Golden State Of Mind: FanPosts

Corey Maggette = X-Factor

2009-07-04T06:40:13Z

Over this last season we all [Warrior Fans] saw that Corey Maggette played a lot better as a 6th Man for our team. Also he showed us all that he is able to draw a foul almost all the time. He is strong, Pretty decent perimeter game [ but i think he should stick to just driving], decent passer, and is faster than he may seem. But I think he could improve his Defense [ like the whole team ] and his decision making.

Okay well this is the stats he put up this season...

MPG: 31.1

PPG: 18.6

RPG: 5.5

APG: 1.6

FG%: 0.46

FT%: 0.82

Okay look Maggs is one of our main scorers, and take a look at his FT% it's pretty high and seeing as though he can draw fouls almost whenever he wants thats really going to help our team. 1. because it will equal more points. 2. Key players could become deep in foul trouble.

This next thing im going to say will sound to everyone very stupid, but before you think that take a second and just look and possibly realize how im right. Corey Maggette is just like a MiNi LeBron James. Of course James is much better, but they both share some of the same qualities. Things such as strength, both high-flyers, both have respectable mid range games, and can pretty much draw a foul when they want. Think about it on a fast break if Maggs is open and is ahead of you, you should definatly pass it up, and if he could develope his decision making skills over the offseason , and preseason, we could rely on him on the offensive end of the floor by just feeding him the ball when we need quick points. He could by far be one of the few very dominant players on our roster.

And Just for Fun....

via img.banjig.net

via www.tvworthwatching.com

You know deep down There is a resemblance.

Now go rant on about how dumb i am, and how pointless this post was. GO Ahead! Im ready to just read them quietly.

Ready for "WE BELIEVE" v2.0?

2009-07-04T04:37:14Z

I would like to start this post by first stating how much the world will miss Micheal Jackson. As a dancer I just wanted to mention he was my idol and he will be missed immensely. Anyways, with the recent news regarding Yao out for the season and the turmoil up in Phoenix, I have great reasons to believe our WARRIORS will be playing ball in early May. If this team stays as is, I beleive that we have all the ingredients to be an above 500 team contesting for the 6th spot. We have offense in (Monta,Curry,Jackson,) we have defense in (Beidrens,Wright,Randolph,Turiaf) and we also have depth in (Maggete,Morrow,Curry,Azabuike).

We all know that players get better with time and experience. That means that players like Wright,Randolph and Bellineli will come this season and be better. Last year injuries kept us out of the mix, but amongst all the losing Nellie was quoted as saying the locker room was always upbeat and tight. We all know what chemistry in the locker room equals to: winning ball ala We Beleive v1.0.

I am starting to beleive Nellie sees this aswell. He sees all the movement and players going down, so what is the point in ruining the chemistry? You already have players that know your system, why bring in someone new and have them learn it? The Warriors have been very quite in the Free Agency which leads me to believe that Nellie feels confident he can win with these players.

I see the standings shaping out this way for this upcoming season:

1. Nuggets (they're only going to get better)

2. San Antonio (w/ Jefferson they get fresh blood and revive there staggering offense. Timmy will have a big year)

3. Lakers (Ron will go crazy and bring so much drama that not even Kobe can control him)

4. Portland (young team that will continue to improve)

5. Utah (come on, what Jerry Sloan team is not competing for a top spot)

6. Warriors (young team w/ a great mixture of veterans and up and coming young stars)

7. New Orleans (w/ CP3 they will make it)

8. Dallas (ex warrior Dampier will have a monster year with 20pg,12rb. 2blk and keep Mavaricks playoff hopes alive)

Please feel free to make your predictions and let us know why. I will personally get my We Believe shirt out to the games this year, how bout you?

Is Curry good will he play minutes and pg?

2009-07-03T22:40:13Z

My thoughts only:

Okay Coach Nelson kept Curry for a reason 1) to stay with the warriors and see how he'll be the warriors point. 2) Finally, he said he can play the warriors style and is deadly from deep.

But as good as Curry was in NCAA. There are somethings we must find out. 1) his ability to create for others. 2) take better shots 3) be a better defender.

Later on as the warriors get ready for this season, Curry will play in the summer leagues just like other players in warriors who were drafted. Can he step his game better in the Summer league like in his NCAA days? Because he is playing with current NBA players who are good enough to be an allstar. For example, Anthony Randolph and Morrow who made the Warriors squad last year and did a fair job. AR became better and better and now he's going to be a Starting PF replacing Wright from last year.

Curry i think is very good in court vision because he averaged 6 assist a a game in Davidson. Almost making the NCAA Final Four with a unknown school in NC, so that may show why he's going to be a good player. However, I think he needs to be aware how the warriors play not shooting to much 3's but slah and pass and go on the breaks.. but if he's open. id rather see him take that.

For the next couple of years he will develop in to a pg because he has better court vision than monta and iq is there also his feel for the game is good. Do you guys think we still might have to look for another PG, i don't think so.. hopefully he becomes a great player and a name for himself...

Poll

Starting at guard at 6'3...

Next Move Should Be...Nothing?

2009-07-03T21:42:30Z

There have been on going rumors and debate on what the Warriors should do in the off-season to make them better. However, I believe, the Warriors are set for next season. After all, even after we acquire a MLE, our core group of players seem to be set and to be honest, I think we look damn good. We have already made drastic improvements since last season:

1) With an exception of Mags getting wrist surgery, everyone is healthy. I don’t think we could have said that even once last season.

2) Randolph & Morrow have been working out non-stop and will be involved in summer league. I expect to see both of them play bigger roles next season. Curry will be joining them as well.

3) Monta Ellis has (to my knowledge) fully recovered from his moped injury. Furthermore, being a young team, every year that passes, our players mature: Includes Monta, Beans, Randolph, Morrow, Azu, Wright, Watson, and Marco. I’m confident that even Turiaf who is 26 has matured. These players are all under 25 and haven’t reached their bodies potential nor their mental potential; now they are a year closer.

4) We’ve drafted Curry. In doing so, I’m hoping it takes off the need for Jackson to shoot as much. He is a great player, however, not the best shooter. If Jackson could focus more on defense, distribution and rebounding I think our team would benefit.

5) The ridiculous number of PG, SG, SF swingmen we now have creates a competitive atmosphere for the players. We’ve cut Kurz, whose spot is being replaced with more competitive player. This competition I think will push players to play better every night as they will fight for playing time (and a job)

6) We have gotten rid of Crawford who I think of a selfish, poor shooting scorer who took good (better) opportunities away from other players.

7) We’ve gotten rid of our GM Mullin, who many believed lost his touch and his authority over the team.

I would like to see the Warriors move into the season with this core group. I honestly do not believe we need to trade of Amare or Bosh or fight to find a “true” PG. Sure, our team would be better if we had a LeBron or a Kobe or a Wade, but do we NEED it? I would rather see us win with our guys, not see us win b/c we traded for someone who doesn’t even want to be here and who will most likely leave given the first chance, ruining our team for years to come due to the talent we had to trade for him. Furthermore, Suns and Rockets seem to be going nowhere fast and I question their playoff capabilities.

Remember, we won 48 games two seasons ago. Even though we blew it last season, I would honestly say it was because of injuries. I would even argue we are a better team now than we were with Baron. Our guys have matured and have grown as players. Even players who usually wouldn't get much playing time had the month of april to get big minutes due to Nellie's starter-benching method and they were still able to put up some pretty good numbers. In the month of april, I was particularly impressed with (Points/Assists/Rebounds):

CJ WATSON: 17.5 / 5.4 / 4.1

MORROW: 16.9 / 2.5 / 4.9

RANDOLPH: 15.1 / 1.6 / 10.6

BUIKE: 20.8 / 2.1 / 6.8

Should we continue to trade? Are you happy with our guys now? Do you believe we can win with our current line up? Thoughts?

