As suggested by Sleepy, I thought I would start a topic to discuss the possible alternatives systems for the Draft, as it appears that the current system could possibly encourage a team to deliberately lose in order to improve their draft position.

As I mentioned in my post in Sleepy's latest Tank update, if there is ever suspicion of a team team deliberately losing in order to gain advantage in the Draft, this approach enters some very 'murky' waters of possible match-fixing and intention to defraud a season ticket holder of their right to see their team do all that they can to win.

I am not saying that the Warriors are currently doing this, however the very structure of the draft as it stands, might tempt a team to consider it, especially if the fan base appears to be in agreement that boarding the mighty 'TANK' with commander Tank in charge of a group of 1st Batallion Tankballers to achieve the title of worlds finest 'Tankers'.. (no that is not cockney rhyming slang for something else) ;) might be a good thing?

So is there an alternative system that could established whereby the draft does not reward short term losses, but takes a different view?

via static.tumblr.com

Lets Discuss below.....

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I can understand the point the OP in the players thread was trying to make, even if not delivered with quite the style that many would have preferred...however....there are some serious questions that have to be asked of both sides!

There is talk about what a company 'should' or 'is' currently paying its staff by means of comparison to the current NBA franchises, as a percentage of its total income. I would ask.....according to who?? If Basketball is to be compared to a ‘service’ industry, then why is it that so many service industries are now being based where labour is cheaper? While it’s true that many business owners are ‘chasing the dragon of profit’, it also cannot be ignored that many workers of various industries have become expectant of privilege and status, irrespective of what is going on in the world around them.

But why is this core issue and lock-out so important currently???

Some views and observations that you may well think are worth spit below...(WARNING...no statistical analysis was used nor animals harmed in the production of this piece) ;)

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In ancient Rome, the high profile sports stars of the day, were Gladiators!

via www.stcolmcilles.org

Men who risked their lives each day in an arena, not knowing if their next day would be their last. While these men were slaves, many of the great fighters were living with many benefits and people who barely had two brass coins to rub together, would spend their hard earned money, watching such games....some might say that the "Rockstar Athlete" was born!

Since that time and through Olympiads and the growth of sporting competition over the ages, people have been able to make a "career" from sporting competition. Yet it has not been until the last 40 years, that this "career" has grown to levels of salaries that not even the greatest of brains in the public and private sector can come anywhere near to matching!

The one industry that rivals professional sports currently, is "Entertainment" - Film Music and TV are providing the path to "fame and fortune", which in itself provides the core basis for these over-inflated salaries. But are they based on demand from the working man/woman on the street???

The NBA now faces a Lockout, similar to that of the NFL in the past, as it seems that the "paymasters" have started to object to the levels of salary that are being paid to its athletes and the question has to be asked....is this for the greater good?

Or simply a means for the owners to try and squeeze more juice from the fruit, during tougher times?

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Well...this morning I had actually planned to write this Fanpost having been thinking about it for a few months, but was picking a time once the draft was out of the way, etc... then what happens....

That Sleepy Fool jumps the gun! ;) lol

He has posted an idea in the Jerry West thread of PMC...

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Ladies and Gents - firstly my apologies....due to work and all that, I have been remiss in my duties to provide the overview of Jan, but hope to make up for it now.

Why do I like Jan Vesely as an option for the Warriors? We all like athletic players, with some skills and that little spark of something special to get excited about. However it has been rare for a European player to be able to bring that level of excitement to the NBA, apart from maybe a couple of exceptions!

But a key ingredient that I really look for in an NBA player, is someone that a coach can put on the floor and the opposing coach thinks.... 'who the hell do I put on him?' If Jan Vesely plays at the 3 for the Warriors, I think he becomes one of those players! Stats and thoughts why below!

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Well... with just a few games to go this season, the Warrior faithful have yet again paid with their very hard earned cash or time in these tough economic conditions, to follow their beloved team and what a year it’s been!  I would love to say for all the right reasons too....alas...I cannot. However this is not a thread of despair and gloom, just a personal view from across the pond (currently) of this year’s performance.

I will cover most of the team and the front office and give my thoughts on their performance and reasons why I may have those opinions. I appreciate you might not agree with many, but it is often refreshing to see another’s perspective and consider aspects which may not have been considered before... it’s quite long, so grab a cup of coffee if you like...so here is my personal reflection of this year’s efforts:

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I'm sorry....but the GSW fanbase deserves better. We gave him time, we have watched his plays, we have seen his strategy... and we are disapoint!

It's time for Keith smart to go and there are tens of threads with extremely valid opinions as to why his time should be over as our head coach. This thread is simply a vote.

Should the GSW management fire Keith Smart now?

Could they ask Nellie to step in and be Interim coach till the end of the season?

