This just in via twitter.

http://twitter.com/matt_steinmetz/status/5899306575

Haven't seen anyone else report this yet.

Chris Hunter Player Profile

http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/index.jsp?player=chris_hunter

I tried looking him up for this season but couldn't find any relevant info. Looks like he was signed by New York last year to a 10 day contract, other than that nothing. It's kind of mysterious if you ask me. Says on ESPN and CBS sports that he didn't play a game in college. I'm sure someone can post some info on this guy.

Hey everyone, love the blog. This is my 1st post.

Let me get this straight. Y'all are Warriors fans, and y'all are impressed that Brandon Jennings dropped 55 points--on the Warriors? Did I miss something? Am I the only one who remembers how people wanted Corey Maggette--because he always put up big numbers against the Warriors???

Let's face it, scoring 55 on these Warriors is like scoring 47 in the summer league. Jennings has a long way to go before he's the next A.I., or even the next Monta Ellis. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the next Jamal Crawford.

I'm too lazy to do the numbers, but I'm guessing that if you take away his game vs. the GSW, Jennings' numbers don't look nearly as good. Lots of points, but lots minutes, lots of shots, lots of TOs.

Naw, I'd rather have Curry. The "safe" bet. Kind of like Mike Dunleavy. Kind of like Chris Mullin (drafted #7 after tearing it up in college).

The thing with Mullin is, his team wasn't really any good until 88 or 89, after 3 years in the league. Look at the Atlanta Hawks-- in 05/06 they went 26-56, with pretty much the same core pieces they have now minus Bibby. Four long years later look where they're at now. Look at the Blazers, 32-50 in 06/07, Roy and Aldridge's rookie year. Good teams don't just happen.

I know what people are saying. That the Warriors always have "young guys with potential." That this is 94/95 all over again. That we should have drafted Brandon Jennings. That Larry Ellison will save the world.

But think about it. This isn't Latrell Sprewell, Todd Fuller and a bunch of old scrubs. This isn't Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy. Heck this isn't Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison, and Gilbert Arenas (though you looking back you would have kept that team together now, wouldn't you).

This is Monta, Curry, AR, Biedrins, Azubuike, Morrow, and Brandan Wright (plus next year's lottery pick!).

This is a team of young exciting players that are learning to play the game and learning to play together. Let's stop talking trash about them and see where they go. What, would you rather have the Milwaukee Bucks than this team??

I got to thinking last night... TK talks a good game, but has he actually ever been right about any big Warriors personnel moves? Ever?

He postures as the one in the know. And from the outside, it seems like he should know. First, it's his job! He works on it 50 hours a week. Second, he has used the phrase "confirmed by inside sources" or "word from the player's inner circle" about a million times. Third he writes about a million words a week confirming his own "knowingness".

So with all that, I ask, did the all mighty TK tell us about any of the following block busters before they happened:

1) Dunmurphy trade

2) Baron trade

3) Jason Richardson trade

4) Baron opting out

5) Harrington - Nelson blow up and trade

6) Jackson asking to be traded

I think that covers the biggest happenings the last 3 years and I don't recall TK harping on any of these before they happened.

TK or anyone else, please do correct me in the comments if I am wrong.

TK is one of the most entertaining and hard working reporters around and our sports scene would be less without him.  Keep up the uh... good work!

Don't get me wrong, I am on the Randolph bandwagon as much as the next Warriors fan but theres something missing with the guy. Yes, besides experience and weight, Randolph has shown glimpses of being a great player, but what type of player is that?

Randolph came into the league as a Small Forward/Power Forward position because of his superb ball handling and outside game being a 6'10 ball player. But now he is being asked to play the PF/C position under Don Nelson because Nelson, as do we all, see the match-up problems Randolph can pose to opposing big men. People have compared Randolph to Shawn Marion, Kevin Garnett and Lamar Odom... but there's one thing that stands out about these guys, they are not real low post scorers.

Shawn Marion, aka the matrix, aka the garbage man, was/is a good player, especially when playing in an up tempo style of play. Though we mostly remember him playing the PF position alongside Amare Stoudemire, he wasn't their primary low post option, that was for Stoudemire. Marion almost always got his points from putbacks, wide open dunks and occassional 3 point shots. Other than that, he only used his sub-par low post game against mismatches with inferior low post defenders.

Lamar Odom is praised because he plays like 6'11 shooting guard except he rebounds the ball exceptionally well. He has great handles and range. But rarely do we see his post up game and if we do it is always to his left hand. Again, like Marion, a lot of his inside points come from offensive rebound putbacks or open layups. Rarely do we see an Odom low post play called for him unless it is against inferior defenders.

Lastly, Kevin Garnett... Yea, he is a great player.. but a very unique one at that. I don't know if you all notice, but KG's low post game usually consists of his classic "dream" shake followed by a fade away. For most defenders... having the player you are guarding resort to a fade away is a good thing because he is taking a bad shot. Obviously, KG has mastered that fade away and makes it look easy. Yes, KG has hook shots and amazing dunks but nowadays he mostly resorts to fade away shots that against ANY OTHER PLAYER, would be just what the defense wanted.

This isn't a diss towards Randolph, I am sure we are all pleased with that long 18 foot jump shot that seems to be consistent for him, but that isn't what we want out of him. The guy looks just plain awkward out there when he tries his low post game. He is still very young but other players at his age had better low post skills than him. I think of Ike Diogu his first couple years with the Warriors for an instance. As much as we want Monta Ellis to be a better passer, Morrow to be able to take it inside, Biedrins to have a mid-range game, perhaps it is too much to ask Randolph to have an inside game.

Analysts compared him to the players mentioned above, they are very good players, but not what the Warriors need. The Warriors since Chris Webber or Antawn Jamision, have needed a low post presence and now we believe Randolph can be that player, but with the experts comparing him to the above players, perhaps we are being fooled again. Randolph isn't a great on-ball defender like Marion, doesn't have range like Odom, nor does he have KG's amazing fade away game. As much as I want the guy to be a great player for the Warriors, he hasn't shown any glimpses of being the next of these type of players. We shouldn't be too hyped about him..not yet at least. Potential goes a long way, but that same potential has resulted in players like Mike Dunleavy Jr., Ike Diogu, Patrick O'Bryant and even Brandan Wright.

Golden State Warriors Golden State Warriors stats

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http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yk7fdum

I guess the link is not working. It is Kirk Hinrich and Luoi Deng for Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette

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So it looks like Monta Ellis is heading down the same path as Stephen Jackson... So let the trade proposals begin...

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If you beleve the rumors, Monta wants out of Golden State and the Warriors are letting his agent look for potential trade partners. We all know that when a player demands a trade it is hard to get equal value in return, but here is a trade that I think might work:

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Ok Look.  I'm no expert, just a decades long warriors fan and general sports fiend.  I just read the headline on the homepage about Monta Ellis wanting to be traded.  Let's say that the warriors do trade him (which I am in favor of).  I'm not going to speculate on actual Names/Deals, but I would hope it would be for someone good: a savage, promising, team-oriented SF/PF who's not old. 

Say that went down... what if we picked up AI for the rest of the year to replace Ellis at SG (whom Morrow can back up, or AI plays a little PG, back him up with Curry and start Morrow).  I know it sounds crazy, but I do believe people can change, or at least change to fit the circumstances... and yes, in do believe in fifth and sixth chances at times, ha ha.  Even for people with huge egos.  This experiment would only succeed if AI and Nelson and the rest of the Team got on the same page though.  This would not be an invite for AI to dribble the ball for 19 seconds then shoot one up... I think AI would have to look to pass first and shoot second and it would have to be understood... (I have visions of Iverson driving to the hoop and dishing it to AR4 for a dunk, or Curry and/or Morrow for corner threes...)  With Nellyball you can afford to do that and still get up 15-19 shots per game because of the pace of the game.  Besides, AI would thrive in Nelly's uptempo system, and in most respects, AI is just like Monta Ellis, just Ellis from the future.  So why not sign him for the rest of the year?  See how things go... he did say he wants to go to an east contender, but he also says he wants to start...  And besides, he's more savvy on defense that Ellis is at the moment.  And we would still have the cash to sign the free-agent that we covet during next summer, right?

So what if the Warriors make it interesting out West in the end?  Think of how electrified Oracle would get should the Warriors pull it together, become a real team and play like there's nothing left to lose.  They could be very scary, especially if they don't slack on D for a single play.  If AI gets on board with a mental intensity to help the warriors win, I think it would rub off on the others and it would translate to tougher D.  Who knows... crazier things have happened.  Like Sammy Sosa's image change... 

A little food for thought never hurts anyone...

Kawakami is reporting that he expects a Monta trade demand this week, and Monta is seeking permission to talk to other teams about a trade.  He reports on how Monta feels that his attempts at being a leader are being undercut by Nelson. 

The article

Shades of Webber? We have a young, talented player who Nelson rubs the wrong way ... who then gets shipped out. Of course, Nelson can't coach the resulting mess, so he follows suit.

This isn't at all similar to Jackson - Jackson's a role player at best anyway, who was overpaid and getting pretty close to over-the-hill. Losing Jackson costs us nothing. But being forced to trade Monta, especially under unfavorable circumstances?

Furthermore, giving Monta's representatives permission to find a trade is a nightmare. They have a vested interested, and that's trading Monta for a little as possible, so his next team has as much talent as possible. 

Nelson has to go. Now. It's possible that Monta doesn't want to play for the Warriors anyway because of Rowell, but if Nellie is driving Monta away, it's time to pul the trigger and try to salvage something.  That might buy us the time we need for Cohan to find a buyer so we can get rid of him.  

(No comments saying "Its Kawakami" as if that means its all b.s.  His track record on this sort of thing is actually pretty decent. Not perfect, but pretty good. Whenever he posts something predicting trouble, he's slammed by fans of the team - who never seem to apologize when he's later proven right.) 

If Monta can pout his way out of town, isn't Randolph next? We already know that Randolph and Nellie don't get along (Yes. We know. Take off the blinders and watch Randolph's body language as Nellie jerks his minutes around) so he's next. You can't get equal talent back when you're trading a disgruntled player.

The drafting of Monta and Randolph are two of the few bright spots we've experienced in the last couple of years. Are we really prepared to throw them all away?

I'm disgusted and disappointed. If this goes down, don't you know that Curry is going to start making his calendar for when he can flee, too?  This is going to get worse before it gets better.