Poll

What should the warriors continue to do in the off-season

Corey Maggette: Out one month after wrist surgery

2009-07-03T20:18:46Z

I was just watching NBA tv and on the NBA News bar at the bottom of the screen it says Corey Maggette is out one month after having wrist surgery. Obviously him being out over the summer does not really affect us, but it has to make one wonder how injury prone he will be the next few years.

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1999–00	Orlando	77	5	17.8	.478	.182	.751	3.9	.8	.3	.3	8.4
2000–01	L.A. Clippers	69	9	19.7	.462	.304	.774	4.2	1.2	.5	.1	10.0
2001–02	L.A. Clippers	63	52	25.6	.443	.331	.801	3.7	1.8	.6	.3	11.4
2002–03	L.A. Clippers	64	57	31.3	.444	.350	.802	5.0	1.9	.9	.2	16.8
2003–04	L.A. Clippers	73	72	36.0	.447	.329	.848	5.9	3.1	.9	.2	20.7
2004–05	L.A. Clippers	66	60	36.9	.431	.304	.857	6.0	3.4	1.1	.1	22.2
2005–06	L.A. Clippers	32	13	29.5	.445	.338	.828	5.3	2.1	.6	.1	17.8
2006–07	L.A. Clippers	75	31	30.5	.454	.200	.820	5.9	2.8	.9	.2	16.9
2007–08	L.A. Clippers	70	65	35.7	.458	.384	.812	5.6	2.7	1.0	.1	22.1
2008–09	Golden State	51	19	31.1	.461	.253	.824	5.5	1.8	.9	.2	18.6
Career		640	383	29.3	.451	.323	.819	5.1	2.2	.8	.2	16.3

Last year he was hampered by various injuries, especially his hamstrings. If that was the only time he has missed time due to injury I would just ignore it, last season was a throw away season anyways, but he has NEVER played a full season. In his ten year career he has played 640 of 820 games (not including playoffs), thats 78% of the time. A very notable point is that Maggette has never played real major minutes, only 3 seasons with more then 35 minutes a game and a career average of less then 29.3 minutes per game.

I find it very hard to believe this is going to get any better as he ages. Unfortunately his contract is also getting bigger.

09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13

$9,288,000 $10,031,040 $10,833,523 $11,700,205

I like Maggette's ability to score and respect him for willingly coming off the bench last year, but I don't think he is a benefit to our team at this point and his injury woes really bother me. Not even going to get into the fact that he kills all ball movement. Imagine paying him 10 million a year in a few years to play 25 or so minutes 50 games a year.

I just looked on Yahoo Sports

2009-07-03T18:38:42Z

Apparently, they love Kelenna Azubuike

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/gsw

He leads the team in Points and rebounding?!

14.4 points and 5.0 rebounding.

really puts us in a contending position doesn't it?

Just thought it was funny and wanted to point it out.

I'll throw in a screen shot after the jump.

But anyways, another thing I looked at was that for the odds of winning the title next year, we are1/100

This is the same as the Sacramento Kings, Warriors South (Clippers), Charlotte, Indiana, Toronto and OKC...

Are we really worse than the Washington Wizards?!

The TORTS System

2009-07-03T18:04:41Z

An Experimental Method for Measuring Player Efficiency

(WARNING: THAR BE STATS AHEAD, MATEYS!!!)

In thread after thread here at GSoM, statheads such as jae and others discuss the relative merits of players using statistics. The stats that seem to come up time and again are rebounds, turnovers, and shooting efficiency, as these have the highest correlation with winning than any others. I thought it would illustrative to develop a “quick and dirty” measurement to use for comparing players which account for these stats and these only.

The first question, then, becomes, “what stats do we use for each of those?” There are many ways of measuring a player’s rebounding prowess: total rebounds, rebounds per game, rebounds per 36 minutes, offensive/defensive rebounding splits, and my personal favorite, total rebound percentage (TRB%). You can probably tell which way I am going to with this, but I chose total rebound percentage because it measured a player’s rebounding ability, independent of minutes played and pace. For turnovers, I used the analog of TRB% which is turnover percentage (TO%), or the number of turnovers committed by the player per 100 possessions. Finally, for shooting efficiency I chose true shooting percentage (TS%), which factors in free throw shooting, 2-point and 3-point field goals.

Using the Hollinger NBA stats at ESPN.com, I was able to put together a database of 328 players who were eligible from last season (minimum 6 minutes played per game). I then determined the average and standard deviation of all players’ TRB%, TO%, and TS%. To normalize the value for each player, I determined the distance from the mean for each statistic in terms of standard deviations. For example, the average TS% was 53.7%. The standard deviation was 4.6%. Therefore, a player with a TS% of 58.3 would have an adjusted value of 1.0 since their contribution was one standard deviation above the mean.

This calculation was done on all stats for all players and the three values combined (with the turnover value subtracted from the sum of the other two, since turnovers are negative contributions whereas the other two improve as they get higher). I call this the “TORTS System” because it stands for T(urn)O(vers)R(ebounds)TS(%) and because I will sue the pants off of you if you steal it from me to make a profit. Think of it as an analog to OPS in baseball, which is a useful tool to measure a player’s contribution, yet ignores certain measurable which have a positive correlation to winning (OPS does not account for stolen bases or defense), and of course ignores unmeasurables. This is roughly comparable to Hollinger’s PER formula, but is much easier to calculate and is a bit more intuitive. A player below league average would have a negative value, and a player over league average a positive one. This is true for all 3 categories.

One thing I noticed immediately when I compared the values of all players were that centers generally came out on top and point guards on the bottom. This makes sense since rebounds are generally accrued at a higher rate by post players than perimeter ones, whereas turnovers and shooting percentages are relatively position-neutral. To remove this bias I grouped players by position so they are compared against their peers; position assignments were done using 82games.com.

Without further ado, I prevent the top 10 and bottom 10 at each position with occasional comments, followed by the relative ranks of YOUR GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS in their positional groups.

Top 10 Centers
1. Marcin Gortat (ORL)
2. Pau Gasol (LAL)
3. David Lee (NYK)
4. Joel Przybilla (POR)
5. Erick Dampier (DAL)
6. Dwight Howard (ORL)
7. Al Jefferson (MIN)
8. Shaquille O’Neal (PHO)
9. Tim Duncan (SAS)
10. Andris Biedrins (GSW)

This is why I think the Gortat signing is going to be outstanding value for the Mavericks. Also, I’m quite surprised to see Dampier on this list.

Bottom 10 Centers
63. J. J. Hickson (CLE)
64. Chris Kaman (LAC)
65. Sean Marks (NO)
66. Malik Allen (MIL)
67. Johan Petro (DEN)
68. Francisco Elson (MIL)
69. Hilton Armstrong (NO)
70. DeSagana Diop (CHA)
71. Chuck Hayes (HOU)
72. Joel Anthony (MIA)

One of these guys is getting paid $10m per season. Ouch.

Top 10 Power Forwards
1. Troy Murphy (IND)
2. Matt Bonner (SAS)
3. Antonio McDyess (DET)
4. Carl Landry (HOU)
5. Kevin Garnett (BOS)
6. Steve Novak (LAC)
7. James Singleton (DAL)
8. Antawn Jamison (WAS)
9. Brandan Wright (GSW)
10. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)

Bonner and Novak’s surprising presence on this list will be explained further later.

