SB Nation - Marcus Williams

You're Twenty Deep: Analyzing Marcus Williams

djturtleface — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:15:25 -0000

More photos » by Sam Forencich - NBAE/Getty Images

Lets take a look at the new kids on the block.

So the next game against Cleveland might be on NBATV, but its like 25 days away, so I got to thinking that maybe now would be a good time to fit in some of that analysis everybody likes so much.

I came up with this nice little gimmick. Let's check in with all the Grizzlies new players this season, I'm talking about the ones that managed to stay in Memphis for more than three games, and see how they're adjusting.

The order is going to be Marcus Williams, DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young, Hasheem Thabeet, and Zach Randolph. I think this is probably in order of preseason buzz. Maybe I'll include Marc Gasol too, since he's basically a brand new freaking person after losing 150 lbs., mostly hair, in the offseason.

Anyhow, without further ado, here's how Marcus "Who's Laptop" Williams has performed this year -- advanced stats included!

Marcus, you're not Kenny Rogers, you can't gamble every possession.

I'm not sure I've ever seen Marcus Williams pickpocket another point at the top of the key. That means he's probably close to 0 out of 1189, because the dude has no concept of defense. If he was balling in Rucker, alright maybe, but this is the NBA Slick Willy, you got to respect the handles.

Outside of that little frustration -- and by little frustration, I mean frustration big enough to get banished to riding the thinnest pine in the Association -- Williams has done his part. He has proved that he can pass when he's looking to pass, and he has proved he can score when he's looking to score.

Problem here is that you can always tell what he wants to do. It's so obvious. Maybe it's something about how he dribbles or something, but I can tell if he's looking to get his own shot or pass basically every time he touches the ball. I'm pretty sure the defense can tell too, and predictability isn't quite as desirable as consistency, which is another trait that Williams doesn't have.

According to 82games.com, 35% of Marcus Williams's shots come with the 0-10 seconds off the shot clock. On these quick shots he is shooting a blistering 39.3% effective field goal percentage. That's terrible, and while I'm not ready to do background research, I'm going to say that forcing low-percentage shots early in the clock isn't a desirable quality in a point guard.

And yet somehow Marcus Williams is managing to make his Grizzlies teammates one hell of a lot better. Again from 82games.com, all but two of the top ten (top ten not in terms of performance, but minutes played) 5-man units that include Marcus Williams have positive plus-minuses.

Again it doesn't make much sense how Marcus Williams could possibly help the team this much, because when you look at the Grizzlies's offensive, defensive efficiency splits with Marcus Williams on and off the court, they're not exactly fantastic. When Williams is in the Grizzlies score almost 7 points less per 100 possessions, which is a huge difference, though they do make up for that by giving up about 2 point less per 100 possessions.

Why? Probably because the Grizzlies shoot 2% worse with Marcus Williams in despite having far more assists, but mostly because they average a staggering -4 in turnover differential per 48 minutes. Basically, with Marcus Williams in instead of Mike Conley and, to a lesser extent Jamaal Tinsley, the Grizzlies turn the ball over 2 times extra and get 2 less turnovers. So much for all that gambling.

So somehow in 20 games Marcus Williams has managed to play pretty horribly by nearly every personal metric, yet the units he has played in appear to be winners. Does it make any sense? No, it doesn't.

But neither does trying to steal the ball at half-court every play, does it?

Lover's Embrace: Memphis Grizzlies Blow Out Kings 116-105

djturtleface — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:47:10 -0000

More photos » by Mark Weber - AP

22 days ago: Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans, second from right, drives to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies', from left, Marc Gasol, of Spain; Sam Young; and Rudy Gay during the first half of an NBA basketball game game in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Weber)

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Team cohesiveness hasn't been a strong suit of the Memphis Grizzlies since, well, ever. In the pre-playoff days, it never really seemed like anybody liked Pau. You can't just exclude the franchise player like he's the nerdy European. In the playoff days, people seemed to like Pau even less. Doesn't make sense, but it's true.

And since the post-Pau days, team morale and locker room togetherness has been piss poor. Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo openly feuded last season, something that received little press but was obviously apparent. Mike Conley couldn't exist with Kyle Lowry platooning, which is of course absurd. Darko ripped his freaking jersey off.

There was no reason to rip a jersey off tonight though. The Grizzlies moved the ball nicely. All the starters found shots. Rudy Gay looked like a franchise player, as he has the past few games. It's not like the Kings are exactly world-beaters, but they beat us last time, and this time we killed it.

When the national media claimed that adding Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson was going to blow up the solid young locker room, it was like, "What solid young locker room?" With Iverson out of the picture, however, a nice little bit of camaraderie is starting to appear.

The terrifying part is that Zach Randolph has been a part of it. Z-Bo has been saying the right things to the press. He has been sharing the ball. He hustles, at least as much as he can hustle. He cleans up Rudy and O.J.'s out-of-control messes. Over the past couple games, Randolph has constantly had his arms around Rudy and Marc's necks, and I don't think he's just tired from all that hustling.

Zach Randolph is acting like a veteran leader for this team, especially for Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay. Is it a surprise that those two are rocking with their backs to the basket? Yes. It is a surprise. I think I know the culprit. And I like it. That doesn't mean I want to see Rudy stop dunking or want Marc Gasol to start shooting that one handed post shot that should never, never freaking ever, go in -- but it is encouraging.

Rockness Monster: Rudy Gay is starting to play more like a franchise player every night. Not a championship team caliber star, mind you, but a franchise player. His game is becoming a lot like Carmelo Anthony's, but more Paul Pierce in terms of contribution. And yes, I think that he could have a very Pierce-like career.

