The Steve Kerr Lesson

by Ormolov on Feb 4, 2009 9:47 AM PST

The 50% of Warriors fans who always beg the front office to trade away our best players for a legit PF like Brand or Boozer should pay attention when we play the Suns tonight. Phoenix thought adding a Hall Of Fame center to a run n' gun offense like ours would take them to the next level. Now nobody's happy in Arizona and Terry Porter is getting more grief than any coach in the sport. Or a better example: Brand to the Sixers. He was supposed to put that young offense-heavy team over the top but now they can't wait to get rid of him and go back to running up and down the court.

Those of you who think that this team is one Carlos Boozer away from the Championship should think again. Whenever you geniuses try to get us a big banger power forward, I read it as code for:

Trade all our best run n' gun players away so we can play basketball like everyone else.

If you think this road leads the Warriors to a championship you've got the wrong team. Few to none of our current squad would shine in a slowed down offense. How does Biedrins use his particular strengths on a half court team? Monta? Jax? You think you're sick of iso plays and 3 point madness now? The logical conclusion of that strategy is to blow up this entire team and start over, building around some big side of beef like Boozer or Brand. No thanks.

Let's develop these youngsters and see what happens. Sure, some of them will be poached and the Bay will continue to be at the bottom of the list for new players. But only a team whose front office is all on the same page could remake their roster and their entire playing philosophy without tragic consequences. Any attempts by Cohan and Rowell to do so would be what we in the Shakespeare world call a "problem play" (meaning you can't tell if it's supposed to be a comedy or a tragedy).

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!

Tweet Comment 25 comments | 2 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

+1

I personally have no interest in watching a team that plays like San Antonio, even if they win 50 games a year. I could barely stomach the NBA before Baron, Jack, Monta, etc came on board here and started running up and down the court, completely destroying the idea of the half-court offense. THIS is exciting basketball. Granted we aren’t exactly playing that way these days, but I do think it is our intention to get back to the run n gun style that makes Roaracle such a great place to watch a game. I do think we need a defensive/rebounding-oriented PF, but someone like Milsap or Bass who can move, shoot a little bit, and fit into our philosophy. Elton Brand on the Warriors would be the biggest disaster in the league, ditto for Boozer.

Monta is the singular of Montus, of the Montai

by Supafishal on Feb 4, 2009 10:08 AM PST reply actions

We do need a big solid PF

but not in the mold of Elton Brand or Carlos Boozer. If this team is going to be built around Nellie style/euro style basketball, then we need a big more in the lines of Amare, West, Bosh, Marion or even Diaw. We need to rebound, and if we dont then its going to be harder to run defenses off the floor, leak guards out for easy buckets and push the uptempo style that we’re supposed to have now. If all the guards have to stay back and board, then we’re simply trying to run up the court as fast as possible to run a half court set, even if it is comprimised of quick hitters, screens and one on one play. We need a another solid big who can help beindrins rebound as well as fit into our offensive scheme. The PF needs to be able to stretch defenses, hit mid to long range jumpers, work the post a bit. Someone who I thought would have worked really well and was possible to get during the offseason would have been charlie villanueva. I doubt we can get him now….none the less we need another big!

by rtgunn on Feb 5, 2009 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

Let’s develop these youngsters and see what happens.

How often has that worked? How many bad teams have become good by ‘developing their youngsters’? If history is an indication, that recipe of waiting for ‘internal development’ hasn’t had a great track record. Might be some cases where it’s worked, but seems more often, marked improvement in a team comes from changing personnel, be it through trade, draft or free agency.

by jae on Feb 4, 2009 10:12 AM PST reply actions 2 recs

well, the youngsters we have are:

Monta
Biedrins
AR
BW
Morrow
Bellinelli

the marked improvements we’ve made through “changing personnel” are:
Turiaf
Crawford
Maggette
SJax

Although the obvious answer would be to just make better trades, in the absence of that happening, I’ll take developing our youngsters.

by Ormolov on Feb 4, 2009 10:20 AM PST reply actions

what about CJ? Kelenna?

by Shells on Feb 4, 2009 2:36 PM PST up reply actions

Where would we be...

without SJax and Turiaf?? Those guys are absolute essentials to our team right now. Those moves clearly benefited us greatly (although Jax’s contract is excessive). Jax was absolutely essential to our great record last year and our playoff success two years ago. We need MORE trades like Jax and pickups like Turiaf. JUST developing our youngsters is a major gamble. AR and BW are big question marks, but they are our ONLY young big men. What we need to do is trade for a PF instead of gambling on AR and BW. We can gamble on the other guys getting better, seeing as they are showing more promise than both AR and BW. AR has low basketball IQ/maturity and BW may not be physically cut out for the NBA.

by Naticus on Feb 4, 2009 5:41 PM PST up reply actions

Boozer on the floor with Biedrins...

or Turiaf at the same time would be tough. But Boozer on the floor in their place would be a breath of fresh air. Utah plays a pretty exicting brand of hoops up there with better players basically doing what Nellie tries to do.