Bottom 10 Power Forwards:
49. Yi Jianlian (NJN)
50. Shelden Williams (MIN)
51. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (MIL)
52. Elton Brand (PHI)
53. Boris Diaw (CHA)
54. Ben Wallace (CLE)
55. Reggie Evans (PHI)
56. Brian Skinner (LAC)
57. Josh Powell (LAL)
58. Brian Cardinal (MIN)

Poor Elton Brand. First the season-ending shoulder injury, then making this “Bottom 10” list! Seriously though, he probably makes the top 10 list most years, but he shot extremely poorly in limited action last year.

Top 10 Small Forwards:
1. LeBron James (CLE)
2. Jamario Moon (MIA)
3. Marvin Williams (ATL)
4. Gerald Wallace (CHA)
5. Bobby Simmons (NJN)
6. Maurice Evans (ATL)
7. Wally Szczerbiak (CLE)
8. Danny Granger (IND)
9. Peja Stojakovic (NO)
10. Kelenna Azubuike (GSW)

All hail the King.

Bottom 10 Small Forwards:
59. Trenton Hassell (NJN)
60. Luke Walton (LAL)
61. Quinton Ross (MEM)
62. Dominic McGuire (WAS)
63. Joe Alexander (MIL)
64. Adam Morrison (LAL)
65. Jared Jeffries (NYK)
66. Ricky Davis (LAC)
67. Greg Buckner (MEM)
68. Donte Greene (SAC)

No real surprises here.

Top 10 Shooting Guards:
1. Anthony Morrow (GSW)
2. Ray Allen (BOS)
3. Brandon Roy (POR)
4. Jason Richardson (PHO)
5. Manu Ginobili (SAS)
6. Shane Battier (HOU)
7. Kobe Bryant (LAL)
8. Michael Redd (MIL)
9. Rudy Fernandez (POR)
10. Dwyane Wade (MIA)

Surprised to see the #1 guy here? I’m not. As it turns out, this system is basically tailor-made for a player like Anthony Morrow, a good rebounder (for his position) and dead-eye shooter.

Bottom 10 Shooting Guards:
57. Kyle Weaver (OKC)
59. Devin Brown (NO)
60. Tony Allen (BOS)
61. Damien Wilkins (OKC)
62. Desmond Mason (OKC)
63. DeShawn Stevenson (WAS)
64. Bobby Brown (MIN)
65. Goran Dragic (PHO)
66. Matt Carroll (DAL)
67. Marko Jaric (MEM)

Two comments: First, what the hell is Adriana Lima thinking? Second, no wonder the former Sonics played Sefolosha so much after his acquisition; just look at their other options!

Top 10 Point Guards:
1. Chris Paul (NO)
2. Eddie House (BOS)
3. Jameer Nelson (ORL)
4. Travis Diener (IND)
5. Leandro Barbosa (PHO)
6. Jose Calderon (TOR)
7. Chauncey Billups (DEN)
8. Derek Fisher (LAL)
9. Nate Robinson (NYK)
10. Mo Williams (CLE)

An obvious bias towards shooting/slashing PGs here. It’s a real testament to just how good Chris Paul is that he tops the list despite being a pass-first (and thus relatively turnover-prone) PG.

Bottom 10 Point Guards:
54. Jordan Farmar (LAL)
55. Sergio Rodriguez (POR)
56. Roko Ukic (TOR)
57. Mike Taylor (LAC)
58. Jerryd Bayless (POR)
59. Anthony Carter (DEN)
60. Juan Dixon (WAS)
61. Ronnie Price (UTA)
62. Earl Watson (OKC)
63. Brevin Knight (UTA)

And finally, your Golden State Warriors, with their ranks within their positional group:
Monta Ellis-SG-51/66
Acie Law IV-PG-42/63
Anthony Morrow-SG-1/66
Marco Belinelli-SG-52/66
Stephen Jackson-SF-57/68
Kelenna Azubuike-SF-10/68
Corey Maggette-PF-36/58
Anthony Randolph-PF-42/58
Brandan Wright-PF-9/58
Ronny Turiaf-C-37/72
Andris Biedrins-C- 10/72

This is unfair to Monta as normally he’s more efficient from the floor than he was last year. Jackson commits tons of turnovers, shoots poorly, and rebounds poorly for a SF; this system is almost tailor made to punish him. Corey Maggette would score much higher (23rd out of 69) if he were placed at his normal SF position instead of PF. Turiaf is basically an average center (something that makes sense).

Conclusions
This system has some merits but also numerous flaws. It appears to highly reward spot up shooters such as Matt Bonner, Anthony Morrow, and Eddie House. These players do not handle the ball with much frequency; many of their touches result in immediate shots, cutting their capability for turnovers relative to other players who dribble the ball. These players are also rewarded since 3-point marksmen tend to have a high TS%.

It also tends to ignore other measurable that have a positive (but diminished) correlation with winning. Passing PGs such as Nash and Deron Williams are hurt by a lack of an AST component. Energy guys like David Lee and Anderson Varejao (15th among PFs) are rewarded for rebounding, but not punished for a lack of shot-blocking ability. Of course, having a center who can send back a couple shots a game (and alter numerous others) is of value. Also, the TS% of players is considered without relation to the volume of shots taken. A player with a TS% of 58% on 20 attempts per game would be of much higher value than one with a TS% of 59% on 6 shots a game. Finally, this formula treats all three of its components equally, while I’m sure they are of differing importance. Perhaps there are easy ways to fix these flaws, but considering my aim was to develop a simple method for player efficiency, any correction would likely make the math a lot more complicated.

I applaud anyone who actually waded through this sea of information. It was as much a thought experiment as anything else, and I hope we all learned something from it.

Now that we know

2009-07-03T15:45:03Z

Now that we know....

1. ....that Curry is our point, this must mean that Ellis is our 2 of the future. Trading him would essentially wipe-out the value of drafting Curry. Why would we want to replace Ellis when we can pair his superior slashing sklls with a better distributing and 3 point shooting version of himself?

2. ....that Randolph is going to be a beast and that Morrow can bomb from behind the arc, this must mean that the front office wants to hold onto them. Couple this with #3 below, and the implication is a front office that must focus on what the team will look like in 2011-12. I know this sucks for us Dubs fans who are starved for wins now. But the trading of JRich and letting go of BD sealed this fate. It's not the worst place to be, to have talent like Ellis, Curry, Randolph, Morrow, and Biedrins. But that talent is not going to be in it's prime for another three years. WE NEED TO FACE THIS REALITY. So if we're too gunshy to trade these guys, or if we can't get equal market value for them (which I think is the case), then the shrewdest move would be to stick with them, let them develop, and then either lock them up again or shop them to get maximum value later.

3. ....that last year's terrible front office shenanigans have crippled us in the trading and free-agent market, this must mean that we have no choice but to stand pat and develop our young talent. The Ellis moped disaster and alienation of the team's saviors in Baron Davis and Chris Mullin, have really shifted our reputation around the league. It's true, they were the centerpieces of the We Believe magic in '07. They were the reason that many of you probably contribute to this blog. Two years ago we were perceived as an up-and-coming destination, with the best fans in the world and an exciting brand of hoops. Now, why would any free agent want to come to Golden State when he could help resurrect the franchise and be loved by the fans, and still be dropped like a bad habit??!! Enough said.

