SB Nation - Stephane Lasme

Ridiculous Transactions: 7/25-7/31

Jon L — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:00:10 -0000

Every week (starting about a week ago), we here at RU will take a look at some relevant player transactions from the past week. Players signing with the D-League, D-League players going to Europe, transactions involving the odd Summer League player (odd meaning we're not going to cover all of them, not meaning, like, Robert Swift), trades of a similar ilk, etc. This one should be interesting because I just finished writing that Jam coach post and I'm still in a state of annoyance.

July 26: Richie Frahm - signed with Mersin Buyuksahir Belediyesi (Turkey); Stephane Lasme - signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

This is the same team that Jimmy Baron signed with last week, and given Frahm's signing Baron has now a mentor and a guy who's going to take all of his minutes. Frahm's a very good three-point shooter, though he doesn't contribute much else. Then again, he likely won't have to. Lasme was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2007, didn't play much there and went to the D-League for awhile and then getting a 10-day contract with the Heat before playing in Europe last season. He was a solid shot-blocker and rebounder in Serbia last year, though he didn't produce all that consistently in Summer League a few weeks ago. He played for the Spurs team, though, and I'd bet they're keeping an eye on him.

July 27: Trent Plaisted - signed with Reggio Emilia (Italy); James Augustine - signed with Gran Canaria (Spain)

Plaisted was drafted in 2008 by Seattle then went to Detroit as part of the DJ White deal. He played for the Pistons' Summer League team, though that team was focused on more recent draft picks and he didn't get a ton of playing time. He finished with pretty good per-minute rebounding numbers, though. Augustine's has bounced between the D-League and the NBA, and he's the University of Illinois' all-time leading rebounder. His offense went steadily downhill at Summer League this year (scoring 21 points in the first game and zero in the last), but he can definitely rebound.

July 28: Othyus Jeffers - signed with NGC Cantu' (Italy); Richard Hendrix - signed with Granada (Spain)

Sigh. Look, I may not always seem like it on this site, but I'm a fairly realistic person. Some (many) people would
(did) say "cynical." So when I talk about Summer League rosters and how, say, a D-League did well or how his
skills might fit in with a specific NBA roster, I'm doing it because it's something to talk about. I know that for a lot of guys it's still a longshot, and that there just aren't enough NBA teams who pay attention to the D-League for these guys to get enough looks, and that teams are still apparently willing to explore signing a retired-and-not-all-that-good-anyway Jason Williams instead of a solid D-League player.
I know all that. I get it. But it's still disappointing to see guys like Hendrix and Jeffers go overseas. And not because Italy and Spain are bad places to play - they're not, in fact. But Hendrix had a great Summer League (both in Orlando and in Vegas) and was a top rebounder in the D-League last season, and Othyus Jeffers is a solid all-around offensive player in addition to being a lockdown defender. Both of those guys can play in the NBA right now. I don't know whether it's a function of the shrinking salary cap or that teams are still stuck on "names,"* but it seems like this offseason more and more of last year's D-League stars are headed to Europe. The league's going to look a lot different come the fall.

*And yes, I'm away of the contradiction of going after the Jam for hiring a "no-name" coach while going after NBA teams for not signing "no-name" players. But that's because...you see...it's different in that...shut up.

July 30: Nick Fazekas - signed with JDA Dijon (France)

Fazekas played well for the Celtics at Orlando Summer League, but they have a lot of forwards so that wasn't ever really a realistic option (see? I'm realistic). Still, despite not having the strongest upper body, Fazekas produces pretty well on the court. For some reason in my head I could've seen him fitting in with Oklahoma City while they give DJ White and Serge Ibaka a little more development time, but that's just me.

July 31: Kevin Rogers - signed with Panionios (Greece); Chicago Bulls - waived DeMarcus Nelson and Linton Johnson; Bakersfield Jam - hired Will Voigt as head coach

Seeing both Nelson and Johnson cut is a little tough, though Johnson's being released isn't a total shock. He was trying to make the roster this time around as a defensive stopper at power forward, and while I didn't see the results, remaking your body that way (he would've had to bulk up to succeed in that role) in a short period of time can be tough. It would've been nice to see Nelson step into a reserve shooting guard role after Ben Gordon left for Milwaukee, but the Bulls apparently thought a Pargo brother would be better for that. Kevin Rogers is a little raw for the NBA, but with a season or two in the D-League he could've become a solid player. He was decently efficient in Orlando Summer League this year, and he had solid shot-blocking and rebounding numbers.

Most of my thoughts on Voigt's hiring can be found in the post announcing the hire, but since that dealt mostly with how he was hired I'll just add that he did win a few ABA championships, which I don't know what kind of talent level he had but at the very least shows he didn't screw up a good thing (if he had one), and while there are other former head coaches and promising assistants out there who deserve a shot, and while I personally would've tried to snag a talented or at least well-known coach this year to a.) bring in fans and b.) justify their ticket prices, the Bakersfield ownership may not have wanted to go that route given the uncertainty over whether their plan will work or not.

Warriors Trade Marco Belinelli to Raptors for Devean George- What a Joke!

Atma Brother ONE — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:17:34 -0000

Fool's Gold!

Well I guess the Warriors won't be picking up that 4th year option on Marco Belinelli! Jump for more thoughts on another Chris Mullin pick that didn't work out for the Warriors.

Adrian Wojnarowski writes Sources: Raptors nab Belinelli for Yahoo! Sports:

After failing to meet the initial expectations that surrounded his arrival as a first-round pick two years ago, the Golden State Warriors have traded guard Marco Belinelli(notes) to the Toronto Raptors, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday night.

The Raptors will send Devean George(notes) to the Warriors.

I must say Belinelli's 2 year run with the Warriors was somewhat of a joke. It was a joke when Chris Mullin reached and drafted him with the #18 pick. It was a joke when Belinelli burst onto the summer league dropping 37 meaningless points. It was a joke when some Warriors homers at one point were saying how happy they were that Jason Richardson was gone to make room for Belinelli. It was joke when Nellie annointed him a superstar in the making during 2007 training camp. It was a joke how absolutely lost Belinelli looked his rookie season. It was a joke how Belinelli was rumored to refuse Nellie's request that he pack his bags like Patrick O'Bryant and head down to the NBDL during his rookie season. It was a joke how it took countless injuries for Belinelli to even "earn" playing time this past season. It was a joke how much hype and adoration Belinelli somehow managed to attract from a few Warriors homers over the past 2 seasons who inflated his value to ridiculous heights. It was a joke that teams like the Suns and Raptors reportedly had interest in him the past 2 seasons.

My oh my. It was a joke that really wasn't that funny. To tell you the truth it's a joke that some Warriors fans feel outraged over this trade. It's meaningless and it's not going to effect the 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors season one bit. Folks hate it when I say this, but I doubt Belinelli is even in the league in 2 years. Actually scratch that. I wouldn't be surprised if the Toronto Craptors "braintrust" inked him to a 5 year $50 million extension a la Andrea Bargnani.

