The Summer of Silence

by Fantasy Junkie on Aug 16, 2006 9:59 PM PDT in News

Chad Ford of ESPN Insider wrote an article about five teams who should have had a big summer but ended up with little to show for it. Surprisingly (ahem), the Warriors made the list.

They should make a permanent and honorary seat for the Warriors.
(Photo: skontofans.eclub.lv)

The season started as one of hope, but we all know how that ended. After just finishing therapy to block out the nightmare of last season, Chad Ford brings it all back up as he sets the scene for his Warriors breakdown.

Mullin went into the summer vowing to change the team's chemistry around, but three months later ... the Warriors look the same.

He then discusses the dilemma that Mullin is apparently struggling with, develop the young guys or trade them for proven players.

The Warriors' problem is that they continue to remain on the fence between winning and development. As always, they have a number of talented young players (Monta Ellis, Mickael Pietrus, Andris Biedrins, Diogu and rookie Patrick O'Bryant) in the pipeline. They don't want to trade them.

However, their veterans, with the exception of Jason Richardson, are virtually untradeable. Mullin is guilty for most of the bad contracts. He vastly overpaid Murphy, Dunleavy and Adonal Foyle, limiting his ability to make changes to his team. A number of GMs have told me they've been offered all three, but no one will touch them. The word around the league is that Davis is also available, but given his injury history and rep as a chemistry killer, no one will touch him.

And he ends with perhaps the most sobering paragraph of them all.

If the Warriors can't trade the millstones that are dragging them down (those four are still owed a combined $182 million over the course of their Golden State careers) and refuse to trade the young talent that can't get them anywhere yet, then Warriors fans can rest assured that another 30- to 35-win season is coming.

It's not that I expect them to make the playoffs this year, but it's not easy being a Warrior fan. I just hope the playoffs will be that much sweeter when (if?) they do come.

Are you surprised at the lack of activity in the offseason?

For more on Mullin, make sure to check out Humm-Baby's: Mull It Over article on Mullin's better days as a Warrior and also Humm-Baby's comparison of Isiah and Mullin. By the way, we're big fans of Humm-Baby, another Bay Area site. If you haven't seen the site yet, definitely, definitely go for a read.

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fence

my comments on Mully are too numerously described elsewhere in posts to repeat here, but I beg to differ that Woes are "on the fence" - we aren't even climbing the fence toward playing winning basketball and as for "developing" players since we've done such a nice job as the Wizards' minor league team maybe we should join the developmental league ...

by hardcore on Aug 16, 2006 11:50 PM PDT reply actions

I'm not surprised at all

Mullin must've been on something strong to think he could send Foyle, Dunleavy, or even Murphy anywhere. In salary cap NBA, they're the very definition of black holes sucking up flexibility.

by jonathan on Aug 17, 2006 1:52 AM PDT reply actions

Anyone is tradeable.

If the objective were merely to get rid of the player, I think he could move any of the trio. Dunleavy may be the most difficult because of the BYC, but there's a way if that's the objective. We're closer to our players, but as the season approaches and as the mid-season deadline approaches, like two lonely drunks near closing time, there's the possibility that one of the other 29 potential fools in charge of NBA personnel may think "I've got to get another big man for that playoff push" and decide that the "defensive minded bigman" Foyle or the "rebounding specialist" Murphy are just what they need to push them over the top.

History has taught me that no one is untradeable. Many said that Jamison and Fortson were untradeable. Both have been trade by us and the team that received them since. Getting value for a trade is a different issue altogether. Glenn Robinson got traded. If memory serves, Keith Van Horn was traded a few times when he had a bigger salary and less utility than Murphy or Foyle.

by jae on Aug 17, 2006 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Waiting Game aka Later not Sooner.

First, numerically the GSW would have fought for a playoff slot in the NBA East. 5-6 more wins in the East. Realistically, we're in a rough conference with no room at the top and the team has a losing culture.

Second, most GMs expect a Low-Ball-Fire-Sale in Oakland. Trades are possible but later, not sooner.

No GM is going to cut Mullin any slack this summer. GMs will deal when they need to fix a team problem or pressured by a deadline (or owner). We have until Feb.

I don't think we need to get worse to get better -- you get better by winning, and aquiring assets:
Players, Draft Picks and Cap Space.

I hope Mullin can grab a serviceable Center with part of the MLE. We need someone to fill-in for Foyle.

Musclehead [(TM) Damiper] added hardworking specalists Boykins and Cardinal. The Mavs added a fit DeSagana Diop last summer. Mullin should make those kinds of incremental changes this year. GSW need to aquire low cost, role players and use them. That also requires a new Coach.

by joe sez on Aug 17, 2006 3:22 AM PDT reply actions

Amen

Right as rain. But let's look for a silver lining here. Maybe, with so many saying that this is a team trapped by its own stupidity (management) and selfishness (players) that it's frozen and unable to reinvent (or even restructure) itself, the team will take it to heart as a challenge -- and (dare I say it) start playing like a team. While weaknesses and bad fits abound here, there's still talent -- both proven (JR) and potential (the kids).
Since it appears there's unlikely to be help on the horizon, the key becomes Boom Fizzle: can he shake his history (I'd grade him at "D" for last year -- and consider that generous) and realize even a portion of his potential? Will he push and move the ball, end his three-point lunacy, decide to try on defense, really run this team just begging for leadership? If so, there's hope for these guys; if not, well, we've been down that road so often we're used to it. Let's just wait and see.

by johnl on Aug 17, 2006 8:32 AM PDT up reply actions