Allowing the franchise to really search for a suitable candidate that might be found in enough time to have impact on the players we choose for next year?

Please vote here and show the our franchise owners what the fans truly feel.

It is a sad night when three former Warriors in Morrow, BWright and Gadz, who all play well, are part of a team without Deron Williams and they still manage a win.

It's time for change! EDIT - As my memory was jogged below.... JERRY SLOAN anyone?

Thanks

BritWarriorGSW

EDIT - (JUST TO BE SAFE I removed the Monty Python picture, as it there might have been concern about a virus)

6'11", 20 years old, plays Forward...hmmm this sounds familiar eh?

No...this is not a moment of light hearted British humor in the midst of the 'WTF is going on with our Warriors!'... but a quick mention and moment of consideration from across the pond!

In one of the most talked about 'trade deadline' days in recent NBA history, the Warriors made the rather questionable move of effectively giving away Brandan Wright for a 2nd round pick! While there have been many threads discussing the pro's and con's of this move, I for one feel it was a slight waste.... 

As a player...I actually liked the potential of young Brandan and really hope he may remain healthy at the Net's to possibly show his true potential, which I don't believe we have fully seen yet. However ..... at 210lbs (225lbs possibly now), his lanky 6'10 frame really did get a bit of a beating in the NBA as a Power Forward.

Now... the current management and ownership talks of the future... and building around youth....well... let me take you back to my first line...and offer you a 6 foot 11 inch SMALL Forward, who can also play Power Forward but probably best if he does not in the NBA.... what if said player was 20 years old.... and what....most importantly (and major differentiating item to BWright) if I told you....said youngster was already 240LBS!!!!!????!!!! Interested???

Similar to Epke Udoh... but NOT Epke Udoh...

Now...what if said youngster was delivering an average of 8.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game? Does this sound promising enough to you that we should offer him a seat on the bench??? Read more below if it does...

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I have to share this with you all as I think it is the most uplifting and superb story and while it is not directly GSW related, please bear with me as it is basketball related at the end.....

Having come from the UK and then lived in San Francisco for several years, I was truly amazed at the number of homeless who choose to head there and I often wondered about the backgrounds of some and how they came to be in their situation on the streets...

Anyway...someone else, a reporter, thought the same thing and on spotting this homeless guy by the side of the road in Ohio, could not believe his ears.......

Watch...

Homeless man with awesome radio voice- get him a gig! (TED WILLIAMS) (via biiiiirdman)

Now.... the uplifting part...

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The faithful of the Golden State Warriors have for several years now had to deal with an all too common statement for my liking.... "Yes but we have a lot of injuries..." and frankly...I have had enough of listening to this. I year...ok, every team has their problems...two years..ok, however I am not happy at the number of injuries to key players and begin to ask questions... 3 YEARS??? OK... this is NOT normal.

Now, in the past I have raised this as occasional comment in various threads and yet here we are again with injury issues and I decided it was high time we created a post to discuss what is a glaring problem in my personal opinion.

Professional basketball is a sport with many, many unknown faces within the organisation. To that end, it is similar to politics! In the UK, governments come and go and yet members of what is called the 'civil service' can remain in position within key departments of governmental power from the Ministry of Defence right through to staff at Downing Street (think Whitehouse) irrespective of the new leader that comes to power.

Now... while this offers a certain degree of stability for the incumbent leader to simply move in and get on with the job at hand, many of these 'civil servants' are effectively faceless and nameless 'grey suits' who 'advise' said leaders and the net result is often governmental policy which is created from 'advice' given by said faceless wonders...  Alas none of these individuals are elected by the people and none of them have to re-apply for their jobs. The net result is politics that become a greyer shade of grey...where in reality, there is little effective change brought about by publicly elected changes in government.. and THAT, can be a problem.

How does this relate to basketball and our beloved Golden State Warriors I hear you cry? Well like government, Golden State has just undergone not only a franchise leadership change, but also a coaching leadership change and yet the 'grey suits' or 'grey gym gear wearers' remain in place....is it therefore time to clear ranks in house and bring a completely fresh outlook to the way this basketball club goes about its business?? If you are interested to read further, I have put forward some observations/concerns below...if not...I wish you a Merry Christmas!

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Well the game is well and truly on!!!

The phones have started ringing and agents have been holding teleconference calls and some players have even been visited already! The mad fest that is the 2010 Free Agency is definitely buzzing and yet again we are nowhere near to being in serious consideration for anything of any major interest.... or are we?

There is already talk of a sign and trade for the Lakers taking Chris Bosh and indeed CB may in fact be a key to this market. Many have linked CB going to where 'The King' lands but is that really what Chris Bosh wants? Due to the fact that he has maintained his own independence in the past in contract decisions, he strikes me as quite a shrewd player and he might just surprise one or two.

