Why Wright's injury could help the team
by lilboots on Nov 5, 2009 4:44 PM PST
21 comments
Wrights shoulder impressed a bittersweet feeling upon the dawning of a brand new season. The Curry feedback excited, the idiocy of Jackson expected, and the emergence of Morrow and the rebuilt AR machine stirred hope. The news of Brandan Wright was absolutely spine shattering. But, in the midst of the depression, I began to think of this plight in a new light.
The Warriors exercise the option of 3rd year forward Brandan Wright. Yeah, so what? He's hurt. In the long run, this may actually save us quite a bit of money, and allow us to expand our team's talent. Why? Because if Brandan Wright were to come back completely reinvigorated, prepared, and ready for a new beginning, it would still be his first year back from a year's rehab, and his last under contract. Why the hell is this good news for the Warriors?
Because the NBA will have forgotten who Brandan Wright is. He will once again be under the cover of the Warriors. No doubt he will be sluggish in the beginning with all the time off, but he will be the same player Nelson was beaming about all training camp. Only this time, he will be forgotten by the league, and the fact this was to be his break out year, subtracts the kind of notoriety he would have eventually gotten from other teams given a full healthy year this season, and an additional year as we would exercise his option. He will only have one year to gain back his true form and continue on his path to being a great player before contract time. What does this mean?
It means come contract time after next season, unless Wright goes absolutely insane coming off a year where he missed a whole season, and puts up 18 ppg, 8 rpg and 2 bpg, we will be able to resign him for LESS MONEY than we would if he had 2 seasons minus an injury to prove what kind of contract he's worth.
You're looking at a forward with a lot of great potential on both ends of the court that we could sign to a contract similar to Turiaf's, while we get much more talent. This should allow the Warriors with just enough breathing room to make the major changes needed when Cohan smartens up and decides to sell the team within the next 1-3 years. Call me cheap, but this injury may have given our cap some significant space for the future, which is what this team is really all about anyway, the future.
- Sorry for capitalizing less money. I just have a feeling a lot of people pine through these things without getting the point.
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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His injury has only hurt us. Not helped.
He has no future contract with us, and until they give him one in writing I really doubt he’ll be extended. It may be a bit pessimistic of me but I’m really finding it difficult to forecast his future because of Cohan and Nellie. These two stooges will find some excuse to not pay or play him. Even if he’s one of our better bigmen, some D-league scrub will get the call because he’s either cheap, or can shoot a 3 and give up 3 inches or more in height to his opposition.
Warriors, Stupidest franchise in the league.
I told Randolph that Bill Russell would tell him to keep that ball in play and start the break.
RANDOLPH: "I know. But sometimes, you gotta let ‘em know."
(MT)
by kenntoe on Nov 5, 2009 6:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Of course it has hurt us now.
I hate to sound cliche but besides Wright’s injury, this year is all about development and assessment based on the sole idea that everybody would be available to play. It’s not about making the playoffs, although every year should, and it’s not about rebuilding, because there are obviously some good stones already set down. I don’t think we are a bad team. You take the same team 3 years from now and it’s difficult to say how good we could really be. Assuming we don’t trade all the young players for vets to win now, I find an optimistic side to Brandan’s misfortune.
Wright is a quality player, and I disagree about Nelson. I honestly think he likes Brandan more than Randolph. I think as long as Nelson is coach, or Smart for that matter, Wright has a good chance at remaining a Warrior. The injury of course is terrible and hurts our roster this season. I never argued that. But if he’s going to stay, we may get a great price for what who knows could turn out to be a gem ala Azubuike.
by lilboots on Nov 5, 2009 6:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree.
However the only thing I’m not so sure about is Nelson. He has always said one thing, and done another. He is a great bullshitter and I can imagine plays a helluva poker game. People who deny that Nelson is a bad coach for young players is simply in denial. He was a great coach for Baron, Jack, Rich and Al. He’s been a horrible coach for Wright and Randolph. I’m willing to give Keith Smart more of a chance than Nellie because he seems more involved with those guys than Nellie ever has. I can also see how Smart, if given his own team, would at least attempt to hold people accountable on defense.
Warriors, Stupidest franchise in the league.
I told Randolph that Bill Russell would tell him to keep that ball in play and start the break.
RANDOLPH: "I know. But sometimes, you gotta let ‘em know."
