JRich or Die Flying

read my post on the yahoo wright blog. and Monta is already HALF-WAY better than J-RICH and it took him HALF AS LONG! Be real son. Monta needs more minutes and needs the ball more, you saw what he did when Jason and Baron were busy with injuries, he kept us in the hunt for the playoffs each game! Monta is OUR  FUTURE, NOT JASON, SORRY.

gotta look forward tho. it'll be interesting to see just how much wright can contribute to the team next year.

jrich was the heart of the warriors and i dunno what the outlook is on the team now with him gone

ive been reading up and janny hu and tim kawakami are saying that the warriors would be getting a trade exception from the deal (possibly 10 mil). any word on this?

no matter what any analyst says you have something that no other star in the nba had.  You cared about winning not just because of what it meant to you, but because of what it meant to the fans. I am proud to have been a part of your first season in the playoffs.  Im gonna look forward to seeing you in an East All-Star jersey cause I know you got it in you.  I hope playing under Jordan elevates your game to obscene levels.  Bobcat in jersey, Warrior at heart, you will always have a home in Golden State.

JRich or Die Trying

if the italian pans out, not to mention wright, this will be a good trade.  i'm not entirely schooled in the cap, so correct me if i'm wrong, but slashing payroll does matter if it allows the warriors to sign biedrins, or use the trade level exception for shipping j-rich to make another trade/get help.

Throughout the long pre-draft blogging, I was in the trade J-Rich camp even though my sentiment was in favor of him not be traded.  But if the major motivation of trading J-Rich was to create cap space for Beans and Monta's extensions, then why did we take a Euro two guard at 18?  Was this guy the best available athelete?  Can anyone explain this to me?

there is no way that you should be upset with this move from a basketball standpoint. Emotionally, yes. But winning is the bottom line and i want to see the warriors to be in the playoffs consistently for years to come. great move. ATMA, i'm almost in schock that you're allowed to control a warriors fansite when it's obvious you know nothing about basketball. YOU NEVER TRADE A BIG FOR A SMALL!!!!!!

the clips that ESPN showed looked like he was a Italian Monta Ellis/Manu/Kerr. He had dumb stroke! and he had one dunk that looked like that dunk Monta did on Barbosa. Seriously he looks good.

good points

R we so hopeful for first round draft picks ie Jamison,Joe Smith,Dunleavy,Hughes,now lets look at our second rounders ie Arenas,Ellis,its hard to be optimistic about this guy given our draft history of first rounders.

...but lets face it guys the West isn't getting any easier, and we had too many swingmen and needed a quality big foward. Nelly knows what he is doing and i'm going to trust his judgement. As for the Italian Nelly knows international basketball as well as anyone, who knows this guy could turn out to be the next Ginobili. Next year should be interesting, but the future looks extremely bright

just like dopey said our second rounders were hits the past couple of years, so what makes u think its gonna take two or three more years before we are better than we were this past afternoon, way to stay positive. we haven't even seen these guys play, what if the chemistry is even better, what if Bellinelli comes out the first week of the season scoring in double figures and Wright is blockin shots and running the floor and dunkin like Amare or Garnett? Then all you guys who are crying over J-Rich, will have you're panties in a bunch over the new guys and jump on the rookie bandwagon, these guys gotta play good I mean look who they have as their leaders, Baron/Jax/Coach Nelly............come on I mean Ellis is gonna have a great season next year, just watch, and u think the rookies are gonna just sit on the bench and let Monta get all the minutes, Nah homies, they wanna get paid so they're gonna win games for us.

about the trade exception.  Apparently since the Bobcats totally absorbed J-Rich's contract it will create an exception (I'm not too sure though) like the one Indiana got when they traded Peja to New Orleans (of course they used it for Harrington which turns out to be the DunMurphy sisters, haha).  
On the more logical side this is a good trade if it gets us a young, athletic PF AND slash payroll at the same time.  A good SG is easier to come by than a low-post player.
On the emotional side though, this sucks because J-Rich has been the motor that keeps us running all these losing years and this year we finally made playoffs.  I love him as a player because he gave all he could to this team no matter rain or shine, win or lose.  
Best of luck to you Jason, when you're not playing the Warriors.  And hopefully people here are more Warriors fans than they are J-Rich fans. (It was totally shocked when I heard to news too.....)
And now my favorite player has to be Baron Davis because J-Rich is no longer on our team. :(
On the flip side I'm excited, because Mullin and Nelson (c'mon, anybody actually thinks Nellie is not involved in all these moves??) know this team better than us.  And who knows what their next moves will be?