4. ....that nobody wants Maggette's contract, this must mean that we're locked in with Ellis, Biedrins, Jackson, and Maggette. Not a bad core of contracts, but Maggette's really limits our flexibility. That's ok as long as our young talent develops. Maggette still averaged 18.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg while shooting 46% from the floor. That's a very efficient line for Nellyball. I'd have no problem if Maggette was our 6th man in 2011-12.

So..........

Now that we know all of these things, the team must use the pieces it can trade, and/or the mid-level, to add a player that would help us look our best 2 or 3 years from now. A rugged rebounder is the number one priority. We can block shots, but to add a physical presence that can either come off the bench or start between Randolph and Biedrins against bigger teams, would be huge (no pun intended). A player like McDyess would be great, but he wants to help a team win a championship, same with Marion really. These kinds of players will have a pick between Cleveland, Houston, Boston, etc. They're too old for us anyway. The Warriors, on the other hand, need to be looking at a semi-young player that can board and be around for a while. While I really like Wright, it just doesn't make sense to have him on a team with Randolph and Biedrins. The same goes for Azubuike. I love his game. But we can't have him on a team that already has Ellis, Maggette, and Jackson. These redundancies of skills need to be thinned on this roster.

So................

Now that we know all these things, my sense is that the Warriors should be throwing all of their efforts into acquiring Paul Millsap. He just had his breakout year, and still can be had for a good price. David Lee would also be great but he's a year or two ahead of Millsap, thereby making him impossible for us to get. Once again, established players with options are kind of out of our range. Our glut of young talent should also make our next two or three 1st round picks for sale. The Jazz need cap relief desperately and they're probably stuck with Boozer and Kirilenko (nobody wants those contracts). So why not offer two promising young pieces in Wright and Azubuike, as well as two expiring contracts in Belinelli and Claxton, and then throw in as many 1st round picks as it takes to get Millsap? Claxton's deal is especially sweet because it is covered 80% by insurance, meaning Utah would basically save 4 million for their cap this year as well. Millsap is looking at teams like Oklahoma City. Though Durant is elite, I think we have a better supporting cast, and a more desirable fanbase and location. Why wouldn't he come here if we offered him a good, 4 year/40 million dollar extension? With the limited flexibility and unmovable contracts we have already, locking him up at this price would be our best play.

Assuming we re-sign the appropriate players, this would be our core for the next 4 years:

Curry, Ellis, Randolph, Millsap, Biedrins, Jackson, Maggette, Morrow, Turiaf.

Their last couple years together could be pretty special.

When Will Players Want To Play Here?

2009-07-03T07:04:57Z

I've been reading the headlines a lot lately, especially with the 09-10 season right around the corner and I am just unhappy. I love the Warriors and I love the game of basketball, but I'm just flat out unhappy with the Warriors as a whole organization. The one and only person who deserves credit for our playoff run in 07 is Chris Mullin. There should be no disagreement with me there, but Chris is gone. Unfortunately. So now after two disappointing seasons, hopeful seasons, yet disappointing, its time for another free agency. I remember last year all the hype over Brand and the Warriors keeping Baron Davis and forming a nice team for a playoff run, but that didnt pan out. Now there's talk about Amare coming here, although those claims have been demolished by Amare himself pretty much. We have space to sign a free agent, maybe even two and still nothing. No movement. No talk. Detriot is getting Ben & Charlie. Boston will for sure get Rasheed. Trevor is going to Houston and one of our hugest rivals will be aquiring Ron Artest. So my question is when will players want to play for the Warriors? When? Because i've been waiting and waiting. That 07 squad that humilated the Mavs, can we say there was really any star on that team of ours? Baron? Sure, you can argue him, but who else? Not J-Rich, he hasn't even made an all-star appearance. Sure he's put up good numbers, but where was he most of his career? The Warriors. He did play great here and will always be my favorite Warrior, but not technically a "star". Biedrins? Puts up the numbers but not a star in a sense. Stephen? Maggette? Monta? No. None of them considered stars. Maybe to us as Golden State Warriors fans, but not to the NBA, other NBA players or the sports world for that matter. That team that took us to the playoffs in 07 went because they played together and did it for us. Not for money. Not because they were "stars". They went because they had something to prove and you could tell they loved playing together. I bet if you asked every NBA player whats the least likely team they'd like to get traded to or even drafted by, it would be us. The Warriors. Ok maybe the Kings too. So its not always about "stars" to put a good team together and to make a playoff run, but its obvious we won't be making the playoffs for another 12 or 13 years, until the organization/GM/Coach can put together a team that can get along, have fun playing together, is here not for money, and just wants to win. Maggette is here for the cash. Monta I guarantee you is too. Stephen is a seasoned vet and got fortunate with the deal they gave him because he was only really good when Baron was running the show. I just wish the Warriors wouldnt focus on trading or signing for these "stars" when its not what it really takes to make it to the "big dance". Sure you have teams like the Celtics with Kevin, Ray and Paul. You have the Lakers next year with Kobe, Gasol and Artest. But We don't need stars. We need heart.

Mike Bibby has heart.

Leon Powe has heart.

Ben Gordon has got heart. Detroit is smart. Gotta give it up to Joe.

David Lee has heart.

Chris Wilcox has heart.

Desmond Mason has heart.

Grant Hill has heart.

Jason Kidd has heart. He'd be stupid to sign with the Knicks if he's trying to win a championship before he retires.

Ime Udoka has heart. Yup. Playing behind Duncan, why aren't we going after this kid?

Anthony Parker got heart yo.

Shawn Marion got heart too.

The warriors need to take each free agency and treat it like a draft and sign at least one player if possible. Not a "STAR!" Not the Artests. Not the Stoudemires. Not the Shaqs. If were gonna build around Monta, which doesn't seem the case because we traded to get a PG in Law and we drafted a PG in Curry (which i can tell is unhappy to play here this upcoming season as well) and we re-signed Azubuike last year. We still have Watson. We still have Belinelli somehow, so many guards! We need to rebuild. Not around Monta. Not around anyone. The solution is never to rebuild around someone. You just have to rebuild. Sure the Cavs got Shaq, but I guarantee you they won't win the finals next year. It'll be the Lakers again, most likely versus the Celtics. Possibly the Pistons. Although its gonna be interesting where Turkoglu goes. Anyways, im unhappy because to me it feels like no one really wants to come and play here in Oakland. Why? Because were not building a successful team. Sure there's a lot to look forward too this year just like every other year, but when will I get that feeling back. You know that feeling? That feeling you had when Baron dunked on AK-47. or when J-Rich came down and hit back to back threes then dunked in Okurs face. or when Stephen threw up threes like he knew it was gonna go in no matter who was in his face, how off it looked or how far back he was? Those guys loved playing together and they showed it. I just hope we see some kind of hope this upcoming season. I don't mean to be negative or come off mean. I'm just unhappy. I want to be happy and proud again of my Oakland Warriors. I wish Chris was here still. I don't think we would have drafted Curry, I think we would have grabbed Hill, which is what we NEED right now and I feel we would be more active in getting some wholesome quality players coming here. Well time for some feedback.

Poll

How do you feel about the Warriors Organization, right now?

