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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

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

Pre-2009 NBA Draft Golden State Warriors Linkage Madness

Atma Brother ONE — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:13:12 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The commish is hyped about Draft Day 2k9! (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

MASS linkage ensues after the jump, but before you use your hops... VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Live Blogging and Live Twittering the 2k9 NBA Draft!

From around the World Wide Web:

The Ball Don't Lie/SB Nation 2009 NBA Mock Draft recap - Yahoo! Sports

Ball Don't Lie combined with SB Nation (and a few others) to put together this epic 2009 Mock Draft. The individual blogs, linked with their respective picks and breakdowns, made the selections for their team.

Thank God It's NBA Draft Thursday! - Ridiculous Upside

Let’s be honest here internet, my brain is full and tired. I am ready for this to be over. We all know how it’s going to end anyway. The Grizzlies, Clippers, and Warriors will probably screw this thing up. Either blowing it on draft night or within the ensuing months, ensuring that any draft luck they’ve been dealt is quickly wiped away by idiocy.

NBA draft: The latest trade rumors and more - ESPN

Wake Forest's Johnson and Italy's Jennings could be in for one seriously wild ride on draft night. Johnson is getting a look by the Warriors (7), Raptors (9), Bobcats (12), Suns (14), Bulls (16), Jazz (20) and Hornets (21). Think that's a big range? How about Jennings, who will get looks from the Timberwolves (6), Warriors (7), Knicks (8), Bucks (10), Suns (14), Sixers (17) and Hawks (19)?

NBA draft preview: Who's it going to be? [SFGate]

What's most apparent - and quite annoying to a number of fans - is that this Warriors draft is all about Ellis' psyche. For reasons that escape virtually every scout or NBA executive who has studied his game, Ellis fancies himself a point guard and team leader. Did Nelson and Larry Riley promise Ellis they wouldn't draft a point, as rumored? Maybe not, but they're talking up Ellis and Stephen Jackson as the backcourt mainstays of the franchise.

Speedy, Law not the Answer - Inside the Warriors - with Marcus Thompson

I’ve been told by Warriors insiders that neither Claxton nor Law is the Warriors’ answer to their point guard solutions. They are still in the market for a PG, so this trade does not rule out them drafting a point guard.

Kawakami: Warriors' draft choice seems obvious - San Jose Mercury News

If the Warriors had a clear-thinking front office, uncluttered by insecurity and frequent controversy, today's NBA draft would be pretty easy to ace. Select Arizona power forward Jordan Hill, stepping into the Warriors' rebounding void with the potential to provide low-post offense.

Warriors draft: The case for Jordan Hill | Talking Points

A good way to understand how much weaker this draft is than last year’s: When I circled the best potential big man for the Warriors last year, it was Kevin Love, if they could’ve traded up for him. This year, it’s Arizona PF Jordan Hill, who has definite strengths but doesn’t have Love’s natural hoops instincts or top-end NBA possibilities. (And Hill is more than a year older than Love.) Oh well. That happens. This is a terrible draft for versatile, athletic big men, but the Warriors got one of those last year with Anthony Randolph and they have Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf.

Warriors draft: The case for DeMar DeRozan | Talking Points

DeRozan (6-foot-6) might be the second most physically talented player in this draft, behind only Blake Griffin. Other than Griffin, I think DeRozan is the only other player you could say has a game, body and mindset that seems to likely project long-term as an NBA starter and possibly a very good one. That doesn’t mean he will be a star, just means you can see it in there, without a lot of caveats. (Stephen Curry and Ricky Rubio would be my other choices, but they’ve got caveats: Is Curry strong enough and can he play defense? Can Rubio shoot well enough?)

Warriors draft: The case for Stephen Curry | Talking Points

Of all the cases I’m making for the Warriors’ selection with the No. 7 pick, Stephen Curry is the easiest one. It’s simple: Curry, a silky-shooting 6-3 guard out of Davidison, is, by far, the best pure fit for Don Nelson’s run-and-shoot offensive system. (And Nellie’s stand-and-let-him-go-by-you defensive system.) If he’s still there at 7 (probably 40% chance that he is after today’s events, maybe less), I can imagine Nelson leaping to grab the phone and screaming "TAKE CURRY!"