The question is...how long is this going to take for the major players to decide where they wish to lay their hat? already Amare has opted out of his final year to join the fray and many tip him to end up in Miami with Wade... In addition Pierce opts out, Dirk flies to Dallas, Wallace retires and now Denver may be shopping Carmelo...

Without doubt, this will be one of the most interesting off-seasons for many years.

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I should start by saying that I am not convinced that we should use a roster spot for a 6th pick, unless Cousins or Johnson head our way. So I started thinking abot this some more and decided my thoughts were too long for a response in another thread and decided to create this.

The probable starting 5 as it stands for next year would be:

Curry
Ellis
Buike
Randolph
Biedrins

In addition the squad is likely to include - Maggette, Turiaf, Williams, Toliver, Watson, Morrow, Radman and Wright. Thats 13 probables for the squad leaving one spot open and also room to discuss trading a few players away to make room for others.

The question I am asking myself, is this: "If we did not specifically target the likes of Aminu or Monroe before we knew we would get the 6th pick....do we really want them now?"

Is it not better to use the pick, in combination with some trade pieces to actually get a player that will add some significant impact with hopefully lower risk, than players like Maggette or yet another rookie, who we picked simply because he was there??

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Well.... today see's a very interesting day and one which many have prayed long and hard for!!

Chris Cohan has put the Warrios up for Sale!!

I'm sorry I will say that again as you may not have heard me over the cheering and car horn honking that is going on around the Bay Area! CHRIS CHOHAN HAS PUT THE WARRIORS UP FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/warriors/2010-03-22-golden-state-sale-oracle_N.htm

http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2010/3/22/1384850/cohan-officially-puts-gsw-up-for

Cue the sisters!!!

via bobfranquiz.typepad.com

Now.....

Some here, including myself, have been shall we say... a little harsh on Mr Cohan, unfortunatly his actions really have brought about such feelings and therefore he only has himself to blame.

However... I am a professional.... and credit where credit is due.. I must write a few lines to sum up some goodness that the years of Chris Cohan have done for this basketball club.

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I would encourage anyone that did not watch the game last night against the Kings to watch the orangino highlights as 7.17m into the clip...highlights the reasoning for this post.

From that moment on, we see a perfect example of GOOD team dynamic. Prior to this we saw a display of a team that could run and probably beat, anyone in the league because of team dynamics. This has zero to do with statistical anlaysis, this is watching a group of guys, scrap, fight, chase, share and support each other as a true team should.

Firstly... NO ONE can question the incredible ball movement, and effort ALL the players have been making when Monta is not playing. Now... this might highlight how much they are trying to do their part...OR...it simply shows how good the dynamic is between these players that played last night. From 7.17 onwards you see the GENUINE enthusiasm these teamates have for each other and also you see why 'Turiaf' is just a piece that you cannot put a trade value on....as a Captain... you cannot BUY that level of support and enthusiasm...period.

I really could not care that the opponents were the Kings last night.... the way the team played, would have given any team in the league, a hard time last night.

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  OK....so I have been meaning to post this for a long time now, since I learned last year that the Warriors would in fact be changing their logo/uniform designs for the 2010/2011 season and recent discussion in a couple of threads has forced me to get off my backside and post it.

It would seem opportune that as the Warriors marketing department head chap, does not seem to have the brains to ask the very people who will be buying the merchandise (the fans) far enough in advance, what their opinions might be on this, that WE, the mighty GSOM community...will do our bit to let fans show their ideas and thoughts on what the team should look like for next year, thus helping the rudderless marketing department with probably the most important decision in a timely fashion.

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Many MANY moons ago in a galaxy far far away... I actually owned a pair of Jordan 1's (damn how I wish I had kept them for keep sake value). You remember them?

via www.cheaptrainers.me.uk

Now being a relatively skinny, tall, beanpole of a young teenage basketball player, I had small ankles and often used to twist my ankle in my early soccer career of 8 years from the age of 6 to 13 years old. So when I first started playing basketball at UK college prior to University, I preferred the 'High Top' support of a shoe like the Jordan one's and even then had pairs of the Shaq Reebok 'Pump up' boots, that inflated a support in the boot tongue and sides, to give a truly great snug fit around the ankle and never had a problem...

When I then went to University I switched to Converse and the Aerojam 'Grandmama' editions just like these and also another pair that were also 3/4 quarters and Black and Purple....the key thing being, they were 3/4 tops.

via nicekicks.com

Well....as some of you know, during the 1994 British University Quarter Finals, I was wearing a pairof the above 'Cons' and having taken a board, spun out to my left to head off down the right side on a fast break. At full sprint, I passed the opposing shooter who had just missed and was turning to his right, my right toe clipped the back of his left heel and when my foot came into contact with the court, instead of it being flat and forwards, it was 45 degrees to the left and rolled onto its right side..... CRACK!!!!! on impact... I kid you not, the entire hall heard my ankle crack on landing, yet it was not my ankle breaking thank god, but my Achilles tendon tearing with a huge ankle sprain and other minor tendon damage and pulls....

I was extremely lucky the Achilles did not snap all the way across and so it was able to fuse back together and repair/heal, unfortunately that was the end of my basketball game at University...

To this day...I suspect that had I been wearing my old favoured high-tops, the damage might have been just a bad sprain, as my ankle did not truly have much support around the ankle joint in the 3/4 shoe... which got me thinking in light of the current spate of ankle sprains.... Do current NBA players think enough about their shoe selection?

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Just received this in my email from the Warriors....

 Please note that the City of Oakland has implemented a MANDATORY parking tax on ALL events being held at Oracle Arena and the Oakland Alameda-Coliseum, which regrettably includes all Golden State Warriors home games. It marks the first parking tax instituted since the opening of the original sports complex in 1966.

Due to this city mandate – effective as of January 1, 2010 -- the Warriors have been forced to increase parking rates at Oracle Arena from $15 to $18 per game. We regret this city-imposed action and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that it will cause to our valued fan base who regularly attend Warriors home games. The increase marks the first in individual parking rates since 2005. 

Sincerely,

Golden State Warriors

Soooooooooo... paying $15 was not bad enough!?!?!

$18 to park....ahhh hell, why not go the whole hog and make it easier for the attendents and call it a square $20!?!

A $3 parking tax for a 'great time out' in the current economic climate smacks of a city in desperate need of cash, tapping the obvious easy target...the car owner that does not wish to use Bart or it is not practical to use Bart....

May I suggest that the city of Oakland reviews the sheer number of bureacrats and paper pushing Idle OAFS! claiming a fat salary for doing very little and getting rid of them, before they start hitting people with yet another robbery tax who are frankly taxed enough!!

Very very poor!

With the entry to a new decade, the Golden State Warriors have some serious thinking to do with regards to who they want to keep and who they want to let go...

In the last two months my personal feelings towards two players have changed drastically, namely Maggette and Biedrins...

CM has been the contract we have been looking to get rid of since a certain person was in panic/blindflap mode, following Baron's departure. BUT...... no one can deny Corey's effort for the Warriors so far this year. His numbers have improved significantly, his distribution has increased significantly, he is clearly having an effect with Monta which came at a critcal time when it seemed the team was destined to implode... he has increased his defensive hustle and in short, has carried this team along with Monta in many games this year...

That alone deserves some recognition and support and if he continues to play at this level, I would like nothing more than for Maggette to remain a Warrior as possibly the best 6th man in the league for the number 3 position behind Buike next year..(I thought this might just have been a break-out year for Buike dammit...)

Flip now to Andris Biedrins...I know many absolutely love the number of rebounds he 'used' to get..but it is clear the guy is possibly a little 'brittle' for want of a better word and where I hoped and expected to see him come back with some form of explosive impact with apparent zest and energy... I watch a slightly gawky guy barely jogging up and down the court to get into position... While I appreciate he is never going to be a great 100 metres sprinter, it's not a good sign when Ronny Turiaf seems to be showing more effort to run up and down the court?

Granted he is coming back from injury, where yes I will agree anyone will look rusty... but he doesnt just look rusty... he looks 'knackered' as we would say here in the UK! Which I cannot get my head around right now as to why? His fitness at the very least, should be pretty high right now.... He also seems slightly 'meh' or too relaxed in his attitude right now judging by his interviews, where you see a focus and determination from the likes of Monta, Maggette, etc..Andris is laughing and joking and does not seem to have many cares in the world? Again...that may just be the guy's personality which is great if it is...but I would like to see a little more... "Yes I know we are in the doo doo right now, but I am going to do all I can" type of thing...

Therefore I ask the question...."Is Biedrins ever going to be a key franchise player for the Warriors?"...if not...due to the relative value he generated in past seasons performances and perceived future value...is Biedrins a more valuable trade piece currently to the Warriors than Maggette for example? While I dont liek the contract of Maggette, I certainly dont want to see us get anyone less productive for the team in place of him...

For me, I see the GSW players with us next year as:

Ellis, Randolph, Curry, Morrow, Buike, Wright, Turiaf and probably Magette, possibly Bell.

Which means we may see trades occur with Biedrins, Radmanovich, CJ, Claxton, George, Moore. (I assume we wont keep Hunter, although I actually hope we keep him and gradually work him into a solid Centre back-up)...

If we were to lose said players and bring in a couple of players maybe a Bosh/Wallace, another useful defensive big and a couple of young bigs/swingmen and maybe keep CJ if we can afford to?

I dont think we lose anything from a rebounding perspective by losing Beans, as the Turiaf-Randolph, or Turiaf-Wright, Bosh-Wright, types of combo take that role... It is also pretty fair to state that Biedrins does not really have a jump shot to speak of, and his free throw..well...possibly the ugliest thing to ever grace a FTL... I have also become increasingly frustrated at the guys complete lack of ability to box out and get hard body contact on opposing teams bigs...

So much as I didnt think I would say this over a year ago... I think I would actually prefer to keep Maggette now rather than Biedrins and hope that we can get some good value for Biedrins with maybe the number one pick, with the 'Radman allstars' as a second package to a team looking for the expiring contracts? in return for a useful, experienced big/swingman?

Does anyone else feel Maggette has played himself into a long term role here at GSW? and maybe Biedrins is not going to be the player we hoped he was going to be?

I thought these two players dserved some focus and discussion....

Over to you GSOM sages of wisdom...

Ok.....so last night watched a pretty epic game, where we saw a rookie light up the court and now everyone has "Jennings Fever".....

Fair play to the guy, he saw an opportunity... and he took it. The question is, what was the opportunity? The opportunity as EVER, was the complete mindless, moronic lack of game head and defense after halftime where upon we venture into the dreaded "3rd Quarter"....I mean forget the twilight zone (Que Tony to do a great poster using the old black and white twilight zone images and make it the 3rd Quarter zone) we as a team have a SERIOUS issue when it comes to the 3rd quarter....nearly every game we lose, we lose or make extremely difficult for ourselves in the 3rd quarter!!!

So...back to mr Jennings....WHY? did he get away with that "stampede"? VERY simple.... DEFENSE!! The age old nugget for the GSW faithful.... we are stunning on the offensive end, but could be embarassed by high school teams in how badly the team currently plays defense. I am not kidding, the Golden State Warriors truly are that bad at defensive play.

So...who is to blame? and yes...there is blame to be had here and certain people must now put their hand in the air and say..."yes...I am guilty of doing a poor job" and that is predominantly Keith Smart. Let's not kid ourselves that Nellie will teach Defense...has never happened, WILL never happen and hence why Keith Smart was publicly made the "Defensive coach".

Now when they made the appointment, I thought..OK..lets see how this works. I am still waiting a season and a half later!!

How many times do we see players "reach in" to try and get the ball, which 9 times out of 10 results in a slap on the arm and a foul... the players seem to have forgotten the very basics of a defensive stance even... but I wont educate our players how to stand... I'll let his "airness" do that for me....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOaJHAhOnXM

Now...back to Keith... do you think it is at all possible he might take these guys and spend a whole day with them and do NOTHING but defensive stance... I dont have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times in a game where our players have ZERO defensive stance. They simply stand narrow, upright with no hand in the face of the opposing player.....we are talking BASICS HERE! How much do these fellas earn?

Now, I have no doubt, Mr Smart is doing all he can to get these guys to wake up and realise that "D" saves games..allowing you the "chance" to win the game with offense. However it is clear that much of this rests with the players getting lazy and selfish. Once they have been in the NBA a while, the great players understand the concept of hustle and D, the ones who dont...fade into the distant memories.

Our man on man defense is shocking...but again, its not for me to describe how best to do this, but a great perimeter defender, Mr Bruce Bowen...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2A9iGhatcc

In short... we have BONE IDLE players apart from a couple and kudos must go to Curry, Buike and even now Ellis, for aggresive hustle on D..everyone else....go to the back of the class. Except maybe Magette, who is also surprisingly uping his work ethic and hustle of late and it shows in his performances.

So...what do we do about this....

Unfortunately we cannot do what SHOULD happen with professional athletes (no not throttle them) ;) Which is..hit them where it hurts....the wallet! If you are marking a man and he gets past you and scores... that's $500 right there! If the player your marking then drops 50 points on you, thats $25,000 right there..it wont take many of those to get these guys to wake up and realise that their lack of effort is killing this team! When these players start to realise that their lack of hustle affects their paycheck... guess what... effort goes up...defese goes up...wins become more.... we have to chat about poor defense a great deal less...

As we saw with Monta...you start to take away some of their "Fat Pay Checks" for their own STUPID actions or lack of on court effort.... they dont like it.

Unfortunately..its never going to happen, so the next best thing is to bring in the men or man, who's sole purpose is to coach D. The Lakers have Pippen helping them, the Celtics have Thibodeau (brilliant defensive coach) and there are many great defensive minded players that can teach our young guys how to defend... our current coaching staff...not so much. Why? because they have not changed in the last 3-4 years and our defensive output is STILL diabolical, so it's not as if they have not had their fair chance to show what they can do.....

A classic example of how a key coach can have such an effect is Mr Sidney A. Moncrief ..... We are missing his shot coaching skills ENORMOUSLY.... can somone get on a damn plane and get that man back from the Chinese?????? Our free throws have dropped off, our jump shots are not what they used to be..the man was a great shooting coach and you could see the confidence in the players shots with him around... I have ZERO doubt... you place Curry with Moncrief.... and we suddenly see both Curry AND Morrow getting back to stunning shooting form...even Monta's jumper will come back (although his tre looked pretty nice last night).

As I mentioned in my coaching piece, it is not all about Nelson... there is a whole team of coaches behind Smart and Nelson... and they are simply NOT doing a good enough job in ensuring that our guys start playing better D...ESPECIALLY in the 3rd quarter.....

Invariably we revert to our starters at the beginning of the 3rd..... I personally would like to see a coaching style change here... and leave the guys to start the 3rd....as the ones who finished the 2nd... then five minutes in or so..start reintroducing the starters....MAYBE that will help us with our 3rd quarter problems?

Finally REBOUNDING..... we all know the basic principles...but again.. one of the best to describe this is Superman himself....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql69UVzed04

As a team, the Warriors have a great fondness of the zone defense...with the zone comes incredible responsibility to "BOX OUT"....something we are again shocking at..... yes we are missing key big men, but no matter what your size... you should be making the effort to box out and EVERY SINGLE GAME we have players making ZERO effort to box out aside from maybe young Randolph and Buike... THIS HAS to change...so again...who is to blame? The players...yes.. AND the coaching staff....

In short... we have a team with some truly superb talent on the court, but it is simply not getting chance to enjoy its offense, because its defense is so terrible..especially in the 3rd quarter.....

If the Warriors as a team can simply "CONCENTRATE" on pure ball busting explosive effort on D after the halftime break... WE WILL win more games especially if they then take this increased focus and effort through the rest of the game as well. Should the basketball gods shine on us and the FO does it's job properly, then MAYBE we will get a star quality PF to help as well.....

This team is in SERIOUS need of a new defensive coach and as I mentioned in another thread, if Keith Smart is due to take over from Don Nelson due to understanding how we play our style of game on the offensive end, then as much as I want to see us trade for a great PF...I would equally like to invite our slightly rudderless Front Office to make a large cash offer to get Tom Thibodeau in as the new Defensive coach...

Every season, loyal fans of the Golden State Warriors beat their heads against the wall when they watch simply diabolical defensive play....how much longer must we make our heads bleed, before SOMEONE in the organisation wakes up and says...."Ok...what we are doing currently on defensive play is simply not working".....

In the last few games we have certainly seen an increase in defensive hustle... but it's simply not enough... when a player like Brandon Jennings gets on fire, it seems we currently have ZERO idea what to do....well that my friends is the responsibility of Mr Keith Smart and why he is paid the money he is to be defensive coach. He must recognise a problem player and CHANGE the defense accordingly...to take his threat out of the game....had we done that last night... we would have won the game, it is really is as simple as that.

DEFENSE...DEFENSE....DEFENSE.....DEFENSE......DEFENSE.....

Without it...we should change the club name to "Golden Same'ole Warriors".... frustrating and sometimes entertaining to watch, but not a hope in hell of ever taking a championship ever again...

Larry Riley.... do your job as GM...MAKE CHANGES!!!!!!!!!

Of late there has been a great deal of conversation with regards to the firing of Nellie, Rowell, Cohan, etc. I raised a point on another thread with regards to Keith Smart being in that pot as well due to his defensive coaching responsibilities and I’ll come onto that in a while, but I first wanted to highlight a much greater issue and one that could make or break this season....

First and foremost, the performance against the T-wolves highlighted that there is nothing wrong with the core talent on this team, nothing at all. There is however some serious question mark over the coaching decisions and most importantly in my personal opinion, the “STYLE” of coaching required for THIS team, right now.

There is also a significant part of this to come from the players themselves.  Why?... If you are a player of the ability to reach the NBA, then you are a player that can and MUST learn to play a defensive game. Granted some players are better than others at defensive play immediately. But if I was coach and I was not seeing 100% hustle on D, I would sit that player until he learnt that without hustle on D, you don’t get to play and do the nice bits! I.e. the glory of offensive play...

So already you see the approach of the “Carrot and the stick”. As long as the player follows the carrot, they don’t get hit with the stick, it really is that simple.

I will now go onto a slight tangent, but this will have significant relevance if you bear with me...

The problem with today’s NBA players and professional sports athletes in general and to an even greater extent the Bay Area in general (from my observations of the last 4 years) is this culture it seems of “it’s my right!” The Bay Area is a truly superb region, however it is ruined by the self opinionated individuals that effectively shout loudest for their right to do what they want, irrespective of how that might affect their neighbour/colleague/friend/enemy. It comes down to “It’s my right, so I am gonna do this”. The city of San Francisco is summed up perfectly in one word “Entitlement”. There is a nasty underbelly of self “entitlement” that you only get to see once you have lived in the area, where people are more concerned about their own wants and needs, rather than that of others/their freinds or neighbours. There are many communities, but sadly, there is not one big community, unless there is a major event or disaster... 