A lot of what if dont u think, had too many of those the last few years no.

It looks like to me that we have enough money to get  an impact player like Gerald Wallace.  And how can you guys compare Monta with JR at this point in their career when Monta has only a couple years experience?  I think Monta is better at this stage in his career than JR was.  Look at the big picture with Monta coming up and hopefully Wright pulls a Millsap in his first year.  It definitely is a great time to be a Warrior fan.

I semi-understand what Atma is feeling.  I agree that trading JRich after finally making the playoffs is TOUGH.  I think JRich hoped he would be finally part of a winning tradition with Nellie at the helm.  Instead, he is now part of the building up effort in Charlotte.  In a personal sense, this trade sucks for JRich.

However, I am surprised at the negativity regarding the chemistry and fan base.  Chemistry is a delicate thing and it was great the Warriors had it last season.  Regardless if JRich was traded or not, the Warriors roster was likely to change right?  Pietrus and Barnes are not guarantees to return.  If one or both did not return, that would have changed the chemistry already.  Plus, any Warriors draft picks would have to be brought in anyway.  It's not like the Warriors could freeze the roster and chemistry from last season and preserve it for next season.

As far as the fan base, I'm not really sure how trading JRich (or not being able to draft Yi) is being out of touch with the fan base.  Wouldn't it be accurate to say the fan base expects a team to be a winner?  

I would say this move is an attempt to build a long term winner.  Whether it happens or not is another story.  I guess we shall see soon.  

However, even if we kept most or all of the same players from last season, there are no guarantees of anything.

Not trying to be argumentative.  I am surprised at the trade and I feel for JRich.  However, I think Mullin (and Nellie) tried to address the Warriors shortcomings as best as they could.  We shall see how it all looks next April.

I respect your thoughts Atma but you are going with emotions instead of basketball logic. If the Dubs had kept JRich where would that have placed the team in the West next season? About the same as the past season, fighting for the 7th or 8th spot not having the cap space to sign AB or Monta.  So otherwise no future to become a top tier team. If we gut the team to get Garnett then we are just the Timberwolves west. I like JRich just like everybody else but he's no all-star.  Jackson has better handles, creates better off the dribble, is a better passer, and a better defender. Teams are going to wise up next season and realize that all they have to do is crash the boards and the Dubs are toast. Finally they have drafted an athletic big man, not a joe smith, todd fuller or foyle. Maybe he will be a bust but to have any chance of being a serious contender into the future its chance that had to be taken. We need our own Chris Bosh, Amare or KG.  Add to that the options this gives Mully by freeing up room under the salary cap to get another piece to the puzzle.  I know you truly know basketball and once you get over the sadness you'll realize this was an excellent move by Mully.

in what a lot of Atma says, and relate to it too. The last thing I ever wanted was to see JRich leave, I've said that a dozen times here. But cmon, stuff like "Could the Warriors be any more out of touch with their fan base? I think it's time for the Warriors to hire some new marketing personnel. Today was a disaster for the Warriors' personal relations. No Yi and no more JRich. Painful. The Warriors just traded away one of our own- one of our fam." is just nonsense. No front office should be taking their cues from the fans.

And then there's "Whatever happened to winning NOW? Why give up a stud like JR who helps you out immediately for more young talent? I thought Nellie didn't want to wait around while a team grows up." Trading veterans for younger guys does not mean you're giving up on the now. Being a good team consists of having the right mixture of chemistry, talent, and effort. You can argue successfully (and, I believe, do) that the trade really hurts the chemistry, but it's foolish to say the front office isn't still trying to win now. I think it's quite clear they think they're upgrading the team's overall talent level, which is probably the most important part of being a good team.

And then again there's "Who cares about slashing payroll? Show me one game that cap space has ever won." Obviously, cap space won't win you games. Once again, it's the talent you can acquire and keep with the cap space. You can't just disregard the cap, it exists and it's a huge factor to account for in building a successful team.