Warriors draft: The case for Brandon Jennings | Talking Points

We’re all at a severe disadvantage evaluating his NBA prospects because almost none of us has watched him get serious minutes on any level (he was a star prep PG who didn’t get into college, then went to Italy where he barely played). Pre-draft work-outs have been mostly closed. All I can go by is what I hear and what I’ve seen on limited tape. What I’ve heard about Jennings: He’s probably the quickest player in the draft, with good vision and a nice knack for using his lefty dribble to slice through pick-and-roll defenses and for using his speed to mess up the opponent. I’ve also heard that his shooting in the work-outs has been less than stellar and that’s what has kept his projections down far below the Nash/Paul/Billups level. But if you had to pick one player, other than Blake Griffin or Ricky Rubio, whose selection might totally change the way the Warriors play, it might be Jennings.

Warriors draft: The case for Jrue Holiday (final argument) | Talking Points

* Most likely option: Arizona PF Jordan Hill, who was my first case. * Best option: UCLA G Jrue Holiday, who is the final case.

2009 NBA Draft Q&A with Aran Smith of NBADraft.net

2009 NBA Draft Q&A: Aran Smith of NBADraft.net (Part 1 of 3)

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): It is definitely one of the less talented classes in recent memory.

2009 NBA Draft Q&A: Aran Smith of NBADraft.net (Part 2 of 3)

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): Hmm. At this point that's a pretty good argument. Hansbrough is going to be solid. He doesn't have Wright's potential, but we know he'll be pretty solid.

2009 NBA Draft Q&A: Aran Smith of NBADraft.net (Part 3 of 3)

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): The Warriors should take the best player available. I would take Jennings if he's there.

The Jamal Crawford Trade: Thanks for being the ultimate professional while you were here JC.

BREAKING NEWS: Warriors and Hawks closing in on Jamal Crawford for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton swap

Maybe Speedy Claxton can help us bring back Baron Davis again?

Exploring the rumored Crawford for Claxton and Law Trade: CBA and salary implications

Big questions abound. Important questions. It isn't quite "what did the president know and when did he know it", but at least as far as our Warriors go, it's "what do we know about the trade and could it possibly be real?"

Rumors: The ones where 99% don't happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!

RUMOR: Warriors targeting Chris Bosh

You win in this league with superstars and stars. I'm not convinced that Bosh is a superstar or will ever be one. I do think that's a big red flag that the Craptors couldn't even qualify for the "Not-So-Elite-8" in the Leastern Conference this past season. But he is a legit All-Star caliber big man and a proven commodity (Career Numbers via Yahoo! Sports). Those are hard to come by, especially for the Golden State Warriors who haven't had an All-Star power forward since Nate the Great Thurmond in 1974. (NINETEEN SEVENTY-FOUR for crying out loud!)

RUMOR: Clippers to offer Warriors Baron Davis for Corey Maggette if they land Ricky Rubio in 2009 NBA Draft

My opinion hasn't changed since word broke that the Warriors rejected a buyers remorse swap of Baron Davis for Corey Maggette and Marcus Williams at the trading deadline this past season. If the Warriors can move an injury prone, big time scoring 6th man and a bench player (obviously no Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, or Monta Ellis) for an injury prone, All-NBA quality point guard, it has to be done.

RUMOR: Warriors "readying or contemplating" a bid for Steve Nash

We can sit here and dissect Steve Nash's impact on the Warriors and what would be worth giving up for him (if anything at all), but that's fairly pointless. Point blank: Nash ain't coming to the Warriors. Kerr's not trading him here and I doubt the Warriors are genuinely that interested in adding him.

RUMOR: Warriors "readying or contemplating" a bid for Steve Nash

We can sit here and dissect Steve Nash's impact on the Warriors and what would be worth giving up for him (if anything at all), but that's fairly pointless. Point blank: Nash ain't coming to the Warriors. Kerr's not trading him here and I doubt the Warriors are genuinely that interested in adding him.

