Please wait on Brandan

by brandanwright#1fan on Jun 7, 2009 2:52 PM PDT

What's good everyone, new member to this site and I must say what a great place to get info on our beloved warriors. As you all can imagine per my screen name that I am a HUGE Brandan Wright fan, love the kids game. My question to my fellow warrior fans is why the hurry to trade him? He showed great promise this season prior to getting hurt and even when he returned from his injury he dropped a 25pt,6rb,2blk game against philly. I hear everyone saying Anthony a.k.a (i ate a bag of sour skittles) cant play alongside Brandan but I disagree, if anything i would think they complement each other vary well. I remember the game against atlanta where Brandan & Anthony were on the court together, it seemed like atlanta couldn;t score and the warriors increased the lead.

I hope next years lineup looks something like this

C Andris

PF Brandan

SF Anthony

SG Stephen

PG Anyone except monta ( this league has proven that little guards dont win championships: example Allen Iverson)

What do ya'll think.......

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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I’d rather have Wright coming off the bench for Randolph.

The Ultimate Opportunist

by Rated-R Superstar on Jun 7, 2009 2:56 PM PDT reply actions

and randolph never playing the 3.

heart of a champion, will of the warrior.

by cap'n hack on Jun 7, 2009 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't want to unload him, but his deficiencies are all effort-related.

He needs to do the following things:

- Try harder on defense

- Rebound on the defensive end

- Run the floor every time, both ways

That’s it. I love his offensive game and his offensive rebounding. He’s still a liability on defense which is ridiculous considering how long and athletic he is. It’s effort and concentration.

It’s all on him.

Reduce your carbon footprint, commit suicide.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Jun 7, 2009 3:08 PM PDT reply actions

and stay healthy

thats not really all on him, but that is one of my biggest concerns about him. I know most of his injuries are kinda fluke things, but its still a little concerning.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 7, 2009 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions

You're right , that's probably his #1 issue.

His last couple of injuries happened right when he started to play well too. He’s actually kind of a sleeper on this team. I still feel like he could be as productive as Chris Bosh if he put in the work, but he doesn’t seem to care enough (my interpretation). But how many guys can you say that about, right?

He’s also one of the most fun guys to watch finish a break because of his length and leaping ability

Reduce your carbon footprint, commit suicide.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Jun 7, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions

it's a real concern

Unlike Monta’s injury, where the leg can be as strong as ever after about a year, a shoulder dislocation is something that can reoccur very easily. Even orthopedic surgery to tighten the shoulder, used primarily in cases where there have been multiple dislocations, won’t return a shoulder to preinjury strength. I like Wright’s game. But I believe he will never be able to give the physical effort you want from your PF. If he plays much, and is physical (doesn’t play guarding his shoulder), I’d be willing to bet his shoulder goes out again in the next few years.

Nice kid but trade him if you can get anything we need.

Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

by fotd on Jun 7, 2009 9:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I do not think that Brandan has good defensive rebounding instincts. This is unlikely to ever change, though the of the few guys who started off as mediocre rebounders who became very good, they seem to be guys who started off as wiry thin big men, so there’s only not much hope.

I do not think that his effort on defense is really a huge problem, not in the Crawford/Ellis effort case. The Warriors were ever so slightly better defensive team with him than without him, which doesn’t strike me as indicative of a real defensive liability. Nelson doesn’t have patience with him, but Nelson does not hold players to the same standards and is quicker to chastise Wright than anyone else for things that other players regularly do.

Wright does not have an overly exuberant personality, but this shouldn’t be confused with passivity. He also has a ridiculous facial expression that seems to just be the shape of his face. I’ve repeated this before, but I honestly believe that if he had a natural scowl or a big ass Omar Little style scar that people wouldn’t talk about him not trying on D at all. Hell, I think people might not even say it if he didn’t have those ridiculously large ears.

by jae on Jun 7, 2009 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I'm familiar with the jae rebounding axiom, as I have read it 100 times, and it's true but this is where I'm coming from:

I do not think that Brandan has good defensive rebounding instincts. This is unlikely to ever change, though the of the few guys who started off as mediocre rebounders who became very good, they seem to be guys who started off as wiry thin big men, so there’s only not much hope.