The Team

2009-07-03T05:55:31Z

We have an interesting group of players on our team. We have guys that could shoot like there is no tomorrow, we have guys that are real lengthy and skinny, and we have guys that do....... you know what im tring to say here. I will tell you what each of the following players pros and cons are. In this post, I will be evaluating the following players: Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Brandan Wright, Ronny Turiaf, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, Anthony Morrow, Stephen Curry, Kelenna Azubuike, Corey Maggette,Marco Belinelli, C.J. Watson, and Jamareo Davidson. Now, lets begin with Andris Biedrins

via thesportshernia.typepad.com

He is one heck of a kid. He rebounds, he blocks shots, he, puts up nice numbers almost every night. I really like this kid. A potential top 5 center when he fully develops. He is real long too, that causes havoc for other players. Some things I notice with him on the court is that he gets pushed around by the bigger centers. Might want to bulk on a bit Andris. Other than that, he is a really good player.

Pros: Left Handed, Great athleticism for a big man, potential, basketball IQ, Great mobility in transition, plays stronger than MOST Centers, defending the pick and roll, scrappy rebounder, timing, terrific hands, sets good screens, active offensive rebounder

Cons: Skill level, free throw percentage, skinny for a center, when against bigger center gets in foul trouble quickly, footwork, assertive. Here is a video of Andris Biedrins, enjoy

Next, Anthony Randolph

via www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

Where do I start with Randolph. He has major potential to be a all star, heck maybe even a superstar! Anyways, Randolph showed flashes late in the year. He finished off the year with an a amazing total of 15 points and 10 rebounds a game. We all should have heard by now he grew one inch and gained 20 pounds of pure muscle. That's impressive! I can't wait to see Randolph as a full time starter. Now we move on to the pros and cons.

Pros: Mismatch Potential, Ball handling-Skills, Shot Blocking Skills, Incredibly quick, Wingspan, abiltiy to run the floor, defensive potential, Left Handed, Work ethic, Explosiveness, ability to create his own shot

Cons: Shot selection, Turnover prone, fundamentals, ability to finish through contact, gets backed down in the post, doesn't always play hard

here is a video of Randolph, enjoy again.

Next, is Brandan Wright

via assets.sbnation.com

I don't know why Nellie isn't giving this kid that much play time. Brandan is a good player to me. He was playing real good until that dreadful injury against the Fakers. Now i am anticipating the return of Brandan. I know he is a good player, he just has to stay healthy. Maybe we could move Randolph to small foward so we could have Brandan at starting power foward. That would be cool. I just want to see Wright play some more. Is that too much to ask? Anyways here are the pros and cons for Brandan Wright.

Pros: Wingspan, Shot blocking ability, Athleticism, Work ethic, potential sky hook, huge upside, talent, winning mentality, coachable, unselfish, attitude, ability to finish at the rim, offensive skill

Cons: frail frame, a lack of foot speed on the perimeter, absolutely no physical intensity or toughness, sometimes has poor awareness

Here is a video of Brandan Wright, enjoy again.

Next, is Ronny Turiaf

via imgs.sfgate.com

This word sums up everything about Ronny. ENERGY. This guy has a whole lot of energy. I like that, infact it helps the team a lot. He pushes everyone to do better. He seems like a cool guy too. Plus he is a blocking machine! He lights the croud with a thunderous block every time. Watching Ronny play is very fun. He is a fan favorite here and I hope he never leaves the warriors. Now we move on to Turiafs pros and cons.

Pros: plays with passion, Amazing blocking ability, very active on loose balls and rebounds, knocks people around the paint, midrange jumpshot, freethrow percentage, coachable

Cons: Offensive game, routinely bites on pump fakes, almost always in foul trouble, Here is a video of Ronny Turiaf, enjoy once again. sorry guys, I couldn't find any highlights of Ronny as a warrior.

Next, is Stephen Jackson

via butthegameison.com

I love how Stack Jack plays. He plays with heart and I really enjoy that. I liked how he finished off the season. He played really well. Until Nellie had to play rest-a-vet. With Randolph emerging I don't see Jack carrying the load anymore. He will be a complement now instead of the number 1 player. If he plays consistent, we could be a playoff contender no doubt. Jack is one of my favorite warriors so don't disappoint us! Now we move on too his pros and cons.

Pros: 3 point range, confidence, plays with passion, leadership, coachable, defensive awareness, clutch, great passer, runs the floor well, playmaker,

Cons: Shot selection, Turnover prone, average athleticism, average speed, bad temper sometimes, Here is a video of Stephen Jackson, enjoy.

Next, we move on to Monta Ellis

via layupdrill.com

We got a gem in Monta Ellis. I mean he is so quick and his ability to finish around the rim is amazing. I can't believe we got this guy in the 2nd round. I think he deserves to be in a all star game later on his career. He has so much talent, it is sky rocketing! This kid is a beast along side with Beans, Randolph, Morrow, etc. We are set for the future now. Now, we move on to Monta Eliis's pros and cons

Pros: Quick, Athletic, mid -range jumphot, smooth, dynamic first step, fearless, doesn't mind taking contact at the basket, finishes strong, excels in the in the triple threat position, strong crossover, very good at changing directions, being able to step back quickly and elevate for a pull up jumper, gets to the line an awful lot, no problem putting the ball on the floor and going all the way to the rim, excellent shooting skill, can score from anywhere on the floor, great elevation on his jump shot, stroke is smooth and effortless, good mechanics

Cons: no NBA position, fundamentals, very little point guard skills, might not have the instincts or mentality to even become sufficient in this area, passing skills are average to below average, basketball IQ, does not appear to be interested in making an assist, immediately jack up a shot before even looking in the direction of his teammates.

Here is a video of Monta Ellis, Enjoy.

Next, is Anthony Morrow

via pictopia.com

What a great shooter. I believe he led the league in 3 point percentage. That's a nice accomplishment for a undrafted rookie. At first, I was like who is that kid, I never seen him before, cut him off the team! But then, I just saw him play and he truly amazed me. Especially the game against the clippers. He set a NBA record for most points scored for a undrafted rookie (or was it player). After that performance I was like, Let this kid start! Anyways here are the pros and cons for Anthony Morrow.

Pros: Amazing shooter, consistent, gorgeous text-book release, hard worker, basketball IQ, coachable, great teammate, Encouraging, Energy player

Cons: Ball Handler, Not the most athletic, Defensive game. Here is a video of Anthony Morrow, enjoy. Courtesy from Xero. nice video!

Next, is Stephen Curry

via www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

This kid has potential to be a all star type of player. He can shoot, pass, and he has point guard skills. We desperately needed one and I think we got a perfect fit. I think him and Monta would complement each other nicely. I hope that he could play right away. I think he could make an immediate impact to this team. If he does get a chance to play, he might be the next R.O.Y. Now, here are Stephen Curry's pros and cons.

Pros: Craftiness, Excellent Skill level, off ball movement, scoring instincts, ability to create his own shot, change in gears, hesitation moves, aggressiveness, awareness, basketball IQ, leadership in clutch, winning mentality, unselfish

Cons: average athleticism, average wingspan, lateral quickness, shot selection, out of control sometimes, relies heavy on outside shot. Here is a video of Stephen Curry, enjoy.

Now,next is Kelenna Azubuike

via www.nba.com

Kelenna is a very good player. He can score, rebounds defends a lil bit also. He is very strong too. He does the stuff you need in order to win. If I had to choose either him or Kobe Bryant, I would choose Buike. Nah just kidding lol, Buike is underatted though. I think of him as a a sleeper. He sneaks and sometimes he puts up big numbers. Anyways here are the pros and cons for Kelenna Azubuike.

