Al Harrington started out last offseason as one of the free agents the Warriors tried hard to get. There were rumors flying all over the place about him joining the Warriors, but in the end, the Pacers swooped in and picked him up. At the time, it was a disappointing to miss out on a player who could have helped the Warriors with his scoring ability. Well what do you know. Halfway through the season, Mullin gets his man while unloading He Who Shall Not Be Named (I’ve been reading too much Harry Potter). As a throw in, we get Stephen Jackson and some loose changed, Sarunas "this team doesn’t pass the ball" Jasikevicius and Josh POWell. Excited about the trade? I was ecstatic. Al Harrington a Warrior.
Some folks in the GSOM community said he looked like a Ninja Turtle with the headband, the tongue hanging out, and the way his eyes and cheeks were shaped. Just like TMNT, he certainly was tough as he played center down the stretch run, holding his own against big bad Yao and other of the ugly big men in the league. He toughened up in the paint and allowed the Warriors to create mismatches on offense, something that Nellie lives for.
You won’t be seeing him in any dunk constets
Al still has lots of areas to improve, but with a full training camp from the newly signed Nellie, I think we can look forward to some very positive contributions from Big Al. Jump higher, run faster, and get stronger.
An interview of Al on FSN looking into his past (coming straight out of high school) and where he fit into the current Warriors team. Good stuff.
Grade: B-
We traded for Al to get a SF/PF that could run in Nellie's offense, hit open looks, and clean the boards. He did a great job with the first task, a solid one with the second, and a really poor one with the third. His defense improved as the season went on and he hit some big threes for the team, but of "the core" he seems the least essential (and the worst at converting lay-ups). Still, he always gave great effort and played selflessly in the Warriors' system.
Fun Score: 8
Al was always ready to lead a "We Want Foyle" cheer from the bench.
Atma Brother #1
Grade: B
Al was the 2006 free agent prize in Chris Mullin's eyes and at the time I really couldn't understand why. I guess Mullie was one of the few people out there who knew how hard this man worked on his 3-point shot over summer. He wasn't exactly Big Game Al in the playoffs, but let's not discount his shut down defense against much bigger players such as Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer, and Pau Gasol while holding down the center spot in Nellie's crazy small ball lineup during that thrilling run to make the playoffs. Without that D and his willingness to play out of position as an undersized center, we'd be talking about drought x13. I'd like to see Al hit the weights, improve his hops, and work on finishing layups this summer. Those three things are all very doable and will make Al a much, much better player next season and beyond.
Fun Score: 7
TMNHarrington just has such an infectious smile and presence even when on the bench. You gotta love the man's enthusiasm.
DJ Fuzzylogic
Grade: B+
I've never been a huge fan of Harrington's game. Yet, give who he replaced at 4 spot, Harrington mid-range and low-post game greatly improved the general skill-set of the Warriors. Harrington did a relatively good job on defensive, often guarding guys way stronger and bigger than he was. He seemed like the consummate team player, too, even in his diminished roles, platooning with AB in the playoffs. Plus, he had great cheers during the games leading to great TMNHarrington photos. Check my signature photo for details! Plus, he does some great work in the community dancing with kids (see Warriors.com for more info).
Fun Score: 9
Fantasy Junkie
Grade: B
Al Harrington was a welcome addition to the team in the mid-January trade. He didn't really find his role on the team until the last season run where he manned the center spot taking over for Andris Biedrins. He created so many mismatches because he could hit the 3 and make the opposing big men do things they weren't comfortable doing. Without Al, the playoff drought would not be over.
Fun Score: 5
Hash
Grade: B-
Big Al showed some glimmers of solid play throughout the regular season but he just didn't answer our low post/rebounding woes down low. Ironically enough, he was our premiere pickup in the Pacers trade, yet it was Jackson that really ended up bleeding lightning bolts for us. Still, solid potential for Al in the future.
Fun Score: 8
YaoButtaMing
Grade: B+
Wow. Everything Dunleavy should have been. Great shot behind the arc, passing abilities, some defensive moves, and plays with heart. No problem giving him a higher grade then he really deserves.
Fun Score: 7
Overall Grade: B
What grade would you give Al for last season with the Warriors?