We probably have some Raps fans reading and looking for some 4-1-1 on Belinelli's tenure with the Warriors. Here's my 20 cents that I detailed earlier:

Marco Belinelli: I think you can make an interesting case both ways whether or not to extend Belinelli. He is is definitely improving and showing some signs of life, but to me he's very, very replaceable. The Warriors could easily pluck someone from the NBDL that could given them better production than Belinelli. Am I just tossing that out for shock value (like I admittedly do sometimes)? Not this time. Exhibit A: Kelenna Azubuike. Exhibit B: C.J. Watson.

Belinelli was absolutely atrocious his rookie season, which completely erased his fool's gold summer league performance. However to his credit he rebounded extremely well his second season and dramatically improved. He had a nice little 15 game stretch in December where he put up 14.1 ppg, 3.2 assists : 2.1 turnovers, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals. (The fact that I'm saying those sub-mediocre numbers are a huge improvement over his rookie season and trying to give him some credit here should tell you something.)

The thing that frustrates me most about Belinelli's performance the past two seasons with the Warriors is his extremely low hoops IQ. When the Warriors drafted him there was all this hoopla about how he was a seasoned basketball player with several pro years in the Euroleague's under his belt. I have yet to see anything tangible coming out of that. This is a guy who routinely loses his man on defense on simple backdoor cuts, inanely goes for the offensive rebound when he's the last man back, and is routinely out of position on defense. He's pretty much guranteed to jack up 1-3 "what is he thinking?" shots every night. I have no idea how Belinelli got a reputation as a "great" passer or someone with court vision given his very pedestrian assist : turnover ratio either. In year 1 it was 0.5 assists : 0.4 turnovers (per 36- 2.3 : 1.8) and in year 2 it was 2.1 assists : 1.4 turnovers (per 36- 3.6 : 2.4).

For some reason he's somewhat of a fan favorite, which is annoying to see when guys like Azubuike, Watson, and Anthony Morrow have worked their you-know-what off, beat him out fair and square, and don't get half as much love from the home crowd. There is a silver lining to this unfounded Marco mania however. Sample the fans of other teams and there seems to be a lukewarm fascination with him. It also seems like the Raptors and Suns also have some interest in him. Could he be useful as key piece in a trade for Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire? Yes, that sounds stupid, but not as stupid as unnecessarily inking Andrea Bargnani for $50 million or needlessly breaking up a talent-loaded team of Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, Grant Hill, and Matt Barnes without letting them play a full season together.

I must say good job by the Warriors on this trade- even though it's meaningless. Between the glut of guards and swingmen on this team (Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Kelenna Azubuike, Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, Speedy Claxton, and Acie Law) there have to be a few cuts based on scarcity of minutes in the backcourt alone. It's tough to argue against cutting Belinelli vs. the others on that list (Law and Claxton will probably be cut soon as well), which essentially what this is, given the guard-heaviness of this roster is really that big of a deal. Someone had to go or else there would probably be a lot of public whining and unnecessary locker room drama from a bunch of non-stars and bottom-tier NBA talents. Expect a few more cuts off that list before training camp.

I think it's a good time to revisit former Warriors GM Chris Mullin's draft record over his publicity stunt with the Dubs now that another one of his draft picks is no longer with the Warriors. If you remember we first looked at this in Grading the Mullin Picks, but here we go again.

2004

(#11) Andris Biedrins- Definitely a nice pick, but honestly that was a pretty solid draft in the 'teens. Did he just get lucky?

2005

(#9) Ike Diogu- BUST that was just curiously given a second NBA contract based on the "p" word (See At The Hive).

(#40) Monta Ellis- One of the greatest 2nd round picks of all time. Too bad Moped Gate happened, but that's not Mullin's fault- only the poor way he handled it afterwards.

(#42) Chris Taft- BUST who is out of the league

2006

(#9) Patrick O'Bryant- BUST who gets to reunite with Belinelli from the glory days of the end of the bench on the 2k7-2k8 Warriors

(#38) Kosta Perovic- BUST who got a joke contract from Mullin to sit on the end of the Warriors bench in 2k7-2k8 with POB and Belinelli

2007

(#8) Brandan Wright- Unless Wright makes a major move in 2008-2009 he's headed on the bus towards BUSTVILLE. I'm not ready to right him off just yet, but I'm not expecting much.

(#18) Marco Belinelli- BUST who will probably be looked at Jiri Welsh 2.0 in a few years

(#46) Stephane Lasme- BUST who's out of the league

See a trend?

One of my all time fav video games! [via www.techgadgets.in]

Well I'm sure thankful the clueless Chris Mullin era is over in the Warriors front office. Now if only we ship that R-Double character to bustville as well. C-Double, in case you haven't heard, we'd all love to see you sell the Warriors... like 15 years ago (See RUMOR: Chris Cohan IS INDEED interested in selling Warriors and was in negotiations with Larry Ellison). In Nellie and Riley we trust.

On a side note, my esteemed hoops colleague Fantasy Junkie and I were talking about the upcoming Warriors season and who we're interested in watching. The bottom line was the 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors are going to suck- really suck- and be fairly "Unwatchable Baby!", but collectively we were at least interested in watching Anthony Randolph, Anthony Morrow, Stephen Curry, and Monta Ellis next season. The rest of the team really isn't that fun to watch because well, they're not very good or entertaining. Note that Marco Belinelli wasn't on that list.

And what about new Warrior Devean George you might ask? Well, what about him? Odds are he'll never play a single game for the Dubs. This was (another ) move to save Cohan some dollars. As poor of a view as I hold of Belinelli's 2 seasons with the Warriors and his future in the NBA, this move does not help the Warriors one bit in terms of basketball. I also don't think it hurts them one bit though.

It's another meaningless move by the Warriors this offseason- just like the 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors season will be unless they bring in a superstar a la Amare Stoudemire. (See RUMOR: Ric Bucher thinks Amare Stoudemire to Warriors still happens) Otherwise they're just wasting everyone's time.

Nellie and Riley- it's time to pull the trigger with the Suns fellas. Swing that trade with the Suns. Whatever it takes. Even if it's a mythical one year rental- more on that later...

Around the web:

Belinelli Traded to Toronto [Inside the Warriors]
Warriors give away Belinelli, officially for Devean George, unofficially for no apparent reason [Talking Points]
Golden State Sends Marco Belinelli to Toronto for Devean George, Cash [FanHouse]
The cash considerations are that the Raptors will pick up most of George's contract, worth $1.6 million in 2009-10. To that extent, George will be helpful to the Warriors even if he never plays a game for them. It certainly goes further in explaining why the Warriors would give up on Belinelli, just 23.

Suddenly Delfino Doesn't Look Like Such a Sure Thing... [Raptors HQ]
All Belinelli All The Time [RaptorsHQ]
470 and rising thoughts from GSoMers on the trade

Your other headquarters for the 4-1-1 on this trade.