Pros: athletic marvel, chiseled and lean, smooth jump shot, superior slashing game, strong free-throw shooter, defensive skills

Cons:he'll have to become a much better shooter from outside, not an overpowering rebounder, ball-handling skills, focus and mental toughness. Here is a video of Kelenna Azubuike, enjoy . My advice, fast forward this video to 1:37.

Next, is Corey Maggette.

via blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com

Corey can flat out score. He can put up at least 17 points per night. We need that kind of offensive fire power. Especially from the bench. If he wasn't injured, (like the whole warrior roster was) I think he should have won 6th man of the year. He also can rebound a little bit. We need all the rebounds we can get. Plus, this guy is really strong too. Anyways here are the pros and cons for Corey Maggette.

Pros: ability to attack the lane, gets to freethrow a lot, amazing scorer, defensive rebounding, chiseled and lean, athletic marvel, smooth jumpshot, scrappy rebounder.

Cons: Ball handling skills, not an overpowering rebounder, not looking to pass often, defensive game, 1 dimensional player. Here is a video of Corey Maggette, enjoy. Again, sorry guys I couldn't find any highlights of Corey as a Warrior.

Now, nest Marco Belinelli

via www.joeiverson.com

The Italian sharpshooter. that should be is nickname. It fits him very well. He is tied for 2nd best shooter on this team. number 1 Anthony Morrow 2 Stephen Curry 2 Marco Belinelli.It would be fun to watch to see all three of them on the court. Anyways, if we were down by 2 points with 3 seconds left I would give the shot to Belinelli. I trust him. I think he can be a good player. Anyways here are the pros and cons for Marco Belinelli

Pros : decent size, athleticism, long arms, upper and lower body strength, runs the floor well, good overall speed and quickness, explosive leaper, outside shot, set shooter, quick release, amazing accuracy and range, moves well without the ball, shot selection, good footwork, lateral quickness, quick hand, great passer, clutch. Decent Ball Handling.

Cons: slashing ability, rely almost strictly on his perimeter shot instead, does not get to the free throw nearly as much, doesn't protect the ball well enough. Here is a video of Marco Belinelli, enjoy.

Next, is C.J. Watson

via i.cdn.turner.com

Yes I know this is an old picture. This is the only picture of him I could find where he isn't doing anything. Notice all the other pictures. They are either celebrating, standing, or posing for a pic. Anyways CJ is a very good back up. He provided good numbers off the bench. He is just what the warriors needed. He can complement any point guard in the league. He is in the top 5 for the best back up point guards in the league in my opinion. Anyways here are the pros and cons for C.J. Watson

Pros: quickness, strong free throw shooter, great passer, ability to create for others, defensive awareness, shot selection, unselfish, scrappy rebounder, quick hands, tremendous motor, moving the ball up the floor on the break, beautiful perimeter stroke, basketball IQ, Craftiness

Cons: assist numbers, average speed, average athleticism, limited upside, change of speed to penetrate the lane, must create for others as well, doesn't gamble for steals. Here is a video of C.J. Watson, enjoy. Again nice video Xero.

Now. last but not least, Jamareo Davidson

via cache.daylife.com

Jamareo came from a hard past. If you guys heard about it it is really sad. I think he deserves a roster spot on this team. Read this, only read the college part. Sad huh, anyways lets focus on what he can bring to this team. I think he is more of an energy player, sort of like Ronny Turiaf. We should give him a chance to play. I think he will be ok. Anyways here are the pros and cons for Jamareo Davidson.

Pros: size, athleticism, great mobility for a big man, good footwork, strong finisher, impressive vision in traffic, plays with passion, defensive awareness, rebounder,defensive potential, contesting shots from the weakside in the lane, aggressive

Cons: Lack of toughness, struggling a bit with perimeter defense, frail frame, post game, sometimes plays with lack of effort, positioning, shot selection, needs to add weight to maximize his NBA potential. I going to shake things up a bit. I'm going to put 2 videos of Jamareo Davidson. The reason why you ask? Because i can't find a video of him thats longer than 1 minute. No offense Jamareo. Here is the 1st one, and here is the 2nd one.

Well that it. this is my 2nd time I edited this post. I hope you guys enjoy it. Oh yeah, I will like to tahnk youtube for all these videos and google for these pics. Thank you guys for reading this and Leave Comments!!!!!!

Could we have gotten Ariza?

2009-07-03T05:25:31Z

Ariza in the past few seasons has been a very consistent player. He especially did excellent in the finals of both seasons. This is probably waste of a post because it seems as though he is going to Houston while Artest is going to LA.

Source: Rockets agree on multiyear deal with Ariza

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/07/02/ariza.rockets.ap/index.html

The reason for me posting this is because I kind of just wanted to see if people [like me] would have been glad to sign Ariza. He is very athletic, a hard worker, and get this he can play DEFENSE! I know that we probably don't need a SF atm because Jack might start at SFagain because we picked up Step Curry and Maggs has been doing great as a 6th man. But if we are trying to make Curry into a PG I think picking up Ariza would have been helpful.

Our Line up would look something like...

PG: Monta, Curry, CJ Watts

SG: Capt. Jack, Morrow, Belinelli

SF: Ariza or KaZ , Maggs

PF: Randolph, Wright, Davidson, (Rob Kurz...WHO!?!?! only in spirit haha)

C: Biens, Turiaf

Oh and it never hurts to have more players that could do this...

via www.drinkrealwater.com

Just Saying..

well i would probably try to go in-depth with all my reasons for wanting Ariza, but seeing as thought he is very likley going to the rockets Im Done.

Poll

Could having Ariza help out our team become more of a PlayOff team?

It looks good if the Warriors stand pat, regarding Amare stoudemire

2009-07-03T04:39:22Z

I was completely into this Amare deal when I heard about it. I even wrote a page argument for doing the deal a couple days after the draft, but never posted.

The Nba is always a money game. A game where a team with good contracts usually means success. I believe that if the warriors stand pat, they will be in incredible shape for the year after next. It is just hard to wait. I love Amare Stoudemire and believe that he could help our team immensily. I just don't think we should give up any more than Biedrins, Wright, Bellinelli, and Claxton for him and he must resign before the deal.

Remember that next year our first pick will be gone unless it is a lottery pick. (Because of the marcus williams deal). I hate saying this but it would be a good move to stay in the lottery for next year. Either that, or to be a top 10 nba team that goes deep into the playoffs, would make me happy.

Picks Asside. We must also remember that we have cap space now and if we don't trade away our expiring contracts, we will have a bunch next year. Next year's free agency class should change things considerably in the nba (because so many great players' contracts are going to be up) and teams who have the money will do well. I really do like trying to go after Amare but I also like the team Nelson (I believe, the most winningest coach in Nba history) has put together. If Amare would want to come to us and announce it, I would think different. But if we don't get him, We get to watch how he does this year and possibly sign him next year.

If Curry can be the point guard of the future for the warriors and be a star and If Randolph can Step it up as well, our W's as they are could be pretty tough to beat.

One guy I thought we should take a chance on, in free agency this year was Bibby, but only at a good deal, like mid level. I also think that Rasheed Wallace is pretty interesting. I know both of these guys are old but I think they either would bring some leadership and great play, especially if we were to limit there minutes, which is easily possible with our depth. I really think that we need a good veteran with strong leadership.

I think that after we sign Curry we will have about ten mil left under luxory. (if predictions are true at around 68mil luxury level.) It will be interesting to see what we do with that money. Keep up the good and smart moves Riley and Nellie. I believe in you guys more than anybody we have had in your positions since I became a W's fan when I was 10 years old.

Can't wait till next year Go W's, Niners, and Giants !!!!!

My name is Adam Myers and this is my first Gsom FanPost

Ps, I liked the Adam Lauridsen rebuttal post.

Poll

What do you guys think we should do?

Is the Golden State of Mind geared towards the here and now...or looking towards the future?

2009-07-02T19:12:24Z

Hello all. So amidst all the trades, signings, and rumors going around the NBA, including our own rumors regarding Amar'e Stoudemire, I got to thinking about where the Warriors as a franchise want to be this season, next season, and a few seasons down the road. I feel that we have a very talented young core group of guys that can develop over these next few years and help us become a championship-caliber team. But I also think we are going to need some upgrades over that course of time to ultimately reach our goal. So I'm wondering how many of you think those upgrades need to come soon (as in now) and how many of you think its better to wait until next off-season's plethora of free agents to become available? In my opinion, the free agent market as of now is dismal to say the least and not to mention a lot of teams aren't willing to part with thier good players right now. The top tier 2009 free agents all seem to already have a home: Kobe and Odom are staying with the Lakers, Boozer's staying with the Jazz, Hedo is getting heavily woo'd by the Blazers and as is Kidd by the Mavs and Knicks. There are some other free agents that haven't found a home yet including Varejao, Ariza, Wallace, and Hill, but I just don't think any of them match up with what the Warriors are looking for or need right now. But do you guys think its safe to enter the season where we're at right now? And if so, but we still end up having a mediocre season, what are the most important changes to be made? I'm going to list all of the free agents that become available in 2010 and I would love to see all of your feedback on who you think would help put our team above and beyond the rest. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and think about drastic changes to the team (for example trading Monta). After all, this is just for fun!

(2010 free agent list obtained from www.hoopsworld.com)

So, let's break into a few categories. First up, let's start with the stars whose contracts expire following the 2009-2010 season and will then become honest-to-goodness free agents:

Joe Johnson
Ray Allen
Manu Ginobili
Marcus Camby
Tracey McGrady
Shaquille O'Neal
Brad Miller
Stephen Jackson
Jermaine O'Neal
Mike Miller
Rip Hamilton

Chris Bosh

Amar'e Stoudemire

The next grouping is those players that are signed thru 2011, but can opt out in 2010 if they so choose:

Yao Ming (owed 17.7 million in 10/11)
Amare Stoudamire (owed 17.7 million in 10/11)
LeBron James (owed 17.2 million in 10/11)
Dwayne Wade (owed 17.0 million in 10/11)
Chris Bosh (owed 17.1 million in 10/11)
Dirk Nowitzki (owed $21.5 million in 10/11)
Josh Howard (owed $11.8 million in 10/11)
Mike Redd (owed $18.3 million in 10/11)
Tyson Chandler (owed $12.8 million in 10/11)

This next list consists of contracts that are set to expire in 2010, but the player may choose to opt-out following the 2008-2009 season:
Steve Nash (owed $13.1 million in 09-10)
Carlos Boozer (owed $12.7 million in 09-10) SIGNED WITH JAZZ
Chris Paul (owed $6 million in 09-10 / almost certain to sign an extension before becoming unrestricted) SIGNED WITH HORNETS
Memo Okur (owed $9.0 million in 09-10)
Hedo Turkoglu (owed $7.4 million in 09-10)

In addition to the superstars listed above, these 'second-tier' players are set to hit the open market as well:
Ben Wallace
Larry Hughes
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (option to opt-out after 09/10 season)
Anderson Varejao (option to opt-out after 09/10 season)
Al Harrington
Darko Milicic - TRADED TO KNICKS
Udonis Haslem
Jamal Crawford (option to opt-out after 09/10 season) - TRADED TO HAWKS
Eddy Curry (option to opt-out after 09/10 season)
Amir Johnson
Derek Fisher
Raja Bell
T.J. Ford (player option - owed $8.5 million in 10/11)
Travis Outlaw
Bruce Bowen
Earl Watson
Luke Ridnour
Matt Harpring
Quentin Richardson - TRADED TO GRIZZLIES
Damien Wilkins

We also must include the list of players that will actually eventually have value due solely to the fact their contracts come off the books in the summer of 2010:
Jerome James (proof that Isiah Thomas knew what he was doing all along!)
Cuttino Mobley
Brendan Haywood
Tim Thomas
Brian Cardinal
Antonio Davis
Mark Blount
Bobby Simmons
Troy Hudson
Darius Miles
Kenny Thomas
Shareef Abdul-Rahim
Matt Bonner
Etan Thomas

Last, but not least, we have the 2006 Draft Class. These players will all be restricted free-agents in 2010, if they haven't already been inked to extensions:
Brandon Roy
Rudy Gay
LaMarcus Aldridge
Andrea Bargnani
Rajon Rondo
Tyrus Thomas
Kyle Lowry
Randy Foye
Marcus Williams
Josh Boone
Renaldo Balkman
Sergio Rodriguez
Ronnie Brewer

I am anxious to see what you all come up with and who you think best fits the WARRIORS

What to nickname the Curry/Ellis tandem?

2009-07-02T17:15:25Z

I need ideas, people. Big ideas.

There has been much discussion of what to nickname Curry. But we could do something bigger, something better: We could foment team harmony through granting Curry and Ellis a double nickname. Think about it. Shaq and Wade coexisted because they were Diesel and Flash. When he was with Kobe, only Shaq had the nickname(s). We all know how that went. A nickname tandem bridles egos. It is a constant reminder that players work together, need each other, and are better for the situation. Let's do our small part to mitigate the rumored Monta dissatisfaction over a new 'playmaking point guard.' I ask everybody here: What should we call the Slasher/Shooter Curry Ellis combo?

Slash (Monta) and Burn (Curry)?

Remember the Light Skins (probably too needlessly racial)?

Crackle (Monta) and Pop (Curry)? In reference to MoPed ankle injury we could call Ellis 'snap' as well.

Rain (Curry) and Lightning (Monta)?

Tweedlethree (Curry) and Tweedledunk (Ellis)?

Layup (Monta) and Trey-up (Curry)?

I'm sure you could do better, let's find that perfect nickname!

Poll

What's the best nickname for the Curry-Ellis Tandem?

Could Monta be traded?

2009-07-02T10:02:21Z

With the way things have gone between Monta and the Warriors, I dont think its a stretch by any means.

Something about the Curry pick just doesnt seem right to me especally with Nellie's man crush on him. It seems like he wants him to run the point for the dubs. I also hear the plan is to move Monta back at the 2 with Jack going back to the 3. Curry and Ellis just seem like the exact same player with Monta being more athletic and with Curry having the 3 point shooting ability. I dont know about the rest of you but I just cant see them starting together in the backcourt. I know it may start off with Curry backing him up but Nelson see's him as the PG of the future.

I just have a feeling that if anyone is going to be traded from the Warriors its Ellis. The Warriors gave him 66 mil and a few months later he wrecks his ankle all but damaging the Warriors next season. As we all know multiple rumors about him not being happy (direction of team, pg situation) have recentely became public. it just seems like he would be the logicial choice and out of all the Warriors young talent (Besides Randolph) he should have the best trade value.

Could Monta be the main piece for Chris Bosh? Ellis, Wright and Belinelli for CB 4?

Could he be sent to a team to acquire a SF (The Warriors projected weakness).

I personally wouldnt like Monta to be traded. I think he has star ability. I can see him Avg 25 a game next year.

