The Golden State Warriors need to make some drastic changes and I would like to suggest some that could only make this team better.The Warriors need to slow down the pace, become more efficient, and bring in new players that can play defense. They also should start playing traditional basketball instead of Don Nelson's crazy small lineups that have cost this team many games. None of this could possibly happen unless don Nelson is fired and the team is retooled. So here is what I would recommend to make this team a playoff team and respectable in the league.

The team needs to say goodbye to Don Nelson and bring in Avery Johnson. Johnson always slows down the pace, enforces a strong team defense, and keeps a great efficiency in offensive and defensive categories. The 2008-09 warriors team was 2nd in scoring in the league at 108.59 but allowed 112.34, making them 24th in the league in point differential. They allowed their opponent to shoot 46.8 percent from the field including 38% from three, 8th in the league at opponent fg%. They were 28th in the league at apg differential vs opponents meaning that they were very bad at moving the ball for open looks. They were 30th in the league in rebounding differential due largely to the type of ball that nellie plays. This would all improve if Avery Johnson was brought in.

The warriors need to entirely retool the roster and bring in players that are efficient and trade away those that are ball hogs, selfish, unwilling to play defense, don't take intelligent shots, or willing to slow down the pace even if it means their stats suffer.

Players that need to go:

Stephen Jackson, he is terribly inneficient offensively. He only appeared  in 59 games, and in those games he shot only 41.4%(only 109th in the league) from the field(careeer average of 41.8%) which is terrible! He hoisted up 5 threes a game while only shooting 33.8%(114th in the league while shooting the 17th most). Just getting rid of him would be addition by subtraction.

Speedy Claxton, never been a good shooter and couldn't help this team at all.

Devean George, has played big minutes in past but has nothing ofensively to show for it.

Acie law, he's a nobody who would take minutes from younger guys.

Corey Maggette, he is a blackhole on offense and doesn't try hard enough on defense. Very selfish and not a team player at all.

TRADES:

1.http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=mu3qnj

Jackson and Acie Law for Gerald Wallace. Wallace is very efficient offensively and tries his best defensively 100% of the time.

2.http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=nfjqua

Trade Devean George to Clippers for a 2011 2nd round draft pick and trade exception. 

3.http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lqkuh9

Maggette and Claxton for Rip Hamilton. Rip is an incredibly efficient player from the arc, free throw line and overall fg%.

Would be trading players that would play a total of around 100 or more minutes for two players who would play a combined 70 minutes. Thus it would allow more free agent signings and give more minutes to the young guys.

Rip Hamilton and Gerald Wallce would provide real leadership that Jackson and Maggette never could.

Lineup:

Ellis/Curry/watson

Hamilton/Azubuike/Morrow/Curry

Wallace/Azubuike

Randolph/Wright

Biedrins/Turiaf/Moore

That team definitely looks like a playoff  team and could be a 50 win team under Avery Johnson.

What do you think about these trades and slowing the tempo and becoming more efficient while winning more games.

Update: Fox Sports just released a column named "Playing fast doesn't guarantee success in NBA"

If you're looking for a single, team-statistical area that (for now) may draw the widest line between contender and Secaucus, it's probably defensive efficiency. Don't mistake that for fewest points allowed per game; a team can play quite slowly and appear to be fairly stingy even though it surrenders baskets at an unreasonably high rate.

Funny how the warriors just happened to be 30th in rebounding differential(a defensive mark) and only won 29 games.