Poll

Is this Marco Belinelli for Devean George swap meaningless for the Warriors?

YES: Meaningless like Belinelli's one fool's gold summer league game

1465 votes

NO: It means something... (specify in comments)

931 votes

2396 votes | Poll has closed

Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli: To Renew or Not to Renew

Atma Brother ONE — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:27:09 -0000

The Warriors trio of picks from the 2007 draft class haven't exactly panned out. With the #8 pick (via trade) the Warriors selected Brandan Wright who has not exactly solved the Warriors 15 years of misses at the power forward position. Then with the Warriors own pick at #18 they surprised many and took Italian shooting guard Marco Belinelli who hasn't exactly been a key weapon for the Dubs. In the second round the Warriors selected shot blocker Stephane Lasme who is currently out of the league. See Golden State Warriors 1st Round Draft History and Just My Imagination for what could have been.

It's decision time on the 2k7 NBA Draft Class.

via sportscomplex.blogs.citypaper.net

It's decision time for the Warriors on Wright and Belinelli. Make the jump to see why.

Tim Kawakami writes in So far, it's been an encouraging summer for the Warriors [Mercury]:

Brandan Wright and Belinelli, both deep in Nelson's doghouse as they head into their third seasons, could be unofficial Dead Warriors Walking after Oct. 31.

That's the deadline for the Warriors to pick up their fourth-year options. No pick-up means the player becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. It's your basic shout of no-confidence.

Even if one or both players' options are picked up, look for Nelson and Riley to try to move both.

First thing's first I wouldn't mind seeing either of these players being shipped out, especially in a heist for that Amare fellow. Unfortunately what could be a franchise reviving move appears to be closer to mortality which each passing day. All I know is Stephen Curry better be worth nullifying this deal for. I sure hope he is. I'm rooting for him.

Brandan Wright: Picking up Wright's 4th year option seems like a no-brainer to me. He is an extremely talented, big man with Inspector Gadget like wingspan. He's still only 21 too, so I doubt we've seen his peak. Current Warrior double-double machine Andris Biedrins was a complete disaster his first 2 seasons in the league. Wright has been bad, but not nearly as bad as Biedrins was and Biedrins definitely blossomed. Wright is far more naturally hoops talented and physically gifted than Biedrins, so maybe there's hope for Wright too in year 3 and beyond.

Wright has shown very little of the right stuff in his first 2 seasons.

via i.cdn.turner.com

Reality is the problem though. Wright has been injury-prone, absolutely lost on defense, and has shown less fire than a cigarette lighter. There are some huge physical red flags: he's a 6'9 "big man" who still weighs about 20 pounds less than the shooting guard the Warriors foolishly traded him for and his body looks very, very brittle. Additionally, there are some huge mental red flags: he doesn't seem all that prepared or cognizant of what the Dubs are trying to run on offense and his man-to-man defensive instincts and positioning are very, very poor.

As an aside, I must admit I do feel bad for him. All signs and indications point to the Warriors never really wanting Wright. He was (most likely) a mistaken selection for the Minnesota Timberwolves (way to work the phones Chris Mullin). Then he was (most likely) part of a failed attempt to land Kevin Garnett, before old green buddies Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale decided collusion was the best way to hook up their alma matter with another banner. Just recently Wright was part of a failed attempt to land Amare Stoudemire. Since day 1 the Warriors have been trying to ship off Wright. I don't doubt for a second that this has dramatically hurt his psyche.

I'd say: Pick up for year 4.

Marco Belinelli: I think you can make an interesting case both ways whether or not to extend Belinelli. He is is definitely improving and showing some signs of life, but to me he's very, very replaceable. The Warriors could easily pluck someone from the NBDL that could given them better production than Belinelli. Am I just tossing that out for shock value (like I admittedly do sometimes)? Not this time. Exhibit A: Kelenna Azubuike. Exhibit B: C.J. Watson.

Belinelli was absolutely atrocious his rookie season, which completely erased his fool's gold summer league performance. However to his credit he rebounded extremely well his second season and dramatically improved. He had a nice little 15 game stretch in December where he put up 14.1 ppg, 3.2 assists : 2.1 turnovers, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals. (The fact that I'm saying those sub-mediocre numbers are a huge improvement over his rookie season and trying to give him some credit here should tell you something.)

The thing that frustrates me most about Belinelli's performance the past two seasons with the Warriors is his extremely low hoops IQ. When the Warriors drafted him there was all this hoopla about how he was a seasoned basketball player with several pro years in the Euroleague's under his belt. I have yet to see anything tangible coming out of that. This is a guy who routinely loses his man on defense on simple backdoor cuts, inanely goes for the offensive rebound when he's the last man back, and is routinely out of position on defense. He's pretty much guranteed to jack up 1-3 "what is he thinking?" shots every night. I have no idea how Belinelli got a reputation as a "great" passer or someone with court vision given his very pedestrian assist : turnover ratio either. In year 1 it was 0.5 assists : 0.4 turnovers (per 36- 2.3 : 1.8) and in year 2 it was 2.1 assists : 1.4 turnovers (per 36- 3.6 : 2.4).

This was probably right after a shot attempt.

via solecollector.com

For some reason he's somewhat of a fan favorite, which is annoying to see when guys like Azubuike, Watson, and Anthony Morrow have worked their you-know-what off, beat him out fair and square, and don't get half as much love from the home crowd. There is a silver lining to this unfounded Marco mania however. Sample the fans of other teams and there seems to be a lukewarm fascination with him. It also seems like the Raptors and Suns also have some interest in him. Could he be useful as key piece in a trade for Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire? Yes, that sounds stupid, but not as stupid as unnecessarily inking Andrea Bargnani for $50 million or needlessly breaking up a talent-loaded team of Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, Grant Hill, and Matt Barnes without letting them play a full season together.

I'd say: Pass

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Brandan Wright	39	17.6	3.3	6.3	52.8	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.6	2.2	74.1	1.6	2.4	4.0	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.9	1.9	8.3

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Marco Belinelli	42	21.0	3.3	7.5	44.2	1.2	3.1	39.7	1.0	1.2	76.9	0.2	1.5	1.7	2.1	1.4	0.9	0.0	1.7	8.9

Poll

Which of these fourth-year rookie options should the Warriors pick up?