But I think the Warriors front office may feel too much has been going on with Ellis and it may be beneficial for both to go there separate ways. A trade I wouldnt mind would see him being shipped to Memphis (home state) for hopefully (a personal favorite of mine) Rudy Gay. Maybe it takes Ellis & Wright for Gay and Quentin Richardsons expiring contract which they acquired from the Zach Randolph trade.

Starting: Curry, Jackson, Gay, Randolph and Beans???

Either way I hope Riley pulls off some good moves.

Complete the 3/4 puzzle

2009-07-02T06:09:07Z

Your task: find one NBA player who can rebound, defend, and provide at least a moderate amount of offensive firepower to fill the remaining hole in the GSW lineup. He must be a front court player who can mesh with AR and AB/RT and survive in Nellie's system. He must be a realistic acquisition target. His name is not Amar'e. Is he S Marion (sign and trade with Toronto) or G Wallace or Josh Smith? Or someone else? Who? (List your traded players)

Poll

Which player best fits the Warriors' needs in the front court?

Will Warriors SummerLeague be on NBA TV?

2009-07-02T04:37:19Z

I just saw the schedule for this years Warriors summer league ball. Anyone know where it'll be possible to watch these games? I know they show some summer league games on NBA TV, do you know if any of the Warriors games will be on it?

Here's the roster and the schedule if anyone is looking/curious about it

WARRIORS 2009 SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER

NO.	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	BORN	FROM	YRS
40	Connor Atchley	F/C	6-10	226	5/31/85	Texas	R
30	Stephen Curry	G	6-3	185	3/14/88	Davidson	R
33	Jermareo Davidson	F/C	6-10	230	11/15/84	Alabama	2
26	Lawrence Hill	F	6-8	220	9/16/87	Stanford	R
9	Joe Ingles	F	6-8	194	10/2/87	Australia	R
25	Jared Jordan	G	6-2	185	10/14/84	Marist	R
2	Acie Law IV	G	6-3	195	1/25/85	Texas A&M	2
3	Cartier Martin	G/F	6-7	220	11/20/84	Kansas State	1
22	Anthony Morrow	G	6-5	210	9/27/85	Georgia Tech	1
20	Quan Prowell	F	6-8	215	11/1/84	Auburn	R
4	Anthony Randolph	F	6-10	210	7/15/89	LSU	1
44	Lawrence Roberts	F/C	6-9	240	10/20/82	Mississippi State	2
35	Jamal Sampson	C	6-11	235	5/15/83	California	5

*Roster subject to change

WARRIORS 2009 SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (PDT)	LOCATION
Friday, July 10	Houston Rockets	1:00 p.m.	COX Pavilion
Saturday, July 11	Sacramento Kings	5:00 p.m.	COX Pavilion
Monday, July 13	Detroit Pistons	7:00 p.m.	Cox Pavilion
Tuesday, July 14	Chicago Bulls	5:00 p.m.	COX Pavilion
Thursday, July 16	New Orleans Hornets	5:00 p.m.	COX Pavilion

Use the Midlevel to Bring Leon Powe Back to the BAY

2009-07-01T23:10:21Z

Everyone keeps talking about what the Warriors should do in Free Agency but the bottom line is we can't do much other than offer someone the MLE of $5.8MM. After bringing in two PGs so far this offseason we have a ton of 1's, 2's and 3's. I don't know why people are suggesting we go after AI, Jarrett JAck, or JKidd - we need to use our MLE on some "beef".

That's why I think that we should bring Bay Area native and Cal alum Leon Powe back home

Pros for signing Leon Powe:

1) Very good scorer and rebounder (especially the offensive glass)

2) Gives us the "Beef" that Riley and Nellie have been looking for (He may not be very tall for a PF, but he's strong and athletic enough to match up w/ some of the bulkier fours in the league)

3)He has the potential to be a very good bench player, but won't need a ton of minutes so he wont take many minutes away from Randolph. Also it allows us to experiment with lineups w/ Randolph at the 3, 4, or 5.

4) He will only cost a few million/year, but has the potential to be worth a lot more than that.

5) He is from the bay, so he'll probably be interested and the fans will love him

6) He probably wants a 1 or 2 year deal b/c he will want a chance to prove his worth post-surgery. That way, we don't have to take any long term risks

7) He has playoff and championship experience and has proven to play "big" in "big time games"

Cons:

1) Some people never fully recover from 2 ACL surgeries (but with modern medicine + rehabilitation, it is not at all uncommon to recover from such a thing and worth the risk at this price)

2) I can't think of anything else

We really need to be realistic w/ our free agency hopes. Milsap is asking for way more than the MLE and I'd guess that Gortat and Bass will be in the same boat. Other than Powe, I can't think of anyone who would improve our Dubs.

What do you guys think?

In defense of the W's Front Office

2009-07-01T21:15:03Z

Listen, sounds like the great thing to do these days is to trash the warriors front office and call them inept. All I have seen them do in the past month is:

#1: Ditch a bad contract in J Craw, who as a great guy was a bad fit for the team and didnt need to be here. To add, everyone KNEW he wanted to move, and we still got a young (totally unproven with big reality he wont do very much) in Law that we are only asking to be a THIRD STRING GUY

#2: Draft the best player available that has the make up to be a top player in the league according to many out there in Curry.

#3: To privately state that they are not going to trade a stud in Curry along with a topped out Bendris and a poo poo platter of unproven talent in Belli and Wright to get a guy who we are not 100% would resign after the year. Wait.. and injury proven guy who would become the highest paid player on our team is balking at the chance to come to the Bay after serious career threatening surgery less than 2 years ago? He would play on a team with equal to lower talent than on the Suns, and is a premadonna that can score but has no history of defense or rebounding, two areas that we have lacked in the past. Lets be honest.. he's a great catch and an asset UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES, but not to sell the farm over.

I am going to have to go against the popular masses ( see: Tim K most of the time, as he DID applaud us for ACTUALLY MAKING SOME KIND OF MOVE which I agree with, and other posters on this site who are ready to pack it in for the team) and say that Riley has impressed me so far without actually doing much with the conversations and rumors he has at least sparked and the dedication to some kind of plan that we only try to guess at and subsquently tear apart over here at GSOM thinking that we could do a better job.

How about we all put the "We Believe" videos away, right under our J-Rich and B Davis jerseys and calm down a bit. Lets see what the finished product looks like in the next few months, stop speculating and starting "Movement" emails and chains on here that only serve to piss us all off when nothing happens, and wait for some ACTUAL news to happen on June 8th, or even October when the off-season is actually over. Trust me... relaxing a bit is MUCH easier than griping on a daily basis about how much DUBS BRAZZZZ sucks and Nelson/Cohan/whatever are losers.

Lets add a bit more optimism and positivity around here and stop making rash judgments. And... I'm spent

Why arent we looking at Bruce Bowen?

2009-07-01T20:26:23Z

On a team filled with scorers, why havent we heard about the Warriors looking at defensive minded players like Bowen? (Please do not insert Nellie jokes here)

He is scheduled to make only $4MIL this year and may get a $2MIL buyout from Milwaukee by August. That means he will probably be available to be had at a discount.

His shooting has deteriorated a bit and his defense is not as good as it was, but on a team like ours, a slightly old defensive specialist seems like a great match. We could potentially say goodbye to those last minute OT losses and BS lucky shots by opponents at the end of games.

I know we are guard heavy and I would hate to see Morrow lose playing time he deserves this year (assuming Belinelli will be traded somehow - otherwise him too), but there are times where a defensive line-up would be awesome:

Bowen

Jackson

Azibuike

Turiaf

Biedrins