RUMOR: Warriors have "strong interest" in Brandon Jennings, but trading for Baron Davis could change that

Who would you rather have starting at Point Guard for the 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors? 58% of GSoMers voted for Boom Dizzle over Brandon Jennings.

Rumor: Stephen Curry has a "chance" to drafted by the Golden State Warriors

I'm not 100% sure if Curry would be a good fit on the hardwood for this team as they're overloaded with combo guards (Jamal Crawford, Monta Ellis, C.J. Watson) and have a screaming need for a point guard. Maybe Curry can be that guy in the NBA, but way more often than not young players can't make that transition. There's a lot of truth in the mantra that "point guards are born, not made".

RUMOR: Warriors interested in Terrence Williams aka "Gatorade-protector" with the #7 pick

Gatorade-protector? Move over Rob Kurz. Your job will soon be obsolete. Sorry man. It happens to even the best of us- just ask Adonal Foyle.

RUMOR: Warriors and Raptors had a Marco Belinelli - Joey Graham deal in place

I still don't buy that Belinelli belongs in this league, but it's not a given that Graham gets a second NBA contract either. Neither player is even an average quality NBA player or has a high hoops IQ, but at least the athletic Graham gives the Warriors a little more size and cuts down their glut of poor to mediocre ranging guards. Truth be told, the Warriors aren't going to get much at all for Belinelli straight up. Unless the Warriors are taking back a bad contract, I'd be suprised if Belinelli could even net them a future 2nd round pick straight up.

Warriors to Work Out Arizona's Jordan Hill

Do the Warriors already have a pair of raw and talented young forwards, namely Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright? Do the Warriors desperately need a PG? Sure they do. Does this draft have a bunch of seemingly viable PG candidates? Sure it does. But who cares? B.P.A.

RUMOR: Atlanta Hawks shopping Josh Smith

Based on my view from the Left Coast and nightly box scores I can't but love Josh Smith's game. This 23 year old has proven that he can drop 17.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 3.4 apg, plus 1.5 steals and about 3 blocks a game. I don't care you how slice it, this guy is quite an intriguing basketball talent. Smith is exactly the type of ball player that Nellie can work wonders with too. I doubt for a second that Nellie would try to run him at the 5 and go super fast.

RUMOR: Warriors promised Monta Ellis they will not draft a play-making guard to appease him - Golden State Of Mind

This could quite possibly be the oddest rumor I've covered in my 4 year GSoM tenure.

RUMOR: Warriors could select Jordan Hill and trade Brandan Wright or swap to get Terrence Williams - Golden State Of Mind

This would be a very unfortunate way to close the book on that disastrous Jason Richardson trade with the Bobcats that expedited the Dubs descent from WE BELIEVE. The Warriors essentially gave away a key cog in that unBELIEVEable spring run and the heart and soul of this team for basically nothing.

RUMOR: Jrue Holiday won't work out with Warriors because of agent Dan Fegan

I've been a harsh critic of the Chris Cohan/ Robert Rowell regime way before it was popular to question their every move and decision, but I"m not really sure where Fegan is coming from here.

RUMOR: Amare Stoudemire for Al Jefferson and #6 Pick + Dubs Summer of Fun

I don't doubt for a second that Amare will be bolting Minny the first chance he gets if they ended up making this trade.

RUMORS: Warriors building around Monta Ellis, "deeply involved in trade talks" for #7 pick, and Larry Riley would like a "little beef"

Building the team around an undersized shooting guard with limited handles, court vision, defensive desire, maturity, hoops IQ, and overall smarts... is not a bright idea. Don Nelson and Larry Riley are smarter than that. I'm calling their bluff or Fried's distortion of what was actually said.

RUMOR: Monta Ellis demanded a trade from the Warriors shortly after the season

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I really don't understand what Monta Ellis and his camp's beef is about or why they have the audacity or desire to demand a trade.

RUMOR: Warriors and Bobcats discussing Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli for Raja Bell

First of all it's good to hear the Warriors are exploring possibilities to improve on D. They can start by trying. The next step is getting players who can and want to actually play defense.