Brandan Wright only

1087 votes

Marco Belinelli only

368 votes

Both Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli

1149 votes

Neither

524 votes

3128 votes | Poll has closed

2009 NBA Summer League: OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs

Mr Pappagiorgio — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:30:09 -0000

2009 Oklahoma City Thunder Summer League Roster
Num	Player	Position	Height	Weight	From
34	Tony Durant	F	6-7	245	Towson University
11	Richard Roby	G	6-6	205	Colorado
15	Marcus Dove	F	6-9	212	Unknown
17	Moses Ehambe	F	6-6	200	Oral Roberts
13	James Harden	G	6-5	220	Arizona State
50	DeVon Hardin	C	6-11	235	California
9	Serge Ibaka	F	6-10	220	Congo (Zaire)
14	Shaun Livingston	G	6-7	185	No College
2	Keith McLeod	G	6-2	190	Bowling Green
23	Byron Mullens	C	7-0	275	Ohio State
45	Doug Thomas	F	6-8	245	Iowa
30	Robert Vaden	G	6-5	205	Alabama-Birmingham
5	Kyle Weaver	G	6-6	201	Washington State
3	D.J. White	F	6-9	251	Indiana

2009 spurs Summer League Roster
Num	Player	Position	Height	Weight	From
35	Alonzo Gee	G	6-6	219	Alabama
14	Donnell Taylor	G	6-5	193	Alabama-Birmingham
17	Romel Beck	G-F	6-7	185	Nevada-Las Vegas
45	DeJuan Blair	F	6-7	265	Pittsburgh
18	Eric Dawson	F-C	6-9	235	Midwestern, Tex.
10	James Gist	F	6-9	235	Maryland
1	Malik Hairston	G	6-6	215	Oregon
3	George Hill	G	6-2	190	IUPUI
16	Carldell Johnson	G	5-10	180	Alabama-Birmingham
22	Stephane Lasme	F	6-6	213	Massachusetts
28	Ian Mahinmi	C	6-11	250	France
33	Jack McClinton	G	6-1	185	Miami
19	Marcus Vinicius	F	6-9	235	N.E. Oklahoma A&M J.C.

NBA Summer League Day Five Recap - Spurs Win

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:23:37 -0000

Because of the way the schedule was set up today, I only watched three games. Yes, I know, it is very disappointing that I didn't catch a fourth, which I am sure you have grown accustomed to.

Our beloved Spurs played the night cap and eeked out a 78-76 victory.

Yours truly got a big laugh out of Ian Mahinmi after the game. Ian Interview Game Two

[Update]: A very nice recap of the game and evaluation of Ian by Timothy Varner at 48MoH.

Game One - Knicks vs Grizzlies

The Grizz whipped up on the Knicks in the fourth quarter to take this one 90-86.

Memphis Grizzlies

DeMarre Carroll - I love me some DeMarre Carroll. 9 points and 4 rebounds will get you a yawn from most people. I like everything he does on the court. He hustles. He rebounds. He handles the ball intelligently. Give him a couple years to work on his shot and he will be a top-tier role player on a team.
Hamed Haddadi - The big Iranian is only 24 and he is WAY better than Thabeet right now. He's got really nice, and VERY large hands. Good court vision. He had a very slick pass to Darrell Arthur that spoke volumes for his coordination. He caught a pass in the paint while cutting across the lane and executed a nice little scoop pass just as he caught the ball to Arthur who was cutting in from the wing. It was gorgeous. He also had 2 blocks and 5 boards in 12 minutes.
Darrell Arthur - He's got a really nice jumper and excellent moves within in 15 feet. He was impossible for them to stop.
Hasheem Thabeet - I still don't like what I see from him. His defensive game is decent, but his hands are terrible. Kwame Brown terrible. Enough said.

New York Knicks

Morris Almond - Great shooter. End of story.
Jordan Hill - I wasn't really paying attention to him. He didn't stand out to me, but his numbers where decent. 13 points and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Joe Crawford - He wowed us with a couple plays.
Nikoloz Tskitishvili - The big man can shoot. 3 of 5 from downtown. 12 points and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes.

Game Two - Bulls vs Warriors

This was my fourth look at the Warriors. More of the same.

Golden State Warriors

Anthony Randolph - This was his show. He put up 42. Yes, 42. He was 13-22 from the field and 16-21 from the line. This was his first game in which he didn't have a double-double as he only came up with 3 rebounds. The funny part is that me and another guy were joking about what kinds of questions we could ask him. Like, "Anthony, you only had 3 rebounds. Do you think that kind of performance is going to help you get playing time?" Hahahaha. Anyway, we are coming up with all kinds of asinine questions we could ask him, and you know what, in his post game interview he brings up his 3 rebounds as something to work on. I can't believe he's only played one year. His offensive game is ridiculous. He's still fairly poor on the defensive end, but crikey the man can score.
Stephen Curry - He's shooting 31% in four games. On 70 shots. Yes, 70 shots. He's got a better handle than I thought he would but I think he's going to have a hard time when the games aren't called so tightly.

Chicago Bulls

James Augustine - I fairly certain he played in the Spanish ACB League with Unicaja last year. He has a complete game. He showed great body control and ball skills. He went 10-11 from the field and pulled down 7 rebounds in 34 minutes.
James Johnson - The rookie from Wake Forest has some potential. He went for 21 and 8. I want to watch him a little more closely.
Taj Gibson - The rookie from USC was very active. He ended with 14 points and 12 rebounds in just under 30 minutes.
DeMarcus Nelson - 4-12 from the field.
Anthony Roberson - 3-13 from the field.
Bench - The Bulls bench went 0-11 from the field.

Game Three - Spurs vs Nuggets

The Spurs turnovers and fouls kept the Nuggets in this game. We held them to 34% shooting and out rebounded them by 10.

Denver Nuggets

Coby Karl - He made a LOT of shots. He missed one. He had 19 points and, in general, was very good.
Ronald Dupree - 13 points.

San Antonio Spurs

Ian Mahinmi - The inauspicious triple double. Or is it triple bumble? He did look good for long stretches. All in all, I'm very pleased with this performance after Sunday's. Plus, I made him GOL. Or was that LOL?
James Gist - I'm not sure if he played poorly or played well and just didn't have stats.
Malik Hairston - I am really starting to like his composure and presence. He had 17 points on 7-11 shooting. Only 2 rebounds in 31 minutes though. I would like to see other contributions in the stat sheet. I do think, however, that he played good defense.
Jack McClinton - Another 0-2 in only 11 minutes. He did have the Spurs only 4 assists in the first quarter. I'm not sure what is going on with him, but he still has 6 more missed to go to get into George Hill Land.
George Hill - The Spurs were terrible again with him not on the floor. He did miss a free throw. 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers.
Stephane Lasme - He was very active around the basket. While I don't think he has a shot to make the Spurs, I think he is doing a good job of getting himself a contract overseas.
Romel Beck - The guy can shoot. He doesn't make good decisions with the ball though. He'll probably be overseas as well.
Donnell Taylor - He was my favorite bench player tonight. He had 6 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes. He is still struggling at the point, but he's getting better.
Squeaky - His only dent in the stat sheet was 2 turnovers.

Day Five is in the books. Tomorrow, we get back to the full 4 game schedule for ATS. I enjoyed my short day, now back to the grind.

2009 NBA Free Agency: Warriors Expected to Use Midlevel Exception- Ramon Sessions, Jarrett Jack, Jason Kidd, and Allen Iverson

Atma Brother ONE — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:52:19 -0000

Now that all of the 2009 NBA Draft madness is over it's time to turn our focus towards 2009 NBA Free Agency.