There are sections of society now, that grab more headlines and newsprint square inches, by simply shouting loudest with no respect for anyone else’s views, all the while championing “freedom of speech, and civil rights” yet when someone has an opposing view, they are chastised and almost bullied by even louder shouting as to why the opposing view should not be allowed or is even relevant...  can anyone say the word “hypocrisy?”... Something that could be very easily aimed at Stephen Jackson of late...

Newsflash.... no one actually gives a rats kazoo about your individual rights, but as part of society or for example a team.... you have every “right” expected, as does the next man, but when your individual right starts affecting the majority, then I am sorry, but for the greater good of the majority, YOU NEED to accept what you can negotiate and be happy with it. Not stamp your feet and throw your toys around like a spoiled child, just because people are not conceding to your view or opinion.

Young players nowadays it seems, have been taken over by this intense “It’s my right and entitlement” nonsense and when certain players start behaving in that manner, then it starts to affect the greater good of the TEAM....and THAT is when a coach, must step in and be the man that he is paid to be.

Many of our players have become lazy, sitting back on their bank roll, comfortable it seems to earn the money, RATHER than be hungry to get a championship ring. Some it seems, like to think that a Championship ring is simply going to arrive at their feet, it’s not, and it comes from hard work and HUSTLE and playing as a unified UNIT. Young Stephen Curry highlighted as such recently stating that on Sunday they spent two hours working hard in the GYM....including the vets, which suggested the Vets effort had been a little less than that to date.

Two hours.... TWO HOURS???? If this team produced the performances it has of late, the players should not get out of that damn Gym. 6 Hours later...they might have earned dinner...then once gym work is complete, they should study and study, defensive plays, other teams, other players. Without adding a single player to the team, this added dedication and preparation will start increasing the win count. You dont neccessarily have to be better than your oponnent, but you do have to be better prepared. 

How many hours do you think our guards spent studying Evans and footage of him and other Sac players? They should have known every trick, angle, move, favoured hand, favoured shooting position, everything there is to know about their opposition... if anyone does not think that is necessary, well then keep your smart Armani suit on, as you won’t be playing tonight. THAT is what a coach should be telling his team and remind them that they are nothing but a basketball player and for that they should be extremely grateful, that they get to perform on behalf of fans who spend their hard earned wages from being refuse collectors, taxi drivers, Police Officers, Nurses, Doctors, teachers...etc etc...it should therefore be their privilege and honour to put on the Warriors uniform and not the privilege of the Warriors to have these players play for them.

But society today has put professional athletes on a pedestal and no matter what their age, they suddenly feel it is their right to play the game they want to play it and on their terms. THIS is where you need a coach to step forward and crack the whip.

We have kids growing up that “just do enough”, or “that’s good enough”, or “what can I do, it’s not my fault” and you see it in today’s athletes. They become so wrapped up in their own self importance that they fail to realise they are actually not doing enough to help the greater good of the team. In short.... many professional athletes have become selfish, self centred, egotistical attention whores that must and SHOULD be controlled by their coach. There are of course exceptions and players like Buike, Curry and players like Crawford, did/do what they are asked to do with some grace and professionalism.

So... we currently have some players (Jackson) taking personal differences public, Monta Ellis not really seeming to give a monkey’s and other young players it seems, failing to grasp the basic principle that working as a team, comes before ALL ELSE. That message is clearly not getting across from the coaches and is it any wonder, when we see the complete lack of leadership or “carrot and stick”. What Nelson is doing with Randolph right now, is NOT “Carrot and Stick”, it is simply poor management. When you look at Don Nelson interviews and the way Keith Smart conducts himself in timeouts, not anyone would get the impression that, either of them at that given moment is the “boss” or as we call them in the UK...”The Guvnor”.... Our coaches it seems have a very “I’m your friend, let’s talk about this style... now that may work for hardened NBA veterans, but it does not work for young men that need to know where the line is... step across it...you get hit and hit hard.

Warrior’s basketball currently consists of many on court “bosses” a few sideline “bosses” and a few front office “bosses”. What is painfully clear is the fact that the Golden State Warriors NEED desperately a leader, ONE SINGLE BOSS... the one person that you know will absolutely rip you apart in public and in private for crossing him. One that once crossed will be swift with retribution and vengeance.

This “molly coddling” and “pampering” has got to stop. The responsibility for that rests with the coaching staff. It is time to start kicking some backsides and telling players that if they don’t deliver on defensive hustle, then they don’t get to play offense. Or if they dont shut their mouths in public about their trade requests, they will never play on the court again and if they are lucky, someone may come and save them. Does it mean you are paying someone a stupid amount of money to do nothing..yes it does... does it take back the control from the player to the club...yes it does.

What I would give to get Dennis Rodman as defensive "advisor" to show these kids that each and every one of them has MUCH to learn about defensive hustle. While the man has certainly not been a shining light inhis off court antics, no one can ever question his prowess on the defensive end of the court. I have to say...the two players showing most dedication to hustle currently are Acie Law and Curry. Law realises what the likes of Monta and his fat pay check simply don’t get.... dedication and hustle makes you part of a hard working team and hard working teams with just a couple of excellent players, win championships, it really is that simple. More importantly, we need the Boss to recognise that maybe the Zone defence just is not working and if that means another system then so be it, then players MUST hustle, if they don’t...they don’t play...

As defensive coach, If Keith Smart is not currently getting that message across, then unfortunately he is not getting his job done properly and you need to put someone into that position to grab these lads by the ears and scream your lungs out at them when they are not making effort on "D". If they choose to ignore that, or do not follow orders from the coach...it’s time to warm the bunch...”WHOEVER” you might be.

Teams require powerful leadership and while Keith seems a nice guy, he does not strike me as the kind of guy that would stand toe to toe with one of these guys and publicly rip them a new backside for lack of effort.

I would....

The armed forces have worked on this principle for decades, of which I experienced much of that "wrath" at times by my Regimental Sergeant Major....  But the one thing I learned very quickly is that while it may seem harsh at the time, they are treating you that way to get you to react when the time comes without question, there is no discussion to be had, you have a Boss, he tells you to do X....you do X... and get on with it and the reason why he has told you to do X, is that little thing called experience and that it might just save your life one day. It is clear that currently this team is not "reacting" to the opposition and that is because it is currently not a unit and this is why Monta Ellis is far from being a Floor General, but unfortunately...Curry is never going to be able to bark at Ellis or Jackson or Mags for being in the wrong position or getting a play wrong, as they will simply tell the rookie to keep quite or words to that effect... 

The problem today is money and respect. Too much money and not enough respect....Some of these kids are getting more money than sense; they feel they can do what they like. Well we need a coach that is prepared to address the balance and the balance needs to be taken back from the players, back to the BOSS!

The Warriors have been diabolical defensively and for people to say that the players just are not good on defence are giving these players a free ride. Well guess what.....the free ride is over...it is time to earn ya crust!

Therefore is it time for Don Nelson to step aside? in all honesty I believe it is. Should Keith Smart be the one to take over? Maybe for an interim period... but he is certainly not the end solution.

The fact remains, that when the “Boss” loses control of the troops, anarchy ensues in the ranks and currently this team and for that matter, this Franchise is lacking the pivotal leader that can stamp his authority on the club and remind the players that their total skill set is to bounce a ball up and down a court and put it into and keep it out of a basket. This is not rocket science, it simply requires effort and if certain people feel their ego’s can allow them to do what they like, then it is time for them to be brought down a peg or two.

The fortunes of this club in my personal opinion, will not change until we start to see who the man in charge is... the one thing I can tell is...the man in charge is not Stephen Jackson, it is not Monta Ellis but equally it is not Don Nelson or Keith Smart and that for me, is the most worrying thing about this basketball club and has been for a while now.

The coach of the Golden State Warriors is not seen, treated as or referred to by anyone...as the Boss and until that changes, the Warriors will remain a rudderless ship!

The Raptors just extended Marco's option and after his good value and input in their win over the Cavs, I can see why! In fact they are commenting as such on the Raptors pages over yonder...

"And we got him for Devean George. Wow! This kid looks good, but I’ll wait and see after a full season.

Nice move by BC.

by Frag on Oct 29, 2009 1:20 PM PDT"

It's always nice to see other fans observe what a pigs breakfast our FO manages to make at times in terms of trades! Personally I feel with all the Jackson nonsense...it has really highlighted what a BAD trade this was for us. All this talk currently of Curry and Monta together does not work....etc etc... With Marco rather than CJ.. we could have had;

Curry - Morrow

Randolph - Biedrins - Buike

with in rotation

Ellis - Marco

Magette - Moore - Turiaf

Bench of Law, Wright, etc etc....

We saw at times just before he injured his ankle the types of plays, delivery and assists that Marco can bring that compliments Ellis better than possibly Curry and being bigger than CJ, we then dont have to bring Buike into the 2 position which he is not naturally...

I believe the trade of Marco was a bad one for us and yet for Marco, I think he may actually do really well with the Raptors and probably as more chance of playoffs this year than we do...and best of luck to him...

Anyone else now feeling this was a bad trade? I never liked it during the summer and I still dont like it now...