The Stever Kerr lesson is that you cant just stick a hall of fame player on the floor with your team. You have to pick the right piece at the right time. He may have pulled the trigger on the wrong trade (which so many teams have done over the years. That was really an average trade, not a poor one.)

by warriorsvictim on Feb 4, 2009 10:22 AM PST reply actions

Wait

are you saying that the Jazz play a better version of Nellieball? Last time I checked they were a half-court team, that’s like the opposite of Nellieball.

by Calamity on Feb 5, 2009 4:50 AM PST up reply actions

They had an expert round table on NBA TV last night

and they said that Steve Kerr was going to blow eveything up and start over. They said the make up of the club was wrong and that every player was available via trade.

by dungeness crabdribble on Feb 4, 2009 10:26 AM PST reply actions

Steve Nash....

Would anyone else like to see him alongside Ellis next year? Now that is veteran leadership to steer the ship!

I would trade Stack, Maggette, Crawford, Williams, Kurz and CJ to make this happen.

Just for fun, my proposed starting 5:
Nash
Ellis
Biedrins
Morrow
Wright

off the bench;
Belinellie
Randolph
Buike
Turiaf
Plus maybe Hendrix, Davidson or some other new youngsters.

THAT would have me resign my season tix in a heartbeat.

That’s a fast team!

It's about heart, It's about fight, It's about being a Warrior!

by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 4, 2009 2:45 PM PST up reply actions

hehehhe RE-sign rather...lol

It's about heart, It's about fight, It's about being a Warrior!

by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 4, 2009 2:47 PM PST up reply actions

Nash has too may TO....

by Shells on Feb 4, 2009 2:49 PM PST up reply actions

many

by Shells on Feb 4, 2009 2:49 PM PST up reply actions

I wanna see Nash

pick and roll with Biedrins.

by AlbinoWhale on Feb 4, 2009 3:51 PM PST up reply actions

Adding Nash might be the one and only way we could possibly make our defense any worse.

"It’s a hobby of mine. Kind of like collecting your fingernail clippings or pooping in jars." -olympic mike

by sam23 on Feb 4, 2009 8:38 PM PST up reply actions

I understand peoples desire for more D...but

Seriously? You wouldnt take Nash if he was available? The guy is a natural leader and play maker, not everyone on your team HAS to be great at D…. we can improve other areas for that, but what we desperately need is a play maker, a true PG!

It is clear Monta has thought and practiced a lot at PG duties, but I believe it has taken away from his natural true position of SG. Granted Nash had a bad night tonight, but I think he could really lead our offense in a way that Stack never can. I like Jackson, but I hate him as a ball handler.

It's about heart, It's about fight, It's about being a Warrior!

by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 4, 2009 11:21 PM PST up reply actions

not everyone on your team HAS to be great at D

true, but doesnt SOOMEBODY have to be?! I’d take Nash, but I wouldnt be all that excited.

"It’s a hobby of mine. Kind of like collecting your fingernail clippings or pooping in jars." -olympic mike

by sam23 on Feb 4, 2009 11:23 PM PST up reply actions

worse defense but we can prolly run most teams off the court

by Fi7ipin0ch3f on Feb 5, 2009 12:04 AM PST up reply actions

Biedrins

is not going anywhere…just for the record. We need to pick up another PF who can defend and rebound, develop either AR or BW to be a compotent backup, and use Turiaf for 15-20 minutes per night as the 4th big so he doesn’t have to worry about fouling out.

Monta is the singular of Montus, of the Montai

by Supafishal on Feb 4, 2009 10:29 AM PST reply actions

AR and BW

those stick figures need teh roids

"Dont come closer. I have rabies."

by TheWarrior on Feb 4, 2009 10:53 AM PST up reply actions

+1

or at least an excellent training regimen and great diets.

by Naticus on Feb 4, 2009 5:23 PM PST up reply actions

If defense, rebounding and the giant hole at the 4 are our obvious weaknesses but you say addressing those needs will only make us even worse, how do YOU propose we get better? Just sit and wait for Wright or Randolph to suddenly transform into KG and Amare? The fact is this team is bad and we have a glut of guards, wings and a couple young forwards who arent developing very quickly…..that doesnt sound like a team that should stand pat because they are afraid of getting worse. The Suns had a lot farther to fall last year than we do now.

"It’s a hobby of mine. Kind of like collecting your fingernail clippings or pooping in jars." -olympic mike

by sam23 on Feb 4, 2009 10:58 AM PST reply actions

how about we completely trade rosters with the suns

let’s see what these two teams look like with different coaches/front offices behind them.

Now that would be interesting

by warriorsvictim on Feb 5, 2009 9:19 AM PST reply actions

Now that would be interesting

I think we could make something with those big guys? Their main problem last night was not playing their own game and getting caught up in ours. If they move the ball till they get an opening inside they are a lot better than when they force their shots.

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 Feb 5, 2009 11:13 AM PST up reply actions

this is silly

you can’t just say that. Shaq is ancient and Brand was coming off major surgery. If this was 2001 Shaq then PHX would probably have a guaranteed title. Regardless of a run and gun offense or not, Shaq in his prime was one of the most destructive forces of all time. If I could To use post-surgery Brand and old Shaq as examples is just dishonest and misinformed.

by dhp318 on Feb 6, 2009 11:47 AM PST reply actions