Looks like an interesting read. Anyone read it? [Amazon.com]

Jump like LB23 will be jumping from the midwest to NY in 2010!

In Chad Ford's list of Top 25 free agents for this summer over at ESPN.com he notes that only a handful of teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to use their midlevel exception this offseason. In the list he notes that the Warriors are interested in two restricted free agents in particular: 1) Ramon Sessions and 2) Jarrett Jack.

Ramon Sessions, Bucks (RFA)
Teams Interested: Bucks, Mavericks, Warriors, Rockets, Heat, Blazers
Salary Range: $3-5 million per year
Teams are always in pursuit of point guards, especially ones that aren't going to break the bank, and Sessions has caught the eye of a number of teams. With the Bucks struggling financially, they may not be able to match.

via www.tiricosuave.com

Sessions is indeed intriguing. Some have even called him The Greatest Basketball Player On Earth [Tirico Suave] which is pretty impressive for a guy who the Warriors passed up 4 times in the 2007 NBA Draft for Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli, Jermareo Davidson, and Stephane Lasme (see Golden State Warriors 1st Round Draft History and Just My Imagination). In all seriousness, Sessions is an upgrade over both Acie Law and C.J. Watson. Maybe if he comes here San Ramon can give him the city key too. If $3-5 million is the asking price, the Warriors should be buying.

Check out: How much do the Bucks want Ramon Sessions back? [Brew Hoop]

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Ramon Sessions	79	27.5	4.4	9.8	44.5	0.1	0.4	17.6	3.6	4.5	79.4	0.8	2.6	3.4	5.7	1.9	1.1	0.1	2.0	12.4

Jarrett Jack, Pacers (RFA)
Teams Interested: Pacers, Hawks, Raptors, Sixers, Warriors
Salary Range: $3-5 million per year
Jack beat out T.J. Ford for the Pacers' starting point guard position at the end of the season. He might get offers in the range of the midlevel exception, and it's not clear whether or not the Pacers can afford to re-sign him. One team to watch is the Hawks, who could bring him back to Atlanta, where he played college ball at Georgia Tech.

Jack is about 3 years older than Sessions and provides a very steady hand in the backcourt. There's nothing spectacular about this signing, nor is their much upside. It would still be a solid one nonetheless. The fun money would go to Sessions, but Jack is no slouch either. This is a guy who finished off the 2008-2009 season in a tear. 17.3 ppg. 4.9 apg, and 1.4 stls (post All-Star break) capability is more than adequate for a backup guard.

Over at Indy Cornrows don't miss:

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Jarrett Jack	82	33.1	4.7	10.4	45.3	1.0	2.7	35.3	2.7	3.2	85.2	0.5	2.8	3.4	4.1	2.2	1.1	0.2	2.2	13.1

Another name to toss out is Jason Kidd as my esteemed colleague R Dizzle has already done: Bring Back Jason Kidd to the Bay! ...Why not?

Jason Kidd, Mavericks
Teams Interested: Mavericks, Blazers, Lakers, Rockets, Knicks
Salary Range: $5.5-7 million per year

Kidd continues to claim that the reports of his demise are exaggerated, and his solid play last season backed him up. Still, he's a 36-year-old point guard.

The Mavs are one of several teams willing to pay for a point guard with court vision. It remains to be seen where he wants to be and whether he'll command more than a midlevel deal.

Don't let anyone tell you Kidd is old, washed up, and not good anymore. Take a look at the facts:

he’s morphed into a very nice 3pt shooter- 40.6% 3pt last season
he’s still an elite passer with nearly 9 dimes a game to only 2 turnovers
6.2 rpg last season
2 steals last season
played in 321 out of 328 possible games the last 4 seasons

Unlike the Warriors other 2 primary ball handlers Monta and Jack, no one is ever going to accuse JKidd of being a black hole or regularly making dumb decisions with the rock.

He’s a perfect PG guard alongside Monta. Kidd is still a phenomenal distributor and he’s big enough and still able to guard the non-elite 2 guards in this league. Think Monta will love running out on the 1 man fast break will Kidd rebounding the rock and dishing a laser pass to him? Think Corey Maggette will love finishing the fast break or long lobs from Kidd? Think everyone will be complaining a lot loss about Jack's turnovers?

I think so.

At this point in his career Kidd's looking for a championship as he should, so I highly doubt he'd even be the least bit interested in coming back to the Bay to play for Cohan and Rowell's disaster. However, as Eric B and Rakim will tell you- this ain't no joke:

PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Stephen Jackson
PF: Anthony Randolph
C: Amare Stoudemire

Bench: Anthony Morrow, Corey Maggette, Stephen Curry, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike

Check out Mavs Moneyball for more thoughts on Jason Kidd's recent play.

Kidding around in the GSoM Vault:

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Jason Kidd	81	35.6	3.2	7.6	41.6	1.6	4.0	40.6	1.1	1.3	81.9	1.0	5.1	6.2	8.7	2.3	2.0	0.5	2.1	9.0

A final name I'll toss out is the one and only Allen Iverson. It really doesn't appear teams are that interested in him right now. His stock is at its lowest point... ever.

Allen Iverson, Pistons (UFA)
Teams Interested: ???
Salary Range: $3-5 million per year
Iverson's late-season disappearance didn't help his reputation. He's still a good player, but two nagging questions will hurt his case for a big deal: One, with the exception of that magical season in Philly under Larry Brown, is Iverson a winner? Two, does he have much left? The answer to Question 1 seems to be no. The answer to Question 2 seems to be a qualified yes. But I can't find a team that is willing to stick its neck out for him. I think retirement for Iverson isn't out of the question.

If the Warriors can add AI for $3-5 million that would be quite the steal. Last year was a frustrating and injury-riddled one for the Answer, but before that he was actually putting up some of the best numbers of his career. He's one season removed from putting up 26.4 ppg (45.8% FG- 2nd highest of his 13 year career, 34.6% 3pt- career high, 80.9% FT), 7.2 apg : 3.0 to, and 2.0 thefts. in another high octane offense over in Enver. For comparison's sake Monta Ellis' career high ppg is 20.2 and last season he distributed 3.7 apg with 2.7 turnovers (unacceptable distribution totals for a starting point guard in the NBA) and 1.6 steals. A healthy Iverson is a better player than a healthy Ellis in 2009-2010. The big question of course is- will either of these 2 guards be healthy?

Also don't believe the hype that swapping AI with Chauncey Billups miraculously improved the Denver Nuggets and vaulted them to the Western Conference Finals. Billups is wildy overrated and Nuggets just got very lucky in the 1st two rounds of the playoffs. If they faced the Lake-show in the 1st round of this past year's spring dance it'd be the same broken record- bounced in the 1st round faster than you can say "Muppet". Flip back to Polling GSoM: Based on their stats Guard A or Guard B? and if you think I'm a lunatic for holding these stances, I'm sure there's plenty of smart folks over at Pickaxe and Roll who will agree with you.