RUMOR: Stephen Curry is Warriors "Main Target"

Monta and Curry seem like a poor backcourt duo. They don't seem to complement each other as they're both combo guards who don't seem to have the size to guard NBA 2-guards. If Larry Riley and Don Nelson think Curry's the man at #7 that shouldn't stop them (BPA always), but just pointing that out.

RUMOR: Warriors and Blazers tried to trade for Wizards swingman Caron Butler

I must I say I am a Caron Butler fan. I remember back on Draft Day 2002 when he slipped to the #10 spot. There were questions about his character and what not. Seven years later I don't think there's really any doubt that he should've gone much higher in that draft. Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy Jr. Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Dajuan Wagner, and Chris Wilcox all went ahead of him. Think those teams would like to have an All-Star caliber swingman who's good for close to 20-7-5 plus 2 thefts when healthy? I also want to highlight that (as far as I can tell from the Left Coast) Butler has been a model citizen. Give this man his props.

RUMOR: Warriors Like Brandon Jennings at #7

As much as I dig his game given his build and lack of a NBA quality J, I really don't expect Jennings to be starting many games and playing big minutes his rookie season. Backing up Moped at the 1 could be interesting though.

RUMOR: Warriors like Wake Forrest's James Johnson if Jordan Hill is gone

James Johnson is a 22 year old 6'7-6'8 257 pound forward. Riley has said he wants some more "beef" on the Dubs and JJ would definitely advance them towards that goal. I'd definitely be shocked if they took him though.

RUMOR: Warriors inquired about Suns' Amare Stoudemire and offered Andris Biedrins - Golden State Of Mind

Amare's an undeniable great fit for Nellieball with his high flying, rim-rocking, coast to coast offensive repertoire. He didn't seem to be a big fan of slowing down to a half-court game that emphasizes defense. Guess which team's coach is the last guy to emphasize either? Amare also didn't seem to be a big fan of playing alongside another big tree. Guess which team's coach doesn't have the slightest problem with playing as few big men as possible? Stoudemire and Nellie are a match made in heaven.

News and Mo' Stuff

Open Thread II: 2009 NBA Draft Lottery- Welcome to the 2009 Playoffs Warriors fans!

It's playoff time in the Bay!

2009 NBA Draft Lottery Results + With the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft the Golden State Warriors select...

Warriors South came up BIG.

Introducing... The MingMing Movement!

There's a new spelling for the word "redemption" to add to your already eloquent lexicon Dubs fans. It's spelled "S-u-n M-i-n-g-m-i-n-g".

Warriors to Work Out Jonny Flynn and Brandon Jennings

GSoMers have spoken in doses and there's an overly positive sentiment towards drafting Brandon Jennings with the #7 pick

Warriors (seem like they're) down to Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings, Terrence Williams, and Tyreke Evans

There's that little workout scheduling quirk that Tim describes which makes you wonder about the interest in Holiday. But who really knows if that means anything come draft day. The Warriors worked out Patrick O'Bryant right before the 2006 NBA Draft (turned out great didn't it?). They also never brought Brandan Wright in for a workout and they were willing to expedite the destruction of WE BELIEVE to make that trade for him.

Jonny Flynn and Brandon Jennings Work Out with the Warriors

Thanks for coming by, and we'll see you soon, hopefully. -- Warriors GM Larry Riley to Brandon Jennings after yesterday's workout

With the 7th pick in the 2009 SBNation Mock Draft the Golden State Warriors SHOULD select...

You've been mocked by plenty of people recently, but there's nothing like getting mocked by the SB Nation NBA crew.

With the 7th pick in the 2009 SBNation Mock Draft Golden State of Mind selects...

Hill wouldn't have won the vote, but it would have been interesting to see how many votes he would have collected.

Don Nelson tells Arizona PF Jordan Hill he won't get past the Warriors at #7

It looks it's time to bump up the Fab 5 of Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings, Terrence Williams, and Tyreke Evans into a Stunning 6.