(MT)
by kenntoe on Nov 5, 2009 7:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think we are a bad team.
haha, lilboots meet the record. Record meet lilboots.
29 wins last year, 1-2 this year which translates to about 27 win this year.
I doubt we’ll be that bad but till we get over .500 for the season we won’t be good.
Standing on the moon
Where talk is cheap and vision true
Standing on the moon
But I would rather be with you
Somewhere in San Francisco
On a back porch in July
Just looking up to heaven
At this crescent in the sky
by Skeptic con Urquell on Nov 5, 2009 9:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah...
It’s hard to give much credence to the indication of last year’s record. The loss of Baron, the loss of Monta, the multitude of injuries and guys playing hurt, the front office turmoil, the absentee leadership, the up-for-grabs roles, these were all things that were plaguing us last year. Some of those things are starting to go away now, and some are not. But I think the smoke is beginning to clear and once we cut loose the dead weight, and the talent begins to bare fruit, things will start to look up. And I don’t consider myself an optimist.
Our roster is not the among the worst in the NBA. We have the wrong coach for the job. Nellie is old, he requires a team full of players that are smart enough and seasoned enough to play without him standing there by their side at mid court barking orders. You can’t let these guys just play. They’re too young. We need a general like Avery Johnson. A no nonsense guy who preaches defense. Maybe our “defensive coordinator” will be up for the task sooner than later. Maybe Ellison buys, wises up and dumps Nellie. It could be why the ol’ poker player makes empty gestures like coaching the team for free. He knows Cohan will be long gone.
Jackson’s supposed to be our best vet, and Curry makes him look like some dumb rookie when you parallel their decisions on the court. I can go down the list of guys with talent and capabilities. Our coach and our veteran leadership has got to change. The good news: That is not an impossibility by any stretch. Sure, as long as Cohan owns the team it is. Good thing he’s not as rich as Oracle man. Seriously, enough is enough.
Unrelated, but I don’t get how people hail the Warriors for making the playoffs the year we shut down Dallas, and then boo the fact that the following year we did not… even though we had a better record. Doesn’t your record alone dictate the outcome? Why then is it considered a failure, even though we won more games? Wouldn’t that actually be an improvement? I feel like Rowell used that against Mullin, and I could never figure out why that attack had any kind of validity or clout behind it. I know it’s completely off topic but it pisses me TFO.
by lilboots on Nov 6, 2009 2:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Unrelated, but I don’t get how people hail the Warriors for making the playoffs the year we shut down Dallas, and then boo the fact that the following year we did not
one word, JasonRichardson. People were pissed that the Warriors dumped JRich after he invested so much love into this team and fans.
Standing on the moon
Where talk is cheap and vision true
Standing on the moon
But I would rather be with you
Somewhere in San Francisco
On a back porch in July
Just looking up to heaven
At this crescent in the sky
by Skeptic con Urquell on Nov 6, 2009 8:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
nice posts lilboots
interesting and I agree with a lot of it.
a vision of GSW this year as configured – shoots lots of outside shots with no rebounding or D, down by 20 early.. AND team shoots well, hits 120 near the end of the 3rd qtr. ..
Either way, that only takes you to .500 ball at best and probably less.
BIG issue with no D. Only a couple decent 1-on-1 defenders and a number of guys not defensive-minded. The only way this team plays decent D is team D, crazy concept, get it done KSmart so Nelson can go get some Millertime in Maui.
which brings me to the next D – distribution. Projecting ‘LilStephen’ Curry to average double digit assists and an NBA leader in shooting percentage but doesnt maintain a double-digit scoring average as his ‘teammates’ never give the ball back to him.
Clearly someones got to go and that someone is SJAX and/or CMaggs & contract/s. More time to younger guys who shoot a higher percentage.
The Warriors are short a skilled big man, prefer rebounding 4, and/or penetrating PG. (The last W team worth getting the T-shirt for was B-Diddies We Believe and Timmy’s Run-TMC, both had muscular PGs who pushed the ball into the paint, turning the defense inside-out, opening up high percentage shots. I’m not sure Curry isnt that guy, although at this point pretty lean, and I know they need at least one more quality big man (glances over at Boris Diaw board…).
But back to your original post, upside of BrokenWings downtime is lowballing his next contract (although I gotta believe at least 1 or 2 teams out there might be willing to pay him more) Warriors do have a playing minute problem now and a salary issue in the not-so-distant future.