For a different look on AI see: The Truth About The Answer? [Motown String Music]

I might be the biggest AI fan in the Bay Area and I'm all for bringing Iverson here. Will he guarantee that the Warriors crack the Elite 8 and our playing well beyond the first week of April? Of course not. But who cares? If this team is going to continue to suck (missing the playoffs in 14 of the past 15 seasons) then let's at least have a wildly entertaining team. There's very few players in this league who can entertain more than AI. Plus, who can resist this smallball lineup?

PG: Stephen Curry

SG: Allen Iverson

SF: Monta Ellis

PF: Stephen Jackson

C: Anthony Randolph

Bench: Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike, Ronny Turiaf

Hey if you're going to suck, then at least do an entertaining job at it.

Also it's probably worth noting that the more star power the Warriors add (e.g. Jason Kidd or Allen Iverson) the easier it might be to convince Amare Stoudemire that playing for the Warriors isn't the worst thing in the world- I mean there's always the Clippers! (Don't sleep on the excellent SBN blog for Warriors South)

Let's do this.

AI to the Warriors ain't nothing new:

The Allen Iverson Trade: Throwing Up W's and L's

Rumor: Warriors Not Interested in Allen Iverson Anymore

Rumor: Warriors Could Be in on Multiteam Allen Iverson Trade

Why the Warriors Should Trade for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Baron Davis + Andris Biedrins for Allen Iverson Package Reports Were Bogus

Rumor: Warriors Could Have Allen Iverson for Jason Richardson

Rumor: Tony Mejia Thinks AI to the Warriors by Friday

Rumor: Warriors Offered Baron Davis, but Ready to Drop Out of Allen Iverson Trade Talks

Rumor: Tom Tolbert Says Warriors Out of Allen Iverson Trade Talks

Rumor: Sixers Targetting Troy Murphy and Jason Richardson

Rumor: Troy Murphy Not in Trade Talks

Rumor: Allen Iverson to the Warriors, Ben Gordon to 76ers, and Troy Murphy to Bulls

Rumor: Baron Davis, Andris Biedrins, and 3rd Unidentified Player for Allen Iverson and Steven Hunter

Rumor: Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis, and Baron Davis for Allen Iverson and Steven Hunter

Rumor: Warriors Upped Offer for Iverson to Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Ike Diogu, and a 1st Rounder

Rumor: Ric Bucher Says Warriors Out of Running for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors Dangling JRich and Adonal Foyle for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Stephen A. Smith Thinks the Warriors are the Frontrunners for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors Looking to Move Dead-Weight Contracts for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Allen Iverson to the Warriors for JRich, Monta Ellis, or Baron Davis

Rumor: Warriors the Front-Runner in AI Sweepstakes

Rumor: Celtics, Warriors, and Kings Most Likely to Acquire Allen Iverson

Rumor: Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, or Jason Richardson + Monta Ellis for Allen Iverson

GSoM Talks to Preetom Bhattacharya about Allen Iverson Rumors

Rumor: Warriors, Celtics, and Pacers in the Mix for Allen Iverson

Rumor: 76ers Contacted Warriors, Sonics, and Nuggets about an Allen Iverson Deal

Rumor: Allen Iverson Wants Out of Philly + Warriors Need The Answer

Rumor: 7-1 Odds on Allen Iverson for T-Double, Ike, MP2, and Zarko

Rumor: Sixers want Troy Murphy or Jason Richardson for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Iverson Will Play for Warriors

Rumor: 8 Team, 9 Player Super Trade brings Allen Iverson to the Warriors

Rumor: Warriors Won't Pursue Iverson

Rumor: Warriors' Youth + Bad Contract for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Sixers Listening to Troy Murphy Package for Allen Iverson

Rumor: 76ers Want a Troy Murphy Package for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors in the Mix for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors Really After Iverson

Rumor: Allen Iverson to the Warriors

Data for this widget is not currently available

Poll

Which of these free agents would help the Warriors the most in the 2009-2010 season?

Ramon Sessions

687 votes

Jarrett Jack

190 votes

Jason Kidd

914 votes

Allen Iverson

380 votes

2171 votes | Poll has closed

NBA-Ready D-League Players? We got em!

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:43:14 -0000

With NBA teams either gearing up for the playoffs or the draft, it's time to take a closer look at the D-League and see what it has to offer to both the have's and have not's!

What!? Why would I do one of these after I just released one last Tuesday? Because, since then, Patrick Ewing Jr. worked his way on to the list, (then quickly off with an ACL injury that led to his release (details coming)), Rod Benson turned into a scoring, shot swatting, Boom Tho-ing machine, and Demarcus Nelson, Mouhamed Sene, Herbert Hill, Quincy Douby, and the immortal Cezary Trybanski have all entered the D-League. With them, Shaun Livingston, Earl Barron, and Dwayne Jones have also showed they can still play basketball, thus garnering some attention.

The list above includes three first round picks, a second round pick, a player with an NBA championship, the reigning D-League Performer of the Week and two guys that would do wonderful in a remake of Twins - Demarcus Nelson and Cezary Trybanski!

With that, here are my new and improved call-up rankings, now cooler thanks to an idea I've stolen from DraftExpress's Jim Hlavac (he's much cooler than we said he was last week, FYI!

I got the idea to do this thanks to Atma Brother ONE of the GoldenStateOfMind crew - Richard Hendrix, Rod Benson, Demarcus Nelson - Golden State's well represented on this list!

To explain, the "Quick Fix" is going to be the guy your team should call-up if you're still in contention. He's more than likely a vet, he'll know his role, and should be able to step in when needed and grasp the system quickly. He probably won't have the upside to keep around for next season, however. Think Billy Thomas with Cleveland last year.

The "Prospect" is a guy that a team more than likely out of contention would call-up. While he's probably not going to help out immediately, he's definitely got Ridiculous Upside and would be worth signing, at least so you're guaranteed a longer look at Summer League. Think Blake Ahearn/Kasib Powell/Stephane Lasme with Miami last year.

Point Guards

Quick Fix: Eddie Gill, Colorado - While he's already been through a couple of 10-day's with Milwaukee this season, Gill is the savvy veteran that will be able to be a stop-gap back-up point for a contending team. Gill is averaging 15.6 points and 8.3 assists in 27 D-League games this season.

Honorable mention: Mateen Cleaves, Bakersfield; Will Conroy, Albuquerque

Prospect: Shaun Livingston, Tulsa - While Livingston's probably shouldn't really be considered a prospect still (fourth overall pick in 2004), he's still recovering from a serious knee injury, wearing a large brace on his knee (more pictures here). Regardless, he's got too much ridiculous upside, and should definitely get called-up before the end of the season to a team that might be in the market for a young point guard (Might I suggest Tulsa's owners, OKC?). Livingston is averaging just seven points and seven assists in four starts, but the 9-30 Tulsa 66ers are 2-2 in those games, with obvious improvements with Livingston on the floor.