Again, I have nothing to disagree with on the emotional scale. JRich is a true Warrior and, quite frankly, deserves better. But I think after we all settle down we won't be as eager to send Chris Mullin and co. to the gallows as we are right now. I was just as angry at first, but now I've cooled down myself, and can see the reasoning behind the moves. I don't necessarily like it, and I don't know if I necessarily agree with it, but I can see it, and smarter basketball minds than us are out there praising the move. We should take heart in that.

once NBA 2K8/2k9 comes out, imma get JRich back!

I would trade Adonal Foyle for Dwayne Wade any day.

is probably saying no!

I think this was a good trade. I like Richardson, but he takes too many 3's, doesn't get to the foul line, and has bad handles, i.e. he has become a one dimensional catch and shooter (albeit a pretty good one).

If they can get anything close to that with Belinelli than (who appears to be a better shooter AND handler), then the Warriors are well on their way to replacing JRich.

And to get Brandan Wright is HUGE, and we didn't even have to give up our 1st round pick!!!!! He plugs in perfectly as PF, allowing SJack to slide to SG and AH to move to his natural SF. Plus Beidrins gets another long armed rebounding buddy. Suddenly this team, with Ellis/Belinelli/Barnes off the bench, becomes 8 players deep and extremely difficult to deal with. Plus we free up lots of money...what if instead of resigning Barnes we go get Gerald Wallace? Now THAT's a squad!

And btw, what if Wright and Belinelli end up being anything colse to...
Marcus Camby and Manu Ginobili, then will ATMA be happy? Did I say good move, GREAT MOVE Mullin!

I know exactly where youre coming from.  I first heard about the trade on the radio and all I could think about was how much he meant to this organization.  To me J-Rich is one of the last truly loyal players in the NBA...and when I first heard of the trade I couldnt help but feel that the Warriors management flat out betrayed the one guy who truly doesnt deserve it.  Plus...I was thinking we traded him for Julian Wright, so I was even more pissed.

So dont burn Atma for being subjective.  Its only a couple hours after the draft...and certainly a lot of emotion is attached to J-Rich for the true Warriors fans out there.  I know its a business.... but that doesnt mean we shouldnt think with our hearts sometimes.

It's business, this is a business. You dont keep a player that has a 50m contract when you dont think it's worth it and then an offer comes along that interests you, it's an easy move to make.

JRich has always been a good player, but he's not a person that will take us and farther then 8th or 7th spot. It was time for change, JRich was one of our top trading pieces without having to get rid of our future talent (Ellis, Beans).

Alot of homer fans post on this site and dont understand whats best for the team, I feel sorry for you guys and you should just turn in your fan badge and go put on a Bobcats jersey, since it seems some of you are all about 1 player and not whats best for the team.

BTW Wright >>>>> YI, thats a no f'in brainer.

How are people homers just becuase they grow attached to a certain player.  I know its a business..I actually just said that.  Financial situations dont stop fans from feeling a certain way about players.

Im aware that this trade makes basketball sense.  But saying that atachment to J-Rich makes people un-intelligent homers is ridiculous.

True Warrior.

To the JRich Movement should take place here at this site. We, as fans, should chip in and buy a one page ad in the newspaper thanking him for everything he has done for this team, this fan base, and this community. I don't know what a full page ad costs, and this could be a stretch financially, but I would love to be a part of that. After sleeping on it, I'm starting to understand the move from a team standpoint, but it still hurts. You were a man among men Jason, and everyone of us wishes you nothing but the best. Here's to many Easter Conference All-Star appearances and hopefully more to a class act who deserves no less.

Jason Richardson personally ended the W's playoff drought.  His heart and passion did it, nothing else in my mind.

That said, it's a great trade for the Warriors!

Holy crap, did they just get someone to bang with Utah's front line?  And did they just improve their 3 point % by about 5%?

While getting 11.11, 12.22, 13.33, and 14.44 million dollars of cap relief?!!!!!

Guess what, by the trade deadline, Foyle will only have 18 months left on his contract.

That's right, Foyle is near to becoming an EXPIRING contract!

So now;

Resign Beidrins, Monta and avoid luxury tax.

Still able to possibly trade for Garnett.

Field a team next year strong in the back court, but much stronger up front!

In short, a better team, overall.

Also, I'm still high on POB.  I think you're being snookered a bit by Nelson.  They are treating him like crap but still getting him minutes and he's scoring and rebounding like mad in those minutes.