The thing that makes me think it’s an effort issue is that he’s a decent offensive rebounder and it’s the same skill, especially considering this team tends to “go get the ball” rather than blocking out and position rebounding. I checked his % of total rebounds that are offensive rebounds and he’s at the very high end of the league for bigs. I compared his ORB% to the top 5 rebounders as well as to Al Harrington, since he’s a familiar underachiever in that category, and 4 others near him on the leader board. Not very scientific, but a jumping-off point:

I know, it looks like a 3-year old with his Playschool “My First Spreadsheet”. Like I said, this is a loose hypothesis based on speculation and my own observations. I’m curious as to what you think or what you know of the implications of a high OR%.

I do not think that his effort on defense is really a huge problem, not in the Crawford/Ellis effort case. The Warriors were ever so slightly better defensive team with him than without him, which doesn’t strike me as indicative of a real defensive liability. Nelson doesn’t have patience with him, but Nelson does not hold players to the same standards and is quicker to chastise Wright than anyone else for things that other players regularly do.

Consider who the other players were that he was subbing in for at PF. It was primarily Azubuike, Maggette playing PF before he got hurt and Randolph got his act together so replacing a couple of 6’6" SF/SGs in the line-up without a significant dropoff in team production is not the best argument for his defensive prowess.

Additionally, team performance statistics have so many variables, like every possible combination of Wright and who he’s subbing for and the other 9 guys on the floor at any given time. I’d assume there are better defensive metrics than that but I’m not familiar. All I’m saying is that I see him lost on defense sometimes and the coaches say he needs to give more effort there and and they have their own defensive metrics for individual players.

Wright does not have an overly exuberant personality, but this shouldn’t be confused with passivity. He also has a ridiculous facial expression that seems to just be the shape of his face. I’ve repeated this before, but I honestly believe that if he had a natural scowl or a big ass Omar Little style scar that people wouldn’t talk about him not trying on D at all. Hell, I think people might not even say it if he didn’t have those ridiculously large ears.

Thanks Dr. Phil, but I’m not basing it on some latent prejudice, I’m basing it on the fact that Nelson and Smart say he needs to give more effort on defense and the defensive glass and run the floor as well as what I’ve seen of his play on that end of the floor. I’m actually trying to think of any NBA players that get a bad rap for looking like their lazy but really aren’t. POB is the one who comes to mind since he claimed that he had been given that rap based on his demeanor, but it turns out he actually had an issue with effort. I’m assuming you had some examples in mind, I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

Reduce your carbon footprint, commit suicide.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Jun 7, 2009 11:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Robert Parrish. Sam Perkins.

For starters, what I mean when I refer to offensive or defensive rebounding percentage is the percentage of available rebounds that the player gets (number of rebounds over missed shots), not what percentage of his rebounds are offensive rebounds.

It may be effort, but I don’t think it’s effort in the sense that he can simply try harder and become a better defensive rebounder. On offense, Wright’s instinct is to follow the ball on his own shots and to move in after a teammate’s shot. He has no man to cover. He has much more control on where he is on the court prior to the shot. He does not hesitate in such situations and it makes him a better rebounder (not great, but acceptable). He pauses on defense. I put this as different from effort, as effort suggests that he doesn’t care or isn’t trying. I don’t think that’s the case so much as his instincts aren’t there to really know what to do. It’s my opinion based on what I’ve seen.

by jae on Jun 7, 2009 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Man, I'd never accuse Robert Parrish of anything other than being really good for a really long time

Plus, those examples are from 2 generations ago and I never heard that criticism about either player and I was a Perkins fan too when he was on the Sonics because I thought it was cool (I like 12) that he was a center who shot 3s.

For starters, what I mean when I refer to offensive or defensive rebounding percentage is the percentage of available rebounds that the player gets (number of rebounds over missed shots), not what percentage of his rebounds are offensive rebounds.

Right, which is why I specifically defined it as “I checked his % of total rebounds that are offensive rebounds and he’s at the very high end of the league for bigs.” and then provided a table illustrating what I was referring to. I don’t know why that warranted a “correction” when I clearly defined and illustrated what I was talking about.

It may be effort, but I don’t think it’s effort in the sense that he can simply try harder and become a better defensive rebounder. On offense, Wright’s instinct is to follow the ball on his own shots and to move in after a teammate’s shot. He has no man to cover. He has much more control on where he is on the court prior to the shot. He does not hesitate in such situations and it makes him a better rebounder (not great, but acceptable). He pauses on defense. I put this as different from effort, as effort suggests that he doesn’t care or isn’t trying. I don’t think that’s the case so much as his instincts aren’t there to really know what to do. It’s my opinion based on what I’ve seen.

Valid conclusion although I obviously see it differently. No way to prove it one way or another. We’ll see what happens next year if he’s still around.

Reduce your carbon footprint, commit suicide.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Jun 8, 2009 12:38 AM PDT up reply actions

Parrish was hounded for appearing indifferent, for being apathetic and wasn’t generally well regarded when he was in Oakland. He the opposite of a fan favorite.

by jae on Jun 8, 2009 1:27 AM PDT up reply actions

I was a Perkins fan too when he was on the Sonics because I thought it was cool (I like 12) that he was a center who shot 3s.

Same here, Sleepy Sam was like a dream come true for me. And it wasn’t just the obviously awesome first name, he was like a waaaaaaay cooler (and probably much worse) version of Okur, giving inspiration to at least one awkwardly tall and relatively unathletic kid who just wanted to shoot threes all day. Plus he played with MJ in college and went on to face him in the NBA finals on a team that had 1. Glove, Detlef, and Reign Man 2. still had the “super” in their team name and 3. had some awesomely (awful in retrospect) gaudy new unis. NBA players not name Michael Jordan just don’t come much cooler than that when you’re in 6th or 7th grade. Then jae has to go and call him out with all his fancy “statistical analysis.” Way to ruin a childhood icon jae, thanks a lot.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 8, 2009 2:34 AM PDT up reply actions

Same here, Sleepy Sam was like a dream come true for me.

Weird, BSD emailed me this same comment just the other day…

Thing 1

by Sleepy Freud on Jun 8, 2009 5:22 AM PDT up reply actions

;-)

As soon as I wrote the words “Sleepy Sam” I realized I was setting someone up to knock it out of the park. I was gonna say he was “something of an icon for me”….but I figured I could tee it up better than that.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 8, 2009 6:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Hey, Perkins was one of my favorites too, dating back to when he was back in college. I’m saying that he got some flack for looking unmotivated, something that seemed more to do with that expression in his face that what actually happened on the court.

by jae on Jun 8, 2009 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions

+1

maybe you’re right about his demeanor and expression. it still looks like he could be more aggressive. the rec is for making me laugh out loud at work…

by gogoldenbears on Jun 8, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions

this league has proven that little guards dont win championships: example Allen Iverson

Monta’s not little at all for a PG. He’s a big as or bigger than, for example, Derek Fisher, Cassell, Billups, Rondo, and Tony Parker, who all have rings. He may have deficiencies in defense, court vision and/or leadership that will prevent him from being a great PG, but his size, speed, athleticism, and rebounding more than fit the bill.

On Brandan: I agree with you that a lot of people here underplay his value. One poster here went so far as to “throw him in” with our #7 pick for the #17 and Louis Williams. I hate the idea of selling low on him. I’m not sure he has what it takes to be a star, or even a starter on a good team, but even if you assume little to no improvement in his game from here on out, he’s going to be a very efficient, productive NBA rotation player. I’d love to keep him around.

Thing 1

by Sleepy Freud on Jun 7, 2009 3:21 PM PDT reply actions

so montas not starting?

i like the starting line up because of its size and length, with anthony, bwright, and beans, thats very lengthy and wed get a lot of blocked shots, but can any of those players be relied on to create scoring on their own?

by bizz 192 on Jun 7, 2009 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions

BW has probably been our best inside scorer

since he got here. honestly, how many post entry passes has he gotten? if he doesn’t get any passes in the post how are we gonna take advantage of his best talent? another nelson failure. that’s why he’s undervalued.

by KeepdaCore on Jun 7, 2009 4:33 PM PDT reply actions

perfectly said

we have no inside game what so ever, i can;t remember the last time i saw biedrins or a post player get a designed post for him more than twice in one game. And its hard to believe that i guy like Beans has no post moves considering hes been playing the post for probably atleast 10 years and in the NBA for i think 4 of them. He has to atleast have a hook shot.

by bizz 192 on Jun 7, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

how many post entry passes has he gotten?

it doesn’t help when you’re getting pushed 10-15 feet away from the basket.

by the evil monkey on Jun 18, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with all the above.....