The GSoM Enquirer

The nice thing about GSoM is that anything and everything about our Golden State Warriors is here. I can spend a good amount of my day on GSoM reading up on everything that is Golden State Basketball. It's all here: trade Rumors (my personal favorite), win-loss ratios or scenarios, even personal information to where the players shop, eat and hangout can be found in FanPosts. The GSoM Enquirer simply pays tribute to the everyday news, rumors, and rants of our Golden State Community!

Warriors (seem like they're) down to Arizona PF Jordan Hill and Davidson PG/SG Stephen Curry - Golden State Of Mind

Who would've thought that in a draft supposedly loaded with point guards and weak in power forwards aside from the Clips new big man, the Warriors would be seemingly fixated on a power forward? BPA always though, but again I ask: Is Hill the best player available? Better than my fav and your fav Brandon Jennings?

Warriors Draft History- We laughed, we'd cried. Actually we mostly cried.

Golden State Warriors 1st Round Draft History and Just My Imagination

What if the Warriors had a string of PERFECT drafts with their 1st round picks during the Chris Cohan era of prime suckitude?

Nellie Knows NBA Draft: The Warriors and Mavericks Years

Unlike Chris Mullin's spotty draft history, it's hard to argue with Nellie's draft and scouting acumen. This is one sharp and shrewd hoops mind.

Polling GSoM: Was Billy Owens a "monumental NBA bust"?

But was Owens a "monumental bust"? I'm not so sure I buy that given the facts. Guys like Clifford Rozier, Todd Fuller, Adonal Foyle, Patrick O'Bryant, Kosta Perovic- now those are "monumental busts". Over here in Dubs land, we know a monumental bust when we see one!

Draft history Part I of ???: on trading picks

With the draft lottery still a little more than a week away, it is too early to really recommend a 'draft strategy', but it is not too early to look at what becomes of various picks. In this multi-part pre-draft assessment, we'll look at various aspects of the draft, including trading picks, drafting for need vs. talent vs. tossing a dart at a board with a bunch of names on it and hoping for the best.

Grading the Mullin Picks

All eyes are focused on who the Warriors should hire to follow the legendary Don Nelson after this season, but few seem to be closely monitoring the status of Chris Mullin's current GM deal which expires in 2009. If I were the one deciding whether or not to extend Mullin's tenure in the front office, I'd put a lot of weight into the progress and performance of Kosta Perovic, Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli, and the 2008 Warrior Draft picks this upcoming season. Coupled with his embarrassing contract negotiation history (Adonal Foyle, Derek Fisher, Mike Dunleavy, and Troy Murphy) I can't say I'm all that sold on Mullin being in the driver's seat of the Warriors' front office, especially if his drafting record doesn't take a huge turn for the better. As of right now it really looks like it's time to not only plan for a critical head coaching search in the summer of 2009, but possibly also a search for a new GM.

Don't Forget Your Warriors' Draft History

What's that saying that your middle school History teacher never ceased to repeat at nauseam? "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it"? Well, believe you me the last thing we want is for some of those historically bad Golden State Warriors' draft day blunders to repeat themselves today.

Lucky #9: Revisiting the Warriors' Draft 9 Years Ago

Warning: This bit of Warriors history is not safe for work, hanging out with friends, studying at the library, etc. It will make you cry... out loud... like Adam Morrison in the clutch.

Slammin' from 1996 to 1984

We know the Warriors' messed big time in the draft, but the real question is: Which was a better overall draft 1996 or 1984 which produced hoops legends galore in Akeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and some guy named Michael Jordan?

Feeling Even Fuller- Golden State Warriors BLOG

Props to NBA Source for pointing out the ridiculously hillarious- Todd Fuller's college GPA was higher than his career scoring average.

1994 Milk Carton- Golden State Warriors BLOG

This was the draft that started the most infamous "streak" in NBA draft history.

1995 Draft- We're #1!!- Golden State Warriors BLOG

There you have it Warriors nation- 12 better players the Warriors passed up on when they "won the lottery." This qualifies as bad, Michael Olowokandi bad.