Trust me, they have a front line of 7' players that can run and score and rebound now.

And they added a sharpshooter.

I love it!  I think there's more to come, and I expect KG at this point.  They can give Minnesota too much, which would be Wright and some other good pieces to replace KG and also boost their guard situation in Minn.

I disagree.  

I've been watching the W's since the Nate Thurmond days and JRich needed to be traded for business and that's the deal.  They did not shoot a dead horse, JRich has got a guaranteed deal for over $50M that pays even if he breaks his leg tomorrow, how is that bad?  Every player knows when he signs a contract that they could be traded any day, there's no loyalty, the loyalty is contained in the $50M.  Almost everyone is traded, Babe Ruth (did not retire as a Yankee), Kareem, Wilt, the Big O, Ewing, Shaq, Joe Montana, JRich is smart enough that I'm sure he understands that.

JRich was the heart and soul of the team for a long time, but he was not the heart and soul last year.  Rather than being the key, he was merely a sidelight to Baron and SJax.  

Cap relief?  Championships are not won with relief but they allow more flexibility.  Think about the start of last year, the Warriors had committed over $120M to Dunleavy/Murphy/JRich, that's now gone.  Wow!!  Plus this eliminates the luxury tax burdens with Monta/Biedrins extensions, that's huge because Cohan is in this for a business and he's not going to pay double (tax is dollar for dollar) for anyone (unlike the Knicks who paid basically $40M for Jared Jeffries).

What would you guys think of this scenario?

3 team trade:  

Warriors trade: Al Harrington, Adonal Foyle, next yrs. 1st rd pick

Sonics trade: Rashard Lewis, Chris Wilcox

Heat trade: Antoine Walker, Jason Williams

Warriors receive: Chris Wilcox, Jason Williams

Sonics receive: Al Harrington, Warrior's 1st rd pick, Antoine Walker

Heat receive: Rashard Lewis, Adonal Foyle

We would be getting rid of Foyles contract, plus we would be addressing a need, getting a young, athletic rebounding big man in Chris Wilcox. Several people have mentioned that they wouldnt mind seeing Wilcox in a Warriors uniform. I think we might have actually made a run at him last year, during free agent signing. Jason Williams is an expiring contract. He would really fit in Nellie's style. He plays at 100 mph, shoots 3s, and would be perfect off the bench. Then he would be gone, and we would have more cap room.

Seattle would be getting Walker, who the Heat want to trade. He might fit in nicely with their team with his perimeter shooting.(I hate his game)They would be getting Al, who I believe has trading value, and they would get our 1st rounder as well, and they are trying to get younger, and more talented it seems. We on the other hand, DONT need anymore young talent right now.

The Heat would be getting Rashard Lewis, who league sources have said is coveted by Miami. Plus Foyle's game is made EXACTLY for the style they play. He could be a nice compliment to Mourning or Shaq, since they both are hurt so often. Shaq might stay in the league 2 more years, if that's the case, he and Foyle's contract would be expiring the same year, leaving the Heat with MASSIVE cap room.

What do YOU guys think? tell me.

Man it's really tough to the heart and soul of the Warriors in their darkest days leave.  In those dreary days, Jrich alone was the price of admission.  It was really easy to fall in love with this cat. He believed in the Warriors when no one else did.

But I guess its time to move on.  We all know Jrich's game and what he brought to the table.  And I don't think one singular person can fill that void.  But with that said, I think with his salary freed up, multiple people can fill that void.  Don't you think Barnes and Ellis and step it up?  And combined they probably would make less than Jrich's contract.  

My feeling that if you are getting paid 9 mil and up, you'd have to be and indispensable part of the team, ie franchise player.  I was never completely sold that he was that guy.  

The Bobcats are getting a great SG and they have an intriguing perimeter game with JR, GWallace and Matt Carroll.  

Let's see what the Warriors do next.  They have some cap room now so let's see them use it (wisely of course).

is going to get a Griffeyesque ovation when he comes back to town it sounds like.

What if....

I mean, what if he was really the target, and not Garnett?

Indiana didn't have a draft selection and they don't mind trading with the Warriors.

What if they decided to rebuild and dump Oneil to us and they told us to get Wright for them and a couple of our players.

I could almost see that happening before Garnett.  The price might be more reasonable for the Warriors.