Introducing new additions to the GSoM staff

Almost every time someone asks about writing for Golden State of MInd, I return a pretty canned response.

And in case there was ever any sort of ambiguity, it boils down to a (hopefully) more polite version of the following: Great! Now go and write some FanPosts so I can actually see your writing.

Of course, there are times when I have openly (or privately) solicited applications for writers, but there's no better way to test out a writer than to see how they both engage with and respond to the community -- it gives us all a pretty nice preview of what they'd bring to the site and whether they're someone we can entrust with the keys to the site.

Unfortunately, sometimes people write a FanPost or two and get discouraged -- commenters here can sometimes be as unforgiving as they are insightful; far more often, people simply never take the challenge of proving their ability to write about the Warriors (which, to me, is the equivalent of sending in your resume for a job and refusing to show up for an interview).

But the best of all worlds to me is when people just independently start contributing their writing to the site due to their own irrepressible passion for the Warriors, impress the entire community, and then eventually make me wish they would ask me for a spot on the staff.

So partially in recognition of some of the stronger community contributions from the last year, today I'm announcing the addition of three additional staff -- it just made far more sense to add them to the staff as valued contributors instead of continuing to wait for their next contributions in the FanPost section.

To give you a sense of who they are, I've asked them all a question that allows you to learn a bit about them as Golden State Warriors fans, the shared experience that has brought us all such great joy and pain over the years: "Who is your favorite Golden State Warriors player of all-time?" (Note: Why am I always made to feel like I'm the only Keith Jennings fan in existence after I get responses to this question?)

In addition to the question, each author's name links to their profile where you can see their past contributions to familiarize yourself with what they bring to the table.

Without further ado, our new writers:

Apricot

"My all-time favorite Warrior is Steph Curry, which I know is a boring answer. I love his humility, his close family ways, his inventiveness and court vision, his flair for seeing new angles on the court, his expanding the artistic palette of the non-dunk finish and non-explosive elusiveness. I can watch him play with my kids and say, "Hey -- see how he shared the ball; see how he plays in tune with his teammates; see how he loves it when his teammates play well; see how you can play smart and play bigger than your size."

Basketball Jonez (formerly Uwe Blog)

"I had to think long and hard to come up with my favorite Warriors player of all time. I've rooted for so many great players over the last 30 years. Great scorers like Sleepy Floyd, Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond. Incredible floor generals like Tim Hardaway, Baron Davis, and Stephen Curry. Fiery leaders like Sprewell, Jackson, and Arenas. Quiet pros like Antawn, JRich, and Klay, and thugs like Jerome Kersey and Chris Mills. Odds beaters like Muggsy Bogues and Monta Ellis, and busts like Joe Smith and Mike Dunleavy, Jr.

But who am I kidding? I've got one replica jersey hanging in my closet, and it's Draymond Green's #23. I love watching Draymond play. He's obviously not the best scorer, rebounder, passer, or dribbler. He shoots a little too much and doesn't block a lot of shots. But man, he can lock down the other team's star like no Warriors player I've ever seen, he always seems to be in the right place to make a play, and his picks always seem to make space for the ball handler.

The looks that you see on his opponent's face tells the whole story: you don't want to play against Dray. He set a screen in the loss to the Jazz that made Dante Exum leave the game to vomit in the locker room!!! I'll take that. After three decades of watching opponents have career nights against us night after night, my favorite thing is watching how players struggle for every point they score or every rebound they pull down against Draymond. And that's why he's my favorite Warriors player."

Bram Kincheloe (Twitter: @BramKincheloe)

(Sidebar: Bram actually comes to us via SB Nation-NBA's new centralized application process. I cannot promise you that we'll add everyone who applies that way, but it's the easiest way to get yourself in front of someone higher on the SBN food chain who would then refer high-quality applicants to me. The only difference: someone other than me will ask you to write FanPosts. See a theme emerging here?)

"I am a writer and musician living in New York City. Currently, it's cold here. Like, really cold. Polar Vortex sweeping down from the Arctic cold.

I'm originally from Northern California, born and raised, where it is warm and sunny and everyone is nice to each other (or at least that's how I like to remember it). I have what some might term an unhealthy relationship with the Warriors. For example, the games play much later here with the time difference and at times I find myself wide awake wired at four in the morning after a particularly invigorating win.

In the past, I have unabashedly and unironically rooted for Andris Biedrins. What more can I say? Let's do this."

Please give all of our new contributors a warm GSoM welcome and, as usual, feel free to share who your favorite player is (especially if you can appreciate Keith Jennings' talent).