Honorable Mention: Walker Russell, Fort Wayne; John Lucas, Colorado

Shooting Guards

Quick Fix: Quincy Douby, Erie - While Douby could also be considered a prospect, I have no doubt that if your team needs an athletic scorer off the bench, Douby could step in and heat up off the bench rather quickly. As I've mentioned before, he could be this years version of Dahntay Jones (got cut by NBA team, pit stop in the D-League, back to the NBA). In two games off the bench with the Bayhawks, Douby is averaging 15 points in 18 minutes, shooting 45% from the field.

Honorable Mention: JamesOn Curry, Iowa; Denham Brown, Iowa

Prospect: Trey Johnson, Bakersfield - Johnson's had two call-ups with Cleveland this season, but didn't get any burn. The versatile Johnson has gotten quite a few looks throughout his short career, and I expect he'll get at least one more this season. The 6'6" 2/1/3 is averaging 20.8 points and 4.7 assists, shooting 46% from the field.

Honorable mention: Blake Ahearn, Dakota; Gary Forbes, Tulsa; Joe Crawford, Los Angeles; Demarcus Nelson, Austin

Small Forwards

Quick Fix: David Noel, Reno - Noel has a season of NBA experience with the Bucks, good overseas experience, and played four years at North Carolina. What's not to like about him? He's a glue guy and would fit well into any role given to him in the NBA. This D-League season, he's playing very well on the defensive end (averages 2.3 steals) and is 50% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. Noel's also averaging 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Bonus: he's got long term potential as well!

Honorable Mention: Kasib Powell, Sioux Falls; Renaldo Major, Dakota or Ron Howard, Fort Wayne (Defensively)

Prospect: Derrick Byars, Bakersfield - Byars, who was a stud his senior year at Vandy, was drafted by the Blazers in the second round but went overseas and hasn't had a shot at the NBA yet. Don't worry, worriers, his shot will come this season. He's got a great NBA body (6'7", 215) a sweet shooting stroke (48% from the field, 44% from 3) and all the physical tools needed to be a good NBA defender.

Honorable Mention: Othyus Jeffers, Iowa; Marcus Williams, Austin

Combo Forwards

Quick Fix: Josh Davis, Colorado - I like Josh. My mancrush is well known. Really, though, what's not to like about him. He can shoot the 3-ball, he can board, he brings his lunchpail (Love it!), and he can D-up. Consummate glue guy. Not much upside, but you know what you're getting. He's gritty. Davis is averaging 18.9 points and 7.6 boards in 33 minutes, holding together one of the top teams in the D-League.

Honorable Mention: Jawad Williams, RGV; Ronald Dupree, Utah

Bigs

Quick Fix: Dwayne Jones, Austin - If you're looking for defense and rebounding, which is what a quick fix would be called upon to do in most situations, I'm going to throw Mr. Jones at you. Jones has played in the NBA (Boston, Cleveland, Charlotte), was the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, and is the reigning D-League Player of the Week. In the last week, Jones played four games, averaging 20.8 points and 16.5 boards. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Honorable Mention: Lance Allred, Idaho; Earl Barron, Los Angeles

Prospect: Richard Hendrix, Dakota - Hendrix is a beast. He's barely 22, he's built like a linebacker, he's smart (graduated in three years at 'Bama), and he was a second round pick this season. For some reason, however, he just can't get a look! This season, averaging just 30 minutes, he's averaging 13.9 points and 11.5 boards per game, shooting 55% from the field. He's also been improving on his range, which is random, but a bonus - he's made 4-of-9 from beyond the arc!

Honorable Mention: Courtney Sims, Iowa; Rod Benson, Reno; Herbert Hill, Tulsa; Chris Hunter, Fort Wayne

D-League vs. Overseas: Tough Decision

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:15:07 -0000

I know I don't usually have a participating crowd, but we're going to play it like Goosebumps today (Bare with me: it's good, but it's lengthy).

I'm going to give you four players, two with summaries entailing their career upto post all-star break this year (Player's A & B) and two through the pre-season, about guys who played in the D-League last season (Player's C & D). If you were them, what would you do? Go overseas or hang on for another shot at the D-League. After the jump, we'll reveal who did which, and possibly find the reason to do so.

Keep in mind: this season, the top D-League players are making roughly $25,000 for their five months of playing basketball. Similarly, the majority of these players would make that same amount playing overseas in a top-league during a one-month span. It seems like a no-brainer that overseas would be the way to go, but that isn't quite the case.

Case Study Numero Uno (This season) -- Player A is a 28 year-old, 6'8 combo forward with a great all around game (offense, defense, hustles his ass off) and 52 games, six starts, of NBA experience thus far in his career. After playing all over the globe and being a former CBA MVP with the Idaho Stampede, he came back this summer to play for the Indiana Pacers in the Vegas Summer League, where he played well enough to be their last cut right before the season started. This season, he's played well in the D-League as a glue guy on a good team, averaging 18.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He's 28, he's played overseas multiple times before, and he hasn't had a look yet. Two big name power forwards have just been released from the NBA. Should he stay or should he go?

Case Study Number Two (This season): Player B, a 23 year old 6'9" power forward had a spectacular summer league with a championship caliber NBA team, leading to him getting a contract with the team to begin the season. In 19 games with them, however, he was asked to play a perimeter role after showing a sweet touch over the summer. After failing to perform to their likings playing purely on the perimeter, he was released.

If you'd seen him play in the past, you'd know that he's best in the post, where he can hurt the other team when they don't respect him on the perimeter. He's not the catch-and-shoot player they expected him to be. Regardless, he was picked up by a stacked D-League team, though four games later he was headed to another NBA team on a 10-day contract. After sitting on the bench the duration of the contract, he ended up back on that same D-League team, where he's averaging 14.5 points and eight boards per game. He's had a couple chances in the NBA thus far, should he stick around for one more?

Case Study Three (Last Season) -- Player C, a skinny, 24 year-old 6'10" center, returned to his D-League team that had won a championship the year before, so he has the D-League experience. This season though, he comes in as a starter and in one of the first games of the season, he dominates, scoring 28 points and grabbing 28 rebounds, in one game. On the season, he averages 13.6 points and 12.1 rebounds. After playing the entire season without receiving a 10-day contract, he gets on a Vegas Summer League team, but is hurt and doesn't get much playing time. Should he go overseas and make some money, or keep trying to show the NBA what they're missing while playing in the D-League?

The Fourth Case of Study: (Last season) -- Played D was a second round pick in the NBA. Before playing in any games, however, he was released and picked up by the D-League. In 37 games in the D-League, including just 14 starts, the 27 year-old 6'8 power forward averaged 10.6 points, 7.5 boards, and 3.3 blocks per game. These stats eventually earned him the accolade of D-League defensive player of the year (favorite this year: Brent Petway, Idaho). After those 37 games, he was called-up with two other D-Leaguer's on a lottery team. He finished the season with this team, playing 16 games, including four starts. At the beginning of the following season, he was released by this team. Should he go back to the D-League and hope for a quick call-up or head overseas to make some money?

You'll notice, for these players, money isn't the only factor weighing on their decisions.

Player A -- Josh Davis of the Colorado 14ers is a huge talent and hustle-player extraordinaire. However, he's 28, his stats aren't going to get any better than the 19 and eight he's averaging, and he's acclimated quite well to the overseas culture, as nearly half his career has been on the other side of the Earth. He's not getting any younger, either, and he's two years removed from his last season in the NBA. Davis has made about a million dollars in his NBA career, and probably at least that amount overseas.

Fortunately for the D-League and the NBA, it seems he's going to stick around and give it one more shot. He and his wife just had a child and he owns a home in Colorado, so it's almost a no-brainer for him. I think if Indiana gets an injury, Davis will be the first to be called.

Player B -- Anthony Tolliver, a second year player out of Creighton, played in 19 games with the Spurs this season and had a 10-day with the Hornets, so the NBA knows about him and has seen what he can do recently, so that wouldn't be a reason to stay in the D-League. If he was called-up today, and somehow managed to make it through two 10-day's and get signed for the rest of the season (35 of the 90 10-day's to come out of the D-League have been signed for the rest of the season), he'd make about $120,000. However, if he's not called-up, he'd make about $10,000 for the next month and a half.

I think he made the right decision to go overseas, as I'm sure he's got at least camp-invite already secured for next season, and now he'll be able to recoup some of the NBA money lost when the Spurs cut him.

Player C -- "Too Much" Rod Benson. Benson went overseas to play with SLUC Nancy, but didn't stay for long. Right after the first of the year, Benson showed back up on the Dakota Wizards, hoping to make a summer league team after not getting much burn in France (read: basically zero minutes). He's averaging seven points and six boards off the bench for Dakota.

Player D -- Stephane Lasme. Lasme, as Matt predicted way back when, went overseas to collect a big contract. While I would have thought he'd stay stateside after endling last season with a (sort of) NBA team in the Miami Heat, it was probably a good idea to go overseas, as he's showing it wasn't a fluke. He's currently averaging 11 points, seven boards, and two blocks a game in 26 minutes of action. Very similar to what he did in the D-League, but now in the highly regarded Euroleague.

************************************************************

Tomorrow, I plan to look a little bit more in depth at the 10-day contract situation.

Rumor: Don Nelson and Chris Mullin Battling at Golden State?

Atma Brother ONE — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:12:32 -0000

ESPN's Chris Broussard reported this morning on First Take that Don Nelson and Chris Mullin are battling and aren't on speaking terms right now. The juiciest tidbit in Broussard's clip is their differing views on Randolph and the young players on this roster. Mullin thinks Randolph's a superstar in the making and the face of the franchise, but Nellie told the rookie to have his agent look into trades. Currently Randolph (Rookie Card) rates as the 23rd best rookie in the association this year according to David Thorpe, Scouts Inc.

J-u-m-p for some thoughts on the drama!

If there's a difference of opinion in player projections between the two, you've got to side with Nellie. Mullin is the GM who brought you such bust picks as Ike Diogu, Chris Taft, Patrick O'Bryant, Kosta Perovic (one of the silliest 2nd round contracts of all time), Marco Belinelli (jury's still out), and Stephane Lasme plus outlandish deals for Adonal Foyle, Derek Fisher, Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and Corey Maggette (Robert Rowell?). This is a guy who honestly believed that a front court "core" of Foyle-Murphy-Dunleavy was actually a good idea and wasted a full season of BoomRich-ness. The current D-Leagueness of the Warriors roster is a direct consequence of Mullin's blown picks, silly trades, and contract decisions (Foyle's still on the books this year). Don't forget that Mullin is no stranger to overrating his young "potential". He wouldn't move Diogu (currently a 12th man on the Blazers) to get Ron Artest in his prime. He and Rowell's moves destroyed We Believe.

Nellie on the other hand has a proven track record of scouting and coaching success. He took the Milwaukee Bucks to the conference finals, the Dallas Mavericks from worst to 1st in the West, and saved the Warriors not once, but twice. If Nelson doesn't think a player's good enough to blow up in the NBA, they probably aren't. Nellie doesn't "hate" rookies or young players (see Chris Webber, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Monta Ellis, and Andris Biedrins, Josh Howard, and Marquis Daniels). He just doesn't like to give out playing time to players he doesn't think are worth giving playing time to- they either aren't ready or don't have a bright future. My goodness thank you Nellie for not investing playing time in trying to mythically develop the untapped potential of Mullin "finds" like Diogu, POB, and Kosta.

There's no doubt Nellie's a drama queen (a wildly entertaining one at that), but this is indisputably one of the shrewdest basketball minds of all time. His critics constantly harp on his lack of emphasis on D. They obviously didn't watch We Believe. That amazing 16-5 run and upset over the Mavs was heavily due to Nellie's defensive strategies- the gameplans that shut down Yao Ming, Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowitzki that spring were unBELIEVABLE. Give him some players and he'll do some truly amazing things. If he had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Tim Duncan, or Kevin Garnett he'd have a few rings. But he's hasn't, so he's ringless. I remember Nellie saying last year it takes 3 All-Star players to win it all or 2 all time greats (Shaq and Kobe) to bring home a championship. Mullin hasn't exactly proven to be the guy to get that done.

Check out Nellie's resume on Wikipedia. He's by no means perfect, but no one has done more with less in his NBA coaching career than Nellie. This sorry organization is lucky to have him because coaches and hoops masterminds of his caliber aren't going to be walking down Hegenberger to work for the Warriors anytime soon as long as Chris Cohan owns this team and the unqualified and classless Rowell is heading up the operations.

I see a lot of folks in the local media and in the GSoM community calling for Nellie's head. I just don't get it. Under Mullin the Warriors have had one playoff season over 5 seasons (hey they aren't making the playoffs this year), but people are willing to give Mullin more time and cut ties with Nellie because the team is struggling mightily in one single season through 26 games with an injured and under-talented roster. It seems like folks have an agenda to axe the old man. It's pathetic and unfair. Critics and bandwagoners alike might not remember pre-Nellie, but we do. See The Dirty Dozen: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

This Nellie vs Mullin drama is probably just some media fabricated hysteria to get more viewers. I really doubt this is anything that major. BUT if it really is Nelson vs Mullin who are you siding with and why?

I'll take the coaching legend and hoops mastermind despite his quirks and narcissism (he more than makes up for it with his humor especially on The Don Nelson Show on KNBR) any day over a figure head executive who was handed the job not because of his qualifications or expertise, but because of his name. If this were Chris Smith instead of Chris Mullin he would've got canned years ago- probably never even hired.

Also see GSoM reader kyzah's FanPost: On ESPN First Take: Nellie Tells Randolph's Agent to Seek Trade Options

Poll

Who are you going to battle with?

Don Nelson

244 votes

Chris Mullin

479 votes

723 votes | Poll has closed