Thanks again & TGIF.
First Warrior to 40 points tonight wins free Filipino Heritage lumpia!
by Chris4 on Nov 6, 2009 9:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks Chris
You know, I see Curry perfecting a deadly mid-range game that will suck defenses into the middle. Andris Biedrins and Anthony morrow are beneficiaries of the defense shifting this way, as Andris will slice the D from underneath, and Morrow will come over the top on the perimeter. The good news is Curry has the type of vision to advertise these players strengths. He’s not Timmy, but at this point I’m extremely impressed with his purity as a natural 1. His decision making continues to impress me.
Just speculation, but I sense much bitterness towards Curry from Stephen Jackson. Curry is smart enough not to buy into Jackson’s claims of being a great scorer. I see Jack’s reactions to Curry not giving him the ball early enough on the clock as utter frustration. I don’t think Jackson will ever buy into the idea this year of a rookie handling the ball more than him. Hate to beat a dead horse, but until we trade Jackson, this offense will experience conflict with him. In his mind, he needs to touch the ball every single time down. If he doesn’t touch it one or maybe twice in a row, you bet everything you got that he’s going to chuck it the next chance he gets.
It’s so chaotic for the offense because of how emotional Jackson is. YOU KNOW the defender is listening to him mutter curse words under his breath while the ball goes to the other side as he’s got his hand up. The defense then knows just as well as you and I, that when Jackson catches the ball he’s looking to score. That’s exactly why you see him dribble into three defenders, commit charges, and pass out in the last second when he knows there’s no chance in hell he can get to the rim, and then we just turn it over for a fast-break dunk while he stays back and argues about a pity pat on his shoulder while he lobbed the ugly turnover.
On Monta, Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies was the first time I truly saw Monta back on display with his old quickness and explosiveness off of his left foot. I along with many others, didn’t buy into Fitz or any other of those guys talking about Monta back to being Mississippi Bullet, until I saw that.
Last year and the beginning of this year, it was plain to see he was not as fast in the open court races and his mastered speed shift wasn’t close. Most defenders were able to recover enough to bother his finishes resulting in misses at the rim. Not that his ankle was hindering him through preseason, but I think he’s just getting back to being in superb, full-court shape. Wednesday night was the first time I’ve seen him do his trademark spin to the middle and finish. How many times in 07 did you see him hesitate, drive to the outside, and then cover about 10 feet with a lightening spin move back to the middle for a up and under lay-up. He was king at that. What I saw against the Grizzlies was honestly the first time, I could truly reminisce, realize I’m watching the new tatted Monta and say “oooooooooooooooooo”. It was a good feeling.
His Jumper won’t be MIA forever. I think when he hurt his ankle, it ruined his form, timing and release, as he did not get as much lift as easily, and it took away that soft natural release. Too much exertion to get up there and pop the shot off. Once he gets in great shape and his athleticism surges back into his game with a rejuvenating wave, his lift will be effortless, and his release shall be soft once again.
I think Monta had some bitterness with Curry as well as Jackson. But I think the two will hurt people on offense and cause many turnovers on defense. Once Ellis begins to actually play well, and Jackson’s barking fades to wherever, the dubious feelings will transform into confidence in his new teammate, and once we begin to win, it will further transform into dependability.
by lilboots on Nov 6, 2009 3:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I hope we re-sign him. We need big men, and he seems like he can play with this club.
Welcome to the Pit of Despair! Don't even think about trying to escape.
by Naticus2 on Nov 5, 2009 6:33 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Opportunity is Worth More Than Money
If Wright is able to give a full year on the last year of his rookie contract, his performance will have little to do with are ability to re-sign him, rather, the amount of time he sees himself getting, staying with the Warriors instead of heading to another team that may have more minutes for him. Remember that Nelson still may be our coach for Wrights last season, and, as we have seen with Randolph, Nelson has very little patience for letting his young players work through rough spells on the court.
Add to the fact that the team is not exactly setting the tone for stability for the franchise as a whole and I would guess that we would have to pay Wright more to stay than what he would actually command on the open market, if indeed, he comes back slowly from his injury.
by ajtrinc on Nov 5, 2009 11:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I'd rather him play this year and have it cost a little more in the long run
We need big guys, especially right now. Going into the Clips game without Turiaf, Wright, and Biedrins? Ouch. Better hope we can keep the pace up.