I just believe that if Brandan can stay healthy he could be a 12ppg and 8-9rb next season. He has all the tools. The way Nellie has configured this team, their are enough scorers/playmakers in Monta, Jack and Anthony…

BW has probably been our best inside scorer

This statement is so true, how many times have I seen a mismatch where he is guarded by a pg in a pick-n-roll situation and the next thing you know they shot a jumper. Brandan has shown he is money is the post yet they refuse to give him the ball.

TL32

by brandanwright#1fan on Jun 7, 2009 4:39 PM PDT reply actions

It all depends on his minutes, but I can’t imagine him possibly getting enough minutes to average close to 9 boards per game next year. Thats about what he’s averaged per 36 mins over the last two years…..expecting him to get dramatically better on the boards or play close to 36 mins per game doesn’t seem very realistic.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 7, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions

i dont ever see brandan wright being a good player

i think its obvious that brandons never gonna get too much bigger, and hes a back to the basketbet PF, but lacks the stregnth and muscle and toughness to be successful that way, so i dont ever see him doing anything meaningful in this league unless he really changes the way he plays into a jump shot guy

by gswfan2 on Jun 7, 2009 5:32 PM PDT reply actions

monta

Monta isn’t exactly small for the 1 position. he’s 6ft 3in which is around the average 1 guard size. However, he is too small for the 2 guard position.

Ellis to the RIM!
Monta for the win?! YES!

by XIAOXIAO on Jun 7, 2009 5:38 PM PDT reply actions

I haven’t looked at all, but 6’3" seems like it would be well above the average 1 guard size.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 7, 2009 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions

-1

Monta was fine as a 2 when we had Baron as a 1… The problem that you can’t invent point guards, because you can’t teach court vision. Either you have it or you don’t. And he don’t. He’s mediocre, but he’s a score-first guy. That makes him either (a) a mediocre-to-bad PG, or (b) an undersized shooting guard. So, ultimately, we either (a) trade him, (b) get a big PG and shift him to his natural position at the 2, or © get a 2 who’s a good ball handler… Personally, as much as I like him, I say we either get a big 1 or we trade him…

by b.radley on Jun 7, 2009 9:46 PM PDT up reply actions

monta is not a small point guard

plus if thats our lineup where is our three point shooting

by gsw.raiders on Jun 7, 2009 6:43 PM PDT reply actions

well...

monta seems to be developing more range…i wouldnt be surprised if he will be solid soon….we got morrow off the bench…we got jack….and i could see randolph developing a 3…

either way…without a dominant big…its not THAT nessessary to have great 3 point shooting at all times….we still go buki and morrow off the bench

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 Jun 7, 2009 7:49 PM PDT up reply actions

exactly....

That is one of the reasons why this team loses games at times, they fall in love with shooting threes. If that were our starting lineup we would have slashers that get to the basket and draw fouls and Jack/Monta for the outside shots. Last time I checked you win games by playing inside out not vice versa.

i dont ever see brandan wright being a good player

Brandan has already proven his a good player all he needs is more playing time. He is our best low post option at this point even with his thin frame. The kid is only 21, his body will fill up with time. He has shown a nice shot from the elbow, he has that unblockable hook shot and he has shown at times a fade away jump shot.

monta is not a small point guard

He is small for Don Nelson’s system. If you look at the Don Nelson’s system you will see that it requires a point guard that is 1) past first 2) can post up. Look at milwaukee (Cassell) and look at the warriors (Davis). You may make a case with Nash in Dallas, but he is a past first point and Monta is not.

TL32

by brandanwright#1fan on Jun 7, 2009 8:09 PM PDT reply actions

If you look at the Don Nelson’s system you will see that it requires a point guard that is 1~~) past first 2) can post up.~~ good.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 7, 2009 8:46 PM PDT up reply actions

funny, he seems to have that same requirement for all 5 positions. get creative, don!

heart of a champion, will of the warrior.

by cap'n hack on Jun 7, 2009 8:52 PM PDT up reply actions

for reals

What we need is a coach whose entire strategy revolves around overrated players. Then we’d be in business!

by b.radley on Jun 7, 2009 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Was Tim Hardaway “pass first” or did he post up much? What does Cassell in Milwaukee have to do with Nelson? Were they running “Nelson’s system” (whatever that means) a decade and a half after Nelson last coached there or was there some other reason that you mentioned Cassell?

by jae on Jun 7, 2009 11:06 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

George Karl=Don Nelson. duh!

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 8, 2009 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions

Brandon's biggest problem is his own self...

Brandon can be unaggressive and other times down right TIMID!!!! Those two combinations are a no no in the NBA. If your scared, go to church as they say…As for a lineup of Randolph and Wright in at the same time? Hell NAW!!! Where’s the scoring going to come from, just Monta and Jack?

by Brothaplease09 on Jun 7, 2009 9:34 PM PDT reply actions

who is Brandon?

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 8, 2009 12:13 AM PDT up reply actions

Brandon? He’s that Jennings kid who couldn’t get into ’Zona and played overseas instead.

by jae on Jun 8, 2009 1:27 AM PDT up reply actions

oh yea

his biggest problem is “his own self.” I’m so tempted to make another Memphis SAT joke, but I already did that in another thread about Jennings.

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 8, 2009 2:14 AM PDT up reply actions

Brandan has a quite personality.....

But that should not be confused for being soft. This season I did see him become a bit aggresive with the ball, but always seemed to be forgotten in the offense. It’s funny how in the bay fans have a thing for gritty downright thuggish players.

Imagine a team with Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson. I know some people here would love that lineup, hell we ran DunMurphy out the stadium and boo them everytime they step foot in the Oracle. All im saying is give this guy some time and see what happeens.

TL32

by brandanwright#1fan on Jun 7, 2009 10:45 PM PDT reply actions

missing adjective

Brandan has a quite personality…..

Quite what?

Thing A

by sam23 on Jun 8, 2009 12:15 AM PDT up reply actions

That's weird...

When I read that my brain flipped it around and I thought he said “Brandan has quite a personality…”

I thought “Hmm really?”

Thing 2

by olympicmike on Jun 8, 2009 12:32 AM PDT up reply actions

Brandan won me over this season...

but I am concerned about that shoulder of his. Huge bummer that he dislocated it. It will most likely never be better than 80% from now on. Then again, I don’t think it was his shooting arm. He may be fine. I hope he becomes a Pau Gasol type player. Good offensive rebounder with nearly unstoppable shooting due to length.

by Naticus on Jun 8, 2009 12:14 AM PDT reply actions

Brandon Wright=Soft Player

He’s a good kid, maybe this year he’ll come out of his shell for good?

by Brothaplease09 on Jun 8, 2009 8:59 AM PDT reply actions

finally

i love the brandan love on this thread. finally some supporters. i thought i was one of the very few…

by gogoldenbears on Jun 8, 2009 10:06 AM PDT reply actions

nah i also love brandan

i think that most fans don’t have the patience to wait for Wright to develop into our man up front but if Wright is giving a chance to grow he can become a future all star. But really it’s up to him how good he becomes

by GSW9 on Jun 8, 2009 3:24 PM PDT reply actions

I Know

I thought I was the last fan of Brandan since everyone seemed to jump on Anthony. If… sorry I meant to say WHEN Brandan becomes a great player I see him fall into the category of Timmy up in San Antonio. I dont mean those type of numbers of course but in his demeanor.

I honestly think Brandan has to live a little, he is just way to shy and reserved. Brandan if you ever read this post hit up some clubs this summer. Better yet hit me up, I know some good spots in this great city known as San Francisco. HAHA

Wait I take that back, stay you Brandan thats one reason why I like your game… quite confidence.

TL32

by brandanwright#1fan on Jun 8, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions

I Disagree about

little guards don’t win Championships;

Tony Parker is the same size as Monta, in fact, 1 inch shorter, he has rings.
Of course he has Timmy Duncan, but if Biedrins can get near Duncans status, championships near future I believe.
All we need is a flopping player just like Ginobli, we have the 3 point assassin they have in Bowen before, that’s Morrow.

by AlbinoWhale on Jun 18, 2009 1:29 PM PDT reply actions

yeah, we’re pretty much just like the spurs. all we need is for biedrins to get almost as good as one of the best big men in the history of the nba, morrow is already exactly like bowen (except for that whole “defense” thing), and since the only thing ginobili does is flop, we should be able to grab any flopper off the street, stick him on the wing and start raking in the titles. actually, wait, marco could fit that bill, let’s start giving him flopping lessons! he’s foreign; it’s pretty much second nature to him. championships here we come!

heart of a champion, will of the warrior.

by cap'n hack on Jun 18, 2009 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions