2010-2011 Golden State Warriors Report Cards: A mostly boring and uneventful LOSING season

by Atma Brother ONE on Apr 20, 2011 10:44 PM PDT in Report Cards

Okay the Warriors weren't that bad, but they weren't this bad.

Before we hand out end of the season grades make sure to flip back to 2010-2011 Golden State Warriors All-Star Break Report Cards.

Then JUMP!

Traded or Cut

Brandan Wright: F

For years many in the local media and in the Warriors fanbase screamed at Nellie for not giving Wright more burn. For some reason they took it to extremes and tried to claim Nellie's lack of minutes for Wright were the reason they missed the playoffs in 2008 and struggled so mightily in 2009.

The most winningest coach in NBA history was right and you were wrong.

Brandan Wright is simply no good. He PEAKED under Nellie and was simply even more terrible after getting traded to the New Jersey Nets- 3.6ppg (40.7% FG), 3.0 rpg.

By the way Jason Richardson- some random guard you might remember that weighs 15 pounds more than this power forward Chris Mullin foolishly broke up WE BELIEVE for- was a key component of last year's Western Conference Playoff Phoenix Suns team and is headed to at least the second round this year in the East.

Rodney Carney: D+

It doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but was he really that bad that he deserved to get cut? It's funny when you think about it. The Memphis Grizzlies cut Acie Law. The Warriors pick up Law. The Warriors cut Rodney Carney. The Grizzlies pick up Carney. These franchise altering moves make LeBron's Decision 2010 look so uneventful!

Dan Gadzuric: C

This UCLA big man was bringing it whenever he got a few minutes. He gave the Warriors some nice intensity on D.

Should Be Cut

Vladimir Radmanovic: D+

Nellie would NEVER give playing time to Radmanovic (for good reason). Coach Smart thought it was a good idea to give Radmanovic playing time. Vlad Rad had some moments, but overall Nellie was right here.

Acie Law: C

Coach Smart loves watching this waived Grizzlie play instead of Stephen Curry late in games. The rest of the world does not.

Andris Biedrins: F

Biedrins is the worst member of the starting 5, started about 30 more games than he should've, and got about 5-8 minutes of undeserved playing time each night. Biedrins' usage is one of Coach Keith Smart's biggest failures this season. Someone explain to me how it's a good idea to start each game running offensive plays through an uncoordinated center with no post moves and attacks the basket with the ferocity of a little mouse?

How can such a terrible free throw shooter have the audacity to reject the tutelage of a Hall of Famer like Rick Barry? Easy. They got paid and they don't care.

Again yet another player who PEAKED under Nellie. Where are all you guys in the local media and fanbase who constantly berated and whined at Nellie for his usage and treatment of this terrible and overpaid basketball player? I can't hear you.

Quit with the excuses. You don't know basketball like Nellie does. Don't pretend you do.

The Warriors are stuck with this soft center who has no desire to improve his game thanks to Chris Mullin and Robert Rowell outbidding themselves to the tune of 6 years and $63 million when Biedrins was a restricted free agent with no offers from any other team.

Jeff Adrien: D-

He didn't do much before the Warriors cut him this season and he didn't do much after they recalled him back from the D-League.

Charlie Bell: F

If you GOT PAID to sit in floor seats for 82 NBA basketball games would you act a fool? Don't drink and drive kids.

Youngsters with Hope

Ekpe Udoh: C+

Udoh lived up to his "Nightmare" nickname is both good and bad ways. He was a nightmare for them on D with his commitment to protecting the paint, but a nightmare for us on the glass (6.3 rebounds/ 36 minutes- not an acceptable rate for a big man at all).

If there's one guy I could see defying the odds (his age and rookie year stats) it's this guy. I could see Udoh being a low-scoring Clifford Robinson type with a some Dikembe Mutombo blocking ability. Uncle Cliffy was never a strong rebounder, but a very strong and savvy defender. He also worked his way to becoming a very nice jumpshooter, which Udoh has shown glimpses of. The Mutombo connection comes not because of the 3.0 blocks/ per 36 minutes rate. If Udoh hits the weights this offseason and continues to work hard while staying injury free this summer the Warriors are going to be very happy with this sophomore.

Stephen Curry: B

My biggest fear is that Curry is a sweet shooting undersized shooting guard who fouls and turns the ball over way too much. My biggest hope is that Curry was just held back this year by Coach Smart. Curry's scoring efficiency is uncanny, but his turnovers need to be cut down. Let's hope the Warriors next coach can help Curry take his game to the next level. The future of this franchise is dependent on it.

Jeremy Lin: C-

Lin needs to call the Shot Doctor. He needs to build his jumpshot from the ground up. It's hard not to dig his hustle and defense though. He could have a nice, long career in the NBA as a defensive specialist of the bench.

Role Players

Dorell Wright: B+

Great story. Dorell (that's 1 R, 2 L's, and 1 joke that never was that funny) managed to score more this season than his previous 6 seasons combined. He also made a Warriors franchise record 194 3-pointers. Next season I'm just hoping for some consistency and more defensive output. Great find by GM Larry Riley's front office.

Al Thornton: C-

This guy likes to score. Does he like to do anything else?

Louis Amundson: D+

Amundson did not have a healthy first season here and the Warriors didn't really get much. There was a big opportunity for Amundson with Biedrins' horrendous play, but he wasn't able to step up.

Reggie Williams: C

His rate of production was very similar to the previous season, but he played 12 minutes less, so his production was significantly down. Was it because he wasn't brining it in practice or doing the things Coach Smart asked him to do defensively? Or was it because Coach Smart wrongly had him in his doghouse? Or was he a product of Nellieball?

The Big Money Players (meaning they get paid a lot of bucks)

Monta Ellis: B

Help me out on this one. I feel like Monta was much better this season than last, but his scoring dipped slightly and he had the worst rebounding year of his career. He did play big minutes night in and night out and he did lower his unsightly turnover rate while picking up his assist rate. He does seem like he's defending better, but he's no stopper. Was he really better this season compared to last or were there just less tantrums and negativity from him with Nellie gone?

David Lee: B-

It could've been a better season if his buddy from New York brushed his teeth more regularly. It could've been a better season if he wasn't paired up with possibly the worst starting center in the league Andris Biedrins. It could've been better if he played alongside Ekpe Udoh more (they seem to really cover up each other's weaknesses on help defense and on the glass). I could've been been better, but it wasn't. It still was solid and was the best output the Warriors have had from the 4-spot since 1994.

Andris Biedrins: F

Oh yeah the guy that got paid $1.8 million less than David Lee (who gets way too much blame), but the one that the media and fans for some odd reason break out the kiddie gloves for.

Monta Ellis was the #1 reason why the Warriors stunk up the join in 2009-2010 with Moped Gate. In 2010-2011 the #1 reason was the historically absurd number of injuries the team faced. (Though many haters would like you to think it was Don Nelson, mostly because of their absurd infatuation with a terribly unqualified and performing front office man Chris Mullin.) But the #1 reason why the Warriors stunk up the joint this season was the horrific performance and attitude of Andris Biedrins. Yes that guy who is on the books for two more seasons at $9 million with a player option in 2013-2014, which I imagine he'll be picking up. $27 million more for a player that just put up 5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and keeps getting worse.

(See above for more on the #1 reason)

Coaching and Management

Coach Keith Smart: C-

I like Coach Keith Smart. Nice guy, hard worker, hoops lifer. But here's some issues I can't get over:

His stubborn insistence of gift wrapping Andris Biedrins a starting spot and playing time. Running plays for him to open up games was a joke.
His usage and treatment of Stephen Curry. Something tells me if Curry had the bad attitude and immaturity of Monta Ellis, we would be hearing more about this.
His refusal to run pick-and-rolls with Curry/ Ellis and Lee/ Biedrins.

At the end of the day was there anything really special about what Smart did with this roster this season? I'd say no. I bet most coaches in the NBA could probably squeeze more than 36 wins out of this roster.

I remain convinced that Coach Smart is a very nice assistant coach, but not head coaching material.

GM Larry Riley: C+

The plusses are bringing on David Lee (the best power forward this franchise has had since Chris Webber- the first time around), adding veteran Dorell Wright for what amounts to pennies in the NBA, and adding a solid defensive prospect in Ekpe Udoh.

The minuses are not adding a much needed quality 3rd guard, going into the season with Andris Biedrins as the team's starting center, and of course no playoffs.

People like to whine about the Warriors inactivity at the trade deadline, but it really seems like they were constrained without a tradable 1st rounder (thanks to Mullin's idiotic trade for Marcus Williams). I'm not sure who you blame for not seriously looking into Gerald Wallace (seems like the perfect addition)- was it ownership?

President Robert Rowell: C-

Someone explain to me how an executive who approved the absurdly dumb contracts of Derek Fisher, Adonal Foyle, Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, and Andris Biedrins still has a job? About the only thing Rowell has done right during his tenure is firing Chris Mullin. Too bad he didn't fire himself too.

I will give Rowell credit though. That Stephen Jackson extension isn't looking as mad as everyone (including myself) made it out to be. Captain Fraud is still performing at a high level and he'll be worth the $20 million for the next 2 seasons. I'm still haunted by this game. I will also give him credit for overriding Mullin's extension for Baron Davis. Do you realize the Clippers just gave away a high lottery pick so they wouldn't have to pay him $29 million over the next 2 years? What a terrible contract. Rowell saved the Warriors big time there.

Ownership: F

To be honest it doesn't feel so "new". It was a very disappointing first year that could have been much more entertaining with a better chance at the playoffs if they didn't fire Don Nelson a week before training camp. Nellie was by the way the very same coach that had a ROOKIE Stephen Curry putting up much better numbers at the end of last season compared to his sophomore campaign.

Stephen Curry Under Nellie with D-League Teammates

Post All-Star break: 22.1 ppg (46.8% FG, 44% 3pt, 90.6% FT), 7.7 apg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 steals
April: 26.4 ppg (46.8% FG, 47.2% 3pt, 89.5% FT), 8.1 apg, 6.1 rpg, 2.6 steals

Stephen Curry Under Keith Smart with Infinitely Better Teammates

18.6 ppg (still phenomenal shooting), 5.8 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 steals

Summary

For the most part it was a fairly uneventful season for the Warriors. You could even say it was pretty boring. In 2007 there was WE BELIEVE, in 2008 there was 48 wins, in 2009 there was at least Moped Gate drama, in 2010 there was Nellie's record and the Golden State D-Leaguers that played with Golden State of Heart. This year there really wasn't much.

To be honest, I have no idea if the Warriors are headed in the right direction. There's a ton of questions heading into the offseason, but that's what makes this fun.

Poll

Which Warrior had the most disappointing season?

Monta Ellis

9 votes

Stephen Curry

37 votes

David Lee

43 votes

Reggie Williams

27 votes

Andris Biedrins

887 votes

Brandan Wright

46 votes

Other (specify in comments)

6 votes

1055 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 57 comments | 2 recs |

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Comments

You forgot bout Reggie!

but you remembered him in the poll?

Hatred much? Not one person with an A… :p just kidding, we prlly did do this bad.

by LGW on Apr 20, 2011 10:49 PM PDT reply actions

Ooops. Good catch. Let me add his grade. Thanks for pointing that out.

Golden State of Mind :: Always keeping it... "Unstoppable Baby!"

by Atma Brother ONE on Apr 20, 2011 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I think Acie Law was an F. We had a good PG with CJ but we got rid of him and pick up this bum? I think DWright was a C. Sure he got the 3pt thing going on, but I hate his game to be honest. He’s like a wannabe DWayde with his fake 3ptr jump underneath you shot. He plays lazy and I don’t think he has heart. We had a nice F with Azabuike but we got rid of him (I know for Lee whom I like) but we pickup this slacker? I liked the pickup in the beginning but as I watched his game I started to detest DWright’s effort. I like JLin but I thnk he gets a D. I think he plays with no confidence and very hesitant out there. I thought he was a scorer but he seems very intimidated on the floor. Keith Smart is a good guy and agree a good assistant but not a head coach. He gets a D cuz why not play Curry if he’s healthy? I just don’t get Rad, Law, and Biedrins playing at all. W’s should go after Sloan. GSW Hoops culture needs to change. Stop being losers and become winners.

by geezy on Apr 21, 2011 12:02 AM PDT reply actions

Azubuike was damaged goods anyways

by JustSomeName on Apr 21, 2011 12:29 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I actually agree with all your grades you gave each player. If there is any possible way to get rid of biedrins.. we have to do it. I used to really like the guy but after watching him this year suck, it’s pretty obvious he has to go.

I personally think Ellis was better this year then last, but not by a whole lot. There is a lot of things that monta does that frustrate us all, like taking shots to early in the shot clock, taking possessions off on defense, but still I think he improved this year and it was a little better because he finally started passing, and please monta, stop going for some many steals!

As for Stephen Curry, he had a good year. I thought his assist numbers would go up to like 6 or 7 a game but that didn’t happen but no worries. I just hope Keith Dumb didn’t mess with curry’s head. Stephen Curry needs to study Ray Allen in one way and way only, he needs to learn how to come off screens better, but also we need a coach who will actually run plays for steph.

Keith Smart: failed as a coach this year and should get let go(maybe keep him around as an assistant but idk.)

My final words on the 2010-2011 season are that it’s just another year of mediocrity. Hope things turn around for us. Warriors fate is in lacob’s hands.

by GSkush on Apr 21, 2011 12:50 AM PDT via mobile reply actions

and one way only*

by GSkush on Apr 21, 2011 12:51 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Good write AB1,

your absurd devotion to Nellie aside. Fairly uneventful season like you said, I’m glad you didnt grade on a curve.
No A’s on this team unless you grade Dorell (1 R 2 L’s right?) based on salary and expectations. While Biedrins was the absolute ‘suck’ this year, Amundson was a major dissapointment. I thought we could have found the dirty hard working 4 we needed.

We don’t know what the deal for Wallace was, but if it was Udoh and Ellis straight up, ownership should be punching themselves for not approving that deal. Also there were rumblings about a Biedrins and Gadzuric/Radmonivic expiring for K-Mart’s expiring, also a deal we should not have turned down, if that was on the table….

All in all, about what we expected. I didnt expect to pick up AC Law and Troy Murphy again, but mid 30 wins was about right. Heres to continued medicrioty, 8th seed or die trying in a 14 team conference.

Boise State is 38-2 in my 3 years of college.

by warriorsscore110 on Apr 21, 2011 6:14 AM PDT reply actions

I’d definitely say that Monta was a decent amount better this year compared to last, but I’d still say he’s hurting the team with his play overall. To be fair to Rowell, he was demoted for the stuff you talked about, or at least had any role in basketball operations removed, if you don’t want to call that a demotion. He’s been completely relegated to the business side of things, so that’s how he still has a job. I think Lee’s grade is too high. He just flat out didn’t play very well this past year. The good news is he looks likely to me to bounce back with a stronger season next year. By the way isn’t Biedrins contract for $54M? 6 * $9M = $54M….

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 7:36 AM PDT reply actions

I don't agree at all with the assertion he's the best big man we've had since Webber.

"Of course, these people couldn’t really have predicted...the joke of a mockery of a sham of a circus of Keith Smart’s nightly rotations. " - Sleepy Freud
Steph Curry and Reggie Williams all day baby!

by GovernorStephCurry on Apr 21, 2011 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Care to tell me who is?

It doesn’t mean Lee is great, good or anywhere near his 80 million contract. But having the ‘pleasure’ to have seen googs, fuller, adonal, murphy, AR, BW, Ike, POB, Biedrins all. He’s better than them.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 12:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Chris Gatling! Rony Seikley! Oh, good times, good……ugh, nevermind.

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Felton Spencer, Andrew Declerq, and Chris Mills.

"I thought it was going in," Warriors center Chris Hunter said. "It looked like the invisible man tipped it away at the last second."

"He's chicken curry right now. He'll become beef curry a little later on."
-Keith Smart

by kenntoe on Apr 21, 2011 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I was always a big fan of the Cliffs

Rozier and then later Cliff Robinson on his last legs. He could stroke it!

and on that note: Donyell Marshall!

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh jeez.

Another tafka type of big. Donyell Marshall haha.

by GovernorStephCurry on Apr 21, 2011 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions

And Cliff Robinson

Peep the numbers:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/robincl02.html

took 354 shots in a warrior uniform. 117 from 3 point range. From the Pf position. Prototypical dream player

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Heck, sometimes he was the C, if I remember right.

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions

What a great team

Lets not forget Zarko Cabarkapa and Nikoloz Tskitishvili. Front court of the future

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions

sidenote: Rony is a pimp

Easily the best Rony/Ronnie we’ve had

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Biedrins was much better than Lee was back then.

Too bad he sucks now.

by GovernorStephCurry on Apr 21, 2011 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions

No, he was not

He rebounded well enough, but Lee’s overall game was miles better.

Are you going to tell me Okafor/Dalembert are better than someone like David West? Because that’s pretty much the comparison, except Lee rebounds better than West

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions

I dunno, I might give the edge to Biedrins here. Lee’s D is that bad.

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions

meh disagree

Biedrins defense was never great, honestly he was jsut an average help defender, he still got bullied whenever in the post. He was a creation of system, playing passing lanes, uptempo, wreaking havok. Teams didnt work it in on him as much by default..

Not saying he was bad. Far from. Good player, and at his age you were optomistic he’d become a really good player, but lets not forget he was pretty weak physically. Everyone just gave him a pass cause of his age and likelihood he’d get stronger and it’d become less of an issue (a fair assumption)

Anyway you put it, despite being disappointing Lee was 16.5 and 9.8 per 36 on above average efficiency (mostly dragged down by the dracula scar period). And he did go 20 and 12 on good efficiency the year before, something none of warrior bigs listed every did in their careers period.

Still not worth 80 mil. Like I said, Scola for 5 years/40 mil. That’s what Lee should have got. Hooray overpay! (no one has explained to me, did anyone offer near that amount for him?)

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions

I think more of Biedrins help D than you. Definitely a weak post defender, but between good help D, good pick and roll D, I think he was a solid defensive player. Rebounded well. Solid enough offensive C. I definitely would have rated him higher at his position that David Lee at his….

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, I’m not saying he was bad but he was very average. But at his age, I had a lot of hope he’d be a plus defender, plus the rebounding and offensive game.

I feel like it was Warrior fan disillusions in having an average center and overrating him. Kind of like with everything :)

You’re right he was a better pick and roll defender than most centers, largely do to athleticism, but his post defense was bottom tier of all starting centers, always, a function of his lack of strength. The help D, I’m not so sure. Most centers with length are good help defenders.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions

i dont know if these guys are serious

but tawn showed some promise til murph and dumb-leavy came around and ruined everything

The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists

R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"

by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Apr 21, 2011 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions

One Bad Grade

I think the grade you missed 100% was Riley. He deserves a total F, and I can’t even begin to imagine how he got a new contract. There are several reasons. One is that it is inexcusable to bring Curry into the season without a veteran backup pg to help him out. Talk about putting all the weight on a young player’s shoulders. That – to me – is a fireable offense by itself. Any GM with half a brain would make sure to get somebody to help groom the young player and give him a break from time to time. Secondly, he leaves center Monroe on the table (who has proven to be a MONSTER with Detroit this year) and drafts Udoh instead. Udoh has some nice defensive skills, but he plays the very same position as the guy you just signed for 80 million!! That means that Udoh won’t ever start on the W’s unless they force him out of position (like they did for the end of the season this year). Again, not getting Monroe (who every expert in the country said was the next best payer) will set this team back a decade, and is a second fire-able offense. Lastly, by some miracle, this team was hanging in there by the trade deadline and what as the vote of confidence Riley gave them? Nothing. They slumped right after that and the season was over. Riley is unimaginative, has no clear plan for the team, and doesn’t seem to prioritize acquisitions. He has no business being a GM in an NBA, but Lacob just picked him back up!! Great move, Joe!

by Jason L. on Apr 21, 2011 7:48 AM PDT reply actions

Just simply...

LOL at the results of the vote….says it all really!

'In Lacob We Trust'......

by BritWarriorGSW on Apr 21, 2011 8:25 AM PDT reply actions

Biedrins

was by far a big disapointment. I had high hopes that he would become the old Dre but about mid season I realized he may never be back. Now all he is is a 7 foot soft center who is afraid to break a finger nail

Golden State Warriors Fan 4 Life!!!
Biggest GSW fan in NY!
GM: Kevin Pritchard
Coach: Brian Shaw
Twitter: GSWarrior9
..............SC30..............

by GSW9 on Apr 21, 2011 8:34 AM PDT reply actions

Yep, the only surprise is that Biedrins doesn’t have 100% of the vote. Plain and simple – he was terrible this year. Just nothing even remotely resembling the player he used to be.

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Exactly

I was watching some playoff highlights the other day and couldnt believe how much different he looks now. He was so quick and hustled hard for a center, no he looks sluggish and slow

Golden State Warriors Fan 4 Life!!!
Biggest GSW fan in NY!
GM: Kevin Pritchard
Coach: Brian Shaw
Twitter: GSWarrior9
..............SC30..............

by GSW9 on Apr 21, 2011 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions

Who would actually vote Stephen Curry?

by DubsFan408 on Apr 21, 2011 9:01 AM PDT reply actions

Doesn't make sense.

He’s actually got more votes than David Lee…

http://nbawarriors.wordpress.com/

by Brownie13 on Apr 21, 2011 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions

I can understand

somewhat, many were expecting him to really explode this year, me included. But I realized Curry was held back by Smart, he had ankle problems, and probably is a bit worn down from non stop basketball the past 2 years so It didnt disapoint me as much. Many fans think he was worse this year than his rookie year but most of his numbers were up, he just didn’t have that same swag he had before.

Golden State Warriors Fan 4 Life!!!
Biggest GSW fan in NY!
GM: Kevin Pritchard
Coach: Brian Shaw
Twitter: GSWarrior9
..............SC30..............

by GSW9 on Apr 21, 2011 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions

I guess...

But still, I think anyone expecting Curry to explode also expected us to make the playoffs, with David Lee also being a big part of it. I think Curry held up to his end of that much more than Lee did, who’s rebounding was far from acceptable for most of the season and who’s scoring efficiency was so much lower than it was in his 5-year stint in New York. That’s especially depressing because this team had better offensive pieces and was better overall and we were the worst rebounding team in the NBA. He didn’t help to improve either category (we’re still the worst rebounding team and our offense is worse).

http://nbawarriors.wordpress.com/

by Brownie13 on Apr 21, 2011 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions

Let’s not forget we gave him a fat contract and he also made our defense worse. To me, Biedrins is the most disappointing then Lee.

by DubsFan408 on Apr 21, 2011 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes.

But my assertion was only that Curry should not be more disappointing than David Lee. Biedrins is by far the most disappointing.

http://nbawarriors.wordpress.com/

by Brownie13 on Apr 21, 2011 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions

i voted curry

biedrins i had no expectations for. he was at the bottom from my viewpoint so if he didn’t climb out of that pit of despair, then so what? curry on the other hand a great rookie season and i felt he should have been r.o.y. this year my hopes were high and my expectations were even higher. i thought he’d be getting the press like drose has been getting or even westbrook, but what i saw was curry mostly sitting on the bench and not playing. i’m not privy to info the coach has or the team has so i can only assume they had their reasons. but he looked healthy enough to me and shoulda been putting in work. for the reason he didn’t meet my very high expectations he was the biggest disappointment.

by geezy on Apr 21, 2011 3:34 PM PDT up reply actions

makes sense

But usually biggest disappointment is more to do with their production, not a function of their benching.

I was dissapointed in lack of growth from Steph, but in terms of disappointments, he’s still pretty much at bottom of the list. I got bigger problems with just about everyone elses game.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions

I haven’t been convinced we should give the coaches the benefit of the doubt. I’m really not sure they did have good reasons…

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Overall good but two disagreements

Nellie would have played Vlad a lot more if he played like he did in 2010-11 under Nellie. His biggest problem was last year he hit his worst shooting slump hitting 3’s under 30%. This year he was at his career numbers of 40+%.

Our best lineups featured Vlad and Nellieball- Monta, Curry, Dorell, Vlad, Dlee (substitute Reggie for Monta or Curry too).

Might have been defensively ineffective, but it’s not like our ‘traditional lineups’ were all that effective defensively. Atleast with Vlad/Lee frontcourt we were averaging over 120 points per 100 posessions.

Coach Smart handled Biedrins as well as anyone could have. He literally tried EVERYTHING to get his confidence up. I agree with Atma, Biedrins is overrated and should be out, but considering Smart had little options, and Biedrins backups have a lot lower potential, Smart did right thing in trying to get Biedrins to perform. It was his only hope.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 10:02 AM PDT reply actions

Well, I’m not sure Smart really tried everything. He tried everything from a “we believe in you” kinda view, but who knows, maybe Biedrins needed some tough “you’re not getting off the bench until you start playing better” love. Maybe there was nothing Smart could do at all. I have no idea, but there were definitely some other ways of handling it possible.

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions

True

But then again, didn’t Nellie try a similar approach and it backfired?

I’m not gonna blame Smart for Biedrins. There is a nice long laundry list of other reasons to blame Smart, but not Andris.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions

My take is: I can’t say that it’s Smart’s fault, but what I do know is Smart didn’t get him to play better. So it’s not necessarily a knock against Smart, but he definitely didn’t take advantage of this chance to earn a gold star…

by Missing Barry on Apr 21, 2011 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions

That's a good point.

It is definitely something we can point to and say he didn’t accomplish. But what we don’t know is how difficult that task is to complete or whether it can be done at all. So until someone else gets a crack at it, I wouldn’t necessarily say that Smart failed in that aspect.

http://nbawarriors.wordpress.com/

by Brownie13 on Apr 21, 2011 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions

Someone explain to me how an executive who approved the absurdly dumb contracts of Derek Fisher, Adonal Foyle, Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, and Andris Biedrins still has a job? About the only thing Rowell has done right during his tenure is firing Chris Mullin. Too bad he didn’t fire himself too.

Did rowell give these contractS? Or was Mullin given a blank checkbook to go mess up the franchise?

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 10:03 AM PDT reply actions

One of the biggest issue with Smart is down to one simple stat, FGA

Why on earth is Monta attempting 20.1, when Curry only has 14.2 and Lee, 13.4. At the minimum the 3 should have been fairly equal.

Sorry Keith, Monta is not Kobe. And by the way, Kobe shouldn’t be shooting the amount he does either with all the post weapons.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 10:05 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

I'm not one for hyperbole but Tolbert said one thing that was perfect summation of the Warriors

This team has no swag/attitude or character when you compare it to We Believe. A team the chuckster likes to use “Everyteam needs a crazy guy”. This team has no one like that.

Riley built this team in the mirror of the early mullin warriors with dunmurphy and co. SOFT SOFT SOFT.

If this team doesn’t sign atleast 2 defensive minded, tough players in the offseason, I’m pretty done with riley. People may dislike Barnes and Jackson, but we’re missing players like that.

by tafkasam on Apr 21, 2011 10:09 AM PDT reply actions

SOFT SOFT SOFT.

Totally agreed. This team folded fast under pressure from opposing teams. Not to mention how physically weak we are at almost every position, but when team’s would make runs to close games out, rarely did I see a team step back up out of a timeout and give it one last hurrah.

May seem subjective or selective memory at this point, but they’ve definitely called it in on some nights this season.

"I thought it was going in," Warriors center Chris Hunter said. "It looked like the invisible man tipped it away at the last second."

"He's chicken curry right now. He'll become beef curry a little later on."
-Keith Smart

by kenntoe on Apr 21, 2011 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Biggest Disagreement:

Vlad.

He’s not the best player, or even close to talented enough to be an NBA starter (perhaps role player), but this team benefited a lot from his ability to stretch the floor. It shows up in the +/- numbers, and you can see it as it happens on the court. The lane opens up more for Monta, Lee is no longer crowded down low and has space to move around, more shooters means more open looks for everyone as the other team has to close out on every position. His defense honestly wasn’t that bad either, because he was able to bother smaller forwards with his size and pester. Sometimes he makes ridiculously unexplainable plays, but overall he helped this team. I’m not sure if I’d bring him back for next season, but he was definitely a positive for the 2010-2011 Warriors.

My Grade:

C+ (C being didn’t help, didn’t hurt)

http://nbawarriors.wordpress.com/

by Brownie13 on Apr 21, 2011 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

Surprising Beans isn't almost 100% votes in poll.

I like the fanpost. I want to give Acie Law a D- or F for how many times it pissed me off that he’d be getting so many minutes but I guess that blame should fall on smart instead. Any player no matter how bad, should be taking any minutes the coach offers.

Was very happy w/ Dorell this year and also agree he deserves highest grade.

===
As for Beans, I think it’s too late to trade him. Warriors will probably have to keep him on the team until the contract is about to expire.

by srsrs on Apr 21, 2011 12:55 PM PDT reply actions

i think everyone wanted to vote beans

but some people see how curry dipped this year especially after last spring’s push for ROY and his turnover-prone, lackadasical defensive ways and pegged that just as justifiably dissapointing

The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists

R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"

by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Apr 21, 2011 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions