really is the worlds smallest SG one of the reasons he's bounced around from the Nuggets to the Bucks. His tendency to shoot a lot fits perfectly on the Warriors and he is a good shooter but the Salary and the Lack of D is a no.
Jay Williams
This really would be a gamble. After the infamous motorcycle accident Williams hasn't played in the League and I cnan't see Mullin even pursuing this kid. He might have been a solid player before the incident but if he was worthy of the spot surely teams would be taking a closer look. He seems to suffer from the Duke curse of players not doing well in the NBA see Bobby Hurley,Christian Laettner, Trajan Langdon or Danny Ferry. A no here as well
John Lucas
Of all the moves on the list this would be the more likely. He can't shoot the ball as well as Boykins but he fits the role perfectly because he's more of a distributor something which this role requires. He's quick, gets to the Basket easily and basically has all the offensive attributes for Nellieball. However like the PG's I listed he dissapears for long stretches and like Boykins although not to the same extent is undersized which is a problem when facing the top tier of PG's in the West.
There's not really anyone on the Free agency list that sticks out. Should the Warriors decide to trade here are 3 options I think would make the most sense.
Steve Blake
It's unlikely the Jailblazers would want to give anything up especially now that they've won 10 straight but Blake is the consumate pro, has the experience and fits perfectly into the sysstem. He can shoot and is a leader. However would Portland give him up. Pretty unlikely.
Carlos Arroyo
Just look at the Magic's Guard and it's obvious they don't need him. Much like Blake he fits the role in that even with a 4 million contract unlike Boykins he's worth it. He's a great passer and basically of all the trades made this is the one maybe the Warriors should look at.
Jannero Pargo
You know you've earned even the slighest bit of recognition in this League when Phil Jackson in his excellent book The last season a team in search of it's soul claimed it was a mistake putting Pargo on wavers because he had the footspeed unlike Payton to contain Parker in the 0.4 series. Pargo even with the Hornets pursuing a playoff spot is someone I like. His footspead, Cheap Contract 2 million with a players option 2M next season and clutuch outside shooting are good intangibles in a Guard. This would be the trade I'd like.
Now that I've gone through the Free agents and trades that make sense why not try the Guards that don't. There are at least one I can think off.
Smush Parker
Avoid like the plague. He has the most questionable attitude out of all the Guards I listed see the Miami car valet incident or on the Lakers bench last season where in a game against Seattle he had a outburst with Phil Jackson over his limited PT even though surely his bad shooting, inconsitency, bad Free Throw Shooting and an ego the size of a whale it might be best to ignore.
Of all the options I think Mullin will wait and see. He has a tendency to do the unexpected and do what no one else would have thought see the Richardson trade or the DunMuprhy ones or even hire Don Nelson. The most likely scenario is when it's decided the likely Guard will come from out of the blue
The main problems that leap out after 3 games are obvious. Some of them were to be expected some of them not quite. Here is a list of them.
Transition Defense: Obviously being a prime concern if you're a run and gun team the Defense has been abysmal. Ever opponent so far has averaged 110+ PPG and right now it seems we're getting destroyed in the paint. Andris was suppossed to honour his contract year. What has he done? well in the Jazz game facing Carlos Boozer he was destroyed with Boozer averaging 32 and 15. That was understandable. Boozer is an All star calliber Forward. Kaman however the Clippers Center is not and he put down Shaq numbers 26 and 18. This was suppossed to be Biedrins year a year when after he averaged 9 points 9 rebounds he was supossed to take the next step up. It has hapenned just yet although he had a solid game against the Jazz last night with 12 points. The sad fact is POB hasn't yet become the backup center he needs to further develop his game. This is a problem thats not new for the Warriors last season in fact they surrended a 144 one game to the lowly Memphis Grizzlies of all people. Granted defense has never been a strong point of Nelsons coaching but surely it would be a nice problem to fix. Sadly the lack of toughness in the point without Stephen Jackson means it could be a while.
Reliance on the 3's: The sad factor is that nine times out of 10 rather then drive to the Basket against Defenders that have a mimimal chance of stopping him Davis pulls up every time.I'm not sure. Monta Ellis who in my view was suppossed to have exactly the same season as he did the last isn't yet doing it as well. His FG Shooting stats over his last few games are as follows 5-14,7-17 and 3 for 10. He has also yet to make a 3 pointer this season.
Monta Ellis where art thou?
The Boards An obvious weakness but dramatically improved in time for the Jazz game. They were only beaten 38-30 in the last Jazz game a minor achievment when you consider when these two first played the Jazz won 56-37. The more you rebound the more you control a game and as expected without Jackson no one on Golden State can do that yet. Against teams like the Cavs or dallas they won't win the boards but they need to find something else to control the game like a Shooting touch.
Overall it's early. We're 0-3 and lost early ground on our division. (The Suns and Lakers are 2-1. I find it disappointing that we've struggled to regain the sense of urgency evident in the playoffs and are just not playing Defense well. If anything it's become clear this team will need more then Jackson to get them back in the right direction . Hopefully things change sooner rather then later although when being continously outworked for boards and loose balls like the Clippers game I wouldn't count on it.
December Mon 01 vs Miami L 130-129 OT Fri 05 @ Houston L 131-112 Sat 06 @ San Antonio L 123-88 Mon 08 @ Oklahoma Wed 10 vs Milwaukee Fri 12 vs Houston Sat 13 @ Denver Mon 15 vs Orlando Wed 17 @ Indiana Fri 19 @ Atlanta Sat 20 @ Charlotte Mon 22 @ Orlando Tue 23 @ Miami Fri 26 vs Boston Sun 28 @ LA Lakers Mon 29 vs Toronto Wed 31 @ Oklahoma
January Fri 02 @ Minnesota Mon 05 @ Utah Wed 07 vs LA Lakers Sat 10 @ Portland Sun 11 vs Indiana Wed 14 vs Sacramento Fri 16 vs Atlanta Mon 19 vs Washington Wed 21 vs Oklahoma City Fri 23 vs Cleveland Sun 25 vs LA Clippers Wed 28 @ Dallas Fri 30 @ New Orleans Sat 31 @ Houston
February Mon 02 vs San Antonio Wed 04 vs Phoenix Fri 06 @ Phoenix Sun 08 vs Utah Tue 10 vs New York Thu 12 vs Portland Wed 18 vs LA Lakers Sat 21 vs Oklahoma City Mon 23 @ LA Clippers Fri 27 vs Charlotte
March Sun 01 vs Utah Tue 03 @ Minnesota Wed 04 @ Chicago Fri 06 @ Detroit Sat 07 @ Milwaukee Wed 11 vs New Jersey Fri 13 vs Dallas Sun 15 vs Phoenix Tue 17 vs LA Clippers Thu 19 @ LA Lakers Fri 20 vs Philadelphia Sun 22 @ New Orleans Tue 24 @ San Antonio Wed 25 @ Dallas Sat 28 @ Denver Mon 30 vs Memphis
April Wed 01 vs Sacramento Fri 03 vs New Orleans Sun 05 @ Sacramento Wed 08 vs Minnesota Fri 10 vs Houston Sat 11 @ Utah Mon 13 vs San Antonio Wed 15 @ Phoenix
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Sums up how the majority of Warriors nation feels