Worst #3?- Golden State Warriors BLOG

And there you have it my folkers- Dunleavy the top #3 stinker of the past 10 years. Funny thing is how many of those picks have played on the Warriors or had some connection- Christian Laetner, Penny, and Baron Davis.

Don't Bust Out!- Golden State Warriors BLOG

It's draft day! We here at the Golden State Warriors BLOG are excited but you can bet bet your ridiculous Bay Area rent or mortage that we've got fingers and toes crossed hoping that the Warriors don't pick another comedic BUST.

Ahem, NOBODY does NBA Draft like GSoM. Stay tuned for our 5th Annual Live Blogging of the NBA Draft! My man RDizzle's got you on Twitter too.

Poll

Are you hyped up beyond belief for the 2009 NBA Draft?

4 SHO: Bring the Hype!

314 votes

NOPE: I don't have a pulse.

121 votes

435 votes | Poll has closed

Warriors (seem like they're) down to Arizona PF Jordan Hill and Davidson PG/SG Stephen Curry

Atma Brother ONE — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:15:22 -0000

The pre-draft mania continued yesterday with Larry Riley and Don Nelson's media session. Nellie has quite the intriguing draft record, so you've got to be naturally excited about Draft Day 2009. Chris Mullin won't be getting in their way with his seemingly endless affection for raw, skinny big man (ahem Patrick O'Bryant, Kosta Perovic, Brandan Wright, and Anthony Randolph). Riley has said he'd like some beef as well. So what does this all mean? Quite possibly Arizona power forward Jordan "Shake 'Dem Dreads" Hill.

Riley and Nellie talk to the media. [via cache.daylife.com]

J-U-M-P for the L-I-N-K-S.

Marcus Thompson's got the info:

Riley, in a session with the local media Monday, said the Warriors are likely to draft either a point guard or a power forward, with the discussion centering mostly on Davidson guard Stephen Curry and Arizona big man Jordan Hill. A selection at either position would create interesting roster decisions this offseason and, if a point guard is drafted, perhaps the need for some smoothing over with guard Monta Ellis.

Who would've thought that in a draft supposedly loaded with point guards and weak in power forwards aside from the Clips new big man, the Warriors would be seemingly fixated on a power forward? BPA always though, but again I ask: Is Hill the best player available? Better than my fav and your fav Brandon Jennings?

Part of me thinks the Riley and Nellie are just messing with the New York Knicks front office and trying to make them sweat with all the Curry vibes. Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni seem to be enamored with Curry and he's also friends with a certain Muppet, which is critical for the summer of 2010. I wouldn't mind some Curry Nights at the Roaracle next season though. Even though they're already "Partying Like It's 2010" our friends over at Posting and Toasting can you tell you all you'd ever want to know about the enigma that is the NYK.

We shall see soon enough...

The linkage:

Warriors might select a power forward [Bay Area News Group]
Warriors G.M. Riley will need thick skin [Mercury]
Riley and Nelson talk Warriors: On the Monta Ellis visit, the point guard issue, and Jordan Hill [Talking Points]
Warriors not afraid of a little competition after draft [Bay Area News Group]
Hill the guy - if Warriors pass on point guard [SFGate]
Warriors GM Riley can't win in draft [SFGate]

Draft Central over at Warriors.com has a Tim Roye interview clip with Riley that's worth checking out too.

Also don't sleep on the ongoing Ball Don't Lie 2009 NBA Mock Draft. You should recognize the pick and words: BDL 2009 NBA Mock Draft: Pick No. 7, Warriors

			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 - Jordan Hill	34	35.7	7.4	13.8	53.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.4	5.3	65.4	4.2	6.8	11.0	1.5	2.9	0.9	1.7	3.0	18.3

			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 - Stephen Curry	33	33.6	9.1	20.0	45.6	3.8	9.9	38.7	6.7	7.6	87.6	0.6	3.7	4.3	5.6	3.6	2.5	0.2	2.3	28.7

Poll

If both college stars are available for the Warriors at the #7 pick who would you prefer?

Arizona PF Jordan Hill

544 votes

Davidson PG/SG Stephen Curry

595 votes

1139 votes | Poll has closed

Polling GSoM: Was Billy Owens a "monumental NBA bust"?

Atma Brother ONE — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:30:10 -0000

Over at Y! Sports Blog The Dagger they're counting down "the best college basketball players who went on to have disappointing NBA careers". As one would expect there's going to be at least one Warrior on the list. At #7 there's Billy Owens who is deemed a "monumental NBA bust" and is ridiculed for being out of the NBA by the age of 31.

Not the finest, but not a "monumental NBA bust". [via www.checkoutmycards.com]

Don't get me wrong. That trade that sent Mitch Richmond up north to Sacrapmento and broke up Run TMC is not going to be making any Dubs highlight reels anytime soon. Undoubtedly Owens was a great college player who went on to have a really disappointing NBA career- he didn't live up to the hype. But I'm not so sure calling Owens a "monumnetal NBA bust" is fair. Check his numbers over at Basketball Reference and jump for some facts and more!

FACT: The Warriors won 11 more games in Owens' rookie season (win total 55) compared to the previous season with Richmond (win total 44).

FACT: In his first season at the age of 22 Billy Owens averaged 14.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.8 blk, and 1.1 stl and made the 1991-1992 All-NBA Rookie 1st team.

FACT: ZERO players this past season averaged an all-around game that equalled or surpassed Owen's career bests of 16.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 4.1 apg (16-8-4). (That's of course picking and choosing numbers, but Owens was indeed a rare talent.)

FACT: The average length of an NBA career is just a shade under 5 years. Owens doubled that with a 10 year career.

FACT: After Owens (for Ronny Seikally) and Chris Webber (for Tom Gugliotta) were traded in the fall of 1994 a depressed Latrell wrote their jersey numbers on his sneakers. (Okay I'll admit back in 1994 I wanted to do the same thing, but all my sneakers were black.)

Billy Owens drawing his usual quadruple team.

via sayhey.files.wordpress.com

Now...

Have the Warriors drafted plenty of busts over the years? YES, see Don't Bust Out! (Golden State Warriors BLOG).

Did Nellie and company screw up and make a bad trade here? YES.

Does it suck that Run TMC only lasted 2 short seasons? YES.

Does it suck that WE BELIEVE only lasted 1 short spring? YES.

Did Billy Owens fail to live up to the hype? YES.

But was Owens a "monumental bust"? I'm not so sure I buy that given the facts. Guys like Clifford Rozier, Todd Fuller, Adonal Foyle, Patrick O'Bryant, Kosta Perovic- now those are "monumental busts". Over here in Dubs land, we know a monumental bust when we see one!

Make sure to check out the rest of the ongoing bust countdown over at The Dagger. It's a great trip down memory lane right before the 2009 NBA Draft:

10- Danny Ferry: It's hilarious how a guy who tried to circumvent the NBA Draft order is now a GM of a team. Another reason for LeBron to go to NY the first chance he gets!
9- Adam Morrison: Let's just say he really doesn't need to do all that much to win the 2009-2010 NBA Most Improved Player.
8- J.R. Reid: This is hilarious...

It's sort of sad that Reid is probably best remembered now as the butt of a frequent joke from the Cameron Crazies. Those so-called clever fans used to hold up signs that said "J.R. Can't Reid", a practice that eventually incensed Dean Smith so much that he publicly called out the Duke students and pointed out that Reid had higher SAT scores than Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner. Unfortunately, all three had similarly disappointing NBA careers.
7- Billy Owens: At least the man had low expectations...

Owens didn't sign with Sacramento and forced his trade to Golden State
Quite the bargaining power- not signing with Sac, but landing up in GSW. This might be the first and only time someone "forced" a trade to the Golden State Warriors. For this, Owens should never be forgotten by the "Unstoppably Baby!" people.
6- Juan Dixon: Looks like his 2 seconds of fame are up.
5- Lionel Simmons: The L-Train got banged up.

Poll

Was Billy Owens a "monumental NBA bust"?

YES: B-U-S-T

311 votes

NO: Don't Believe the Hype!

173 votes

484 votes | Poll has closed