U-Turn: Mike Conley played not so awful tonight. Also Marcus Williams came astonishingly close to a DNP-CD because Jamaal "Ashey Larry" Tinsley just straight rocked the fast break. He doesn't have his sea legs under him on defense yet, but knows how to move the ball up the court.

Bitter Limon: O.J. Mayo is terrible at defense almost all the time. I used to think he was good, but that's just not true. He lined up almost exclusively against Tyreke Evans tonight, and vice versa, and Reke Havok routinely blew past him for an easy bucket or to draw a foul on one of the bigs.

Sleeping With the Enemy: The Kings got a lot of ticky-tack fouls and violations, specifically travels and reach-in calls, early on. The Grizzlies got them too, but not until after it made some sense. Anyways, it clearly got in the Kings players' heads, which in turn diminished their efforts. Omri Casspi continued to look great, so did Tyreke, and Sergio Rodriguez looked decent too. But I didn't see the back-to-wall effort this team was supposed to show.

You Got a Friend: Grizzlies beat 76ers 102-97

djturtleface — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:45:22 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

25 days ago: Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay, right, dunks the ball as Philadelphia 76ers' Samuel Dalembert defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

View full size photo »

Keeping the ball rolling, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Philadelphia 76ers 102 to 97 tonight in Philly. The Grizzlies took the lead in the 3rd quarter and never looked back. Rudy Gay dropped 33 points and double-doubled it by adding 10 boards. Zach Randolph also doubled-down with 21 points and 11 boards, albeit off a somewhat ugly and inefficient 19 shots.

Marc Gasol dominated early, pressuring the 76ers bigs by getting to the line for 10 free throws. He looked like Dwight Howard at times, being wrapped up as soon as the ball entered the low post. In the second half Rudy took over while Iguodala covered O.J. Mayo, who has a down night scoring, as Gay flashed all his mid-range moves.

On defense Andre Iguodala shut down whoever he covered, besides on one late-game dagger by Rudy, but he struggled to find his own shot on offense tonight. Louis Williams carried the 76ers by shooting 12-16 from the field for 31 points. Neither Marcus Williams nor Mike Conley could check him at all.

Speaking on the point guard controversy, both guards did some things well. Conley's probing drew out the 76ers bigs, which allowed the Grizzlies to get all over the offensive boards, but Marcus Williams ran the team a little better in the traditional sense. New veteran Jamaal Tinsley seemed to still be getting his legs under him.

Even Hasheem Thabeet put in some good minutes, making a nice impact to get Gasol some rest, and both DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young filled in well also. Carroll finished out the game at power forward, and he grabbed two offensive boards that prolonged a couple bad Grizzlies possessions to seal the game despite a push by Philly at the end.

More coverage coming in time, again check Liberty Ballers out, and be sure to drop your thoughts on the nice win.

Gold Lion: Grizzlies beat the Clippers 106-91

djturtleface — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:16:01 -0000

More photos » by Lance Murphey - AP

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Mike Conley might not have responded well to the push Marcus Williams has been making for his job, but the Grizzlies certainly responded well to Conley's foul trouble, both with Williams and O.J. Mayo running the offense. The Grizzlies offense absolutely tore up the Clippers, shooting 54% from the field and getting to the line 19 times with 17 hits on those free ones.

After another big 3rd quarter push, just like against the Wolves, the Grizzlies took control and never even thought about looking back. Memphis has now won two in a row, and even if the Timberwolves and Clippers aren't exactly playoff teams, that's still something.

You can get more at Clips Nation, or hop over the jump for a longer recap.

Zach Randolph got dirty on offense, shooting great and passing effectively despite only earning one assist for that work. Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo were just splashing every jumper they took, often open catch-and-shoots, a rarity for the Grizzlies. But again Marc Gasol stole the show on offense. Big Gasol was nearly perfect from the field, and he even dished six dimes. The high-post Gasol attack was on display tonight.

And while the offense definitely was the shining star in this game, the defense was pretty solid too. I actually liked what Zach was doing, how often do you see dude get four fouls? Not often, but he should try it more often. Craig Smith, a surprisingly decent offensive backup, got his buckets, but Zach protected the rim better than normal.

I even liked the bench out there. DeMarre's jumper was a little less crooked, and Hasheem Thabeet returned to look a little less goofy against the Clipper scrubs. Sam Young led the second unit again, but I thought he looked to pass a bit more than usual.

Rockness Monster: Marc Gasol might be the Grizzlies best player. He just keeps showing new moves and more vision every game this season. Last season Marc had definite limitations; he banged the boards and showed flashes of other skills. This year the younger Gasol is dangerously close to mastering the high-post.

U-Turn: Marcus Williams played better with the starters than he does with the subs. He clearly defers more often, and even though he shouldn't be shooting threes with that wonky jumper, Williams played well within himself. Look, he's still a terrible defender and seems to have no concept of when to push or slow things down, but results are results. And Mike Conley is terrible.

Bitter Limon: I bet you can guess... Mike Conley shoots 0-4 from the field, has 2 assists to 2 turnovers, and collects 5 fouls in just 16 minutes on the court. I didn't realize you could so much damage in so little time.

Sleeping With the Enemy: Well, Baron Davis certainly didn't do his team any favors, and nobody else bailed the Clippers out, as hard as Chris Kaman might have tried. Al Thornton might be out of the league in three years, and Rasual Butler got revealed as a product of Chris Paul like he was a Scooby-Doo villain. What else is there to say about this team? Without Eric Gordon, they're not very good.

Land War, Asia: Grizzlies Sign Jamaal Tinsley

djturtleface — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:46:21 -0000

This is wrong on so many levels; according to multiple outlets the Memphis Grizzlies have signed Jamaal Tinsley to a one year deal. The negotiations were completed prior to tonight's game, as the veteran guard, oftentimes considered to be more than a bit cancerous, was actually on the roster but inactive during the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tinsley should practice with the team starting tomorrow.