Side note – of the top 20 assist leaders in the league, Curry has the fewest turnovers total, and the fewest turnovers per game.
by savagebenx2 on Nov 6, 2009 9:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
I agree about Wright
Though it sucks that he got hurt (I’m coming back from ACL surgery, it will have been a year since I played by the time I’m back on the court) I think there is a good chance we can retain him for cheaper than if he had played this year. Hopefully there are minutes for Wright, because he does fit in well with this team, especially because he was really starting to develop a nice low post game. Only time will tell, but I’ll be excited when he returns to see what he can bring to the table as an older, bigger, more mature player.
by Pearlsofwisdom on Nov 6, 2009 10:06 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Good luck with your ACL, Pearls.
I hope you’re back on the court very soon. Shoulders on the other hand, can be very tricky and take years to heal properly. The shoulder is a very complex muscular structure that has a wide variety of movement. It is difficult to heal and rebuild properly. Hopefully it will only keep him out this year with his supposed success on the table. I agree with you. Wright’s low post game is his brightest attribute. I was impressed with some of the things I saw him do. His ability to keep his dribble low, his foot work, knifing between defenders and then reaching away with those long arms to put a feathery scoop. He’s got creativity on the block and lots of length and athleticism to give him an advantage over defenders. He’s a great fit for this team!
by lilboots on Nov 6, 2009 3:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Wright was never on the radar to begin with
Your point about the NBA will have forgotten about Wright by the time he comes around again doesn’t work because he was never on the radar to begin with. It really doesn’t matter what the rest of the league thinks about him. He just needs to play out of his mind to make something of his career. Hopefully he can do this.
Confident Marco Belinelli supporter
by Doctor Kajita on Nov 6, 2009 10:16 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
So he'll go from the "off the radar" category
To the “who?” category.
You have been DFiBrillated.
by Dubs fan in Boston on Nov 6, 2009 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly. How does that “help” the Warriors? When has that ever helped anyone except the media where they can create a story?
Confident Marco Belinelli supporter
by Doctor Kajita on Nov 6, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
It helps Doc
because this year, hadn’t he been injured, he may have gone to “Who?” or “Off the radar” to “valuable young big man”. In this league my friend, there are not enough skilled big men to go around. That’s precisely why you see the Warriors find undrafted guys like Azubuike, Watson and Morrow. What do they have in common? They are all guards. Why is this? Because big men get gobbled.
When you’re a team who has as much young talent as ours, you unfortunately have to make some hard decisions who you want to keep, and who you have to cut loose. Once other teams with a little bit of envy and cap space catch wind of these junctures, they reach out with a straw. Their straw reaches aaaacroooooooooss the league, and starts to drink our milkshake! But this injury may protect us from the straw.
So my point kinda does make sense. If Wright had a good year, given that Nellie would have given him time over Mikki Moore, then the league would have known who Brandan Wright was by season’s end. Believe me. Next year, he would have leapfrogged into an even bigger splash, and then the league would have definitely caught onto him. Two years with PT and production and inspector gadget fast break dunks on ESPN’s top 10? Or one year of 82 DNP’s with a following rehabilitation year?
I’m not saying he’s on the radar RIGHT NOW. But after two years of proving he belongs in this league, he most definitely would… you know what I mean?
by lilboots on Nov 6, 2009 3:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Not to mention
Brandan Wright wasn’t acquired in a trade for Claxton or George, and he wasn’t drafted 16th overall. He was traded for Jason Richardson in the prime of his career, after a year his team made playoff history. GM’s do not forget such transactions.
by lilboots on Nov 6, 2009 4:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I understand
But, I feel you’re overvaluing Wright a bit here. He’s a big guy, but he still hasn’t proven to be able to bang with the big boys, if you know what I mean. We don’t even know what his potential is. You’re assuming he’s got a high-ceiling, but all he’s even proven is having a bum shoulder. He’s had flashes here and there but nothing has shown me, at least, that “this is a guy to keep an eye on.” More like, “hopefully he can become a serviceable pro in a few years.”
I don’t think his injury has changed that perception much. What you’re proposing is like a gamble. A gamble that his injury won’t be career-ending; instead, it’s a blessing in disguise. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Besides, more than the injury has helped, I think picking up his option has helped more.
Confident Marco Belinelli supporter
by Doctor Kajita on Nov 6, 2009 6:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
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