The worst is over

by runandgun on Jan 24, 2009 3:46 PM PST Comment 45 comments

Alright, I think the Warriors downhill slide hit a rock bottom with the worst team in the NBA, the Thunder (what kind of a name is that?) beat us in the final seconds in a heartbreaker at home. Ouch. But you know what? Didn't bother me that much. Kind of gotten used to it.

But not only was that pretty much the worst possible loss the Warriors might dream of, but it was the last game without Monta.....So I think its safe to say, it can't get any worse then that.

Even with another heartbreaker on Friday night, I am still encouraged by that game. Monta looked good, the team looked completely different. They didn't fall behind big early like they have so many games. They were competitive throughout, showed glimpses of how dynamic they can be. And that was with Crawford, Wright and Belinelli on the bench and Randolph waiting in the wings. Against one of the best teams in the NBA..........pretty encouraged by that game.

Because say what you want about the current state of the team, I think its pretty undeniable that the Warriors have a ton of young talent:

Monta: Star player, should be one of the best players in the NBA when fully healthy.

Biedrins: Good center, every good team needs one

Crawford: Not a CP3, Williams, Rose or even Bibby type PG, but is still better then avearge.

Bellinelli: Should also be a good guard

Wright and Randolph: Two very talented young forwards, should only keep getting better.

With all this young talent, its very hard not to be optomistic about the future of this team. Not just for the next few years, but if they keep this core nucleus together, this team could be a top contender for the next 8 - 10 years with how young they are.

Add that PF/good defender/good rebounder and I really believe this could be one of the top teams in the NBA.

If only they could trade SJax and Magette to clear cap to sign Boozer....

Oh well, even if they don't do that Mully has done a good job of assembling a talented roster, can't wait to see who else he adds and the current guys reach their full potential .................

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

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As heartbreaking

as that loss was yesterday, you conveyed my sentiments exactly…As a freakin’ warriors fan, for some odd reason I still believe…I’m really hating to love the Dubs.

Also how about Morrow, when asked to plug in minutes is pretty effective as a 3 point threat/scorer off the bench!? When given enough playing time, Morrow’s shot seems to be consistent and not streaky not to mention how beautiful is threes look when hitting net! How about the recent move of Maggette playing the sixth man role efficiently!? Maggette finally made a shot when driving in for a foul (First i’ve seen) yesterday.

We did play one of the top four NBA teams with arguably the best player in the game today, who knows maybe the Dubs pull off another miracle this year?…It might be kind of hard when the 8th place team in the West, Dallas is 7 games above .500….Freakin’ Leastern Confrence, two teams (Sixers, Bucks) under .500 holding playoff spots…

The NBA, where Bipolar Warrior fans happen...

by RubberDubDubs on Jan 24, 2009 4:17 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

But even so

If we can just have a .500 second half of the season. that will show us how good we can be next year. I won’t call it quits on this year yet, but also, looking at next year…I honestly think we make the playoffs next season.

by bradyk2 on Jan 24, 2009 4:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

id rather...

either go on a run for the playoffs….or have very close games that we lose…

so we end up either with a playoff run or a good draft pick…

You know I spit technique to the freshest freak
Gimme a call you will see results in just a week
With the soul of a LOST HAWK
Is there a heaven for a Rap Cat, let's talk

by LostHawk on Jan 24, 2009 4:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

so we end up either with a playoff run or a good draft pick…

The choice now is only a good draft pick or a bad draft pick, playoff train has long left the station. We’ll see how smart this team really is by the number of games they can lose in the second half.

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 24, 2009 6:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

let’s tank so we can get a good draft pick in a bad draft class

by Number22Drew on Jan 25, 2009 10:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

let’s tank so we can get a good draft pick in a bad draft class

better than a bad draft pick in a bad draft class isn’t it?

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 25, 2009 10:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Blake Griffin is going to be the next Kwame Brown ...or worse DARKO

We Believe

by RunNdGun on Jan 25, 2009 1:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

... or ... not.

His game is nothing like Kwame’s or Darko’s (neither of whom has ever really developed a “game.”)

It’s also silly to compare a Big 12 starter to a Euro and a HS kid. Can you tell us how many guys who put up Griffin’s numbers as a sophomore in a major NCAA conference have turned out to be busts?

Per 36 minutes

24.5 pts (62.2% fg)
15.2 reb
1.6 stl
1.5 blk

Good luck!…

Thing 1

by Sleepy Freud on Jan 25, 2009 9:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Too bad

there’s no way we’re gonna get him :>)

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 25, 2009 9:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Morrow

Good point, I forgot to mention Morrow. Yes I like him too as a young talented player. I’m not being a homer when I talk about the other guys, if you knew me on the Chargers message board (my other team, I’m from San Diego), you would know I’m not one to over-estimate my own players. I really believe the guys I mentioned will all be good players – stars.

About Morrow though, yes, I love his shot too, I think he could be a great 3 – point specialist. I don’t think he will ever been a solid starter, I think he is a niche guy, a guy you bring in when the starters are out or when you want to set him up for a few 3’s.

I also like Magette as the 6th man better then him starting. The starting lineup should be the run and gun guys, Magette to me still does not fit the teams system very well, but he is ok as the 6th man because when the starters are out, it is hard to do the run and gun anyway, so it works for me.

by runandgun on Jan 24, 2009 4:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bucks?!

HAHAHAHAHA

Blake Griffin anyone?

by RunNdGun on Jan 24, 2009 4:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What about Kelenna and CJ?

by Shells on Jan 24, 2009 4:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

IMHO

I think Kelanna and CJ are backups and shouldn’t get very many minutes if any when everyone is healthy. Of course, Monta should play virtually all game except for breathers, Jamal and Belinelli should share the remaining minutes at the other guard spots.

So say you have 96 minutes for guard time a game, Monta gets 40, Jamal 30, and Belinelli 26? I like mixing it up with these guys, I think they are all adequate with the point guard and Jamal and Marco both are 3-point threats and Monta keeps the defense off the perimeter because he can drive so well.

To get Morrow or the other guys some minutes, maybe mix in a 3 guard set from time to time? I don’t know, but I like having 3 good guards on a run and gun team, keep them fresh so they can not fatigue at the end of games…….

by runandgun on Jan 24, 2009 4:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

good points

but 26 minutes might be a little much for belinelli until he improves his defense.

by amhd388 on Jan 24, 2009 4:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, well maybe less that’s fine, they do have CJ or Morrow who can grab any leftovers……

by runandgun on Jan 24, 2009 4:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I just want to see some action now.

All these injuries…

by Shells on Jan 24, 2009 9:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i don't know what we're going to do with all of our guards once crawford and belli are healthy

we have so many and not enough minutes! i love crawford, but i hope he terminates his contract this off-season so that we can add another player that isn’t a guard.

by HoLdEmUP on Jan 24, 2009 4:29 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

i hope we trade CJ and mwilliams and maggs...and have crawford be a 6th man monster

You know I spit technique to the freshest freak
Gimme a call you will see results in just a week
With the soul of a LOST HAWK
Is there a heaven for a Rap Cat, let's talk

by LostHawk on Jan 24, 2009 4:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

woops

forgot to say who to trade them for….

ODOM!

and draft a pointgaurd

and have crawford/belli share point until our draft is kickin but

You know I spit technique to the freshest freak
Gimme a call you will see results in just a week
With the soul of a LOST HAWK
Is there a heaven for a Rap Cat, let's talk

by LostHawk on Jan 24, 2009 4:46 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The best is yet to come!

Blake Griffin anyone?

by RunNdGun on Jan 24, 2009 4:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

yep..we might not be good now, but as yesterdays game showed, we have a good team that will only get better

because monta andris belinelli bukie randolph and wright are all what 25 and under?

wait til there in there prime..snap

by gswfan1 on Jan 24, 2009 5:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So until Brandon comes back our line up with every body healthy should be

C Andris
PF Randolph
SFJackson
SG Crawford
PG Ellis
6 Maggette
7 Bukie
8 Ronny
9 CJ
10 Morrow

That a pretty good team and not even our whole team with Wright out. I think if Nelson only plays AB,AR,BW,RT,and maybe Kurz or Davidson at the 4 and 5 and use small ball sometimes we can probably get on a run. We will most likely miss the playoffs but we are to probably gonna win 25 to 35 games this year

by GSW9 on Jan 24, 2009 5:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

it can't get any worse then that

please, don’t jinx us like that!

continues to amaze that so many here see the glass half full when it’s been drained 3/4 empty – yes we have young players who might develop in a few years but we also have several overpaid veterans who will be difficult to move at all much less for a quality PF – the “invisible” problem is the cap-hell our FO has sent us into after having just succeeded in relieving us from the horrible contracts of a couple years ago …

by hardcore on Jan 24, 2009 7:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

No jinx needed

But really, how can you get worse then losing to the worst team in the NBA, at home, by a buzzer beater? It don’t get no worse then that friend.

Immediately after that we get our best player back making the team one of the worst teams in the NBA to in my assessment as of now probably is a middle of the road team. One which can reasonably expect almost all of its players to improve more and more over time.

The glass may be 1/4 full but the glass is under the nozzle, the nozzle is on, and the water is slowly trickling in…………..

by runandgun on Jan 24, 2009 8:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think you need to fix the fault.

Here, let me hook you up with some water. What would you like? Some Fiji?

I’ll gladly fill the cup super fast.

by Shells on Jan 24, 2009 9:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

But really, how can you get worse?

my friend, do you really want an answer to that? After our injuries, poor personnel decisions, and poor team play thus far this season to think that Monta’s return is going to wave a magic wand and make all that go away and begin a We Believe 2.0 is awfully naive imo. Injuries aside, this is the same FO and roster that has led us to our current record. Similarly, we can not “reasonably expect almost all (our) players to improve more and more over time” as most of the veterans have hit or nearly reached their ceiling (including Jackson, Maggette, Crawford, Turiaf, KAz, and Andris – well over half our regular playing rotation). Yes, Marco and CJ have improved in spades and Wright some as well, yes we hope Randolph improves and Morrow fleshes out his skill set enough to be a regular asset. All of them improving simultaneously is realistically not likely and we will need to use some of them in trades to upgrade and unload contracts.

If we were to become a middle of the road team over the course of the second half, that would certainly give rise to hope for next season but would just as certainly doom us to yet another middling draft position. Because our FO has hamstrung our cap through the last few transactions, the draft is even more important to us than most any other team which is trying to achieve playoff status in the league because we will have a difficult time trading our overpriced veterans, attracting other FAs (even if we had the cap room), and Rowell has not impressed anyone with his personnel acumen. We might be better off in the long run with several more close losses during which our team experiments with Monta at the PG and plays its young players major minutes. (see the poll at Mind of Mullin blog – many other fans seem to feel similarly).

How can it get worse? Another injury, say to Andris? Another poor draft position, used on another POB? Another poor transaction by the FO, etc. – honestly, I don’t want to even imagine those. Suffice it to say that we most certainly can get worse, 13 years worse. We need some good strategic thinking to pull us out of this mess, and more than a trickle …

by hardcore on Jan 25, 2009 10:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Suffice it to say that we most certainly can get worse, 13 years worse. We need some good strategic thinking to pull us out of this mess, and more than a trickle …

Well, I’m not always optimistic but I think we’re at the low point :>) We’ll probably get back to near .500 ball for the forseeable future, never getting to the point of being a playoff threat but never sucking so badly either. Kinda like the bullets with our old friend Areneas, good enough to be good enough.
And yes we need strategic thinking to really improve but that will require Nellie retiring for good this time so we can start playing bigball, the limits of smallball are just too hard to overcome, that’s why no one else plays it for very long.

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 25, 2009 11:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Currently we are 13-31

We have 38 games remaining. If we go .500 from here on out we will finish 32-50. This is not an unreasonable assestment of where we will be. However, 21 of those games are against west coast teams that our in the top 8. That doesn’t include the east coast teams.

So really it is not going to be an easy road at all, but I will say we will steal some of those games against the top 8 talent if we can get healthy and learn to share the rock. This means MOnta runs point and SJAX stops his penetrating on 5 guys.

I know it is monta’s first game back, but did you guys notice how much they were using him on the wing, instead of running point. I can’t wait to see a full healthy squad battle the big names and see if we can really compete, or if we shuold make a deal.

by shooter1525 on Jan 24, 2009 7:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm with you

But we’ve also got 21 home games left, only 17 away games, so we’ll have more opportunities to steal a game. If we remain healthy, I think we can pull off .500. I don’t think we stay healthy, and I think we end up around 30 wins… good for the 8th or 9th slot. Whoo!!! Though we’re only 4 games up on the Thunder.

"No no Nene!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB5DxNl4EB0

by Dubs fan in Boston on Jan 25, 2009 4:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Seems reasonable to me. Nice to have Ellis back, he’s clearly our best player and he’s proven that already at 85%. He’s just able to do things other players aren’t. We’ll score more, run more, shoot better, get more long rebounds, and generally play a more effective style of small ball with him in the lineup. I think .500 is a little optimistic, but could happen. Finishing with 30 wins is a more likely scenario. But, of course, at some point somebody needs to make some personnel moves and clear up the logjam we have and add some complimentary players.

by jmaaan on Jan 26, 2009 12:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If we go .500 from here on out we will finish 32-50

Where would that put us in the draft? What’s the best scenario in draft position, play .400 ball the rest of the way??

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 24, 2009 7:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

If the Warriors lose by another buzzer beater on Sunday, I will eat a pile of shit with worms mixed in it as a spagetti.

and use Hobo Dandruff for Parma-Cheese.

by AlbinoWhale on Jan 24, 2009 9:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

i'll remember this

u need to take a video of doing it if we do lose by another buzzer beater vs clippers

by ccross on Jan 25, 2009 1:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I call bullsh*t.

Thing 1

by Sleepy Freud on Jan 25, 2009 4:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If the Warriors lose by another buzzer beater on Sunday, I will eat a pile of shit with worms mixed in it as a spagetti.

This is gonna be great!

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 25, 2009 9:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's how confident I am that they will win.

by AlbinoWhale on Jan 25, 2009 10:56 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

without being beat by a buzzer beater.

by AlbinoWhale on Jan 25, 2009 10:57 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

buzzer beater.

and if it happens where is this great shit eating going to occur? That’s gonna be the ticket to have.

Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers?
I noticed there's so many of them
and there's really not that many of us.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 25, 2009 11:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

can't believe people took this seriously, but I guess it would be on youtube

by AlbinoWhale on Jan 25, 2009 11:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

not really that surprising, what else do warriors fans have to look forward to?

btw, Boston is undressing the Mavs on ESPN right now, for those who might take some relish in Cuban’s misfortune … my, how slim our pleasures are around here!

by hardcore on Jan 25, 2009 11:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs