Win Now & Build For Later?...

Okay. So we know the front office has been busy cleaning house & have gotten rid of a few fan favorites such as Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, & Anthony Morrow. Oh yeah Mr. Corey Maggette (LOL just the contract dude.) But the good thing about it all is that we didn't let their talents go to waste as we have gotten in return a few veterans that can still contribute on and off the court (Charlie Bell, Dan Gadzuric), a 2010 All-Star (David Lee), & a legit potential-filled small forward who knows that it takes defense to win as he has his own championship (Dorell Def' Wright). The thing about all these moves is that they all fixed needs the Warriors struggled with last season:

THE MAGGETTE TRADE.

For starters, the Corey Maggette-trade gave the team flexibility in the long term as well as the short term as both contracts we received for CM50 will be expired no later than the 2012 season which gives up the money we need to extend the contract on our franchise player (even though we would've most likely gave him an extension anyways).

DAVID LEE ACQUISITION.

David Lee is a player most can consider a consistent double-double while playing out of the position for the Knicks last year (yeah, I know, the Knicks) which means he offers two things the warriors haven't had in a long time: a consistent low post scorer as well as a rebounder that is respectable in regards to his game. With him coming in, we really don't have to rush Brandan Wright into putting up huge numbers right away as he is not in the best shape right now since he hasn't done much but rehabilitate his shoulder (Can't do much working out with a torn labrum).

DORELL WRIGHT SIGNING.

Dorell Wright helps the Warriors in terms of something that has been missing from this team since the 07-08 season. We have been missing a legit small forward with athleticism and length that can match up and hope to contain nearly any wing player in the league's next generation. I see Dorell Wright being what Mikeal Pietrus should've been for us except better as D.W. has a much higher b-ball IQ than Mikeal "I Love Steppin Out Of Bounds" Pietrus. Dorell Wright, in my opinion, should be the second best playmaker on this team behind Stephen Curry as it will allow Monta Ellis to play to his strength which is off the ball Richard Hamilton style as well as give Steph a break every now & then. I would not mind if Dorell Wright could turn into Tayshaun Prince 2.0 because at the small forward position that's what a team needs in order to be a contender. But despite the Warriors being busy this off-season in regards to shaping this team with a "Win Now & Still Build For Later" roster, we are still lacking...

I. DEPTH

If the season started today our depth chart would look like this:

Center- Andris Biedrins, Ekpe Udoh*, Dan Gadzuric

Power Forward- David Lee, Brandan Wright, Ekpe Udoh*

Small Forward- Dorell Wright, Reggie Williams

Shooting Guard- Monta Ellis, Reggie Williams, Charlie Bell

Point Guard- Stephen Curry, Charlie Bell

Okay, right now the Warriors need to go out & get a veteran small forward that would not mind coming off the bench backing up and helping the development of Dorell Wright. We also want to make sure that he does not have a scoring first mentality and would rather play defense before doing anything else. I think the small forward we go after should be a former champion the entire squad can look up to and that player was on the roster last year:

Devean George:

Yeah, we all know Devean George may not be one of the best players left on the market but he has something we all need out of a player which is veteran leadership with a defensive mindset. Matt Barnes was on the top of my list just like majority of the Warrior fans out there but with the contract he just turned down from ORL (I believe around 2.6 mil) I doubt cheap ass Cohan will be willing to offer him more (Sell The #$@% Team Already!). Almost every year in the league, up until last year, Devean George played on a contender and he knows what it takes to get to that elite status which makes it even more suiting that he stays on board in order to help develop the young talent. (If not let him retire & hire him like we did Speedy Claxton.)

We also know that this is only Stephen Curry's second year & the last thing we want to do is give the poor guy 40+ minutes per night because that will just lead to fatigue issues and the more chances of injuries occurring to our franchise player. If we can't find a way to keep C.J. Watson, I say we go for another young role player who is yet to show his potential due to past horrific injuries:

Shaun Livingston:

I am surprised many have not thought about him but he is still a capable player who was on that surprising 2006 Clippers playoff team (Yeah, that's right CLIPPERS not LAKERS.) If it wasn't for the horrific injury that took place during the 2006-2007 season he probably could've been one of the better point guards in the league now portraying himself as a poor man's Magic Johnson, but instead he has been making more movement around the league than a traveling salesman. I think we should at least use part of our Trade Exception (the one we got from Anthony Morrow) on him in sign-and-trade with Washington. He is not just one of the better play makers left, but he has developed into a decent corner three shooter (just like C.J.) as well as a guy that is versatile to guard three positions for us which is HUGE for a team that has a back court of two players no taller than 6'3. Make the call Riley!

Before I close this post I would like to thank Anthony Randolph, Anthony Morrow, Ronny Turiaf, & Kelenna Azubuike for all of their hard work put towards the organization. I know sometimes it is hard to let go but sometimes the toughest decisions may lead to big rewards which is why there is no reason to be upset about the trades/decisions anymore. Well...I think training camp is going to be interesting with Monta Ellis looking to have a more efficient year, Biedrins looking to reclaim his spot as an All-Star Caliber Center, Brandan Wright's development as a player seeing if he was really the best player in camp last season, Steph Curry taking the next step in his NBA career, & seeing if our new acquisitions will make or break this team for the future. And last but not least, the team should be owned by somebody other than Chris Cohan. Let's Go Warriors!