geez guys, let's keep it together.

this person says he wants monta to stay. you said you want monta to leave and crawford to stay.

different players have different skills sets based largely on their athletic abilities and god given talents.

i consider both amare and paul wonderful, wonderful big men. i might give the edge to paul because of demonstrated work ethic (a function of character, btw) but that can’t take away from the miles of highlight reel amare has managed to manufacture.

when i talk about real talent it is this:

ben wallace has some severely obscene athletic ability. he has very little actual talent. he can barely shoot the ball to save his life and has been in the league for like 12 years. he is not marketable for his talents. he still has a job because he’s barely 6’9" but because of his athleticism and basketball IQ he can contend and defend some of the very best offenders. he’s also a cool dude with a very humble history that he doesn’t forget.

jj reddick isn’t even a factor in the nba. he’s a legendary college player. i have the better basketball shooting video and i love it. he has freakish shooting talent, almost zero athletic ability. he has not and will not make a real impact in this league unless its a clutch three or free throws. not to say he won’t have a long career (look at steve kerr), but just to show the contrast between actual talent and sheer athletic ability.

and to recap – defense, rebounding, moving the ball and moving without it are activities that don’t require any real talent except awareness and determination. things that you’d think would be prerequisites but are dying arts in today’s game

+1

kobe pretty much has better numbers than jordan by the same age. not as many titles and mvps but i think that he’s just about done it all in an era where the level of athletic competition raises every 6 months. but kobe does not get the hands down props he deserves unless its from die hard laker fans. why do you think that is?

it took colorado and a $4 million pink rock to his beautiful wife before this guy got his head out of his keyster. and what’s happened since? nba finals and looking at a repeat.

shaq may have bickered with kobe but you, me, and every other cat reading this post knows that shaq is the MAN where ever he goes. he has one of a kind personality and showmanship (did you see the kobe diss last year?), fantastic bball IQ, and pure dominance his whole career. even in his present stint that looks like it may end with a scheduled fishing trip in may, i personally have never seen him play better. but you cannot separate his continued success from his attitude toward the game.

MJ was the ultimate teammate because he devoted all of his amazing talent and effort to the team, particularly later in his career when he was only taking off from like two feet in front of the free throw line. chicago would not have gone anywhere without him, but he wasn’t all “barry bonds” about it. he simply did what it took for his team to win, period. not exactly the attitude problem i was talking about.

artest is very talented, at basketball. his rap album sucked. but he’s not welcomes with open arms, he’s welcomed with terms and conditions. perhaps he has cooled down a little this late in his career and hasn’t socked any other fans like a couple years ago, but the nba is exciting enough without additional popularity stunts done in bad taste. artest is undeniable raw talent. i just don’t think he’ll ever get the respect you’d think he deserves because he doesn’t play the professional role well enough. do you see artest being a respected sportcaster like reggie miller when his playing days are done?

as for captain jack, he hasn’t been a saint. in fact wasn’t him and artest taking turns heaving haymakers in auburn hills? all the same, whether its been because he’s trying to rectify a troubled past or because he just has more heart than your average player he has stepped up and assumed a leadership position that most shy away from. his road from the cba to panama to a title to a brawl (and a stripclub!) to here shows some true grit. and character. oh, and where are his numbers this season as a result?

i’m simply pointing out that better attitudes and long, respected, and illustrious careers are closely related. bill russell, magic johnson (more or less), alonzo mourning.

and besides, everybody has a role to play on a team. even a superstar.

have you seen how fish, grant, and shane carry themselves off the court? do you think that these guys wouldn’t have offers lined up out the door for them to be involved in just about any organization at any position? these guys have quality character and proven leadership skill. if you disregard this stuff then you miss out on the tradition that is uniquely nba. it is very much part of the mandatory dress code that stern instituted and does affect perception management and ticket sales.

nobody is perfect, no on is a saint. but keeping composure as a celebrity/professional is important to longevity and future earnings. chris brown’s stock tanked after he beat down rihanna. the same logic applies here and is not exactly reflected in the stats. and a wonderful career extends through playing days to broadcaster to coach to assistant to agent to special consultant, hell even to mayor (see johnson, kevin).

if crawford makes 5 mil, he wouldnt be asked to opt out… its financial… what he does, isnt worth the money. not on a team where monta gets 11, maggette 10 and jack 10. u cant have over 40 mil tied to 4 shooting guards
obviously nellie prefers him to belinelli morrow etc but not at the cost of his contract… not when it limits the ability to bring in a Lamar Odom or an upper teir FA this offseason

to get the full effect of the importance of attitude in most any area of life, but we’ll limit discussion to nba.

you cannot in all honesty sit there and say that jamal crawford is weak. that is just pure blasphemy. how many 50 point games has monta had in his career? you know, we really have to step back and realize the impact of a player in don nelson’s system. i don’t know what it is but he may have just as much to do with the success of the players he’s coached than they themselves. crawford is a shooter, and shooters shoot. michael redd, rip hamilton, peja stoyakavic. does he play d? not exactly, but i can count on one hand the number of warriors who do play defense (beans, buike, ronny, randolf, jack and sometimes watson). nellie is obviously more concerned with execution and shooting a team out of the gym than with holding them to 90 points or less a night. there are no less than 5 or 6 streaky player on the roster already, jamal fits right in. whether his $9.5 mil a year will fit is yet to be seen.

and last point on the defense, since that’s your only real beef here: have you been watching any of the games in the last 3 years? every nobody-about-to-be-somebody who has played the warriors has damn near had a career night. guys you have never heard of come out and play the dubs and end up signing autographs after the game. brian scalabrine. marcin gortat. charlie villanueva. brandon bass (ewww he be doing us nasty). it is part of the warriors literally staring at defenders as they fly to the hoop. but on any given night against the warriors, someone will have a career night. it happens every time. i just call it the magic that the dubs bring to the floor, unfortunately it rubs off on the other team just as well. i bet crawford could take you off the dribble…

look, i ain’t knocking monta’s potential skill. but he needs to focus more on playing his game and improving his skill than being a momma’s boy trying to ghostride the moped. he will do more for himself, the fans, and the organization if he steps up to the plate and becomes the man he’s being paid to be.

… but what exactly does Monta need to redeem? We all know he made a mistake over the summer. More importantly, HE knows he made a mistake. He’s not ducking that. I think given the opportunity, he would just like to move on from the incident and get back to ballin’. However, he can’t just drop the issue because the W’s are still holding the whole situation (more specifically, his contract) over his head.

If there are examples of Monta having a bad attitude, I’m missing it. He didn’t bail on the team to “tend to his ill mother”. The team said he had a stiff ankle, which he denies. Honestly, if I were in his situation, and my boss kept me in the doghouse because of one mistake, I would be mad too, especially if I wasn’t given the opportunity to make up for it.

But let’s assume that this specific situation is Monta’s doing. What about all this mess with Crawford now? And Marcus Williams? And not playing Wright and Randolph (until recently), our last two lottery picks? Let’s face it, this team is dysfunctional and is quickly becoming the second coming of the Clips. I don’t know who’s to blame for all this. Maybe Nellie for being stubborn and sticking to his antiquated philosophies and not playing guys that don’t fit his system. Maybe it’s Rowell for getting involved too fast and doling out the fat contracts to Jackson and Nellie. Maybe it’s Mullin for bringing in the right coach and the wrong players, or the right players but the wrong coach. Who knows? All I know is that it’s sad to see this team go from having all this potential one season, and then nothing the next.

Seriously, do any of you see an easy way out of this? We just signed Nellie to a contract extension which means he’s around for 2 more years. He’s already been rumored, in various forms, to have wanted to get rid of Wright, Randolph, Monta, Crawford, Maggette. If these guys don’t fit his style, then we are looking at a completely different team than what is assembled now. And how in the world are we going to make any moves with everyone signed to a long term contract?

Sorry for going OT and into rant mode, but after following the W’s for all these years, and really liking the potential of some of the players we have here, it’s sad to see none of it working, for whatever reason.