Signing Tinsley will likely be perceived both as an admission that former superstar Allen Iverson isn't returning to the team in the near future -- if Tinsley signs it would almost certainly indicate that retirement is on A.I.'s mind -- and an indictment of young point guard Mike Conley. Conley has not run the offense efficiently this season, and signing Tinsley could kick him from his starting role.

Get over the jump for an evaluation of the move.

Jamaal Tinsley is a pass-first point guard of the truest sort. Even when feuding with teammates and coaches he routinely drops double-doubles. His passing and ball-handling are skills that the Grizzlies definitely require. In addition he was a better defender than either Conley or Marcus Williams; whether he has lost a step or not, a la Jason Kidd, is yet to be seen. The Tinsley Pacer's fans used to hate fits in this Grizzlies unit better than Mike Conley, and Conley probably fits nicely commanding the second unit where he could shoulder the scoring load.

But at the end of the day, we're still talking about the Jamaal Tinsley who was hated by the Pacers organization for his off the court behavior and demeanor. "Mel Mel Tha Abuser" was so incorrigible that he was eventually banned from all team activities while in the last season of his contract in Indiana. Though teams early in his career have been successful, he is often considered a "cancerous" player -- not unlike Zach Randolph.

Honestly this signing probably won't end too well, though there is room for hope. Expectations need to be held low, unike with Iverson, because Tinsley's skills almost certainly aren't what they used to be. That being said I've been very critical of the Grizzlies roster and especially their guard play, so it's hard to openly decry the signing. His command of the role of a "true point" will definitely help keep the offense from breaking down into a free-for-all like it has in recent blowouts.

Are there better options out there then Tinsley? Yes. Are there easier options, or options in free agency? No. The Grizzlies have to do something, and it might as well be Jamaal Tinsley. It seems risky, but there's nothing to risk if you have nothing to lose.

Just, please, keep Zach and him away from the strip-clubs.

If This Pen Only Had Erasable Ink

djturtleface — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:10:20 -0000

You know it seems like I've been writing a lot of previews, gamethreads, and wrap-ups lately. Rather than assessing the state of the team as a whole, I've been forced into reactionary mode. Maybe that's not such a good thing; maybe it's keeping my basketball sanity. I've never been upset that the world only spins in one direction.

But maybe it's also keeping me from clearly articulating the truth; from here on out the gloves are off. I don't want to seem hyper-critical, yet there's no point in pretending any longer -- this roster just isn't going to work.

You know that, at the start of the season, I was like most other Memphis fans, that is tentatively excited. In my season preview I predicted 34 wins for the Grizzlies. Now given there was no way to predict the Allen Iverson predicament would hit this soon, but it's not like his presence was the most immediate reason to predict success.

So, as the title might indicate, this post is a watershed moment in Straight Outta Vancouver's coverage of the Memphis Grizzlies. I tried to give these boys my trust to begin with, but from here on out respect must be earned. You might have noticed a more critical tone over the past few days, please try to get used to it.

With explanations out of the way, here is a revised look at the current state of the Memphis Grizzlies (1-8). From here on out expect a post like this once a week, though perhaps none that are quite as extensive.

This is not Mike Conley in any way, shape, or form.

Mike Conley: Has struggled to find his mojo. During a game Portland's color commentator commented that Conley should be better with Iverson out of the way, as A.I. had been grudging against the young point guard. I'm not sure if that's supposed to reflect more negatively on Iverson's countenance, or on the fact that MIke Conley looks, acts, and plays like a terrified baby farm animal.

What else is there to say about Conley but bad defense and bad offense. He's shown flashes of talent, and his presence definitely settles the offense at times. Overall, however, he's been inadequate at running the offense. If you're terrified of an evil eye, how can you lead a team of grown men?

O.J. Mayo: Dropped an inefficient 40 on the Nuggets in a loss. I like O.J. Mayo a lot, but I'm not sure that I've seen much growth at this point. His currently abilities definitely make him better suited to be a super-scorer-sub, like a Leandro Barbosa or Ben Gordon, than a franchise player.

Will it come? Maybe. Hopefully. But right now O.J. Mayo doesn't look like a Brandon Roy and certainly is no Dwayne Wade. He still looks to score himself far too often, and is dribbling too often. O.J. Mayo might not be a Zach Randolph, but his offensive style definitely doesn't help the problem of ball stagnation. The kid can pass, but he just doesn't seem to have it in his head.

On the defensive end, Mayo can definitely cover his man, but just isn't big enough to get the job done. I'd argue that none of the top 10 shooting guards in the league (note in case you cared: Kobe, Wade, Roy, Iguodala, Johnson, Ginobilli, Carter, Martin, Allen, Hamilton) are even close to as undersized as Mayo. In fact part of what makes them so good is that they're practically as big as small forwards. Sorry O.J., but that ain't you.

We've now come to that bridge, I wish we could cross it.

Rudy Gay: Rudy Gay has done some things very well on the offensive end. Despite Coach Hollins playing him for a stupid 40 minutes per game -- especially ridiculous when you consider that the starters have been sitting in the recent blowouts -- Rudy has seemed to keep his energy up. He still isn't passing well or often, but is taking much smarter shots as his efficiency is way up.

Defense is a different story. Rudy Gay is not a very good defender. Lots of the time he gives effort; effort isn't the problem. Not playing defense is the problem. On a team with better defenders surrounding him, Rudy would be pretty average. On the Grizzlies he looks like he's tripping over himself just getting into defensive stance.

Zach Randolph: See: Rudy Gay. Zach has done everything he's promised. He scores. He rebounds. He passes better than his rep, but not better than average. In fact Zach has even managed to stop taking three pointers, which has actually helped Zach score even more efficiently. The only thing that I'd like to note about Randolph is that he's seriously embarrassing to watch. If Z-bo misses a shot, it's probably blocked, bricked, or outright airballed. Somehow I feel like his abilities are completely incompatible to his skills.

Never say that Zach Randolph doesn't play defense. Randolph does get back. Randolph does get hands in people's face. Zach Randolph's problem is that he babies the offense. The guy never fouls anyone. He puts a hand in your face, yes, but it's not frightening because every opposing power-forward gameplans knowing that the hand is meaningless. Then again, in non-isolation defense he's just plain old awful; no explanation needed.

Marc Gasol: Gasol plays a nice brand of basketball. He reminds me a lot of Kings-prime Brad Miller. He combines the ability to bang and get intense with constant awareness and a little bit of silliness. When Marc catches the ball in the high post, normally something good is going to happen. Yes, Gasol can still get lost in the shuffle, but he's also more assertive most of the time. Marc Gasol is good enough on offense to deserve more touches.

And just like every other starter, Marc's defense is basically the polar opposite. He looks soft when defending, though he can put his body into guys on the boards, and his awareness of moving players, pieces, and screens is more confused puppy than Spanish lion.

Photo of Hasheem Thabeet trying to exit press conference.

Baby Bench: So to nobody's surprise Hasheem Thabeet is turning out to be, arguably, one of the bigger flops of the Memphis Grizzlies, which is saying quite a lot. Even before breaking his jaw on Zach Randolph's magic eight-ball noggin, Thabeet didn't impress anyone. Haddadi has looked better, and should be playing more minutes. He makes some spectacular passes for a big man.

The forwards Sam Young and DeMarre Carroll are a mixed bag. In the preseason Sam Young's heroics were a big part of the wins for Memphis. This season he hasn't done much of anything. I like Young's skills, but not his game. He and DeMarre both still dribble like they're in college, doing unnecessary and ineffective spins and crossovers, and aren't looking to defer to the starters that should be their security blankets. The one major upside has been DeMarre Carroll's willingness to get dirty -- it's what is keeping him in the rotation.

The guards have been, in a word, deplorable. Allen Iverson left the team; he might not be coming back anytime soon, if ever. Marcus Williams has also been worse than average. Originally I was way down on his play, but should probably expect less. For a backup Williams has been liveable, for a 6th man, he's bad. I sure miss Hakim Warrick right about now.

Coach Lionel Hollins: I like it that Hollins has told Rudy and Zach not to shoot threes so frequently. That's obviously helpful for their stats. I don't like it that they're not shooting threes. These two guys can hit at a 35% clip if they're shooting them at the right times, and that would stretch the floor, which the Grizzlies don't do despite having five shooters capable from mid-range and four from beyond.

Terrifying. Not unlike Hollins tenure as coach so far.

I don't like it that Hollins hasn't gotten his team under control, routinely looks like he's out-coached, and can't find a way to get this guys to execute any defensive sets. Lots of teams made up of average to sub-par individual defenders can excel defensively when they work together. Hollins hasn't figured that out at all.

And where did the free-flowing offense go? Over the past two games the Grizzlies have slowed it down considerably. They were coming close to winning games when they unleashed their offense -- without the offense the Grizzlies are dead in the water. These kids can play decent defense in the right situation, but they're never going to be good enough to San Antonio-it.

But take some hope. The kids are young. Hollins is inexperienced. There is learning to be done. The Grizzlies won't be this bad all season, I can promise that.

Sadly though, until they somehow prove otherwise, this unit won't be good ever either.

Poll

How many wins will the Grizzlies get this season?

Under 20 wins.

19 votes

20-25 wins.

36 votes

26-30 wins.

9 votes

31-35 wins.

3 votes

35-45 wins.

4 votes

Over 45 wins.

8 votes

79 votes | Poll has closed

Theme for the 2009-2010 D-League: Emo Rockers

Aisander D — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:55:07 -0000

These guys may look douchey, but just wait because the D-League is next.

View full size photo »

Every year in the D-League is a little different. The stand-out players and studs change from week to week, let alone year to year. And with every new batch of players comes new attitudes, personalities, and back stories. One thing that really sets the D-League apart from the NBA is that our players are much more uninhibited in displaying their real personalities and saying/doing crazy things (exceptions: Stephon Marbury and Ron Artest). When you combine all of the new players coming into the D-League this year, you come up with a general theme, a storyline upon which one can predict the craziness of the upcoming season. Take last season's theme as an example: ~~6'9" Left-Handed Chinese Point Guard Dominates D-League~~. Explosive Athletes Almost Make NBA (here's looking at you Marcus Williams, James White, and Derrick Byars).

I say all of that to come to this point. This year's theme is becoming abundantly clear: Emo Rock Band.

Emo Rock Bands are well known as the tight-black-clothing wearing, black-fingernail-painted, ugly-swooping-hair styled, whiny-droning-emotive losers who appeal most to girls between the ages of 11-14. Now my prediction is that certain elements of this style will present themselves in this year's players. If you think I'm crazy and full of BS, just wait.

Hit the Jump for Proof

PROOF:

That's right Robert Swift and Kevin Pittsnogle are headed to the D-League and bringing their considerable Tattoos

These two guys are known for being two things: Dark and tattooed (and semi-sucky at basketball). They will no doubt bring a darker and more emotive edge to the D-League, in the process possibly scoring tons of 11-14 year old fans in places like Tulsa, OK and Bismarck, ND.

But Swift and Pittsnogle are not the only tattooed and brooding D-Leaguers. No, there is another whose attitude and emotional sensibilities cannot be ignored. Yeah, that's right. Will Conroy.

Note: Tattoos, ironic sportsmanship award winner, firey attitude, sometimes brooding = Will Conroy

Oh, you don't see it? Well how about now....

Yeah it's all falling into place, but mark my words, this year's D-League is going to be a lot more sullen and confusing. Conroy, Pittsnogle, and Swift entering the D-League have foreshadowed interesting things to come, now just watch as it unfolds. And try not to cry.

Macro-Warriornomics - WE BELIEVE WE SUCK :: GSoM's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview (Part 2 of 2)

Atma Brother ONE — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:09:45 -0000

Don't forget to check out Part I of our 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview super blowout special- Micro-Warriornomics

Macro-Warriornomics class is now in session...

-----------------------

QUESTION:

How does a team go from this:

to this:

in less than a 2 years?

ANSWER: Four words- Chris. Cohan. Robert. Rowell.

Sure the WE SUCK movement is back in full effect for Cohan's Warriors, but that doesn't mean we're not looking forward to the start of the 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors campaign here in Dubs Land.

Jump to find out why WE SUCK is still going to be exciting!

2k8-2k9 Golden State Warriors Rewind

Last Year's Record: 29-53

After the wildly entertaining ups and downs and highs and ultimate highs of the 2006-2007 season and the mediocre, but entertaining non-playoff 2007-2008 season, the Warriors 2008-2009 season was a complete disaster. Pre-WE BELIEVE the Warriors were mockingly "Unstoppable Baby!". During the short lived but thrilling WE BELIEVE era they were a SHOCK THE WORLD variant of "Unstoppable Baby!". However last season they were mostly "Unwatchable Baby."

From silly turnovers, to numerous mental lapses, to dumbfoundedly saddling a legendary coach in his twilight on the sidelines with a young and raw team with questionable mythical upside, to Moped Gate, to ZERO defense, to an absurd amount of media hysteria for mostly the wrong reasons-- Cohan and Rowell's product last season was not worth the price of admission, which was incredulously a sizable increase over the previous season. (Apologies for the run-on, but to be honest all of last year was on one big run-on for this franchise.) There were so many times last season when we couldn't even GIVE away our lowerbowl seats to Warriors games for FREE. (I wasn't joking about the "Unwatchable Baby.")

Thankfully we get to move on.

The Warriors need some serious "Computer Assistance" in real life.

[NBA 2K10 Golden State Warriors Style]

2k9 Golden State Warriors Offseason Rewind

Key Losses

The Chris Mullin Publicity Stunt

Back in 2004 when Warriors owner Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell promoted Gary St. Jean "protege" Chris Mullin to VP/ GM it was nothing more than a silly little publicity stunt. Over the course of his 4 years at the Warriors helm his best move was getting saved by his former mentor Don Nelson. Despite what the media would like you to believe partly because of their bizarre vendetta against Nellie, Mullin was 1) not improving as a GM and 2) is a major reason for the Warriors current disarray with his silly trades (giving the New Jersey Nets a 1st round pick for a fringe NBA player in Marcus Williams) and odd obsession with constantly getting younger and rawer with a lot of b-rate talents, but never building a team to win in the present.

Don't get me wrong. It's hard not to root for Mullie. He's a nice guy and wanted to create an atmosphere that players (regardless of how overpaid or untalented) would want to be a part of. Those are both commendable qualities.

But the media at large and the average Warriors or NBA fan blew Mullie's dismal way out of proportion. He should've never been hired. He deserved to be fired. The problem is that the two guys who fired him (Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell) also deserved to be fired.

Also see: The Mullin Myths: Chris Mullin made the Warriors a franchise players wanted to join

The Marco Belinelli Hype Machine

The Marco Belinelli Hype Machine has thankfully left the building. I still contend that the Toronto Raptors just traded for Jiri Welsch 2.0 and Belinelli probably won't even be in the league in 2-3 seasons.

The Warriors contract dumping of Belinelli is further evidence of Nellie and GM Larry Riley's confidence in Anthony Morrow. It's also an indicator that they both know the definition of "meritocracy" unlike a lot of Warriors fans and local/ national media who inanely hyped this guy up to no end and made almost as many excuses for him as the "golden age" of Mullin's blind affection for Mike Dunleavy.

Not just Warriors and NBA any more...

GSoM now has you covered for all your furniture needs!

Key Additions

Umm let me put this succintly as I can... N/A.

The key word there is "Key". The Warriors did nothing "Key" this past offseason other than potentially making a nice selection at the #7 slot with Stephen Curry aka Masala aka Kid Curry.

After a disastrous 2k8-2k9 season that couldn't end fast enough, it was abundantly clear that this roster was in dire need of change. The Warriors pretty much promised a major shakeup, but alas these were nothing but delusions of grandeur. The Warriors had an absolutely meaningless offseason in terms of roster moves.

Additions

(Now that we got rid of the word "Key" we can get down to business.)

Miikki Moore

I'm just happy he's on the home squad and not on the visiting team.

As Yay Area fav E-40 would say:

SHAKE DEM DREADS!

Expiring Contracts

Why did the Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol to the La Lakers for basically nothing? Why did the Timberwolves trade Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics? (hint: it wasn't Al Jefferson)

Take at look at these contracts that come off the books after this season (via HoopsHype):

Speedy Claxton- $5.2 million
Acie Law- $2.9 million (team option for 2010-2011)
Devean George- $1.6 million
Mikki Moore- $1.3 million
C.J. Watson- $1.0 million

That's potentially upwards of $12,000,000 in fun money. Some possibilities.

2k9-2k10 Golden State Warriors Projections

Biggest Strengths

Roaracle Faithful

There's two constants for the Golden State Warriors:

THE SUCK
The best fans in the entire association

We could go on and on about #1, but let's take a second and appreciate #2.

<long second>

Especially before WE BELIEVE the Golden State Warriors have always had some of the smartest and savvy-est fans in the league. Loyalty would be an understatement.

Golden faces.

1 Dub. 1 Luv. is more like it.

Likable Young Players

There's plenty of reasons not to warm up to vets like Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis.

But Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, and Anthony Randolph? That's a whole different animal. It's hard not to root for these guys.

The Anthony's plus a little masala is a-OK with me.

They're young, they're exciting, and the expectations might be a tad bit too high for them. But they'll be fun to watch and root for.

Expiring Contracts

I can't stress this one enough. If the Warriors actually use these chips intelligently they've got a shot at something nice, real nice.

The 2nd (soon to be 1st) Most Winningnest Coach in NBA History

More often than not the Warriors will have the coaching advantage on the sidelines. There is no other coach in the league that can do more with less- which is especially relevant here since the Warriors will have less more often than not this season. For all the drama that he brings for a variety of reasons (not all his fault), Nellie is a master hoops tactician and that can't be denied.

By the way if you're reading a Warriors preview or article on a national mainstream outlet and they routinely refer to CWebb-Nellie parallels, it's a BIG clue that they haven't done their homework and unfortunately know that sensationalism = more web clicks.

By the way if you see baseless and inane "FIRE NELLIE!" rants from a Warriors fan every time something goes wrong, it's a BIG clue that they didn't live through The Dirty Dozen: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 either because they're too young or they didn't realize there was a basketball team in California other than the LA Lakers till the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

Nellie and Riley as the Shot Callers

When the Warriors unceremoniously dumped Chris Mullin to much (mostly unfounded) fan and media backlash, they promoted Nellie's buddy Larry Riley to the GM spot. Riley doesn't have the most distinguished resume based on his numerous NBA stops, but unlike the Warriors previous hire he actually has credentials and experience at all levels- coaching, scouting, and management. Unlike the Warriors previous hire, he actually sounds prepared at interviews and seems to have a vision.

It will be great to have a head coach and GM that are finally on the same page. You could tell Nellie wasn't exactly enamored with Mullin's player pickups and rightfully so (the Adonal Foyle- Troy Murphy- Mike Dunleavy front court?, Kosta Perovic? Marcus WIlliams?).

There's a great piece over at SFGate about new Warriors GM Larry Riley that's definitely worth the cost of a click.

Jim Barnett, Tim Roye, and The Razor and Mr. T

I wanted to take a quick second to highlight some folks who don't get much national media attention though they're quite golden. There's a lot of clowns working under Cohan's regime and in the local Bay Area media who we'll leave unnamed, but these guys are more than legit.

Jim Barnett of Barnett's Law Fame. Barnett is the Warriors color TV commentator and is old school smooth in every way imaginable.

Tim Roye of Elevation Sensation fame. Roye is the Warriors radio announcer and does an absolutely superb job despite having announced so much suck for well over a decade.

Ralph Barbieri of Amici's fame and Tom Tolbert of Run TMC fame. The Razor and Mr. T host the weekly Don Nelson Show on KNBR here in the Bay Area. If you've never heard Nellie's show with Ralph and Tom you're missing out.

Biggest Weaknesses

The Human Powered Turnover Machine

Barring no injuries and if Monta Ellis can make through the season without hopping on a "low-speed moped", it's a pretty safe bet that the Warriors will lead the league in turnovers. Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Anthony Randolph will be the main culprits. Rookie Stephen Curry will probably add to the turnover totals considerably, but we will excuse the rookie.

We'll be using this picture quite a bit in our recaps this season.

Low Hoops IQ

Top to bottom this is one of the dumbest rosters in the league. It can be painful watching them struggle to throw the simplest inbounds pass. Part of that is being young, but most of that can be attributed to players who simply aren't that sharp on the court and off the court. We'll just leave it at that. We're not in the business of hurting the trade value of players on the home team- well at least today.

Immaturity

Media Day 2009 typifies the "Captain" Moped silliness. I'll pass the mic to my man DT from the mighty Fear the Beard: Hater Tuesday: Warriors media day special edition:

What the hell kind of team can't even get media day right? Show up, look happy to be a well-compensated professional, say some nice things to move some tickets, and go home. But no. Not our Dubs. They've got to make this into a public spectacle of dysfunction. And at the center of the storm? The team's two best players. First, you've got Captain Grinch telling us that, yes, he still wants out. Then you've got Monta telling us that, no, he doesn't think Nellie's backcourt plan will work. Great. Where do I sign up to give Chris Cohan that disproportionate share of my disposable income for my delusional "great time out?"

Don't you hate it when your "Captain" is running away from the mess he helped create?

It's very difficult rooting for these guys.

Goals

Playoffs?! PLAYOFFS?! You wanna talk about playoffs?

Actually it's really quite simple. There's really only 2 goals. It takes 2.

1. Fire Rowell

Simply put, Robert Rowell's ascension and solidification as a front office executive on a half billion dollar corporation defies reason. Our recent Q&A with San Jose Mercury columnist Tim Kawakami reaffirmed what we've know for years around these parts: No other NBA team would be dumb enough to have him as an executive:

But there is no support for him as a franchise-runner and everybody knows he's not good at handling people, despite the handful of loyalists who remain in the Warriors employ, There's definitely zero respect for the public front-office chicanery/zaniness of the last year or so.

In fact, I got calls from NBA execs wondering what Rowell was doing when he signed Jackson to the three-year extension, and got calls from the same guys laughing their butts off when Jackson made his public trade request. His dance with Nelson, also, is amusing to NBA folks who know Nelson well.

So no, I don't think Rowell would get a job in any high position in the NBA if Cohan would grant him free agency. Maybe he could be a marketing guy for a D-League team?

Marketing guy for a D-League team. No disrespect to the fine folks at Ridiculous Upside (where you can always find out who will be the next Warrior), but that's pretty hilarious.

Seriously can we get Thunder back already?

2. Chris Cohan Sells the Warriors

From the Archives:

SPECIAL REPORT: The man who owns the Warriors. Cohan's rocky reign. An era marked by lost games, lost fans and endless litigation [SFGate]
RUMOR: Warriors owner Chris Cohan "highly likely" to sell
Polling GSoM: Are you really that surprised that PR director Raymond Ridder and the Golden State Warriors got caught "astroturfing"? (5/23/09)
At the Press Conference: Write "Sell the Warriors" (8/29/06)
Missing Signatures (4/19/06)
Rise to the Occasion (3/17/06)
2005-2006 REPORT CARD: Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell (8/23/09)
BREAKING NEWS: Ice Cube Purchases the Warriors (4/1/06)
We Want Larry! (7/25/09)
San Jose SuperSonics in 2k8 (7/18/06)
NBA Draft 2006: Chris Cohan is happy the draft isn't in the Bay (6/28/07)
The Dirty Dozen - Part 1 of 3 (9/11/06)
IRS Stressing Warrior Owner Chris Cohan (5/19/09)
NBA Payroll Playpen and Cohanomics (11/30/07)
WARRIORSist (6/6/06)
RUMOR: Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell said no to Kevin Garnett because of additional salary and the luxury tax (5/16/09)
RUMOR: Chris Cohan IS INDEED interested in selling Warriors and was in negotiations with Larry Ellison

There really isn't much more to say that we haven't said already, but I will say this. Warriors fans Nirvana isn't winning a championship. It's living to see Cohan sell this team and ending his failed attempt to kill all interest in pro hoops in the Bay Area.

Maybe "Weekend at Cohan's" is better than 16 Years with Cohan?

We'll happily take a championship though.

Projected Finish- "Let's Get IF-y!"

Let's take it back to Computer Science 101 for all our many Silicon Valley readers out there and utilize the ominpotent If statement.

If the Warriors don't make any moves and stay healthy, they're headed for 34 wins and the 10th spot in the West.

If the Warriors continue their injury prone ways (which has a high likelihood with players like Corey Maggette), they're headed for 29 wins (again) and the 12th spot in the West.

If the Warriors cash in all their trade chips and bring in an All-Star caliber big man a la Amare Stoudemire before the season is lost, they're headed for 48 wins and a low playoff seed with a bright and exciting future ahead.

Don't Forget Who We Are

A lot of folks might not have had the "privilege" of following this team and fanbase before the mainstream sports media and even many local media outlets here in the Bay Area cared to pay attention. When it comes to suck, the Warriors having been doing it for years:

Ain't nothing new here!

We're used to it.

Is there another region of hoops junkies who rally around something like this?

"UNSTOPPABLE BABY!"

Golden State Warriors rookie Marc Jackson to the Mavericks' bench, after hitting a lay-up during a 29-point loss (2000)

This is who we are.

I remember 3 years ago (pre-WE BELIEVE, pre-bandwagoners, pre-most regular national and local media coverage of the Warriors, pre-everyone and their mamma starting a Warriors blog because they can type even though they're borderline illiterate) when we launched The W Column for FSN Bay Area (now Comcast Sports Net Bay Area). Each of the GSoM writers answered the essay question we posed for our contest America's Next Warriors fan: Why I love the Warriors even though they've missed the playoffs for 12 straight seasons. Here's what I wrote:

I'm a Golden State Warriors fan because I'm in a golden state of mind.

The Bay Area sports soul is fragmented in professional football (49ers and Raiders) and baseball (A's and Giants) as well as college athletics (Cal, Stanford, San Jose State, and Santa Clara University), but not in pro hoops. The Warriors are a unifying force in Bay Area sports. They represent the Bay and are a rallying point for all of us. Every time the Warriors win it's like throwing up a big W for the entire Bay. That's golden.

Almost every night out at the Arena and on the road the Warriors aren't supposed to win. It's that "shock the world" mentality that breathes life into Warriors Nation. That mentality ignites our interests even when the Warriors aren't within sniffing distance of the playoffs. It fuels our Bay Area hoops soul. That's golden.

It might sound silly that the Warriors officially play for "Golden State", but there's nothing silly about being in a golden state of mind. That my friends is truly golden.

(Make sure to read the rest of that piece for some more golden words from DJ Fuzzy Logic, Fantasy Junkie, YaoButtaMing, and Hash.)

Despite the constant dysfunction junction off 880 on Hegenberger Ave., for me persoally nothing has changed.

We might be waiting awhile here in the Bay Area, but we WILL shock the world again like we did back in the spring of 2007 with WE BELIEVE. Oh it might take another 12 year playoff drought. Oh it might take Nellie coming back a third time to coach the Warriors in 2020 in his 90's. Oh it might take another wacky and improbable run with the Warriors qualifying for the playoffs on the last day of the season. But it will happen. We WILL SHOCK THE WORLD AGAIN.

This is who we are.

**********

Other fine Warriors previews from our folks:

BDL's 2009-10 NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors [Ball Don't Lie]
Warriors could open 7-1, and I'm still predicting 34 wins: Month-by-month breakdown [Talking Points - San Jose Mercury]
FanHouse Preview: Warriors

**********

2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview

Anthony Morrow: Ammo + Chocolate Rain
Stephen Jackson: O Captain, My Captain
Speedy Claxton/ Devean George, Acie Law: Wouldn't Count on It
Brandan Wright: Injury Prone
Stephen Curry: Let There Be Hope
Monta Ellis: Back in the Saddle
Corey Maggette: The 6th Wonder of the Oracle
Anthony Randolph: Hope Beyond the Hype
C.J. Watson: Storm-a-brewin'?
Mikki Moore: Ronny Turiaf Sr.
Ronny Turiaf: Still Gettin' Hyphy
Andris Biedrins: The Forgotten Warrior
Kelenna Azubuike: The Price is Right

Golden State Warriors 2k9-2k10 Super Preview Blowout Special!

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies: Going Back to Vancouver
Miami Heat: Need to get the point
Milwaukee Bucks: Saving a few buck$
Minnesota Timberwolves: Donde esta Senor Rubio?
New Jersey Nets: The Year of the Yi
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks: Is it summatime yet?
Oklahoma City Thunder: The X Factors
Orlando Magic: Are they Vinsane? You be the judge
Philadelphia 76ers: Are they (Elton) Brand New?
Phoenix Suns: Who knows?
Portland TrailBlazers: The Fire Keeps Burning
Sacramento Kings: It's all up from here
San Antonio Spurs: An Apple a Day...
Toronto Raptors: So International
Utah Jazz: Reset Button
Washington Wizards: Guess Who's Bizzack?
Rewind: We Got Art

Poll

How many games will the 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors win?

0-9 wins :: WE SERIOUSLY SUCK

25 votes

10-19 wins :: WE REALLY SUCK

24 votes

20-29 wins :: WE DEFINITELY SUCK

192 votes

30-39 wins :: WE SUCK

476 votes

40-49 wins :: PLAYOFFS?! WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT PLAYOFFS!

370 votes

50-59 wins :: SHOCK THE WORLD

66 votes

60-69 wins :: LEBRON JAMES IS COMING, RIGHT?

7 votes

70-81 wins :: MICHAEL JORDAN IS COMING, RIGHT?

7 votes

82 wins :: "UNSTOPPABLE BABY!"

133 votes

1300 votes | Poll has closed

Darrell Arthur Too Buff: To Miss 4 Months

djturtleface — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:29:32 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

8 months ago: Memphis Grizzlies' Darrell Arthur, right, and Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, left, fight for the loose ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 4, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Darren Hauck)

Browse more photos »

Sophomore Darrell Arthur will miss four months after having surgery on a partially torn pectoral muscle, as announced by the Memphis Grizzlies and a multitude of other sources. Arthur has been fighting injury since the summer league, but this particular injury stems from training camp. No source contends that the injury was suffered while getting his swell on at the bench, but I have my suspicions.

This is undoubtedly a loss for the Grizzlies. Yes, the frontcourt isn't exactly thin, but the Grizzlies also aren't exactly deep with experience. Arthur has some significant experience after starting for much of last season, albeit in short minutes, and should have been Zach Randolph's primary backup at power forward. Arthur is an excellent energy guy and can finish with his athleticism. Though he's still raw, he is full-sized and his game is a nice counter to Zach Randolph in terms of skills brought to the table. I was excited to see what Arthur could do with a mandate of "get in, jump around, break bones, block shots, foul freely."

Also this probably will push up the minutes for Marcus Williams, since Young will probably drop out of the guard rotation to back up small forward and DeMarre Carroll will play backup power forward in his stead. I'm not of the opinion that DeMarre is particularly effective at the power forward against traditional opponents, because he doesn't quite stretch the floor or dribble-drive well enough to exploit matchups a la Rashard Lewis.

On the plus side Arthur's injury will give the rookies about 20 minutes per game to show their stuff. I see Thabeet being the biggest beneficiary in terms of playing time -- this could be a twin towers opportunity. DeMarre Carroll has already more than earned rotation minutes, and I suspect the level of run Sam Young gets will continue to depend on how hot his hand is that night, since he's largely still inconsistent and using too many shots some nights.

Still don't make any mistake, Arthur was ready to make the jump to a major contributor off the bench, and I have no doubt that the rookies won't outproduce him with those minutes. Over the course of four months, I see the Grizzlies losing a couple wins to the injury.

Grizzlies Run Over Pistons, 115-94

AUrunna — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:46:01 -0000

More photos » by Nikki Boertman - AP

about 1 month ago: Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace (6) battles Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33), of Spain, for a rebound in the first quarter of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)

Browse more photos »

AUrunna here, checking in for DJturtleface while he's away in Europe. Unlike my colleague, I do not share his unbridled enthusiasm for the Memphis Grizzlies, but I'm strong enough to cover for a few weeks.

Back to the story, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Detroit Pistons handily Saturday night in a preview of the season opener for both teams.

Let's take a closer look on the other side.

The high octane tandem of Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo led the Grizzlies to a big win with 25 and 21 points respectively while being incredibly efficient from the field. Obviously they won't shoot that well from the field every night, but I think a key to their success if being able to get these two stars their points as efficiently as possible, and not having to dominate the ball for the whole game.

Zach Randolph followed up his first good game with another solid performance, hanging 17 on the Pistons and adding 12 rebounds as well. Mike Conley led the team with 7 assits, and seemed to run the offense with some authority. Marc Gasol was the only starter who really didn't impress tonight, but set the tone defensively, albeit it against Ben Wallace, with 2 blocks and a steal.

The team shot 52% overall for the game, and 40% from beyond the arc, both numbers that will translate into a lot of victories if they can stay close to that. These percentages were helped by some good bench performances from Marcus Williams and Steven Hunter who came up big off the bench. Williams' numbers can be deceiving though, as he was an overall -9 when on the floor; not a good sign for a guy who's suoopsed to run the show. DeMarre Carrol struggled tonight after a really good beginning to the preseason, being the only other Grizzly with a negative, but his hustle did show, even in the box score.

One thing to look for improvment in the upcoming preseason games must be defending the opposing guards. Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, and Rodney Stuckey got to the hoop at will and really kept the Pistons in it for a while. Against stronger teams, and teams at full strength, I'm afraid this will be a big concern, but hopefully we can see some improvement by the time the season starts up. This game will give an interesting glimpse at what changes in about 10 days for both teams.